When April Reign became part of the loose community of Black users recognized as Black Twitter in 2010, her feed flooded with unfiltered opinions, jaw-dropping confessions, and countless jokes. Early on, she stumbled into #TwitterAfterDark, which littered her timeline with sexual innuendos. A few years later, she followed the “Meet Me In Temecula” saga, where two men hilariously feuded over Kobe Bryant, eventually challenging one another to a fight. As Reign spent late nights scrolling through mood-setting memes, innovative hashtags, and trenchant 140-character commentaries, hanging out on Black Twitter started to...
- 5/13/2024
- by Kalia Richardson
- Rollingstone.com
When Will Smith hit Chris Rock after the comedian joked about Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head at the Oscars, she assumed it was part of a skit.
In her new memoir “Worthy,” Pinkett Smith reflects on the night of the infamous incident, including the moment she understood the gravity of the situation when Smith returned to his seat and yelled at Rock, “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth.”
Several people checked in on Pinkett Smith at every commercial break, she recalls, including Lupita Nyong’o, Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban, Ramsey Naito, Tiffany Haddish and Queen Latifah. When the show cut to the first commercial after the slap, Denzel Washington and Bradley Cooper went to Smith and “huddled up, trying to ground him.”
The Oscars slap, however, is only a 14-page chapter in Pinkett Smith’s tell-all memoir. From Tupac Shakur’s marriage proposal to her views on Scientology,...
In her new memoir “Worthy,” Pinkett Smith reflects on the night of the infamous incident, including the moment she understood the gravity of the situation when Smith returned to his seat and yelled at Rock, “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth.”
Several people checked in on Pinkett Smith at every commercial break, she recalls, including Lupita Nyong’o, Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban, Ramsey Naito, Tiffany Haddish and Queen Latifah. When the show cut to the first commercial after the slap, Denzel Washington and Bradley Cooper went to Smith and “huddled up, trying to ground him.”
The Oscars slap, however, is only a 14-page chapter in Pinkett Smith’s tell-all memoir. From Tupac Shakur’s marriage proposal to her views on Scientology,...
- 10/17/2023
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety Film + TV
After winning the Golden Globe in January, Angela Bassett was widely favored to take home the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” but the trophy went to another beloved veteran actress, Jamie Lee Curtis for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” on Sunday.
The look of disappointment on Bassett’s face was plain to see in the reaction shot as Curtis’ name was read. “Angela Bassett’s reaction hurts me,” tweeted the Huffington Post’s Philip Lewis.
When Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors took the stage to present Best Cinematography, Jordan said, “We love you, Auntie.” It was a respectful reference to Jordan and Bassett’s roles in “Black Panther,” in which his villain Killmonger greeted Queen Ramonda with the far too casual, “Hey, Auntie.” Majors is also in the MCU: He plays Kang the Conqueror in “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.”
Also Read:...
The look of disappointment on Bassett’s face was plain to see in the reaction shot as Curtis’ name was read. “Angela Bassett’s reaction hurts me,” tweeted the Huffington Post’s Philip Lewis.
When Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors took the stage to present Best Cinematography, Jordan said, “We love you, Auntie.” It was a respectful reference to Jordan and Bassett’s roles in “Black Panther,” in which his villain Killmonger greeted Queen Ramonda with the far too casual, “Hey, Auntie.” Majors is also in the MCU: He plays Kang the Conqueror in “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.”
Also Read:...
- 3/13/2023
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
Fresh off his Industry Leadership Award at the ABFF Honors and brokering a $90+ million-dollar strategic funding plan with a group of blue-chip investors, it was time to decompress as Charles D. King and wife Macro chief brand officer Stacey Walker King hosted their fifth annual pre-Oscars party.
The festivities, again presented by Chase Sapphire, were in full swing at Mother Wolf in Hollywood Thursday night attracted some of Hollywood’s best known people of color. “Abbott Elementary” stars Quinta Brunson, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Tyler James Williams were in attendance, while producer/actress and “Black-ish” star Marsai Martin hit the dance floor alongside Lena Waithe, Affion Crockett and Teyana Taylor.
Courtney B. Vance and Lena Waithe at the 5th Annual Macro Pre-Oscars Party, Presented by Chase Sapphire held at Mother Wolf on March 9, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
Crafted cocktail bars flanked by gorgeous red and pink floral arrangements set the...
The festivities, again presented by Chase Sapphire, were in full swing at Mother Wolf in Hollywood Thursday night attracted some of Hollywood’s best known people of color. “Abbott Elementary” stars Quinta Brunson, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Tyler James Williams were in attendance, while producer/actress and “Black-ish” star Marsai Martin hit the dance floor alongside Lena Waithe, Affion Crockett and Teyana Taylor.
Courtney B. Vance and Lena Waithe at the 5th Annual Macro Pre-Oscars Party, Presented by Chase Sapphire held at Mother Wolf on March 9, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
Crafted cocktail bars flanked by gorgeous red and pink floral arrangements set the...
- 3/10/2023
- by Carla Renata
- Variety Film + TV
Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative have launched a website called The Inclusion List. Supported by the Adobe Foundation, the research effort tracks and celebrates progress made in the entertainment industry as well as the effects of the #OscarsSoWhite movement that April Reign started eight years ago.
The Inclusion List focuses on the Academy Awards and showcases the changes that have occurred throughout the history of the ceremonies from 1929 until the present day. The site charts nominations for women and people of color across 19 categories. Visitors will also have the opportunity to vote and guess who they think will win the Oscar at this year’s gala on March 12.
“When April Reign unleashed #OscarsSoWhite, she tapped into the collective desire for change and the outrage that people felt at seeing actors of color excluded once again from this career-defining award,” said Dr. Smith. “This comprehensive look...
The Inclusion List focuses on the Academy Awards and showcases the changes that have occurred throughout the history of the ceremonies from 1929 until the present day. The site charts nominations for women and people of color across 19 categories. Visitors will also have the opportunity to vote and guess who they think will win the Oscar at this year’s gala on March 12.
“When April Reign unleashed #OscarsSoWhite, she tapped into the collective desire for change and the outrage that people felt at seeing actors of color excluded once again from this career-defining award,” said Dr. Smith. “This comprehensive look...
- 3/2/2023
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
In the eight years since activist April Reign’s #OscarsSoWhite went viral, the Academy Awards have made some changes to improve diversity and inclusion — but a new study from USC Annenberg’s Inclusion Initiative found that, for the most part, the Oscars nominees remain so white.
Among the good bits from the study: The percentage of nominees among underrepresented racial or ethnic groups has jumped from 8 percent between 2008 and 2015 to 17 percent between 2016 and 2023. During that same 2008 to 2015 period, women comprised 21 percent of Oscar nominees, a number that’s jumped to...
Among the good bits from the study: The percentage of nominees among underrepresented racial or ethnic groups has jumped from 8 percent between 2008 and 2015 to 17 percent between 2016 and 2023. During that same 2008 to 2015 period, women comprised 21 percent of Oscar nominees, a number that’s jumped to...
- 3/1/2023
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Nearly eight years after #OscarsSoWhite sparked discontent when the awards ceremony nominated no people of color in its 2015 acting categories, the hashtag creator April Reign reflected on her “organic” decision to speak up, saying it was not initially an “intentional” effort to kickstart a global movement.
“I’m listening to the nominations and it just struck me that the nominations, person after person, category after category, there were no people of color nominated,” Reign told CBS Reports in an exclusive clip of the upcoming Black Twitter documentary shared with TheWrap. “So I picked up my cell phone … and I said “#OscarsSoWhite they asked to touch my hair.'”
