Vanishing Angle, the production studio behind the Sundance film Greener Grass, has upped three of its own to executive positions: Natalie Metzger as VP of Development & Production, Benjamin Wiessner as VP of Sales & Acquisitions, and Jim Cummings as VP of Creative Initiatives. Metzger, who boarded the company as a producer in 2015, is a writer and director whose films have premiered at AFI Docs, Frameline, and Outfest. She also holds the Gold Prize at the Page International Screenwriting Awards. Wiessner, a producer and creative distributor, has worked on seven films with Vanishing Angle. He’s also produced and self-distributed shorts and features with broadcast partners like Canal+ and PBS. Cummings is an independent filmmaker who wrote, directed, and starred in the comedy-drama, Thunder Road, which is being released by Vanishing Angle. The company is also in development on Cummings’ erotic thriller Beta, as well as mystery thriller Buffalo from Keith Powell,...
- 6/21/2019
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
This year’s American Black Film Festival lineup is stacked with some of the top names in Hollywood as well as emerging voices including a screening of Reginald Hudlin’s The Black Godfather, a conversation with Spike Lee and his protege Stefon Bristol as well as the five finalists for HBO Short Film Competition, which is now in its 22nd year. The fest takes place June 12-16 in Miami.
The program will also include the previously announced opening night film Shaft. New Line Cinema’s reboot of the iconic character will screen at the fest ahead of its June 14 release. In addition, Netflix will screen the Chris Robinson-directed Beats, a coming-of-age drama set in Chicago’s South Side hip-hop scene starring Anthony Anderson.
“Beyond the Spider-Verse: What’s Next for Sony Pictures Animation” will be a conversation between Academy Award-winner Peter Ramsey (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), Matthew A. Cherry...
The program will also include the previously announced opening night film Shaft. New Line Cinema’s reboot of the iconic character will screen at the fest ahead of its June 14 release. In addition, Netflix will screen the Chris Robinson-directed Beats, a coming-of-age drama set in Chicago’s South Side hip-hop scene starring Anthony Anderson.
“Beyond the Spider-Verse: What’s Next for Sony Pictures Animation” will be a conversation between Academy Award-winner Peter Ramsey (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), Matthew A. Cherry...
- 6/6/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Writer-director Rick Famuyiwa makes a promising feature debut with "The Wood", a warm rite-of-passage comedy.
Nurtured at the Sundance Institute's screenwriters and directors lab, the ensemble piece is something of a hip-hop "Stand by Me" peppered with a little "Wedding Singer" 1980s nostalgia and "American Pie" raunch.
While the picture's shaping and pacing would have benefited from a more seasoned hand, Famuyiwa's richly written, exceptionally well-cast characters strike a pleasant chord.
"The Wood" should do well by its targeted young urban audience, although any significant crossover seems unlikely.
Set in Inglewood, Calif., (the "Wood" in question), the story concerns a trio of best friends from childhood who are experiencing some delayed emotional growing pains.
Just hours before his wedding, Roland (Taye Diggs) has gone AWOL with a bad case of prenuptial jitters, sending buddies Mike (Omar Epps) and Slim (Richard T. Jones) on his trail.
They track him down having a panic attack at the home of an old high school sweetheart (Tamala Jones), and while doing their best to get him sobered up, they begin to reminisce about their carefree lives back in the day when jheri curls, K-Swiss tennis shoes and Guess USA jackets reigned supreme.
Past shares screen time with the present as Young Roland (Trent Cameron), Young Mike (Sean Nelson) and Young Slim (Duane Finley) do impressive renderings of their hormonally driven, teenaged selves.
In fact, all the film's characters are credibly conveyed by the talented cast. In addition to Diggs, Epps and Jones and their younger counterparts, Malinda Williams does effective work as Alicia, the fine but fiery object of Mike's guarded affections, while De'Aundre Bonds is comically on the money as her delinquent big brother.
Writer-director Famuyiwa certainly has a lot of room to grow, as evidenced by the constant shifts back and forth in time, signaled by a close-up of a needle landing on a spinning record, don't always flow smoothly and can get a little old after a while. But he adeptly captures the camaraderie and has a gentle, unforced way with humor.
Production values are strong, particularly Steven Bernstein's ("The Waterboy") energetic camera work and some frighteningly familiar '80s touches from production designers Roger Fortune and Maxine Shepard, not to mention some of costume designer Darryle Johnson's cringe-inducing "period" finds.
