Sini Hill (Kangasmaki) – Finnish Actress Based in New York City

Who are you:

I’m a Finnish actress, born in Jyvaskyla, Finland and currently based in New York City. Acting has been my passion since I was 9 years old. I graduated from NYFA’s Acting for Film in May 2015 and immediately began working.  I initially launched my career as an actress and model in film, television and theater, landing various roles and projects.

How did you end up in New York City of all places?

In order to pursue my dreams, I decided to relocate to New York. NYC has a prominent film industry in addition to LA; therefore, it had the perfect foundation to build my acting career. I’ve always wanted to experience the atmosphere of this city and the film industry is on fire in New York, there are tons of productions and filming at the moment. Busy filming and production means there’s plenty of work, which was a great reason to relocate here.

How do you make your living now – and how would you like to develop that career?

I make my living here doing what I love, working as a full time actress.  This is definitely not the easiest career choice, it takes perseverance and dedication. I’ve worked extremely hard since I graduated, and that is beginning to pay off.  I’ve attended numerous auditions and castings, and not getting callbacks is part of the industry. My perseverance started showing results and I was cast in commercials for brands like Baileys and Christian Dior. The highlight of my career so far is landing my first leading role in an independent feature drama, written and directed by an American author John Reed. I was also cast in NBC’s crime drama TV series “The Blacklist” and I’m part of a fun reality production premiering on WE tv this spring.

Do you see the differences between nationalities easily – yours vs. Americans vs. other Europeans?

Yes definitely! As us Finns know, we aren’t one to handle the culture of small talk so well, however, I got used to it pretty quickly but still might be the quietest person in the room (laugh). Americans might feel uncomfortable about silent moments so they try to fill them up quickly, but for Finns it’s completely natural to be quiet for a long time. Also, the networking culture here is so much bigger than in Finland. Especially in this industry, it’s a lot about who you know. That requires great social skills, courage, and the ability to create contacts.

What’s your typical day in New York like?

There’s no such thing as a typical day in my schedule in New York. My days vary – I might be onset at the crack of dawn till late evening or running around the city in auditions, castings and meetings. The working days are extremely long, one day at a film shoot can last from 10-17 hours.

What are the best things in New York City? Is there anything that drives you crazy?

I love New York City, it’s the center of art and culture where everything is possible. Everyday you’ll meet different, interesting people from all around the world and explore amazing cultural events, food and beautiful scenery. One of my favorite things is to walk on the cute neighborhoods of SoHo or West Village and sit at cozy cafes.

Sometimes the city can be extremely crowded, which can make me feel anxious at times. Also the freezing wind might feel unbearable in the winter – even though I’m from Finland I still don’t like the coldness (laugh).

What do you absolutely miss from your Finland?

The nature, space and the fresh air. Living in the concrete jungle makes me miss the forests, lakes and our summerhouse. Luckily I have relatives in upstate NY so I can escape the traffic and insane crowds there. I also miss the fresh Finnish food, salmiakki (salty liquorice), and of course my family and friends.

What would be your ideal life – with no monetary issues to make it happen!

To continue doing what I love – acting, to grow as an actress and have a successful, international career. I would also love to travel around the world and explore interesting places and meet diverse people. The ultimate ideal life would be to have homes on the East and West Coast, while still being able to visit Finland often.

Would you move back to Finland fulltime –why and why not?

I love Finland and it’ll always be my home country, but for now, I have more working opportunities and ability to grow an international career here in the U.S. I love to visit Finland as often as I can.

How to connect with Sini:

Email: email Sini
Website:
www.sinihill.com
Facebook.com/SiniKangasmaki
Instagram.com/sinihill

Interviews elsewere for example:

www.thenordique.com

San Francisco – Apr 01 2016

SF Polskis, EuroCircle and Cafe Prague invite you to our next event this Friday evening in downtown SF!

There will be great European dance music played by Dutch DJ Marc van Brabant. As usual there should be some good socializing, great beer on tap, excellent food, plenty of music, and dancing.
SF Polskis i Cafe Prague zapraszają Was na kolejną imprezę w ten piątek w centrum SF. Holenderski DJ Marc van Brabant będzie grał dobrą europejską muzykę. Tak jak zawsze będą dobre pogaduchy, dobre piwo z beczki, jedzenie, muzyka i tańce.

0.4 mile walk from Embarcadero BART / MUNI. Schedules available at
http://www.bart.gov/ and http://www.sfmta.com/

Free street parking at parking meters after 6pm.

Co-organized by SF Polskis, EuroCircle and Cafe Prague.

Philadelphia – Apr 13 2016

Join EuroCircle for Border Crossings, our collaboration with the prestigious Geographical Society of Philadelphia. This is a series of talks involving wine and conversation. We bring engaging speakers with an intimate knowledge of a foreign culture, to bring guests an opportunity to experience global news making events from the perspective of people on the ground.

