Exclusive: Jenner Furst, the Peabody-winning Emmy nominated director and exec producer of numerous hot button documentaries, has teamed with Arnold Rifkin and former Cj Entertainment exec Justin Lee to form Incite. Rifkin is the Hollywood vet who ran Wma for years and was producing partner with Bruce Willis after that, and who will move Incite into scripted fare next year.
Incite’s aim is to finance and produce premium non-fiction fare, and they have started out with a bang. Furst just sat with George Santos, the former Queens pol who became only the sixth person in history to be expelled from US Congress. Santos has left a trail of lies and fabrications that started being exposed before he became the first openly LGBTQ+ person to be voted in on the Republican ticket.
When Deadline spoke to Furst on Thursday, he was tired after completing 8 hours worth of interviews with Santos...
Incite’s aim is to finance and produce premium non-fiction fare, and they have started out with a bang. Furst just sat with George Santos, the former Queens pol who became only the sixth person in history to be expelled from US Congress. Santos has left a trail of lies and fabrications that started being exposed before he became the first openly LGBTQ+ person to be voted in on the Republican ticket.
When Deadline spoke to Furst on Thursday, he was tired after completing 8 hours worth of interviews with Santos...
- 12/22/2023
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
The scammy, salacious saga of George Santos’ fraudulent life and short-lived congressional career will soon get the documentary treatment.
According to The New York Times the project, which is already in the works, will be directed by self-proclaimed “scammer whisperer” and Fyre Fraud documentarian Jenner Furst — who has also already secured Santos’ participation in the film and plans to pay him an “archival materials fee.”
Furst is the award-winning director behind projects including Time: The Kalief Browder Story, LuLaRich, and the smash hit Hulu documentary Fyre Fraud, which chronicled the disastrous,...
According to The New York Times the project, which is already in the works, will be directed by self-proclaimed “scammer whisperer” and Fyre Fraud documentarian Jenner Furst — who has also already secured Santos’ participation in the film and plans to pay him an “archival materials fee.”
Furst is the award-winning director behind projects including Time: The Kalief Browder Story, LuLaRich, and the smash hit Hulu documentary Fyre Fraud, which chronicled the disastrous,...
- 12/21/2023
- by Nikki McCann Ramirez
- Rollingstone.com
Six top TV documentary filmmakers will reveal secrets behind their projects when they join Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with 2022 Emmy Awards contenders. They will participate in two video discussions to premiere on Tuesday, May 17, at 6:00 p.m. Pt; 9:00 p.m. Et. We’ll have a one-on-one with our contributing editor Charles Bright and a roundtable chat with all of the group together.
RSVP today to our entire ongoing Emmy contenders panel series by clicking here to book your free reservation. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following 2022 contenders:
Aly Raisman: Darkness to Light (Lifetime)
Synopsis: Aly Raisman helps victims of sexual assault find their voice in order to start healing and turn from victim to survivor.
Bio: Aly Raisman was an American gymnast and captain of the U.
RSVP today to our entire ongoing Emmy contenders panel series by clicking here to book your free reservation. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following 2022 contenders:
Aly Raisman: Darkness to Light (Lifetime)
Synopsis: Aly Raisman helps victims of sexual assault find their voice in order to start healing and turn from victim to survivor.
Bio: Aly Raisman was an American gymnast and captain of the U.
- 5/11/2022
- by Chris Beachum and Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: A Slight Change of Plans, one of the breakout podcasts of the year, is being adapted as a television documentary series from the team behind docs including Fyre Fraud and LuLaRich.
The Cinemart, which is also behind Time: The Kalief Browder Story, has acquired the rights to the audio series from host and creator Dr. Maya Shankar and Malcolm Gladwell’s Pushkin Industries.
Shankar, who served as Senior Advisor in President Barack Obama’s White House, is a cognitive scientist who studies how and why we change and the series looks at how people navigate changes of all kinds.
The series, which was named as the best show of the year by Apple, featured the likes of Tiffany Haddish, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Riz Ahmed and Kacey Musgraves as well as those such as a young man who builds cancer detection tools and who finds himself in the throes of his own stage 4 diagnosis,...
The Cinemart, which is also behind Time: The Kalief Browder Story, has acquired the rights to the audio series from host and creator Dr. Maya Shankar and Malcolm Gladwell’s Pushkin Industries.
Shankar, who served as Senior Advisor in President Barack Obama’s White House, is a cognitive scientist who studies how and why we change and the series looks at how people navigate changes of all kinds.
The series, which was named as the best show of the year by Apple, featured the likes of Tiffany Haddish, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Riz Ahmed and Kacey Musgraves as well as those such as a young man who builds cancer detection tools and who finds himself in the throes of his own stage 4 diagnosis,...
- 12/8/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Amazon Prime Video announced that the investigative docuseries “LuLaRich” will drop on Sept. 10, and unveiled a trailer for the series.
“LuLaRich” is a four-part docuseries — from “Fyre Fraud” documentarians Jenner Furst and Julia Willoughby Nason — examining the pyramid scheme that was (and shockingly still is) LuLaRoe. The explosive growth of the clothing company, which began as a multi-level marketing scam in which people (mostly women) sold leggings to one another, while also signing up new retailers to be beneath them in the pyramid, has played out, as so many evil things do, mostly on Facebook. The doc series features former retailers and LulaRoe staffers as talking heads, who’ve tried to dig themselves out from their ruined lives.
Shockingly, LuLaRoe’s co-founders DeAnne and Mark Stidham also sat down for an interview with the filmmakers, and try to happy-talk their way out of what they’ve done. Their interview stands...
“LuLaRich” is a four-part docuseries — from “Fyre Fraud” documentarians Jenner Furst and Julia Willoughby Nason — examining the pyramid scheme that was (and shockingly still is) LuLaRoe. The explosive growth of the clothing company, which began as a multi-level marketing scam in which people (mostly women) sold leggings to one another, while also signing up new retailers to be beneath them in the pyramid, has played out, as so many evil things do, mostly on Facebook. The doc series features former retailers and LulaRoe staffers as talking heads, who’ve tried to dig themselves out from their ruined lives.
Shockingly, LuLaRoe’s co-founders DeAnne and Mark Stidham also sat down for an interview with the filmmakers, and try to happy-talk their way out of what they’ve done. Their interview stands...
- 8/16/2021
- by Kate Aurthur
- Variety Film + TV
It’s only fitting that in 2020 — the year of the coronavirus — Netflix’s top titles include stand-up comedies, “sad movies” and “home baking shows.”
The streaming giant released year-end viewing trends on Thursday that also showed that October was the biggest month for comedy consumption, with audiences seeking to quell pre-election anxiety. “Hubie Halloween,” “The Wrong Missy,” “Space Force,” “Holidate” and “Kevin Hart: Zero Fucks Given” were the most popular comedy titles of the year.
In the three weeks following George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police, viewing soared for titles that reflected the Black experience: “13th” saw the most growth, with viewing up more than 5,000%. “LA 92,” “Dear White People,” “Time: The Kalief Browder Story” and “American Son” views also skyrocketed.
Netflix users also gravitated toward twice as much romance in 2020 as the year prior, with films “The Kissing Booth 2,” “Princess Switch: Switched Again” and...
The streaming giant released year-end viewing trends on Thursday that also showed that October was the biggest month for comedy consumption, with audiences seeking to quell pre-election anxiety. “Hubie Halloween,” “The Wrong Missy,” “Space Force,” “Holidate” and “Kevin Hart: Zero Fucks Given” were the most popular comedy titles of the year.
