Deaf Havana dont play songs from Meet Me Halfway, at Least anymore. Thats ok, though. The novelty and simplicity of songs like Friends Like These will never be forgotten standing suspended in time as a memento of the era in which we didnt care if a song was well-written, as long as it had the right balance of screaming and melody.

I had a chat with Deaf Havanas guitarist Matt Veck-Gilodi all about it. Not being in the band at the time, but being the brother of the vocalist, hes in a position to give what I call an insiders outside opinion on the whole thing.

The album that kickstarted their career, released in October 2009 during the golden age of scene bands and screaming, is one that divides opinion, ten years on. Its not very good, is it? Matt laughs. Im not sure it was particularly good at the time, and I wouldnt say its aged well.

Play Friends Like These shouted out by hecklers has become a running joke at Deaf Havana gigs. But if the bandwereto ever play a song off the album perhaps only by having guns pointed at their heads I wondered which would be the most likely choice.

I think the last track. The last track is alright. In Desperate Need of Adventure, because obviously, it needed that many syllables in a song title, because it was 2009. Ah, the golden era of whole essays as song titles.

Another nod to that moment in time is the feature from Young Guns Gus Wood on 3 Cheers for the Easy Life. Along with bands like We Are The Ocean, Kids In Glass Houses, The Blackout, Lower Than Atlantis, Blitz Kids and now Mallory Knox, Young Guns are another band that didnt survive to see the 20s. Its probably time to firmly conclude that that scene, incredible as it was, is dead. But why have Deaf Havana along with You Me At Six and Don Broco survived?

The band have evolved so much through the years, and have always left themselves with room to develop further. Perhaps this is why in an era where most of the bands they came up with are either breaking up or staying stagnant, Deaf Havana are still steadily growing, countless Radio 1 plays and big festival slots under their belt. And theyre deserving of it all.

Post hardcore, alternative, folk, straight-up pop Deaf Havana have done it all. Apart from jumping away from being a screamo band, weve never really made a conscious decision to change a genre or a style. Its just sort of happened, Matt says.

Theyve not yet hit their plateau, and the fact that theyve never released two albums that sound the same and never regressed in their songwriting is likely why. But where does Matt see the bands sound heading in the future? Hes not sure.

I have no idea. People have asked us this after the last couple of records, and weve been like,Yeah, I reckon well carry on down the same route, or maybe go a bit heavier, and its always been the opposite.

Having toured with the band since 2012, Matt officially joined Deaf Havana in 2015. I asked him what it was like slotting into such an already well-established band. It wasnt too tough; it was just fun, he says.

Perhaps the biggest change-up Deaf Havana have had was the shift in sound from 2011sFools and Worthless Liarsto 2013sOld Souls. What almost felt like a full departure from the scene was a big folk nod to the likes of Mumford & Sons. Did Matts involvement in the band have anything to do with it? Im not sure. But he is very much involved in the writing these days.

It varies from song to song, but generally speaking, James will do the bulk of the writing, and then Ill come in and help out with that. The last record, I helped out a lot, and the record before. And then well all have our own flavour, but Id say sometimes Ill come up with a main part of a song and well flesh it out like that. It is mainly James; me and him together, a lot of the time.

Perhaps the synth-enthused, dreamy pop sounds of latest album,Rituals, are a product of his own influences. Right now, Im listening to a lot of electronic music. I cant stop listening to Bonobo at the moment. Probably because weve been travelling loads, and I find it lends itself really well to that.

Whatever it is that inspires the sounds that Deaf Havana are making, it works. They may not be the same screamo band that you first heard of back in 2009, but theyve outlived almost all of their peers, and ten years later, theyre at the top of their game.

Theyve matured as have their fans and grown into something truly substantial; a band that can hold their own in the charts amongst the heavyweights of UK music. Theyve left MeetMe Halfway, at Leastbehind and the dodgy haircuts that came with being in a band of that ilk to graze on pastures greener, and deserve every bit of success theyre now getting.

Evolution is key.

Happy 10th birthday,Meet Me Halfway, at Least. Gone butneverforgotten. Especially by that one guy who has a Friends Like These tattoo.

Catch Deaf Havana on their UK tour, starting tomorrow. 1 from each ticket will go to War Child. The dates are as follows:

November 6th Brighton, Concorde 2

November 7th Oxford, Academy

November 8th London, Alexandra Palace Theatre

November 9th Wolverhampton, KKs Steel Mill

November 11th Bournemouth, The Old Fire Station

November 12th Northampton, Roadmender

November 13th Leeds, Stylus

Related

View post:
Deaf Havanas Meet Me Halfway, at Least Ten Years On, and Why Sound Evolution is so Important (Interview) - VultureHound Magazine

The markets are at all-time highs again. A fresh volley of positive trade news, lowered interest rates, and strong consumer spending has investors less concerned about a near-term recession. Obviously, this makes bargain-hunting a bit more difficult, and value-conscious investors have to be more tactful about which stocks to buy.

In my view, Talend (TLND) is one of the best value plays available in the software sector at the moment. Shares are down about 10% in the year-to-date, and all for the wrong reason in my opinion. Though investors have balked at the company's slowing revenue growth, they've also failed to appreciate the fact that Talend is just now bringing up its cloud division and transitioning its customers to longer-term contracts. As we've abundantly seen with other SaaS names that have embarked on the same transition (like Adobe (ADBE)), the short-term revenue hit from a cloud transition eventually gives way to a stabler and more profitable revenue base.

Talend just released third-quarter results that showed massive growth in the company's nascent cloud division. And despite overall beats to Wall Street's top and bottom-line expectations, shares stayed relatively flat.

With this in mind, it's a fantastic opportunity for investors to re-assess the bullish case in this stock. Valuation remains the key driver here. At present share prices around $35, Talend trades at a market cap of $1.07 billion. After netting out the $172 million of cash and $127 million of debt on the company's latest balance sheet, we're left with an enterprise value of $1.03 billion.

For the following fiscal year (FY20), Wall Street analysts are expecting average revenues of $298.5 million (per Yahoo Finance), representing 21% y/y growth over the $247 million midpoint of Talend's latest full-year guidance outlook of $246.5 to $247.5 million for 2019 (versus a prior wider range of $246-$248 million):

Figure 1. Talend guidance updateSource: Talend Q3 earnings deck

This means that Talend is trading at just 3.5x EV/FY20 revenues.

A point I made last quarter, which continues to be even more true this quarter as Talend shares have continued to crumble, is that Talend is essentially trading on par with stocks like Dropbox (DBX) and Box (BOX) - both dogs of the software industry that are tearing each other apart with competition. Talend, meanwhile, exhibits similar low-20s revenue growth rates while having a far more differentiated product in the market.

I continue to believe in a $49 price target on Talend, implying a ~5x EV/FY20 revenue multiple (still well below most peers in the SaaS sector) and 40% upside from current levels. Once investors' attention turns to strong results in Talend's cloud division, sentiment for the stock should improve.

The one key driver that investors new to Talend should be aware about is that the company recently decided to shift its focus to cloud bookings. Though SaaS has caught on with most of the software industry, it's not as common in the infrastructure/backend software space - prime competitor Alteryx (AYX), for example, is still primarily selling extremely high-priced on-prem licenses.

This shift to cloud is the primary headwind to Talend's revenues, because large license deals that would have given a strong kick to current-quarter revenues are now being spread across longer intervals of time. So when we look at Talend's results, we have to look at it in the context of the revenue shifting to cloud.

Here's a look at the company's third-quarter results:

Figure 2. Talend 3Q19 resultsSource: Talend 3Q19 earnings release

Revenues grew 20% y/y to $62.6 million, beating Wall Street's expectations of $62.1 million (+19% y/y) by a one-point margin. This revenue growth rate represents two points of deceleration relative to last quarter's 22% y/y growth - but again, cloud is the key driver here.

For the thirteenth straight quarter, Talend Cloud notched greater than 100% y/y revenue growth (the difference being that now, the prior-year bases are growing larger, pegging greater significance to the doubling in revenues). In addition, the contribution of cloud bookings as a percentage of total ARR has hit 49%, up six points sequentially and quadruple the year-ago mix:

Figure 3. Talend Cloud contribution to total ARRSource: Talend Q3 earnings deck

The company has also continued to grow ARR at a mid-20s pace. It's important to note that Talend's current ARR of $225 million covers about 75% of Wall Street's consensus revenue projection for next year - giving us high confidence in Talend's ability to execute to that target.

Figure 4. Talend ARR growthSource: Talend Q3 earnings deck

In addition, management noted that there are now 74 customers with total cloud ARR in excess of $100,000 - more than triple the number of large customers from the year-ago quarter, indicating that Talend is also getting its enterprise customers on board with its SaaS offering. Another key development in the cloud business is that Talend is now available on Microsoft Azure (MSFT), widening the company's sales net.

Here's some additional helpful commentary on Talend's cloud progress from CEO Mike Tuchen's prepared remarks on the Q3 earnings call (key points highlighted):

The momentum we're seeing in our cloud business makes us incredibly excited about the opportunity ahead. Our excitement is further bolstered by the fact that our win rates remain consistent even as our cloud business scales exponentially.

Several secular trends continue to drive market growth in cloud adoption; The explosion of global data volumes, a broad transition to public and hybrid cloud environments and increase in data privacy regulation and rapid technological innovation and evolution. With these trends come significantly greater integration and integrity complexity and the need for a modern and complete integration solution.

Talend is at the forefront of the market with Talend Data Fabric, our unified environment that shortens the time to trust the data and solve some of the most complex aspects of the data value chain. In Q3, we announced the availability of Talend Cloud on Microsoft Azure with advance integration and data quality capabilities optimized for the Microsoft cloud platform with native support for Azure services."

It's also important to note that Talend is heading the right direction on the profitability front as well. This quarter, Talend pared down its pro forma operating losses to -$2.8 million, representing a non-GAAP operating margin of -4.4%. In a market that has recently started caring much more about SaaS companies' profitability, that's a highly positive indicator. This also marks a 130bps improvement over 3Q18's pro forma operating margin of -5.7%.

Figure 5. Talend operating margin trendsSource: Talend Q3 earnings deck

The company's pro forma EPS of -$0.08 also smashed Wall Street's expectations of -$0.23.

Right now, Talend's performance is muddied due to the impacts of a rapid cloud transition and the leaping mix of recurring-revenue bookings versus the large, one-time deals of the past. This optical deceleration is obscuring the fact that Talend is signing on key partnerships (Azure), moving some of its largest enterprise customers into the cloud, and improving its long-term revenue stability and visibility.

With a stock trading at just over 3.5x forward revenues, the risk-reward profile in Talend is heavily toward bulls. This is as good a time to buy as any.

