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The American Film Institute (AFI) has officially announced the eight filmmakers for the upcoming AFI Dww+ Class of 2026, where each will go through the production cycle of a short film. IndieWire shares the class exclusively here.

The artists selected for the AFI Dww+ Class of 2026 are Ragini Bhasin, Reena Dutt, Maja Fernqvist, Melissa Fisher, Ran Jing, Eunice Levis, Chaconne Martin-Berkowicz, and Destinee Stewart.

Each participant went through a rigorous selection process and was ultimately selected from 20 finalists who met with a final selection committee. AFI also announced that Marie Jamora (a graduate of AFI Dww 2020) has been named the AFI Dww+ guest artistic director for the Class of 2026.

“For over 50 years, AFI Dww+ has had a meaningful impact on the industry,” said Susan Ruskin, dean of the AFI Conservatory and executive vice president of the American Film Institute. “We are honored that AFI Dww+ Alum and trailblazing director, Marie Jamora,...

“How to Die Alone” will not return for Season 2 at Hulu. The Onyx Collective series starring and created by Natasha Rothwell was canceled Tuesday, but the actress shared her hopes to find a new home to continue the story.

“I am shocked, heartbroken and frankly, baffled that Onyx has decided not to move forward with a second season of ‘How to Die Alone.’ This is a tough reality to accept because the show is an undeniable critical, creative and award-winning success,” Rothwell said in a statement. “This show took me eight years to bring to life, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned in that time, it’s resilience. I’m not giving up. My team and I are committed to finding ‘How to Die Alone’ a new home because stories like this matter.”

The eight-episode first season followed Mel, “a broke, fat, Black JFK Airport employee who...

“How to Die Alone,” the comedy series created by and starring Natasha Rothwell, has been canceled after one season on Hulu.

The series hailed from Onyx Collective, a Disney content brand that produces projects created by people of color and from underrepresented communities. Onyx gave “How to Die Alone” a series order in November of 2022 before releasing it in September 2024.

In a statement to Variety, Rothwell wrote that she is “shocked, heartbroken and frankly, baffled” at Onyx’s decision. Though a source close to the studio indicates that viewership wasn’t strong enough to renew “How to Die Alone,” Rothwell argues that it was “an undeniable critical, creative and award-winning success.” Indeed, the series achieved a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, with Variety‘s review calling it “skillfully crafted” and Rothwell’s performance “flawless.” It also won the Independent Spirit Award for ensemble cast in a new scripted series and has three...

President Jimmy Carter posthumously won his fourth Grammy for best audiobook narration at the 2025 Grammy Awards on Sunday.

Carter won the trophy for his narration of Last Sundays in Plains: A Centennial Celebration, a 10-track album of folk songs and Sunday school lessons from the former president. The album came out in August 2024, less than two months before Carter turned 100. He died on Dec. 29. The late president’s grandson, Jason Carter, accepted the trophy onstage.

“My grandfather was incredibly important to me,” Jason said. “Over these last few weeks, we’ve felt this enormous outpouring of love from all around the world, from many of the people in this room, and I just want to say that having his words captured in this way for my family and for the world is truly remarkable.”

Jason went on to introduce Kabir Sehgal, also onstage, who provided instrumental arrangements for the album.

Just over a month after his death on Dec. 29, 2024, at age 100, Jimmy Carter won a posthumous Grammy for Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording for Last Sundays in Plains: A Centennial Celebration. He defeated Barbra Streisand (My Name Is Barbra), Dolly Parton (Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones), producer Guy Oldfield (All You Need Is Love: The Beatles in Their Own Words), and George Clinton (…And Your Ass Will Follow). It was Carter’s fourth victory after a storied post-presidential career, the longest of any former president in U.S. history.

Carter’s one term in office was beset by challenges including economic stress, an energy crisis, and the Iran hostage crisis, the last of which largely contributed to his failure to secure a second term in the White House. He was defeated by Ronald Reagan in 1980 and left office in 1981, after which Carter focused on humanitarian work,...

Despite losing his home in the LA Wildfires, General Hospital star Cameron Mathison continues to forge ahead with a positive attitude. Clearly, in a headspace to reflect on life, he’s been writing on social media about his and his family’s major loss. He recently posted some thoughtful quotes that are getting him through these tough times.

He’s the Quote King

Mathison posted six photos on Instagram, five of which had him shirtless and showing off his muscular physique, with the overlaid text, “5 Quotes That Have Stuck With Me.” Each image had a quote from a famous person on it, and he captioned them, “Comment below which ones stuck with you...

The National Women’s History Museum (Nwhm) announced today details surrounding their annual Women Making History Awards Gala, set to take place on March 20 at The Anthem in Washington D.C.