In the three weeks following George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police, viewing soared for titles that reflected the Black experience: “13th” saw the most growth, with viewing up more than 5,000%. “LA 92,” “Dear White People,” “Time: The Kalief Browder Story” and “American Son” views also skyrocketed.
Netflix users also gravitated toward twice as much romance in 2020 as the year prior, with films “The Kissing Booth 2,” “Princess Switch: Switched Again” and...
- 12/10/2020
- by Natalie Oganesyan
- Variety Film + TV
US viewers consumed 50% more foreign-language content in 2020, with The Platform from Spain, Barbarians from Germany and Rogue City from France the most popular choices.
While the streaming service provided no hard data on viewership of individual films and shows in its What We Watched 2020 briefing released on Thursday (December 10), the information at least offered guidance on trends.
K-drama viewing almost tripled in viewership compared to 2019 with Kingdom S2 and The King: Eternal Monarch proving the most popular, while consumption of anime doubled in the US led by Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back – Evolution and Blood Of Zeus.
Money Heist: Part 4 from...
While the streaming service provided no hard data on viewership of individual films and shows in its What We Watched 2020 briefing released on Thursday (December 10), the information at least offered guidance on trends.
K-drama viewing almost tripled in viewership compared to 2019 with Kingdom S2 and The King: Eternal Monarch proving the most popular, while consumption of anime doubled in the US led by Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back – Evolution and Blood Of Zeus.
Money Heist: Part 4 from...
- 12/10/2020
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
As the term “fake news” gets thrown around recklessly and clickbait headlines spread misinformation, many people have found it hard to find facts from reliable sources. Perhaps people should turn to documentaries. In a new study from The Center for Media & Social Impact, Americans view documentary storytelling as a trustworthy information source and a touchstone for civic dialogue on social challenges such as racism and police violence
The study, “Breaking the Silence: How Documentaries Can Shape the Conversation on Racial Violence in America and Create New Communities”, was conducted in 2020 before the world saw a surge in discourse on systemic racism. The participatory research focused on the responses to the Itvs co-production Always in Season directed by Jacqueline Olive. The docu debuted at Sundance in 2019 and premiered on Independent Lens on PBS. Always in Season explores the lingering impact of more than a century of lynching African Americans and connects...
The study, “Breaking the Silence: How Documentaries Can Shape the Conversation on Racial Violence in America and Create New Communities”, was conducted in 2020 before the world saw a surge in discourse on systemic racism. The participatory research focused on the responses to the Itvs co-production Always in Season directed by Jacqueline Olive. The docu debuted at Sundance in 2019 and premiered on Independent Lens on PBS. Always in Season explores the lingering impact of more than a century of lynching African Americans and connects...
- 10/14/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: All Def Digital and Sky-backed producer Jupiter Entertainment have struck a deal to adapt the hip hop and comedy platform’s digital media series for television.
The two companies have struck a partnership to adapt All Def Digital’s library of content, including music formats The Crate and Bar Exam.
All Def, which was founded by Russell Simmons, was acquired by Culture Genesis, the La-based digital studio whose investors include rapper T.I, Grand Hustle Records’ founder Jason Geter, NBA star Baron Davis and venture-capital firms Betaworks and Mucker Capital, last year.
Culture Genesis co-founders Shaun Newsum and Cedric J. Rogers (below) will work closely with Jupiter Entertainment President Patrick Reardon, and Vice President of Development Chris Spry on the adaptations. Reardon, in particular, has experience in this space, working on projects such as Time: The Kalief Browder Story and #FreeMeek during his time as head of television and film for Roc Nation.
The two companies have struck a partnership to adapt All Def Digital’s library of content, including music formats The Crate and Bar Exam.
All Def, which was founded by Russell Simmons, was acquired by Culture Genesis, the La-based digital studio whose investors include rapper T.I, Grand Hustle Records’ founder Jason Geter, NBA star Baron Davis and venture-capital firms Betaworks and Mucker Capital, last year.
Culture Genesis co-founders Shaun Newsum and Cedric J. Rogers (below) will work closely with Jupiter Entertainment President Patrick Reardon, and Vice President of Development Chris Spry on the adaptations. Reardon, in particular, has experience in this space, working on projects such as Time: The Kalief Browder Story and #FreeMeek during his time as head of television and film for Roc Nation.
- 6/18/2020
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
As everyone finishes binge-watching “Tiger King,” Netflix is preparing to release their next true crime documentary, “The Innocence Files.” The nine episode series looks at the attorneys and clients brought together as part of the Innocence Project, a non-profit organization committed to criminal justice reform and changing wrongful convictions. Episodes will be directed by Liz Garbus, Alex Gibney, Roger Ross Williams, Jed Rothstein, Andy Grieve, and Sarah Dowland.
The trailer for the series situates this as a show where the verdicts have already been decided — and the inherent knowledge that said verdict is wrong. Nine different cases are laid out, involving predominately men of color, who are serving long-term sentences for crimes they didn’t commit. One attorney says about one case that there is no physical evidence connecting the client to the crime. Are these convictions frame-up jobs to secure a conviction? That’s up for the viewer to...
The trailer for the series situates this as a show where the verdicts have already been decided — and the inherent knowledge that said verdict is wrong. Nine different cases are laid out, involving predominately men of color, who are serving long-term sentences for crimes they didn’t commit. One attorney says about one case that there is no physical evidence connecting the client to the crime. Are these convictions frame-up jobs to secure a conviction? That’s up for the viewer to...
- 4/2/2020
- by Kristen Lopez
- Indiewire
Ok, let’s admit it, the Venn diagram of those of us who write about film and TV for a living and those of us who have a Vitamin D deficiency just looks like two big overlapping circles. But in our attempt to flatten the curve and mitigate the impact of Covid-19 in our communities, IndieWire’s team is spending even more time in front of our screens than usual.
Between advance screeners provided to press, huge libraries of TV content on DVD sitting on shelves, and our own fiscally irresponsible number of subscriptions to streaming services, what are we watching? Why? And should you watch it too? After all, it’s only considered self-isolation if you don’t consider TV your friend.
More from IndieWire'Black Widow' Release Postponed Over CoronavirusThe Show Must Go On: Here's What's Still Open for Business in Hollywood
We’ll be updating this throughout the...
Between advance screeners provided to press, huge libraries of TV content on DVD sitting on shelves, and our own fiscally irresponsible number of subscriptions to streaming services, what are we watching? Why? And should you watch it too? After all, it’s only considered self-isolation if you don’t consider TV your friend.
More from IndieWire'Black Widow' Release Postponed Over CoronavirusThe Show Must Go On: Here's What's Still Open for Business in Hollywood
We’ll be updating this throughout the...
- 3/16/2020
- by Ann Donahue
- Indiewire
Chris Longo Feb 7, 2020
The directors of The Pharmacist reveal how they captured the powerful story of Dan Schneider, an unlikely hero who took action from grief.
It sounds like something out of a pulpy comic book: A grieving father seeks to avenge his son’s murder by circumventing the police to identify the killer. But it was reality for Dan Schneider, a New Orleans-area pharmacist who channeled his grief over the drug-related shooting death of his son, Danny Jr., into a tireless Diy investigation. In The Pharmacist, Netflix’s latest documentary series and one of its most gripping to date, Schneider finds that justice for his son is only the beginning. Soon the well-meaning pharmacist embarks on a crusade to combat the unfolding opioid crisis that’s ravaging his region, and soon the entire country.
On first look, Schneider would appear to be an ideal subject for a documentary. His infectious personality,...
The directors of The Pharmacist reveal how they captured the powerful story of Dan Schneider, an unlikely hero who took action from grief.