Disclosure: I am/we are long TLND. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Read more:
Talend: A Value Name To Buy While The Market Sits At New Highs - Seeking Alpha

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS TO AIR GLOBALLY ON NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC IN 172 COUNTRIES AND 43 LANGUAGES

FOX to Air the Complete Season Summer 2020

The Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning Series Hails from Executive Producer, Writer, Director and Creator Ann Druyan with Executive Producers Seth MacFarlane, Brannon Braga and Jason Clark; Series is Hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson

The 13-part Mind-Blowing Voyage Boasts an All-star Team of Creatives Including Acclaimed Costume Designer Ruth E. Carter, Cinematographer Karl Walter Lindenlaub and Composer Alan Silvestri

Voiceover Artists Include Seth MacFarlane, Sir Patrick Stewart, Viggo Mortensen and Judd Hirsch; Author Sasha Sagan, Ann Druyan and Carl Sagans Daughter, Recurs In Live-action Role of Sagans Mother, Rachel Gruber Sagan

The most beloved, wonder-filled science franchise in television history returns with a new, 13-episode, mind-blowing adventure when COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS premieres March 9 on National Geographic. This out-of-this-world trip through space and time will transport viewers across 13.8 billion years of cosmic evolution and deep into the future.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191107005943/en/

The next chapter of COSMOS, announced in celebration of what would have been visionary Carl Sagans 85th birthday this Saturday, Nov. 9, continues the legacy of the groundbreaking series co-written with Ann Druyan and Steven Soter, which was broadcast to a global audience 40 years ago. COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS airs on Nat Geo in 172 countries and 43 languages and on FOX this summer. The previous season was seen by over 135 million people worldwide.

This Emmy-winning, worldwide phenomenon is the brainchild of Emmy and Peabody Award winner Ann Druyan, creative director of NASAs legendary Voyager Interstellar Message, who serves as creator, executive producer, writer and director, and Emmy-winning and Academy Award-nominated executive producers Seth MacFarlane (The Orville, Family Guy), Brannon Braga (The Orville, Star Trek) and Jason Clark (The Orville, The Long Road Home).

Neil deGrasse Tyson, an astrophysicist with the American Museum of Natural History, host of the four-time Emmy-nominated StarTalk series and best-selling author (Death by Black Hole, Letters from an Astrophysicist), returns as host and series executive science editor. This season begins with him on the shores of the cosmic ocean as COSMOS enhanced and upgraded Ship of the Imagination and Cosmic Calendar return, taking viewers on a journey through time and spanning a stunning variety of worlds. Throughout these adventurous episodes, COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS integrates one-of-a-kind VFX, animations, holograms and stylized reenactments to carry viewers to never-before-seen worlds and meet unsung superheroes who have made possible our understanding of lifes spectacular voyage from its origin at the bottom of the sea to its possible future on the exotic worlds of distant stars.

This third season of COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS is our boldest yet, says Druyan. The Ship of the Imagination will carry us places we never dared to venture before: lost worlds and worlds to come, deep into the future and straight through that hole in the curtain masking other realities and all of it rigorously informed by science and made real by lavish VFX.

National Geographic is proud to be the worlds leading destination for viewers who are passionate about science and exploration, says Courteney Monroe, president of global television networks at National Geographic. Which is why were excited for the next chapter of the most-beloved and most-watched science show to date, COSMOS, to return to our air. COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS takes complex themes from astrophysics, astronomy and anthropology and makes them accessible and entertaining for millions of people around the world to devour.

COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS ventures to previously uncharted territories: starting back to the dawning of our universe, moving forward to the futuristic 2039 New York Worlds Fair and then far beyond into the distant future on other worlds. Visit an open house in the first apartment ever built and climb a 10,000-year-old stairway to the stars. Return to the foreboding Halls of Extinction, with living dioramas of the broken branches on the tree of life, and venture to the new, glorious Palace of Life, with its soaring towers filled with vibrant marine creatures. Stand beneath its Arch of Experience to know what its like to soar with the eagles or swim with the whales on their epic voyages.

Story continues

Associated with the series are some of television and films most revered creatives across all crafts, including Emmy-nominated cinematographer Karl Walter Lindenlaub (Independence Day, Stargate); Academy Award-winning and Emmy-nominated costume designer Ruth E. Carter (Black Panther, Roots); Emmy-winning and Academy Award-nominated composer Alan Silvestri (The Avengers, Forrest Gump, Contact); visual effects supervisor Jeffrey A. Okun (Clash of the Titans, Blood Diamond); and supervising animation directors Lucas Gray (The Simpsons, Family Guy), Emmy-nominated Brent Woods (American Dad!, Family Guy) and Academy Award-nominated Duke Johnson (Anomalisa, Mary Shelleys Frankenhole).

Many celebrities compose the noteworthy corps of actors who lend their voices to COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS. This season includes Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning actor Seth MacFarlane (The Orville, Family Guy) as President Truman; Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated actor Sir Patrick Stewart (Star Trek, X-Men) as German, British-born astronomer William Herschel; Academy Award-nominated Viggo Mortensen (The Green Book, The Lord of the Rings) as Soviet plant geneticist Nikolai Vavilov; and Judd Hirsch (A Beautiful Mind, Independence Day) as Robert Oppenheimer, famously known as the Father of the Atomic Bomb. Sasha Sagan, Druyan and Sagans daughter, appears in a recurring live-action role as Sagans mother, Rachel Gruber Sagan.

In conjunction with the launch of the new season, National Geographic Books is publishing a companion book, Cosmos: Possible Worlds, by Druyan, the long-awaited follow-up to Sagans international bestseller, Cosmos.

COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS is produced for National Geographic and FOX by Cosmos Studios, the company Ann Druyan co-founded in 2000, and Seth MacFarlanes Fuzzy Door. Druyan and Brannon Braga are the series writers and directors. Druyan, MacFarlane, Braga and Jason Clark executive produce. Kara Vallow (Family Guy, American Dad!) co-executive produces, and Joseph Micucci (Patriots Day, Ted 2) produces. For National Geographic, Kevin Mohs is executive producer and Geoff Daniels is EVP of global unscripted entertainment.

Like COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS on Facebook at CosmosOnTV. Follow the series on Twitter @CosmosOnTV. See photos and videos on Instagram by following @CosmosOnTV.

About National Geographic

National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between the National Geographic Society and Disney, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographics media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; childrens media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 131 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

About Cosmos Studios

Co-founded in 2000 by CEO and visionary Ann Druyan, Ithaca, NY-based Cosmos Studios creates, produces, and distributes eye, brain, heart and soul-nourishing science-based entertainment in all media.

Cosmos Studios aims to tear down the walls that have excluded so many from the scientific enterprise. We work to demystify the language, values, and drama of science, to give everyone the power of its permanently revolutionary methodology.

Carl Sagan, and those privileged to work with him, demonstrated that there is a world-wide appetite for compelling entertainment that reflects our dawning awareness of cosmic evolution and our place in its great story. There is a planet-wide hunger for images and dreams that reflect our radically altered sense of who, where, and when we are where we might go, who we might become.

In collaboration with award-winning writers, artists, filmmakers, producers, researchers, engineers, educators, artists, and a growing list of partners across science, communications, and finance, we seek to touch audiences with the soaring spiritual high that comes from grasping science's central revelation- our oneness with the cosmos.

Come with us at http://www.cosmosstudios.com on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CosmosStudiosOfficial/ on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cosmosstudios on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/cosmosstudiosofficial/

About Fuzzy Door

Led by writer, producer and director Seth MacFarlane and president Erica Huggins, Fuzzy Door is the production company behind many of todays most successful film and television projects. With potent irreverence, biting satire, rule-breaking humor, compelling social issues and engaging storytelling, it has created an enviable portfolio of award-winning properties. Currently, the company produces the Hulu space adventure series The Orville; the beloved and Emmy-winning animated comedy series Family Guy, which is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary; and the fan-favorite series American Dad!, now airing its 14th season. Fuzzy Door strategically built on the success of the 1980s Cosmos series by producing the award-winning Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, which garnered 13 Emmy nominations and was seen by more than 135 million people worldwide, and is gearing up for the next installment, COSMOS: POSSIBLE WORLDS, set to air in 2020. On the film side, Fuzzy Door has created several commercially successful comedies, such as Ted, Ted 2 and A Million Ways to Die in the West, which have collectively grossed more than $800 million at the worldwide box office. The company is committed to weaving a socially conscious and intellectually curious thread through projects to bring fearless, innovative and bold stories to life, while maintaining its trademark sense of humor and wonder.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191107005943/en/

Link:
COSMOS Returns! Season 3 of the Most Celebrated Science Show on the Planet to Premiere March 9, 2020, on National Geographic - Yahoo Finance

Partners gather to celebrate the launch of ARC CMIT in Melbourne on November 8, 2019.

World-leading specialist biomedical engineers, scientists and clinicians will come together to develop individually tailored orthopaedic and maxillofacial implants, with todays launch of the Australian Research Council Training Centre for Medical Implant Technologies (ARC CMIT) in Melbourne heralding a new evolution of personalised medicine.

As one of four research partners in ARC CMIT, Griffith University is leading two key projects with the potential to deliver significantly better clinical outcomes for orthopaedic deformities, injuries and disabilities.

CMIT Program Leader, Griffith University Professor of Biomechanical Engineering David Lloyd said one project was focused on virtual planning and personalised cutting guides for juvenile femoral osteotomies.

Griffith researchers, alongside clinical colleagues at the Queensland Childrens Hospital, have developed ground-breaking personalised virtual surgery plans for children with complex hip deformities, said Professor Lloyd, who also heads the Gold Coast Orthopaedic Research and Education Alliance(GCORE) at Griffith.

It is a novel approach to complex orthopaedic surgeries utilising digital twin modelling and 3D printing techniques which its hoped can also be translated to other conditions and scenarios.

Dr Chris Carty, senior researcher at Griffith and clinical research manager in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Queensland Childrens Hospital, said the technology allowed the surgeon to plan precise surgeries that would not have been possible with current technologies.

We are conscious of incorporating function into the design, he said.

We want to restore the anatomy of the bone but more than just a good x-ray, we are concerned about how the young patient recovers and functions in the future.

Three successful surgeries have been performed in the past month demonstrating improved precision for surgeons with dramatic reductions in theatre time, helping to minimise time under anaesthesia and blood loss.

We hope this approach will lead to better clinical outcomes in these young patients.

ARC CMIT Director Peter Lee from Melbourne School of Engineering said CMIT would bring together PhD and early career researchers with industry and government, to support translation of research into new products, processes and solutions.

The CMIT ARC training centre will equip a new generation of engineers to work with clinicians, to have a good understanding of regulations and gain experience in entrepreneurship and innovation, Professor Lee said.

Compared to other Australian industry, med-tech is young, so the opportunity for research and development is great. CMIT is one of the largest partnerships of industry, hospitals and universities; an ideal environment for training.

