Friends We Love is a video series exploring the motivations, inspirations and creative processes of some of today’s most forward thinking artists and creators. You can check out some of the videos on our site – http://friendswelove.com and read our bios here.

In our weblog, we’ll be posting articles, random ramblings, events, reviews and just about anything we come across that is noteworthy.

PRESS RELEASES

The Friends We Love Arts and Music Festival makes the front page of the New York Times Arts Section on February 4, 2009.

NEW YORK, NY (February 2009) – The first Friends We Love Arts and Music Festival converged the worlds of music, film and visual art at the Sly Art vs Robot City Soho loft on January 30th. One of the featured street artists at the event, Poster Boy, who has garnered much attention in the last few months culminating in an unfortunate incident with law enforcement. This led to additional coverage in local publications (New York Magazine, NY Post, Daily News) and international ones (The Guardian – UK, Clarin – Argentina, Soito – Spain, Diario de Noticias – Portugal, Cotidianul – Romania).

Poster Boy’s work was part of The Neocons – a never-before-seen collaboration of three of the City’s best-known street artists who created live pieces throughout the night. In addition, there were six live performances by critically acclaimed and international recording artists like Jose James, Sarah White, and GAEA.  The dance floor was serviced by some of New York’s most sought after DJs – Bobbito Garcia, Waajeed and Moni. The evening was complete with the premiere screening of three Friends We Love portraits.
Conceived, produced and directed by Mike Vargas and Moni Pineda, these insightful ten-minute portraits ultimately pay tribute to the presence of greatness in the working lives of those we love and hold dear. The evolution of Friends We Love was inspired by the duo’s desire for programming that reflected their interests and those of the artisan community.  The series grants viewers intimate access while highlighting both the personal and professional lives of its subjects from artists’ living rooms, studios, offices, stages, labs, kitchens and the streets — wherever the creative magic happens.
One of the Friends We Love initiatives is to produce these Arts and Music Festivals featuring the artists profiled in the short documentary series while creating a live component that allows for community building, cultural exchange and collaborations. This Festival, which is the first in a series, also served as a launch party for the Friends We Love Mixed CD, which was recently released by the Japanese label Toy’s Factory.

Since production began six months ago, FWL has had four screenings, been seen in 109 countries and had over 200,000 views, were voted to air on Current TV to 51 million households and have produced 12 self-funded episodes.  Given that it is a self-funded production team, they are currently accepting sponsorships, donations or advertisers who would benefit from the branding opportunities on friendswelove.com, the Festivals and documentary series.

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This compelling video series follows artists and creators from a diverse panorama of modern life as they move from inspiration to expression.

NEW YORK, NY (December 2008) —  Some of today’s most forward-thinking artists and creators reveal what moves their creative process in the video series FRIENDS WE LOVE. Conceived, produced and directed by Mike Vargas and Moni Pineda, these insightful ten-minute portraits ultimately pay tribute to the presence of greatness in the working lives of those we love and hold dear. After six months of producing 12 self-funded episodes, Friends We Love has been seen in 67 countries and had over 200,000 views, has had numerous screenings and was voted to air on Current TV to 51 million households worldwide.

Friends We Love takes viewers on a journey through a myriad of trades and disciplines, each narrated by a distinctive personality. The series includes a wide array of subjects ranging from TV producers and painters, musicians and stylists, to  choreographers and entrepreneurs – all sharing their passion with unique and compelling stories.  While one profile features a chef showcasing a signature dish, another includes a pop singer describing a career-defining moment.
The evolution of Friends We Love was inspired by the duo’s desire for programming that reflected their interests and those of the artisan community.

The series grants viewers intimate access while highlighting both the personal and professional lives of its subjects from artists’ living rooms, studios, offices, stages, labs, kitchens and the streets — wherever the creative magic happens.

“The determining factor that sets Friends We Love apart from other series of this nature, is our personal relationships within the community and the access this affords us,” said Mike Vargas, producer and co-creator of Friends We Love. “Each captivating profile will leave our audience entertained, informed but most importantly, inspired.”