IN THE NEWS: As reported here about a month ago, Dayveon, a film by Little Rock native Amman Abbasi, premiered Thursday on the opening night of this year's renowned Sundance Film Festival in Utah.
Abbasi, who wrote, directed, edited and composed the music for the film, tells the story of a 13-year-old who joins a gang in a rural Arkansas town. The film is getting national attention with Deadline: Hollywood reporting on it Wednesday. Abbasi earlier worked extensively with Craig and Brent Renaud.
Other Arkansans involved in the film's production include director and Little Rock native David Gordon Green. Abbasi's family owned and operated a Pakistani restaurant, Masala Grill & Teahouse, open for just over a year in west Little Rock from fall 2009 to late 2010. Abbasi's sister, Zara Abbasi Wilkerson, is considered Little Rock's premier pastry chef.
ROOTING OUT HISTORY: The Arkansas World War I Centennial Commemoration Committee is making plans to recognize the centennial anniversary of the United States entering World War I, also known as the Great War. A search is underway for any WWI memorial trees planted back then in Arkansas that still survive today. So far, Mark Christ, community outreach director with the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, has only found a small grove at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia. The grove was first established around 1919 as a memorial to Henderson's five students and a former football coach who died in combat in World War I.
Any others out there? If so, contact Christ at Mark.Christ@arkansas.gov to let him know.
MORE ON MOORE: Poyen native country singer Justin Moore has released a video for his latest single, "Somebody Else Will." But don't expect any rural outdoors scenes; instead, it's set in an edgy, neon-filled Nashville club.
The video was shot in a VIP underground club, The Sutler Saloon, which has a "futuristic/neon/Blade Runner vibe" that you don't typically associate with country music, explains director Shane Drake in a news release.
'"Somebody Else Will' is an example of one of the moments on the album where we kind of step outside of our comfort zone; I've talked about, with this particular album, wanting to take a step maybe that we haven't yet in our career and this is one of those songs which hopefully allows us to do that," Moore says in a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the video. Moore adds that it's exciting to start out his latest album, Kinda Don't Care, with another No. 1 song, "You Look Like I Need a Drink," and follow it with something as strong as "Somebody Else Will," he adds.
The latest single follows his sixth No. 1 hit. Moore is on his third headlining tour, American Made, sharing top billing with Lee Brice.
Contact Linda S. Haymes at (501) 399-3636 or lhaymes@arkansasonline.com
SundayMonday on 01/22/2017