I am very proud to announce the launch of the Pontani Pages podcast, an audio adventure I’ve embarked on with burlesque superstar and alluring conversationalist Angie Pontani. Check out our first episode: Valentines. We’ll be endowing the airwaves with monthly installments so please subscribe, share and let us know what you think!

THE PONTANI PAGES IS LIKE NO OTHER PODCAST OUT THERE. INTERNATIONAL BURLESQUE SUPER STAR ANGIE PONTANI BRINGS HER INSATIABLE CURIOSITY AND PENETRATING CONVERSATIONAL STYLE TO THE PERSONALITIES BEHIND NEW YORK’S NIGHTLIFE, AND BEYOND. LISTEN HERE FOR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH FILMMAKERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS, AUTHORS & ACTIVISTS, MUSICIANS AND MAVERICKS, COOKS, CABARET QUEENS, AND PERFORMERS OF EVERY STRIPE.

Last Week, I had the opportunity to attend this amazing event and shoot interviews with some of its esteemed participants. CGI is an annual summit of world leaders, non-profits, non-governmental organizations, philanthropists and activists. Toss in some editorial journalists and academics and stir. Founded and MC’d by Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative focuses on the key issues of the day (climate change, development in the developing world, preventable disease, etc) with forums and keynotes, interspersed with pledges where a foundation will announce its commitment to supporting a worthy program.

President Bill Clinton in conversation with NY Times editorial columnist Nicholas Kristoff

Supplementing webcasts of some of the panel discussions and presentations, I worked with a small team to present live interviews with some of the notable attendees such as Muhammed Yunus (Nobel-winning economist and pioneer of micro-finance), Mandy Moore (pop star and anti-Malaria spokesperson), Melanne Verveer (US Ambassador for Women’s Issues), Gavin Newsome (California Lieutenant Gov.), Valentino Achak Deng (Sudanese activist and co-author with Dave Eggars of “What Is the What?”), and Chelsea Clinton who was quite charming. You can watch all the interviews HERE on Facebook.

Other highlights from the week: Desmond Tutu in a skype conversation with Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, President Obama stopping by for a speech, Chelsea Clinton interviewing her mom onstage, “the panel on “mega-cities, mega challenges,” and the panel called, “From Conflict to Creativity: Reducing Violence through the Arts.”

So, I’ve started doing camera work for Livestream, the premiere web streaming outfit, and one of my first assignments with them was one I could have only dreamed up. The principle cast of one of my favorite films was brought together for one evening at Hammerstein Ballroom for a live chat about their experiences making the film and then living with it for the past 13 years or so. It was the final evening of Lebowski Fest, an improbably annual affair that started as a party in Louisville, KY, but it was also a big studio expense to promote the blu-ray release of The Big Lebowski. John Goodman (Walter), Steve Buscemi (Donny), John Turtoro (Jesus), Julianne Moore (Maude), music supervisor T. Bone Burnett, and of course the Dude himself, Jeff Bridges, were all in attendance.

When asked by the moderator what message they all felt could be taken from The Big Lebowski, Jeff Bridges responded with a line from the film. John Turtoro’s character has just promised the Dude and his bowling team, in colorful expressions,  that they would be defeated mightily in the upcoming tournament. “Yeah well,” the film’s hero somewhat confidently replies, “That’s just, like, your opinion, man.”

The event itself was quite colorful with maybe a couple thousand Lebowski heads packed into the Ballroom and balconies, many dressed as different characters from the film, and most drinking white russians.

Click on the photo to watch the event. (I shot the center camera position.)

Imagine this blog post being delivered by messenger pigeon. Now imagine that my 2008 film, Up on the Roof, had finally become available on DVD and in downloadable format. Well, which would you prefer to be true?

Up on the Roof is finally widely available, courtesy of IndiePix Films. The download gets you the one-hour film while the actual DVD comes packaged with two additional films on the same topic, which is, roughly speaking, people keeping pigeons on New York tenement rooftops. Only the other films were made in 1967 and 1981.

Other extras include a recounting of the history of pigeons in America, an academic discussion of Brooklyn gentrification and scenes from the battle against over-development in the Williamsburg section of that storied borough.

Order your copy today!

(also, stay tuned for news about a broadcast coming later in 2011!)

Just completed a development video for a really great non-profit that offers free math tutoring to under-served middle school students in NYC. Click to watch and visit TopHonors.org to learn more.

It’s on. The past 4 years of my life go on sale this week. Well, actually, it’s the DVD of Last Summer at Coney Island and I couldn’t have done it without anyone. So, if you know who you are, thank you.

The film runs 94 minutes and the DVD has close to an hour of extras. Oh, and it’s going to be on some PBS stations, starting with Thirteen/WNET on Sunday, May 15th at 10pm. Click HERE for schedules and info.

The story concerns Coney Island’s roller coaster relationship with redevelopment and it features a kick ass soundtrack by Kaki King. Other music by Alex DeMammos, Gwen Stefani, Death Cab for Cutie, Bliss Blood, Amiina, Lullatone, and others.

Please share the news!