Griffiths other ARC CMIT project aims to improve outcomes after surgery for a rupturedanterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the knee, a very common sports injury, by tackling the complications of harvesting hamstring tendon for the ACL repair.

Project lead Dr David Saxby said they would look to regenerate the hamstring harvest sites to prevent pain and weakness and subsequent hamstring and ACL injuries by seeding the tissue with the patients own blood plasma.

Our industry partner, Arthrex, has developednext generation platelet rich plasma (PRP)technology and well be applying it to see how much tendon regeneration we can achieve so that patients have more strength in flexing their knee and better post-operative function as compared to conventional best practice surgery performed by one of Australias leading knee surgeons Prof Chris Vertullo.

Griffith University research partners in ARC CMIT include The University of Melbourne, Flinders University and Epworth Healthcare. There are a further 18 CMIT partners from industry, academia, hospitals and government sectors.

The ARC CMIT research partnerships are incredibly valuable because each institution or facility involved brings with it their unique expertise and knowledge, said Professor Lloyd.

Griffith is highly regarded for its world-class modelling of the neuromusculoskeletal system, creating digital twins, or what we refer to as personalised digital humans, so we can customise training, personalise surgeries and tailor rehabilitation to the individual.

The ultimate goal of ARC CMIT is to support research translation that leads to new best practice processes, products, clinical procedures and solutions and we are incredibly excited to be part of this journey.

Visit link:
Griffith researchers at the forefront of developing personalised medical implants - Griffith News

Cinema Italian Style, SIFF's celebration of the country's vital film industry, kicks off this weekend! Other noteworthy movie options include a Basquiat-starring avant-garde fairy tale, Downtown 81, the Shining sequel Doctor Sleep, and the wicked satire Greener Grass. See all of our film critics picks below, and, if you're looking for even more options, check out our film events calendar and complete movie times listings.

Note: Movies play FridaySunday unless otherwise noted

10 Things I Hate About YouRevisit one of the great '90s rom-coms that avoids saccharinity and sexism in favor of wit and genuine chemistry. Even though it's based on the most sexist Shakespeare play! Go for Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles, stay for the genuine Seattle/Tacoma filming locations. Central Cinema

The Battle of AlgiersDirector Gillo Pontecorvo managed, along with actor, writer, and producer Saadi Yacef (who was himself a part of the Algerian liberation forces during the campaign), to re-create the revolution in the streets of Algiers with breathtaking honesty. Shot in stark black and white, the camera often handheld, the film achieves a level of realism that is really quite startling. It is not documentary-like, but something else, and that something brings me back to the word "document"; feeling as if it were living and breathing history, the film is so masterfully assembled that it is a perfect piece of cinematic art. BRADLEY STEINBACHERThe BeaconFriday & Sunday

Cinema Italian StyleThe Cinema Italian Style is a weeklong SIFF mini-festival featuring the best in contemporary Italian cinema. Notable films this weekend include the auteur Marco Bellocchio's mafia drama The Traitor, based on the true story of a gangster who flipped on his Cosa Nostra bosses, and Illustrious Corpses, a 1976 crime thriller by Franco Rosi, who also made Salvatore Giuliano. (These two films play Saturday.)SIFF Cinema Uptown

Constantine Constantine is far from perfectthe pacing drags, and the often silly plot (which has something to do with a requisite powerful relic) is unabashedly secondary to the premise. But Constantine's still a viscerally enjoyable, even philosophically intriguing treatment of religion: Christianity as an action film. ERIK HENRIKSEN MoPOPSaturday only

Doctor SleepDanny Torrance, the psychic kid from The Shining, is all grown upand messed up, understandably. When he meets a girl with the "shining," the same ability as his own, the two allies must fight a cult that tries to exploit their power.Wide release

Downtown 81This peculiar New York punk fairy tale is an invaluable document of 1980s vanguard country, starring none other than Jean-Michel Basquiat (who was homeless during filming) and featuring his paintings. The plot is something about Basquiat wandering the city trying to sell art, looking for a strange lady with a convertible, and kissing Debbie Harry. The bands DNA, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, and James White and the Blacks, as well as graffiti artists Lee Quiones and Fab Five Freddy, also appear.The Beacon

Engauge Experimental Film FestivalThis experimental film festival will once again screen "films that originated on film" from artists around the world. Tired of everyone being obsessed with narrative? Take a break from it with direct animation, experiments with time, and more.Northwest Film ForumThursdaySaturday

Escape from New YorkJohn Carpenters 1981 classic sci-fi thriller film Escape from New York is a dystopian extravaganza starring Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, and Ernest Borgnine. After a botched hijacking, Air Force One crashes in Manhattan. The president survives, but, owing to the fact that the island has been converted into a maximum-security prison, finds himself among teeming hordes of violent criminals. A special operative named Snake is sent in to save him. Snake has a checkered past. The year is 1997.Central Cinema

For SamaThis heartbreaking film by documentarists Waad Al-Khateab and Edward Watts chronicles young mother Al-Khateab's experiences in Aleppo during five years of the Syrian Civil War. Among other prestigious prizes, For Sama was awarded the Prix Lil dOr for Best Documentary at Cannes. Northwest Film ForumThursday & SaturdaySunday

Greener GrassA hilarious, unsettling satire of suburban politeness, Greener Grass has my vote for this years unforgettable sleeper comedy, on par with films like Napoleon Dynamite or Wet Hot American Summer. But cowriters/directors/stars Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe have turned out something so much tighter than either of those films. Greener Grass is so relentlessly funny that I expect youll soon be hearing its lines traded around between film buffs. (Do the children play soccer on graves? I havent noticed that before.) My only criticism is in the time-honored casting of a large woman with greasy hair as one of the films more obvious villains, but then again, its suburbiaso really, theyre all villains. SUZETTE SMITHSIFF Film Center

HarrietWith Harriet, audiences are given a live-action reimagining of Harriet Tubmans journey to self-liberation: changing her name, hiding in bales of hay, being chased by dogs, and getting cornered by armed men on a bridge before jumping into the river. Harriet shows how Tubman (Cynthia Erivo) got help from a secret network of safe houses and trusted free Blacks (Leslie Odom Jr. and Janelle Mone) who stuck their necks out to help her cause. Throughout the film, the only music youll hear, gladly, are negro spiritualssongs that enslaved Blacks used to express their sorrow and joy, and to secretly communicate. (Tubman, who was nicknamed Moses, would sing Go Down Moses as a signal to enslaved Blacks that she was in the area, and would help anyone who wished to escape.) Harriet doesnt subject the sensitive viewer to excessive gore or violence (though there is one particularly unsettling scene), because for once, this is a story in the slave movie genre about tremendous triumph, leadership, and Tubmans unwavering faith, both in God and herself. JENNI MOOREVarious locations

Jojo RabbitThe latest from Taika Waititi starts off with a bright, Wes Andersonian whimsiness: Young Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) joyously bounces about at summer camp, having the time of his life as he frolics and laughs with his second-best friend Yorki (Archie Yates) and his first-best friend, the imaginary Adolf (Waititi). Just one thing: Jojo is at Hitler Youth camptheir campfire activities include burning booksAdolf is Adolf Hitler, and World War II is winding down, with Germany not doing so great. Both because of and in spite of its inherent shock value, Jojo Rabbitbased on a book by Christine Leunensis just as clever and hilarious as Waititis other movies, but as it progresses, the story taps into a rich vein of gut-twisting melancholy. Theres more to the complicated Jojo Rabbit than first appears, and only a director as committed, inventive, and life-affirmingly good-hearted as Waititi would even have a chance of pulling it off. He does, to unforgettable effect. ERIK HENRIKSENAMC Pacific Place & Thornton Place

JokerJoker isnt really the story of a good man gone bad; clown for hire Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is troubled from the outset. Hes barely scraping by, living with his mother (Frances Conroy), and coming undone due to cuts in social services. Sure, Phillips overdoes it with long, panning explorations of Flecks bruised, skinny ribs, but then again, men with insecurities about being skinny are presumably the films target audience. The first half hour unfolds like a dog-whistle symphony for insecure guys who think they have it bad. Fleck berates his black social worker (Sharon Washington) for not listening to him when shes obviously doing her best. He fixates on a black single mother (Zazie Beetz) after the briefest sign of camaraderie. Yet there are a series of trap doors throughout Joker that unexpectedly drop its audience into new perspectives. Early on, an obvious foreshadow shifts Fleck onto a new path, and as that plotline plays out, Joker offers some surprisingly rewarding reflections on the relationship between the villain and Batman. (Oh yeah! This is a Batman movie, remember?) Both men, Joker suggests, might be equally deranged, making sweeping moves against the world without regard for those who become collateral damage for their respective manias. SUZETTE SMITHVarious locations

Kamikaze Hearts + The Prostitutes of Lyon SpeakThis double feature pairs Juliet Bashore's pseudo-documentary about the sexism and exploitation of the 1980s porn industry, Kamikaze Hearts, with Carole Roussopoulos's true documentary The Prostitutes of Lyon Speak, which witnesses the sex worker protest occupation of the St. Nizier church. The Beacon Cinema calls the latter "one of the best sex work documentaries ever made."The BeaconFriday only

The LighthouseThe Lighthouse, the second film from Robert Eggers, the director of the excellent, wildly disconcerting period horror The Witch, is... funnier than expected? Sure, its also fucked-up and intense and distressing, but there are significantly more fart jokes than one might expect. Robert Pattinson, with a voice like The Simpsons Mayor Quimby, and Willem Dafoe, with a voice like The Simpsons crusty old sea captain, play two lost souls manning a decrepit lighthouse on a miserable, unnamed island. Like The Witch, this is a story and a setting that feels old, and Eggers captures it in joyless black and white, antiquated dialogue, and a squarish, 1.19:1 aspect ratio. Pattinson and Dafoe squabble and fight and scream, and something is lurking on the rocky cliffs, and something else is lurking at the top of the tower, and man, this one seagull really hates Pattinson. Things get weird, and sad, and unexpectedly touching; Dafoe and Pattinson are both great, and if youre going to descend into Eggerss particular brand of fraught, bleak madness, one could hardly ask for better company. As we head into another dour, dark Northwest winter, Eggerss whipping gales and damp despair are here to remind you that hey, things could always be worse. ERIK HENRIKSENVarious locations

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic SoundsIn what's being described as an "inspiring, entertaining, epic journey" for movie-lovers (Serena Seghedoni, Loud & Clear Reviews), longtime sound editor Midge Costin directs this tribute to the underappreciated art of sound design and the people who pioneered it. Grand Illusion

Midnight TravelerHassan Fazili's Sundance World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award documents the filmmaker's own journey as a refugee as he is forced by the Taliban to flee his native Afghanistan with his wife and daughters. Right now, there may be few better ways to feel what it's really like to leave home under threat of death and try to resettle in safety during these xenophobic times.Grand Illusion

