Despite owning the dancefloors with her music, Dua Lipa still finds time to dive into a good book.
The Albanian disco-pop sensation, 28, momentarily put the bedazzled microphone down to launch her book club through her editorial platform, Service95.
The “Dance The Night” dazzler spotlights a new book to delve into each month, with the materials chosen to “represent diverse global voices, telling powerful stories spanning fiction, memoir and manifesto,” according to the website’s description.
Amazon Canada offers all of her chosen faves, so you can indulge in fresh reads that will have you “Levitating”.
Read More: Taylor Swift Just Stepped Out In This Boot Style Worthy Of A Spot On Your Fall Shoe Rack
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez One Hundred Years of Solitude — Photo: Amazon Canada
This 1967 novel by Colombian author and Novel Prize winner Gabriel García Márquez is Lipa’s selection for October.
The Albanian disco-pop sensation, 28, momentarily put the bedazzled microphone down to launch her book club through her editorial platform, Service95.
The “Dance The Night” dazzler spotlights a new book to delve into each month, with the materials chosen to “represent diverse global voices, telling powerful stories spanning fiction, memoir and manifesto,” according to the website’s description.
Amazon Canada offers all of her chosen faves, so you can indulge in fresh reads that will have you “Levitating”.
Read More: Taylor Swift Just Stepped Out In This Boot Style Worthy Of A Spot On Your Fall Shoe Rack
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez One Hundred Years of Solitude — Photo: Amazon Canada
This 1967 novel by Colombian author and Novel Prize winner Gabriel García Márquez is Lipa’s selection for October.
- 9/19/2023
- by Emerson Pearson
- ET Canada
Unfortunately, the most notable thing about new sorta-cyber thriller Black Mail is that this weekend it is receiving the widest release ever — 100 screens — in the UK for an independent Black British film. That’s a nice barrier to break, and I wish I could recommend the film.
Does anyone actually fall for those sextortion emails in which scammers inform you — invariably in broken English and with no proof whatsoever — that they’ve installed spyware on your computer and have recorded video of you “having fun” at a p0rn website, and threaten to send it to all your contacts unless you placate them with some Bitcoin? Well, Ray Chinda falls for it… and reacts in a ridiculously stupid way that confirms him as an easy mark. Even more unlikely than that, Chinda is meant to be “a world-famous action star at the top of his career” (according to the film...
Does anyone actually fall for those sextortion emails in which scammers inform you — invariably in broken English and with no proof whatsoever — that they’ve installed spyware on your computer and have recorded video of you “having fun” at a p0rn website, and threaten to send it to all your contacts unless you placate them with some Bitcoin? Well, Ray Chinda falls for it… and reacts in a ridiculously stupid way that confirms him as an easy mark. Even more unlikely than that, Chinda is meant to be “a world-famous action star at the top of his career” (according to the film...
- 8/27/2022
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Click here to read the full article.
Nigeria has become one of the latest major battlegrounds in the streaming wars. Both Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have made sizeable moves into Africa’s most populous nation as they look to boost their subscribers, signing several deals with local producers and studios for Nollywood content.
Netflix recently unveiled its latest slate of originals from the continent that was busy with Nigerian projects (including a buzzy movie premiering in Toronto) just days after Amazon touted its first two Nigerian originals. But while industry eyes may be on activity within the country, Nollywood is about to have a milestone moment in U.K. cinemas.
Releasing Aug. 26, Black Mail, from Nigerian-born writer/director Obi Emelonye — a U.K. resident for almost three decades — is the filmmaker’s latest in a growing library of Nollywood projects he’s been making from the U.K. since...
Nigeria has become one of the latest major battlegrounds in the streaming wars. Both Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have made sizeable moves into Africa’s most populous nation as they look to boost their subscribers, signing several deals with local producers and studios for Nollywood content.
Netflix recently unveiled its latest slate of originals from the continent that was busy with Nigerian projects (including a buzzy movie premiering in Toronto) just days after Amazon touted its first two Nigerian originals. But while industry eyes may be on activity within the country, Nollywood is about to have a milestone moment in U.K. cinemas.
Releasing Aug. 26, Black Mail, from Nigerian-born writer/director Obi Emelonye — a U.K. resident for almost three decades — is the filmmaker’s latest in a growing library of Nollywood projects he’s been making from the U.K. since...
- 8/24/2022
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSAnne Heche in Psycho.Anne Heche has died at the age of 53, one week after sustaining critical injuries in a car accident. At Vulture, Matt Zoller Seitz offers a tribute to her "elastic," unclassifiable talent over 35 years of screen roles.Best known for Half of a Yellow Sun, an adaptation of the Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie novel, Nigerian director and novelist Biyi Bandele died aged 54 last week. His second feature, Elesin Oba, The King’s Horseman, is set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival next month.In New York, the Downtown Community Television Center (Dctv) will open a documentary cinema in lower Manhattan's Chinatown district, screening first-run debuts and curated programs starting on September 22.Mid-century Italian screen icon Gina Lollobrigida has said she will run for the Sovereign and Popular Italy party (ISP...
- 8/16/2022
- MUBI
Biyi Bandele, the renowned Nigerian novelist, playwright and filmmaker behind 2013’s “Half of a Yellow Sun” and upcoming film “The King’s Horseman,” has died. He was 54.
Bandele died on Sunday in Lagos, Nigeria, according to a Facebook post from his daughter, Temi Bandele. A cause of death was not given.
“Biyi was a prodigiously talented writer and filmmaker, as well as a loyal friend and beloved father,” Temi writes in the post. “He was a storyteller to his bones, with an unblinking perspective, singular voice and wisdom which spoke boldly through all of his art, in poetry, novels, plays and on screen. He told stories which made a profound impact and inspired many all over the world. His legacy will live on through his work.”
Bandele had recently finished his latest film entitled “The King’s Horseman.” Inspired by Nigerian Nobel Prize-winning writer Wole Soyinka’s anti-colonial play “Death and the King’s Horseman,...
Bandele died on Sunday in Lagos, Nigeria, according to a Facebook post from his daughter, Temi Bandele. A cause of death was not given.
“Biyi was a prodigiously talented writer and filmmaker, as well as a loyal friend and beloved father,” Temi writes in the post. “He was a storyteller to his bones, with an unblinking perspective, singular voice and wisdom which spoke boldly through all of his art, in poetry, novels, plays and on screen. He told stories which made a profound impact and inspired many all over the world. His legacy will live on through his work.”
Bandele had recently finished his latest film entitled “The King’s Horseman.” Inspired by Nigerian Nobel Prize-winning writer Wole Soyinka’s anti-colonial play “Death and the King’s Horseman,...
- 8/9/2022
- by Carson Burton
- Variety Film + TV
Biyi Bandele, the Nigerian playwright, novelist and writer-director known for his adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s “Half of a Yellow Sun,” died Sunday in Lagos, Nigeria. His daughter Temi Bandele announced the news of his passing on Facebook. He was 54.
No cause of death was revealed.
“Biyi was a prodigiously talented writer and film-maker, as well as a loyal friend and beloved father,” she wrote on Bandele’s official page. “He was a storyteller to his bones, with an unblinking perspective, singular voice and wisdom which spoke boldly through all of his art, in poetry, novels, plays and on screen. He told stories which made a profound impact and inspired many all over the world. His legacy will live on through his work.”
The post continued, “He was taken from us much too soon. He had already said so much so beautifully, and had so much more to say.