It sounds like something out of a pulpy comic book: A grieving father seeks to avenge his son’s murder by circumventing the police to identify the killer. But it was reality for Dan Schneider, a New Orleans-area pharmacist who channeled his grief over the drug-related shooting death of his son, Danny Jr., into a tireless Diy investigation. In The Pharmacist, Netflix’s latest documentary series and one of its most gripping to date, Schneider finds that justice for his son is only the beginning. Soon the well-meaning pharmacist embarks on a crusade to combat the unfolding opioid crisis that’s ravaging his region, and soon the entire country.
On first look, Schneider would appear to be an ideal subject for a documentary. His infectious personality,...
- 2/7/2020
- Den of Geek
Exclusive: Chachi Senior, who previously oversaw alternative programming for the Paramount Network, has joined The Real Housewives of Atlanta producer Truly Original.
Senior becomes Head of Development at the Endemol Shine North America subsidiary.
This comes after he left Paramount Network last year, where he was head of alternative development and original programming at Paramount Network. At the ViacomCBS network, he oversaw franchises including Ink Master, produced by Truly Original, and Bar Rescue and exec produced docs including Time: The Kalief Browder Story, Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story and Joe Berlinger-directed Gone: The Forgotten Women of Ohio.
Based in La and New York, he will oversee the company’s development roster for all platforms and across all content genres including documentary, reality and formats as well as competition series and podcasts.
Truly Original, which is run by Co-Presidents and Co-CEOs Glenda Hersh and Steven Weinstock, produces series...
Senior becomes Head of Development at the Endemol Shine North America subsidiary.
This comes after he left Paramount Network last year, where he was head of alternative development and original programming at Paramount Network. At the ViacomCBS network, he oversaw franchises including Ink Master, produced by Truly Original, and Bar Rescue and exec produced docs including Time: The Kalief Browder Story, Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story and Joe Berlinger-directed Gone: The Forgotten Women of Ohio.
Based in La and New York, he will oversee the company’s development roster for all platforms and across all content genres including documentary, reality and formats as well as competition series and podcasts.
Truly Original, which is run by Co-Presidents and Co-CEOs Glenda Hersh and Steven Weinstock, produces series...
- 1/24/2020
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Sky-owned Jupiter Entertainment has hired former Roc Nation executive Patrick Reardon as President as Allison Wallach plans to step down at the end of the year.
Reardon will oversee all creative development at the company, which produces series such as Oxygen’s Snapped, ID’s Homicide Hunter and Animal Planet’s Wild West Alaska and will assume the responsibility of day-to-day operations of Jupiter’s New York and Knoxville offices.
He will be tasked with creating original formats and generating new character driven series for broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms as well as overseeing its production slate that includes a dozen series delivering over 250 hours of programming per year.
Reardon will report to Stephen Land, Chief Executive Officer of Jupiter, who founded the company in 1996 and sold a 60% stake to Comcast-owned Sky in 2015.
Former UTA agent Wallach has been President of the company since 2015 and is exploring new options,...
Reardon will oversee all creative development at the company, which produces series such as Oxygen’s Snapped, ID’s Homicide Hunter and Animal Planet’s Wild West Alaska and will assume the responsibility of day-to-day operations of Jupiter’s New York and Knoxville offices.
He will be tasked with creating original formats and generating new character driven series for broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms as well as overseeing its production slate that includes a dozen series delivering over 250 hours of programming per year.
Reardon will report to Stephen Land, Chief Executive Officer of Jupiter, who founded the company in 1996 and sold a 60% stake to Comcast-owned Sky in 2015.
Former UTA agent Wallach has been President of the company since 2015 and is exploring new options,...
- 10/1/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
In serving as executive producer of “Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story,” Chachi Senior found himself revisiting many of the unbelievable moments that surrounded that case. None was worse than reviewing the trial of Martin’s killer, George Zimmerman. “What I learned most about the trial after watching this film as opposed to when it was actually happening, was just how wrong the prosecution had gotten this. They blew this case,” he tells us in our recent webchat with him (watch the exclusive video above). He’s quick to credit the movie’s directing team of Jenner Furst and Julia Willoughby Nason for the way they didn’t heighten their presentation of this in the documentary and just presented the facts of how the prosecution failed. Senior adds, “They were just idiots.”
SEEEmmys 2019 exclusive: Category submissions for Comedy Central, Paramount Network, TV Land
“Rest in Power” was a six-part...
SEEEmmys 2019 exclusive: Category submissions for Comedy Central, Paramount Network, TV Land
“Rest in Power” was a six-part...
- 5/24/2019
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Michael Rubin, a co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers, used to have a recurring argument with the rapper and hardcore 76ers fan Meek Mill. “Meek would say, ‘Michael, there are two Americas,'” Rubin recalled during a press conference at John Jay College in Manhattan on Wednesday. “I’d be like, ‘Bro, what are you talking about?'”
Then in November 2017, Rubin watched in court as the rapper was sentenced to two to four years in prison for doing wheelies on a dirt bike, an action that was deemed a violation...
Then in November 2017, Rubin watched in court as the rapper was sentenced to two to four years in prison for doing wheelies on a dirt bike, an action that was deemed a violation...
- 1/23/2019
- by Elias Leight
- Rollingstone.com
The following essay was produced as part of the 2018 Nyff Critics Academy, a workshop for aspiring film critics that took place during the 56th edition of the New York Film Festival.
Barry Jenkins’ “If Beale Street Could Talk” is a powerful reflection of the Black American experience, a love story layered in beautiful colors and poetic language juxtaposed with the slow-burning tragedy of a family’s fate. That James Baldwin’s 1974 novel, which depicts the inherent racism of the criminal justice system, is relevant enough to be adapted into a movie in 2018 says a great deal about America’s progress, or rather lack thereof.
While there have been other recent films and television series that shed light on the predatory ways in which the judicial system baits Black men into taking plea deals, including “Time: The Kalief Browder Story” and “The Central Park Five,” “Beale Street” is one of the...
Barry Jenkins’ “If Beale Street Could Talk” is a powerful reflection of the Black American experience, a love story layered in beautiful colors and poetic language juxtaposed with the slow-burning tragedy of a family’s fate. That James Baldwin’s 1974 novel, which depicts the inherent racism of the criminal justice system, is relevant enough to be adapted into a movie in 2018 says a great deal about America’s progress, or rather lack thereof.
While there have been other recent films and television series that shed light on the predatory ways in which the judicial system baits Black men into taking plea deals, including “Time: The Kalief Browder Story” and “The Central Park Five,” “Beale Street” is one of the...
- 10/28/2018
- by Keyanna Wigglesworth
- Indiewire
It’s about to be a bit of a hard-knock life for ailing The Weinstein Company, with Jay-z and Eminem now going after the once muscular outlet. In filings late last week in TWC’s bankruptcy proceedings, the hip-hop superstars claim they are owed around $800,000 plus some of the rights for projects they had with the company.
“The Music Parties respectfully request that the Court order that the Debtors cannot transfer rights to the Music Party Repertoire unless the Debtors assume and assign the Agreement and pay the cure amounts, or the Successful Bidder includes the License Fees and Approved Expenses as Assumed Liabilities and pays them at closing,” says the filing (read it here) from the 8 Mile star, his Shady Records and Interscope Records regarding songs used in 2015’s film Southpaw.
Fresh off his double-shot Coachella appearance last month and referring a series of attached emails to TWC music...