Motherless BrooklynDirector/star Edward Nortons decision to turn Jonathan Lethems postmodern neo-noir novel into a literal 1950s-set noir, with jazz music and vintage cars aplenty, is both an asset and a liability. Motherless Brooklyn is easy on the eyes, and the all-star cast conveys the senseif not the suspenseof a twisty-turny mystery populated by crooks, dames, reporters, jazz musicians, and an ultra-powerful tycoon inspired by infamous New York City developer Robert Moses. But the movies overlong and unfocused, too, and theres almost no emotional purchase, even as stakes escalate. NED LANNAMANNVarious locations

Moving HistoryMoving Image Preservation of Puget Sound presents another archival screening night, this time dedicated to Seattle's history of resistance in honor of the20th Anniversary of the World Trade Organization protests.Northwest Film ForumSunday

Nailed ItMixed-race Vietnamese filmmaker Adele Pham explores the eight-billion-dollar nail salon industry by diving into 40 years of Vietnamese American history.Northwest Film ForumSaturday only

Night and the CityThe memorably weaselly Richard Widmark stars as Harry Fabian in what many consider to be the quintessential bleak noir, where things couldn't possibly get any worse...until they do.The BeaconSaturday only

Once Upon a Time... in HollywoodOnce Upon a Time doesn't have the self-conscious, This Is a Quentin Tarantino Film feel of the filmmaker's past few movies. It feels neither reliant nor focused on those obsessions and quirks. We spend the bulk of our time with three people: Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), an earnest, anxious, B-list actor whose career is right about to curdle; Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), Rick's toughed-up, chilled-out former stuntman and current BFF; and Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), a bubbly, captivating actress who's just starting to enjoy her first taste of success in show business. How Tarantino plays with history in Once Upon a Time is one of the more intense and surprising elements of the filmand, thankfully, it's also one of the best. ERIK HENRIKSENMeridian 16 & Crest

Pain and GloryPedro Almodvar has long warmed his filmography with flickers of details from his personal life, but Pain & Glory brings us closer to the flame. In it, we look in on Salvador Mallo (Antonio Banderas), a filmmaker in self-imposed exile due to a creative decline and a variety of physical ailments. Banderas stifles his melodramatic tendencies to subtly and powerfully reveal Mallos agonies and evolution. ROBERT HAMSIFF Cinema Egyptian

ParasiteParasite is director Bong Joon-ho at his very best. It's a departure from the sci-fi bent of his recent movies, though it's no less concerned with the state of society today. Set in Seoul, South Korea, the families and class issues at play reflect our global era, in which the disparity between the haves and have-nots seems to be widening. Parasite follows the Kim family, who secretly scam their way into the lives of the wealthy Park family. Slowly and methodically, the Kims begin to drive out the other domestic workers at the Park residence, each time referring another family member (who they pretend not to know) for the vacant position. And so the poorer family starts to settle comfortably into the griftuntil a sudden realization turns their lives upside down. The resulting film offers an at turns hilarious and deeply unsettling look at class and survival, its essence echoed in the environments the characters inhabit. JASMYNE KEIMIGVarious locations

Perfect BlueIn 1997, Satoshi Kon, a Japanese animator, achieved fame with the anime film Perfect Blue. It is a thriller about a retired idol (or, in Japanese, idoru). An idol is a pop star manufactured by a talent corporation. They are young, they sing, they model, they appear on TV shows, they retire. In Perfect Blue, the former idol, Mima Kirigoe, decides to become an actor, but her first role in a drama series called Double Bind fucks with her mind badly. It's hard out here for a retired idoru. CHARLES MUDEDENorthwest Film ForumSunday only

RabidAn early outing from body-horror mage David Cronenberg, Rabid turns Montreal into an apocalyptic hellscape peopled by disease-ridden, blood-crazed biters.Northwest Film Forum

Sundance Indigenous ShortsSundance Institutes Indigenous Program and Art House Convergence present six films by Indigenous and Native moviemakers from the Arctic Circle, Ho-Chunk land in midwestern America, Migmaq territory in Canada, and elsewhere. Some subjects include the heritage of traditional crafts, the art of throat singing, and the Indian Pipe plant.Northwest Film ForumSaturdaySunday

Terminator: Dark FateIf nothing else, Dark Fate has one thing going for it: Sarah Connor. Linda Hamilton is back, which means there's a Terminator movie worth watching again. Well, it's worth watching, I guess, if you, like me, have devoted entirely too much of your ever-shrinking life span to thinking about terminators. For everyone else, Dark Fate's appealwhich largely hinges on seeing Hamilton, Arnold, and various bloodthirsty murderbots back in actionmight be limited. Deadpool director Tim Miller does a lot of things right: His action sequences are messy but intense; he knows to let Hamilton, with her wry eyebrows and smoke-scratched voice, steal scenes whenever she feels like it; and he somehow pulls off the insane-sounding task of making a Terminator movie that's legitimately, consistently funny. But at the end of the day, Dark Fate is another sequel that tries, with mixed success, to reboot a rusty series, and several of the attempts it makes to feel current land with a wet thud. ERIK HENRIKSENWide release

Urusei Yatsura 2Beautiful DreamerA gross boy saves the Earth by besting an alien princess in a weird competition, but then he has to marry her in this odd, dreamy anime by Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell).The BeaconSunday only

Words from a BearJeffrey Palmer's film is a visual meditation on the work of Navarro Scott Momaday (Kiowa), a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer who helped kick off the Native American Renaissance beginning in the 1960s. Northwest Film ForumSaturday only

Zombieland 2: Double TapThe problem with comedy sequels is that it's hard to tell the same joke years later, but funnier. Despite the ravages of time and changing tastes, filmmakers must suplex the lightning back into that bottle. But despite lurching into theaters a full decade after the original, Zombieland: Double Tap avoids those pitfalls while delivering a suitably zany Zombieland experience with the easy charm of an off-brand Mike Judge picaresque. Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin, and Emma Stone all return to banter and blast zombies, and their wry camaraderie speaks a seemingly genuine desire to play in this viscera-splattered sandbox again (rather than, as with many long-delayed sequels, simply the desire for a new beach house). Added to the mix are a spate of goofy newcomers, including a delightfully unapologetic flibbertigibbet (Zoey Deutch) and a pair of dirtbag doppelgangers (Luke Wilson and Thomas Middleditch). It's more a live-action cartoon than a serious entry in the zombie canon, but as a low-key genre comedy, it totally works. BEN COLEMANWide release

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31 Movies Worth Watching in Seattle This Weekend: Nov 710, 2019 - TheStranger.com

WASHOE CITY, Nev. Ed Alexander had a vision.

A fourth generation Nevadan, cannabis activist and Deadhead, Alexander had dreams of opening a dispensary in his home state that was warm and inviting, championed the performing arts and propped up local nonprofits. Whats more, he wanted a facility that enabled him to grow marijuana on site.

Due to the size of his vision, Alexander, a Spanish Springs resident, knew finding space to plant a facility in Reno or Sparks would be next to impossible. So he found a patch of land in Washoe Valley, tucked between Reno and Carson City, at 275 US-395 ALT, in New Washoe City.

Years later, on Oct. 26, 2018, SoL Cannabis came to fruition. More than a dispensary that sells cannabis products, SoL houses a greenhouse, commercial kitchen and extraction lab.

In fact, if youve ever wanted a window literally into Nevadas budding cannabis industry, look no further than SoL.

The 8,000-square-foot dispensary includes a lobby area with a wall of windows, offering customers expansive views of the 30 strains of marijuana growing in a 25,000-square-foot greenhouse. Moreover, SoLs extraction lab and kitchen are surrounded by glass, offering visitors a view of how their products are made.

Our mantra is about complete transparency, says Alexander, gazing at his crop of sun-kissed cannabis plants on a Monday morning in late October. We want people to see its just a plant thats being cultivated under the sun in organic soil.

All told, Alexander and his team lobbied the state of Nevada for roughly eight months to allow viewing windows into the facilitys cultivation and production spaces. Its about as up-close-and-personal as cannabis consumers can get with a legal grow operation in Nevada or anywhere, according to Alexander.

From our standpoint, we understand that not a lot of people have seen cannabis being cultivated, said Alexander, noting the greenhouse has the capacity to produce in excess of 3,000 pounds of marijuana annually. Thats the reason we lobbied the state to allow us to put the windows in place. When people come down, theyre able to see the plants growing in front of them that they may end up at some point consuming.

SoLs use of a greenhouse was also fueled by the companys commitment to being good stewards of the land, said Alexander. He added: We believe that with the full spectrum of the sun, you get a higher quality product, and you have a much lower environmental footprint.

Inside SoLs open and spacious dispensary, an array of products flower, pre-rolls, edibles, cartridges, CBD tinctures and more hang on walls, sit on shelves and lie under glass.

To simplify the shopping experience, SoL labels each product with one of four different icons: Charge (sativa), Compose (sativa dominant hybrid), Connect (indica dominant hybrid) and Calm (indica).

Since opening a year ago, SoLs customer base has grown about 25 percent each month, Alexander said.

We have people that travel from as far away as Elko, Alexander said. We have customers from 21-year-olds to 90-year-olds were a very inclusive environment.

Alexander said SoL prides itself on being very medicinally-minded and making its customers feel more informed about cannabis when they leave.

Inside SoL, the companys connection to music is also on display: guitars signed by the Grateful Deads Bob Weir and country music legend Willie Nelson on the walls; Dead-inspired swag on shelves; an a 2,500-square-foot deck outside that holds a summer music series.

Moreover, in September, SoL created a musical instrument drive for OBrien Middle School in Stead.

We believe that cannabis and the performing arts walk hand-in-hand, Alexander said. What we want to make it more of a community center that just so happens to provide marijuana and CD products. Were really try to change the perception and some of the stereotypes associated with the industry.

To that end, Alexander said SoL tries to bring in a local nonprofit to highlight every Saturday during its music series. In the past, SoL has promoted nonprofits such as the High Fives Foundation, My Hometown Heroes and For the Kids Foundation, among others.

Were trying to be conscious capitalists, Alexander said. We want to make sure that as we benefit from this platform, the local community benefits and the nonprofits benefit. Its a platform where nonprofits can spread their message.

Recently, SoL celebrated its one-year anniversary by hosting its second annual Harvestfest, an event for those 21 and older that included live music, food and more, in late October.

With a year in the books, Alexander said he has even grander plans for the Washoe Valley dispensary.

As we move forward, were going to focus on combining entertainment with a culinary experience with the cannabis experience, he said. Similar to a vineyard in Napa. We want people to have an all-encompassing experience as opposed to just a transactional experience.

