MSG launches Natalie Portman-curated film festival
Boston Calling Events, the promoter of Massachusetts festival Boston Calling, has announced plans for its first film festival, to be held in the run-up to the 2018 event.
Boston Calling Film Festival, curated by Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman, will take place from Tuesday 22 to Thursday 24 May at the Brattle Theatre (235-cap.) in Cambridge, Mass., and showcase a series of films that “explore similar themes told from the perspective of either male or female directors”, including Lolita, Diary of a Teenage Girl, the Exorcist and I Am Not a Witch.
Portman will additionally curate and host a series of “special programming”, details of which are still to be announced, in the Boston Calling Music Festival’s indoor arena throughout the weekend of 25–27 May.
“I’m so excited to show films that I love that explore the female gaze,” says Portman (pictured). “I don’t think there is anything inherently different between male and female artists, but these are examples of great works of art in which similar storylines have female tropes that play out quite differently depending on who is telling the story.
Portman will additionally curate and host a series of special programming in the music festival’s indoor arena
“I’m looking forward to sharing these with an audience and hearing their reactions. It makes it an even more special opportunity to watch these incredible films on the big screen at one of my favourite movie theatres.”
Boston Calling Events is jointly owned by Crash Line Productions and Madison Square Garden Company, the latter of which acquired a controlling interest in the company June 2016.
Now in its ninth year, Boston Calling Music Festival will take place for the second consecutive year at the Harvard Athletic Complex in Allston, Boston, on 25–27 May 2018. Headliners are Eminem, the Killers and Jack White.
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MSG targets live expansion with new EVP
Darren Pfeffer has joined the Madison Square Garden Company (MSG) in the newly created position of executive vice-president of MSG Live.
Pfeffer joins MSG after more than two decades at iHeartMedia, where he most recently served as senior VP of music and entertainment marketing, and is tasked with “setting the strategic direction” for MSG’s Live unit, which encompasses the company’s promotion, festivals and venues businesses.
“With the overarching goal of maximising the utilisation of the company’s venues and delivering top tier talent, Pfeffer will be responsible for setting the strategic direction for MSG’s bookings, which includes exploring opportunities to develop new signature events, artist residencies and unique experiences for MSG’s customers,” reads a statement from MSG. “In addition, he will play a key role in the future success of MSG’s venue expansion strategy, including the company’s plans to build a groundbreaking new venue in Las Vegas.
“Other priorities will consist of daily oversight of financial and operational matters, identifying and building key strategic relationships and working with colleagues across the company to create marketing and sales plans.
Pfeffer (pictured) will report directly to MSG president and CEO David O’Connor.
“Pfeffer’s relationships and experience developing compelling programming will serve us well as we remain focused on growing our live event business”
Madison Square Garden Company’s venues are the Madison Square Garden itself (21,000-cap.), The Theater at Madison Square Garden (5,600-cap.), Radio City Music Hall (6,015-cap.) and the Beacon Theatre (2,894-cap.), all in New York; The Forum (17,500-cap.) in Los Angeles; the Chicago Theatre (3,600-cap.) and the Wang Theatre (3,500-cap.) in Boston, Massachusetts.
Its also promotes the Boston Calling festival through Boston Calling Events, which it acquired last July.
“Darren has spent more than 20 years in entertainment, overseeing some of the industry’s most popular events and creating opportunities to leverage talent,” comments O’Connor. “His relationships, along with his experience developing compelling programming, will serve us well as we remain focused on growing our live event business by exploring new and better ways to utilise our world-class portfolio of venues.
“We look forward to having him as part of our leadership team as we continue to build on MSG’s outstanding tradition of delivering unique and exceptional live experiences.”
Pfeffer adds: “The Madison Square Garden Company is peerless in its portfolio of iconic venues, world-class partners and access to top-tier performers and events. I am thrilled to join the team, and look forward to not only continuing to grow the live event business, but to providing unforgettable experiences for MSG’s customers and partners.”
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Madison Square Garden acquires Boston Calling
The Madison Square Garden Company (MSG) has bought a controlling interest in Boston Calling festival promoter Boston Calling Events (BCE).
“We have been exploring music festivals as a way to further expand and strengthen our position in the ‘live experience’ space and are very pleased to welcome Boston Calling Events to the MSG family,” says David O’Connor, MSG’s president and CEO. “Over the last three and a half years, Boston Calling’s popularity has been built by its commitment to operating as an open and independent festival that welcomes artists from all genres. We want to support Boston Calling Event’s efforts to preserve this well-earned reputation as it moves forward with its plans to expand and enrich this great event for a great city.”
BCE co-founder and CEO Brian Appel will continue to run the company, which in addition to the Massachusetts festival also produces the Boston Calling Block Parties series of music events and the US spin-off of the Copenhagen Beer Celebration beer festival, which will take place for the first time in Boston later this year.
“We have been exploring music festivals as a way to further expand and strengthen our position in the live experience space and are very pleased to welcome Boston Calling Events to the MSG family”
“We are excited about joining a company that not only shares our commitment to delivering artist- and fan-friendly events, but that truly believes in the growing value of unique and exceptional live experiences,” adds Appel. “Their support will be invaluable as we continue to work on delivering successful events for music fans, while exploring new opportunities in the festival space.”
The Madison Square Garden Company – which owns the famous indoor arena of the same name, as well as Radio City Music Hall and the Beacon Theatre in New York, the Chicago Theatre, the LA Forum, the New York Knicks and New York Liberty basketball teams and New York Rangers ice hockey team – has had a presence in Boston for eight years through a booking agreement with the 3,500-capacity Wang Theatre.
Boston Calling, which traditionally took place over two weekends during the year at Boston City Hall Plaza, will as of 2016 take place annually on the Memorial Day weekend at Harvard University’s athletics complex in Allston. A line-up has yet to be announced; last year’s headliners were Beck and Pixies.
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