“For this particular hashtag, I thought there was a larger conversation that could be had about the lack of equity and inclusion, not just with respect to the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences, but throughout the entertainment industry,” Reign continued.
“I’m listening to the nominations and it just struck me that the nominations, person after person, category after category, there were no people of color nominated,” Reign told CBS Reports in an exclusive clip of the upcoming Black Twitter documentary shared with TheWrap. “So I picked up my cell phone … and I said “#OscarsSoWhite they asked to touch my hair.'”
“For this particular hashtag, I thought there was a larger conversation that could be had about the lack of equity and inclusion, not just with respect to the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences, but throughout the entertainment industry,” Reign continued.
- 2/23/2023
- by Loree Seitz
- The Wrap
Will Smith was supposed to be the most controversial element of Emancipation, Apple TV+’s big-budget epic from director Antoine Fuqua chronicling an enslaved man’s bid for freedom in 1860s Louisiana. Apple TV+ raised eyebrows by choosing to release its record-breaking acquisition — the streamer paid a reported 105 million for the drama during Cannes’ virtual market in 2020 — in early December, just nine months after Smith infamously slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars (and Smith’s subsequent 10-year ban from the ceremony).
With all eyes on whether the film could help rehabilitate Smith’s image after the incident, Emancipation producer Joey McFarland managed to deflect some of the attention away from the film’s lead star at a red carpet premiere in November, when he proudly brandished what he claimed to be the original print of the haunting photo that inspired the movie.
Revealing the famed 1863 image known as The Scourged...
With all eyes on whether the film could help rehabilitate Smith’s image after the incident, Emancipation producer Joey McFarland managed to deflect some of the attention away from the film’s lead star at a red carpet premiere in November, when he proudly brandished what he claimed to be the original print of the haunting photo that inspired the movie.
Revealing the famed 1863 image known as The Scourged...
- 1/30/2023
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
While most awards season hits debut in the fall to stay fresh in voters’ minds, there’s a growing group of successful films that doesn’t rely on this strategy: Sundance premieres focusing on underrepresented communities.
After 2009’s inner-city drama “Precious” picked up best adapted screenplay and supporting actress Oscars, several other films have made the year-long journey from Park City to the Academy Awards. Among them, 2010’s lesbian mom comedy “The Kids Are All Right,” 2012’s bayou fantasia “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” 2017’s racism thriller “Get Out” and 2020’s South Korean immigrant drama “Minari.” The fest’s 2021 hearing-impaired family saga “Coda” nabbed a best picture Oscar, and while no comparable hit emerged from last year’s virtual fest, the surprise smash “Everything Everywhere All at Once” is pulling off a similar hat trick. Since its March 11 SXSW premiere, the story of a Chinese-American immigrant family told with sci-fi,...
After 2009’s inner-city drama “Precious” picked up best adapted screenplay and supporting actress Oscars, several other films have made the year-long journey from Park City to the Academy Awards. Among them, 2010’s lesbian mom comedy “The Kids Are All Right,” 2012’s bayou fantasia “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” 2017’s racism thriller “Get Out” and 2020’s South Korean immigrant drama “Minari.” The fest’s 2021 hearing-impaired family saga “Coda” nabbed a best picture Oscar, and while no comparable hit emerged from last year’s virtual fest, the surprise smash “Everything Everywhere All at Once” is pulling off a similar hat trick. Since its March 11 SXSW premiere, the story of a Chinese-American immigrant family told with sci-fi,...
- 1/20/2023
- by Gregg Goldstein
- Variety Film + TV
A series by Juan Carlos Ojano. Introduction / Explanation
The 87th Oscars was the season that #OscarsSoWhite was born. When all 20 acting nominees were all white, lawyer April Reign took to Twitter to express her disappointment about the nominations. Exacerbating the issue that season was the presence/non-presence of the historical drama Selma. Despite a Best Picture nomination, the film missed nominations in all but one other category, with the most visible snubs being in Best Director (Ava DuVernay) and Best Actor (David Oyelowo). The tweets and hashtag prompted a snowballing industry-wide discussion on the lack of representation and racism at the Academy Awards and in Hollywood in general.
The lack of Oscar nomination for DuVernay, despite critical acclaim and Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice nominations, continue the then-long streak of female directors missing out in the Best Director category. Out of the 320 films included in the Reminder List of Eligible...
The 87th Oscars was the season that #OscarsSoWhite was born. When all 20 acting nominees were all white, lawyer April Reign took to Twitter to express her disappointment about the nominations. Exacerbating the issue that season was the presence/non-presence of the historical drama Selma. Despite a Best Picture nomination, the film missed nominations in all but one other category, with the most visible snubs being in Best Director (Ava DuVernay) and Best Actor (David Oyelowo). The tweets and hashtag prompted a snowballing industry-wide discussion on the lack of representation and racism at the Academy Awards and in Hollywood in general.
The lack of Oscar nomination for DuVernay, despite critical acclaim and Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice nominations, continue the then-long streak of female directors missing out in the Best Director category. Out of the 320 films included in the Reminder List of Eligible...
- 2/3/2022
- by Juan Carlos Ojano
- FilmExperience
On Tuesday morning, just before President Biden addressed the United Nations for the first time, more than 80 celebrities and entertainment figures issued an open letter to world leaders calling for them to end “the Covid-19 pandemic now.”
The letter, which mentioned the United Nations General Assembly Session specifically, was posted on the website of Care, an organization dedicated to ending poverty worldwide. It was signed by a raft of boldfaced names, including Eva Longoria, Debra Messing, Alyssa Milano, Anne Hathaway, Malin Akerman, Debbie Allen, Jordana Brewster, Connie Britton, Ciara, Peter Dinklage, Richard Gere, Dolores Huerta, Joel McHale, Iman, Edward James Olmos, Laura Linney, Julianna Margulies, Joel McHale, Idina Menzel, Ana Ortiz, Adam Shankman, Michael Sheen, Adam Shulman and Sarah Silverman. For a full list of signatories, see below.
Specifically, the letter calls Covid “a manmade pandemic of apathy.” It states that “Only 2% of people in low-income countries have received a single dose.
The letter, which mentioned the United Nations General Assembly Session specifically, was posted on the website of Care, an organization dedicated to ending poverty worldwide. It was signed by a raft of boldfaced names, including Eva Longoria, Debra Messing, Alyssa Milano, Anne Hathaway, Malin Akerman, Debbie Allen, Jordana Brewster, Connie Britton, Ciara, Peter Dinklage, Richard Gere, Dolores Huerta, Joel McHale, Iman, Edward James Olmos, Laura Linney, Julianna Margulies, Joel McHale, Idina Menzel, Ana Ortiz, Adam Shankman, Michael Sheen, Adam Shulman and Sarah Silverman. For a full list of signatories, see below.
Specifically, the letter calls Covid “a manmade pandemic of apathy.” It states that “Only 2% of people in low-income countries have received a single dose.
- 9/21/2021
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
ABC Owned Television Stations has partnered with Participant to produce the special “Our America: A Year of Activism,” which will stream beginning May 25 and feature three roundtable discussions of activism following the murder a year ago of George Floyd.
Prominent artists, activists and journalists featured in the discussions include Fred Hampton Jr., filmmaker Steve James, Ai-jen Poo, April Reign, ESPN senior writer Jesse Washington, Jimmie Briggs, Fredrika Newton, Marshall Hatch Jr., Steve James, Dr. Shamell Bell and Xaiver Brown.