“The Music Parties respectfully request that the Court order that the Debtors cannot transfer rights to the Music Party Repertoire unless the Debtors assume and assign the Agreement and pay the cure amounts, or the Successful Bidder includes the License Fees and Approved Expenses as Assumed Liabilities and pays them at closing,” says the filing (read it here) from the 8 Mile star, his Shady Records and Interscope Records regarding songs used in 2015’s film Southpaw.
Fresh off his double-shot Coachella appearance last month and referring a series of attached emails to TWC music...
- 5/7/2018
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Jay-z’s Roc Nation is launching a television production division to be headed by Weinstein Co. alum Patrick Reardon.
As Roc Nation’s exec VP of scripted and unscripted television, Reardon will be responsible for building and running the TV department, focusing on developing and producing premium scripted and unscripted content. Reardon is a veteran producer and executive who had served as exec VP and co-head of Weinstein Co.’s TV department since 2015.
Roc Nation’s recent TV and film projects include Spike TV’s “Time: The Kalief Browder Story,” which has earned a Peabody award this year, and the upcoming “Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story,” which just premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. Both were executive produced by Shawn “Jay-z” Carter. Future television endeavors include an unscripted series with Amazon.
“Roc Nation is such an influential and dynamic company. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to...
As Roc Nation’s exec VP of scripted and unscripted television, Reardon will be responsible for building and running the TV department, focusing on developing and producing premium scripted and unscripted content. Reardon is a veteran producer and executive who had served as exec VP and co-head of Weinstein Co.’s TV department since 2015.
Roc Nation’s recent TV and film projects include Spike TV’s “Time: The Kalief Browder Story,” which has earned a Peabody award this year, and the upcoming “Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story,” which just premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. Both were executive produced by Shawn “Jay-z” Carter. Future television endeavors include an unscripted series with Amazon.
“Roc Nation is such an influential and dynamic company. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to...
- 5/2/2018
- by Shirley Halperin
- Variety Film + TV
The Peabody Awards board of jurors announced Monday the nine documentary winners selected for the annual Peabody 30.
The documentaries being honored include stories that tackle current global issues such as the effects of climate change on the world’s coral reefs in “Chasing Coral” and how young Dreamers navigate immigration policy in “Indivisible.” Other topics addressed in the documentaries are gun violence, the crisis in Syria, and the life of Maya Angelou.
Past Peabody Award winners, including Carol Burnett who is the first recipient of the Peabody Career Achievement Award, will be honored at the 77th Annual Peabody Awards Ceremony on May 19 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York. The event will be hosted by comedian Hasan Minhaj, writer and senior correspondent on “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.” Variety is the exclusive media partner for the event.
The Peabody Awards recognize 30 stories each year in television, radio, and digital...
The documentaries being honored include stories that tackle current global issues such as the effects of climate change on the world’s coral reefs in “Chasing Coral” and how young Dreamers navigate immigration policy in “Indivisible.” Other topics addressed in the documentaries are gun violence, the crisis in Syria, and the life of Maya Angelou.
Past Peabody Award winners, including Carol Burnett who is the first recipient of the Peabody Career Achievement Award, will be honored at the 77th Annual Peabody Awards Ceremony on May 19 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York. The event will be hosted by comedian Hasan Minhaj, writer and senior correspondent on “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.” Variety is the exclusive media partner for the event.
The Peabody Awards recognize 30 stories each year in television, radio, and digital...
- 4/16/2018
- by Ariana Brockington
- Variety Film + TV
The Peabody Awards Board of Jurors have selected 60 nominees for the organization’s 77th annual awards, including “Legion,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Last Men in Aleppo,” and “S-Town.” They were selected from a field of more than 1,200 entries television, radio/podcasts, and the internet.
“True to tradition, we are proud to present a rich mix of excellence in the craft of storytelling,” said Jeffrey P. Jones, executive director of Peabody. “These stories reflect important social issues and exemplify the power of diverse voices and platforms in media today.” This year’s ceremony will be hosted by Hasan Minhaj of “The Daily Show” on May 19 in New York City. Full list of nominees below.
Children’s & Youth Programming
“Andi Mack” Horizon Productions (Disney Channel)
“A Series of Unfortunate Events” Netflix (Netflix)
Documentary
“Abacus: Small Enough to Jail”
“America ReFramed: Deej”
“Chasing Coral”
“City of Ghosts”
“Heroin(e)”
“I Have A Message...
“True to tradition, we are proud to present a rich mix of excellence in the craft of storytelling,” said Jeffrey P. Jones, executive director of Peabody. “These stories reflect important social issues and exemplify the power of diverse voices and platforms in media today.” This year’s ceremony will be hosted by Hasan Minhaj of “The Daily Show” on May 19 in New York City. Full list of nominees below.
Children’s & Youth Programming
“Andi Mack” Horizon Productions (Disney Channel)
“A Series of Unfortunate Events” Netflix (Netflix)
Documentary
“Abacus: Small Enough to Jail”
“America ReFramed: Deej”
“Chasing Coral”
“City of Ghosts”
“Heroin(e)”
“I Have A Message...
- 4/10/2018
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
The Peabody Awards have unveiled 60 nominees for its kudos recognizing TV and radio programs, podcasts and other digital media from 2017.
The list of entertainment programs making the nominations cut includes CBS All Access’ “Star Trek: Discovery,” NBC’s “The Good Place,” Netflix’s “American Vandal,” FX’s “Legion,” HBO’s “Insecure,” and Netflix’s “Alias Grace.” Other contenders gaining kudos momentum with the Peabody noms include Netflix’s “One Day at a Time,” Amazon’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” and AMC’s “Better Call Saul.”
News and documentary fare in the mix includes HBO’s “The Defiant Ones,” BBC’s “Planet Earth II,” and “Time: The Kalief Browder Story,” which aired on the erstwhile Spike TV (now rebranded Paramount Network). The now disgraced Harvey Weinstein was among the original exec producers of “Time” but Peabody officials said his name was not included in the...
The list of entertainment programs making the nominations cut includes CBS All Access’ “Star Trek: Discovery,” NBC’s “The Good Place,” Netflix’s “American Vandal,” FX’s “Legion,” HBO’s “Insecure,” and Netflix’s “Alias Grace.” Other contenders gaining kudos momentum with the Peabody noms include Netflix’s “One Day at a Time,” Amazon’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” and AMC’s “Better Call Saul.”
News and documentary fare in the mix includes HBO’s “The Defiant Ones,” BBC’s “Planet Earth II,” and “Time: The Kalief Browder Story,” which aired on the erstwhile Spike TV (now rebranded Paramount Network). The now disgraced Harvey Weinstein was among the original exec producers of “Time” but Peabody officials said his name was not included in the...
- 4/10/2018
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Like many film fests, Sundance has recently acknowledged that the best of television is also worthy of honoring. But as other fests dip their toes in TV — and focus mostly on major productions already picked up and financed by major networks and studios — Sundance is going back to its independent roots, launching its first-ever Indie Episodics lineup.
As Sundance programmer Charlie Sextro told IndieWire, 2018 was the perfect time to take a major step forward and offer a diverse line-up of independently-produced television.
“It has been a very careful but steady thing that we’ve been slowly growing and kind of exploring over the years, ever since we first premiered ‘Top of the Lake’ [in 2013],” Sextro said. “That was the first episodic we did. We played the entire thing straight through in the Egyptian and we just loved being able to do that. That started to grow our idea of how we can expand the program,...
As Sundance programmer Charlie Sextro told IndieWire, 2018 was the perfect time to take a major step forward and offer a diverse line-up of independently-produced television.