This year’s event, which celebrates extraordinary, trailblazing women who have made a profound contribution to society, will honor inventor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Sara Blakely; Dr. Opal Lee, the “Grandmother of Juneteenth;” and advocate for transformative research and education Shirley Welsh Ryan. Mattel, celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, will receive the inaugural Evelyn Y. Davis Women Making History Corporate Changemaker Award, which will be accepted by Mattel EVP and Chief Brand Officer Lisa McKnight. Award-winning actress and icon Meryl Streep will serve as the honorary chair of the evening, and the program will be hosted by CBS News award-winning journalist Norah O’Donnell.

The gala will also feature live entertainment, including the premier of the organization’s inaugural song composed...

Jimmy Carter died on Dec. 29 at age 100, after almost two years in hospice care. He lived longer than any U.S. president in history. And his influence extended beyond his tenure in the White House. After he was voted out and left office in 1981, Carter focused on philanthropy and humanitarianism, becoming especially well known for his work with Habitat for Humanity, and eventually earned a Nobel Peace Prize. He was also a prolific author, and in that capacity Carter became a three-time Grammy winner for his audiobooks. Now it looks like a forth win is coming.

According to the combined predictions of Gold Derby users, Carter is the frontrunner to win Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling for Last Sunday in Plains: A Centennial Celebration, with more than two-thirds of pundits (66.8 percent) betting on him to prevail, and for good reason. He has earned nine previous nominations for Best Spoken Word Album,...

Chance The Rapper’s Divorce Update ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Chance The Rapper and his wife, Kristen Corley, are parting ways as she has taken steps to end their marriage. As per the latest reports, Corley filed for divorce from the rapper last Friday, just shy of what would have been their sixth wedding anniversary.

The former couple shares two young daughters, Kensli, 9, and Marli, 5. Details about whether Corley is requesting spousal or child support remain unclear, as the legal filings have not been publicly accessible.

Chance, whose fortune is estimated to be around $25 million, has yet to make a remake of the matter.

Trending Jay-Z Accuser Admits Inconsistencies In Lawsuit Over Alleged 2000 Rape

The White Lotus Season 3 Trailer Review

Chance the Rapper and Kristen Corley Announced Their Separation Back in April

Chance, 31, and Kristen Corley revealed their separation in April.

“After a period of separation, the two of us have decided to part ways,...

1000-Lb Sisters star Amy Slaton has made many people laugh with her silly jokes over the years. Even though her sister, Tammy, doesn’t often appreciate her silly personality, a lot of fans can’t help but laugh at her actions. TLC also released a new clip featuring Amy confessing about a huge royalty crush. Keep reading to see who it was.

1000-Lb Sisters: Amy Slaton Upsets Sister Tammy

The previous episode of 1000-Lb Sisters featured another fallout between Amy and Tammy. Their supposed fun night out turned into a huge fight after Tammy criticized her sister for her disgusting behavior during their limousine bonding time. This wasn’t the first time Tammy threw tantrums at her sister.

Amy Slaton From 1000-Lb Sisters, TLC, Sourced From TLC YouTube

Fighting has been common between the two. Some of their fights even turned physical. But despite all their chaos, the two...

Amy Slaton and Chris Combs are about to find out some secrets, according to a preview clip from 1000-Lb Sisters. Amy and Chris have undergone extraordinary weight loss journeys in recent years. Chris isn't very active on social media, but when he does post an update, fans always love seeing how much progress he has made, both on and off the show. Amy has faced her share of scandals, particularly lately, outside of 1000-Lb Sisters season 6, but her weight loss accomplishments have rightly been praised. Their sister, Tammy Slaton, has seen the biggest transformation out of them all.

In the next episode of 1000-Lb Sisters season 6, Amy and Chris attempt to learn secrets about their family.

E! News shared a preview clip from the next episode of 1000-Lb Sisters season 6, in which Amy and Chris attempt to figure out if they are related in some way to the British royal family.

AI-cloned versions of legendary U.K. broadcaster David Attenborough’s voice are multiplying online — and he’s not happy about it. “Having spent a lifetime trying to speak what I believe to be the truth,” the 98-year-old naturalist and Planet Earth narrator told BBC News, “I’m profoundly disturbed to find that these days my identity is being stolen by others — and greatly object to them using it to say whatever they wish.”

BBC News discovered multiple sites offering AI-generated versions of Attenborough’s stentorian voice that are often indistinguishable from the real thing,...

Where does one locate the nexus of historic political change? For some documentarians, it is in the big name events: the signing of treaties, the firing of bullets. For others it is in the births, deaths and marriages of those accorded great (men). Johan Grimonprez has never been inclined to see the world in such simplistic terms.

