DC/Dox has unveiled the lineup for its second annual edition, which takes place in Washington, D.C., from June 13-16. The documentary festival will kick things off with “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story,” the Warner Bros. Discovery film that premiered at Sundance earlier this year.
The second edition of the fest includes 51 features and 47 shorts from 17 countries. That’s up from last year’s state of 31 features and 21 shorts from eight countries. This year’s lineup is made of 60% of filmmakers identifying as women or non-binary. Films will screen at venues including Smithsonian’s Museum of American History, the Burke Theatre at the U.S. Navy Memorial, and the National Archives.
“The films on the 2024 slate highlight the remarkable breadth and depth of documentary storytelling today,” says DC/Dox co-founder and festival director Sky Sitney. “From filmmakers around the world, these works recalibrate the past through archival footage, immerse themselves...
The second edition of the fest includes 51 features and 47 shorts from 17 countries. That’s up from last year’s state of 31 features and 21 shorts from eight countries. This year’s lineup is made of 60% of filmmakers identifying as women or non-binary. Films will screen at venues including Smithsonian’s Museum of American History, the Burke Theatre at the U.S. Navy Memorial, and the National Archives.
“The films on the 2024 slate highlight the remarkable breadth and depth of documentary storytelling today,” says DC/Dox co-founder and festival director Sky Sitney. “From filmmakers around the world, these works recalibrate the past through archival footage, immerse themselves...
- 5/1/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
In 2011, Dawn Porter arrived at Hot Docs Pitch Forum in the hopes of securing funding for her first documentary feature, “Gideon’s Army.” Thirteen years later, Porter is back in Toronto with her 10th feature doc “Luther: Never Too Much,” which opened the 31st edition of Hot Docs.
The 101-minute film about the life and career of the late R&b singer Luther Vandross made its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January and has since become an audience favorite on the festival circuit. In addition to serving as Hot Docs’ opening night film, the movie will also launch the Hot Doc’s Pop/ Life sidebar of films about music and musicians.
In the film, Porter chronicles Vandross’ rise from background singer to singing sensation via archival interviews with Vandross and new ones with his collaborators, including legendary recording artists Mariah Carey and Dionne Warwick. Rarely seen archives,...
The 101-minute film about the life and career of the late R&b singer Luther Vandross made its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January and has since become an audience favorite on the festival circuit. In addition to serving as Hot Docs’ opening night film, the movie will also launch the Hot Doc’s Pop/ Life sidebar of films about music and musicians.
In the film, Porter chronicles Vandross’ rise from background singer to singing sensation via archival interviews with Vandross and new ones with his collaborators, including legendary recording artists Mariah Carey and Dionne Warwick. Rarely seen archives,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
The New York-based seafood restaurant Hav & Mar features a contemporary interior design and elaborate artwork of Black mermaids lining the walls. On a recent afternoon, the restaurant’s renowned celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson isn’t around, but Atlanta rapper Anycia is here with her small entourage, including close collaborator and producer jetsonmade. Over the past year, the 26-year-old has rapidly risen with the vibrant personality and entrancing baritone that many people first heard during her On the Block performance of “Brb.” Anycia tells me that her prevailing memory of the moment is her fashion choice.
- 4/25/2024
- by Andre Gee
- Rollingstone.com
Hot Docs is billed as North America’s largest documentary festival, conference and market and this year is offering up 168 films for its 31st edition running April 25-May 5 in Toronto.
It is opening with the international premiere of Luther: Never Too Much about R&b singer-songwriter and producer Luther Vandross.
Among the festival’s 51 world premieres this year are special presentations of Red Fever from Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond and Catherine Bainbridge, and The Ride Ahead from Samuel and Dan Habib.
The international competition includes the world premiere of Farming The Revolution from India and the international premiere of Ukrainian Sundance prize-winner Porcelain War.
It is opening with the international premiere of Luther: Never Too Much about R&b singer-songwriter and producer Luther Vandross.
Among the festival’s 51 world premieres this year are special presentations of Red Fever from Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond and Catherine Bainbridge, and The Ride Ahead from Samuel and Dan Habib.
The international competition includes the world premiere of Farming The Revolution from India and the international premiere of Ukrainian Sundance prize-winner Porcelain War.
- 4/25/2024
- ScreenDaily
Billed as North America’s largest documentary festival, conference and market, Hot Docs offers up 168 films for its 31st edition running April 25-May 5 in Toronto, opening with the international premiere of Luther: Never Too Much about R&b singer-songwriter and producer Luther Vandross.
Among the festival’s 51 world premieres this year are special presentations of Red Fever from Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond and Catherine Bainbridge, and The Ride Ahead from Samuel and Dan Habib.
The international competition includes the world premiere of Farming The Revolution from India and the international premiere of Ukrainian Sundance prize-winner Porcelain War.
This year’s Made In section highlights Spain,...
Among the festival’s 51 world premieres this year are special presentations of Red Fever from Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond and Catherine Bainbridge, and The Ride Ahead from Samuel and Dan Habib.
The international competition includes the world premiere of Farming The Revolution from India and the international premiere of Ukrainian Sundance prize-winner Porcelain War.
This year’s Made In section highlights Spain,...
- 4/25/2024
- ScreenDaily
The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) has set its lineup of narrative and documentary features for its 28th edition, including Jussie Smollett’s return to acting in “The Lost Holliday,” filmmaker Christine Swanson’s latest drama “Albany Road” and the acclaimed Luther Vandross doc “Never Too Much.”
This year’s festival takes place June 12-16 in Miami Beach, Fla., followed by a virtual segment June 17-24 on ABFF Play. Winners of film festival competition will be announced on June 15, during the “Best of ABFF Awards” hosted by Emmy-nominee Dondré Whitfield.
The 2024 narrative lineup includes “Albany Road,” directed and written by Swanson, starring Renée Elise Goldsberry, Lynn Whitfield and J. Alphonse Nicholson; “The Lost Holliday” directed by, co-written and starring Smollett alongside Vivica A. Fox, produced by Mona Scott-Young; “The Waterboyz,” directed by Coke Daniels and produced by Ben Crump, starring Akil McDowell, Alani “La La” Anthony and Quavo; and “Black Heat,...
This year’s festival takes place June 12-16 in Miami Beach, Fla., followed by a virtual segment June 17-24 on ABFF Play. Winners of film festival competition will be announced on June 15, during the “Best of ABFF Awards” hosted by Emmy-nominee Dondré Whitfield.
The 2024 narrative lineup includes “Albany Road,” directed and written by Swanson, starring Renée Elise Goldsberry, Lynn Whitfield and J. Alphonse Nicholson; “The Lost Holliday” directed by, co-written and starring Smollett alongside Vivica A. Fox, produced by Mona Scott-Young; “The Waterboyz,” directed by Coke Daniels and produced by Ben Crump, starring Akil McDowell, Alani “La La” Anthony and Quavo; and “Black Heat,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
The Nantucket Film Festival has set the lineup for its 2024 edition and will honor Emmy-nominated writer-producer Kerry Ehrin, Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Roger Ross Williams and Girls5Eva showrunner Meredith Scardino.