“It has been a very careful but steady thing that we’ve been slowly growing and kind of exploring over the years, ever since we first premiered ‘Top of the Lake’ [in 2013],” Sextro said. “That was the first episodic we did. We played the entire thing straight through in the Egyptian and we just loved being able to do that. That started to grow our idea of how we can expand the program,...
- 12/4/2017
- by Liz Shannon Miller
- Indiewire
The International Documentary Association has announced its initial round of nominees for the 2017 Ida Documentary Awards, including special mentions and nods for limited series, curated series, episodic series, and more. Nominees for Best Feature and Best Short, and awards for creative recognition, will be announced on November 1. The Ida will honor director Marcel Mettelsiefen’s “Watani: My Homeland” with the Pare Lorentz Award. Also receiving a special mention in the category is Joe Berlinger’s “Intent to Destroy.”
Other standouts from this first list of nominees include Bryan Fogel’s controversial “Icarus,” Ryan White’s Netflix series “The Keepers,” Ken Burns’ revelatory miniseries “The Vietnam War,” and many more of the year’s best in documentary offerings.
Read More:Joan Didion and Arthur Miller Get the Documentary Treatment From Family Members, And That Makes All the Difference — Nyff
The 33rd edition of the annual ceremony will take place Saturday, December...
Other standouts from this first list of nominees include Bryan Fogel’s controversial “Icarus,” Ryan White’s Netflix series “The Keepers,” Ken Burns’ revelatory miniseries “The Vietnam War,” and many more of the year’s best in documentary offerings.
Read More:Joan Didion and Arthur Miller Get the Documentary Treatment From Family Members, And That Makes All the Difference — Nyff
The 33rd edition of the annual ceremony will take place Saturday, December...
- 10/16/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
As Viacom prepares to morph Spike TV into the Paramount Network, it may now face a Weinstein problem.
Paramount Network, which officially debuts on January 18, is being repositioned as Viacom’s basic cable destination for premium content, on par with networks like FX and AMC. As part of that transformation, it’s leaning heavily on the Weinstein Company’s TV label to help sell the idea of being a new home for upscale fare.
But the “Weinstein” brand now takes on a new meaning — and much more baggage — following the highly publicized sexual harassment allegations against company founder Harvey Weinstein.
Weinstein’s actions toward women have been an open secret in Hollywood, yet the producer has remained a force in the business. While the Weinstein Co. has seen its stature in features diminish, it has recently bulked up on the TV side.
Read More:Harvey Weinstein’s Decades of Sexual...
Paramount Network, which officially debuts on January 18, is being repositioned as Viacom’s basic cable destination for premium content, on par with networks like FX and AMC. As part of that transformation, it’s leaning heavily on the Weinstein Company’s TV label to help sell the idea of being a new home for upscale fare.
But the “Weinstein” brand now takes on a new meaning — and much more baggage — following the highly publicized sexual harassment allegations against company founder Harvey Weinstein.
Weinstein’s actions toward women have been an open secret in Hollywood, yet the producer has remained a force in the business. While the Weinstein Co. has seen its stature in features diminish, it has recently bulked up on the TV side.
Read More:Harvey Weinstein’s Decades of Sexual...
- 10/6/2017
- by Michael Schneider
- Indiewire
Jay-Z is using his powerful voice to push for projects that promote social justice.
In a column penned for the June 21 issue of The Hollywood Reporter, the rapper, who just welcomed twin babies with wife Beyoncé last week in Los Angeles, expressed his belief that the “power of one voice is strong, but when it comes to social justice, the power of our collective voices is unstoppable.”
“Some of us will do the important work locally at the micro level to awaken our neighbors. Some of us will work for progress regionally. And a few of us will be like Kalief Browder,...
In a column penned for the June 21 issue of The Hollywood Reporter, the rapper, who just welcomed twin babies with wife Beyoncé last week in Los Angeles, expressed his belief that the “power of one voice is strong, but when it comes to social justice, the power of our collective voices is unstoppable.”
“Some of us will do the important work locally at the micro level to awaken our neighbors. Some of us will work for progress regionally. And a few of us will be like Kalief Browder,...
- 6/22/2017
- by Nicole Sands
- PEOPLE.com
Television Academy, please consider Jenner Furst’s Time: The Kalief Browder Story from Spike. Furst talks to Awards Daily TV about the story’s power. Imagine being a 16-year-old boy...
- 6/16/2017
- by Jazz Tangcay
- AwardsDaily.com
Jay Z Shares Pens Thought-Provoking Takedown of 'Exploitative' Prison Bail Industry for Father's Day
For Father's Day, Jay Z wants to direct the attention outward, not in.
The "99 Problems" rapper penned an editorial piece for Time, which published on Friday, aiming to expose the injustices faced by those accused of a crime without the financial means to post bail.
"Seventeen years ago I made a song, 'Guilty Until Proven Innocent,'" the 47-year-old artist and philanthropist writes. "If you're from neighborhoods like the Brooklyn one I grew up in, if you're unable to afford a private attorney, then you can be disappeared into our jail system simply because you can't afford bail."
More: Jay Z Speaks on Police Brutality: 'It's Not a Political Issue, It's a Human Issue'
"Millions of people are separated from their families for months at a time," he continues, "not because they are convicted of committing a crime, but because they are accused of committing a crime."
Jay Z goes on to mention the docuseries he helped...
The "99 Problems" rapper penned an editorial piece for Time, which published on Friday, aiming to expose the injustices faced by those accused of a crime without the financial means to post bail.
"Seventeen years ago I made a song, 'Guilty Until Proven Innocent,'" the 47-year-old artist and philanthropist writes. "If you're from neighborhoods like the Brooklyn one I grew up in, if you're unable to afford a private attorney, then you can be disappeared into our jail system simply because you can't afford bail."
More: Jay Z Speaks on Police Brutality: 'It's Not a Political Issue, It's a Human Issue'
"Millions of people are separated from their families for months at a time," he continues, "not because they are convicted of committing a crime, but because they are accused of committing a crime."
Jay Z goes on to mention the docuseries he helped...
- 6/16/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
The Los Angeles Press Club announced its Harvey Weinstein and Jay-z as winners of its inaugural Truthteller Award for contributions to the Public Discourse and Cultural Enlightenment of our Society.
- 6/2/2017
- by Jazz Tangcay
- AwardsDaily.com
The Jay Z-produced Trayvon Martin docu-series from The Weinstein Company will air on Paramount Network in 2018, the network announced Thursday. The six-part series, “Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story,” will debut in 2018 after the Spike rebrand as Paramount Network launches in January. Spike previously aired the docu-series “Time: The Kalief Browder Story,” which was also executive produced by TWC and Jay Z. “Rest in Power” will tell the story of the 17-year old high school student shot and killed by a neighborhood watch member George Zimmerman. Also Read: Jay Z Teams With Weinstein Co. for Trayvon Martin Film and TV.
- 4/6/2017
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
Lots of walls are tumbling at the newly christened MTV Movie & TV Awards. In addition to the previously announced expansion to cover television and streaming, the awards will mix film, TV and streaming nominees together in some categories, and gender divisions are being eliminated: This year’s May 7 ceremony will do away with Best Actress and Best Actor categories, with performers competing in non-gendered races for Best Actor statues.
That means the Best Actor in a Movie category pits Daniel Kaluuya against Emma Watson, Hailee Steinfeld, Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy and Taraji P. Henson, while the Best Actors in a Show (TV and streaming) are Donald Glover, Emilia Clarke, Gina Rodriguez, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Mandy Moore and Millie Bobby Brown.