No cause of death was revealed.
“Biyi was a prodigiously talented writer and film-maker, as well as a loyal friend and beloved father,” she wrote on Bandele’s official page. “He was a storyteller to his bones, with an unblinking perspective, singular voice and wisdom which spoke boldly through all of his art, in poetry, novels, plays and on screen. He told stories which made a profound impact and inspired many all over the world. His legacy will live on through his work.”
The post continued, “He was taken from us much too soon. He had already said so much so beautifully, and had so much more to say.
- 8/9/2022
- by Harper Lambert
- The Wrap
Click here to read the full article.
Biyi Bandele, the pioneering Nigerian novelist, playwright and filmmaker who directed the 2013 adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Thandiwe Newton, has died. He was 54.
Bandele died Sunday in Lagos, Nigeria, his daughter Temi Bandele announced on Facebook. No cause of death was given.
“Biyi was a prodigiously talented writer and filmmaker, as well as a loyal friend and beloved father,” she wrote. “He was a storyteller to his bones, with an unblinking perspective, singular voice and wisdom which spoke boldly through all of his art, in poetry, novels, plays and on screen. He told stories which made a profound impact and inspired many all over the world. His legacy will live on through his work.”
Bandele was completing postproduction on his latest movie, The King’s Horseman, a drama inspired by the acclaimed anti-colonial...
Biyi Bandele, the pioneering Nigerian novelist, playwright and filmmaker who directed the 2013 adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Thandiwe Newton, has died. He was 54.
Bandele died Sunday in Lagos, Nigeria, his daughter Temi Bandele announced on Facebook. No cause of death was given.
“Biyi was a prodigiously talented writer and filmmaker, as well as a loyal friend and beloved father,” she wrote. “He was a storyteller to his bones, with an unblinking perspective, singular voice and wisdom which spoke boldly through all of his art, in poetry, novels, plays and on screen. He told stories which made a profound impact and inspired many all over the world. His legacy will live on through his work.”
Bandele was completing postproduction on his latest movie, The King’s Horseman, a drama inspired by the acclaimed anti-colonial...
- 8/9/2022
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Latest feature from Nigerian writer-director due to premiere at TIFF.
Nigerian film director and novelist Biyi Bandele has died aged 54 in Lagos, Nigeria.
His family confirmed that he died on Sunday (August 7) but did not reveal a cause of death.
Bandele’s latest feature Elesin Oba, The King’s Horseman is set to premiere at Toronto as a special presentation in September. It comes nearly a decade after his directorial debut, Half Of A Yellow Sun, premiered at Toronto in 2013, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Thandiwe Newton.
Further credits include Fifty, which played the London Film Festival in 2015, and he directed...
Nigerian film director and novelist Biyi Bandele has died aged 54 in Lagos, Nigeria.
His family confirmed that he died on Sunday (August 7) but did not reveal a cause of death.
Bandele’s latest feature Elesin Oba, The King’s Horseman is set to premiere at Toronto as a special presentation in September. It comes nearly a decade after his directorial debut, Half Of A Yellow Sun, premiered at Toronto in 2013, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Thandiwe Newton.
Further credits include Fifty, which played the London Film Festival in 2015, and he directed...
- 8/9/2022
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Click here to read the full article.
Netflix on Tuesday unveiled its slate of African originals, presenting a showcase of local-language series, feature films and non-fiction projects produced in Africa that will roll out across the streamer’s global service later this year and in early 2023.
Highlights include The King’s Horseman, the hotly awaited film adaptation of Noble Prize-winning writer Wole Soyinka’s acclaimed anti-colonial play Death and the King’s Horseman. Adapted and directed by Half of a Yellow Sun helmer Biyi Bandele, the Yoruba-language drama will have its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in September.
On the series side, Netflix will premiere its first-ever Afrikaans-language drama, Ludik, on Aug. 26. The six-part actioner stars South African-born Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy) in the title role as Daan Ludik. Rob Van Vuuren, Diaan Lawrenson and Zane Meas co-star.
Nigerian actor/director Akin Omotoso will launch The Brave Ones,...
Netflix on Tuesday unveiled its slate of African originals, presenting a showcase of local-language series, feature films and non-fiction projects produced in Africa that will roll out across the streamer’s global service later this year and in early 2023.
Highlights include The King’s Horseman, the hotly awaited film adaptation of Noble Prize-winning writer Wole Soyinka’s acclaimed anti-colonial play Death and the King’s Horseman. Adapted and directed by Half of a Yellow Sun helmer Biyi Bandele, the Yoruba-language drama will have its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in September.
On the series side, Netflix will premiere its first-ever Afrikaans-language drama, Ludik, on Aug. 26. The six-part actioner stars South African-born Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy) in the title role as Daan Ludik. Rob Van Vuuren, Diaan Lawrenson and Zane Meas co-star.
Nigerian actor/director Akin Omotoso will launch The Brave Ones,...
- 8/2/2022
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Babou Ceesay has been taking the acting world by storm since he made his on screen debut almost 15 years ago. Babou has the type of skill that is impossible not to notice. The London based actor has gained international fame for his work and has become best-known for his roles in films like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Half of a Yellow Sun. He has also had several TV roles on a wide variety of shows including Into the Badlands. Most recently, he had a main role in the Showtime series, We Hunt Together. No matter what
10 Things You Didn’t Know about Babou Ceesay...
10 Things You Didn’t Know about Babou Ceesay...
- 8/13/2020
- by Camille Moore
- TVovermind.com
The actor, 43, on authenticity, curiosity, cynicism and the meaning of his Nigerian name
My name means “God brings” in Igbo. I don’t think about it much, but I enjoy that tradition. When we made Half of a Yellow Sun, the entire cast and crew, who were mostly Nigerian, stood together in the hotel lobby in Lagos on the first day. Everybody said their names and what they meant. It was powerful. The names are always deeply connected to something. There’s a name I mentioned in a film once, Obianuju. It means “to come into a place where there is plenty”. There’s something so beautiful, poetic and hopeful about parents naming their child that.
Lockdown has been intense. It has created all these primary emotions where you are concerned about loved ones. You’re involved in the day-to-day lives of friends and family, because you have more time to connect and understand.
My name means “God brings” in Igbo. I don’t think about it much, but I enjoy that tradition. When we made Half of a Yellow Sun, the entire cast and crew, who were mostly Nigerian, stood together in the hotel lobby in Lagos on the first day. Everybody said their names and what they meant. It was powerful. The names are always deeply connected to something. There’s a name I mentioned in a film once, Obianuju. It means “to come into a place where there is plenty”. There’s something so beautiful, poetic and hopeful about parents naming their child that.
Lockdown has been intense. It has created all these primary emotions where you are concerned about loved ones. You’re involved in the day-to-day lives of friends and family, because you have more time to connect and understand.
- 7/25/2020
- by Aniefiok Ekpoudom
- The Guardian - Film News
Set against the background of Nigeria’s vibrant Igbo community in downtown São Paulo, Matías Mariani’s “Shine Your Eyes” has been acquired by Netflix, which will launch the film on July 29.
The global licensing deal was closed with Netflix Africa, which is likely keen to leverage the star power of lead I.C. Ukeje, whose career has bridged international titles and multi-prized Nigerian movies.
In Brazil, “Shine Your Eyes” is scheduled for theatrical release in November, Covid-19 allowing, from leading independent film distributor Vitrine Filmes, before it is made available on Netflix.