Tonight’s Talk
Almost 30 years after the fall of communism in Bulgaria, the population of the country is dwindling with an increasing rate. The majority of its young people are immigrating to Western Europe and even refugees fighting their way out of Syria aren’t interested in staying in Bulgaria, despite the country’s natural beauty and opportunities for settlement. Why?
Speaker
Todor Raykov was born and raised in Bulgaria where he gained experience in the private, public, and non-profit sectors. His country’s radical transition from communism to democracy inspired him to study Political Science at Sofia University and later to explore how business creation could serve as a powerful tool for Bulgaria’s revival.
In 2009, he founded a non-profit organization aimed at fostering entrepreneurship among the Bulgarian youth and at building bridges between the universities, the business sector, and the student community. Later, Todor received funding from the European Commission to work with an experienced entrepreneur in Finland and implement the best practices in Bulgaria. He was granted a Fulbright scholarship and obtained an M.S. in Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship from the Fox School of Business at Temple University.
Todor has worked as an assistant to diplomats at the Bulgarian Mission to the United Nations in New York and at the Bulgarian Embassy in Washington, D.C. In 2014, he joined NextFab, Philadelphia’s largest product prototyping center and business incubator for hardware technology startups, where he currently works as Assistant Incubator Director.
This is a TICKETED event so login and get your ticket…

New York – May 19 2016

Join EuroCircle for our Summer Kick-Off Yacht Party on board the hottest rooftop bar this summer the Zephyr Yacht! Check-in will start at 5:45 and boarding will start at 6:15pm. We set sail at exactly 6:30pm.

Enjoy a cash bar of custom made cocktails, drink specials, bar snacks and great music by DJ Chris Bachmann.
Take in the breathtaking 360 skyline views on any of their three decks and party alongside NYC’s sexiest crowd.

Dress Code: Summer Chic

Featured Hosts:

Kristi Roosmaa, Estonia. She is a Singer, Actress and Cultural Advocate of Estonia. http://www.kristiroosmaa.com
Harriet Kulmala, Finland
Jelena Ignjic, Serbia
Tanya Angelova, Bulgaria

Meet Featured Event SponsorShimmer Med Spa
They will be handing out gift certificates to their spa to everyone on the boat!

After the Yacht Party to be announced soon!
All ticket sales are final, no refunds will be offered!

***Please note that you will need your ID to board and this event is for 21 and over!
This event will sell out so get your tickets early as ticket sales will be closed once we sell out!

We look forward to a fun night out sailing on the Zephyr!

Stay tuned for our After Party – more details will be posted soon!

Best,

Alexandra and the EuroCircle New York Team

Budapest – Apr 8 2016

Mparty Cooking Dj Set
Expats, Locals, travellers… together for a fun night
M Party Budapest … international Party night

Play & Cooking FREE PASTA at 11 pm
from the DJ Consolle
& special price on selected cocktails – 990 HUF

FREE EVENT. Please invite your international friends to join us.

Hosted by Sergio Macri Buy,Evelin Maggi & EuroCircle Budapest

What to Expect to See in Argentina in October 2016 with the EuroCircle Group

BUENOS AIRES
Quote from The Lonely Planet, Sandra Bao
“Sexy, alive and supremely confident, this beautiful city gets under your skin. Like Europe with a melancholic twist, Buenos Aires is unforgettable.”

It is a huge city – bigger than you expect. At 15.2 million, nearly 40% of Argentina`s population of more than 40 million lives in the greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area.
Porteños (Buenos Aires residents) are friendly – if you have a common language. Buenos Aires’ religion is football/soccer (just kidding) – and the best-known clubs are River Plate, Boca Juniors, Independiente, Racing Club and San Lorenzo. Names like Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi are familiar to many people who do not like sports.

POLO

It has been described as ‘making love in the vertical position’. The story is tango began in the bordellos of long-ago Buenos Aires, when men waiting for their ‘ladies’ passed time by dancing amongst themselves. Tango shows are entertaining with their athleticism. You’ll find endless venues for practice your moves, from salons to milongas (dance events) to cafes.

FOOD

Parrillas (steakhouses) sit on practically every corner and will offer up pretty much anything from bife de chorizo (sirloin) to vacio (flank steak) to ojo de bife (rib eye). This is not a vegetarian heaven but they have started adding more healthy choices. Pastas, pizzas and the delicious empanadas are also part of their Italian heritage. There are a lot of coffee places serving a selection of pastries and medialunas (croissants). Not to mention modern Andean cuisine and tantalizing tapas.

