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Posts tagged as “Kickstarter”

Karyn Parsons ('Fresh Prince's' Hillary) Raising Funds for Animated Doc on First Black Prima Ballerina

By goodblacknews on June 29, 2014

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

LeVar Burton Helps Raise $1Million on Kickstarter for "Reading Rainbow" Reboot

By goodblacknews on May 29, 2014

ReadingRainbowLevarBurtonLS_article_story_large
LeVar Burton, host of the children’s educational program Reading Rainbow, started a Kickstarter campaign yesterday with colleagues to create an interactive online version of the reading program for kids everywhere and to help schools in need.  The goal of $1 million was reached in just 11 hours.  (See video of Burton’s reaction below.”
Burton hosted the show since its beginning on PBS in 1983 until it went off the air in 2009 and recently helped launch the Reading Rainbow application for tablets.  The Kickstarter campaign says they would like to be on the internet, not just in an app, so the program is accessible to more children.
With the first $1 million, Reading Rainbow could be placed in over 1,500 classrooms for free.  New extended goals will be released for donations past their original goal, said CEO and writer/director of Reading Rainbow Mark Wolfe in an update.
The 35 day campaign still has 34 days left.  As of Thursday morning, the Kickstarter campaign had raised over $1.7 million with over 37,900 backers who had donated.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-XHuNcSMLc&w=560&h=315]
article by Carrie Healey via thegrio.com

American Black Film Festival Moves from Miami to New York With "Think Like a Man" Sequel and Spike Lee Film

By goodblacknews on May 14, 2014

think-trailer-blog480
Romany Malco and Meagan Good in “Think Like a Man Too.” (Screen Gems)

The 18th edition of the American Black Film Festival will make its New York debut next month with films directed by Tim Story and Spike Lee bookending the June 19-22 event, organizers announced last week.
The festival, which promotes work by and about people of African descent, is presented by Film Life, a New York City-based entertainment company. The Miami area was home to the festival for most of its existence. Now, Jeff Friday, the festival’s founder and Film Life chief executive, said in a phone interview that he hoped the move will be a permanent one, with the goal of reaching a larger, more diverse audience.
“Last year proved if nothing else, that black films can be more mainstream,” Mr. Friday said. “We want to encourage audiences to consume, ingest and enjoy black cinema as much as multicultural audiences enjoy other forms of black culture.”

Black & Sexy TV's Web Series "The Couple" Gets HBO Deal

By goodblacknews on January 26, 2014

The-Couple
Numa Perrier and Desmond Faison star in “The Couple”

Aficionados of Black cinema and television arts are ecstatic about the announcement of a TV deal involving Black & Sexy TV’s hit web series The Couple and powerhouse cable television network HBO. Rumor has it the deal will also involve legendary filmmaker Spike Lee as an executive producer. Black & Sexy co-creator Numa Perrier recently confirmed to JETmag.com that the Web superstars did clinch a deal with HBO.
News first leaked Monday at Sundance Film Festival during the Blackhouse Digital Panel, which included Black & Sexy TV founders Dennis Dortch and Numa Perrier, actor Jay Ellis (The Game), Lena Waithe (Dear White People), Edwin Benton and was moderated by Brickson Diamond. The deal was revealed while Diamond and Dortch discussed the task of how to maneuver creative content to new platforms.
For those unfamiliar, the Black & Sexy TV original web series, starring Numa Perrier and Desmond Faison, follows a young Black couple, chronicling the everyday nuances of dating and living together in a hilariously fresh way. Some may recall the unprecedented 2012 Kickstarter campaign that surpassed an original $25,000 goal to raise more than $32,000 in an effort to turn the web series into a film.
Black & Sexy TV offers original programming that is intentionally and unapologetically for us and is responsible for creating breakout web series hits such as Roomieloverfriends—which is also produced by Awkward Black Girl’s Issa Rae, That Guy and a new docu-series Yellow, which explores the “pleasures and problems of the light skinned Black man.”
The development deal with HBO is said to still be in its early stages.
article by Marissa Wallace via jetmag.com

Director Spike Lee Reaches Kickstarter Goal of $1.25 Million for New Film

By goodblacknews on August 16, 2013

Spike Lee speaks onstage during the 'Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truthts' panel discussion at the HBO portion of the 2013 Summer Television Critics Association tour - Day 2 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 25, 2013 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Spike Lee speaks during the ‘Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truths’ panel discussion at the HBO portion of the 2013 Summer Television Critics Association tour – on July 25, 2013 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

Spike Lee has surpassed his Kickstarter goal of $1.25 million, with 4 days remaining in his campaign.  The 56-year-old director launched his campaign on July 21, in an effort to raise money to make his next film. Lee describes the movie as a “psychological bloody thriller,” about human beings who are addicted to blood (and not a remake of Blacula).  Since launching his campaign 26 days ago, Lee as amassed more than 5,400 financial backers, (including Magic Mike director Steven Soderbergh) and raised $1,304,000.
But Lee’s Kickstarter campaign wasn’t a seamless endeavor.  The Do the Right Thing director generated strong criticism from the media. Weeks ago Lee made an appearance on Bloomberg TV’s Street Smart and had a heated debate about the backlash he’s received for using Kickstarter.  During an interview with theGrio’s Chris Witherspoon, Lee talked about his reason for using Kickstarter.
“I needed to go to Kickstarter to get this film made because this is not necessarily a Hollywood film, Lee said. “It’s more like an independent film.”  The 56-year-old Brooklyn native then said he doesn’t envision his contemporaries in the industry, like Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg or Clint Eastwood, following in his footsteps and turning to Kickstarter to fund their future films.  “Anybody could do this, but Steven Spielberg,” Lee said. “Spielberg, Clint Eastwood, Scorsese, they don’t have to do that.” Why? “Because they don’t have to do it,” he said. “They’re great filmmakers and they’re beloved by the studios.”
Lee’s next film, which is scheduled to hit theaters in October, will be his remake of the Korean thriller Oldboy.
article by Chris Witherspoon via thegrio.com