Mariani’s fiction feature debut, “Shine Your Eyes,” world premiered to wide acclaim at February’s Berlinale, in its main Panorama sidebar.
The Netflix deal is a big coup for Paris-based sales agent Mpm Premium and Mariani himself, a producer on Heitor Dhalia’s seminal 2007 Sundance-selected “Drained” and “Adrift,” which played Cannes Un Certain Regard in 2009, and...
The global licensing deal was closed with Netflix Africa, which is likely keen to leverage the star power of lead I.C. Ukeje, whose career has bridged international titles and multi-prized Nigerian movies.
In Brazil, “Shine Your Eyes” is scheduled for theatrical release in November, Covid-19 allowing, from leading independent film distributor Vitrine Filmes, before it is made available on Netflix.
Mariani’s fiction feature debut, “Shine Your Eyes,” world premiered to wide acclaim at February’s Berlinale, in its main Panorama sidebar.
The Netflix deal is a big coup for Paris-based sales agent Mpm Premium and Mariani himself, a producer on Heitor Dhalia’s seminal 2007 Sundance-selected “Drained” and “Adrift,” which played Cannes Un Certain Regard in 2009, and...
- 7/14/2020
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Westworld Emmy winning actress Thandie Newton will headline Julian Higgins’ feature directorial debut God’s Country for Cold Iron Pictures and The Film Arcade, Deadline has learned.
The neo-Western thriller is set in the bleak winter landscape of the Mountain West. Newton plays a college professor living on her own at the edge of the national forest. One day she confronts two hunters trespassing on her land, triggering a battle of wills with dangerous ramifications.
Screenwriter Shaye Ogbonna adapted the script with Higgins from James Lee Burke’s short story Winter Light. Burke is The New York Times bestselling author of the Dave Robicheaux detective series and numerous other novels. He has received two Edgar Awards and the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America, as well as a Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts in Fiction and a nomination for the Pulitzer Prize. Burke’s 40th novel will be released this year.
The neo-Western thriller is set in the bleak winter landscape of the Mountain West. Newton plays a college professor living on her own at the edge of the national forest. One day she confronts two hunters trespassing on her land, triggering a battle of wills with dangerous ramifications.
Screenwriter Shaye Ogbonna adapted the script with Higgins from James Lee Burke’s short story Winter Light. Burke is The New York Times bestselling author of the Dave Robicheaux detective series and numerous other novels. He has received two Edgar Awards and the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America, as well as a Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts in Fiction and a nomination for the Pulitzer Prize. Burke’s 40th novel will be released this year.
- 2/19/2020
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
When actor Chiwetel Ejiofor optioned the rights for the 2009 best-seller “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind,” penning the screenplay for a feature directorial debut that world-premieres in Sundance and then appears in the Berlin Film Festival before being released globally by Netflix this spring, colleagues floated the idea of shooting the Malawi-set film in tried-and-tested locations like South Africa or Kenya.
Ejiofor demurred. “It just didn’t seem plausible to me,” says the director, who was captivated by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer’s story about a 13-year-old boy who builds a windmill to save his village from famine. “There was no way that we could shoot the film anywhere else. For me, it was really a question of diving in feet first and just seeing what happens.”
Potboiler Prods.’ Andrea Calderwood had worked on 2013’s “Half of a Yellow Sun,” the adaptation of Chima-manda Ngozi Adichie’s critically acclaimed...
Ejiofor demurred. “It just didn’t seem plausible to me,” says the director, who was captivated by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer’s story about a 13-year-old boy who builds a windmill to save his village from famine. “There was no way that we could shoot the film anywhere else. For me, it was really a question of diving in feet first and just seeing what happens.”
Potboiler Prods.’ Andrea Calderwood had worked on 2013’s “Half of a Yellow Sun,” the adaptation of Chima-manda Ngozi Adichie’s critically acclaimed...
- 1/23/2019
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
When Netflix acquired “Lionheart” following its Toronto International Film Festival world premiere, the acquisition marked a new arena for the global streaming platform — Nigeria. The directorial debut of Nigerian superstar actress Genevieve Nnaji, “Lionheart” drew a new level of international attention to Nigerian cinema. However, as Nigerian movies get more notice outside the country, it’s also raising the issue of exactly what a Nigerian film is supposed to be.
“It’s a complicated question,” said 31-year-old Nigerian-American filmmaker Faraday Okoro. He’s the writer and director of “Nigerian Prince,” the first film to win the At&T/Tribeca “Untold Stories” initiative, a multi-tier alliance between At&T and the Tribeca Film Institute that supports underrepresented filmmakers and awarded $1 million in funding for the winning script. Born and raised in the Us, Okoro is a graduate of both Howard University and NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts where he received his Mfa.
“It’s a complicated question,” said 31-year-old Nigerian-American filmmaker Faraday Okoro. He’s the writer and director of “Nigerian Prince,” the first film to win the At&T/Tribeca “Untold Stories” initiative, a multi-tier alliance between At&T and the Tribeca Film Institute that supports underrepresented filmmakers and awarded $1 million in funding for the winning script. Born and raised in the Us, Okoro is a graduate of both Howard University and NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts where he received his Mfa.
- 10/19/2018
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Lauded Nigerian actress and filmmaker Genevieve Nnaji has signed with UTA for representation in film, TV, and production. This comes after Nnaji’s directorial debut film, Lionheart, was picked up by Netflix prior to its Tiff premiere last month.
Nnaji also co-wrote and stars in the comedy that follows Adaeze who, in an effort to prove her worth in a male in a male-dominated industry, steps up to the run the family business when her father, Chief Ernest Obiagu is forced to take a step back. Tasked to run the company with her uncle Godswill, it is discovered that the family business is in dire financial straits and both Adaeze and Godswill try to save the company in their own way to crazy and often hilarious results.
Lionheart marks the first original feature from Nigeria to debut on the streaming service.
Nnaji, who is one of the highest paid actresses in Nollywood,...
Nnaji also co-wrote and stars in the comedy that follows Adaeze who, in an effort to prove her worth in a male in a male-dominated industry, steps up to the run the family business when her father, Chief Ernest Obiagu is forced to take a step back. Tasked to run the company with her uncle Godswill, it is discovered that the family business is in dire financial straits and both Adaeze and Godswill try to save the company in their own way to crazy and often hilarious results.
Lionheart marks the first original feature from Nigeria to debut on the streaming service.
Nnaji, who is one of the highest paid actresses in Nollywood,...
- 10/8/2018
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
MaryAnn’s quick take… Upends expectations, demythologizes the mythos, and takes an iconic series in a bold new direction with a story full of humor, courage, and dazzling imagery. I’m “biast” (pro): I’m a huge Star Wars fan
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
This is not going to go the way you think,” Luke Skywalker says to… well, someone who needs to hear it. Someone whose arrogance is borne of shortsightedness and narrow expectations. And this is also Star Wars: The Last Jedi’s word of warning to the audience. To us. This is the Star Wars movie, after all, from writer-director Rian Johnson, the guy who gave us The Brothers Bloom, a tricksy movie about con artists that knows we go into a movie about con artists with certain assumptions about what we’re about to see.
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
This is not going to go the way you think,” Luke Skywalker says to… well, someone who needs to hear it. Someone whose arrogance is borne of shortsightedness and narrow expectations. And this is also Star Wars: The Last Jedi’s word of warning to the audience. To us. This is the Star Wars movie, after all, from writer-director Rian Johnson, the guy who gave us The Brothers Bloom, a tricksy movie about con artists that knows we go into a movie about con artists with certain assumptions about what we’re about to see.