Overall, Get Out, Jordan Peele’s crazy good horror/comedy/social commentary hybrid, leads the pack of nominees, scoring six nods including Best Picture and Best Actor (Kaluuya).
Beauty and the Beast...
That means the Best Actor in a Movie category pits Daniel Kaluuya against Emma Watson, Hailee Steinfeld, Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy and Taraji P. Henson, while the Best Actors in a Show (TV and streaming) are Donald Glover, Emilia Clarke, Gina Rodriguez, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Mandy Moore and Millie Bobby Brown.
Overall, Get Out, Jordan Peele’s crazy good horror/comedy/social commentary hybrid, leads the pack of nominees, scoring six nods including Best Picture and Best Actor (Kaluuya).
Beauty and the Beast...
- 4/6/2017
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The Spike docu-series “Time: The Kalief Browder Story” ended its run Wednesday on a hopeful note, as New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio last week announced a plan to close Rikers Island.
The late-breaking news led Spike and “Time” executive producers Harvey Weinstein and Jay Z to update the finale with the news. Rikers Island is where 16-year-old Browder was confined for three years – two of them in solitary confinement – while awaiting trial for allegedly stealing a backpack. Charges were eventually dropped and no trial ever held, but by then the damage was done: He took his life after being released from the jail.
Browder’s brother, Akeem Browder, calls it a victory, but one with a lot of disappointment attached. The plan to shut down Rikers will take ten years, and the city would replace it with new jails across the city.
“We’re not advocating for the opening of new jails,...
The late-breaking news led Spike and “Time” executive producers Harvey Weinstein and Jay Z to update the finale with the news. Rikers Island is where 16-year-old Browder was confined for three years – two of them in solitary confinement – while awaiting trial for allegedly stealing a backpack. Charges were eventually dropped and no trial ever held, but by then the damage was done: He took his life after being released from the jail.
Browder’s brother, Akeem Browder, calls it a victory, but one with a lot of disappointment attached. The plan to shut down Rikers will take ten years, and the city would replace it with new jails across the city.
“We’re not advocating for the opening of new jails,...
- 4/6/2017
- by Michael Schneider
- Indiewire
Variety reports that rapper and entrepreneur Jay Z is launching a set of projects about Trayvon Martin, the Florida teenager whose 2012 death at the hands of a gun-toting “neighborhood watch coordinator” set off a firestorm of controversy and outrage about the lethal consequences of American racism. Jay Z—who recently acquired the rights to the books Suspicion Nation: The Inside Story Of The Trayvon Martin Injustice And Why We Continue To Repeat It, by NBC reporter Lisa Bloom, and Rest In Power: The Enduring Life Of Trayvon Martin, by Martin’s parents—will produce both a six-part docu-series and a narrative film about Martin’s life.
The projects are being developed through the rapper’s first-look contract with The Weinstein Company, which also generated Spike’s Time: The Kalief Browder Story, another docu-series about a young black man whose death came at the hands of a system more interested ...
The projects are being developed through the rapper’s first-look contract with The Weinstein Company, which also generated Spike’s Time: The Kalief Browder Story, another docu-series about a young black man whose death came at the hands of a system more interested ...
- 3/24/2017
- by William Hughes
- avclub.com
Shawn “Jay-z” Carter will team up the Weinstein Company to make a series of documentary projects about the life and death of Trayvon Martin, Variety reports.
The music mogul and the indie distributor won a bidding war for the rights to two books about the 2012 shooting of the unarmed black teenager: “Suspicion Nation: The Inside Story of the Trayvon Martin Injustice and Why We Continue to Repeat It” and “Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin.” The first is by Lisa Bloom, a reporter who covered the trial of George Zimmerman. The second is by Martin’s parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, and tells the story of Martin’s childhood and the impact of his death on the family.
Read More: Jay Z’s Documentary ‘Time’ Trailer: Six-Part Series Details the Life and Legacy of Kalief Browder
Martin was shot and killed by 28-year-old George Zimmerman, a...
The music mogul and the indie distributor won a bidding war for the rights to two books about the 2012 shooting of the unarmed black teenager: “Suspicion Nation: The Inside Story of the Trayvon Martin Injustice and Why We Continue to Repeat It” and “Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin.” The first is by Lisa Bloom, a reporter who covered the trial of George Zimmerman. The second is by Martin’s parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, and tells the story of Martin’s childhood and the impact of his death on the family.
Read More: Jay Z’s Documentary ‘Time’ Trailer: Six-Part Series Details the Life and Legacy of Kalief Browder
Martin was shot and killed by 28-year-old George Zimmerman, a...
- 3/24/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Jay Z and film studio Weinstein Company are teaming up to helm movie and television projects about Trayvon Martin, the unarmed teenager who was killed by George Zimmerman in 2012, Variety reports.
Jay Z recently acquired the rights to two books – Suspicion Nation: The Inside Story of the Trayvon Martin Injustice and Why We Continue to Repeat It by Lisa Bloom and Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin authored by Trayvon's parents Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin – which will serve as the basis for the projects.
Suspicious Nation...
Jay Z recently acquired the rights to two books – Suspicion Nation: The Inside Story of the Trayvon Martin Injustice and Why We Continue to Repeat It by Lisa Bloom and Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin authored by Trayvon's parents Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin – which will serve as the basis for the projects.
Suspicious Nation...
- 3/24/2017
- Rollingstone.com
May 2015 was the last time Harvey Weinstein hosted a Cannes presentation at the Majestic Hotel. Among the titles was a preview of Justin Chadwick’s “Tulip Fever,” with the then white-hot Swedish actress Alicia Vikander on hand. A romantic triangle period piece costarring Christoph Waltz and Dane DeHaan, Weinstein later pushed the release from July 2016 to February 2017. Now, two years later, it’s booked for August 25 — the dog days of summer.
Last year, the Weinstein Co. had so few bonafide Oscar contenders on the docket that they didn’t mount their usual Cannes show-and-tell at all. Garth Davis’s “Lion” did yield six nominations and, like critics’ darling “Carol” the year before, no wins. The lengthy awards season did pay off for “Lion” at the box office; it’s made $103 million worldwide. However, it also represents a rare tick in the ‘win’ column for TWC, which is struggling to maneuver in these challenging times.
Last year, the Weinstein Co. had so few bonafide Oscar contenders on the docket that they didn’t mount their usual Cannes show-and-tell at all. Garth Davis’s “Lion” did yield six nominations and, like critics’ darling “Carol” the year before, no wins. The lengthy awards season did pay off for “Lion” at the box office; it’s made $103 million worldwide. However, it also represents a rare tick in the ‘win’ column for TWC, which is struggling to maneuver in these challenging times.
- 3/9/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Before Spike TV unfurls the second episode of the docuseries “Time: The Kalief Browder Story,” executive producers Harvey Weinstein and Jay Z will lead a town hall discussion meeting, discussing the criminal justice system, live on the network. Below, watch the livestream as Spike telecasts the event beginning at 9 p.m. Et.
“Time and Punishment: A Town Hall Discussion With Jay Z And Harvey Weinstein” will also air later in the evening on Bet and VH1. Among the panelists: Browder’s siblings – Akeem, Nicole, Deion, and Kamal – as well as family attorney Paul Prestia and “Time: The Kalief Browder Story” director Jenner Furst.
Read More: ‘Time: The Kalief Browder Story’ Trailer: Jay Z’s Docuseries Profiles a Falsely Imprisoned Young Boy
The six-part “Time: The Kalief Browder Story” centers on the story of Browder, a young African-American student who was never convicted of a crime, yet spent three years on...