For him, it’s all about the development of ideas, of new modes of consciousness, taking form in disorderly and non-linear ways before rapidly acquiring cultural force, do that to those who were not keeping up they seem to come from nowhere. A lot of happens in the course of this documentary, but there’s a reason why he centres it on the response to the assassination of Patrice Lumumba: Abbey Lincoln, Max Roach and Maya Angelou storming into the United Nations to the shock and outrage of its delegates. Minor those the incident might seem.

Next year marks the 30th anniversary of Jerry Garcia’s death. But a new AI initiative, as well as programs it could spawn, aims to keep the Grateful Dead leader’s presence alive.

This summer, ElevenLabs, a two-year-old software company known for its advanced, lifelike voice AI tools, announced a free app that allows fans of Judy Garland, Maya Angelou, Burt Reynolds, James Dean, and Sir Laurence Olivier to listen to AI-recreated versions of their voices read books, articles, poems, and other content. As of this week, Garcia became the...

In February 1961, a remarkable outburst took place at the United Nations in New York – jazz artists Abbey Lincoln, Max Roach, writer Maya Angelou and others crashed the Security Council to protest the assassination of Congolese Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba.

That little-remembered demonstration serves as the backdrop to the award-winning documentary Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat, directed by Belgian filmmaker Johan Grimonprez. The film explores how the U.S. and Belgium conspired to force Lumumba from power, with the complicity of the Un secretary general. Even as the plot moved towards a bloody denouement, the U.S. State Department was dispatching some of America’s great Black jazz artists to Africa in the role of goodwill ambassadors, attempting to paper over its machinations in Congo.

Grimonprez joins the latest episode of Deadline’s Doc Talk podcast to explain how he managed to deftly synthesize so much complex world history, setting it...

An artist and writer as well as documentary filmmaker, Johan Grimonprez takes a multidisciplinary approach to his subjects, combining archival footage, interviews, and cultural artifacts to dismantle how history is shaped and presented to us. As French writer Voltaire writes: “History is the lie commonly agreed upon”

Centered around the assassination of Congo leader Patrice Lumumba in 1961, Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat is a kaleidoscope of politicians, spies, colonialism, revolution, and music––specifically jazz music of the 1950s and 1960s. Weaving together strands from Africa, Europe, and the United States, Grimonprez makes a compelling case that Lumumba’s death reverberates through society to this day.

Grimonprez uses jazz as a thread to tie together stories as disparate as Russian leader Nikita Khrushchev pounding his shoe at the United Nations, the CIA sponsoring “jazz ambassador” tours of Africa, and Belgian leaders holding onto Congolese resources while ceding control of the country.

Two former executives on Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune have accused Sony Pictures of engaging in unlawful race, gender, and age discrimination and retaliation against them.

Shelley Ballance Ellis, a Black woman, and her Latina colleague Monique Diaz have filed complaints with California’s Civil Rights Department and the National Labor Relations Board, alleging that Sony’s management terminated them and other workers in retaliation for collectively opposing harmful discrimination and toxic working conditions on Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune.

The pair have spent close to 50 years combined working on the shows. Ballance Ellis was Executive Director, Licensing and Clearance at Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Diaz also worked in the department. The pair were terminated in April.

They are claiming they were terminated because they objected to racial discrimination in the workplace, the pay inequity Diaz experienced, the glass ceiling and other bias Ballance Ellis faced as an older Black woman,...

Nicolas Cage, an actor known for his performances that span the whimsical to the intense, has real-life love stories that are just as captivating. At 60, he has been married five times, with his current wife being more than 20 years his junior, reflecting a love journey as unpredictable as the roles he embodies.

Nicolas Cage in National Treasure | Credit: Walt Disney Studios

Cage, a nephew of the legendary director Francis Ford Coppola, boasts a chapter of romances that include unions with Patricia Arquette and the late Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of the iconic Elvis Presley. Currently basking in marital bliss with his fifth wife, Riko Shibata, 29, whom he wed in 2021, Cage demonstrates how love knows no bounds—even when technology steps in and one has to propose virtually.

Nicolas Cage & Riko Shibata: A Love Story Like No Other

In the words of the great poet Maya Angelou, “Love recognizes no barriers.

Sister Wives star, Kody Brown has made a shocking revelation as he admits that he has a personality disorder. Viewers are well aware that he never takes accountability for anything and everyone else is always wrong. Yet, an old scene has resurfaced and it shows Kody openly admitting he is not perfect. Keep reading for more details.

Kody Brown Shocks, Admits Personality Disorder

For years, Kody Brown has prided himself on being infallible. When his third wife, Christine Brown Woolley opted to leave the plural marriage, he blamed her for the downfall. He then threw himself a heartbreak pity party for what had transpired. More so, he believed Christine and his second wife, Janelle Brown were at fault for turning his children against him. The kids were also cruel to his fourth wife, Robyn Brown for no reason at all, at least in his mind. He did not realize the...