- 12/18/2017
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
MaryAnn’s quick take… Tense, gripping, enraging, but only about things that black Americans already know. This is a primer about racism for white people, and we must pay attention. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Detroit is a movie about racism in America for white people. It mostly does not center black characters except as victims. Its villain — a murderously racist white cop — is also its protagonist. A movie about racism in America for white people isn’t the most terrible idea ever: Detroit wants to show us white people how the systematic weight of endless injustice weighs on black people, psychologically as well as physically, because of entrenched racism, not only of the actively vicious kind but also of the “I’m not getting involved, I’m just minding my own business” kind.
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Detroit is a movie about racism in America for white people. It mostly does not center black characters except as victims. Its villain — a murderously racist white cop — is also its protagonist. A movie about racism in America for white people isn’t the most terrible idea ever: Detroit wants to show us white people how the systematic weight of endless injustice weighs on black people, psychologically as well as physically, because of entrenched racism, not only of the actively vicious kind but also of the “I’m not getting involved, I’m just minding my own business” kind.
- 8/31/2017
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
MaryAnn’s quick take… A 90-minute shootout that never makes us care who lives and who dies. In attempting to send up a cinematic cliché, this only becomes a tedious example of same. I’m “biast” (pro): love the cast
I’m “biast” (con): increasingly not a fan of Ben Wheatley
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Eight people walk into an abandoned warehouse in Boston in 1978. There’s Chris (Cillian Murphy: Anthropoid, In the Heart of the Sea), whom we can presume is Ira because he has an Irish accent and he’s there to buy enough guns to supply a small army. There’s Justine (Brie Larson: Kong: Skull Island, Room), who has brokered the deal with Ord (Armie Hammer: The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Entourage)… or is it Ord who has brokered the deal with seller Vernon (Sharlto Copley: Chappie,...
I’m “biast” (con): increasingly not a fan of Ben Wheatley
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Eight people walk into an abandoned warehouse in Boston in 1978. There’s Chris (Cillian Murphy: Anthropoid, In the Heart of the Sea), whom we can presume is Ira because he has an Irish accent and he’s there to buy enough guns to supply a small army. There’s Justine (Brie Larson: Kong: Skull Island, Room), who has brokered the deal with Ord (Armie Hammer: The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Entourage)… or is it Ord who has brokered the deal with seller Vernon (Sharlto Copley: Chappie,...
- 4/17/2017
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Nigerian metropolis Lagos is the focus of the eighth City To City showcase at the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) as top brass anoint two international Rising Stars.
Tiff’s latest line-up announcement also featured extra selections in Galas and Special Presentations, among them Walter Hill’s (Re)Assignment, Philippe Falardeau’s The Bleeder, David Leveaux’ The Exception (pictured), Ken Loach’s Palme d’Or winner I, Daniel Blake and Terry George’s drama The Promise.
A vibrant crop of Contemporary World Cinema entries includes Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Aquarius, Danis Tanović’s Death In Sarajevo, Marie Noëlle’s Marie Curie, The Courage Of Knowledge and Akin Omotoso’s Vaya.
Hirokazu Kore-eda brings After The Storm to the Masters showcase, alongside Marco Bellocchio’s Sweet Dreams, Pedro Almodóvar’s Julieta, Cristian Mungiu’s Graduation, Gianfranco Rosi’s Berlin Golden Bear winner Fire At Sea and Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Once Again.
Rounding out the...
Tiff’s latest line-up announcement also featured extra selections in Galas and Special Presentations, among them Walter Hill’s (Re)Assignment, Philippe Falardeau’s The Bleeder, David Leveaux’ The Exception (pictured), Ken Loach’s Palme d’Or winner I, Daniel Blake and Terry George’s drama The Promise.
A vibrant crop of Contemporary World Cinema entries includes Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Aquarius, Danis Tanović’s Death In Sarajevo, Marie Noëlle’s Marie Curie, The Courage Of Knowledge and Akin Omotoso’s Vaya.
Hirokazu Kore-eda brings After The Storm to the Masters showcase, alongside Marco Bellocchio’s Sweet Dreams, Pedro Almodóvar’s Julieta, Cristian Mungiu’s Graduation, Gianfranco Rosi’s Berlin Golden Bear winner Fire At Sea and Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Once Again.
Rounding out the...
- 8/16/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Nigerian capital Lagos is the focus of the eighth City To City showcase at the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) as top brass anoint two international Rising Stars.
Tiff’s latest line-up announcement also featured extra selections in Galas and Special Presentations, among them Walter Hill’s (Re)Assignment, Philippe Falardeau’s The Bleeder, David Leveaux’ The Exception (pictured), Ken Loach’s Palme d’Or winner I, Daniel Blake and Terry George’s drama The Promise.
A vibrant crop of Contemporary World Cinema entries includes Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Aquarius, Danis Tanović’s Death In Sarajevo, Marie Noëlle’s Marie Curie, The Courage Of Knowledge and Akin Omotoso’s Vaya.
Hirokazu Kore-eda brings After The Storm to the Masters showcase, alongside Marco Bellocchio’s Sweet Dreams, Pedro Almodóvar’s Julieta, Cristian Mungiu’s Graduation, Gianfranco Rosi’s Berlin Golden Bear winner Fire At Sea and Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Once Again.
Rounding out the...
Tiff’s latest line-up announcement also featured extra selections in Galas and Special Presentations, among them Walter Hill’s (Re)Assignment, Philippe Falardeau’s The Bleeder, David Leveaux’ The Exception (pictured), Ken Loach’s Palme d’Or winner I, Daniel Blake and Terry George’s drama The Promise.
A vibrant crop of Contemporary World Cinema entries includes Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Aquarius, Danis Tanović’s Death In Sarajevo, Marie Noëlle’s Marie Curie, The Courage Of Knowledge and Akin Omotoso’s Vaya.
Hirokazu Kore-eda brings After The Storm to the Masters showcase, alongside Marco Bellocchio’s Sweet Dreams, Pedro Almodóvar’s Julieta, Cristian Mungiu’s Graduation, Gianfranco Rosi’s Berlin Golden Bear winner Fire At Sea and Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Once Again.
Rounding out the...
- 8/16/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Charts a path to a future that refuses to get mired in nostalgia. Yet all the Star Wars notes are here, remixed into a glorious new arrangement. No Spoilers! I’m “biast” (pro): huge Star Wars fan…
I’m “biast” (con): … but was deeply worried about this new film
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
There’s no 20th Century Fox fanfare this time, of course, which is weird, because to this day, whenever I hear it, no matter what film it’s allegedly attached to, the excitable eight-year-old inside me pops up to whisper, “Maybe it’ll secretly turn out to be Star Wars. Thankfully, there is no Disney ident, either. X-wing fighters doing a flyover of Cinderella’s castle would have been an unpleasant reminder of how worried I was about the Mouse’s takeover of this franchise.
All those worries have been laid to rest.
I’m “biast” (con): … but was deeply worried about this new film
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
There’s no 20th Century Fox fanfare this time, of course, which is weird, because to this day, whenever I hear it, no matter what film it’s allegedly attached to, the excitable eight-year-old inside me pops up to whisper, “Maybe it’ll secretly turn out to be Star Wars. Thankfully, there is no Disney ident, either. X-wing fighters doing a flyover of Cinderella’s castle would have been an unpleasant reminder of how worried I was about the Mouse’s takeover of this franchise.