First, the state of Nevada has to OK cannabis consumption lounges, which wont happen for at least two years. In June 2019, the Nevada Legislature adopted a bill that delays the opening of any legal cannabis venues until at least July 2021.

Still, Alexander feels the evolution of Nevadas fast-growing cannabis industry will lead to lounges eventually being allowed in the Silver State hopefully in the not too distant future, he said.

Continued here:
1 year later, Washoe Valley dispensary offers window into Nevada's budding cannabis industry - NN Business View

Visionary director of the Imperial War Museum whose history of the air offensive against Germany became a cause clbre

In 1966 the Queen visited the Imperial War Museum (IWM) in London to open an extension that Noble Bunny Frankland, its director, had persuaded the Treasury to fund. Minutes after she and her entourage had passed, a deluge of oil fell on to the red carpet. It came from a reconnaissance aircraft that had, at Franklands behest, been hoisted aloft and suspended from the ceiling, without anyone first checking that its engine had been drained. Lesser men would have sunk to the ground, clutching at their heart, but Frankland, a veteran of Bomber Command, was made of stronger stuff. He merely counted his blessings.

His appointment as director arose from fortuitous circumstances. In May 1960, as a 38-year-old deputy director of studies at the Royal

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Noble Frankland obituary | Register - The Times

PUBLISHED: 11:11 07 November 2019 | UPDATED: 11:11 07 November 2019

ANDREW ADONIS

John Bercow, ex-Speaker of the House of Commons poses for a portrait inside the House of Commons. Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

2019 Getty Images

The change of Commons speaker is a pivotal moment for politics and for Brexit, says ANDREW ADONIS.

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For Remainers, the poison pill of the parliament just ended was the replacement of John Bercow with Sir Lindsay Hoyle as speaker. Is the change as bad as it seems?

Undoubtedly, a forthright, innovatory champion of parliamentary independence has been succeeded by a highly cautious long-time deputy speaker who will almost certainly row back on some of Bercow's reforms to strengthen parliament against the executive.

It is a conscious act of counter-reformation driven by ministers and Brexiter MPs desperate for a pliant rather than assertive speaker.

The final choice between Hoyle, MP for pro-Leave Chorley (56.8% to 43.2%), near Preston, and Chris Bryant, a continuity Bercow extrovert, could not have been more starkly one of 'radical' v 'conservative', disguised only by the fact that both are Labour MPs.

This latter fact is also the reason that Hoyle won, whereas a Tory Brexiter might not have done so. For Labour MPs split. A group of stalwart Labour friends and associates of Hoyle gave him a majority, allied to overwhelming Tory support.

His supporter base was immediately demonstrated by the identity of the two MPs who 'dragged' him to the Speaker's chair in the traditional show of reluctance: Nigel Evans, one of the most raucous Tory Brexiters, and Caroline Flint, Labour's Brexiter-in-chief and MP for pro-Leave Don Valley in South Yorkshire.

"This is a Brexit takeover," a pro-Bryant MP said to me ruefully after the six hours of voting. "We won't get a look-in after the election."

Maybe so, if there is another hung parliament with Boris Johnson in constant battle with an anti-Brexit parliamentary majority. But history never quite repeats itself, and counter-reformations rarely succeed in completely turning the clock back. The change from Bercow to Hoyle may turn out to be more of style than substance.

Indeed, if a minority Labour government takes office next month, seeking to pilot controversial Brexit referendum legislation through the Commons in the New Year, Hoyle could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. He would probably hold back a Tory opposition from frustrating ministers in the way Theresa May and Johnson were subject to constant parliamentary assault over the past three years. It all depends on the result on December 12 and who is in Number 10 thereafter.

It is important to appreciate the three different categories of innovation made by Bercow in his decade in the speaker's chair, spanning four prime ministers and three minority governments.

The first and most obvious was his constant, loquacious rhetoric from the chair. Never has a speaker spoken so much and at such length, or relished so many archaic and unusual words. ("As for you Mr Lucas, I've told you you need to go on some sort of therapeutic training course if you're to attain the level of statesmanship to which you aspire..."). He wasn't only the most impactful speaker since William Lenthall, who refused to let King Charles I enter the Commons chamber to arrest MPs in person in 1642. He even spoke a similar language.

Bercow's finest hour was his statement, issued on holiday abroad minutes after Johnson's announcement of the five-week suspension of parliament in late August. "I have had no contact from the government," he declared. "But if the reports that it is seeking to prorogue parliament are confirmed, this move represents a constitutional outrage. However, it is dressed up it is blindingly obvious that the purpose of prorogation now would be to stop parliament debating Brexit and performing its duty."

This had echoes of Yeltsin standing on the tank in defiance of the coup against Gorbachev, and Lenthall's historic words, to Charles I: "I have neither eyes to see nor tongue to speak in this place but as this House is pleased to direct me whose servant I am here."

Hoyle is a virtual mute by comparison and will appear almost invisible and inarticulate in the chair. However, it is the substance of the speaker's decisions that matter more than the manner of their delivery, and less oratory may not matter much.

The second Bercow innovation was to make ministers far more accountable to parliament, day by day, by allowing far more emergency debates and urgent questions, and allowing questioning of ministers - particularly the prime minister - to continue far longer than previously. This was most notable at the weekly prime minister's question session on Wednesdays, which Bercow virtually doubled in length from half an hour to nearly an hour by the simple expedient of calling more questioners.

In the year before he became speaker only two urgent questions, requiring ministers to answer immediately, were granted. Last year it was 152.

I doubt the Hoyle counter-reformation will completely reverse all this. If Hoyle were to notably shorten question sessions or start routinely refusing urgent questions on topical matters, he would appear weak and ineffectual by comparison with his predecessor. I doubt he will wish to go there; nor will most backbench MPs, on whichever side of the House they sit.

It is the third and least visible area of Bercow innovation which has been most far-reaching. As May and Johnson both hit an impasse with parliament over Brexit, the speaker allowed backbench MPs to introduce legislation, and to vote down and amend government motions, in new ways. This was done by Bercow reinterpreting standing orders to enable backbenchers to command parliamentary time, and take initiatives previously thought to be the preserve of ministers alone.

Bercow's constitutional legacy turns on his action in this crucial third sphere. It was this innovatory spirit which enabled the Benn Act to pass, requiring the government to apply for the latest extension of Britain's EU membership at the end of October. Introduced by a crossbench coalition of MPs led by Labour's Hilary Benn, the legislation even included the terms of the letter which Johnson was required to send to Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, requesting the extension.

In my view Bercow's decisions were justified by the fact that a parliamentary majority backed virtually every opportunity provided to enforce its will against May and Johnson. The existence of such a majority, at a time of acute crisis, deserved to find parliamentary expression and Bercow's actions were well judged and in the spirit of the sovereignty of parliament, which is the central principle of the British constitution.

However, the big question is what does the sovereignty of parliament mean in the modern British constitution? Bercow's actions cut across the evolution over more than a century's growth of executive control of parliament. Until Bercow, the modern constitutional practice was that once a government secured the 'confidence' of the House of Commons - in that there was no majority of MPs to vote it out of office and replace it with a different government - then ministers had a largely free hand to fulfil their mandate, as they defined it, until the following election.

It is what Lord Hailsham, a Tory Lord Chancellor in the 1970s and 1980s, called Britain's "elective dictatorship" - something he deplored when in opposition but exerted to the full when in government.

The decisive shift to elective dictatorship came with the First and Second World Wars and their imperative of total national mobilisation. It was perpetuated after 1945, partly because it was by then the status quo and partly because of the long, virtually unbroken era of majority governments until 2010.

Another key factor in the 'elective dictatorship' era was the willing subservience of Tory and Labour MPs to their party leaderships. Until recently we took this too for granted, but it was more contingent than appreciated - contingent on the fact until party leadership election systems were changed in both parties after 1981, party leaders were chosen by MPs alone. Now, party activists are involved in choosing party leaders. This has fundamentally changed the relationship between MPs and their leaders, exacerbated by minority governments since 2010.

A large part of the Brexit battle, in the context of minority governments and growing discord between MPs and their leaders, has been controversy over the legitimacy of these models of executive-parliamentary relations - 'elective dictatorship' model or 'parliamentary supremacy'. Bercow has been at the fulcrum of this debate, but it is far bigger than him and it is not remotely concluded.

In my view, parliamentary supremacy is a far more liberal, plural and modern view of how democracy should work. It needs to go hand in hand with greater devolution to local and regional government in England and the replacement of the House of Lords with a federal senate. All this would make the United Kingdom much more like the Federal Republic of Germany, the best governed large state in Europe since 1949, whose constitution was largely written by enlightened British experts whose views held little sway in Britain itself. Just as on Brexit.

In decades to come, Bercow may be seen as a catalyst and the agent of fundamental constitutional change in the UK. Or he will be regarded as an aberration caused partly by his exceptional extrovert personality - Netflix movies are already in the making - and partly by the exceptional nature of the 2017-19 Brexit parliament. Time will tell.

The New European is proud of its journalism and we hope you are proud of it too. We believe our voice is important - both in representing the pro-EU perspective and also to help rebalance the right wing extremes of much of the UK national press. If you value what we are doing, you can help us by making a contribution to the cost of our journalism.

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Will John Bercow's replacement cause issues in the fight to stop Brexit? - The New European

MOORESVILLE Nov 8, 2019 (Thomson StreetEvents) -- Edited Transcript of Charles & Colvard Ltd earnings conference call or presentation Thursday, November 7, 2019 at 9:30:00pm GMT

* Clint J. Pete

Charles & Colvard, Ltd. - CFO & Treasurer

* Suzanne T. Miglucci

Charles & Colvard, Ltd. - CEO, President & Director

Good day, and welcome to the Charles & Colvard Q1 FY2020 Earnings Call. (Operator Instructions)

This earnings call may contain forward-looking statements as defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 as amended, including statements regarding among other things, the company's business strategy and growth strategy. Expressions which identify forward-looking statements speak as only as of the date the statement is made. These forward-looking statements are based largely on our company's expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified and are beyond our control. Future developments and actual results could differ materially from those set forth contemplated by or underlying the forward-looking statements. In light of these risks and uncertainties, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking information will prove to be accurate. This earnings call does not constitute an offer to purchase any securities nor solicitation of a proxy, consent, authorization or agent designation with respect to a meeting of the company's shareholders. Accompanying today's call is a supporting PowerPoint slide deck, which is available in the Investor Relations section of the company's website at ir.charlesandcolvard.com/events. The company will be hosting a Q&A session at the conclusion of the prepared remarks. Should you have questions you would like to submit please email at ir.charlesandcolvard.com. Please note this event is being recorded.

I would now like to turn the conference over to Suzanne Miglucci, President and Chief Executive Officer. Please go ahead.

