#Racism
Dr. Stacy L. Smith & the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative Launch Website Exploring Oscar History
Dr. Stacy L Smith and the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative have launched The Inclusion List, a new initiative that showcases inclusion in entertainment. “Who says hashtag activism can’t create...
Lifetime Greenlights “Black Girl Missing” From Star and Exec Producer Garcelle Beauvais
Lifetime is partnering with the Black and Missing Foundation on a project that will highlight disparity among missing persons cases. A press release announced that the network has greenlit...
Lisa Cortés’ “Little Richard: I Am Everything” Acquired by Magnolia Pictures Out of Sundance
You may not have been able to catch the world premiere of “Little Richard: I Am Everything” at Sundance last week, but it looks like we won’t have to wait too long to watch Lisa...
Trailer Watch: “Murder in Big Horn” Spotlights Missing Indigineous Women
“Since colonization, Native women have been targeted,” we’re told in a new trailer for “Murder in Big Horn,” a three-part Showtime docuseries investigating the...
Quote of the Day: Michelle Yeoh Says “We Can Tell Our Own Stories on Our Own Terms”
Michelle Yeoh took home an award and made history at last night’s National Board of Review gala. The Oscar favorite received Best Actress honors for “Everything Everywhere All At...
Teaser Watch: Octavia Butler’s Sci-Fi Classic “Kindred” Comes to the Screen
An aspiring writer finds herself at the center of a stranger-than-fiction story in “Kindred,” FX’s long-awaited Octavia Butler adaptation. “I was here, and then suddenly I...
Titi Yu Talks Community Organizing & Healing in “Rising Against Asian Hate: One Day in March”
Titi Yu is an Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker, producer, and journalist. Most recently, she won two Emmys for her investigative journalism with VICE News. She is also a recipient of the New York...
Trailer Watch: Chinonye Chukwu’s “Till” Honors the Activism of Mamie Till-Mobley
“That smell is my son’s body reeking of racial hatred. Now I want America to bear witness,” says Mamie Till-Mobley (Danielle Deadwyler) in a new trailer for “Till,” Chinonye Chukwu’s...
Trailer Watch: “Descendant” Spotlights the Legacy of the Last Slave Ship to Arrive in U.S.
“You have this type of history, your ancestors are going to always talk to you,” we’re told in a new trailer for Margaret Brown’s “Descendant.” The Netflix doc...
NYFF 2022 Women Directors: Meet Margaret Brown – “Descendant”
Margaret Brown’s documentary work examines the American South, from a seminal film on Townes Van Zandt “Be Here to Love Me,” to the impactful story of the BP oil spill’s lasting impact “The...
Pick of the Day: “Nothing Compares”
It’s not an unusual for docs paying tribute to musical artists to begin with a performance, but I’ve never seen anything quite like the opening scene of “Nothing Compares”...
Rosa Ruth Boesten’s SXSW Winner “Master of Light” Acquired by HBO Documentary Films
HBO Documentary Films has landed worldwide rights to “Master of Light,” which took home SXSW’s top non-fiction prize earlier this year. Deadline confirmed the news. Rosa Ruth...
Racism “Rife” in U.K. Film and TV Industry, Bectu Survey Finds
A new survey carried out by the U.K. creative industries union Bectu has found that racism and underreporting of racism are still highly prevalent in U.K. broadcasting. According to a press release,...
Mo’Nique Lines Up a Netflix Special, Re-Teams with Her “Precious” Director
After a long and winding road, Mo’Nique finally has a Netflix special on the way. In 2018, the comedian and Oscar-winning actress called out the streamer for gender and color bias when they...
Trailer Watch: Leah Purcell Braves the Australian Outback in “The Legend of Molly Johnson”
Described by writer, director, and star Leah Purcell as a “story about a woman who will go to great lengths to protect the ones she loves,” “The Legend of Molly Johnson” takes...
July 2022 Film Preview
The Supreme Court overturning Roe vs. Wade is a brutal reminder that the rights of freedom and bodily autonomy are never truly won and that the fight for basic human rights remains ongoing....
Trailer Watch: Jenna Cato Bass Explores a Haunted House and Domestic Servitude in “Good Madam”
“There’s a bad spirit here,” we’re told in a new trailer for Jenna Cato Bass’ “Good Madam.” The South African horror pic sees Tsidi (Chumisa Cosa), a single...
