Happy Friday! Sending blessings to all on this hot (and stinky here in Chinatown) day. May your day be filled with iced drinks, cool water and AC. We’ve been editing up a storm in our studio this week and we can’t wait to show the fruits of our labor in the coming weeks. Until then, enjoy these stories…

I absolutely love this story made by California Is a Place (which produces stories in-you guessed it- California). It begins as a story of a synchronized swimming team but expands to explore a diverse range of themes. It is cinematic, intimate and powerful. It brilliantly addresses a controversial topic, making it personal and real. I don’t want to give anything away, so watch it and see:

This is a beautiful video portrait, featured this week on the vimeo blog of artist Jennifer Ling Datchuk and how she explores issues of gender, ethnicity and identity in her work.

This preview for On Coal River (found via

ON COAL RIVER (trailer) from On Coal River on Vimeo.

Have a wonderful weekend! Stay cool…