Suzanne T. Miglucci, Charles & Colvard, Ltd. - CEO, President & Director [2]

Good afternoon, and thank you for joining us as we summarize Charles & Colvard's results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2020 ended September 30, 2019. In the first quarter, we delivered our fifth consecutive quarter of profitability. Revenue growth of 15% and a very favorable blended gross margin of 49%. This positive momentum was achieved during a quarter of investment as we began applying some of the proceeds raised earlier this summer in order to expand our brand presence and grow the top line. Clint Pete, our CFO will begin today's call with an overview of our financials. Then I'll return to discuss highlights from the quarter and share key initiatives we're undertaking to position us for growth.

Clint J. Pete, Charles & Colvard, Ltd. - CFO & Treasurer [3]

Today I'll highlight the key financial results for Q1, 2020. Additional details can be found in our Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2019, which we expect to file tomorrow. Beginning on Slide 5, we reported net income for Q1, 2020 of approximately $207,000 or $0.01 per diluted share compared with net income of approximately $110,000 or $0.01 per diluted share in the year-ago quarter. This represents our fifth consecutive quarter of profitability. Slide 6 summarizes net sales for Q1, 2020 which increased 15% to $7.6 million compared to the year-ago quarter. And our online channels segment, which consists of e-commerce outlets including charlesandcolvard.com, third-party online marketplaces, dropship retail and other pure play exclusively e-commerce outlets. Net sales for the quarter increased 20% versus the year-ago quarter, representing 49% of total net sales.

Our transactional website charlesandcolvard.com increased 31% net sales versus the year-ago quarter. Sales through our cross-border trade platform were strong with a 113% increase versus a year-ago quarter. In the company's traditional segment, which consists of wholesale and retail customers, net sales for the quarter increased 11% to $3.9 million versus the year-ago quarter, representing 51% of total net sales. The upside from this segment is primarily due to increased performance and our brick-and-mortar channels. Finished jewelry net sales increased 51% for the quarter, an indicator that our direct to consumer initiatives are producing results. Finished jewelry sales are up across multiple channels, including charlesandcolvard.com website through third-party online marketplaces and job ship retailers with our brick -- and with our brick-and-mortar partners.

Loose jewel net sales decreased 7% for the quarter, mainly due to a slight decline in demand for loose jewels across our domestic and international distributors and certain pure-play customers. On Slide 7, our gross margin performance in the quarter was strong. The Q1, 2020 gross margin was 49% compared to 45% in the year-ago quarter. This improved margin was driven by continued healthy online channels sales including strong sales of our Forever One product on our transactional website charlesandcolvard.com. For everyone, net sales of finished jewelry and loose jewels represented 84% of total net sales for Q1, 2020.

On Slide 8, we show operating expenses as a percentage of net sales at the top of each bar. The dollar level of our operating expenses for each quarter is presented inside this bar. For Q1, 2020, operating expense as a percentage of net sales was 47% compared to 44% in the year-ago quarter. Overall, operating expenses increased 25% versus the year-ago quarter, mainly due to the increased marketing investments that we began, increasing our digital marketing spend and brand awareness initiatives and preparation for the holidays. G&A expenses increased approximately $125,000 and sales and marketing expenses increased approximately $588,000.

Slide 9 presents a snapshot of our balance sheet. At September 30, 2019, we had $12.6 million of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, compared to $13 million at June 30, 2019. Since we plan to apply the proceeds from our recent equity raise over several years, we have invested the unused funds in short-term investment-grade interest-bearing securities. This investment drove $61,000 of interest income in the quarter. We continue to have no long-term debt and have not accessed funds through our credit facility. During Q1, 2020, we adopted the new lease accounting standard issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board or FASB. This new lease standard -- this new lease accounting standard requires all leases, including operating leases to appear on the balance sheet as a right of use asset and at least liability, along with qualitative and quantitative disclosures as of September 30, 2019. The impact resulted in the recognition of a right of use assets of $900,000 at lease liabilities of approximately $1.2 million, the adoption did not have a material impact on our statement of operations or cash flows. Additional details can be found in our forthcoming 10-Q.

Moving on to Slide 10. Inventory at September 30, 2019 totaled $36 million compared to $33.7 million at June 30, 2019. Loose jewels inventory was $24.4 million compared to $24.3 million at June 30, 2019. Finished jewelry inventory increased to $11.4 million compared to $9.3 million at June 30, 2019. This increase reflects our continued investment and consignment inventory to support the growing success on our brick-and-mortar channel. In support of the upcoming holiday season, we have also planned higher in-stock inventory for channels that require immediate shipping including our transactional website charlesandcolvard.com and for marketplaces and dropship retail channels. At September 30, 2019, 81% of our inventory is classified as new inventory, leaving only 19% of our inventory classified as legacy inventory.

On a final note, we would like to mention that our 2019 Year in Review letter to shareholders is available in the Investor Relations section of our website under summary information. In the letter, we provide a summary on the state of the market, our fiscal year 2019 accomplishments and our roadmap for 2020. In conclusion, we delivered a solid quarter fueled by 15% revenue growth, a 49% gross margin and positive net income. We believe, we are well-positioned as the key holiday selling season gets underway.

I would like now to call -- to turn the call back over to Suzanne.

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Suzanne T. Miglucci, Charles & Colvard, Ltd. - CEO, President & Director [4]

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I'll start with a summary of notable highlights for the quarter on Slide 12. Our Q1 blended gross margin of 49% was attributable to continued positive performance across our online channels segment. Online channels grew 20% over the prior year with dropship retail and marketplaces performing extremely well. As we have substantially rolled out our moissanite by Charles & Colvard brand. You may recall that in our dropship retail and marketplaces channels, we're replacing our legacy goods; Forever Classic and Forever Brilliant with new jewelry items set with the moissanite by Charles & Colvard gemstone, which is a higher net margin product. These online channels are now refreshed with new inventory, are poised for the holiday and are showing a healthy upturn in performance. Moissanite by Charles & Colvard represented 9% of total Q1 revenue compared to 3% in the prior-year quarter.

Our transactional website charlesandcolvard.com, where we sell our premium product; Forever One gemstone and jewelry saw a 31% increase in revenue over the year-ago quarter. This site continues to deliver more than 50% of our online channels revenue. We remain pleased with the performance of the website, which serves as the primary interface where consumers directly engage with our brand. We'll talk further about the role of our website in the customer experience in just a few minutes as we progress our discussion to key initiatives.

Also contributing to our growth was cross border trade in which international consumers transact on our domestic website and we ship our goods to their global locations. We had a 113% increase in cross border trade revenue over the prior-year quarter. Cross-border trade revenue is recognized with international sales, which totaled 11% of our revenue for the quarter. This contribution from cross border trade was offset by a decrease in international distributor sales, which we believe is due to earlier pre-holiday purchasing in this channel as well as limited effects from U.S.- China trade relations.

Another highlight of the first quarter was strong performance of our domestic brick-and-mortar retail accounts, where we enjoyed significant growth. On the heels of a successful fiscal year 2019, Helzberg Diamonds stores chose to expand their footprint of Charles & Colvard goods in-store. They are now featuring 3 feet to 4 feet of case line, showcasing our Forever One moissanite in every store as well as a specially designed limited edition item that we developed exclusively for Helzberg Diamonds holiday promotions. To accommodate this growing footprint, we expanded our jewelry assortment as evidenced by an increase in consigned merchandise and an overall increase in finished jewelry inventory. These items have been shipped, are on display and are ready to serve holiday traffic. Q1, 2020 represents our fifth consecutive quarter of profitability matching last year's $0.01 earnings per diluted share while making significant strides toward our increased brand presence and focus on top-line growth.

Lastly I'd like to mention a noteworthy development that took place after Q1 ended. We're pleased to announce that we've added a new strategic partner in our dropship program. Belk, a well-established and respected retailer in the Southeast is promoting moissanite by Charles & Colvard jewelry on its transactional website belk.com. As a reminder, our dropship retail partners feature Charles & Colvard jewelry listings on their websites and we ship the sold goods directly to the consumer from our distribution center. Our products are now live on their site, just in time for holiday shopping. Stay tuned for more details on this exciting new partnership.

Let's turn to Slide 13 to discuss the key initiatives that have prepared us for a holiday push. We're laser-focused on expanding the reach of our brand, both domestically and globally and digital marketing will be leading this charge. In order to do this right, we first measured our current state. In Q1, we engaged with our digital marketing agency to dig deeply into the buying habits of our consumers, young Gen Xers, millennials and emerging GenZs. We evaluated a full 12 months of data from overall brand impressions to social engagement, video views, display marketing performance, search engine marketing and more. We believe this information will help us hone our brand messages to better connect with what our audience truly cares about and what will help us improve the efficacy of our marketing efforts in both paid and organic channels.

Since Charles & Colvard re-launch in October 2016, we've focused heavily on our direct-to-consumer engagement. But the majority of these investments have been in mid-marketing funnel campaigns. This means we were buying brand terms and working to convert consumers already familiar with our brand. We've shifted our efforts to increase awareness at the top of the marketing funnel, where we'll be able to reach net new prospects. We began our shift in Q1 investing in awareness campaigns across media outlets, such as Popsugar, where they serve, roughly 50% of all millennials across the U.S. We invested in promotions on podcasts, where the host spend time -- broadcast time speaking about our product. This is a highly targeted channel, where we can focus on the audiences we want to reach.

We leaned heavily into new video assets and have developed a segmented targeted strategy for our presence on YouTube. We recast our paid social media strategy with a balanced presence across awareness and traffic-driving campaigns as well as social commerce efforts that expand and optimize our presence across functions such as Pinterest, shoppable pins. These efforts take time to generate financial outcomes and we anticipate, it may take the average consumer weeks to months to migrate from initial awareness to purchase. Which is why our Q1 investment into these activities was critical to our holiday and future success related. You'll note that our Q1 operating expenses were up 25% with the corresponding cash burn, which are primarily due to these digital marketing investments.

How will we know if these investments are working? Of course Q2 revenue will be a good measure. But there are early indicators that are already helping us validate our investments as follows. Website traffic to charlesandcolvard.com is up more than 50% over Q1 last year. Our opt-in database -- our email database has grown over 75% compared to just last quarter. And our YouTube video channel subscribers jumped nearly 300% over the same period last year. With YouTube clicks to our website up nearly 200% from the same period last year.

We're also seeing a rise in unsolicited interest from influencers and celebrities in our brand. They're finding Charles & Colvard and reaching out to us directly. Just a few weeks ago, we heard from Jenni Farley or JWoww, a television personality from the MTV reality series, Jersey Shore. Jenni fell in love with a set of Charles & Colvard hoop earrings and highlighted our products on her Instagram account, which exceeds 7 million followers. Our website traffic went through the roof that weekend and consumer media outlets, such as People, E! News and US Weekly picked up the story. The power of influencer marketing is real and measurable. So you'll see more of this type of activity as we head into the holiday.

