Movies & Television
Russell Hornsby: “Proven Innocent,” Actor is a Proven Talent
By Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., NNPA Newswire Culture and Entertainment Editor Russell Hornsby should be a household name by now with his impressive body of work. His latest role as a crusading attorney and family man on FOX’s “Proven Innocent”may be the role to do it. The Oakland born thespian has been bringing characters to life on…
Read MoreFilm Review: What Men Want
By Dwight Brown, NNPA Film Critic It’s about time Taraji P. Henson, after a string of B-movies (Proud Mary, Acrimony), rocked a bonafide comedy. On talk shows her innate sense of humor is evident. On the big screen (Hidden Figures, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and small one (Empire) she’s built a solid, award-winning…
Read MoreSundance 2019: Chinonye Chukwu First Black Woman to Win U.S. Top Prize
By Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., NNPA Newswire Entertainment and Culture Editor The 2019 Sundance Film Festival was a banner year for women filmmakers with five women directors and one man winning in four main categories. Chinonye Chukwu became the first black woman to win the festival’s biggest prize, the Grand Jury Prize for U.S. Dramatic entry…
Read MoreBlack History: Hattie McDaniel First African American Oscar Winner
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia Long before Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and the internet, Hattie McDaniel knew what it meant to “clap back” against her haters. Upon hearing backlash for film roles where she portrayed a servant – during a time when servants were the only available roles for African Americans in Hollywood…
Read MoreBET’s Boomerang yields first major role for on-the-rise actress
By Brianna Alexis Smith, Special from The New Tri-State Defender The classic 90’s film Boomerang is the latest movie to get its own reboot, courtesy of BET Network and Paramount Pictures. Halle Berry, who starred in the original film, along with “The Chi” creator Lena Waithe, executive produced the 10-episode, half-hour romantic comedy series for BET…
Read MoreAfrica’s ‘Golden Globes’ To Screen 20 New Films Vying For Coveted Film Prize
Twenty feature-length feature films by African filmmakers will compete for the ‘Yennanga’ Gold Standard prize at the Pan-African Film and Television Festival held every other year in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. This will be the 50th anniversary of the renowned festival known as “FESPACO” – an event along the lines of the “Golden Globes” that draws film…
Read More2019 Oscar Nominees: #OscarsSoBlack?
By Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D. The 2019 Oscar nominations are out and it is safe to say the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is acknowledging the phenomenal work of black filmmakers and performers this season. While there were some surprises — Ryan Coogler was not included in the Best Director category for Black Panther and…
Read MoreWhere Netflix Meets Black Twitter: Black Entrepreneur Launches Social Streaming Platform
First teased last fall – X On Demand (xod.tv) has finally gone live. The Netflix-style site, with a social twist, boasts a growing library of works by Black filmmakers, with at least one person of Black American/African descent in a leading role both in front of and behind the lens – prerequisites for a project…
Read MoreFrom Silent Film to Blaxploitation: The Film Detective Celebrates Black History Month With 70 Years of African-American Cinema History
The Film Detective, a classic film and television company that restores and distributes vintage films for today’s cord-cutters, announces a lineup of prominent African-American films in honor of Black History Month. Beginning Feb. 1, the Featured category on the company’s app will refresh daily, providing a range of films from the 1920s to the 1990s…
Read MoreComing to America 2: Eddie Murphy to Star Again in Blockbuster Hit’s Sequel
By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Contributor Eddie Murphy will once again play crown prince Akeem Joffer in a sequel to the 1988 hit movie, Coming to America. The film’s plot centered around a Prince who travels to New York to find an independent woman who loves him in spite of his royal title. The…
Read More