“Saturday Night Live” premiered October 11, 1975 on NBC with a group of fresh-faced cast members known as the “Not Ready For Prime-Time Players.” None of those original stars lasted for more than five seasons, but they all made their mark on the late night sketch series that is still going strong five decades later.

Over the past 50 seasons (and counting), who are “SNL’s” longest-running cast members ever? Kenan Thompson currently holds the record at a whopping 22 seasons. His closest competition is Darrell Hammond, who starred for 14 seasons before leaving and then returning as the show’s announcer. Scroll through our “Saturday Night Live” photo gallery above (or click here for direct access) to see more long-time cast members.

See‘SNL’ 5-Timers Club: Who has hosted ‘Saturday Night Live’ at least five times?

Kenan Thompson

22 seasons (2003-Present)

Popular characters: Diondre Cole, Steve Harvey, Darnell Hayes, Bill Cosby, Diner Lobster, Lorenzo McIntosh...

In a recent thread on Reddit that appeared in the run-up to the 10th Coldplay album, a poster asked, “Will new [Coldplay] album be a return to their roots or more commercial fluff?” Such a distinction might seem a bit odd considering that Coldplay’s early-2000s “roots” involved sculpting 1990s Radiohead and 1980s U2 into soft-rock valentines. But the Coldplay purist had a point. One can imagine a fan of “Clocks” or “Yellow” or “The Scientist” feeling a bit adrift amid the shiny elation of the band’s last album,...

Exclusive: Lionsgate will be participating in the Unity Summit Tour, which gathers industry leaders advocating for inclusivity.

The tour will kick off Sept. 26 at Lionsgate’s Santa Monica headquarters and includes programming at Soho House West Hollywood along with a fundraising dinner titled ‘Bringing the Delta to Hollywood’ honoring global literary icon Maya Angelou.

The Unity Summit Tour returns to LA for a second year featuring panels and workshops designed to promote positive change and create equitable environments for all.

Launched in 2019, Unity has a mission to bridge the equity gap by providing joining leading companies with college and high school students from marginalized backgrounds to foster educational and workforce opportunities. Unity also provides executives and community leaders access to learning and mentoring that will contribute to a culture of inclusivity.

Following Los Angeles, the tour continues Oct. 4 to New York City, Oct. 31 to Bentonville and concludes Nov. 22 in London.

Updated, Thursday afternoon, with additional speakers: Kamala Harris will deliver the finale at the Democratic National Convention this evening, accepting the party’s nomination after a whirlwind four weeks.

Other speakers will include Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-wi), Sen. Alex Padilla (D-ca), Sen. Mark Kelly (D-az), Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-mi), Gov. Roy Cooper (D-nc), Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-mi), as well as Rep. Lucy McBath (D-ga), former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-az) and gun violence advocates and survivors. Former Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger also is in the lineup. Also expected are musical performers including Pink and The Chicks.

Of Harris’ moment tonight, Sen. Cory Booker (D-nj) told reporters at a press briefing, “When you’re listening to, I think, one of the greatest speeches you’re going to hear this election season, tonight I want you all to remember what Maya Angelou says: “People often forget what you say,...

The American Film Institute has opened applications for its celebrated AFI Dww+ program for participants interested in joining the class of 2025-2026. The year-long directing workshop educates underrepresented narrative filmmakers, taking them through the complete production cycle of a short film — and with hands-on guidance from leading industry experts. Notable past participants include Best Picture-winning “Coda” filmmaker Sian Heder, DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter, and “A Black Lady Sketch Show” director and executive producer Dime Davis.

Applications open today, August 12, and will close September 13. More info on deadlines and requirements to apply is available via the American Film Institute’s website. See the Dww+ Class of 2024-2025 here.

The program, first launched in 1974 as the Directing Workshop for Women, will also celebrate its 50th anniversary this fall. With early participants including Maya Angelou, Anne Bancroft, Ellen Burstyn, Lee Grant, Jessie Maple, and Cicely Tyson, the workshop has trained more than 350 filmmakers.

Jamie Lee Curtis was awarded with an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts by the American Film Institute at the conservatory‘s commencement ceremony. The Oscar winner was the keynote speaker at the event, held Aug. 10. at the Tcl Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

“If you look at the paper, I’m not supposed to be here,” Curtis stated as began her speech. “I am the underachiever who just was awarded this incredible honor.”

Curtis’ resume would beg to differ: the actor, who won an Oscar in 2023 for her role in “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” has built an extensive filmography that includes the “Halloween” movies, “Freaky Friday,” “Knives Out,” “Trading Places,” “My Girl,” “A Fish Called Wanda” and “True Lies,” plus television credits like “Scream Queens” and “Anything But Love.”

“I am, for you graduates, the representation of the underachiever who has achieved,” Curtis continued. “I am an artist, I can say it to you today.