The 29th edition of the festival will open with Josh Margolin’s June Squibb-starrer Thelma, close with Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s Christopher Reeve documentary Super/Man and Jeff Zimbalist’s documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story, about a daredevil couple who secretly filmed themselves climbing the world’s last super skyscraper. The festival will also continue its tradition of screening a Disney or Pixar film on its opening day, with a festival screening of Inside Out 2.
The festival also announced several honorees: Ehrin will receive the Excellence in Television Writing Award; Williams will receive the Career Achievement in Filmmaking Award and his latest feature Stamped From the Beginning, based on the book of the same name by Ibram X. Kendi,...
The 29th edition of the festival will open with Josh Margolin’s June Squibb-starrer Thelma, close with Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s Christopher Reeve documentary Super/Man and Jeff Zimbalist’s documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story, about a daredevil couple who secretly filmed themselves climbing the world’s last super skyscraper. The festival will also continue its tradition of screening a Disney or Pixar film on its opening day, with a festival screening of Inside Out 2.
The festival also announced several honorees: Ehrin will receive the Excellence in Television Writing Award; Williams will receive the Career Achievement in Filmmaking Award and his latest feature Stamped From the Beginning, based on the book of the same name by Ibram X. Kendi,...
- 4/23/2024
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Before Dorothy’s mother passed away, she had a favorite saying, as Aunt Em reminds her grieving niece in the opening scene of The Wiz: “The hard stuff is there to let you know just how good you got it.” And while that’s a curious mantra to undergird a production of a Broadway musical, there’s something to it in the latest revival.
The first musical by a Black composer to win Tony Awards for best musical and best score, this well-loved show turns 50 next year. If Schele Williams’s simplistic and sometimes bewildering staging doesn’t itself demonstrate how the show has held up across those decades, she wisely steers all attention toward the main event: the stunning vocal performances from her cast. And since the show’s underwhelming visuals feel like less of a distraction than an afterthought, it’s easy enough to put the “hard...
The first musical by a Black composer to win Tony Awards for best musical and best score, this well-loved show turns 50 next year. If Schele Williams’s simplistic and sometimes bewildering staging doesn’t itself demonstrate how the show has held up across those decades, she wisely steers all attention toward the main event: the stunning vocal performances from her cast. And since the show’s underwhelming visuals feel like less of a distraction than an afterthought, it’s easy enough to put the “hard...
- 4/18/2024
- by Dan Rubins
- Slant Magazine
The Tribeca Festival has announced the features lineup for its 2024 edition, which will open with the world premiere of Hulu documentary Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge, directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Trish Dalton.
Other highlights in this year’s features lineup include the world premieres of documentaries about Liza Minnelli (Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story), Harry Belafonte (Following Harry, exploring his life and legacy through the artists and activists carrying on his work, which will be followed by the presentation of the 2024 Harry Belafonte Voices for Social Justice Award), Renee Elise Goldsberry (Satisfied), Ani Difranco (1-800-on-her-own), Linda Perry (Let It Die Here) and Avicii (I’m Tim) dream hampton (It Was All a Dream) and “the Brat Pack” (the Andrew McCarthy-directed Brats) and the New York premiere of Dawn Porter’s Luther Vandross documentary, Never Too Much.
Tribeca Festival will also feature screenings of Jazzy,...
Other highlights in this year’s features lineup include the world premieres of documentaries about Liza Minnelli (Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story), Harry Belafonte (Following Harry, exploring his life and legacy through the artists and activists carrying on his work, which will be followed by the presentation of the 2024 Harry Belafonte Voices for Social Justice Award), Renee Elise Goldsberry (Satisfied), Ani Difranco (1-800-on-her-own), Linda Perry (Let It Die Here) and Avicii (I’m Tim) dream hampton (It Was All a Dream) and “the Brat Pack” (the Andrew McCarthy-directed Brats) and the New York premiere of Dawn Porter’s Luther Vandross documentary, Never Too Much.
Tribeca Festival will also feature screenings of Jazzy,...
- 4/17/2024
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“I bring you news from America, where commissions are plentiful and they all come within two weeks,” joked Dawn Porter, playing to the industry crowd at the international television market MIPTV on Sunday.
It got a big laugh. Everyone in the audience knows the reality: That the era of peak TV is past and that broadcasters and streamers are slashing their budgets for original programming. That decline is one of the reasons this will be the last MIPTV, with plans to move Mip to London next year and dramatically downsize the storied TV market. The mood on the Croisette this year is practically funereal.
But Porter came to Mip not to bury the TV business but to praise it.
“I’m sure that we’re all quite aware of the difficulties of commissioning and the challenges in our market,” she told the industry audience, “but I want to stress that...
It got a big laugh. Everyone in the audience knows the reality: That the era of peak TV is past and that broadcasters and streamers are slashing their budgets for original programming. That decline is one of the reasons this will be the last MIPTV, with plans to move Mip to London next year and dramatically downsize the storied TV market. The mood on the Croisette this year is practically funereal.
But Porter came to Mip not to bury the TV business but to praise it.
“I’m sure that we’re all quite aware of the difficulties of commissioning and the challenges in our market,” she told the industry audience, “but I want to stress that...
- 4/7/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Storied docs producer Dawn Porter has said private funding in the documentary space could help plug financial gaps that have opened up in today’s challenging market.
The Gotham Award-winner’s latest project, revealed by Deadline in February, is a documentary about Nelson and Willie Mandela that is part-funded by the Schultz Family Foundation.
Speaking at MIPTV today, Porter said her team at Trilogy Films is “reaching out for private funding” to finance big projects.
“We will need a broadcaster but are also reaching out [externally],” she added. “I’m looking at how we make films, how budget constraints are changing [the industry] and having honest conversations with partners about how we are going to do this together.”
Porter said she has spent time in recent months speaking with partners such as HBO, Netflix and CNN about “what is working for them and how their processes have changed” in the current climate. She...
The Gotham Award-winner’s latest project, revealed by Deadline in February, is a documentary about Nelson and Willie Mandela that is part-funded by the Schultz Family Foundation.
Speaking at MIPTV today, Porter said her team at Trilogy Films is “reaching out for private funding” to finance big projects.
“We will need a broadcaster but are also reaching out [externally],” she added. “I’m looking at how we make films, how budget constraints are changing [the industry] and having honest conversations with partners about how we are going to do this together.”
Porter said she has spent time in recent months speaking with partners such as HBO, Netflix and CNN about “what is working for them and how their processes have changed” in the current climate. She...
- 4/7/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
MipDoc keynote speaker Dawn Porter is coming to Cannes to discuss not only the challenging doc marketplace, but also how to work and prosper within it.
In the last few years the doc industry has favored a handful of big-name filmmakers, like Porter, who are commissioned to make one-off films or docuseries. Over the last 12 months two of Porter’s docus were released: “Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court” which was financed and distributed by Showtime and “The Lady Bird Diaries,” which was financed and distributed by Hulu/ABC News.
