While this column has been my soapbox for a number of years, this marks the first time it’s been used to promote a soapbox derby race. But we’re proud to do so in that the event–dubbed the first annual Downhill Derby, the brainchild of Josh Canova, owner/executive producer of Detour Films, Venice, Calif.–has been created to raise funds for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Los Angeles.
People from all sectors of the industry–production companies, ad agencies, post houses and other vendors–will turn out on Jan. 7 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena for a day of live music, food, drink and soapbox racing thrills down Heartbreak Hill at the Rose Bowl.
The proceeds are largely being raised through sponsorships. Sponsoring a car and participating in the race costs $1,500. Sponsorship of a car, having it built and delivered race-ready runs $2,500. And there are other forms of sponsorship opportunities such as drink cups ($1,000), a banner ($850) and a booth ($850). The suggested donation per event attendee is five dollars.
The Derby is hosted by Detour Films with the help and collective support of the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) and The Boys and Girls Clubs of Los Angeles. Canova said they hope to raise $100,000 to be spread among the 28 Boys and Girls Clubs in Greater Los Angeles. The clubs provide a safe haven for kids primarily after school, enabling them to channel their energies into art and music programs and leadership initiatives, helping the youngsters to make better sense of where their skills and talents lie.
Canova related that he loved soapbox derby racing as a kid and that the fund-raising event “taps into the child in everybody. There’s an element of competition that everyone loves–and a lot of fun to be had.”
Most importantly, he continued, “We are helping a worthy cause. We researched organizations that help under-served and underprivileged kids, and found the Boys and Girls Clubs to be efficiently run with funds and resources going directly to programs that support and nurture youngsters. It’s a chance for the industry to simply give back to the community we live and work in.”
Industry folk have worked hard to get the Downhilll Derby off the ground, gaining necessary approvals from the City of Pasadena, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Public Works and the Pasadena Police Department. The goal is to get 25 to 30 cars sponsored for the race; at press time, event organizers were about halfway there, according to Canova.
The event steering committee consists of Canova, Linda Rahn of the Boys and Girls Clubs/L.A. Alliance, Robert Yniguez, race director of the All American Soapbox Derby, AICP’s Steve Caplan, GARTNER’s Rich Carter (who is AICP/West president), Anne Kurtzman of David & Goliath, Jennifer Smieja of Wieden+Kennedy, Ali Hileman of Mirror Films, Sue Crain of Argyle Brothers, Mel Mathis of The Camera House and Christie Cash of Cut+Run.
For further info, go to www.detourfilms.com/downhillderby or call (310) 883-8818.
“Mufasa: The Lion King” and “Sonic 3” Rule Box Office For 1st Weekend Of 2025
The Walt Disney Co.'s "Mufasa: The Lion King" claimed the No. 1 spot on the North American box office charts over the first weekend of 2025.
The photorealistic "Lion King" prequel earned $23.8 million in its third weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. Paramount's "Sonic the Hedgehog 3," which has dominated the past two weekends, wasn't far behind.
"Sonic 3" stayed close with a 3-day estimate of $21.2 million, bringing its total domestic earnings to $187.5 million and helping the overall franchise cross $1 billion worldwide. "Mufasa's" running total is slightly less, with $169.2 million.
In third place, Focus Features' "Nosferatu" remake defied the fate of so many of its genre predecessors and fell only 39% in its second weekend. Horror films typically fall sharply after the first weekend and anything less than a 50% decline is notable. "Nosferatu," which added 140 screens, claimed $13.2 million in ticket sales, bringing its running total to $69.4 million since its Christmas debut. The film, directed by Robert Eggers, already surpassed its reported production budget of $50 million, though that figure does not account for marketing and promotion expenses).
No new wide releases opened this weekend, leaving the box office top 10 once again to holdovers from previous weeks. Several have been in theaters since Thanksgiving. One of those, "Moana 2," claimed the No. 4 spot for Disney in its sixth weekend in theaters. The animated sequel earned another $12.4 million, bumping its global total to $960.5 million.
The Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unknown," dipped only slightly in its second weekend, bringing in $8.1 million. With $41.7 million total, it's Searchlight's highest grossing film since Disney acquired the company in... Read More