Celebrated actor Don Cheadle has always had a fascination with legendary trumpeter Miles Davis. Thanks to a fundraising campaign on Indiegogo, Cheadle will be able to make his directorial debut about the life of one of his favorite artists.
The film titled “Miles Ahead” will focus on Davis’ return to music after a five year absence many call his “silent period.” Miles Davis’ marriage to his first wife Frances Taylor Davis will also be examined in the film.
Cheadle gave fans a first look of the film through an exclusive with Entertainment Weekly Magazine. The photo is of Cheadle in costume as Davis.
article by Jonathan Hailey via theurbandaily.com
Posts published in “Movies”
Music and movie fans alike have been waiting anxiously to see Andre 3000 star as legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix. While the film “All Is By My Side” hits theaters on September 26th, another trailer has been released, theurbandaily.com reports.
“All Is By My Side” follows Hendrix’s life for one year, 1966 to 1967. That was the pivotal year Hendrix went from a backup guitarist at a New York nightspot The Cheetah Club to making a name for himself in the London music scene and finally his breakout moment at Monterey Pop Festival. The film was written and directed by Oscar winner John Ridley, who is currently executive producing the new drama series “American Crime” for ABC.
Check out the official trailer for “All Is By My Side” below:
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (follow @lakinhutcherson)
Los Angeles, CA — Director, writer, producer Alton Glass made history at the 18th annual American Black Film Festival (ABFF) held in New York City this June. Glass and his ensemble won awards for his engaging and heartfelt drama, “CRU”, making history by winning all nominated categories.
The award-winning film “CRU” tells the story of four high school best friends whose lives are dramatically changed after a near fatal accident, and when they reunite 18 years later they discover a set of past and present secrets that threaten to alter the course of their future.
The drama won the following awards in each nominated category:
* Grand Jury Prize for Best Director – “CRU,” Directed by Alton Glass, award and $5,000 prize provided by Cadillac
* Grand Jury Prize for Best Screenplay – “CRU,” written by Alton Glass and Oliver W. Ottley III, award and $5,000 prize presented by the Time Warner Foundation
* Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature – “CRU,” Written by Alton Glass & Oliver W. Ottley III, Directed by Alton Glass, Executive Producer Courtney Triggs, Produced by Danny Green, Alton Glass, Matthew Hatchette and Oliver W. Ottley III, award presented by BET Networks
* Audience Award for Best Film – “CRU,” Written by Alton Glass & Oliver Ottley III, Directed by Alton Glass, Executive Producer Courtney Triggs, Produced by Danny Green, Alton Glass, Matthew Hatchette and Oliver W. Ottley III, award presented by Nielsen
* Grand Jury Prize for Best Actor – Keith Robinson for his performance in “CRU,” award presented by UPTOWN Magazine
CRU stars Keith Robinson, Richard T. Jones, Harry J. Lennix, Melissa DeSousa, Sammi Rotibi, Antwon Tanner, Alison Eastwood and Jermaine Crawford.
Glass was overwhelmed with excitement over the history-making accomplishments. “I’d like to thank Jeff Friday, ABFF team, sponsors, my Mom who is my biggest supporter and film-lovers for supporting me and TeamCRU”, says Director/Writer/Producer Alton Glass while receiving back-to-back honors at the ABFF awards ceremony.
For more information on “CRU” or Alton Glass, visit www.glassrockent.com
article via blacknews.com
Karyn Parsons, best known for her role as Hillary in the TV show “Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” is raising funds for a new animated short about Janet Collins, the first black prima ballerina and soloist to ever perform at NYC’s Metropolitan Opera. In Collins’ journey, she overcame many great obstacles; at the age 15, the young dancer was asked to join the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, but only if she performed in whiteface.
After refusing to dance in whiteface, Collins went on to become a renowned Prima Ballerina, winning awards for her performances on Broadway. In 1950, Collins was honored with the Best Dancer of Broadway title, making Collins a pioneer in this industry for paving the way for other black dancers and companies such as Alvin Ailey and the Dance Theater of Harlem.
The short story will be narrated by actor/comedian/producer Chris Rock and presented by Parsons’ founded award-winning organization Sweet Blackberry, whose mission is to educate kids on the achievements of African Americans with inspiring true stories.
So far, the project’s Kickstarter page shows 18 days left to go in the campaign, with over $16,000 already pledged of its $75,000 goal.
For more information on Sweet Blackberry, click here to see the Kickstarter video and contribute!
article by Vanessa Martinez via Shadow and Act
Lupita Nyong’o is stunning — and her new ad for Lancôme proves this yet again. The beauty brand’s first ad featuring their newest spokesperson released this week, and Nyong’o looks radiant with her glowing, chocolate-colored complexion.