But budgets for commissioned projects, even those with well-known documentarians attached, have diminished significantly since the pandemic, due in part to corporate consolidation. The shrinking number of nonfiction distributors has hit directors of independently made docs especially hard. The major streaming services, who were spending millions to acquire indie fare five years ago, lost interest in garnering titles out of festivals.
In the last few years the doc industry has favored a handful of big-name filmmakers, like Porter, who are commissioned to make one-off films or docuseries. Over the last 12 months two of Porter’s docus were released: “Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court” which was financed and distributed by Showtime and “The Lady Bird Diaries,” which was financed and distributed by Hulu/ABC News.
But budgets for commissioned projects, even those with well-known documentarians attached, have diminished significantly since the pandemic, due in part to corporate consolidation. The shrinking number of nonfiction distributors has hit directors of independently made docs especially hard. The major streaming services, who were spending millions to acquire indie fare five years ago, lost interest in garnering titles out of festivals.
- 4/6/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
There are many things that we love about The Voice, right, from the coaches’ goofy interplay to the contestants’ go-for-broke performances. But is any one of them more fun than second-guessing the panel’s decisions? And I dunno about you, but I did quite a bit of that Tuesday evening as the Battles ended. On two out of four face-offs, I disagreed with the coaches. Read on, and we’ll discuss why.
Team Reba: Ashley Bryant (Grade: B-) defeated Elyscia Jefferson (Grade: C+) on “If I Were a Boy” | Reba’s “opposites-attract” pairing of one country singer and one R...
Team Reba: Ashley Bryant (Grade: B-) defeated Elyscia Jefferson (Grade: C+) on “If I Were a Boy” | Reba’s “opposites-attract” pairing of one country singer and one R...
- 3/27/2024
- by Charlie Mason
- TVLine.com
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival has selected 168 films for its 2024 edition, including world premieres of Red Fever, American Cats: The Good, the Bad and the Cuddly and The Ride Ahead.
The festival is pushing ahead with its 2024 event from April 25 to May 5, despite the resignation of 10 programmers this past weekend; and the departure of artistic director Hussain Currimbhoy on March 20.
The 51 world premieres in the festival include Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond’s Red Fever, in which he travels North America and Europe investigating the world’s fascination with Native Americans; Amy Hoggart’s American Cats: The Good, the Bad and the Cuddly,...
The festival is pushing ahead with its 2024 event from April 25 to May 5, despite the resignation of 10 programmers this past weekend; and the departure of artistic director Hussain Currimbhoy on March 20.
The 51 world premieres in the festival include Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond’s Red Fever, in which he travels North America and Europe investigating the world’s fascination with Native Americans; Amy Hoggart’s American Cats: The Good, the Bad and the Cuddly,...
- 3/26/2024
- ScreenDaily
Dawn Porter’s “Luther: Never Too Much” will open the 31st edition of Hot Docs, which on Tuesday announced its full slate of 168 films — including 120 features — from 64 countries, screening across an array of returning and new programming configurations from April 25 to May 5.
“Luther,” which also launches Hot Docs’ Pop / Life sidebar of films about music and musicians, is a bio-doc about singer Luther Vandross. Warmly received at its Sundance premiere this year, the film “exposes some uneasy truths about the music industry and the media we may now know,” according to Variety’s review.
Excitement around Hot Docs’ official lineup announcement was dampened by the hot revelation Sunday evening on the social media feed of Myrocia Watamaniuk that she and nine other festival programmers had decided as a group “to exit the 2024 Hot Docs Festival.” No specific reasons for the exit were given in the post nor were they forthcoming.
“Luther,” which also launches Hot Docs’ Pop / Life sidebar of films about music and musicians, is a bio-doc about singer Luther Vandross. Warmly received at its Sundance premiere this year, the film “exposes some uneasy truths about the music industry and the media we may now know,” according to Variety’s review.
Excitement around Hot Docs’ official lineup announcement was dampened by the hot revelation Sunday evening on the social media feed of Myrocia Watamaniuk that she and nine other festival programmers had decided as a group “to exit the 2024 Hot Docs Festival.” No specific reasons for the exit were given in the post nor were they forthcoming.
- 3/26/2024
- by Jennie Punter
- Variety Film + TV
The Oscars are almost upon us, and according to the combined predictions of Gold Derby users, Billie Eilish will claim her second trophy for Best Original Song. She and her brother Finneas previously won for penning the title song from “No Time to Die,” and now they’re expected to prevail again for their ballad “What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie.” If they do, it would be the first time this century that a composition wins both Song of the Year at the Grammys and Best Original Song at the Oscars.
It’s less common than it used to be for soundtrack songs to cross over to the Grammys. The last time a song won both of these awards was actually Celine Dion‘s “My Heart Will Go On” from “Titanic.” Written by James Horner and Will Jennings, the classic love theme from the blockbuster film won Best Original...
It’s less common than it used to be for soundtrack songs to cross over to the Grammys. The last time a song won both of these awards was actually Celine Dion‘s “My Heart Will Go On” from “Titanic.” Written by James Horner and Will Jennings, the classic love theme from the blockbuster film won Best Original...
- 3/8/2024
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Madonna has taken down a photo of singer Luther Vandross from an AIDS tribute segment of her Celebration tour after a request from his estate.
Throughout her tour, Madonna has paid tribute to renowned stars who have succumbed to AIDS through a heartfelt photo montage synchronized with her performance of “Live to Tell.”
However, at a recent tour stop in Sacramento, California, Vandross’ image was unexpectedly included in the montage, which caught the late singer-songwriter’s estate off guard.
A representative for Vandross’ estate clarified the situation, “Luther Vandross passed away in 2005 due to complications from a stroke suffered two years earlier… While we appreciate Madonna’s recognition of those lives lost to AIDS, Luther was Never diagnosed with AIDS or the HIV Virus. We’re not sure where she or her production team received false medical information claiming otherwise.”
Upon being informed by Vandross’ estate, Madonna’s management promptly...
Throughout her tour, Madonna has paid tribute to renowned stars who have succumbed to AIDS through a heartfelt photo montage synchronized with her performance of “Live to Tell.”
However, at a recent tour stop in Sacramento, California, Vandross’ image was unexpectedly included in the montage, which caught the late singer-songwriter’s estate off guard.
A representative for Vandross’ estate clarified the situation, “Luther Vandross passed away in 2005 due to complications from a stroke suffered two years earlier… While we appreciate Madonna’s recognition of those lives lost to AIDS, Luther was Never diagnosed with AIDS or the HIV Virus. We’re not sure where she or her production team received false medical information claiming otherwise.”
Upon being informed by Vandross’ estate, Madonna’s management promptly...