Tribeca 2022 Women Directors: Meet Nadia Hellgren – “Civil”
Nadia Hallgren is an award-winning filmmaker from The Bronx, New York. She directed “Becoming,” the 2020 Netflix feature documentary about former First Lady Michelle Obama....
Trailer Watch: Attorney Ben Crump Takes on a Racist Justice System in Nadia Hallgren’s “Civil”
“America’s a capitalistic society. The one thing that America understands is money. If you can make them pay higher values, they will stop killing Black people. It would be an...
Trailer Watch: Rebeca Huntt Explores Her Identity and Trauma in “Beba”
“You are now entering my universe,” announces Rebeca Huntt in a new trailer for “Beba.” “I am the lens, the subject, and the authority.” The doc sees the...
Hot Docs 2022 Women Directors: Meet Patty Ivins Specht – “Deconstructing Karen”
Patty Ivins Specht is an Emmy award winning producer, director, and writer who has made several documentaries about womanhood, including “Hungry,” “Mean Girls: Mind Games,”...
Viola Davis & Caroline Randall Williams Team Up for Discovery+ Docuseries Exploring Black Food History
Currently starring as Michelle Obama on “The First Lady,” Viola Davis is set to dig further into America’s past in a new Discovery+ docuseries. The Oscar-winning actress is...
Gemma Chan to Portray Anna May Wong in Biopic of the Trailblazing Actress
Gemma Chan is set to pay tribute to another actress. Following roles in blockbusters including “Eternals,” “Captain Marvel,” and “Crazy Rich Asians,” Chan will...
Pick of the Day: “Finding Kukan”
Here are a few factoids about “Kukan,” the 1941 documentary about China during Japan’s WWII invasion and occupation: Its title is a term that refers to perseverance in the face of...
SXSW 2022 Women Directors: Meet Rosa Ruth Boesten – “Master of Light”
Born in Utrecht and based in Amsterdam, Rosa Ruth Boesten, made her first documentary about her grandmother, a single mother and struggling artist who made textile art. She studied directing of...
Trailer Watch: Regina Hall Is the “Master” of a College Haunted by Racism
“This school is unwilling to see itself for what it truly is,” we’re told in a new trailer for “Master.” Set at an elite New England university that’s nearly as...
Trailer Watch: Keke Palmer Finds Freedom and Gets Revenge in “Alice”
“I know exactly who I am and where I came from,” says Keke Palmer in a new trailer for “Alice.” “I am free.” Based on true events, Krystin Ver Linden’s...
Sundance 2022 Women Directors: Meet Julie Ha – “Free Chol Soo Lee”
Julie Ha’s storytelling career spans more than two decades, with a specialized focus on Asian American stories. She worked as an editor for 10 years at KoreAm Journal, a national Korean American...
Agam Darshi on Centering “Donkeyhead” Around a South Asian Family & Processing Trauma Through Art
Agam Darshi is an award-winning actress, writer, and director. Born in England and raised all over Canada, she currently resides in Los Angeles, California. She recently wrapped on Ava DuVernay’s...
Black Directors Helm Just 1% of Competition Films at Major Fests, According to New Research
Screen International is offering a brutal reminder of just how far the film industry has yet to go on the road toward inclusivity. The film mag and blog surveyed the main international competitions...
Pick of the Day: “The Slow Hustle”
“It’s Baltimore — don’t be surprised by anything that takes place here,” we’re warned early on in “The Slow Hustle.” The HBO doc sees Sonja Sohn, best...
DOC NYC 2021 Women Directors: Meet Geeta Gandbhir and Samantha Knowles – “Black and Missing”
Geeta Gandbhir is an Emmy and Peabody award-winning director, producer, and editor. Her most recent film, “Apart,” co-directed with Rudy Valdez, is currently playing on HBO Max and her...
DOC NYC 2021 Women Directors: Meet Erin Bernhardt and Din Blankenship – “Refuge”
Erin Bernhardt is an independent filmmaker. She has won two Peabody Awards, an Emmy, and numerous film festival awards. Her first independent feature documentary, “Imba Means Sing,” aired...
Mamie Lang Kirkland Doc “100 Years from Mississippi” Acquired by Virgil Films
Film audiences will soon get to learn about Mamie Lang Kirkland and her incredible life. According to Deadline, a documentary about the activist, directed by her son Tarabu Betserai Kirkland, has...