“Time and Punishment: A Town Hall Discussion With Jay Z And Harvey Weinstein” will also air later in the evening on Bet and VH1. Among the panelists: Browder’s siblings – Akeem, Nicole, Deion, and Kamal – as well as family attorney Paul Prestia and “Time: The Kalief Browder Story” director Jenner Furst.
Read More: ‘Time: The Kalief Browder Story’ Trailer: Jay Z’s Docuseries Profiles a Falsely Imprisoned Young Boy
The six-part “Time: The Kalief Browder Story” centers on the story of Browder, a young African-American student who was never convicted of a crime, yet spent three years on...
- 3/8/2017
- by Michael Schneider
- Indiewire
Jay Z and Harvey Weinstein will tonight lead a town hall panel discussion about the case of teenager Kalief Browder, who spent three years on Rikers Island without ever being convicted and ended up taking his own life. The discussion is being aired live on Spike an hour before the screening of the second episode of miniseries Time: The Kalief Browder Story, which looks in-depth at his case and what it means for America today. Jay Z and Harvey Weinstein are executive producers on the series, and the town hall panel will also include Kalief’s siblings Akeem, Nicole, Deion, and Kamal, along with the family’s attorney and producers of...read more...
- 3/8/2017
- by Julian Cheatle
- Monsters and Critics
The second episode of Time: The Kalief Browder Story will see some of its heavy-hitter executive producers step in front of the camera Wednesday night for a special Spike TV town hall on criminal justice reform. EPs Jay-z, Harvey Weinstein and David Glasser will join members of the now-deceased Browder’s family and others for the live “Time and Punishment” event set to live from New York City right before the second episode of the six-part docuseries. It also will air on…...
- 3/7/2017
- Deadline TV
Debuting tonight on the ever-evolving Spike TV, Time: The Kalief Browder Story is television you should take the time to watch. Even if the horrors of an innocent teenager thrown into the hell of Rikers Island and the broken criminal justice system is something, as I say in my video review above, that makes you want to look away. Packed with interviews with the now-deceased Browder himself, top New York politicians, the former U.S. Attorney General and Jay-z, plus tons…...
- 3/1/2017
- Deadline TV
Jay Z has reached a new career milestone!
With over 100 million records sold, 13 No. 1 albums, and 21 GRAMMYs, the 47-year-old mogul is in line to receive another prestigious honor from the music community.
Related: Pregnant Beyonce Celebrates Twin Announcement With Never-Before-Seen Pics With Jay Z
Jay will become the first rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, legendary musician Nile Rodgers revealed on Wednesday during CBS This Morning.
"He has changed the way we listen to music,” Rodgers, who announced this year’s list inductees, said of Jay Z’s "massive" impact on music. "He's changed the way that we've had fun, he's changed the way that we cry."
News: Jay Z's Upcoming Docuseries 'Time: The Kalief Browder Story' -- Watch the Heartbreaking First Trailer
The Brooklyn native joins an impressive list of 2017 honorees which include, Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, singer/songwriter Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, songwriting and production...
With over 100 million records sold, 13 No. 1 albums, and 21 GRAMMYs, the 47-year-old mogul is in line to receive another prestigious honor from the music community.
Related: Pregnant Beyonce Celebrates Twin Announcement With Never-Before-Seen Pics With Jay Z
Jay will become the first rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, legendary musician Nile Rodgers revealed on Wednesday during CBS This Morning.
"He has changed the way we listen to music,” Rodgers, who announced this year’s list inductees, said of Jay Z’s "massive" impact on music. "He's changed the way that we've had fun, he's changed the way that we cry."
News: Jay Z's Upcoming Docuseries 'Time: The Kalief Browder Story' -- Watch the Heartbreaking First Trailer
The Brooklyn native joins an impressive list of 2017 honorees which include, Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, singer/songwriter Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, songwriting and production...
- 2/22/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
Ana Lily Amirpour made one of the most attention-grabbing debuts in recent memory with “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night,” and now the writer/director is back with “The Bad Batch.” The newly launched Neon is set to release the film this summer, and to commemorate the occasion they’ve also put out a new trailer. Watch below.
Read More: ‘The Bad Batch’ Review: Jim Carrey and Keanu Reeves’ Thriller Is ‘Mad Max’ Meets ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ — Venice Film Festival
Amirpour, whose debut is regarded as the first (and, to date, only) Iranian vampire Western, appears to be back in genre-bending mode: “The Bad Batch” has been described as a post-apocalyptic melding of “Mad Max” and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” Neon’s growing slate also includes the Anne Hathaway–starring “Colossal” and Eliza Hittman’s “Beach Rats,” which won a directing prize at Sundance.
Read More: ‘The Bad Batch...
Read More: ‘The Bad Batch’ Review: Jim Carrey and Keanu Reeves’ Thriller Is ‘Mad Max’ Meets ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ — Venice Film Festival
Amirpour, whose debut is regarded as the first (and, to date, only) Iranian vampire Western, appears to be back in genre-bending mode: “The Bad Batch” has been described as a post-apocalyptic melding of “Mad Max” and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” Neon’s growing slate also includes the Anne Hathaway–starring “Colossal” and Eliza Hittman’s “Beach Rats,” which won a directing prize at Sundance.
Read More: ‘The Bad Batch...
- 2/13/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
“The Case for Christ” is an upcoming film that is based on Lee Strobel’s 1998 best-selling book of the same name. Ahead of its April release, USA Today shared the first look at the big screen adaptation.
The true story follows Strobel (Mike Vogel) as a Chicago Tribune investigative reporter in 1980, as he tries to disprove the newfound Christian faith of his wife Leslie (Erika Christensen). The search then leads him to life-altering results.
“I spent my entire career as a journalist uncovering the truth until my wife presented me with the biggest story of my life,” says Vogel in the trailer. “What happened next, changed me forever.”
Read More: ‘Avengers: Infinity War’: First Footage Teases Marvel’s Biggest All-Star Team-Up Yet — Watch
Directed by Jon Gunn, the film also co-stars Faye Dunaway as the skeptic Dr. Roberta Walters, Robert Forster as Strobel’s father Walter, Frankie Faison and Mike Pniewski.
The true story follows Strobel (Mike Vogel) as a Chicago Tribune investigative reporter in 1980, as he tries to disprove the newfound Christian faith of his wife Leslie (Erika Christensen). The search then leads him to life-altering results.
“I spent my entire career as a journalist uncovering the truth until my wife presented me with the biggest story of my life,” says Vogel in the trailer. “What happened next, changed me forever.”
Read More: ‘Avengers: Infinity War’: First Footage Teases Marvel’s Biggest All-Star Team-Up Yet — Watch
Directed by Jon Gunn, the film also co-stars Faye Dunaway as the skeptic Dr. Roberta Walters, Robert Forster as Strobel’s father Walter, Frankie Faison and Mike Pniewski.
- 2/11/2017
- by Liz Calvario
- Indiewire
‘Time: The Kalief Browder Story’ Trailer: Jay Z’s Docuseries Profiles a Falsely Imprisoned Young Boy
In May 2010, 16-year old Kalief Browder was arrested while walking home for allegedly stealing a backpack. Falsely charged, he was imprisoned for three years without conviction, spending two of those years in solitary confinement. After the charges were dropped and he was release from Rikers Island, Browder took his own life.
Now in a six-part docuseries titled “Time: The Kalief Browder Story,” his story will be shared with the world, as well as expose the problems in the criminal justice system. Produced by Jay Z and Weinstein Television, the series will include first-person accounts, archival footage, and cinematic recreations of key moments from his life. It also includes interviews from his family members, social reformers and politicians like Governor Andrew Cuomo and Van Jones, who will dive deep into the tragic truth of racial inequality.