These are some of the early indicators that we're driving net new traffic to our brands directly to charlesandcolvard.com and through the various channels, where we advertise. Of course, revenue generation is the true measure of success, which we'll report on as these new eyeballs become customers. But it's important to stress that this digital channel through which we are choosing to advertise, allow us to make daily decisions on advertising spend, based on performance and outcomes. We have a tight hand on the reins as we continue to invest in our global brand presence.

On Slide 14, we plan to continue our push into international markets. In fiscal 2019, we expanded Charles & Colvard into new international markets through marketplaces and distributors as noted by this global footprint. We've successfully established many new outlets where we intend to sell. Now what's needed is brand awareness. As part of our digital marketing efforts, we've incorporated ad spend to help us establish our brand presence in these new regions. To date, international traffic and online revenue has been minimal and organically generated. With a concerted effort and appropriate investments to grow awareness of our brand in region, we believe we will expand our presence and generate revenue through these existing regional outlets as well as drive cross border trade traffic to charlesandcolvard.com.

Slide 15 outlines our focus on continued product evolution and innovation evolving our gemstone and jewelry mix to meet the demand of our consumer is at the center of our fiscal year 2020 initiatives. And as we learn more from our top of funnel marketing activities, you can expect further changes to our product mix as our audiences' tastes and preferences mature. In Q1, we released several new products and preparation for holiday, including a new line of platinum jewelry products, new shapes and sizes of moissanite gemstones including all European cuts, elongated cushions, rectangle, trapezoid and existing shapes that are now available in expanded sizes. A tantalum line of men's rings, lab-created colored sapphires and rubies, specifically developed for our dropship retail channels. And as I mentioned earlier, a very special limited addition product along with expanded styles for Helzberg Diamonds stores. In addition to these new products. We also continue to expand our signature jewelry collection, which features a Charles & Colvard's florette in its design. This product continues to gain traction and represented 8% of our total Q1 finished jewelry revenue. This product wasn't launched until late Q1 last year. So this 8% is a product's revenue impact after just three quarters on the market.

Moving on to Slide 16, when it comes to the customer experience, every interaction with our brand has an impact on the likelihood of that consumer converting into a lifelong customer or better yet, becoming a brand promoter. Therefore it's incumbent on us to make every interaction engaging, to remove any friction from the buying process and to deliver an exceptional brand experience that's beyond the consumer's expectations. As we prepare for the upcoming holiday, we focused on several aspects on our website to enhance that experience. We've expanded our payment methods to now include after pay, an innovative online payment method that allows the customer to pay in installments. It's a preferred payment method of millennial consumers and retailers as well, as after pay carries all of the risk once an item is purchased.

We also extended our firm payment terms to 36 months. This financing method supports some of our highest average order value purchases and we believe these extended terms will boost our sales. In addition to after paying a firm, we also support credit card, PayPal and Amazon payment methods as well as localized payment options for our international customers through our cross border trade solution. To offer a seamless self-service option, we recently launched a new website credit and exchange function, making it easier than ever to exchange an item for another product on our website. Recent studies show that with a traditional return option, the repurchase rate is 10%, but with an exchange option for store credit, that number can jump to 30%. With our new exchange functionality, our goal is to significantly increase the likelihood of an exchange versus a return, thereby keeping the sale of Charles & Colvard.

And lastly, we continue to improve page load times and navigability of both our web page and mobile site to ensure a seamless online shopping experience regardless of device. In addition to our website enhancements, we're constantly upgrading and improving our brand experience on third-party websites as much as those platforms will allow. We've upgraded Charles & Colvard's brand pages and imagery across marketplaces, social sites and dropship retail partner pages. We've also enhanced our product listings across these outlets with expanded product offerings on Amazon, Macy's, Overstock and more.

On Slide 17, I've highlighted our focus related to corporate social responsibility and initiatives we've undertaken to be cognizant of the social and environmental impact of our business and to be more transparent about our initiatives to be a better corporate citizen. Last year, approximately 95% of the precious metals resourced were recycled. Today all of the products I just mentioned are made from 100% recycled precious metals. Going forward, we're working towards utilizing only recycled precious metals in our product lines and of course, we're only bringing to market, gemstones that are made not mined.

Lastly in September, we engage with experts from North Carolina State University's B Corp Clinic, a group that focuses on measuring company's sustainability. They're working with us throughout Q2 to help us gain a baseline understanding of the overall environmental footprint of the company's operations. We plan to measure this baseline and develop a plan to work towards improving our impact wherever possible.

Turning to Slide 18, as you can see, in our first quarter we've already made significant progress on these five strategic initiatives. In summary, you should take away from today's call that we're focused on marketing investments that drive brand awareness, sales reach that engages both domestic and international audiences, product innovation that draws consumer interest and an excellent customer experience that encourages a lifetime relationship with Charles & Colvard. We're delivering on these initiatives in a responsible and environmentally conscious way, while keeping our eyes trained on the value we're delivering to you, our shareholders.

This concludes our prepared remarks. We'd now like to open the call to take your questions. Operator, would you please poll for questions from our listening audience.

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Questions and Answers

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Operator [1]

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We will now begin the question-and-answer session. (Operator Instructions)

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Suzanne T. Miglucci, Charles & Colvard, Ltd. - CEO, President & Director [2]

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So we do have some questions that have come in via email. So while you are queuing, let's begin with one while we're waiting. We were asked to elaborate on what we've learned from the data coming out of our digital marketing investments and how that's impacting our changing and go-forward strategy. We welcome both your live questions as well as written ones, if you'd like to write in a question, please send it into ir.charlesandcolvard.com. So our recent data analysis and the market research that we've done has validated our target customer. We still remain very focused on the millennial but we're expanding our reach to emerging Gen Z and young Gen X audiences. They're absolutely purchasing our product and engaging with us. We've also validated that our messaging on the brilliance, the value and ethical origins of our products are resonating with those consumers. So you'll see us continuing to use that language in our marketing materials. That said, there is some new and enlightening insights into the efficacy of our prior campaigns that our study has revealed and which ones are meaningfully influencing our channels in our investments. For example, Facebook and Instagram have historically been strong platforms to engage with our audiences and they continue to be so. But there are new audiences to target that we believe are more attuned to our brand and we'll engage more and they will have higher conversions. So this study is helping us identify these new audiences and to then include them in the new campaigning that we're doing.

And we've also identified some underserved audiences and new promotional channels such as our recent sponsorship of podcast. As I imagine, many of you know podcasts are sort of very popular today with today's millennial consumer, especially. What we love about this platform is, that the host will speak about the product during the podcast. And in the most recent case, we worked with husband-and-wife team, lifestyle bloggers called the Mustards, they host a session, but they also post video onto their YouTube channel and they're wearing our product, which makes for a very visual representation of product. This is our far-higher level of brand engagement to a very targeted audience. Then we get from, say, a digital ad served up on the Google ad network that's more attuned to awareness and conversion. So we're taking all of these data points -- their brand new data points. And we're starting to roll those into the campaigning that we're doing for the holiday.

So with that, we can go back to the queue. Operator, do we have anyone awaiting a question here.

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Operator [3]

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Your next question comes from Dave King with Roth Capital Partners.

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David Michael King, Roth Capital Partners, LLC, Research Division - MD & Senior Research Analyst [4]

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Great news on the early marketing KPIs web traffic and the like. So thanks for showing those. Realizing that, there is a more top of funnel oriented. I guess my question is, as we move into holiday, what are you doing to try to be able to convert that traffic as it's gone up fairly materially and then also fulfill appropriately, have the right customer service capabilities, et cetera. Just so you can really capitalize. Thank you.

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Suzanne T. Miglucci, Charles & Colvard, Ltd. - CEO, President & Director [5]

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So we are very prepared for holiday. We have a standard team on our customer services side that are with us all year long, will ramp up those resources during holiday to ensure that we are ready to serve people over the phone. We extend our hours that we are available to be on the phone with those consumers. And we have a fulfillment department that can expand its hours as well. So doing fulfillment, serving the customer, absolutely, we're ready to do just that.

On the marketing side, it becomes a mix of campaigning, Dave. So right now it's very top of funnel, how many people can we get into the brand, these are the people that are being added on to our e-mail marketing database and then we're watching the pages that they go to or watching where they're engaging -- are they more a bridal customer versus a more of a fashion customer, what kind of jewelry are they looking at and then we can serve up very specific campaigning to them. It's a little more mid-funnel once we've made that original connection. That is more product-and-click oriented and serve them something that they could then clicking purchase product. So it becomes a very targeted effort based on the activities that we're seeing from the consumer.

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David Michael King, Roth Capital Partners, LLC, Research Division - MD & Senior Research Analyst [6]

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Okay, great. And then switching gears. Really nice gross margin improvement in the quarter, it seems like it was up more than just what's implied by channel mix. I guess, did the product mix, improved within the channels or is there anything else that might specific they might be driving that as both in the quarter and as we move forward? Thanks.

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Suzanne T. Miglucci, Charles & Colvard, Ltd. - CEO, President & Director [7]

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Yeah. So the product mix, certainly moissanite by Charles & Colvard played a big role. We continue to replace our legacy product classic and brilliant it's kind a fairly low margin rate with the moissanite by Charles & Colvard product which absolutely helped us improve the margin numbers there. Our signature collection that we have is Forever One product for everyone always, nets very high margin and so with the increase in that we're seeing improvements as well Helzberg Diamonds stores just Forever One product, so they bring in the very high end in premium products. So, as you watch finished jewelry increase and as you watch online channels increase that generally lend itself towards that higher margin goods.

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David Michael King, Roth Capital Partners, LLC, Research Division - MD & Senior Research Analyst [8]

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Okay, great. Thanks for taking my questions. Nice quarter, and good luck with holiday.

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Suzanne T. Miglucci, Charles & Colvard, Ltd. - CEO, President & Director [9]

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While we're waiting for others of you to fill the queue. We did have another emailed question, it seems to be a trend and we like it. So continue to send in your questions. So let's see, let me read this out here. This listener wrote international sales are seeing impressive growth. Can you provide any context as to whether the margins seems to be a theme here tonight whether the margins obtained on international sales are similar to the margins seen by your domestic sales and whether you're seeing accelerated growth in cross-border trade from international buyers purchasing directly on charlesandcolvard.com, rather than options such as Amazon and that's a very good question. So, first and foremost, it's very early days for us as we forge new ground internationally, but we're pleased. What we're seeing today. International sales as a whole represented 11% of our revenue in Q1. So keeping in mind that both our traditional and online channels segments are represented here in this 11% within the International segment we're seeing a meaningful marketplaces and cross-border trade growth from an online sales perspective. But as we noted in prepared remarks cross border trade continues to perform with growth rates over a higher percent. In fact Q1 represented the fourth consecutive quarter of triple-digit growth in cross-border trade and this is pretty significant. That number significantly eclipses the growth that we're seeing in international marketplaces. And as to the margin because these folks are coming to charlesandcolvard.com, we do see comparable margin, the only difference here is that there is a single-digit transaction be a very inexpensive transaction fee that we pay to our cross-border trade partner who then bears all the responsibility of delivering the product to the international customer's doorstep, which makes our cross-border trade margins just slightly below that which we make on Charles & Colvard. But again we're driving them to Forever One product we're driving them to our transactional website. So we still see very attractive margins there.