ABC stations race and culture journalists Will Jones, TaRhonda Thomas and Julian Glover will moderating the panel discussions. Topics of the panels center on intergenerational activism, multiracial solidarity and media framing of racial justice issues, respectively.
“Our America: A Year of Activism” will stream on news apps for ABC stations ABC7/Wabc-tv New York, ABC7/Kabc-tv Los Angeles , ABC7/Wls-tv Chicago, 6Abc/Wpvi-tv Philadelphia, ABC7/Kgo-tv San Francisco, ABC13/Ktrk-tv Houston,...
Prominent artists, activists and journalists featured in the discussions include Fred Hampton Jr., filmmaker Steve James, Ai-jen Poo, April Reign, ESPN senior writer Jesse Washington, Jimmie Briggs, Fredrika Newton, Marshall Hatch Jr., Steve James, Dr. Shamell Bell and Xaiver Brown.
ABC stations race and culture journalists Will Jones, TaRhonda Thomas and Julian Glover will moderating the panel discussions. Topics of the panels center on intergenerational activism, multiracial solidarity and media framing of racial justice issues, respectively.
“Our America: A Year of Activism” will stream on news apps for ABC stations ABC7/Wabc-tv New York, ABC7/Kabc-tv Los Angeles , ABC7/Wls-tv Chicago, 6Abc/Wpvi-tv Philadelphia, ABC7/Kgo-tv San Francisco, ABC13/Ktrk-tv Houston,...
- 5/25/2021
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
The article was originally published on Sirp in Estonian, on April 16, 2021, just before the 2021 Oscar Awards Ceremony
The four Oscars “Parasite” won last year sent ripples across the whole movie industry, with the initial surprise giving its way into a plethora of questions about how something like that happened (not to mention former President’s Trump bewilderment) . Evidently, the team around “Parasite” did tremendous job promotion/lobbying-wise, “exploiting” the charisma of both Bong Joon-ho and Kang Ho-song but the question remains on how a group of people (the Academy) that back in 2016 faced controversy over a second straight year of all-white Oscar acting nominations, ended up voting for a Korean movie. Subsequently, another set of question arises. Is the Academy above racism now? Will we see more Asian productions receiving awards or was “Parasite” just an anomaly? And how does the whole issue with the recent racist attacks against Asian...
The four Oscars “Parasite” won last year sent ripples across the whole movie industry, with the initial surprise giving its way into a plethora of questions about how something like that happened (not to mention former President’s Trump bewilderment) . Evidently, the team around “Parasite” did tremendous job promotion/lobbying-wise, “exploiting” the charisma of both Bong Joon-ho and Kang Ho-song but the question remains on how a group of people (the Academy) that back in 2016 faced controversy over a second straight year of all-white Oscar acting nominations, ended up voting for a Korean movie. Subsequently, another set of question arises. Is the Academy above racism now? Will we see more Asian productions receiving awards or was “Parasite” just an anomaly? And how does the whole issue with the recent racist attacks against Asian...
- 5/2/2021
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
There were high hopes for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS)’ 93rd Academy Awards ceremony. For the first time in history, nearly half of the nominees in acting categories were people of color, and 70 women were nominated across all 23 categories. These were unprecedented numbers for an awards show that has existed for nearly a century. While some of this change resulted from AMPAS’ Academy Aperture 2020 Diversity Initiative (A2020) and the Tarana Burke-founded #MeToo Movement, the events of 2020 also shook Hollywood to its core.
As the world shuttered in early 2020 amid the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, we found new ways to connect through cinema. Stories like Sophia Nahli Allison’s “A Love Song for Latasha” and Garrett Bradley’s “Time” became easily accessible to audiences worldwide. There was also a racial reckoning in the final months of a tumultuous presidential administration, giving rise to a second Civil Rights Movement.
As the world shuttered in early 2020 amid the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, we found new ways to connect through cinema. Stories like Sophia Nahli Allison’s “A Love Song for Latasha” and Garrett Bradley’s “Time” became easily accessible to audiences worldwide. There was also a racial reckoning in the final months of a tumultuous presidential administration, giving rise to a second Civil Rights Movement.
- 4/26/2021
- by Aramide A Tinubu
- Indiewire
When Mia Neal, Jamika Wilson and Sergio Lopez-Rivera won the Oscar on Sunday for Best Makeup and Hairstyling for their work on Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Neal and Wilson became the first Black women to win the honor. When Neal took the stage at Union Station to accept the award, she used the opportunity to give shine to other Black, Asian, Latinx, Indigenous, queer, trans and everyone in the margins, saying of her monumental win: “One day it won’t be unusual or groundbreaking, it’ll just be normal.”
That describes the energy when it comes to diversity in film and TV as of late. As Hollywood and the Oscars attempt to move into a space of inclusivity and authentic representation, we celebrate “firsts,” but as people in the margins have said and will continue to say: “We still have a long way to go.” The real question is:...
That describes the energy when it comes to diversity in film and TV as of late. As Hollywood and the Oscars attempt to move into a space of inclusivity and authentic representation, we celebrate “firsts,” but as people in the margins have said and will continue to say: “We still have a long way to go.” The real question is:...
- 4/26/2021
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
#OscarsSoWhite was coined by April Reign in 2015 to describe the lack of diversity among the 20 acting nominees, but when it came to inclusion at the 2021 Oscars, it was categories behind the camera that saw multiple milestones take place.
Chloe Zhao is now the first woman of color (and second woman overall) to win best director. Taking the stage early Sunday evening at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles (in two other breaks from tradition), she quoted the opening line of 三字经 (Three Character Classic), the 13th-century text that many Chinese children around the world have been taught to memorize: ...
Chloe Zhao is now the first woman of color (and second woman overall) to win best director. Taking the stage early Sunday evening at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles (in two other breaks from tradition), she quoted the opening line of 三字经 (Three Character Classic), the 13th-century text that many Chinese children around the world have been taught to memorize: ...
- 4/26/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
#OscarsSoWhite was coined by April Reign in 2015 to describe the lack of diversity among the 20 acting nominees, but when it came to inclusion at the 2021 Oscars, it was categories behind the camera that saw multiple milestones take place.
Chloe Zhao is now the first woman of color (and second woman overall) to win best director. Taking the stage early Sunday evening at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles (in two other breaks from tradition), she quoted the opening line of 三字经 (Three Character Classic), the 13th-century text that many Chinese children around the world have been taught to memorize: ...
Chloe Zhao is now the first woman of color (and second woman overall) to win best director. Taking the stage early Sunday evening at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles (in two other breaks from tradition), she quoted the opening line of 三字经 (Three Character Classic), the 13th-century text that many Chinese children around the world have been taught to memorize: ...
- 4/26/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
For all intents and purposes, Sunday’s Golden Globes ceremony was an imitation of life; stars dressed up for “red carpet” pictures from homes and hotel suites around the world, before logging onto a Zoom meeting to hear the results. Even the show’s hosts were in different cities, interacting awkwardly around broadcast delays. But after a barrage of negative attention on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in the days leading up to the show, it was the imitation of sincerity in addressing the criticism that rankled most. In a half-hearted attempt to answer perhaps the biggest challenge to the HFPA’s integrity in its history — and there have been plenty — the org’s president Ali Sar, vice president Helen Hoehne and former president Meher Tatna dedicated less than a minute, in only 100 words, to their vow to do better, and in so doing, rushed through their meas culpa faster...