- 2/29/2024
- by Baila Eve Zisman
- Uinterview
Madonna’s Celebration tour takes a moment each night to pay tribute to artists who suffered or died from AIDS. During “Live to Tell,” her 1986 single about persevering through trying times, a montage of images flash across the screen. Among them are photos of Keith Haring, Herb Ritts, and Freddie Mercury, who all battled the disease. Also pictured was Luther Vandross, whose estate requested that Madonna remove from the tribute because he “was Never diagnosed with AIDS or the HIV Virus.”
Reps for Madonna have now told Rolling Stone that...
Reps for Madonna have now told Rolling Stone that...
- 2/27/2024
- by Larisha Paul
- Rollingstone.com
Filled with wonderful musical performances exploring the 30-year career of Luther Vandross, Dawn Porter’s sweeping biographical documentary Luther: Never Too Much interweaves archival materials and new interviews in a manner that is effective at telling the story but somehow feels a little too distant from its subject. In particular, the selection of archival materials of Vandross, who passed away in 2005 at age 54, and the film’s later chapters divulging personal struggles with health and weight along with speculation about his sexuality, keep the viewer at arm’s length. Perhaps this is somewhat by design, a case of the film’s subject not speaking out, as some speculate for fear of alienating his female fans and perhaps his record label.
A barrier-breaking artist in many respects, Vandross grew up in the projects of the Bronx before becoming a seminal recording artist working as a background vocalist, producer, and later a...
A barrier-breaking artist in many respects, Vandross grew up in the projects of the Bronx before becoming a seminal recording artist working as a background vocalist, producer, and later a...
- 2/5/2024
- by John Fink
- The Film Stage
Who will prevail in the race for Song of the Year at the 2024 Grammy Awards? This prize strictly honors the songwriters of the year’s best composition. That makes it different from Record of the Year, which is presented to the artists, producers, and engineers. Scroll down to see our official odds, which have been calculated from the combined predictions of Gold Derby users. The odds will keep changing, so we’ll be updating this list as the season progresses.
SEE2023 Grammy predictions: Album of the Year
For the majority of Grammy history there were five nomination slots in this category. From 2019 to 2021, this race was expanded to eight nominees, as were Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best New Artist. And in 2022 the top four categories were expanded once again to 10 slots. This year sees a contraction, though. In 2024 we’ll be back down to eight...
SEE2023 Grammy predictions: Album of the Year
For the majority of Grammy history there were five nomination slots in this category. From 2019 to 2021, this race was expanded to eight nominees, as were Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best New Artist. And in 2022 the top four categories were expanded once again to 10 slots. This year sees a contraction, though. In 2024 we’ll be back down to eight...
- 2/2/2024
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Sundance documentaries are alive and well. And it looks like there’s some acquisition action this year, too. Which Sundance documentaries have the best shot at landing in Oscar contention this year? It helps to get bought early or to have an international footprint.
A rickety theatrical market for non-fiction features and a dwindling number of active documentary buyers meant that many Sundance 2023 films did not get picked up for distribution, or met serious delays before companies came through. As the top American film festival for docs, Sundance usually supplies as many as four out of the final five Oscar nominees each year.
And usually, by late summer, Oscar promotion is well underway. But last year, “Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project,” which was rumored to be an HBO Documentary Films pickup for months, wasn’t announced until August 29, when other Sundance grads had been campaigning all summer.
One...
A rickety theatrical market for non-fiction features and a dwindling number of active documentary buyers meant that many Sundance 2023 films did not get picked up for distribution, or met serious delays before companies came through. As the top American film festival for docs, Sundance usually supplies as many as four out of the final five Oscar nominees each year.
And usually, by late summer, Oscar promotion is well underway. But last year, “Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project,” which was rumored to be an HBO Documentary Films pickup for months, wasn’t announced until August 29, when other Sundance grads had been campaigning all summer.
One...
- 1/31/2024
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Late R&b legend Luther Vandross — still known mononymously to his fans — was always a bit of an inscrutable figure. His voice, that voice, is undeniable. The way he could modulate his velvety tenor to make a single word vibrate with unfathomable longing and desire? Don’t get me started!
But during his time in the spotlight, the public turned Luther into a mirror reflecting back cultural anxieties about sexuality (was he gay or straight?) and race (was he “just” an R&b artist or could he crossover into pop success?). Then there was the constant chatter about his weight: Fans would add Big or Little to his name depending on the size of his bedazzled suits.
Now we finally have a fuller picture of the man. Dawn Porter’s documentary “Luther: Never Too Much” uses a deft mix of archival footage of and interviews with Luther and his closest...
But during his time in the spotlight, the public turned Luther into a mirror reflecting back cultural anxieties about sexuality (was he gay or straight?) and race (was he “just” an R&b artist or could he crossover into pop success?). Then there was the constant chatter about his weight: Fans would add Big or Little to his name depending on the size of his bedazzled suits.
Now we finally have a fuller picture of the man. Dawn Porter’s documentary “Luther: Never Too Much” uses a deft mix of archival footage of and interviews with Luther and his closest...
- 1/30/2024
- by Tomi Akitunde for Dropbox
- Indiewire
When American soul and R&b icon Luther Vandross sang, he didn’t just produce beautiful musical sounds. He caressed and coddled each note with his famously velvety tenor voice, considering where to linger, when to whisper, or to gradually crescendo with an impeccable and ever-influential technique. In other words, he didn’t only sing, but created something ethereal, something that both pushed the form and felt like it gently poured straight out of his soul.
Considering the stamp he put on the American music industry, it feels strange that there hasn’t yet been a definitive documentary about Vandross’ unsung legacy until Dawn Porter’s “Luther: Never Too Much,” which had its world premiere recently at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. But that delay is perhaps fortuitous — after experiencing Porter’s loving portrait of the virtuosic musician, producer, and songwriter, you can’t imagine Vandross’ story being told by anyone else.
Considering the stamp he put on the American music industry, it feels strange that there hasn’t yet been a definitive documentary about Vandross’ unsung legacy until Dawn Porter’s “Luther: Never Too Much,” which had its world premiere recently at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. But that delay is perhaps fortuitous — after experiencing Porter’s loving portrait of the virtuosic musician, producer, and songwriter, you can’t imagine Vandross’ story being told by anyone else.
- 1/26/2024
- by Tomris Laffly
- Indiewire
Plot: The life and times of Luther Vandross, the legendary Rn’B singer who always struggled to break out from the niche box the industry put him in.
Review: Of all the singers in the world, Luther Vandross might be the one responsible for the most trips to the bedroom. As Jamie Foxx tells it in his interview for Luther: Never Too Much, whenever he wanted to get with a girl, he played her his music – and it worked about 100% of the time. It’s sadly ironic then, as revealed by Dawn Porter’s excellent documentary, that the singer himself was a lonely man who never found romantic love in his own life.
You see, as the documentary sensitively reveals, Vandross was almost certainly gay, but he stayed in the closet for several reasons, such as his need to protect his image. Still, also for personal reasons, the doc has...
Review: Of all the singers in the world, Luther Vandross might be the one responsible for the most trips to the bedroom. As Jamie Foxx tells it in his interview for Luther: Never Too Much, whenever he wanted to get with a girl, he played her his music – and it worked about 100% of the time. It’s sadly ironic then, as revealed by Dawn Porter’s excellent documentary, that the singer himself was a lonely man who never found romantic love in his own life.