Operator, anyone else in the queue?

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Operator [10]

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(Operator Instructions) All right, while we're waiting. We did have another question come in. Can you go back up, please? I'm sorry.

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Suzanne T. Miglucci, Charles & Colvard, Ltd. - CEO, President & Director [11]

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The question was about, can you put a dollar amount on the Helzberg in store opportunity, unfortunately we can't, -- we are restricted by confidentiality with most of our customers on actual dollars, but what I can say events we're thrilled with the expansion into this account, we think, and I think I said this on the last earnings call, we think of Helzberg as our showroom, it's a beautiful place to actually see our product every Helzberg store now has either three or four linear foot of K space and it's all Forever One product, and so for that consumer that is a kinesthetic for someone that actually has to see and feel the product wants to put the ring on her finger and get a sense for the product. She can go to Helzberg stores and we're actually in their covenant bridal section. So it's an opportunity for then that consumer to take a look at us compared to other competitive product that's out there in the market. So we're thrilled that they invite us to continue to expand our footprint and it is meaningfully contributing to our traditional channel numbers. Operator, do we have another question in the queue.

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Operator [12]

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Yes. Your next question comes from Dave King with ROTH Capital Partners. Please go ahead.

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David Michael King, Roth Capital Partners, LLC, Research Division - MD & Senior Research Analyst [13]

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Thanks. Just one more quick one. I thought I'd sneak it in. So there is some news I guess headlines around to De Beers and bring down pricing again recently. I guess, do you see any impact when that occurs. I guess just what are some of the high level of thoughts are around that and any concerns or help us get more comfortable with that, if you can. Thank you.

See the rest here:
Edited Transcript of CTHR earnings conference call or presentation 7-Nov-19 9:30pm GMT - Yahoo Finance

Denim is a legend in itself. Its the worlds favourite blue fabric and has an iconic history. Over the years, denim has single-handedly revolutionised the western wear market around the globe. In India too, while western wear was somewhat limited to the well-heeled only, it was denim that brought it to the mainstream. In addition, it also tagged along a radical change in urban lifestyle and changed the way the country consumed western fashion forever.

Growth Drivers

The denim industry in India has witnessed rapid growth triggered by increasing usage of western wear by the fashion conscious youth.

The inclination to denim was being witnessed due to the growing youth population and pop-culture, which has been the main reason for fashion revolution in the country. Its use as an all-weather and evergreen piece of apparel for all (men, women and even children) helped it get the attention and created a large market for it which was not so for any other piece of clothing earlier. Also, the he most important factor has been its durability and maintenance in the long run which actually turns out cost-eff ective for all, says Kewalchand P Jain, Chairman & Managing Director, Killer Jeans.

E-commerce and social media have dramatically boosted the growth of denim in the country, especially in organized category. While the access to brands and discounts has opened up a new arena for consumers it has also been instrumental in providing brands with a robust platform that promises both exposure and penetration to remote locations.

The digital boom has also been a positive player for brands in terms of capturing newer avenues. Brands have been able to gauge customers taste through e-commerce and set up physical presence in remote locations, says Jain.

Moreover, as mobile devices continue to permeate deeper into smaller cities and towns, the nation has increasingly gravitated towards western wear.

This has definitely turned to denims advantage. I think the openness to adapt to change among people comes more from the western culture, movies, celebrities, social media influencers, etc. People want to look good and feel good, says Neha Shah, Assistant General Manager Marketing, Pepe Jeans.

Also, parallel to the growing preference towards comfort, jeans are now acceptable office garb even in smaller towns in India. This is another major factor that have propelled denim into wardrobes across the nation.

Gone are the days when peoples perception of work wear use to be what you wear is what you do wherein professionalism was always symbolised by a suit and tie / formal wear. People have evolved and are opting smart casuals for business meetings which also include smart denim wear, as business no longer happens only in boardrooms but at caf shops, business events, etc., adds Shah.

The Denim Market in India

Denim commands the biggest share of the western wear market in India. Even in rural areas, denim is a staple across wardrobes with most men and teenager girls opting denim wear over traditional outfits.

According to Indias leading management consulting firm, Technopak Advisors, the denim wear market in India is estimated to be around Rs 29,203 crore in 2018. As one of the most popular western wear categories in the country, the it is expected to grow at CAGR of 12 percent and reach Rs 91,894 by 2028. Denim wear market in India is dominated by mens segment, accounting ~ 86 percent of the total market size.

The mens denim wear segment is the fastest growing segment. Mens denim wear accounts for largest share and is poised to grow at a high CAGR of 12 percent over the next decade. Branded sector has been the biggest beneficiary of this with its presence all across and also varied offering in mens wear, says Jain.

However, the womens denim wear segment is expected to show higher CAGR than the mens segment. The womens denim category in India is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.5 percent over the next 10 years to reach Rs 39,651 crore by 2021, and Rs 77,999 crore by 2026.

The denim market in India is finally coming of age. The industry is no longer a poor imitation of hip western culture or a limited edition of elitist apparel: theyre becoming both a fashionable art and a major growth industry. While international denim brands like Pepe Jeans, Levis, Wrangler, etc., have witnessed rapid growth over last few years, a slew of Indian brands have emerged across all segments of the Indian denim market (premium, medium and value for money).

Naturally as the market matures, the competition has increased manifolds. Moreover, the denim wear market in India is extremely fragmented, which has further led to increased competition.

Domestic players have to up their game when evaluating consumer preferences and insights and have a faster turnaround of their collections in order to gain the attention of style conscious Indians. Price points will inevitably be a major concern as more and more new brands enter, the customer will look for style and function in one at a specific price point. Another prominent development is the rise of private labels that are eating into the share of the already cluttered market, states Shah.

Also, the countrys promising consumer ecosystem over the past few years has opened its gate to some of the biggest brands in the denim world and their success has continually enticed others to explore the opportunities in the calmer Indian waters. In the premium and super premium segment, the global brands have an advantage while at the lower and mid segment the advantage lies with the domestic brands with their larger retail presence across the country. At the same time, the entry of these global brands has compelled the domestic brands to ante up their offerings, resulting in a highly evolved market replete with high quality products.

Competition Leads to Innovation

Currently, the Indian consumers are at par with their global peers. They are a lot more evolved with their shopping choices and are constantly seeking novelty in experiences. So, in order to cater to these discerning consumer base, and constant pressure from established global brands, home grown brands are compelled to ante up their game. Domestic brands today are fast catching up with their international counterparts in terms of design, innovation and adoption of technology.

The global brands as well as the domestic brands are becoming equally competitive with regards to launching new products, the fashion quotient, stretch and using light weight fabrics, varying colors, styling, detailing, etc. Domestic brands are also matching up to their foreign competitors with new kinds of innovations in design, pattern, stitches and colors as per consumer choices, asserts Jain.

Many brands are now re-positioning themselves in terms of prices too, so that they can cater not only to Sec A but also to the mid-level segment. Brands are introducing denims across all price segments to cater to a wider audience.

Also, as the demand for sports inspired, casual fashion with focus on comfortability grew, Indian denim manufacturers have been compelled to concentrate on more comfortable and sporty denims fit for everyday use.

Denim used to be only 100 percent cotton and did not allow for a lot of movement. With sportswear and athleisure coming into the fashion spectrum, we see a lot of innovation in the denim fabric itself, where elastane and polyester are blended with cotton to allow for more flexibility and provide greater movement, says Manu Sharma, Business Head, Replay.

The influence of sportswear can also be seen in denim styling, with the introduction of products such as joggers and jeggings. Usage of sporty taping on jeans is also in trend to give denims a more athleisure-like look and feel. And this succeeded in breathing new life into the worlds favourite blue fabric and also ended up bolstering the growth of the segment as a whole.

Sustainability: An Expected Standard

The need for sustainable production has become an imperative over the past years in fashion. This holds especially relevant to the denim segment, considering the incredible amounts of water and toxic dyes used in manufacturing jeans. In line with this, denim companies are now compelled to embrace greener methods and are also making effort to develop new techniques of producing jeans, as a part of their business strategies to protect the environment as well as connect to the consumer.

There has been a conscious effort from brands, manufacturers and category leaders in developing and adopting innovative technology for sustainable and environmentally friendly options.

New technology helps reduce water and chemical consumption. There are denim fabrics made using post consumer waste like recycled pet bottles, etc. Laser finishing technology and better wet processing technology helps substantial reduction in water consumption, says Vinit Doshi, Head Product, Sourcing & Retail Planning, Celio.

Emphasising on how brands and manufacturers in India have caught on the trend of sustainable production in the recent years, Pragati Srivastava, GM & Brand Head, Parx adds, Indian denim manufacturing in recent times has been constantly upgrading and evolving like never before. Innovation is a key factor with the introduction of laser machines, e-fl ow and ozone machines and the industry has started focusing on eco-sustainable alternatives over hazardous chemicals. Eco-friendly trims have slowly started replacing conventional ones.

Small Towns Are Big Business Hubs

Its no news that Indias retail revolution is gaining momentum in the countrys smaller cities. A huge base of aspirational consumers, lower estate cost and plethora of other factors have culminated in compelling fashion retailers to make a beeline for Tier II and Tier III towns. Especially for the denim segment these small towns hold immense potential. Traditionally, these places were dominated by the unorganised sector. As exposure grew over the years, consumers have exhibited a high inclination towards brands.

It is noteworthy to mention here that the big unorganised market poses as the biggest challenge in the denim wear sector in India.

In my opinion, the two major challenges that are a hindrance to the growth of denim wear in the country have been unorganised players in the segment and the discounts they and other brands off er to the customer. They are a major roadblock, not letting this segment get the growth it deserves. Hence brands are sometimes forced to compromise on quality and other crucial aspects. Unbranded denim products constitute to about 70 percent of the market share and this trend needs to change with regards to domestic market, says Jain.

The Road Ahead

In this globalised era, the denim wear segment in India like many other traditional product segment is undergoing an astounding change of perception as well as evolution. With Indias expanding economy, booming consumption, urbanizing population, and growing middle class income, denimwear has a huge potential and opportunity to grow.

With right knowledge of consumer preference and global best practices, denim wear brands can exploit the available growth opportunities in domestic denim wear market.

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Denim at the forefront of the western wear revolution in India - India Retailing