Exclusive: BET+ has greenlit the biopic The First Lady of Bmf: The Tonesa Welch Story inspired by the true life of Detroit native Tonesa Welch, which was first chronicled in American Gangster: Trap Queens, also from the streamer.
Vivica Fox (Holiday Hideway) is set to direct the film based on a script by Gabrielle Collins; Tressa Azarel Smallwood (All In) and Judge Greg Mathis (Madea Goes to Jail) executive produce alongside Donte Lee and Delece James.
The biopic charts Welch’s rise from teen mom to drug dealer to being labeled by federal prosecutors as “The First Lady of Bmf.” Dreams and desires, craftiness and creativity, hustle and hard work, Welch tells a harrowing story about riches, remorse, personal responsibility, and redemption set amidst the lavishness and extreme violence of Detroit’s crack era and America’s “war on drugs.”
First featured as part of the BET+ hit unscripted series American Gangster: Trap Queens,...
Vivica Fox (Holiday Hideway) is set to direct the film based on a script by Gabrielle Collins; Tressa Azarel Smallwood (All In) and Judge Greg Mathis (Madea Goes to Jail) executive produce alongside Donte Lee and Delece James.
The biopic charts Welch’s rise from teen mom to drug dealer to being labeled by federal prosecutors as “The First Lady of Bmf.” Dreams and desires, craftiness and creativity, hustle and hard work, Welch tells a harrowing story about riches, remorse, personal responsibility, and redemption set amidst the lavishness and extreme violence of Detroit’s crack era and America’s “war on drugs.”
First featured as part of the BET+ hit unscripted series American Gangster: Trap Queens,...
- 3/10/2023
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: AllBlk has greenlit the supernatural drama Wicked City from executive producers Tressa “Azarel” Smallwood and Donte Lee set to debut this winter.
The ensemble cast includes Vanessa Bell Calloway, Taylor Polidore, Shaquita Smith, Mercedez McDowell, Chantal Maurice, Chanel Mack, Rhonda Morman, Malika Blessing, Columbus Short, and Rolonda Rochelle.
While living their best life in Atlanta, four young, chic, modern-day witches, Jordan Davis (Smith), Mona De La Cruz (McDowell), Angela Harris (Maurice), and Sherise Baker (Mack) make the acquaintance of Camille (Polidore), a naturally powerful witch who is oblivious to her gift.
Reluctantly, Camille joins the women for a spell, but things take a menacing turn resulting in an accidental death. The witches quickly perform a forbidden resurrection spell, however, it is too late, as a dark sinister being is brought back from the other side. Now, between their complicated personal lives, unearthed secrets of the past, and attempting to defeat a powerful wraith,...
The ensemble cast includes Vanessa Bell Calloway, Taylor Polidore, Shaquita Smith, Mercedez McDowell, Chantal Maurice, Chanel Mack, Rhonda Morman, Malika Blessing, Columbus Short, and Rolonda Rochelle.
While living their best life in Atlanta, four young, chic, modern-day witches, Jordan Davis (Smith), Mona De La Cruz (McDowell), Angela Harris (Maurice), and Sherise Baker (Mack) make the acquaintance of Camille (Polidore), a naturally powerful witch who is oblivious to her gift.
Reluctantly, Camille joins the women for a spell, but things take a menacing turn resulting in an accidental death. The witches quickly perform a forbidden resurrection spell, however, it is too late, as a dark sinister being is brought back from the other side. Now, between their complicated personal lives, unearthed secrets of the past, and attempting to defeat a powerful wraith,...
- 6/8/2022
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
From the old school ‘50s-era opening titles, you can feel what tone Charlie McDowell’s Windfall is going for. The director’s third feature plays up the Hitchcock aesthetic big time in its marketing, but tonally it feels even more adjacent to Rian Johnson’s bouncy recent works of mystery thrills, The Brothers Bloom and, especially, Knives Out. A three-hander confined to a single location, the film stars Jesse Plemons and Lily Collins as a tech CEO and his wife heading to their vacation home in Ojai, only to find Jason Segel’s character in the middle of robbing it. Knowing that his identity is blown thanks to a hidden camera he spots, Segel demands enough cash to be able to start a new life, and the unnamed trio enter into a tense period of waiting for the money delivery to be arranged.