Read More: Jay Z’s Documentary ‘Time’ Trailer: Six-Part Series Details the Life and Legacy...
Now in a six-part docuseries titled “Time: The Kalief Browder Story,” his story will be shared with the world, as well as expose the problems in the criminal justice system. Produced by Jay Z and Weinstein Television, the series will include first-person accounts, archival footage, and cinematic recreations of key moments from his life. It also includes interviews from his family members, social reformers and politicians like Governor Andrew Cuomo and Van Jones, who will dive deep into the tragic truth of racial inequality.
Read More: Jay Z’s Documentary ‘Time’ Trailer: Six-Part Series Details the Life and Legacy...
- 2/10/2017
- by Liz Calvario
- Indiewire
The Sundance Festival reveals the state of the indie film market, and 2017 will be remembered as the year of Amazon Studios and Netflix. And given the festival’s robust TV and Vr programs,, which were dominated by Google and Facebook/Oculus, there’s further digital disruption ahead.
According to one indie distributor, Sundance 2017’s valuations and sales are almost a third higher than last year. Put the same titles into the Sundance market two years ago, and they would have sold for far less. That’s because Netflix and Amazon Studios on the narrative side are dramatically driving up prices. “It’s just ridiculous what the digital guys are doing to the marketplace,” said one veteran indie CEO. “‘The Big Sick’ is a great little movie but it’s a $4 million -$6 million buy. There’s no logic to this model.”
However, Sundance has always been about the haves and the have-nots.
According to one indie distributor, Sundance 2017’s valuations and sales are almost a third higher than last year. Put the same titles into the Sundance market two years ago, and they would have sold for far less. That’s because Netflix and Amazon Studios on the narrative side are dramatically driving up prices. “It’s just ridiculous what the digital guys are doing to the marketplace,” said one veteran indie CEO. “‘The Big Sick’ is a great little movie but it’s a $4 million -$6 million buy. There’s no logic to this model.”
However, Sundance has always been about the haves and the have-nots.
- 1/27/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The Sundance Festival reveals the state of the indie film market, and 2017 will be remembered as the year of Amazon Studios and Netflix. And given the festival’s robust TV and Vr programs, which were dominated by Google and Facebook/Oculus, there’s further digital disruption ahead.
According to one indie distributor, Sundance 2017’s valuations and sales are almost a third higher than last year. Put the same titles into the Sundance market two years ago, and they would have sold for far less. That’s because Netflix and Amazon Studios on the narrative side are dramatically driving up prices. “It’s just ridiculous what the digital guys are doing to the marketplace,” said one veteran indie CEO. “‘The Big Sick’ is a great little movie but it’s a $4 million -$6 million buy. There’s no logic to this model.”
However, Sundance has always been about the haves and the have-nots.
According to one indie distributor, Sundance 2017’s valuations and sales are almost a third higher than last year. Put the same titles into the Sundance market two years ago, and they would have sold for far less. That’s because Netflix and Amazon Studios on the narrative side are dramatically driving up prices. “It’s just ridiculous what the digital guys are doing to the marketplace,” said one veteran indie CEO. “‘The Big Sick’ is a great little movie but it’s a $4 million -$6 million buy. There’s no logic to this model.”
However, Sundance has always been about the haves and the have-nots.
- 1/27/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Jay Z was at the Sundance Film Festival this week promoting an upcoming six-part docuseries, Time: The Kalief Browder Story, which he produced. "I believe this young man, his story, will save a lot of lives," Jay Z told the Associated Press on Wednesday.
The Kalief Browder Story, slated to debut in March on Spike TV, focuses on a 16-year-old boy held at Rikers Island for three years without trial after being accused of stealing a backpack. Two of those years were spent in solitary confinement. Browder was eventually released and later committed suicide.
The Kalief Browder Story, slated to debut in March on Spike TV, focuses on a 16-year-old boy held at Rikers Island for three years without trial after being accused of stealing a backpack. Two of those years were spent in solitary confinement. Browder was eventually released and later committed suicide.
- 1/26/2017
- Rollingstone.com
Jay Z is about to launch a new project, and it has nothing to do with music. Instead, the rapper/music mogul is turning his attention to the world of filmmaking, serving as exec producer of a gut-wrenching six-part documentary for the Spike network. “Time: The Kalief Browder Story” chronicles the true, tragic tale of Kalief Browder, a teenager […]...
- 12/16/2016
- by Brent Furdyk
- ET Canada
Spike TV has released the trailer for “Time: The Kalief Browder Story,” a documentary series produced by Jay Z and Weinstein Television. The six-part series focuses on the life of a young African-American student who spent three years on Rikers Island without ever being convicted of a crime.
Read More: Jay Z Releases ‘Reasonable Doubt’ Documentary ‘Rd 20’ To Celebrate Iconic Album’s 20th Anniversary — Watch
Browder was a 16-year old from the Bronx when he was arrested for allegedly stealing a backpack. The chargers were dropped three years later, but after Browder’s release from Rikers, he took his own life.
“Time” exposes problems in the criminal justice system and tells Browder’s story through first-person accounts, archival footage, and cinematic recreations of key moments from his life. The series also includes interviews from those connected to the story, including politicians, friends and family members and social reformers.
“Kalief Browder...
Read More: Jay Z Releases ‘Reasonable Doubt’ Documentary ‘Rd 20’ To Celebrate Iconic Album’s 20th Anniversary — Watch
Browder was a 16-year old from the Bronx when he was arrested for allegedly stealing a backpack. The chargers were dropped three years later, but after Browder’s release from Rikers, he took his own life.
“Time” exposes problems in the criminal justice system and tells Browder’s story through first-person accounts, archival footage, and cinematic recreations of key moments from his life. The series also includes interviews from those connected to the story, including politicians, friends and family members and social reformers.
“Kalief Browder...
- 12/16/2016
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
The Sundance Film Festival continues to embrace the diversity of great content being made today, with a full roster of special events programming that features established festival favorites like Jill Soloway, Rashida Jones and Gina Prince-Bythewood.
Read More: Sundance 2017 Announces New Frontier Lineup, Including 22 Vr Experiences and 11 New Installations
Making its world premiere at the fest is “I Love Dick,” Soloway’s Amazon comedy featuring Kevin Bacon as the titular Dick, a “charismatic artist” who upends the marriage of Kathryn Hanh and Griffith Dunne. In addition, the Netflix documentary “Hot Girls Wanted” gets a sequel directed by Rashida Jones; “Turned On” explores “the intersection of sex and technology,” per the official release.
Broadcast networks find themselves surprisingly well-represented in the line-up, with the ABC comedy “Downward Dog” (featuring Allison Tolman as a young woman with a special relationship with her dog) as well as the Fox limited series “Shots Fired,...
Read More: Sundance 2017 Announces New Frontier Lineup, Including 22 Vr Experiences and 11 New Installations
Making its world premiere at the fest is “I Love Dick,” Soloway’s Amazon comedy featuring Kevin Bacon as the titular Dick, a “charismatic artist” who upends the marriage of Kathryn Hanh and Griffith Dunne. In addition, the Netflix documentary “Hot Girls Wanted” gets a sequel directed by Rashida Jones; “Turned On” explores “the intersection of sex and technology,” per the official release.
Broadcast networks find themselves surprisingly well-represented in the line-up, with the ABC comedy “Downward Dog” (featuring Allison Tolman as a young woman with a special relationship with her dog) as well as the Fox limited series “Shots Fired,...
- 12/5/2016
- by Liz Shannon Miller
- Indiewire
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