You see, as the documentary sensitively reveals, Vandross was almost certainly gay, but he stayed in the closet for several reasons, such as his need to protect his image. Still, also for personal reasons, the doc has...
- 1/25/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
In her latest documentary, Luther: Never Too Much, Dawn Porter crafts a striking profile of a singular musician. That Luther Vandross, who died in 2005, hasn’t gotten the documentary treatment until now is surprising considering his imprint on the music industry. Vandross — a true multi-hyphenate — sang, arranged and produced records for himself and other iconic artists. He worked with David Bowie, Aretha Franklin and Dionne Warwick, for example. He wasn’t just popular with fans for his velvety voice and romantic numbers; he was beloved by industry stalwarts, some of whom appear in Porter’s documentary. Even for those familiar with the “Never Too Much” crooner, Porter’s project is essential viewing.
Premiering at Sundance, Luther: Never Too Much is a trove of archival material. Porter uses rehearsal footage, concert videos, old interviews with Vandross and newer ones with his friends and family to tell the musician’s story. The...
Premiering at Sundance, Luther: Never Too Much is a trove of archival material. Porter uses rehearsal footage, concert videos, old interviews with Vandross and newer ones with his friends and family to tell the musician’s story. The...
- 1/22/2024
- by Lovia Gyarkye
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“This documentary is just to try and get some of the information down on film somewhere, before it’ll scatters away,” admits Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh of the documentary about the band that premieres at the Sundance Film Festival tonight. “I just like the idea that this information is being collected,” the front man adds.
In a festival full of music documentaries this year on legends like Luther Vandross, Brian Eno and the star studded 1985 recording of “We Are the World,” the Chris Smith directed Devo may hit even a little bit closer to home. After all, the film represents a return to Park City for the band. Back in 1996, Devo was the off-screen closing act of sorts to that year’s Sundance Film Festival. Clad in prison stripes and their trademark Red Energy Dome hats, the “Whip It” band’s performance was even made into a movie of its...
In a festival full of music documentaries this year on legends like Luther Vandross, Brian Eno and the star studded 1985 recording of “We Are the World,” the Chris Smith directed Devo may hit even a little bit closer to home. After all, the film represents a return to Park City for the band. Back in 1996, Devo was the off-screen closing act of sorts to that year’s Sundance Film Festival. Clad in prison stripes and their trademark Red Energy Dome hats, the “Whip It” band’s performance was even made into a movie of its...
- 1/22/2024
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Although it isn’t structured any differently from dozens of other cradle-to-grave documentaries about artistic luminaries, “Luther: Never Too Much” sheds light on much more than just the life and career of R&b singer Luther Vandross. Drawn largely from interview and performance footage of Vandross over his almost 40 years in entertainment, and bolstered and contextualized by retrospective talks will collaborators and confidantes, director Dawn Porter’s film exposes some uneasy truths about the music industry and the media we may now know, but whose seeming ubiquitousness at the time he was alive may be difficult to fully comprehend.
White audience members in particular may stand to learn the most about him — a fact Porter pointedly attributes to the genre siloes of radio’s heyday and cultural prejudices against black singers who weren’t thin or light-skinned enough to receive the opportunity to cross over from R&b to pop.
White audience members in particular may stand to learn the most about him — a fact Porter pointedly attributes to the genre siloes of radio’s heyday and cultural prejudices against black singers who weren’t thin or light-skinned enough to receive the opportunity to cross over from R&b to pop.
- 1/21/2024
- by Todd Gilchrist
- Variety Film + TV
Given the current dismal political and cultural climate as well as streaming services’ massive appetite for celebrity driven content, it comes as no surprise that the 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival is chock full of portrait documentaries. Frida Kahlo, Christopher Reeve, Luther Vandross and Tammy Faye are just a few of the boldface names that are being examined in various docus featured in the Sundance nonfiction lineup.
The festival is no stranger to star-driven docus. In recent years, films about Ruth Bader Ginsburg (“Rbg”), Fred Rogers (“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”), Harvey Weinstein (“Untouchable”), Michael Jackson (“Leaving Neverland”), Kanye West (“jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy”), Bill Cosby (“We Need to Talk About Cosby”) and most recently Judy Blume (“Judy Blume Forever”) and Michael J. Fox (“Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie”) had world premieres in Park City.
But unlike films self-produced by their star subjects, the profile docus selected...
The festival is no stranger to star-driven docus. In recent years, films about Ruth Bader Ginsburg (“Rbg”), Fred Rogers (“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”), Harvey Weinstein (“Untouchable”), Michael Jackson (“Leaving Neverland”), Kanye West (“jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy”), Bill Cosby (“We Need to Talk About Cosby”) and most recently Judy Blume (“Judy Blume Forever”) and Michael J. Fox (“Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie”) had world premieres in Park City.
But unlike films self-produced by their star subjects, the profile docus selected...
- 1/17/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
On a recent Screen Talk podcast, producers Rian Johnson and Ram Bergman said they specifically tried to avoid overhyping T-Street’s film “Fair Play” before it sold to Netflix for $20 million and became Sundance 2023’s biggest sale. Elsewhere, Lily Gladstone took time at the IndieWire Honors gala to champion her competition title “Fancy Dance,” which to this day inexplicably hasn’t sold despite all the praise around it in last year’s competition slate.
Turns out, it was “Fancy Dance,” not “Fair Play,” that we included in last year’s Hot Sales Titles gallery. That shows how unpredictable Sundance can be, and why it’s so exciting. Surprise breakout hits pop every year. Movies with big star power don’t get scooped up by a streamer and give the little guys a chance to make a bid. And titles with all the buzz lose a lot of steam once audiences have finally seen them,...
Turns out, it was “Fancy Dance,” not “Fair Play,” that we included in last year’s Hot Sales Titles gallery. That shows how unpredictable Sundance can be, and why it’s so exciting. Surprise breakout hits pop every year. Movies with big star power don’t get scooped up by a streamer and give the little guys a chance to make a bid. And titles with all the buzz lose a lot of steam once audiences have finally seen them,...
- 1/16/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Exclusive: The MacRo Lodge at Sundance Film Festival (www.StayMACRO.com), hosted by MacRo Founder & CEO Charles D. King (Mudbound, Judas and the Black Messiah) and his wife Stacey Walker King, Chief Brand Officer of the company, returns to the Sundance Film Festival for its seventh annual showcase of panels and parties at the iconic film festival to champion inclusion and people of color at its prime location at 136 Heber Avenue in Park City, Ut with three days of programming.
Featured events from January 19-21, 2024 will include appearances by David Alan Grier, Demario Driver, Dominique Thorne, Jack Champion, Jay Ellis, Ji-Young Yoo, Justice Smith, Keir Gilchrist, Michelle Farrah Huang, Normani, director/writer/producers Anna Boden, Carlos Lopez Estrada, Dawn Porter, Kobi Libii and Ryan Fleck, producers Datari Turner, Debby Wolfe, Debra Martin Chase, Jelani Johnson, Leah Smith, Nkechi Okoro Carroll, Poppy Hanks, Sonja Warfield and more.