All those worries have been laid to rest.
- 12/17/2015
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
British star of 12 Years A Slave to receive Richard Harris Award.
The Moët British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) had announced that Chiwetel Ejiofor is to be honoured with The Richard Harris Award at this year’s ceremony on Dec 6 at London’s Old Billingsgate.
The award, introduced in 2002 in honour of actor Richard Harris, recognises outstanding contribution to British film by an actor. Previous winners have included John Hurt, David Thewlis, Bob Hoskins, Jim Broadbent, Daniel Day-Lewis, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Julie Walters and Emma Thompson in 2014.
A statement from the festival said Ejiofor had been selected to receive the honour “in recognition of his exceptional service to the film industry, not just here in the UK but internationally as an ambassador for British film”.
Jared Harris, son of Richard Harris, said: “I am so happy this award is going to Chiwetel. Although the recipients of this award have all been embraced by the...
The Moët British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) had announced that Chiwetel Ejiofor is to be honoured with The Richard Harris Award at this year’s ceremony on Dec 6 at London’s Old Billingsgate.
The award, introduced in 2002 in honour of actor Richard Harris, recognises outstanding contribution to British film by an actor. Previous winners have included John Hurt, David Thewlis, Bob Hoskins, Jim Broadbent, Daniel Day-Lewis, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Julie Walters and Emma Thompson in 2014.
A statement from the festival said Ejiofor had been selected to receive the honour “in recognition of his exceptional service to the film industry, not just here in the UK but internationally as an ambassador for British film”.
Jared Harris, son of Richard Harris, said: “I am so happy this award is going to Chiwetel. Although the recipients of this award have all been embraced by the...
- 11/24/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Nothing but atmosphere, albeit atmosphere that is more effective and elegant than the typical horror flick. But there’s almost no actual story here. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
If you’re playing the discouraging game of keeping track of all the male filmmakers who get handed the keys to big-budget films on the slimmest of recommendations (while experienced female filmmakers don’t get hired at all), here’s another name to add to the list: Corin Hardy. He was hired to direct a reboot of The Crow before The Hallow, his very first feature film, had even debuted at Sundance this past year. (Hardy had previously directed only a single short and some music videos.) Hardy has been “acclaimed” as a “visual stylist” — according to the press notes for The Hallow — and if...
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
If you’re playing the discouraging game of keeping track of all the male filmmakers who get handed the keys to big-budget films on the slimmest of recommendations (while experienced female filmmakers don’t get hired at all), here’s another name to add to the list: Corin Hardy. He was hired to direct a reboot of The Crow before The Hallow, his very first feature film, had even debuted at Sundance this past year. (Hardy had previously directed only a single short and some music videos.) Hardy has been “acclaimed” as a “visual stylist” — according to the press notes for The Hallow — and if...
- 11/13/2015
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Chiwetel Ejiofor was on hand in Toronto in 2013 – for “Half of a Yellow Sun” and his Oscar-winning “12 Years a Slave.” Scott is here for what he said was his fourth time "and this is the biggest reaction I’ve ever had." Jeff Daniels, who plays the head of Nasa in Scott’s bring-Matt-back-from-Mars adventure, has been here so many times he’s lost count (“The Squid and the Whale," "Fly Away Home," "something else”). “The reaction for me, compared to those other three movies was a sense of relief that it worked,” Daniels said. “It’s all guesswork, even with someone as great as Ridley a portion of what we’re throwing up there, we’re crossing our fingers, hoping an audience takes to it. That’s the payoff for us.” What audiences often forget is that what the performers are putting on screen, they executed a year or more before.
- 9/15/2015
- by John Anderson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Well-received race and identity comedy Dear White People marks the first acquisition for The New Black Film Collective but the film faces significant challenges in the UK.
Justin Simien’s Sundance-winning feature debut Dear White People, the identity comedy about the tension between white and black students at an elite university, was a critical and commercial success in the Us.
The low-budget indie – part-backed by crowd-funder Indiegogo - took $4.5m at the Us box office in October and was widely praised by Us and international critics.
Tessa Thompson (Copper) stars alongside well-known TV faces Tyler James Williams (Everybody Hates Chris) and Dennis Haysbert (24) in the film, which carries important messages about race and identity but also “smartly pinpoints people’s universal needs”.
The New York Times’ A.O Scott hailed the film as “as smart and fearless a debut as I have seen from an American filmmaker in quite some time…everyone should...
Justin Simien’s Sundance-winning feature debut Dear White People, the identity comedy about the tension between white and black students at an elite university, was a critical and commercial success in the Us.
The low-budget indie – part-backed by crowd-funder Indiegogo - took $4.5m at the Us box office in October and was widely praised by Us and international critics.
Tessa Thompson (Copper) stars alongside well-known TV faces Tyler James Williams (Everybody Hates Chris) and Dennis Haysbert (24) in the film, which carries important messages about race and identity but also “smartly pinpoints people’s universal needs”.
The New York Times’ A.O Scott hailed the film as “as smart and fearless a debut as I have seen from an American filmmaker in quite some time…everyone should...
- 6/22/2015
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
In news that should be music to the ears of many of you who've been anxiously awaiting an opportunity to finally see director Biyi Bandele’s adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's award-winning novel “Half of a Yellow Sun,” and Still haven't seen it (despite a limited theatrical release, and a DVD release last summer), if you have a Netflix streaming account (or have been waiting for it to get to that platform), you can now watch the film there. It became available just yesterday. Produced by Andrea Calderwood ("The Last King of Scotland" and "The Constant Gardener"), “Half of a Yellow Sun” first premiered at the 2013 Toronto...
- 3/3/2015
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Earlier this year Lupita Nyong'o acquired the rights to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's award-winning 2012 novel Americanah, signing on to star as Nigerian émigré Ifemelu, as well as produce along with Brad Pitt's Plan B Entertainment. David Oyelowo has also signed on to star as romantic lead Obinze. The book is divine: beautifully written, emotionally complex, swooningly romantic and often bitingly funny. It's also full of razor-sharp insight on immigration and cultural identity, the shifting concept of home, and blackness in America, Nigeria, and Britain.
The project is guaranteed to be a meaty opportunity for Nyong'o and Oyelowo, but is still several steps away from production. Some questions:
1. Should we worry that the project doesn't yet have a script? I'd say no, in part because of my love for the source material, but largely due to the strength of Plan B producing. They've got a respectable filmography, and the last...
The project is guaranteed to be a meaty opportunity for Nyong'o and Oyelowo, but is still several steps away from production. Some questions:
1. Should we worry that the project doesn't yet have a script? I'd say no, in part because of my love for the source material, but largely due to the strength of Plan B producing. They've got a respectable filmography, and the last...