It's happening: Maya Rudolph, erstwhile queen of late night comedy, is returning to "Saturday Night Live" to play none other than Vice President (and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee) Kamala Harris. The news comes via The Hollywood Reporter, which notes that Rudolph has been temporarily freed up as production on her Apple TV+ comedy series "Loot," scheduled for August, has been delayed.

This isn't actually the first time the comedic actor, who was on the show's main cast from 2000 to 2007, has embodied the highly meme-able politician. Rudolph most recently hosted the show in March 2021, but also played Harris in seven other appearances starting in season 45. Of course, if Harris gets elected as President in November, "Saturday Night Live" will have to either hire Rudolph for more regular appearances or opt to have a current cast member take over the role. If the latter happens, it won't be the first time. Everyone...

"And still I rise…" is not only the title of one of Maya Angelou’s most notable poems but also a phrase tattooed on the front of Simone Biles’ right shoulder. It is a statement that resonates deeply with her and her gymnastics career. Simone Biles, an American professional artistic gymnast, is arguably the greatest gymnast and athlete ever. At 27, she has accomplished an extraordinary amount, surpassing many athletes with 37 Olympic and World Championship medals and having five skills named after her. Biles is the most decorated gymnast in history. "Simone Biles Rising," a Netflix docuseries about this elite-level athlete, captures the chilling emotions of her gymnastics journey, highlighting the lows of Tokyo 2020, therapy, and her mental and physical road to recovery and preparation for Paris 2024. Things to do: Subscribe to The Hollywood Insider’s YouTube Channel, by clicking here. Limited Time Offer – Free Subscription to The Hollywood Insider...

Jamie Lee Curtis will be awarded with an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts by the American Film Institute at the AFI Conservatory’s commencement ceremony Aug. 10 at the Tcl Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

Curtis, who won an Oscar in 2023 for her role in “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” has appeared in plenty of films over her career, including 1978’s “Halloween,” 2018’s “Halloween,” “Freaky Friday,” “My Girl,” “Knives Out” and many more. Her television credits also include “The Bear,” “Scream Queens,” “Anything But Love” and more.

Past recipients include Michelle Yeoh, Robert Altman, Maya Angelou, Saul Bass, Angela Bassett, Kathryn Bigelow, Mel Brooks, Carol Burnett, Clint Eastwood, Rita Moreno, Spike Lee, Jodie Foster and more.

Vashon Island Film Festival Program Includes ‘Bang Bang,’ ‘Black Dog,’ ‘I Saw the TV Glow’

The third annual Vashon Island Film Festival has announced its slate for the event set for Aug. 8-11. Located off the coast of Washington State,...

Jennifer Lawrence Once Took A Jab At Lindsay Lohan. (Photo Credit – Instagram)

In 2015, Jennifer Lawrence took a shot at Lindsay Lohan, prompting the Parent Trap actress’ family to hit back. Jennifer Lawrence stopped by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert In 2015, where she took a jab at Lindsay Lohan.

At the time, Lawrence quipped, “I get like Lindsay Lohan–grade exhaustion but without any drugs or alcohol. I’m always in bed early. I’m still tired.”

Lindsay Lohan didn’t take too kindly to the remark, nor did her family, who, united by Jennifer Lawrence’s choice words, went after her online and in the media. Before Lohan responded to Lawrence’s seemingly callous quip, her sister Aliana Lohan fired back by tweeting: “I never breathe life into negativity, but I stand by my family. Disappointed in Jennifer Lawrence. You lost a fan.”

Trending The Fantastic Four: How...

Biles faced online hate after pulling out of Tokyo 2020 but found strength in the words of fellow gymnasts and Maya Angelou. Simone Biles: Rising showcases Biles' struggles with mental blocks and external pressure in gymnastics as she decides to return to the competition. Biles' journey to the Paris 2024 Olympics is explored in the first two episodes of the docuseries.

Netflix's docuseries Simone Biles: Rising follows the gymnast as she mentally and physically prepares for an Olympic return following the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games while revealing information about how the unexpected turn of events that year affected her. While in Tokyo, Biles famously pulled out of the competition. What followed was a slew of online hate as many felt Biles was abandoning her team. As much as conversations got to her, Biles found motivation in the words of Maya Angelou's And Still I Rise a phrase she has tattooed on her.

In the first episode of Netflix’s Simone Biles Rising, the titular sports icon details her approach to the 2023 World Championships.

“Not talking to media,” Biles says. “Staying in my zone. Still following up with my therapist. I turned off my comments on Instagram… Twitter I have actually deleted a couple times off my phone.”

Later that same week, Biles became the first-ever woman to land a Yurchenko double-pike at the competition, earning her a 5th skill named after her. Onscreen, gymnastics commentators swoon over the historicism of Biles’ feat, emphasizing how much the athlete has done for the sport. But in the documentary, the now-27-year-old is is clear: She stuck the landing of this one all for herself.