Midnight MacRo, MacRo’s...
Featured events from January 19-21, 2024 will include appearances by David Alan Grier, Demario Driver, Dominique Thorne, Jack Champion, Jay Ellis, Ji-Young Yoo, Justice Smith, Keir Gilchrist, Michelle Farrah Huang, Normani, director/writer/producers Anna Boden, Carlos Lopez Estrada, Dawn Porter, Kobi Libii and Ryan Fleck, producers Datari Turner, Debby Wolfe, Debra Martin Chase, Jelani Johnson, Leah Smith, Nkechi Okoro Carroll, Poppy Hanks, Sonja Warfield and more.
Midnight MacRo, MacRo’s...
- 1/12/2024
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
When award-winning filmmaker Dawn Porter — who directed the upcoming Luther Vandross documentary Luther: Never Too Much — thinks of her favorite song by the legendary singer, she selects “So Amazing,” the timeless track he wrote and produced for Dionne Warwick and later recorded himself.
But then she pauses. “I think it’s hard for me because I’m very attached to some scenes right now,” she says. Then she speaks about “Any Love,” Vandross’ autobiographical song about wanting to find the one and the sadness behind being alone. The track topped the R&b charts in the late ’80s.
“I really wanted him to be able to tell you his story as much as possible, so how do you do that with someone who’s not with us? A lot of that was thinking about the lyrics. [On] ‘Any Love,’ he was just endlessly frustrated with the absence of a romantic partner in his life,...
But then she pauses. “I think it’s hard for me because I’m very attached to some scenes right now,” she says. Then she speaks about “Any Love,” Vandross’ autobiographical song about wanting to find the one and the sadness behind being alone. The track topped the R&b charts in the late ’80s.
“I really wanted him to be able to tell you his story as much as possible, so how do you do that with someone who’s not with us? A lot of that was thinking about the lyrics. [On] ‘Any Love,’ he was just endlessly frustrated with the absence of a romantic partner in his life,...
- 1/11/2024
- by Mesfin Fekadu
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The next year promises a raft of fascinating eye-openers including looks at dicey legal issues and some A-list celebrities
As usual, much of the year’s documentary fare has yet to be announced. But between the Sundance film festival in January and the evergreen draw of celebrity vanity projects, the documentary slate for 2024 is already filling up – and that’s not even getting into numerous docu-series..
From overdue retrospectives on Luther Vandross and June Carter Cash, to an on-the-ground account of the first successful unionization effort at Amazon, to the distant prospect of finally seeing Amazon’s Rihanna documentary, here are 11 of the most anticipated documentaries of 2024:...
As usual, much of the year’s documentary fare has yet to be announced. But between the Sundance film festival in January and the evergreen draw of celebrity vanity projects, the documentary slate for 2024 is already filling up – and that’s not even getting into numerous docu-series..
From overdue retrospectives on Luther Vandross and June Carter Cash, to an on-the-ground account of the first successful unionization effort at Amazon, to the distant prospect of finally seeing Amazon’s Rihanna documentary, here are 11 of the most anticipated documentaries of 2024:...
- 1/8/2024
- by Adrian Horton
- The Guardian - Film News
Devo will be coming to the Sundance Film Festival in more ways than one.
Just one day after the Chris Smith directed documentary about the New Wave bad makes its Sff debut in Park City on January 21, Devo will be taking the stage at the newly opened Marquis on the luxury ski town’s Main Street, I’ve learned.
A $50 a pop for general admission and $150 for VIP, tickets for the gig should be going on sale now. Asa Dave Grohl and Nick Cave can tell you, Sundance has long a magnet for big name bands and performers with films on their careers, so the Devo show was rumored ever since Sff’s line-up was revealed on December 6.
Coming off the Mark Mothersbaugh-led band’s 50th anniversary last year, the gig opening for Paul Oakenfold is bit of a return to an old stomping ground for the “Whip It” boys.
Just one day after the Chris Smith directed documentary about the New Wave bad makes its Sff debut in Park City on January 21, Devo will be taking the stage at the newly opened Marquis on the luxury ski town’s Main Street, I’ve learned.
A $50 a pop for general admission and $150 for VIP, tickets for the gig should be going on sale now. Asa Dave Grohl and Nick Cave can tell you, Sundance has long a magnet for big name bands and performers with films on their careers, so the Devo show was rumored ever since Sff’s line-up was revealed on December 6.
Coming off the Mark Mothersbaugh-led band’s 50th anniversary last year, the gig opening for Paul Oakenfold is bit of a return to an old stomping ground for the “Whip It” boys.
- 1/4/2024
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Dawn Porter looks for stories of people who made history without asking. By following congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis in John Lewis: Good Trouble, or President Obama’s White House photographer Pete Souza in The Way I See It, she says she hopes to shade in between the lines of history.
In her most recent project, Hulu’s The Lady Bird Diaries, she fixates on Lady Bird Johnson’s life, relying largely on archival audio recordings that were released following the former first lady’s death in 2007. In...
In her most recent project, Hulu’s The Lady Bird Diaries, she fixates on Lady Bird Johnson’s life, relying largely on archival audio recordings that were released following the former first lady’s death in 2007. In...
- 12/16/2023
- by Kalia Richardson
- Rollingstone.com
The National Film Registry just granted immortality to 25 classic films. Every year, the Library of Congress chooses another class to be preserved for posterity, and this year’s group includes some major blockbusters like “Terminator 2,” “Home Alone,” and “Apollo 13.”
To be eligible, a film must be at least 10 years old and carry what the library considers to be “cultural, historic or aesthetic importance,” in consultation with National Film Preservation Board members and other experts.
The list now stands at 875 remarkable films. If you’d like to nominate your favorite film for preservation, just fill out this form.
2023 Inductees into the National Film Registry 20 Feet from Stardom June 14, 2013
Directed by Morgan Neville and produced by Gil Friesen, “20 Feet from Stardom” uses archival footage and interviews sharing behind-the-scenes experiences, and shining the spotlight on backup singers, including Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, Judith Hill, Jo Lawry, Claudia Lennear,...
To be eligible, a film must be at least 10 years old and carry what the library considers to be “cultural, historic or aesthetic importance,” in consultation with National Film Preservation Board members and other experts.
The list now stands at 875 remarkable films. If you’d like to nominate your favorite film for preservation, just fill out this form.
2023 Inductees into the National Film Registry 20 Feet from Stardom June 14, 2013
Directed by Morgan Neville and produced by Gil Friesen, “20 Feet from Stardom” uses archival footage and interviews sharing behind-the-scenes experiences, and shining the spotlight on backup singers, including Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, Judith Hill, Jo Lawry, Claudia Lennear,...
