Movies & Television
Apple TV+ First Film ‘The Banker’ Will Close AFI FEST 2019
By Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D. The American Film Institute (AFI) announced that AFI FEST 2019 presented by Audi will close with the World premiere of Apple’s The Banker, Apple TV’s first original film, starring Samuel L. Jackson and Anthony Mackie. Michael Lumpkin, Director of AFI Festivals shared, “THE BANKER joins a remarkable group of films…
Read MoreFilm Review: Little Monsters
You couldn’t guess from her dramatic Oscar-winning performance in 12 Years A Slave or her kinetic warrior/spy role in Black Panther that Lupita Nyong’o has a gift for romantic comedy. But she does. In fact, this rom/com/horror movie hybrid is the perfect vehicle for her frothy comic expression. Her ingenuity, a cast of adorable kids, a smarmy children’s TV host and an army…
Read MoreSilicon Valley African Film Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary with 85 films from 35 countries
The 10th Annual Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF) will be held at the Historic Hoover Theatre in San Jose from Friday, October 4 through Sunday, October 6, 2019. The annual showcase includes a mix of feature films, shorts, documentaries and animations from seasoned and emerging African filmmakers. SVAFF celebrates its tenth anniversary with a…
Read MoreNew Boondocks Reboot Coming to HBO Max
The Boondocks will be returning to television. HBO Max has ordered a two-season, 24-episode reimagining of the beloved animated series, spearheaded by creator Aaron McGruder and Sony Pictures Animation. All 55 episodes of the original series and the new Boondocks will launch on the forthcoming streaming service in fall 2020 with a 50-minute special. A press release offers the following synopsis of…
Read MoreNew Wave of Black Films Crests at 2019 Toronto International Film Festival
Nearly 500,000 film lovers flocked to the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, screening hundreds of films from all over the world. Artistry and diversity, the hallmarks of TIFF, were on view. Black artists, filmmakers and films were a key part of the mix. Big budget movies, small indie films, documentaries and shorts filled out the…
Read MoreOWN Announces Fifth Season Renewal Of Ava Duvernay’s Critically Acclaimed Drama “Queen Sugar”
OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network announced this week it has renewed for a fifth season Ava DuVernay’s critically acclaimed drama series “Queen Sugar” to air in 2020. Produced by Warner Horizon Scripted Television, “Queen Sugar” has been lauded for its powerful portrayal of an African-American family in the Deep South and for DuVernay’s initiative since the series’ inception to hire…
Read MoreFamily Movie Night at Tiedemann Park featuring ‘Monsters, Inc.’ October 11
Join the Charleston Parks Conservancy for a free family movie night on Friday, Oct. 11 at Tiedemann Park, 38 Elizabeth St. in downtown Charleston. Come at 4:30 p.m. for themed games and activities before the showing of “Monsters, Inc.” at dark (about 5:30 p.m.). The 2001 film “Monsters, Inc.” is a story of a girl…
Read MoreThe Tamron Hall Show Debuts
By Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., NNPA Newswire Entertainment and Culture Editor America’s news sweetheart Tamron Hall is back with a self-titled daytime talk show The Tamron Hall Show. Following Hall’s controversial yet celebrated 2017 exit from the Today Show after being curbed in favor of white supremacist-y Megyn Kelly, Hall returns to television as a talk show host on…
Read MoreSubmissions Now Open for 40th College Television Awards
The submission period for the Television Academy Foundation’s 40th College Television Awards is Sept. 5 through Oct. 3, 2019. Each year hundreds of graduate and undergraduate students, representing colleges and universities nationwide, submit their media projects to television’s most prestigious student competition—the Television Academy Foundation’s College Television Awards. The College Television Awards honors achievement in…
Read MoreNetflix Orders Family Comedy Series “The Upshaws” from Wanda Sykes and Mike Epps
Mike Epps and Wanda Sykes are set to star in the new comedy series, “The Upshaws.” Mike and Wanda bring their distinct voices to this multi-camera comedy that centers on a working-class African American family in Indiana struggling to make it work and make it right without the blueprints to do it. Wanda Sykes (Wanda…
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