UK guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Joanne Shaw Taylor is currently touring the US and will be making a stop at The Muddy Waters, 1708 State Street, Bettendorf, IA on Friday, November 15. This exceptional show is being presented by The Mississippi Valley Blues Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the general public about the native art form of blues-related music through performance, interpretation and preservation. Joanne's performance will start at 9:00 p.m. with a $15 cover charge, or $12 for members of the Mississippi Valley Blues Society.

When Joanne Shaw Taylor was called to the Buckingham Palace stage by Annie Lennox, 17 million viewers were asking "who's that girl?" She was an unintimidated 16-year-old, played a savage Les Paul solo, and brought an attitude that indicated she was going to be a star. Soon enough, the buzz built and the new-girl-on-the-block soon became the "Best British Female Vocalist" at both the 2010 and 2011 British Blues Awards.

Joanne never imagined any of that at the start. She was just a country schoolgirl, bored with the music she heard on late-'90s pop radio, and decided to drop out of school and try her fate in the music industry. As destiny would have it, her demo tape landed in the hands of Eurythmics icon Dave Stewart. Stewart recalls that "she made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end", and his phone call the following day proved the start of a lasting friendship. Joanne accompanied Stewart's supergroup across Europe in 2002.

Stewart offered Joanne her first deal, and once the dam broke, things moved fast. In 2008, she was working with veteran producer Jim Gaines (Carlos Santana, Johnny Lang, Stevie Ray Vaughan), bassist Dave Smith, and drummer Steve Potts on the songs that became her debut album, White Sugar. Since then, she's broken into the notoriously hard-to-crack US market, beaten the stereotypes of her age and gender, and won the respect of the guitar giants of today.

"There are a lot of great guitarists and singers in the blues today," says Joe Bonamassa. "What I see in Joanne Shaw Taylor that sets her apart from the rest is the ability to write a great song. Not only is she a killer guitarist and singer, but you find yourself walking away from her shows singing her songs as well."

IOWA CITY, Iowa - After bringing Hollywood and Midwest talent together on their latest feature, three Iowa City-based filmmakers signed on with LA based distribution company Level 33 Entertainment for their feature film 'The Formula,' and will go on a College Tour in late November to promote the upcoming DVD release. "The Formula," starring Brandon Baker, Reginald VelJohnson and Sasha Jackson, premiered at the Englert Theater in Iowa City back in January, and has since picked up numerous awards in various film festivals across the state.  After self-distributing on a state wide level, the company will look to expand to increased domestic and international market places. To coincide with the upcoming release, cast and crew from the film will be going on a week long college tour in November, stopping at college towns around the midwest including Illinois, Wisconsin, Kansas City, and Michigan.

Backrow Studios' production team Ravi Patel, Tim Nash, and Joe Clarke bring the story of two engineers who invent a mathematical formula for wooing women with "The Formula." The film stars Brandon Baker, best known for his work in Disney movies such as "Johnny Tsunami," "The Jungle Book," "Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board," as well as the NBC sitcom "One World." Also starring in the film is Reginald VelJohnson, a veteran actor best known for his roles in the classic action picture, "Die Hard," and as Carl Winslow in the long running family sitcom, "Family Matters." Rounding out the cast is Sasha Jackson, who played the lead role of "Dana" in 2011's "Blue Crush: Wild Coast." She also plays the recurring character of "Kylie" on the popular TV series, "One Tree Hill."

Level 33 reaches all media platforms and releases can be found in every major retail and rental account including Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Amazon, Redbox, Blockbuster, Netflix, iTunes, Google Play, Playstation, Hulu, DirecTV, Dish, Comcast, and Time Warner. Formed in 2010, the team brings a wealth of experience from Paramount, 20th Century Fox, and Walt Disney Studios. This industry exposure  helps ensure each film has the maximum opportunity to reach its target audience.

"The Formula" is the story of Quinn (Baker) and Graham (Second City's Mike Schminke), two engineering students who discover a mathematical formula to pick up women with ease. Quinn is a hopeless romantic who falls head over heels for a young student teacher. Graham is a chauvinistic womanizer who thinks the key to finding the woman of his dreams is by wooing as many as possible. As "The Formula" follows Quinn and Graham from one date to the next, they discover that there is no shortcut to finding true love.

With many of the cast and crew also reigning from Chicago, "The Formula" is the third film produced by Backrow Studios, LLC. Its first feature length film "Kung Fu Graffiti" signed a contract for sales and distribution with Los Angeles -based production house Entertainment 7. The company's second feature "The Wedge" is hitting the film festival circuit, and landed three awards including Best Professional Feature at the Cedar Rapids Independent Film Makers Festival.

"The Formula" was directed by Joe Clarke and Thomas Beecher, with executive producer Ravi Patel. For media inquiries and interview requests, please contact producer Tim Nash at 319-531-6324.

Heartland Film Festival Opening Night Event on October 17 to feature film talent and real-life inspiration behind Roadside Attractions film at the Indianapolis Museum of Art

Vanessa Hudgens to receive the Pioneering Spirit: Rising Star Award on October 19

(Indianapolis) - The 22^nd Annual Heartland Film Festival (Oct. 17-26) kicks off on opening night with the world premiere of "Gimme Shelter." Centering on homeless, pregnant teenager Agnes "Apple" Bailey (Vanessa Hudgens), the film explores her struggle for survival and the hope of redemption through the harsh realities of life on the streets.

Vanessa Hudgens will receive the Pioneering Spirit: Rising Star Award at the Heartland Film Festival Awards Ceremony on Saturday, October 19 at 8 p.m. at the Indiana Repertory Theatre.

Media outlets can reserve a spot on the red carpet by contacting Heartland's director of marketing & communications, Greg Sorvig, at gsorvig@trulymovingpictures.org.

# # #

About Heartland Truly Moving Pictures
Heartland Truly Moving Pictures, a nonprofit arts organization, seeks to inspire filmmakers and audiences through the transformative power of film. Its flagship event, the Heartland Film Festival®, launched in 1991 and runs each October in Indianapolis, screening independent films from around the world. Each year, the Festival awards more than $125,000 in cash prizes and presents its Festival Awards to the top-judged submissions. Heartland has awarded more than $2.5 million to support filmmakers during the last 20 years. The organization's Truly Moving Picture Award was created to honor films released theatrically that align with Heartland's mission. By bestowing this award seal to honored films, the award allows studios and distributors to inform audiences of a film's transformative power and appeal. Heartland is also dedicated to cultivating youth, and thus created the Heartland Institute to provide innovative educational and outreach programs that enrich the minds and lives of youth and aspiring filmmakers. Heartland shares inspiring films year-round in the community through the Heartland Roadshow, bringing meaningful films across Indiana. For more information, visit TrulyMovingPictures.org.