Quote of the Day: Gabrielle Union Calls Out Hollywood’s Fake Meritocracy in Book Foreword
Gabrielle Union has nearly 90 acting credits on IMDb. She has appeared on-screen since the mid-90s. She has had scene-stealing turns in cult classics and blockbusters alike, from “Bring It...
Trailer Watch: Rachel Boynton Explores How History Is Taught in “Civil War (or, Who Do We Think We Are)”
From three-time Emmy nominee Rachel Boynton, “Civil War (or, Who Do We Think We Are)” explores the legacy of a defining moment in American history. The documentary examines how the story...
Trailer Watch: Maisie Crow Investigates a Law Enforcement Education Program in “At the Ready”
“People are looking up to you. People need you to do great things,” students are told in a new trailer for Maisie Crow’s “At the Ready.” The Sundance doc spotlights...
Crystal R. Emery Talks “The Deadliest Disease in America,” Her Doc About Racism in Healthcare
Crystal R. Emery is a producer, educator, author, and filmmaker known for producing socially conscious storytelling on a variety of platforms that celebrate the triumph of the human spirit, a cause...
TIFF 2021 Women Directors: Meet Neus Ballús – “The Odd-Job Men”
Neus Ballús is a Catalan film director and scriptwriter. Her first film, “The Plague,” premiered at Berlinale Forum and was nominated for the European Film Awards, LUX Prize, and Goya...
TIFF 2021 Women Directors: Meet Jenna Cato Bass – “Mlungu Wam” (“Good Madam”)
Jenna Cato Bass is a South African writer, filmmaker, and former magician. Together with Wanuri Kahiu, Bass co-wrote the coming-of-age romance “Rafiki,” which premiered in Cannes’...
Teaser Watch: Betsy West & Julie Cohen Honor a Trailblazer in “My Name Is Pauli Murray”
“You cannot teach American history without teaching about Pauli Murray,” we’re told in a new teaser for “My Name Is Pauli Murray.” Betsy West and Julie Cohen’s...
Pick of the Day: “The Chair”
Though it’s decidedly less glamorous, academia isn’t entirely dissimilar from Hollywood. The wealthy and powerful minority convince themselves that meritocracy governs the system, and the...
Trailer Watch: “The Deadliest Disease in America” Highlights Racism in Healthcare
“By a show of hands, who really believes that racism exists in healthcare?” Crystal R. Emery asks in a new trailer for “The Deadliest Disease in America.” Directed and...
rePRO Film Festival 2021 Women Directors: Meet Marion Lipschutz and Rose Rosenblatt – “Bei Bei”
Rose Rosenblatt and Marion Lipschutz are partners in Incite Pictures/Cine Qua Non. Their prior titles include “Young Lakota,” “The Education of Shelby Knox,” “Live Free...
SXSW Winner “Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America” Acquired by Sony Pictures Classics
Ahead of its world premiere at SXSW 2021, Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler described “Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America” as a film “about confronting this country’s...
Pick of the Day: “Rise Again: Tulsa and the Red Summer”
“Rise Again: Tulsa and the Red Summer” spotlights people and events that have been “disappeared by history,” as one interviewee puts it. Dawn Porter’s latest documentary...
Tribeca 2021 Women Directors: Meet Maya Cueva and Leah Galant – “On the Divide”
Maya Cueva is a Latina award-winning director and producer with a background in radio and podcast producing. Her short documentary “The Provider” premiered at SXSW and was nominated for...
Tribeca 2021 Women Directors: Meet Nana Mensah – “Queen of Glory”
Nana Mensah is a Ghanaian-American actor, writer, and director. This summer, she will appear in a series regular role opposite Sandra Oh and Bob Balaban in Netflix’s “The Chair” and this fall,...
Tribeca 2021 Preview: Sisters Racing Their Way into History, Nigerians Fighting for LGBTQ+ Rights, & More
Slated to run from June 9-20 with a mix of online screenings and live in-person events at outdoor venues, Tribeca Film Festival is celebrating its 20th edition with a feature lineup that is 60...
Pick of the Day: “In Treatment”
Ten years after its Season 3 finale, HBO therapy drama “In Treatment” returns for its fourth season with a different protagonist. Uzo Aduba takes the reins from Gabriel Byrne as the star of...
Pick of the Day: “144”
An all-access look into a WNBA season like no other, “144” takes viewers inside the bubble of the 2020 season, which saw the league creating a single site at the IMG Academy in Bradenton,...