- 3/3/2021
- by Joe Utichi
- Deadline Film + TV
No one knows for sure if the 93rd Academy Awards ceremony, originally scheduled for February 28, 2021 and now postponed to April 25, will be live or virtual. It’s also unclear how the extended eligibility period for feature films could impact a handful of possible Oscar contenders that are yet to premiere, or what these changes could mean for the diversity of the nominees. But one thing is certain: The Academy will want a diverse field, given that studies have found a direct correlation between Oscar nominee diversity in major categories and viewership.
Given that ABC’s Oscar telecast generates a significant share of the Academy’s annual earnings, it’s crucial that the awards show maintains high ratings — even more so against the backdrop of a deadly pandemic that’s disproportionately affecting Black and brown people, as well as racial justice protests.
While strong 2020 contenders like “One Night in Miami,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,...
Given that ABC’s Oscar telecast generates a significant share of the Academy’s annual earnings, it’s crucial that the awards show maintains high ratings — even more so against the backdrop of a deadly pandemic that’s disproportionately affecting Black and brown people, as well as racial justice protests.
While strong 2020 contenders like “One Night in Miami,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,...
- 12/4/2020
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
The Emmy Awards this weekend produced headlines celebrating wins by Black actors — Zendaya, Regina King, The Cephas Jones family — and LGBTQ-identified creators, most notably Dan Levy of Pop TV’s Canadian import “Schitt’s Creek,” which won everything that wasn’t nailed down in the comedy categories. It was a night of “huge wins” and “landmark moments,” if you look at the press, not to mention the Television Academy’s own messaging: “We feel it is a very positive sign that over the past decade the well-deserved recognition of performers of color has increased from 1 in 10 to 1 in 3 nominees across all performer categories.”
It’s important to acknowledge that the shifts in representation in Hollywood award shows represents progress; it’s just as critical to point out that this progress has been slow, uneven and far short of what is necessary or desirable.
“One in three nominees” sounds more impressive than it actually is,...
It’s important to acknowledge that the shifts in representation in Hollywood award shows represents progress; it’s just as critical to point out that this progress has been slow, uneven and far short of what is necessary or desirable.
“One in three nominees” sounds more impressive than it actually is,...
- 9/21/2020
- by Jeff Yang
- The Wrap
On September 8, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences dropped a bombshell: Starting with the 2024 Oscars, any film that wanted Best Picture consideration would need to reflect inclusion standards both on screen and behind the camera. The move immediately drew both avid supporters and detractors.
Actress Kirstie Alley unleashed an indignant torrent of tweets after the academy announced its new standards, calling the guidelines “a disgrace to artists everywhere.”
I’ve been in the motion picture Academy for 40 years. The Academy celebrates freedom of Unbridled artistry expressed through movies. The new Rules to qualify for “best picture” are dictatorial .. anti-artist..Hollywood you’re swinging so far left you’re bumping into your own ass
— Kirstie Alley (@kirstiealley) September 9, 2020
The Black List founder Franklin Leonard had a more optimistic view.
Having taken a little but not enough time with them, I think I think of the Oscars diversity standards as...
Actress Kirstie Alley unleashed an indignant torrent of tweets after the academy announced its new standards, calling the guidelines “a disgrace to artists everywhere.”
I’ve been in the motion picture Academy for 40 years. The Academy celebrates freedom of Unbridled artistry expressed through movies. The new Rules to qualify for “best picture” are dictatorial .. anti-artist..Hollywood you’re swinging so far left you’re bumping into your own ass
— Kirstie Alley (@kirstiealley) September 9, 2020
The Black List founder Franklin Leonard had a more optimistic view.
Having taken a little but not enough time with them, I think I think of the Oscars diversity standards as...
- 9/10/2020
- by Anne Thompson and Tambay Obenson
- Thompson on Hollywood
On September 8, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences dropped a bombshell: Starting with the 2024 Oscars, any film that wanted Best Picture consideration would need to reflect inclusion standards both on screen and behind the camera. The move immediately drew both avid supporters and detractors.
Actress Kirstie Alley unleashed an indignant torrent of tweets after the academy announced its new standards, calling the guidelines “a disgrace to artists everywhere.”
I’ve been in the motion picture Academy for 40 years. The Academy celebrates freedom of Unbridled artistry expressed through movies. The new Rules to qualify for “best picture” are dictatorial .. anti-artist..Hollywood you’re swinging so far left you’re bumping into your own ass
— Kirstie Alley (@kirstiealley) September 9, 2020
The Black List founder Franklin Leonard had a more optimistic view.
Having taken a little but not enough time with them, I think I think of the Oscars diversity standards as...
Actress Kirstie Alley unleashed an indignant torrent of tweets after the academy announced its new standards, calling the guidelines “a disgrace to artists everywhere.”
I’ve been in the motion picture Academy for 40 years. The Academy celebrates freedom of Unbridled artistry expressed through movies. The new Rules to qualify for “best picture” are dictatorial .. anti-artist..Hollywood you’re swinging so far left you’re bumping into your own ass
— Kirstie Alley (@kirstiealley) September 9, 2020
The Black List founder Franklin Leonard had a more optimistic view.
Having taken a little but not enough time with them, I think I think of the Oscars diversity standards as...
- 9/10/2020
- by Anne Thompson and Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
Five years. That’s how long it’s been since the social media hashtag “#OscarsSoWhite” was created. Coined by April Reign in response to all 20 of the slots available to actors and actresses going to white performers, the phrase encapsulated a basic question about our culture that has come to challenge the status quo of the entertainment industry and beyond: Who determines excellence and why do their choices look so homogenous?
The Oscars have fitfully begun addressing these issues over the last few years—particularly after in 2016 all 20 acting nominations were held by white thespians again—but now for the first time in Academy history, the Oscars are creating a metric by which to demand inclusion and diversity among Best Picture nominees, as well as a measurement by which the Academy is allowing itself to be judged.
Thus enters the representation and inclusion standards announced by the Academy late Tuesday night.
The Oscars have fitfully begun addressing these issues over the last few years—particularly after in 2016 all 20 acting nominations were held by white thespians again—but now for the first time in Academy history, the Oscars are creating a metric by which to demand inclusion and diversity among Best Picture nominees, as well as a measurement by which the Academy is allowing itself to be judged.
Thus enters the representation and inclusion standards announced by the Academy late Tuesday night.
- 9/9/2020
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
When HBO’s marketing teams began crafting the influencer marketing campaign for their sci-fi thriller “Lovecraft Country,” they made sure to keep the blerd community in mind.
“It is cool to be a blerd now,” WarnerMedia’s senior VP of multicultural marketing Jackie Gagne tells Variety. “It is a very passionate group and we knew that there would be a lot of love for ‘Lovecraft Country’ and that those would be voices that would really help us drive awareness for the series.”
Over the last few years, the slang term for “Black nerd” has grown in both popular awareness and esteem, with more events and marketing created for and catering to the members of that community.
“We sort of picked up on this when we were first promoting ‘Westworld,’” Gagne says. “We knew the blerd community would really be interested in the subject matter, so we started to form and identify relationships a while ago.
“It is cool to be a blerd now,” WarnerMedia’s senior VP of multicultural marketing Jackie Gagne tells Variety. “It is a very passionate group and we knew that there would be a lot of love for ‘Lovecraft Country’ and that those would be voices that would really help us drive awareness for the series.”