- 12/13/2023
- by Ben Bowman
- The Streamable
Sundance Film Festival 2024 has its bases covered. The 40th edition of the film festival will feature the premiere of Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun’s post-apocalyptic romance Love Me; Michael John Warren’s evolutionary documentary Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza; Steven Soderbergh’s haunted house thriller Presence; and 88 additional films, documentaries, and episodic titles.
Among the documentaries premiering at the festival are Luther: Never Too Much, following the life and legacy of Luther Vandross; Devo, about the new wave band formed in the wake of the Kent State massacre; Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story,...
Among the documentaries premiering at the festival are Luther: Never Too Much, following the life and legacy of Luther Vandross; Devo, about the new wave band formed in the wake of the Kent State massacre; Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story,...
- 12/6/2023
- by Larisha Paul
- Rollingstone.com
The Sundance Film Festival has always been about discovery. The reason so many agents, casting directors, producers, filmmakers, and executives attend the annual January festival is because they want to be there, on the ground, when the next Steven Soderbergh or Richard Linklater pops up. Or, even when they pop up again: Both veterans are bringing projects to this year’s fest.
While there was some trepidation going into this year’s programming selection that the post-pandemic production lull and two long strikes might impact the number or quality of submissions, lo and behold, the 2024 festival has broken the festival’s record with 17,435 submissions from 153 countries.
When we checked in (via a recent Zoom chat) with three Sundance executives to get the low-down on this year’s festival, they were bullish. And they had changes to share.
Every year, the Sundance Film Festival makes them; 2024 is no exception. For starters,...
While there was some trepidation going into this year’s programming selection that the post-pandemic production lull and two long strikes might impact the number or quality of submissions, lo and behold, the 2024 festival has broken the festival’s record with 17,435 submissions from 153 countries.
When we checked in (via a recent Zoom chat) with three Sundance executives to get the low-down on this year’s festival, they were bullish. And they had changes to share.
Every year, the Sundance Film Festival makes them; 2024 is no exception. For starters,...
- 12/6/2023
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
“Dancing With the Stars” Season 32 kicked off right on schedule on Tuesday night, with all 15 couples, even temporary holdout actor Matt Walsh, hitting the dance floor for the first time.
“Bachelorette” star Charity Lawson and partner Artem Chigvintsev earned the highest score of the evening for their Tango, which judge Bruno Tonioli proclaimed to be “exquisite,” while Carrie Ann Inaba said it was “stunning,” especially for Week 1.
Charity took the lead from singer Jason Mraz, whose Cha-Cha-Cha with Daniella Karagacha to his own song, “I Feel Like Dancing,” prompted Bruno to dub him “the one to watch.” Jason, who claimed his higher-than-average dancing skills were due to an “extra vertebra,” earned a “7” from each judge.
After the audience votes were added, “Rhobh” star Mauricio Umansky and “Veep” star Matt Walsh were in the bottom two. Matt’s “non-traditional” Cha-Cha-Cha with partner Koko Iwasaki received a “4,” from each judge, a decision the audience booed.
“Bachelorette” star Charity Lawson and partner Artem Chigvintsev earned the highest score of the evening for their Tango, which judge Bruno Tonioli proclaimed to be “exquisite,” while Carrie Ann Inaba said it was “stunning,” especially for Week 1.
Charity took the lead from singer Jason Mraz, whose Cha-Cha-Cha with Daniella Karagacha to his own song, “I Feel Like Dancing,” prompted Bruno to dub him “the one to watch.” Jason, who claimed his higher-than-average dancing skills were due to an “extra vertebra,” earned a “7” from each judge.
After the audience votes were added, “Rhobh” star Mauricio Umansky and “Veep” star Matt Walsh were in the bottom two. Matt’s “non-traditional” Cha-Cha-Cha with partner Koko Iwasaki received a “4,” from each judge, a decision the audience booed.
- 9/27/2023
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
“Dancing with the Stars” is back on ABC and some things just stay the same: if a celebrity has a song or is associated with a song, they will likely perform to it for their first dance.
ABC has unveiled the 14 dance styles and songs for Tuesday’s Season 32 premiere, and would you be shocked to learn that Jason Mraz is dancing the cha-cha to one of his own songs? And that the song is “I Feel Like Dancing”? Similarly, Barry Williams will perform a foxtrot to “It’s a Sunshine Day” by The Brady Bunch. Gotta get these outta the way. Mraz is one of six stars who will make their “Dancing” debut with the cha-cha. Williams, however, is the only one doing the foxtrot. Four couples have the tango, Two have the salsa and one has the jive.
See the full list below.
Tyson Beckford and Jenna Johnson...
ABC has unveiled the 14 dance styles and songs for Tuesday’s Season 32 premiere, and would you be shocked to learn that Jason Mraz is dancing the cha-cha to one of his own songs? And that the song is “I Feel Like Dancing”? Similarly, Barry Williams will perform a foxtrot to “It’s a Sunshine Day” by The Brady Bunch. Gotta get these outta the way. Mraz is one of six stars who will make their “Dancing” debut with the cha-cha. Williams, however, is the only one doing the foxtrot. Four couples have the tango, Two have the salsa and one has the jive.
See the full list below.
Tyson Beckford and Jenna Johnson...
- 9/26/2023
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Zakiya Dalila Harris’ novel “The Other Black Girl” has hit the small screen in ten episodes filled with songs that support the story’s underlying message of compromising identity and Blackness in a majority-white workplace. Developed by Harris and Rashida Jones, who contributed the intro montage, to Episode 7 set to Anita Baker’s “Sweet Love,” the series crosses multiple genres from comedy to thriller and provides social commentary on how minority Poc employees compromise and navigate the social system of corporate America.
Set to Sza, TLC, Busta Rhymes, H.E.R., Janelle Monae and more, many scenes in the show become even stronger with the songs in the background. Co-showrunners Gus Hickey and Jordan Reddout left the ending open for a potential second season. The suspense and humor go hand in hand with the soundtrack for “The Other Black Girl.”
Here are all the songs in “The Other Black Girl”:
Episode...
Set to Sza, TLC, Busta Rhymes, H.E.R., Janelle Monae and more, many scenes in the show become even stronger with the songs in the background. Co-showrunners Gus Hickey and Jordan Reddout left the ending open for a potential second season. The suspense and humor go hand in hand with the soundtrack for “The Other Black Girl.”
Here are all the songs in “The Other Black Girl”:
Episode...
- 9/16/2023
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
“The Golden Bachelor” casting call attracted some incredible women. On Wednesday, ABC unveiled the 22 women who will be vying for Gerry Turner‘s heart on the inaugural season of its “Bachelor” spinoff series, and some remarkable women made the cut.
There’s a cageless shark diver, a triple master’s degree holder, a former NFL cheerleader, and a former Bachelor’s mom, among others. As for which lady will be able to snag Gerry’s heart, the widower — whose wife of more than four decades, Toni, died in 2017 — previously told Et what he’s looking for in a mate.
“I think the one thing I’m going to look for is that look in the eye. I’ve seen it before, and I know the feeling when it’s there,” he said. “If I see that, that’s going to be the person that I’m going to probably pursue above others.