Steven Soderbergh Donates $10,000 To Spike Lee Kickstarter Because Lee Inspired Him To Direct

By goodblacknews on July 30, 2013
Steven Soderbergh
Steven Soderbergh (Charles Eshelman/Getty Images)
Spike Lee
Spike Lee

Days after it was revealed Steven Soderbergh donated $10,000 to Spike Lee‘s Kickstarter campaign, the Magic Mike and Behind the Candelabra director explained why he offered such massive financial support.
Lee was one of three independent American filmmakers, with David Lynch and Jim Jarmusch, who inspired Soderbergh in the ’80s, a time in which he otherwise “felt like the sense of what was possible had shrunk,” Soderbergh wrote on Lee’s Kickstarter page.
“These were distinctive new voices, and the freedom (and success) they represented was liberating and energizing; these were shoulders I would try to stand on, that I would be proud to stand on,” he explains.
Soderbergh continues to praise Lee, writing: “Certain filmmakers exist outside the traditional parameters of criticism; their point of view and body of work make discussions about individual films interesting but ultimately irrelevant because each project is merely a chapter in a very long book that must (and will) be acknowledged and appreciated for its breadth, ambition, and contributions to the art of cinema. For me, Spike Lee is one of those filmmakers. He is a totally unique figure in American cinema, and he’s always gone his own way and spoken his mind (even when the commercial stakes were high), qualities which are in short supply in the film business.”
In closing, Soderbergh reiterates that he’s supporting a friend whose films he admires and who paved the way for his own success. He also notes that he’s hoping — through the Knicks game he’s been promised for his pledge — to get to know Lee better as a person.  Lee’s Kickstarter for a movie that he describes as a “funny,” “sexy” and “bloody” picture has so far raised $403,546 of its $1.25 million goal from 1,989 backers (including 21 at the $10,000 maximum level). There are 22 days left for the campaign to meet its fundraising target.
article by Hilary Lewis via hollywoodreporter.com

Spike Lee Joins Kickstarter: Seeks $1.25 Million | Variety

By goodblacknews on July 22, 2013

spike-leeSpike Lee has turned to Kickstarter to raise $1.25 million in funds for his next film. The filmmaker said the project will focus on human beings who are addicted to blood. “Funny, sexy, and bloody (and it’s not “Blacula”),” he added. Lee appealed to potential supporters by touting the film as counter to the current high-priced tentpoles.
via Spike Lee Joins Kickstarter: Seeks $1.25 Million | Variety

Whoopi Goldberg Developing 10-Part Series on the History of Black Entertainment

By goodblacknews on April 25, 2013

Whoopi Goldberg
Oscar-winning actress Whoopi Goldberg is developing a 10-part documentary series exploring the history of black entertainment from the 1800s through the present. “The View” host announced her next project last week during the Tribeca Film Festival screening of her debut documentary, “I Got Somethin’ To Tell You.”
An audience member asked Goldberg what her next non-fiction project would be after the success of “I Got Somethin’ To Tell You.” She responded by explaining the difficulties of creating her first documentary and how it inspired her to expand on the research of black entertainers. Goldberg said the “history of black entertainers, comedy and vaudeville has not been covered comprehensively onscreen” according to Real Screen.
“I Got Somethin’ To Tell You” focuses on the life of comedic pioneer Moms Mabley. The documentary was completely funded through Kickstarter. Goldberg expressed her gratitude to all that donated to her campaign.

GBN Community: Help Kickstart "The Flyers and The Crawlers," An Anti-Bullying Children's Book

By goodblacknews on April 20, 2013

Flyers and crawlersAuthor and daycare practitioner P.B. Jeffrey recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to publish a children’s book, “The Flyers and The Crawlers,” as part of an anti-bullying education initiative for kids.  Once her goal is met, Jeffrey intends to donate 200 copies of the book to daycare facilities, school libraries, and anti-bullying conventions across the country.

Author PB Jeffrey and Family
P.B. Jeffrey, husband Lennox and daughters

Bullying is an issue that affects the African-American community, and is fast becoming a multi-cultural epidemic, both in person and online.  Since bullying may begin as early as preschool, and because young children best learn from stories, books, and other educational media, a children’s book series about bullying is an effective tool for preventing the onset of bullying in the next generation.
Jeffrey is trying to raise $4,000 by May 24. Donations of even $5 make a difference. To donate or learn more about the campaign, please go to http://kck.st/ZWYR8K.  
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOQ3v2AR6Wc&w=560&h=315]
 

Patrick Robinson Named Creative Director of Armani Exchange

By goodblacknews on March 22, 2013

Patrick Robinson
According to Fashionista.com, Patrick Robinson, former Gap Creative Director who recently launched sportswear line Paskho via Kickstarter, will join Armani Exchange as its Creative Director.  
His responsibilities will “range from product development to providing creative direction in marketing areas.”
Robinson formerly held the position of Design Director at Giorgio Armani in the 1990s, and in his four years there he made the company’s “Collezioni” line profitable.
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson, with contributions from Lesa Lakin via Breaking: Patrick Robinson Is Now the Creative Director of Armani Exchange | Fashionista.