Ice cream is part of the Argentine culture and credits its existence to Italian immigration during the 19th century. The Italians brought with them: 1) gelato, and 2) the ice cream parlor, locally known as the heladería. Similar to the parrilla, there is an heladería on seemingly every corner in Buenos Aires. Over the years they have tinkered with recipes and created their own unique style of ice cream, the helado. Its thick yet light consistency falls somewhere between a traditional gelato and hard-frozen ice cream.
And the flavors… a common theme: plenty of chocolate and abundant dulce de leche (similar to caramel). The classics are chocolate con almendras (almonds), chocolate suiza (chocolate chip with dulce de leche), mousse de chocolate, chocolate amargo (bitter), dulce de leche con almendras and dulce de leche con brownie. Then there are fruits such as cherry, lemon, mango, melon, pineapple and strawberry.

When it comes to tipping, 10% of the amount of the dining check is usually left in cafes and restaurants. Doormen, porters, and ushers in cinemas and theatres are also generally tipped

SHOPPING
Palermo for hipsters and people who like for example Soho (NY style), Recoleta for the jet set/diplomates, San Telmo for bohemians and anyone who likes street markets. Palermo, Recoleta area has the greatest park area as well with The Botanical Garden right there – and close-by Polo field and the horse races.

HISTORY
Eva Perón (one of the photos is from the cemetery where she is buried) and Che Guevara are among the city’s unforgettable figures.

ART
Modern Art Paintings at the museums, colorful murals on walls throughout town.

Pickpocketing and mugging are fairly common, so avoid wearing flashy jewelry, be discreet with money and cameras, and be mindful of bags and wallets. Phone for taxis after dark.
Protests are a part of life in Buenos Aires. They are mostly peaceful, but some end in confrontations with the police since the country is known for corruption. They often take place in the Plaza de Mayo or along Avenida de Mayo.

The must see sights vary from person to person depending what you like: the average tourists like to see Plaza de Mayo, La Recoleta Cemetery, Mataderos (maybe),Teatro Colon, Cage Tortoni, Palermo, La Boca, San Telmo /San Telmo flea market, Puerto Madero and Obelisco. We really liked living in Palermo area close to the huge park area, we walked to see polo and horse races – we even walked to Recoleta from there.
We did not like that much the actual downtown area.

From Buenos Aires you’ll fly to Mendoza.

MENDOZA

Distance: 1,037 km (644 mi) from Buenos Aires (13 hours by bus) and 380 km (236 mi) from Santiago, Chile (6–7 hours by bus).

Mendoza is the capital city of Mendoza Province (in the northern-central part of the province, in a region of foothills and high plains, on the eastern side of the Andes). The region around Greater Mendoza is the largest wine producing area in Latin America. As such, Mendoza is one of nine cities worldwide in the network of Great Capitals of Wine, and the city is an emerging enotourism (Wine tourism) destination and base for exploring the region’s hundreds of wineries located along the Argentina Wine Route.

From Mendoza you will fly to Iguazu Falls.

IGUAZú FALLS

Distance to Buenos Aires: 1335 km

Your Iguazú Falls visit with other EuroCircle members will be a jaw-dropping experience. Picture the power and noise of the cascades – a chain of hundreds of waterfalls nearly 3km in extension – live forever in the memory. The Iguazú Falls falls lie split between Brazil and Argentina in a large expanse of national park, much of it rainforest. There is a lot unique flora and fauna.

The falls can be accessed from either side of the Argentine–Brazilian border, as well as from nearby Paraguay.

275 waterfalls that reach an altitude of almost 260 feet. They were declared one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature in the World and, also, Mankind Natural Heritage.

The entrance complex has a lot of amenities (lockers (AR$50), an ATM – you have to pay in cash in pesos – and a restaurant)
There’s also an exhibition essentially aimed at school groups. At the end there is a train station, from which a train runs every half-hour to the Cataratas train station, where the waterfall walks begin, and to the Garganta del Diablo. You may prefer to walk: it’s only 650m (1/3 of a mile) along the Sendero Verde path to the Cataratas station, and a further 2.3km to the Garganta, and you may well see capuchin monkeys along the way.

Login for the detailed itinerary in the Travel forum
Details or contact Sherry Kumar via email

After Iguazu Falls you can decide to extend your stay and see more of Argentina, go to Brazil, Uruguya, Paraguya…a lot to see no matter where you go!

South East European Film Festival Los Angeles Debuts Contest for Young Filmmakers

Los Angeles, February 2016 – South East European Film Festival in Los Angeles, SEEfest announced the launch of a youtube contest for young filmmakers as the first major new initiative of the 2016 festival, set to run April 28 – May 5. Created by the festival’s young social media team, the contest is run online with the hashtag #SEEme and encourages young filmmakers to create a short video of under 3 minutes showing how they express themselves.