- 12/18/2014
- by Margaret de Larios
- FilmExperience
The Foundation for the Advancement of African-Americans in Film (Faaaf) announced its nominees for the 15th Annual Black Reel Awards Wednesday morning. Justin Simien's "Dear White People" and Ava DuVernay's "Selma" led the way with 10 nominations each. They were joined by "Belle," "Beyond the Lights" and "Top Five" in the organization's best picture category. Check out the full list of nominees below. Winners will be announced on Feb. 22, 2015. And learn more about what's going on this season at The Circuit. Motion Picture Outstanding Motion Picture "Belle" "Beyond the Lights" "Dear White People" "Selma" "Top Five" Outstanding Actor Chadwick Boseman, "Get on Up" David Oyelowo, "Selma" Nate Parker, "Beyond the Lights" Chris Rock, "Top Five" Denzel Washington, "The Equalizer" Outstanding Actress Rosario Dawson, "Top Five" Gugu Mbatha-Raw, "Belle" Gugu Mbatha-Raw, "Beyond the Lights" Tessa Thompson, "Dear White People" Quvenzhané Wallis, "Annie" Outstanding Supporting Actor Nelsan Ellis, "Get On Up" David Oyelowo,...
- 12/17/2014
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
Riding a wave of critical acclaim (not to mention considerable Oscar buzz) for his stunning performance as Martin Luther King, Jr. in Ava DuVernay’s electric Civil Rights Movement film Selma, David Oyelowo has signed onto another highly promising, race-related project – this time alongside 12 Years a Slave Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o.
Oyelowo will star with the actress in indie drama Americanah. Based on the novel by renowned Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (who also penned Half of a Yellow Sun), Americanah centers on two Nigerian immigrants, Ifemelu and Obinze, who struggle for years to establish lives for themselves in the United States while keeping their romance alive. The novel, which explores the modern immigrant experience and the nature of love in the modern age, won the 2013 National Book Critics’ Circle Award in addition to a number of other honors.
I can think of no two more talented actors to...
Oyelowo will star with the actress in indie drama Americanah. Based on the novel by renowned Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (who also penned Half of a Yellow Sun), Americanah centers on two Nigerian immigrants, Ifemelu and Obinze, who struggle for years to establish lives for themselves in the United States while keeping their romance alive. The novel, which explores the modern immigrant experience and the nature of love in the modern age, won the 2013 National Book Critics’ Circle Award in addition to a number of other honors.
I can think of no two more talented actors to...
- 12/17/2014
- by Isaac Feldberg
- We Got This Covered
He may have had only a brief moment in Interstellar, but David Oyelowo has drawn both praise and a Golden Globe nomination for his role as Martin Luther King Jr. in the upcoming Selma. He’s now set to star alongside an awards veteran, 12 Years A Slave's Lupita Nyong’o, in indie drama Americanah.Adapted from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's novel, Americanah is the story of Ifemelu, her early life in Nigeria, her expatriate experience working in America, and her later return to her home country. It's also a love story between Ifemelu and Obinze (Oyelowo), who she leaves behind in Nigeria while she embarks on her odyssey through American class politics.Adichie's most recent book (following the bestsellers Purple Hibiscus, That Thing Around Your Neck and Half Of A Yellow Sun), Americanah was listed as one of the New York Times' ten best books of 2013, won the National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction,...
- 12/16/2014
- EmpireOnline
Nominations for the 46th NAACP Image Awards have been revealed and "Belle," "Beyond the Lights," "Dear White People," "Get On Up," and "Selma" are duking it out for the Outstanding Motion Picture Award.
Winners will be announced on Friday, February 6, 2015 in a two-hour televised event on TV One.
The NAACP Image Awards celebrates the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film and also honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors.
Here's the complete list of nominees for the 46th NAACP Image Awards:
Television
Outstanding Comedy Series
. "black-ish" (ABC)
. "House of Lies" (Showtime)
. "Key & Peele" (Comedy Central)
. "Orange is the New Black" (Netflix)
. "Real Husbands of Hollywood" (Bet)
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
. Andre Braugher - "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" (Fox)
. Anthony Anderson - "'black-ish" (ABC)
. Don Cheadle - "House of Lies" (Showtime)
. Keegan-Michael Key - "Key & Peele" (Comedy Central)
. Kevin Hart...
Winners will be announced on Friday, February 6, 2015 in a two-hour televised event on TV One.
The NAACP Image Awards celebrates the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film and also honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors.
Here's the complete list of nominees for the 46th NAACP Image Awards:
Television
Outstanding Comedy Series
. "black-ish" (ABC)
. "House of Lies" (Showtime)
. "Key & Peele" (Comedy Central)
. "Orange is the New Black" (Netflix)
. "Real Husbands of Hollywood" (Bet)
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
. Andre Braugher - "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" (Fox)
. Anthony Anderson - "'black-ish" (ABC)
. Don Cheadle - "House of Lies" (Showtime)
. Keegan-Michael Key - "Key & Peele" (Comedy Central)
. Kevin Hart...
- 12/10/2014
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Nominations for the 46th annual NAACP Image Awards were announced today across categories in film, television, music and the literary world. In the film arena, top nominees were Amma Asante's "Belle," Gina Prince-Bythewood's "Beyond the Lights," Justin Simien's "Dear White People," Tate Taylor's "Get On Up" and Ava DuVernay's "Selma." Check out the full list of nominees below. Winners will be announced on Feb. 6. And remember to keep track of the season via The Circuit! Film Outstanding Motion Picture "Belle" (Fox Searchlight Pictures/ DJ Films) "Beyond The Lights" (Relativity Media) "Dear White People" (Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions) "Get On Up" (Universal Pictures) "Selma" (Paramount Pictures) Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture Amma Asante, "Belle" (Fox Searchlight Pictures/ DJ Films) Antoine Fuqua, "The Equalizer" (Columbia Pictures) Ava DuVernay, "Selma" (Paramount Pictures) John Ridley, "Jimi: All Is By My Side" (XLrator Media) Gina Prince-Bythewood, "Beyond The Lights...
- 12/9/2014
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
Gearing up for another year of excitement, the 46th Annual NAACP Image Awards just unveiled the first round of hopefuls and there are plenty of worthy contenders.
In the television categories, Shonda Rhimes’ series “Scandal” and “How to Get Away With Murder” are among the most nominated, though “Black-ish” is also up there. Meanwhile, “Selma” and “Get on Up” are the top two movies on the docket, ahead of the big event on Friday, February 6th, 2015. Per the official website, “The NAACP Image Awards honors the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film, and honors those who promote social justice through creative endeavors.”
And the nominees are:
Outstanding Comedy Series
“Orange is the New Black” (Netflix)
“black-ish” (ABC)
“House of Lies” (Showtime)
“Key & Peele” (Comedy Central)
“Real Husbands of Hollywood” (Bet)
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
Andre Braugher – “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (Fox)
Anthony Anderson...
In the television categories, Shonda Rhimes’ series “Scandal” and “How to Get Away With Murder” are among the most nominated, though “Black-ish” is also up there. Meanwhile, “Selma” and “Get on Up” are the top two movies on the docket, ahead of the big event on Friday, February 6th, 2015. Per the official website, “The NAACP Image Awards honors the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film, and honors those who promote social justice through creative endeavors.”
And the nominees are:
Outstanding Comedy Series
“Orange is the New Black” (Netflix)
“black-ish” (ABC)
“House of Lies” (Showtime)
“Key & Peele” (Comedy Central)
“Real Husbands of Hollywood” (Bet)
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
Andre Braugher – “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (Fox)
Anthony Anderson...
