Born February 6, 1955 in Chicago, Illinois, Robert Townsend first became famous for writing, producing, and directing the 1987 independent feature film Hollywood Shuffle, a satire based on the hardships and obstacles that black actors undergo in movie industry, which he famously funded with credit cards. His next feature, The Five Heartbeats (1991), was a nostalgic look back at male R&B groups of the 1960s. Townsend also had success in television with his award-winning Partners In Crime variety shows for HBO as well as his 1995-1999 WB sitcom The Parent ‘Hood. To learn more about Townsend’s life and career, click here, and enjoy The Five Heartbeats trailer below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZFdQmmDS5c
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson
Posts tagged as “independent filmmakers”
Forest Whitaker’s JuntoBox Films has greenlit production for romantic comedy Sharon Is Caring, while also announcing the shingle’s collaboration with crowd-funding platform Indiegogo.
Announcing the link-up at AFM on Nov. 5, the actor-turned-producer said the JuntoBox-Indiegogo partnership “represents another step toward using social collaboration and the elements of our digital world to empower the voices of independent filmmakers everywhere.”
As a result of the tie-up, entries on the website can now have the access to the production, mentorship and distribution services provided by Juntobox, a “collaborative” film studio chaired by Whitaker.
“Indiegogo’s roots were in film, so we’re excited to partner with JuntoBox to further extend our reach within the independent film community,” said Indiegogo co-founder and CEO Slava Rubin. “The JuntoBox Partner Page on Indiegogo will empower filmmakers to raise money for their films, tap into a global audience and bring more independent film projects to life.”
Founded in January 2008, the San Francisco-based portal aims at facilitating individuals to raise funds for their social or entrepreneurial projects from around the world.
Sharon Is Caring, revolving around two women avenging a man dating them at the same time and to be directed by New Yorker Wesley Mills, is JuntoBox’s fourth approved project this year. Aspiring filmmakers begin pitching the idea online, where members would vote on to pass judgment on whether they merit a launch.
article by Clarence Tsui via hollywoodreporter.com