“We are proud of Tamara Gavric and Erica Sabol, our young social media team in Los Angeles who created the contest,” says SEEfest Founder and Artistic Director, Vera Mijojlić. “They filmed the promo trailer for the contest featuring young L. A. artists and how they express themselves through dancing, singing, boxing, jogging, photographing. It gives youthful energy to our festival and encourages diversity of cinematic expression.”

The contest is exclusively run through social media reaching tens of thousands of new users in youth demographics. Says Tamara Gavric, manager of digital content for the festival, “This was a wonderful opportunity for me and Erica Sabol to create innovative solutions for the film festival and great opportunities for young filmmakers. We are so excited and grateful to have a chance to implement our ideas and discover young filmmaking stars through social media.”

The winner will be chosen by a festival jury from the top 10 films with the most votes and the winning filmmaker will travel to the U.S. to attend SEEfest. The contest is open to anyone ages 18-27, and it is free to enter. Submissions deadline is March 26.

About SEEfest

The South East European Film Festival in Los Angeles, SEEfest presents cinematic and cultural diversity of South East Europe to American audiences and creates cultural connections through films, artistic and social events. Annual competition festival takes place at the end of April-beginning of May and presents films from 18+ countries of South East Europe showcasing diversity of cultures and cinematic talents from Austria and Italy in the North-West to Turkey and the Caucasus in the South-East. SEEfest was twice the recipient of the prestigious festival grant from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and five other recognitions for programming excellence from the State of California, County and City of Los Angeles, and Cities of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood.

seefilmla.org

facebook.com/seefest

twitter.com/seefilmla

Atlanta – Apr 6 2016

Greetings & Happy Wednesday everyone;

Please mark your calendars for Wednesday, April 6th for our monthly Eurocircle Get-together.

We will meet once again at Three Sheets in Sandy Springs – the staff and owners are always great to work with and the outside patio is perfect for our group. Should the weather not cooperate, we will meet inside but the plan is to be on the rooftop patio. Plenty of free parking available as well as valet.

We will have complimentary appetizers as usual so come out and join us and don’t forget to invite all your international & like-minded friends.Official invites on website and facebook to follow.

See you next month!!!
Salutations,
David /EuroCircle Atlanta

Los Angeles – Mar 17 2016

February was a really busy month for most of us, and also trying to book places just got out of control.
But, we’re back. We’re going back to one our favorites, Caffe Roma.
Caffe Roma, bring you flavours of Northern Italy, classic and contemporary Italian dishes upholding the European standard of hospitality and exemplary service.
This evening will begin approximately 7 pm, but you’re welcome to drop in earlier if you’d like.

From the most delicate thin-crust burrata, sausage, and rapini pizza to a succulent filet mignon steak topped with shaved parmesan and arugula… for lunch, dinner, or a drink– let’s all meet and have a great time.
Let’s all put in some effort to make this a really big and successful event – invite all the people you know, bring with you friends, family and neighbours.
FOOD HAPPY HOUR – TILL CLOSING TIME (12 am)
DRINKS SPECIAL – 1/2 PRICE UNTIL 8 pm.

Please RSVP soon, we’d like to inform.
PLEASE REPOST THIS ON YOUR FACEBOOK WALL…

We’ll look forward to seeing you all there on Thursday.
Take care!

Regards,

Sonny and Tanya
http://www.eurocircle.com/euro/los-angeles/

Houston – Mar 30 2016

EC is honored to share its March event with its host, SUGA Art Gallery.

Please join us for a fun night of mingling, art viewing, and celebrating
Photographer Ramses Leon Espinosa will be present, showcasing his exhibition: “CUBA, Paciente Espero | Anticipation…” which chronicles the everlasting wait of the citizens of Havana. This exhibition is part of the FotoFest 2016 Biennal. FotoFest is an international non-profit photographic arts and education organization based in Houston, Texas.

The Lucky Fig will be joining the event, selling delicious bites.

Chef, cookbook author and TV personality Luca Manfe is bringing to Houston a new generation of street food. The Lucky Fig is a ‘farm to streets’ food truck serving Modern Italian creations.
For more information about The Lucky Fig, visit their website: www.theluckyfig.com
We thank SUGA principals for their generosity in sharing their art space and passion with us and sponsoring the event with wine and beer.

Please invite your friends and RSVP for free here on our website.

Parking: street parking and valet parking available $7 at Anvil parking lot.
Website: www.sugaartgallery.com/

EuroCircle is free for all members. Since 1999, our mission is to connect Europeans and Europhiles alike, regardless of your nationality. We welcome all!

Your hosts: Juliana Moreira, Shahla Mohammad, Venere Vitiello, and Milan Slavkovic