- 12/9/2014
- GossipCenter
Paramount’s Selma, Universal’s Get On Up and Lionsgate’s Dear White People are among the Outstanding Motion Picture nominees for the NAACP’s Image Awards, which will be bestowed live on TVOne on February 6. On the TV side, Shonda Rhimes’ ABC trifecta of Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and How To Get Away With Murder are all up for best drama. Here is the full list:
Film
Outstanding Motion Picture
“Belle” (Fox Searchlight Pictures/ DJ Films)
“Beyond The Lights” (Relativity Media)
“Dear White People” (Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions)
“Get On Up” (Universal Pictures)
“Selma” (Paramount Pictures)
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Chadwick Boseman – “Get On Up” (Universal Pictures)
David Oyelowo – “Selma” (Paramount Pictures)
Denzel Washington – “The Equalizer” (Columbia Pictures)
Idris Elba – “No Good Deed” (Screen Gems)
Nate Parker – “Beyond The Lights” (Relativity Media)
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Gugu Mbatha-Raw – “Belle” (Fox Searchlight Pictures/ DJ Films)
Quvenzhané Wallis...
Film
Outstanding Motion Picture
“Belle” (Fox Searchlight Pictures/ DJ Films)
“Beyond The Lights” (Relativity Media)
“Dear White People” (Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions)
“Get On Up” (Universal Pictures)
“Selma” (Paramount Pictures)
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Chadwick Boseman – “Get On Up” (Universal Pictures)
David Oyelowo – “Selma” (Paramount Pictures)
Denzel Washington – “The Equalizer” (Columbia Pictures)
Idris Elba – “No Good Deed” (Screen Gems)
Nate Parker – “Beyond The Lights” (Relativity Media)
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Gugu Mbatha-Raw – “Belle” (Fox Searchlight Pictures/ DJ Films)
Quvenzhané Wallis...
- 12/9/2014
- by The Deadline Team
- Deadline
The nominees for the 46th annual NAACP Image Awards were announced Tuesday, lauding the year's best films and television shows -- among other artforms -- featuring people of color.
"Selma" led the pack with eight nominations, including nods for best picture, best actor (David Oyelowo), three supporting actor nods (André Holland, Common, and Wendell Pierce), and two supporting actress nods (Carmen Ejogo and Oprah Winfrey). Director Ava DuVernay was also nominated for her work behind the camera.
On the television front, "Scandal" and "Orange Is the New Black" tied with six nominations apiece, while fellow freshman series "black-ish" and "How to Get Away with Murder" each received five nods.
A partial list of nominees in television and movies is below. For the full list -- including nominees in the music and literature categories -- click here.
The NAACP Image Awards, presented by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People,...
"Selma" led the pack with eight nominations, including nods for best picture, best actor (David Oyelowo), three supporting actor nods (André Holland, Common, and Wendell Pierce), and two supporting actress nods (Carmen Ejogo and Oprah Winfrey). Director Ava DuVernay was also nominated for her work behind the camera.
On the television front, "Scandal" and "Orange Is the New Black" tied with six nominations apiece, while fellow freshman series "black-ish" and "How to Get Away with Murder" each received five nods.
A partial list of nominees in television and movies is below. For the full list -- including nominees in the music and literature categories -- click here.
The NAACP Image Awards, presented by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People,...
- 12/9/2014
- by Katie Roberts
- Moviefone
Nigerian producer-director-actor, Kunle Afolayan's latest work, the crime drama "October 1" (also the official date Nigeria declared its independence from the UK in 1960), is set to make its USA premiere at the Cultural Confidence event presented by The Nollywood Diaspora Film Series, which is a platform for Nigerian films to be showcased for international audiences. Taking place in New York City, at the Nyu Kimmel Center, on 60 Washington Square South, the series will also include screenings of other films covered on this blog including "The Supreme Price," "Mother of George," and "Half of a Yellow Sun," as well as workshops and...
- 10/9/2014
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
What: Starz, in an acquisition from Monterey Media, will exclusively debut the U.S. television premiere of the award-winning film, Half of a Yellow Sun, starring Emmy, Academy Award nominee and five-time Golden Globe nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor, on Sunday, September 28, 2014 at 10pm Et/Pt on Starz In Black. The film will also be available on the network’s associated Starz On Demand and Starz Play online services. Based on the award-winning novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Half of a Yellow Sun is a romantic drama set in the backdrop of 1960s Nigeria during the country’s turbulent civil war. The film centers around the diverging destinies of...
- 9/28/2014
- by Press Release
- ShadowAndAct
What: Starz, in an acquisition from Monterey Media, will exclusively debut the U.S. television premiere of the award-winning film, Half of a Yellow Sun, starring Emmy, Academy Award nominee and five-time Golden Globe nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor, on Sunday, September 28, 2014 at 10pm Et/Pt on Starz In Black. The film will also be available on the network’s associated Starz On Demand and Starz Play online services. Based on the award-winning novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Half of a Yellow Sun is a romantic drama set in the backdrop of 1960s Nigeria during the country’s turbulent civil war. The film centers around the diverging destinies of...
- 9/23/2014
- by Press Release
- ShadowAndAct
By Anjelica Oswald
Managing Editor
As films make the festival circuit this fall, some of the cast and crew members are busy traveling with the movies, attending premieres and promoting their work. A number of actors visiting Toronto this year are there with multiple films, and this isn’t an uncommon occurrence.
Reese Witherspoon is promoting both Wild and The Good Lie, two roles that are far removed from her rom-com days. Both films have launched an awards discussion for the actress.
Where Al Pacino’s Manglehorn has been met with mixed reviews, The Humbling has propelled Pacino to a potential Oscar nomination.
Thanks to Still Alice, Julianne Moore could score an Oscar nomination, but she also has another film in Toronto. Maps to the Stars premiered in Cannes and scored Moore the best actress award.
Girls’ Adam Driver has three films showing at Tiff: This Is Where I Leave You,...
Managing Editor
As films make the festival circuit this fall, some of the cast and crew members are busy traveling with the movies, attending premieres and promoting their work. A number of actors visiting Toronto this year are there with multiple films, and this isn’t an uncommon occurrence.
Reese Witherspoon is promoting both Wild and The Good Lie, two roles that are far removed from her rom-com days. Both films have launched an awards discussion for the actress.
Where Al Pacino’s Manglehorn has been met with mixed reviews, The Humbling has propelled Pacino to a potential Oscar nomination.
Thanks to Still Alice, Julianne Moore could score an Oscar nomination, but she also has another film in Toronto. Maps to the Stars premiered in Cannes and scored Moore the best actress award.
Girls’ Adam Driver has three films showing at Tiff: This Is Where I Leave You,...
- 9/11/2014
- by Anjelica Oswald
- Scott Feinberg
The Third Annual St. Louis Black Film Festival will be September 6-14 2014 at the Mx Theater at 618 Washington Ave. in downtown Saint Louis. All the films screened will be new movies and not only will the fest feature feature-length films but music videos, short films, and short documentaries as well.
The St. Louis Black Film Festival provides the American Midwest with a forum for African American independent film and video, and also serves as an advocate for African American film and video production in the state of Missouri. The Festival seeks to introduce the best films and videos from the surrounding area to its culturally diverse, film-loving audiences Stlbff was initially established as a vehicle for exposing Black cinema. The event was green-lighted after recognition that though St. Louis is the largest city in Missouri, it did not have a viable Black film festival. Independent filmmakers with films featuring a Black,...
The St. Louis Black Film Festival provides the American Midwest with a forum for African American independent film and video, and also serves as an advocate for African American film and video production in the state of Missouri. The Festival seeks to introduce the best films and videos from the surrounding area to its culturally diverse, film-loving audiences Stlbff was initially established as a vehicle for exposing Black cinema. The event was green-lighted after recognition that though St. Louis is the largest city in Missouri, it did not have a viable Black film festival. Independent filmmakers with films featuring a Black,...