Over the last few years, the slang term for “Black nerd” has grown in both popular awareness and esteem, with more events and marketing created for and catering to the members of that community.
“We sort of picked up on this when we were first promoting ‘Westworld,’” Gagne says. “We knew the blerd community would really be interested in the subject matter, so we started to form and identify relationships a while ago.
- 8/19/2020
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Jack Black Dances Shirtless Wearing a Cowboy Hat in TikTok Debut and Fans Go Wild: 'Just Perfection'
Jack Black is a TikTok star!
On Monday, the Jumanji: The Next Level actor made his debut on TikTok with his hilarious #StayAtHomeDance — which has sent his fans into a frenzy on social media.
In the video, which Black, 50, also shared on Instagram, the father of two goes shirtless with a cowboy hat and boots on as he delivers multiple twists and kicks throughout the dance.
At one point, Black accidentally knocks off his hat but plays it off successfully and continues on with some more impressive moves.
Black concludes his performance by putting his face right into the camera...
On Monday, the Jumanji: The Next Level actor made his debut on TikTok with his hilarious #StayAtHomeDance — which has sent his fans into a frenzy on social media.
In the video, which Black, 50, also shared on Instagram, the father of two goes shirtless with a cowboy hat and boots on as he delivers multiple twists and kicks throughout the dance.
At one point, Black accidentally knocks off his hat but plays it off successfully and continues on with some more impressive moves.
Black concludes his performance by putting his face right into the camera...
- 3/31/2020
- by Eric Todisco
- PEOPLE.com
Exclusive: HBO, TNT and TBS are heading to the Sundance Film Festival with “Our Stories to Tell”, a 3-day pop-up experience that will celebrate their commitment to multicultural storytelling, creators and audiences. This event will take place January 24-26 on Main Street in Park City, Utah.
Similar to the event held in November in Los Angeles, the invite-only event space will include interactive programming that will empower and celebrate diverse voices and the creatives that bring the networks’ award-winning programming to life. The event will include panel conversations and discussions with on-screen and behind-the-scenes talent, exclusive dinners with casts, and more to showcase ongoing initiatives that engage African American, Asian American, Lgbtq+, and Latinx audiences.
“We are excited to kick off 2020 by bringing Our Stories To Tell to the Sundance Film Festival. The creativity and powerful discussions this space has inspired since its inception in 2017 is truly impactful and we...
Similar to the event held in November in Los Angeles, the invite-only event space will include interactive programming that will empower and celebrate diverse voices and the creatives that bring the networks’ award-winning programming to life. The event will include panel conversations and discussions with on-screen and behind-the-scenes talent, exclusive dinners with casts, and more to showcase ongoing initiatives that engage African American, Asian American, Lgbtq+, and Latinx audiences.
“We are excited to kick off 2020 by bringing Our Stories To Tell to the Sundance Film Festival. The creativity and powerful discussions this space has inspired since its inception in 2017 is truly impactful and we...
- 1/17/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
After making some major strides last year, the nominations for the 92nd Annual Academy Awards are basically #OscarsSo WhitePart 2: #OscarsSoWhiterAndWithMoreMen, a sequel to the hashtag originated in 2015 by April Reign for the lack of diverse nominees. The Academy Awards took the non-inclusive torch that was carried by the BAFTA Awards and the Golden Globes. Only one actor of color were nominated in the major acting categories while women were shut out of Best Director. It was at least refreshing to see John Cho and Issa Rae unveil the nominations early Monday morning because they provided much-needed color to the announcement — both figuratively and literally.
For Best Supporting Actress, awards season favorite Jennifer Lopez was snubbed for her role in Hustlers while people will be tweeting #JusticeForNaiNai as The Farewell‘s Zhao Shuzhen was excluded as well. Speaking of Lulu Wang’s family drama, Awkwafina, who made history as the...
For Best Supporting Actress, awards season favorite Jennifer Lopez was snubbed for her role in Hustlers while people will be tweeting #JusticeForNaiNai as The Farewell‘s Zhao Shuzhen was excluded as well. Speaking of Lulu Wang’s family drama, Awkwafina, who made history as the...
- 1/13/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Shaking off widespread condemnation of a pair of key decisions that were later reversed, the Academy certainly could not bear any additional criticism. Especially not another #OscarsSoWhite backlash about the lack of diversity among this year’s nominees and winners. Luckily, compared to the previous 90 Academy Awards ceremonies, it made progress on both fronts: This year’s list of Oscar nominees represented one of the most diverse in Academy history; and with people of color winning in at least 10 categories, including the majors, the 2019 event sent the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag on a well-deserved vacation, however shortlived.
A diversity highlight of the evening was for three of the four acting categories to go to actors of color, a very rare occurrence: Rami Malek, Regina King, and Mahershala Ali.
Also noteworthy was the record number of black winners. With wins by King and Ali, as well as Ruth Carter, Hannah Beachler, Peter Ramsey,...
A diversity highlight of the evening was for three of the four acting categories to go to actors of color, a very rare occurrence: Rami Malek, Regina King, and Mahershala Ali.
Also noteworthy was the record number of black winners. With wins by King and Ali, as well as Ruth Carter, Hannah Beachler, Peter Ramsey,...
- 2/25/2019
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
It was deja vu for Spike Lee at the Oscars. The filmmaker, who won Best Adapted Screenplay for “BlacKkKlansman,” was, well, less than thrilled when “Green Book” won Best Picture on Sunday. In the press room backstage, with a glass of champagne in hand, he vented his frustration and spoke about “Green Book” for the first time this season (watch above).
“This is my sixth glass [of champagne] and you know why. I’m snake-bit. Every time somebody is driving somebody, I lose! But in ’89 I didn’t get nominated, so,” Lee said, referring to “Driving Miss Daisy” (1989) winning Best Picture the year his seminal “Do the Right Thing” wasn’t even nominated.
“Green Book,” of course, has been compared to “Driving Miss Daisy”: two gentle race dramedies featuring a black person and a white person in car. Neither film received a directing nomination either. During awards season, when asked about “Green Book,...
“This is my sixth glass [of champagne] and you know why. I’m snake-bit. Every time somebody is driving somebody, I lose! But in ’89 I didn’t get nominated, so,” Lee said, referring to “Driving Miss Daisy” (1989) winning Best Picture the year his seminal “Do the Right Thing” wasn’t even nominated.
“Green Book,” of course, has been compared to “Driving Miss Daisy”: two gentle race dramedies featuring a black person and a white person in car. Neither film received a directing nomination either. During awards season, when asked about “Green Book,...
- 2/25/2019
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
The backstage press corps here at the Oscars had questions for Spike Lee after his reaction to Green Book winning Best Picture on Sunday night.
Asked backstage at the Dolby Theatre if his Adapted Screenplay win for BlacKkKlansman makes up for Do the Right Thing loss at the 1990 Oscars and the Academy overlooking it for a Best Picture nomination, Lee quipped in reference to that year’s Driving Miss Daisy Best Picture win: “I’m snake bit. Every time somebody is driving somebody, I lose – but they changed the seating arrangement!”
Pressed again about his sore-loser response in the theater after Green Book was announced as the winner, Lee responded, “Oh wait a minute, what reaction did you see? What did I do?” he continued. “No, I thought I was courtside at the [Madison Square] Garden. The ref made a bad call.”
Still, while Lee didn’t win Best Picture, he finally found himself in that category,...
