When dusk hits on a humid summer day, what better place to be than laid out on a blanket under the stars with friends, snacks, and a big screen playing some of the most famous flicks? Luckily for you, more and more major cities across the nation are establishing their own version of the outdoor film festival, where a variety of films both old and new are screened in parks, on beaches, or rooftops.

Dolores Park Movie Night, San Francisco

If you bail from the Bay, be sure to check out San Francisco’s Dolores Park Movie Night on the 2nd Thursday of each month. The festival is already slated to feature some foreign favorites, like Amelie, and is dog friendly (just in case you wanted to bring your puppy along)! With the lure of the mega screen and the infamous Virginia the Tamale Lady, who’s rumored to stomp the grounds hawking her delicious tamales while doling out advice, how could you not be down with this amazing festival!

HBO Bryant Park Film Festival

For those of us on the East Coast, the options in New York city are a-plenty. Most famous is the HBO Bryant Park Film Festival, which showcases a lineup of timeless classics that everyone should see at least one. Starting on June 15th, make your way to the park each Monday evening and chill with your homegirls while you take in oldies but goodies like Harold and Maude, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. While they don’t offer tamales, they do have gourmet sandwich drop-off at your blanket courtesy of Top Chef head honcho Tom Colicchio’s ‘Witchcraft. Not bad for a night of lounging in the park!

If you’re across the river in Brooklyn, you don’t have to make the trek into the city to catch a great flick. Consider the Rooftop Films Festival, which is a platform for local and underground filmmakers to show their work. Although not free (on average, screenings run about $9 a pop), the events are usually preceded by interesting panels with the directors, and followed by some free beer and open bar offers. Be sure to catch much-buzzed about Voices from El-Sayed,  a documentary that looks inside the world’s largest community of deaf people living together. Brooklyn also offers the Movies with a View festival, in its 10th year. With world-class DJs from Brooklyn Radio spinning, and dinner being served up by popular eatery Rice, the festival allows guests to unwind under the Brooklyn Bridge. The lineup this year includes Tatum O’Neal classic Paper Moon and Johnny Depp fave Edward Scissorhands.

Chicago Outdoor Film Festival

Don’t worry Midwest, you’re still in the game! Chicago isn’t one to be left out, so the immensely popular Outdoor Film Festival will be back with a vengeance. Every Tuesday, your favorite black-and-white flicks like Psycho and Sunset Boulevard will grace the screen. The lineup here is really amazing, so make sure you pack a picnic and check it out.

Free is (most of the time) better, so this summer before you throw down $12 bucks plus popcorn to catch a movie in a dark theater, head out to your local park and catch one for nearly nothing (minus the cost of your snacks) under the stars!

If you revel in the cinematic genius that is Trainspotting and 28 Days Later like I do (Ewen McGregor? Zombies? What’s not to love?) then you’ll want to check out Karmaloop’s mini-interview with director Danny Boyle. Boyle speaks about the experience of making the tremendously popular and successful Oscar winner Slumdog Millionaire. Particularly interesting is his discussion of the Bollywood-style dance sequence during the end credits, one of my favorite parts (don’t front like you didn’t dance in the theater!) Apparently (and ironically) enough, London-born actor Dev Patel (who plays Jamil) wasn’t exactly Fred Astaire when filming for the dance sequence begun, but picked up some moves with practice. So well done, Dev Patel! You, and the entire cast, rocked our worlds!

Boyle discusses the inspiration behind the scene:

“Working in Mumbai…everybody dances. It’s as natural as singing a song in the shower on your own, or humming a tune going around in your head. It’s just the most natural thing in the world to do.”

Agreed.

What’s next for the man behind such an eclectic array of films? In regards to his film making process, Boyle is a self-described project driven director. Rather than having a multitude of projects, he prefers to immerse himself in “one thing at a time.” (quote from clip) So we’ll just have to wait and see what he cooks up next…

Image of Chanel and Stravinsky, among others, from Chanel and Her World by Edmonde Charles-Roux

If this is not Chanel-mania, I don’t know what is!  Last year we saw the Lifetime made-for-tv movie depicting the life of Coco Chanel.  In a few months the premier of Coco Avant Chanel will hit theaters.  What’s next?  Another Chanel film of course!  The third in this string of Chanel films depicts the love affair between Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky.  Directed by Jan Kounen with Mads Mikkelsen starring as Stravinsky and Anna Mouglalis as Chanel.  The duo met in Paris and even worked together on Georges Balanchine’s “Apollon Musagete” - Igor Stravinsky wrote the music and Mlle. Chanel designed the costumes.  Chanel and Stravinsky: The Secret Story (working title) releases later this year - stay tuned for updates!

Read below for a synopsis on the backdrop of the film:

Paris 1913, Coco Chanel is devoted to her work and madly in love with the handsome and very wealthy Arthur ‘Boy’ Capel.

At the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Igor Stravinsky premieres his “Rite of Spring”. Coco attends the premiere and is mesmerised. But the revolutionary work is too modern, too radical: the enraged audience boos and jeers. A near-riot ensues. Stravinsky is inconsolable.

Seven years later. Now rich, respected and successful, Coco is devastated by Boy Capel’s death. She meets Stravinsky again - a penniless refugee living in exile in Paris after the Russian Revolution. The attraction between them is immediate and electric.

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Read the full story to see more stills from the film. Read the full story

We’ve seen a rise in the adoption of film and video in portraying fashion campaigns. A few weeks back we reported on videos for Spring & Clifton and Agent Provocateur. We just got word of some other fashion videos that you may get a kick out of.

The first one is very funny and a bit naughty but has to do with “shoe love.”

This one from Prada is gorgeous and does a great job of using the imagery to highlight themes and pieces from the collection.

Happy Viewing! I’m sure we can expect to see more of these popping up. I don’t know about you but I like this trend and see it as a whole new canvas for fashion companies to work with. I’m excited to see what’s to come!

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There’s a storm brewing in the land of creativity…the likes of Shaniqwa Jarvis and Joanna Bean aka AfterAll, came up with an idea, which they pitched to Michelle Zacks of Spring & Clifton, which after they received the go they got together with Georgie Greville and a gang of others to create this film short debut of Spring & Clifton’s Fall 2008 Collection. Be prepared to go there and not wanna come back. This is one of those things that makes you feel inspired and have continued faith that there is a next level…thank-you ladies.

All this week, Sundance Channel will be celebrating fashion-themed programming with a series of style-oriented shows and docs. Tonight at 8PM is the Sundance Channel premiere of the film MARC JACOBS & LOUIS VUITTON. This month’s showings of the film are: Monday, February 4th at 8PM, Monday, February 18th at Noon, and Thursday, February 28th at 10AM. Check you local listings!

“Bringing the same intimate insight into the fashion world as his previous acclaimed documentary series SIGNE CHANEL, filmmaker Loïc Prigent focus on Marc Jacobs, called the most influential designer of his generation. This witty portrait follows Jacobs as he balances roles as artistic director of venerable French house Louis Vuitton and his own eponymous American line, in meetings, preparing collections and at high-profile shows. With Naomi Campbell, Sophia Coppola and Uma Thurman. “Artfully told with humor and panache” — Vogue.