- 9/3/2014
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The Third Annual St. Louis Black Film Festival will be September 6-14 2013 at the Mx Theater at 618 Washington Ave. in downtown Saint Louis. All the films screened will be new movies and not only will the fest feature feature-length films but music videos, short films, and short documentaries as well.
The St. Louis Black Film Festival provides the American Midwest with a forum for African American independent film and video, and also serves as an advocate for African American film and video production in the state of Missouri. The Festival seeks to introduce the best films and videos from the surrounding area to its culturally diverse, film-loving audiences Stlbff was initially established as a vehicle for exposing Black cinema. The event was green-lighted after recognition that though St. Louis is the largest city in Missouri, it did not have a viable Black film festival. Independent filmmakers with films featuring a Black,...
The St. Louis Black Film Festival provides the American Midwest with a forum for African American independent film and video, and also serves as an advocate for African American film and video production in the state of Missouri. The Festival seeks to introduce the best films and videos from the surrounding area to its culturally diverse, film-loving audiences Stlbff was initially established as a vehicle for exposing Black cinema. The event was green-lighted after recognition that though St. Louis is the largest city in Missouri, it did not have a viable Black film festival. Independent filmmakers with films featuring a Black,...
- 9/3/2014
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Biyi Bandele makes his directorial bow with Half of a Yellow Sun (2013), a take on Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's novel starring British actors Thandie Newton and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Set in the late 1960s, the film follows twin sisters Olanna (Newton) and Kainene (Anika Noni Rose) as they arrive back home in Nigeria having finished their studies in England. To celebrate the long-awaited home entertainment release of Half of a Yellow Sun this Monday (4 August), we have Three DVD copies to give away thanks to the kind folks at Soda Pictures. This is an exclusive competition for our Facebook and Twitter fans, so if you haven't already, 'Like' us at facebook.com/CineVueUK or follow us @CineVue before answering the question below.
- 8/8/2014
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Moviefone's Top Blu-ray of the Week
"Twin Peaks: The Entire Mystery"
What's It About? David Lynch's two season TV series had viewers riveted to figure out who killed the beaming blonde homecoming queen Laura Palmer. And maybe, just maybe, some of us fell a little in love with Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan), the curious FBI agent sent to investigate Laura's murder while enjoying many damn fine cups of coffee.
Why We're In: This ten-disc set comes with both seasons of "Twin Peaks," as well as the movie "Fire Walk With Me," plenty of featurettes, and deleted scenes (!!!!) from the beloved TV series. Not that we'll ever really know what happened in the strange little town of Twin Peaks, Wa.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
"Cuban Fury"
What's It About? Nick Frost ("The World's End," "Hot Fuzz," "Shaun of the Dead") stars as a down-and-out dude named...
"Twin Peaks: The Entire Mystery"
What's It About? David Lynch's two season TV series had viewers riveted to figure out who killed the beaming blonde homecoming queen Laura Palmer. And maybe, just maybe, some of us fell a little in love with Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan), the curious FBI agent sent to investigate Laura's murder while enjoying many damn fine cups of coffee.
Why We're In: This ten-disc set comes with both seasons of "Twin Peaks," as well as the movie "Fire Walk With Me," plenty of featurettes, and deleted scenes (!!!!) from the beloved TV series. Not that we'll ever really know what happened in the strange little town of Twin Peaks, Wa.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
"Cuban Fury"
What's It About? Nick Frost ("The World's End," "Hot Fuzz," "Shaun of the Dead") stars as a down-and-out dude named...
- 7/29/2014
- by Jenni Miller
- Moviefone
Following up on last week's announcement that Biyi Bandele's "Half Of A Yellow Sun" - a film adaptation of celebrated author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Orange Prize-winning novel of the same name - has finally been cleared by the Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board, for local release, after almost 3 months in Limbo. The announcement didn't include a date that the film will eventually be released now that it's been approved for release; but we've learned today that its theatrical debut in Nigeria is now set for August 1. The film's producers and Nigerian distributor FilmOne Distribution, released a statement on the film's Censors Board clearance,...
- 7/9/2014
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Nigerian Censor OKs ‘Half Of A Yellow Sun’ Release Nigeria has given a greenlight to the distribution of Chiwetel Ejiofor starrer Half Of A Yellow Sun. The drama will be released August 1, after being certified by the National Film and Video Censors Board. It previously was due to open in April, but some scenes were deemed objectionable at the time, the BBC notes. Thandie Newton also stars in the adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s best-selling novel. Set in 1960s Nigeria, the story brings audiences into a country torn apart by civil war and shows how the interwoven lives of […]...
- 7/9/2014
- Deadline
Various Nigerian press outlets and journalists (via Twitter) are reporting that Biyi Bandele's "Half Of A Yellow Sun" - a film adaptation of celebrated author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Orange Prize-winning novel of the same name - has finally been cleared by the Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board, for local release. The announcement didn't include a date that the film will eventually be released now that it's been approved for release. According to the Board’s Corporate Affairs representative, Caesar Kagho, the film has been approved with an "18" rating, which, based on my research, is the equivalent of an "R" rating here...
- 7/4/2014
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
What? Yet another article about "Half of a Yellow Sun" I can hear you saying.But wait, don’t leave before I tell you that I have some good news for our readers in the Chicagoland area.Biyi Bandele's feature film, which is being distributed by Monterey Media, and stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton, John Boyega, Anika Noni Rose, Joseph Mawle and Genevieve Nnaji, is a drama that weaves together the lives of four people swept up in the turbulence of civil war, with a newly independent 1960's Nigeria as the backdrop.The good news is that the film will finally open in Chicago this month, for a week’s engagement, starting next Friday, June 20 through 26. The film will play...
- 6/11/2014
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
Seizing her new-found status with both hands, 12 Years A Slave actress Lupita Nyong'o has not only signed on for Star Wars: Episode VII, but also set in motion a passion project which she'll produce as well as heading the cast. Jumping in with Brad Pitt's Plan B production company, she's secured the rights to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's novel Americanah.Adichie's most recent book (following the bestsellers Purple Hibiscus, That Thing Around Your Neck and Half Of A Yellow Sun), Americanah was listed as one of the New York Times' ten best books of 2013, won the National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction, and was shortlisted for this year's Bailieys Women's Prize For Fiction.It's the story of Ifemelu, her early life in Nigeria, her expatriate experience working in America, and her later return to her home country. It's also a love story between Ifemelu and Obinze, who she...
- 6/6/2014
- EmpireOnline
Title: Half of a Yellow Sun Director: Biyi Bandele Starring: Thandie Newton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anika Noni Rose, Joseph Mawle, John Boyega, Onyeka Onwenu A well-intentioned historical drama that unfolds in the 1960s against the backdrop of the Nigerian Civil War, ”Half of a Yellow Sun” features a couple strong lead performances and the sort of stark socioeconomic class conflict and high stakes that often lends itself to engaging adaptation, but the film gets caught up in the undertow of mawkish melodrama early on, never to fully recover. The story centers around a pair of twin sisters from a well-to-do family, Olanna (Thandie Newton) and Kainene (Anika Noni Rose), who return to their homeland [ Read More ]
The post Half of a Yellow Sun Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Half of a Yellow Sun Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 6/2/2014
- by bsimon
- ShockYa
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