Simone Biles Rising director Katie Walsh, along with the team at production company Religion of Sports, began working with Biles in 2019 — their first project with the gymnastics legend was 2021’s Simone vs. Herself,...

In a 1990 issue of Essence, Isaach De Bankolé was heralded as “France’s new leading man,” largely due to his appearance in Jacques W. Benoit’s How to Make Love to a Negro Without Getting Tired, a French-language Canadian comedy released in 1989 about, per the magazine, “a struggling novelist who is irresistibly appealing to white women.” Even if intended as satire, that film’s provocative title provides a stark counterpoint to the far weightier and serious concerns of Claire Denis’s No Fear, No Die, in which De Bankolé plays Dah, a French immigrant from Benin toiling on the outskirts of Paris trying to make ends meet.

In Denis’s poetic and clear-eyed sophomore feature, De Bankolé inhabits a character whose default expression speaks to his disaffection, caught as he is in a web of exploitation that thrusts him into the world of illegal cockfights held in the basement of a small restaurant.

Tyler Perry's Divorce in the Black largely focuses on two main characters. The movie's troubled central couple is played by Meagan Good and Cory Hardrict. The supporting cast of the movie also includes Joseph Lee Anderson, Richard Lawson, and Taylor Polidore Williams.

Tyler Perry's Divorce in the Black features several notable actors in its cast. The Prime Video drama is a 2024 outing from the prolific writer, director, producer, and star, who is best known for creating and starring in the Madea franchise, both on the stage and on the screen. Perry's cinematic work is notable for generally featuring large ensemble casts. In addition to frequently playing multiple roles himself in various costumes and prosthetic facial appliances, he tends to gather talented performers from a variety of diverse backgrounds, including everyone from Oscar winners to literary icons like iconic poet Maya Angelou.

Although the Divorce in the Black Rotten Tomatoes...

The Clipse, made up of brothers Terrence “Pusha T” Thornton and Gene “Malice” Thornton, opened up about the inspiration of “Birds Don’t Sing,” a track off their upcoming album. The forthcoming album is the latest since their Pharrell Williams-produced 2009 album Til the Casket Drops.

In “Birds Don’t Sing,” the freestyle rappers discuss the death of their parents, a stark contrast from the drug deal parables of the early and late 2000s, Vulture reported Wednesday. They debuted the track at Pharrell’s spring/summer mens show for Louis Vuitton Tuesday.

Paramount Global general counsel Christa D’Alimonte is stepping down, TheWrap has learned.

In a memo to staff sent Tuesday night, D’Alimonte announced she will be leaving the media and entertainment giant on June 28. She first began working with the company in the late 1990s as an attorney at Shearman & Sterling, eventually joining the company in in 2012 — when it was still known as Viacom — serving in multiple roles before rising to General Counsel in 2017.

While a permanent replacement hasn’t been selected yet, D’Alimonte’s longtime deputy Caryn Groce has been named acting general counsel. Groce has been with Paramount since 2010; before that she was senior corporate transactions counsel at NBCUniversal, and a corporate associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore as well as Hogan Lovells. She received her law degree from Harvard.

Paramount Global Co-CEOs George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy and Brian Robbins told employees on Tuesday, “We...

Paramount Global is losing another top executive, with general counsel Christa D’Alimonte set to exit the media company later this month.

D’Alimonte was elevated to general counsel of Viacom in 2017, and continued in that role after it merged with CBS to create ViacomCBS and later Paramount Global. In a message to legal employees Tuesday, she noted that she first began representing Viacom more than 25 years ago.

“I have always been amazed by the extraordinary ways in which this department touches literally everything that happens at Paramount,” she wrote. “Our work doesn’t often make headlines or get recognized at glitzy award shows, but you are the heart and soul of this company. You are key to the development and production of every piece of content, every tentpole, every marketing campaign, every distribution deal, every financing transaction, every real estate lease, the safety and experience of every employee… The list goes on and on.

Paramount Global General Counsel Christa D’Alimonte has told colleagues she will be exiting the company at the end of the month.

In an internal memo (read it below), D’Alimonte recalled her 25-year association with Viacom, first as a legal representative of the company and later as a staffer.

Caryn Groce, a 14-year company veteran who has been an EVP and D’Alimonte’s deputy, will inherit her duties as acting General Counsel, a person familiar with the shuffle told Deadline. “Christa and Caryn have worked closely together for years, which will enable a seamless transition,” the company’s Co-CEOs told employees. “We have great confidence in Caryn and know we are in good hands.”

Paramount Global is not the largest player in media but has generated a disproportionate number of headlines of late. Its controlling shareholder, Shari Redstone, last week terminated merger talks with Skydance Media just as...