Asked backstage at the Dolby Theatre if his Adapted Screenplay win for BlacKkKlansman makes up for Do the Right Thing loss at the 1990 Oscars and the Academy overlooking it for a Best Picture nomination, Lee quipped in reference to that year’s Driving Miss Daisy Best Picture win: “I’m snake bit. Every time somebody is driving somebody, I lose – but they changed the seating arrangement!”
Pressed again about his sore-loser response in the theater after Green Book was announced as the winner, Lee responded, “Oh wait a minute, what reaction did you see? What did I do?” he continued. “No, I thought I was courtside at the [Madison Square] Garden. The ref made a bad call.”
Still, while Lee didn’t win Best Picture, he finally found himself in that category,...
- 2/25/2019
- by Matt Grobar and Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
The road to this year’s Academy Awards has been quite a rough one. First, there was a host, then there wasn’t. There were talks of getting another host, then they decided against it. From there, the Academy said they were pulling musical performances and then the big one: they were going to cut the awards for Best Editing and Best Cinematography from the telecast in an effort to shave off time. That didn’t sit well with the masses so they put them back in. That said, Deadline asked actors and filmmakers their thoughts on the changes, this crazy journey to Sunday night’s ceremony and how it will impact tonight’s ceremony and the future of the Oscars.
“It’s interesting… a lot of the time, we think about what might affect a show — but people will still tune in to see what will happen. People will appreciate that,...
“It’s interesting… a lot of the time, we think about what might affect a show — but people will still tune in to see what will happen. People will appreciate that,...
- 2/25/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
This year the Academy Awards seem to have managed to steer clear of an “Oscars So White” scandal, while navigating a seemingly endless succession of negative stories that have, miraculously, still not managed to completely derail the glitziest night in the showbiz calendar. Originally coined by the blogger April Reign, “Oscars so white” was a phrase that caught on in 2015 to describe the consistent lack of diversity at the Academy Awards: that year, not a single person of color was nominated in any of the acting, directing or writing categories. That is, 0 nominations out of 35. Quite astonishingly, the same situation occurred at the awards in 2016. Since then, cursory amends have been made, in part with a Best Picture win for Moonlight in 2017, which also won key awards for Barry Jenkins (best screenplay) and Mahershala Ali (best supporting actress), while Viola Davis won in the same year for Fences. These changes...
- 2/22/2019
- MUBI
The sun had not yet come up on the West Coast on Jan. 22 when Spike Lee heard the title of his film BlacKkKlansman spoken six times in major categories at the announcement of the 2019 Academy Award nominees. The nods included best picture and best director, his first in the category. Lee would later say he was convinced that the recognition for the film and for himself, specifically, would not have happened without #OscarsSoWhite. The tweet-turned-movement launched by April Reign with a single tweet in 2015 (as a response to that year’s nominees across all acting categories, which ...
- 2/19/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The sun had not yet come up on the West Coast on Jan. 22 when Spike Lee heard the title of his film BlacKkKlansman spoken six times in major categories at the announcement of the 2019 Academy Award nominees. The nods included best picture and best director, his first in the category. Lee would later say he was convinced that the recognition for the film and for himself, specifically, would not have happened without #OscarsSoWhite. The tweet-turned-movement launched by April Reign with a single tweet in 2015 (as a response to that year’s nominees across all acting categories, which ...
- 2/19/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
This story about Spike Lee first appeared in the Down to the Wire issue of TheWrap’s Oscar magazine.
This time three years ago, Spike Lee respectfully turned down an invitation to attend the Oscars after the Academy failed to nominate a single person of color across all four acting categories for the second consecutive year. Lee said both then and now that he’s constantly asked about the state of diversity in the industry, and he issued a challenge to journalists to ask the white nominees what they think of the racial disparity.
Now Lee has his own Oscar nomination for directing “BlacKkKlansman.” Remarkably, it’s his first directing nomination in a career that has included such notable films as “Do the Right Thing” and “Malcolm X,” and a career that has netted him an Honorary Oscar. (The film’s Best Picture nomination is also the first for a “Spike Lee Joint.
This time three years ago, Spike Lee respectfully turned down an invitation to attend the Oscars after the Academy failed to nominate a single person of color across all four acting categories for the second consecutive year. Lee said both then and now that he’s constantly asked about the state of diversity in the industry, and he issued a challenge to journalists to ask the white nominees what they think of the racial disparity.
Now Lee has his own Oscar nomination for directing “BlacKkKlansman.” Remarkably, it’s his first directing nomination in a career that has included such notable films as “Do the Right Thing” and “Malcolm X,” and a career that has netted him an Honorary Oscar. (The film’s Best Picture nomination is also the first for a “Spike Lee Joint.
- 2/13/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
In today’s TV news roundup, Ken Jeong is set to guest star on an episode of ABC’s “The Kids Are Alright,” Showtime sets the Season 4 premiere date for “Billions” and AMC released first look images for the upcoming midseason return of “The Walking Dead.”
Dates
Showtime has set the “Billions” Season 4 premiere date for March 17 at 9 p.m. In this season, Bobby Axelrod (Damian Lewis), Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti) and Wendy Rhoades (Maggie Siff) have formed an uneasy alliance to eradicate their rivals. Also starring in the series is John Malkovich, Asia Kate Dillon, Toby Leonard Moore and Clancy Brown alongside new guest stars Samantha Mathis, Kevin Pollak, Jade Eshete and Nina Arianda. Watch a teaser for the show below.
First Looks
AMC has released the official key art for the upcoming midseason return of “The Walking Dead” on Feb. 10 at 9:00 p.m. The key art also...
Dates
Showtime has set the “Billions” Season 4 premiere date for March 17 at 9 p.m. In this season, Bobby Axelrod (Damian Lewis), Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti) and Wendy Rhoades (Maggie Siff) have formed an uneasy alliance to eradicate their rivals. Also starring in the series is John Malkovich, Asia Kate Dillon, Toby Leonard Moore and Clancy Brown alongside new guest stars Samantha Mathis, Kevin Pollak, Jade Eshete and Nina Arianda. Watch a teaser for the show below.
First Looks
AMC has released the official key art for the upcoming midseason return of “The Walking Dead” on Feb. 10 at 9:00 p.m. The key art also...
- 12/20/2018
- by Nate Nickolai
- Variety Film + TV
Each year, the same debate rages: Can a movie about superheroes be a legitimate contender for a best picture Academy Award nomination?
The answer, so far, has been a taunting laugh followed by a hard no. After all, as UCLA associate professor of sociology Gabriel Rossman — who worked with University of Arizona assistant professor of management and organizations Oliver Schilke to develop an algorithm that determines what they’ve dubbed a film’s “Oscar appeal” — puts it: the rules have routinely been that “you can sell popcorn or get Oscars” and cinema based on comics “are movies that sell popcorn.”
But the tides may slowly be changing. Blockbusters featuring superheroes that also tackle big social issues and more intimate and personal, yet universal, demons command the world’s attention. Director and co-writer Christopher Nolan’s 2008 Batman film “The Dark Knight,” a cinematic feat that also dealt with such topical issues as privacy and technology,...
The answer, so far, has been a taunting laugh followed by a hard no. After all, as UCLA associate professor of sociology Gabriel Rossman — who worked with University of Arizona assistant professor of management and organizations Oliver Schilke to develop an algorithm that determines what they’ve dubbed a film’s “Oscar appeal” — puts it: the rules have routinely been that “you can sell popcorn or get Oscars” and cinema based on comics “are movies that sell popcorn.”