The Oscar-winning actress became endorsed by the beauty brand in April — and her first ad highlights Lancôme’s Teint Idole Ultra 24H foundation, a smooth blemish-free product which is “available in 28 shades for all skintones.”
The foundation is being touted as one of the brand’s more diverse products, which provides “endless perfection” for women of almost every complexion.
And with the current Vogue magazine cover girl promoting their product, Lancôme seems to be sending a message of appreciation for diversity and consumers of color.
article by Lilly Workneh via thegrio.com
Spike Lee’s breakthrough film “Do the Right Thing” put Brooklyn on the cinematic map, and now the city is returning the favor by declaring June 30 “Do the Right Thing Day.”
Brooklyn borough president Eric Adams made the proclamation on Tuesday, on the 25th anniversary of Lee’s seminal film. The celebration includes a block party this Saturday in Bedford-Stuyvesant, the neighborhood in which Do the Right Thing is set. On Sunday, Brooklyn’s BAMcinématek will kick off a 10-day retrospective of Lee’s films.
Check out our exclusive interview with Spike Lee right here.
“Many people don’t realize how profound and powerful the movie ‘Do the Right Thing’ actually was,” said Adams during the ceremony. “Spike created an image of Brooklyn that was beyond the headlines, beyond the stereotyping, beyond the negative images.”
The 1989 film, which was nominated for two Oscars, traced one hot day on a Bedford-Stuyvesant block as long-simmering racial tensions boil over and a cast of characters including Lee as Mookie and the late Ruby Dee as Mother Sister struggle to endure the rising mercury.
article by Evelyn Diaz via bet.com
“Think Like a Man Too” raised the roof at multiplexes this weekend, carousing its way to $30 million domestically, according to studio estimates.
The Sony Pictures and Screen Gems sequel premiered on 2,225 screens and cost a modest $24 million to produce. It was able to capitalize on star Kevin Hart’s rising profile as it held off challenges from “22 Jump Street” and “How to Train Your Dragon 2.”
“It’s not bad being number one,” said Rory Bruer, Sony Pictures president of worldwide distribution. “The girls versus the guys element and getting the perspective of both sexes is something that’s always appealing to folks.”
The first “Think Like a Man” closed out its run with $91.5 million stateside. The follow-up film, brings back director Tim Story, as well as cast members such as Hart, Taraji P. Henson, Regina Hall and Jerry Ferrara, sending them to Las Vegas for a wedding ceremony that involve bachelor and bachelorette parties that take full advantage of all that Sin City has to offer.
If anyone was still wondering if breakout actress and Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o was having the best year ever, Vogue just solidified it. The 12 Years a Slave star, 31, made her first appearance on the most coveted of fashion magazines, covering Vogue’s July issue.
This isn’t Nyong’o’s first cover. In April, she took the title of People’s “Most Beautiful Woman in the World.” She was also recently named a Lancome beauty ambassador and has joined the cast of the upcoming “Star Wars” feature directed by J.J. Abrams.
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (@lakinhutcherson)
According to Shadow and Act, Kino Lorber, which for years has specialized exclusively in silent, foreign and independent films, has made a deal with MGM/Fox to release older United Artists titles from the 50’s to the 70’s in new Blu-ray remastered discs, starting in late summer. In September, Kino will be releasing the 1972 heist drama “Across 110th Street” starring Yaphet Kotto, Anthony Franciosa and Anthony Quinn.
Considered one of the best films of the famed “blaxploitation” movie era, “Across 110th Street” has influenced filmmakers such as “American Gangster” director Ridley Scott, and Quentin Tarantino, who included the title track from this movie in his homage to this era of filmmaking, “Jackie Brown.” To learn more about the movie, click here.
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (follow @lakinhutcherson)
Oprah Winfrey has joined the cast of Ava DuVernay’s “Selma.” She is also producing the film. Winfrey will play Annie Lee Cooper, an elderly woman who tried to register to vote and was unfairly denied by Sheriff Clark. She was a visible leader amongst the civil rights protesters in Selma. The drama follows MLK’s landmark 1965 voting rights campaign, which is regarded as the peak of the civil rights movement.
The film stars Oprah’s ‘Butler’ co-star David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King Jr.; Carmen Ejogo as Coretta Scott King; Tom Wilkinson as Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson; Cuba Gooding Jr. as Fred Gray; Common as James Bevel; Wendell Pierce as Rev. Hosea Williams; Stephan James as John Lewis; and Nigel Thatch as Malcolm X.
Winfrey earned an Oscar nomination for her performance in Steven Spielberg’s “The Color Purple.” She most recently played Oyelowo’s mother in “Lee Daniels’ The Butler.” In addition to “Selma,” Winfrey is a producer on DreamWorks’ “The Hundred-Foot Journey,” which hits theaters in August. She’s represented by WME.
article via theculture.forharriet.com