Also making his feature debut here is jazz bassist Robert Hurst, who delivers a mellow, unobtrusive score that blends in well with those vintage Luther and Levert slow jams.
THE WOOD
Paramount
An MTV Films production
in association with Bona Fide Prods.
Director-screenwriter: Rick Famuyiwa
Story: Rick Famuyiwa and Todd Boyd
Producers: Albert Berger, Ron Yerxa, David Gale
Executive producer: Van Toffler
Director of photography: Steven Bernstein
Production designers: Roger Fortune and Maxine Shepard
Editor: John Carter
Costume designer: Darryle Johnson
Music supervisor: Pilar McCurry
Music: Robert Hurst
Casting: Mali Finn and Emily Schweber
Color/stereo
Cast:
Mike: Omar Epps
Roland: Taye Diggs
Slim: Richard T. Jones
Young Mike: Sean Nelson
Young Roland: Trent Cameron
Young Slim: Duane Finley
Young Alicia: Malinda Williams
Stacey: De'Aundre Bonds
Tanya: Tamala Jones
Running time -- 106 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Nurtured at the Sundance Institute's screenwriters and directors lab, the ensemble piece is something of a hip-hop "Stand by Me" peppered with a little "Wedding Singer" 1980s nostalgia and "American Pie" raunch.
While the picture's shaping and pacing would have benefited from a more seasoned hand, Famuyiwa's richly written, exceptionally well-cast characters strike a pleasant chord.
"The Wood" should do well by its targeted young urban audience, although any significant crossover seems unlikely.
Set in Inglewood, Calif., (the "Wood" in question), the story concerns a trio of best friends from childhood who are experiencing some delayed emotional growing pains.
Just hours before his wedding, Roland (Taye Diggs) has gone AWOL with a bad case of prenuptial jitters, sending buddies Mike (Omar Epps) and Slim (Richard T. Jones) on his trail.
They track him down having a panic attack at the home of an old high school sweetheart (Tamala Jones), and while doing their best to get him sobered up, they begin to reminisce about their carefree lives back in the day when jheri curls, K-Swiss tennis shoes and Guess USA jackets reigned supreme.
Past shares screen time with the present as Young Roland (Trent Cameron), Young Mike (Sean Nelson) and Young Slim (Duane Finley) do impressive renderings of their hormonally driven, teenaged selves.
In fact, all the film's characters are credibly conveyed by the talented cast. In addition to Diggs, Epps and Jones and their younger counterparts, Malinda Williams does effective work as Alicia, the fine but fiery object of Mike's guarded affections, while De'Aundre Bonds is comically on the money as her delinquent big brother.
Writer-director Famuyiwa certainly has a lot of room to grow, as evidenced by the constant shifts back and forth in time, signaled by a close-up of a needle landing on a spinning record, don't always flow smoothly and can get a little old after a while. But he adeptly captures the camaraderie and has a gentle, unforced way with humor.
Production values are strong, particularly Steven Bernstein's ("The Waterboy") energetic camera work and some frighteningly familiar '80s touches from production designers Roger Fortune and Maxine Shepard, not to mention some of costume designer Darryle Johnson's cringe-inducing "period" finds.
Also making his feature debut here is jazz bassist Robert Hurst, who delivers a mellow, unobtrusive score that blends in well with those vintage Luther and Levert slow jams.
THE WOOD
Paramount
An MTV Films production
in association with Bona Fide Prods.
Director-screenwriter: Rick Famuyiwa
Story: Rick Famuyiwa and Todd Boyd
Producers: Albert Berger, Ron Yerxa, David Gale
Executive producer: Van Toffler
Director of photography: Steven Bernstein
Production designers: Roger Fortune and Maxine Shepard
Editor: John Carter
Costume designer: Darryle Johnson
Music supervisor: Pilar McCurry
Music: Robert Hurst
Casting: Mali Finn and Emily Schweber
Color/stereo
Cast:
Mike: Omar Epps
Roland: Taye Diggs
Slim: Richard T. Jones
Young Mike: Sean Nelson
Young Roland: Trent Cameron
Young Slim: Duane Finley
Young Alicia: Malinda Williams
Stacey: De'Aundre Bonds
Tanya: Tamala Jones
Running time -- 106 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 7/12/1999
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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