But the tides may slowly be changing. Blockbusters featuring superheroes that also tackle big social issues and more intimate and personal, yet universal, demons command the world’s attention. Director and co-writer Christopher Nolan’s 2008 Batman film “The Dark Knight,” a cinematic feat that also dealt with such topical issues as privacy and technology,...
- 12/6/2018
- by Carole Horst
- Variety Film + TV
In 2015, April Reign’s viral hashtag campaign #OscarsSoWhite indicted the Academy for its lack of recognition of contributions made by creatives of color. Since then, on-screen representation has become a cause célèbre, with inclusivity initiatives that aim to navigate culture toward more gender and racial equality. However, numbers don’t tell the full story: How much freedom do black creators have when the storytelling expectations remain mired in variations of the black struggle?
This year, there are more Best Picture Oscar contenders centered on black lives than ever, but themes largely center on the complications of race and/or racism in films like “Green Book,” “BlacKkKlansman,” and “If Beale Street Could Talk.” And while the concerns of “Black Panther” are more intraracial, it’s a conflict rooted in the notion of a united global black liberation in response to white supremacy. The exception that proves the rule is Steve McQueen...
This year, there are more Best Picture Oscar contenders centered on black lives than ever, but themes largely center on the complications of race and/or racism in films like “Green Book,” “BlacKkKlansman,” and “If Beale Street Could Talk.” And while the concerns of “Black Panther” are more intraracial, it’s a conflict rooted in the notion of a united global black liberation in response to white supremacy. The exception that proves the rule is Steve McQueen...
- 11/16/2018
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
April Reign, the creator of the #OscarsSoWhite movement that paved the way for more Hollywood diversity, is calling on the TV Academy to "go further" with inclusion after Monday night's Emmy Awards.
"I [want] to make clear to @theEmmys and anyone else who is under a mistaken impression, that 'diversity' doesn't just mean 'more Blacks,'" Reign wrote in a Twitter thread Tuesday morning. "How many non-Black people of color do you remember during @TheEmmys last night? How many openly Lgbt+ people? How many visibly disabled folks were part of the staff ...
"I [want] to make clear to @theEmmys and anyone else who is under a mistaken impression, that 'diversity' doesn't just mean 'more Blacks,'" Reign wrote in a Twitter thread Tuesday morning. "How many non-Black people of color do you remember during @TheEmmys last night? How many openly Lgbt+ people? How many visibly disabled folks were part of the staff ...
- 9/18/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Considering it was the MTV Video Music Awards, one would think they would have some sort of tribute to the late, great Aretha Franklin — and they did. Madonna stepped out on the stage at the VMAs adorned in a graduation robe and what looks like everything from her jewelry box, then paid homage to the Queen of Soul…but it wasn’t the tribute many people had in mind.
The Material Girl, who made her Vma debut in 1984 in a memorable, body-writhing performance of “Like of a Virgin,” was all set to the present the award for Video of the Year but as she stepped onstage, an image of Franklin flashed on the screen behind her. Many, including myself, feared that Madonna was going to sing a song by the Queen, but fortunately, she spared us. Instead, she shared a story of her early days as a struggling singer and...
The Material Girl, who made her Vma debut in 1984 in a memorable, body-writhing performance of “Like of a Virgin,” was all set to the present the award for Video of the Year but as she stepped onstage, an image of Franklin flashed on the screen behind her. Many, including myself, feared that Madonna was going to sing a song by the Queen, but fortunately, she spared us. Instead, she shared a story of her early days as a struggling singer and...
- 8/21/2018
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
What's happening here? Social media is in a frenzy over a scene from Mission: Impossible — Fallout which appears to show star Henry Cavill growing a beard in a matter of seconds. In the scene, Cavill, who plays August Walker in the movie, prepares to fight by throwing a few test punches, seemingly reloading his arms, and walking forward. But as he walks, Cavill's beard looks to be getting thicker with every step. "There's a scene in Mission Impossible: Fallout @MissionFilm in which Henry Cavill has a growing in beard, then he doesn't, then he does again. In... seconds. I thought I was imagining it," April Reign tweeted Tuesday, also noting that his shirt also seems to grow a pocket...
- 8/1/2018
- E! Online
The backlash following Scarlett Johansson’s recent casting in New Regency’s mob drama Rub & Tug as a woman who identifies as man is not abating.
Johansson was set last week to play the real live Dante “Tex” Gill in the pic to be directed by her Ghost in the Shell helmer Rupert Sanders. The plot centers on Gill, a crime kingpin in the 1970s who ran a string of Pittsburgh massage parlors and an anabolic steroids ring that helped fuel the Steelers’ NFL dynasty.
Gill was born as Lois Jean Gill but identified as a man — a detail in the role that has sparked backlash.
Trace Lysette, a transgender woman best known for her role in Amazon’s Transparent, took to Twitter to air out her frustrations over Johansson’s casting.
“Oh word?? So you can continue to play us but we can’t play y’all?,” Lysette wrote.
Johansson was set last week to play the real live Dante “Tex” Gill in the pic to be directed by her Ghost in the Shell helmer Rupert Sanders. The plot centers on Gill, a crime kingpin in the 1970s who ran a string of Pittsburgh massage parlors and an anabolic steroids ring that helped fuel the Steelers’ NFL dynasty.
Gill was born as Lois Jean Gill but identified as a man — a detail in the role that has sparked backlash.
Trace Lysette, a transgender woman best known for her role in Amazon’s Transparent, took to Twitter to air out her frustrations over Johansson’s casting.
“Oh word?? So you can continue to play us but we can’t play y’all?,” Lysette wrote.
- 7/6/2018
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
Actress Scarlett Johansson is in hot water once again for her recent choice to play massage parlor owner Dante “Tex” Gill in the upcoming mob drama Rub & Tug. The real-life Gill was born as Lois Jean Gill, but identified as a man — which is a detail in the role that has sparked backlash.
April Reign, who is known for the #OscarsSoWhite campaign, tweeted about the news: “Scarlett Johansson received considerable backlash for Ghost in the Shell, when she played a whitewashed Asian character. The movie tanked. Undeterred, she has teamed up With The Same Director to play a trans male character in Rub & Tug.”
Reign’s tweet also includes a statement from Johansson via her representative that was featured on Bustle which addressed the backlash — in her own special way. She said: “Tell them that they can be directed to Jeffrey Tambor, Jared Leto, and Felicity Huffman’s reps for comment.
April Reign, who is known for the #OscarsSoWhite campaign, tweeted about the news: “Scarlett Johansson received considerable backlash for Ghost in the Shell, when she played a whitewashed Asian character. The movie tanked. Undeterred, she has teamed up With The Same Director to play a trans male character in Rub & Tug.”
Reign’s tweet also includes a statement from Johansson via her representative that was featured on Bustle which addressed the backlash — in her own special way. She said: “Tell them that they can be directed to Jeffrey Tambor, Jared Leto, and Felicity Huffman’s reps for comment.
- 7/3/2018
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Toronto International Film Festival wants to see your miniature masterpieces.
Tiff joins forces with Instagram to present the TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival, a digital shorts competition that invites aspiring and established filmmakers from around the globe to share their original 60-second-or-less short films.
A total of 30 finalists will be selected and highlighted on Tiff’s Instagram channel between July 10 and 18 before the jury selects a winner for the Jury’s Choice Award.
Submissions close June 18Festival jury unveiled
An all-star, all-women jury helms this year’s editionTIFF joins forces with Instagram to present the TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival, a digital shorts competition that invites aspiring and established filmmakers from around the globe to share their original 60-second-or-less short films. This year, in an effort to be the change we want to see, the TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival is dedicated to meeting gender parity within its final selection — and we’re supporting this goal...