Maya Jama replaces Laura Whitemore as host of Love Island UK Season 11 premiering in January 2023. Maya Jama, known for her TV hosting and fashion, brings her talent to Love Island UK as a new host. Maya Jama, at 29, is a successful TV personality, model, DJ, and businesswoman with a growing social media presence.

Maya Jama has been a household name in the UK for over a decade, and there has been no stopping since she was announced as the new host of Love Island UK. Maya joined the Love Island franchise for its winter edition that aired in January 2023, replacing the previous presenter, Laura Whitemore. When giving her reasons for quitting the show, Laura said she couldn't assist the contestants and found some aspects of the hosting role quite difficult.

Maya is one of the most well-known individuals on British television, thanks to her bubbly personality, incredible presenting skills, and killer fashion looks.

Lost alumna Evangeline Lilly has said she is ready to leave acting — for now. In an Instagram post, Lilly wrote in part, “Stepping away from what seems like the obvious choice (wealth and fame) can feel scary at times, but stepping into your dharma replaces the fear with fulfillment. I might return to Hollywood one day, but, for now, this is where I belong. A new season has arrived, and I Am Ready…and I Am Happy.”

Lilly added, “I am so filled with joy and contentment today as I live out my vision.”

The post was accompanied by a video of the actress recorded on the set of ABC phenomenon Lost, which ran from 2004-2010. In the video (watch it below), Lilly answers a question about where she saw herself 10 years in the future. “I am terrified to admit this to the rest of the acting world,” she said at the time,...

Lost and Marvel Cinematic Universe actress Evangeline Lilly is “stepping away” from Hollywood to live out her vision of early retirement. The 44-year-old film and television star is excited to embrace a new chapter of her life. However, she says she might return to Hollywood one day if the right opportunity comes calling.

Lilly announced her departure from the limelight via Instagram, saying she’s joyful about her decision and feels like she’s exactly where she belongs. The post includes 20-year-old footage of Lilly saying she’d like to retire at a young age and a video of the great Maya Angelou articulating the act of moving on from something you love to do something more fulfilling with the time you have left.

“I am so filled with joy and contentment today as I live out my vision,” Lilly wrote to her fans on Instagram. “Praise God, I feel so grateful for my blessings.

BBC Four presents “Maya Angelou at the BBC,” an insightful documentary commemorating the life and legacy of the iconic American writer, poet, and activist, Maya Angelou, on Sunday, 26 May 2024, at 9.00 pm. The program pays tribute to Angelou, a literary giant whose acclaimed works, such as “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” […]

Maya Angelou at the BBC: Maya Angelou at the BBC...

It does not take a lot for Steven Spielberg to shine. His exceptional filmography speaks volumes on its own. The talent imbibed in one soul is enough to account for a great amount of masterpieces in the Hollywood industry. It takes understanding and skill to create stories the way he does. He has worked on various adaptations and mastered almost all of them perfectly.

Oprah Winfrey in The Color Purple | Credit: Warner Bros.

One of the adaptations he made was of Alice Walker’s renowned novel The Color Purple. While the movie found great critical acclaim, having been nominated for 11 Oscars, there was a certain set of audience that wasn’t too fond of the adaptation. Walker’s novel told stories of a woman who was in pain of different kinds. She spoke for many people all at once, in a way similar to Maya Angelou.

Steven Spielberg Got Thrashed...

On Sunday, May 26th, 2024, at 9:00 Pm, BBC Four presents a special program titled “Maya Angelou at the BBC,” honoring the life and legacy of the renowned American writer, poet, and activist Maya Angelou. Hosted by long-time admirer Bonnie Greer, this documentary offers a unique glimpse into Maya’s extraordinary life through a journey into the BBC’s extensive archives.

Maya Angelou’s impact on literature and civil rights is profound, and this program celebrates her enduring influence by showcasing rare footage and interviews from her appearances on BBC programs over the years. Viewers can expect to be inspired by Maya’s powerful words and insights as she shares her wisdom, experiences, and perspectives on life, love, and social justice.

Through Bonnie Greer’s thoughtful narration and the BBC’s rich collection of archival material, audiences will gain a deeper understanding of Maya Angelou’s journey from a troubled childhood...

Oprah Winfrey apologized for her contribution to diet culture in WeightWatchers’ “Making The Shift: A New Way to Think About Weight” livestream on Thursday evening.

At the beginning of the livestream, Winfrey spoke candidly about her experiences influencing diet culture over the years.

“I want to acknowledge that I have been a steadfast participant in this diet culture through my platforms, through the magazine, through the talk show for 25 years,” Winfrey said. “I’ve been a major contributor to it. I cannot tell you how many weight loss shows and makeovers I have done and they have been a staple since I’ve been working in television.”