It’s a quick and easy set-up for a film,...
It’s a quick and easy set-up for a film,...
- 3/18/2022
- by Mitchell Beaupre
- The Film Stage
Terry Crews’ John Henry is a man of few words. “John Henry,” the folklore-cribbing, violent thriller (opening theatrically and available on demand) about a former gang member who must face his demons when two young immigrants require his help, feels like it wants to say a lot. But what exactly?
Utilizing horror-movie gestures and ladling spaghetti Western sauce on top, first-time director Will Forbes has made a movie stuffed with images of monstrous black men. That was likely not his intention. But it does show what can go awry with when promiscuous genre-borrowing trumps culturally aware storytelling (Doug Skinner co-wrote). Think of it as a Jordan Peele counter-effect.
Still, it’s hard not to love a massive man who’s comfortable with a small, fluffy dog. John Henry’s pup meets its untimely end on a Compton street early in the B movie. One might pity the fool who was...
Utilizing horror-movie gestures and ladling spaghetti Western sauce on top, first-time director Will Forbes has made a movie stuffed with images of monstrous black men. That was likely not his intention. But it does show what can go awry with when promiscuous genre-borrowing trumps culturally aware storytelling (Doug Skinner co-wrote). Think of it as a Jordan Peele counter-effect.
Still, it’s hard not to love a massive man who’s comfortable with a small, fluffy dog. John Henry’s pup meets its untimely end on a Compton street early in the B movie. One might pity the fool who was...
- 1/23/2020
- by Lisa Kennedy
- Variety Film + TV
Isiah Donté Lee shot 10 shorts in four years before making the jump to features with Burning Sands. The story of five college students who embark on a “Hell Week” of hazing to gain entry into a prestigious black fraternity, Burning Sands premiered last week at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival and will be released by Netflix in March. The film draws heavily from the college experiences of its writer/director, Gerard McMurray. Below, Lee speaks with Filmmaker about the film’s deliberate mix of handheld and static compositions, shooting the climactic scene in one night and the “beautiful richness” of Cooke […]...
- 1/27/2017
- by Soheil Rezayazdi
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
IndieWire reached out to the filmmakers behind the feature-length narrative and documentary films premiering this week to find out what cameras they used and why they chose them. Here are their responses.
Read More: The 2017 IndieWire Sundance Bible – Every Review, Interview and News Item Posted During the Festival
Dramatic Competition & Next
Cory Finley, “Thoroughbred”
Arri Alexa Mini. Panavision G-Series lenses.
The Dp, Lyle Vincent, was very particular about getting a hold of both. They gave us flexibility in shooting and helped create the very precise, high-contrast, and slightly dreamy look we were going for.
Gillian Robespierre, “Landline”
Arri Alexa with some vintage lenses
“Landline” takes place in 1990’s Manhattan. My Dp Chris Teague and I talked a lot about what shooting a period movie from a recent period would look and feel like. Unfortunately, we were not able to shoot on film, and added a texture of LiveGrain during color...
Read More: The 2017 IndieWire Sundance Bible – Every Review, Interview and News Item Posted During the Festival
Dramatic Competition & Next
Cory Finley, “Thoroughbred”
Arri Alexa Mini. Panavision G-Series lenses.
The Dp, Lyle Vincent, was very particular about getting a hold of both. They gave us flexibility in shooting and helped create the very precise, high-contrast, and slightly dreamy look we were going for.
Gillian Robespierre, “Landline”
Arri Alexa with some vintage lenses
“Landline” takes place in 1990’s Manhattan. My Dp Chris Teague and I talked a lot about what shooting a period movie from a recent period would look and feel like. Unfortunately, we were not able to shoot on film, and added a texture of LiveGrain during color...
- 1/25/2017
- by Annakeara Stinson and Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
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