Tiff joins forces with Instagram to present the TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival, a digital shorts competition that invites aspiring and established filmmakers from around the globe to share their original 60-second-or-less short films.
A total of 30 finalists will be selected and highlighted on Tiff’s Instagram channel between July 10 and 18 before the jury selects a winner for the Jury’s Choice Award.
Submissions close June 18Festival jury unveiled
An all-star, all-women jury helms this year’s editionTIFF joins forces with Instagram to present the TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival, a digital shorts competition that invites aspiring and established filmmakers from around the globe to share their original 60-second-or-less short films. This year, in an effort to be the change we want to see, the TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival is dedicated to meeting gender parity within its final selection — and we’re supporting this goal...
- 6/7/2018
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Some of Hollywood’s leading gender equality activists will take part in the second annual Women’s Media Summit, including keynote speaker Dr. Stacy Smith, producer Fanshen Cox Digiovanni, and attorney Kalpana Kotaga — the co-creators of Hollywood’s “inclusion rider.” The summit will be held April 5-7 in Provincetown, Ma.
Smith, founder and director of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative at the USC/Annenberg School of Journalism, first proposed the adoption of “inclusion riders” in Hollywood contracts back in 2014. But they remained largely unknown until Frances McDormand finished her best actress acceptance speech earlier this month by saying: “I have two words for you: inclusion rider.”
As conceived by Smith, who is widely regarded as one of the leading researchers and advocates for diversity in the entertainment industry, inclusion riders are addenda to employment contracts designed to create more equitable casting and hiring of behind-the-scenes workers.
Digiovanni, who is to head...
Smith, founder and director of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative at the USC/Annenberg School of Journalism, first proposed the adoption of “inclusion riders” in Hollywood contracts back in 2014. But they remained largely unknown until Frances McDormand finished her best actress acceptance speech earlier this month by saying: “I have two words for you: inclusion rider.”
As conceived by Smith, who is widely regarded as one of the leading researchers and advocates for diversity in the entertainment industry, inclusion riders are addenda to employment contracts designed to create more equitable casting and hiring of behind-the-scenes workers.
Digiovanni, who is to head...
- 3/29/2018
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Last week saw the official launch of Akuarel, a digital database for minorities seeking work in Hollywood and other creative industries. It’s the brainchild of April Reign, best known as the creator of #OscarsSoWhite, who’s been working on the initiative for two years; the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association built the website itself and partnered with the Motion Picture Association of America on the project.
“This answers one of the issues raised by #OscarsSoWhite of studios saying, ‘We want to work with people from marginalized communities, but we just don’t know where to find them,’” Reign told Mic in a recent interview. “This is going to drop them right in their lap.”
“Our main objective now is to get Akuarel populated by the talent and the stakeholders themselves,” added David Morgan of the Mmca. “The value to the studios will be once it’s sufficiently populated. A lot...
“This answers one of the issues raised by #OscarsSoWhite of studios saying, ‘We want to work with people from marginalized communities, but we just don’t know where to find them,’” Reign told Mic in a recent interview. “This is going to drop them right in their lap.”
“Our main objective now is to get Akuarel populated by the talent and the stakeholders themselves,” added David Morgan of the Mmca. “The value to the studios will be once it’s sufficiently populated. A lot...
- 3/12/2018
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Last night, the 90th Academy Awards proved a step in the right direction for representation in Hollywood. Jordan Peele became the first African-American writer-director to win best original screenplay for “Get Out,” Mexican helmer Guillermo del Toro won best director for “The Shape of Water,” and best actress winner Frances McDormand ending her rousing acceptance speech with two words: “inclusion rider.” Since 2015 when former lawyer April Reign penned the battle cry tweet of “#OscarsSoWhite,” there has been a particular focus on holding Hollywood accountable for its lack of stories on the big screen by and for marginalized communities and artists of color. Reign, who now works as a public speaker and social organizer, has a new project that debuted in conjunction with the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association (Mmca): Akuarel, a directory for identifying diverse talent in America’s media. In a March 1 string of tweets announcing the new database,...
- 3/5/2018
- backstage.com
Amon Warmann Feb 6, 2018
We chat with the #OscarsSoWhite creator about how Hollywood can improve inclusivity both behind and in front of the camera
In January 2015, activist April Reign birthed the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag in response to what would be the first of two consecutive years in which people of colour were absent from the acting categories in the Academy Awards. In the years since it has become the focal point of the Oscar conversation, and although there has been some uptick in the Academy’s recognition of creatives from traditionally underrepresented communities in recent years it’s clear that there is still plenty of work to be done.
The week after this year’s nominations were announced we spoke with Reign on what she feels is “Oscars So White 3.0”, and what steps the industry can take to remedy the recurring issues going forward.
In the build-up to this year’s Oscar nominations,...
We chat with the #OscarsSoWhite creator about how Hollywood can improve inclusivity both behind and in front of the camera
In January 2015, activist April Reign birthed the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag in response to what would be the first of two consecutive years in which people of colour were absent from the acting categories in the Academy Awards. In the years since it has become the focal point of the Oscar conversation, and although there has been some uptick in the Academy’s recognition of creatives from traditionally underrepresented communities in recent years it’s clear that there is still plenty of work to be done.
The week after this year’s nominations were announced we spoke with Reign on what she feels is “Oscars So White 3.0”, and what steps the industry can take to remedy the recurring issues going forward.
In the build-up to this year’s Oscar nominations,...
- 2/5/2018
- Den of Geek
It started with a chance meeting at the coat check.
April Reign — creator of the #OscarSoWhite movement that upended the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and paved the way for a more diverse membership — went to hand over her coat at a Jan. 20 Power Women's Cocktail event put on by Franklin Leonard, founder of The Black List, when she met a young female filmmaker. The woman, Kaia Burke, told Reign she was attending the Hotel Park City-set reception with her mother. "That's great," Reign recalls of the moment, which showed the first-time Sundance Film Festival...
April Reign — creator of the #OscarSoWhite movement that upended the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and paved the way for a more diverse membership — went to hand over her coat at a Jan. 20 Power Women's Cocktail event put on by Franklin Leonard, founder of The Black List, when she met a young female filmmaker. The woman, Kaia Burke, told Reign she was attending the Hotel Park City-set reception with her mother. "That's great," Reign recalls of the moment, which showed the first-time Sundance Film Festival...
- 1/31/2018
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
As Women’s History Month comes to an end, VH1 is celebrating the achievements of black women in the world of comedy with a new documentary.
All Jokes Aside: Black Women In Comedy features a host of talented ladies—including Martin’s Tichina Arnold and Insecure‘s Yvonne Orji—discussing how they deal with racism, sexism and the lack of representation in the industry.
“As a black person, it’s hard,” Arnold says. “Black female comedians channel their anger through the comedy. We’re not complainers, which is why I think people put that ‘Angry Black Woman’ tag on us.
All Jokes Aside: Black Women In Comedy features a host of talented ladies—including Martin’s Tichina Arnold and Insecure‘s Yvonne Orji—discussing how they deal with racism, sexism and the lack of representation in the industry.
“As a black person, it’s hard,” Arnold says. “Black female comedians channel their anger through the comedy. We’re not complainers, which is why I think people put that ‘Angry Black Woman’ tag on us.
- 3/30/2017
- by Brianne Tracy
- PEOPLE.com
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