Winfrey recalled a moment from “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in 1988 when she rolled a wagon of fat onto the stage, saying that it was “one of my biggest regrets.”

“It sent a message that starving yourself with a liquid diet and set a...

Maya Rudolph opened the Mother’s Day episode of “Saturday Night Live” with a tribute to mothers — in every sense of the term.

Hosting the sketch show’s penultimate episode of the season, Rudolph began her monologue by noting she’s a four-time mom herself. “But Maya, look — you’re not just a mom,” cast member Bowen Yang reminded her. “You’re mother,” invoking the term’s use in queer slang to describe powerful, aspirational women. “You were the first to slay the house down boots, queen!”

“Who me, mother?” Rudolph asked, feigning shock. “You’re right!” The host then launched into a propulsive dance number, strutting through Studio 8H — also known as “House of Rockefeller” — in a reflective bodysuit while delivering lyrics like “Oops, I made you dance / Remember in that movie when I pooped my pants?” Other lines played on the many meanings of “mother”: “Who’s...

Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. To keep up with our latest features, sign up for the Weekly Edit newsletter and follow us @mubinotebook on Twitter and Instagram.Newsa Man of Integrity.Having banned producers of and actors in Mohammad Rasoulof’s The Seed of the Sacred Fig (2024) from leaving the country in an apparent attempt to pressure the director to pull the film from the Cannes Film Festival, Iranian authorities have now sentenced Rasoulof to eight years in prison, whipping, a fine, and confiscation of property, his lawyer announced today, adding that the courts consider the director’s films examples of collusion with the intention of committing a crime against the nation’s security.A group of about 200 French festival workers called Sous les écrans la dèche (“Under the screens the waste”) announced Monday that it will move ahead with plans for a strike during Cannes,...

Jan Haag, who a half-century ago founded the landmark Directing Workshop for Women at the American Film Institute, has died. She was 90.

The remarkable Haag, who also was an actress, painter, poet, novelist, playwright, writer of travel stories and creator of needlepoint canvases, some of which required hundreds of hours to complete, died Monday in Shoreline, Washington, according to the AFI and the Mb Abram agency.

Haag had directed dozens of educational films for the John Tracy Clinic and the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare when she became the first woman accepted into the Academy Intern Program at the AFI in 1970, three years after it was founded by George Stevens Jr.

She was assigned to Paramount’s Harold and Maude (1971), directed by Hal Ashby, then joined the AFI staff in 1971, and among her duties was to administer the nonprofit’s film grant program funded by the National Endowment for the Arts.

When California State University Northridge’s head of film production Nate Thomas came to visit one of his first students, Paul Hunter, on the set of the new David Oyelowo-starring Apple TV Plus series “Government Cheese,” the Northridge alum and show co-creator could be heard boasting about his time in the program.

After learning to tell stories at Csun, Hunter spun a renowned career directing music videos for Beyonce and U2, among others, into helming Bacardi spots with Michael B. Jordan and Cannes Golden Lion-winning campaigns for Nike. Much of that has been through PrettyBird, a Hollywood commercial house he co-founded and uses in part to help foster and launch the careers of other underrepresented voices. “It all started at Northridge,” Thomas says. “We do filmmaking not just for the privileged. We make it for all people who have a story to tell.”

Since 2016, the Hispanic-serving institution’s film...

Lourdes Portillo, the prominent Mexican filmmaker and social activist behind The Devil Never Sleeps and the Oscar-nominated Las Madres – The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, has died. She was 80.

Portillo died Saturday at her home in San Francisco, her friend Soco Aguilar told The Hollywood Reporter. She was surrounded by her three sons and a sister. A cause was not given.

Portillo worked as a writer, director, producer, activist and journalist to create work that centered Latin American and Mexican stories. Las Madres — The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo (1985), highlighted the mothers of Argentinian desaparecidos holding weekly protests in Buenos Aires’ Plaza de Mayo during Argentina’s military dictatorship. The documentary was nominated for an Oscar in 1986.

The Devil Never Sleeps (1994) follows Portillo’s own investigation of her uncle’s death in Mexico. It was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry in 2020.

In May, the Academy...

Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb’s feature documentary “Butterfly in the Sky,” about the beloved 1980’s PBS children’s series “Reading Rainbow” will be released in select AMC theaters and digitally through Fifth Season.

The film, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2023, takes audiences behind the scenes of the children’s series and tells the story of the show’s creators, who believed the small screen could inspire a love of reading. The docu also spotlights the show’s host LeVar Burton and gives an inside look at the challenges he and the show’s creators faced in cultivating a love of reading through television.

The doc, produced by Xtr, will have a limited theatrical release beginning on March 17 in select AMC theaters followed by a full run in New York and additional cities. The film’s digital and international rights have been acquired by Fifth Season. The...