There’s a cageless shark diver, a triple master’s degree holder, a former NFL cheerleader, and a former Bachelor’s mom, among others. As for which lady will be able to snag Gerry’s heart, the widower — whose wife of more than four decades, Toni, died in 2017 — previously told Et what he’s looking for in a mate.
“I think the one thing I’m going to look for is that look in the eye. I’ve seen it before, and I know the feeling when it’s there,” he said. “If I see that, that’s going to be the person that I’m going to probably pursue above others.
- 8/31/2023
- by Becca Longmire
- ET Canada
The second David Bowie World Fan Convention hit New York in June, featuring some of David Bowie’s closest collaborators in music, film, and fashion. Vocalist, songwriter, model, and actor Ava Cherry sang on some of Bowie’s most transformative records, and changed his outlook on music, fashion, and nightlife. From 1974 to 1978, Cherry was one-third of Bowie’s vocal backing trio, appearing onstage, in the studio, and on all TV appearances. Cherry and Bowie’s relationship was even closer than that, beginning as lovers, and enduring as friends.
According to the autobiography All That Glitters, written by Cherry and Lisa Torem, Ava was raised in Chicago, taking a job at Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Mansion when she was 17 years old, before moving to New York and working at the nightclub Genesis. This is where she met Bowie, who asked her to provide backing vocals on an upcoming tour in Japan.
According to the autobiography All That Glitters, written by Cherry and Lisa Torem, Ava was raised in Chicago, taking a job at Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Mansion when she was 17 years old, before moving to New York and working at the nightclub Genesis. This is where she met Bowie, who asked her to provide backing vocals on an upcoming tour in Japan.
- 8/29/2023
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
What are Whitney Houston‘s very best songs? Scroll through our gallery of her top hits and hidden gems. Does your favorite make the cut? And do you agree with our pick for number one?
Houston is one of the most iconic and influential singers in pop music history. Born August 9, 1963 into a family with deep gospel roots, she began strict vocal lessons from her Grammy-winning mother, Cissy Houston, at age 13. Cissy came from the popular gospel group The Drinkard Singers before forming the highly sought after crew of background vocalists called The Sweet Inspirations. Cissy’s voice can be heard on hundreds of songs for artists such as Elvis Presley, Dusty Springfield, Van Morrison and Luther Vandross. Most notably, Cissy provides the soaring soprano backing Aretha Franklin in the Queen of Soul’s classic hit, “Ain’t No Way.”
In 1983, Arista Records President Clive Davis signed Whitney to his...
Houston is one of the most iconic and influential singers in pop music history. Born August 9, 1963 into a family with deep gospel roots, she began strict vocal lessons from her Grammy-winning mother, Cissy Houston, at age 13. Cissy came from the popular gospel group The Drinkard Singers before forming the highly sought after crew of background vocalists called The Sweet Inspirations. Cissy’s voice can be heard on hundreds of songs for artists such as Elvis Presley, Dusty Springfield, Van Morrison and Luther Vandross. Most notably, Cissy provides the soaring soprano backing Aretha Franklin in the Queen of Soul’s classic hit, “Ain’t No Way.”
In 1983, Arista Records President Clive Davis signed Whitney to his...
- 8/9/2023
- by Denton Davidson
- Gold Derby
The Bee Gees, The Go-Go’s, David Bowie, the Grateful Dead, Louis Armstrong, the Velvet Underground, and Tina Turner have something more in common than just musical greatness. They’ll all been the subject of recent documentaries, part of an explosion in popularity of the nonfiction genre.
Record companies used to be relatively passive partners in documentary making – licensing songs here and there. But with streaming platforms, theatrical distributors, and cable networks avid for music-driven docs and series, labels are stepping up to deliver nonfiction content themselves. Sony Music’s Premium Content Division has become a leader in the space.
“We have an incredible opportunity to pair up some of the best music artists in the world with some of the best filmmakers in the world and create new art between them,” notes Krista Wegener, EVP Premium Content Development, Sales and Distribution. “That’s a really exciting proposition and something...
Record companies used to be relatively passive partners in documentary making – licensing songs here and there. But with streaming platforms, theatrical distributors, and cable networks avid for music-driven docs and series, labels are stepping up to deliver nonfiction content themselves. Sony Music’s Premium Content Division has become a leader in the space.
“We have an incredible opportunity to pair up some of the best music artists in the world with some of the best filmmakers in the world and create new art between them,” notes Krista Wegener, EVP Premium Content Development, Sales and Distribution. “That’s a really exciting proposition and something...
- 8/8/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
This year’s David Bowie World Fan Convention took place in New York City. Over several nights in several locations, musicians and other players who worked with David Bowie spoke with fans about the golden years. One creative concept which was reinforced over the weekend is how Bowie chose to work with artists who were as curious, experimental, and funny as himself. No one fits that bill as much as guitarist, composer, arranger, and natural raconteur Carlos Alomar.
Born in Puerto Rico, and raised in the Bronx, Alomar is a New York institution. He made cultural history when he was 17 as the youngest guitarist in the history of Harlem’s legendary Apollo Theater, going on to join the house band. The guitarist met Bowie in 1974 and stepped right into the recording of Young Americans. Alomar brought in singers like his wife, Robin Clark, who brought in Luther Vandross, who brought songwriting chops to the sessions.
Born in Puerto Rico, and raised in the Bronx, Alomar is a New York institution. He made cultural history when he was 17 as the youngest guitarist in the history of Harlem’s legendary Apollo Theater, going on to join the house band. The guitarist met Bowie in 1974 and stepped right into the recording of Young Americans. Alomar brought in singers like his wife, Robin Clark, who brought in Luther Vandross, who brought songwriting chops to the sessions.
- 8/7/2023
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
A documentary about the life and career of legendary R&b singer Luther Vandross is in the works, with Jamie Foxx and Colin Firth serving as producers.
Sony Music Entertainment’s (Sme) Premium Content Division, Sony Music Publishing, Foxx’s Foxxhole Productions and Firth’s Raindog Films have joined forces to produce the first-ever doc on the eight-time Grammy winner, who died in 2005 at age 54. Award-winning filmmaker Dawn Porter is directing, and production is underway.
Vandross began his career as a backup singer for Roberta Flack, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler and David Bowie. He released his successful, double platinum debut album, Never Too Much, in 1981 and has sold 40 million albums worldwide. Most of his albums achieved platinum or double platinum status, and he scored five Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including “Here and Now,” “Endless Love” and “Power of Love/Love Power.” He earned 27 Top 10 hits on the R&b chart,...
Sony Music Entertainment’s (Sme) Premium Content Division, Sony Music Publishing, Foxx’s Foxxhole Productions and Firth’s Raindog Films have joined forces to produce the first-ever doc on the eight-time Grammy winner, who died in 2005 at age 54. Award-winning filmmaker Dawn Porter is directing, and production is underway.
Vandross began his career as a backup singer for Roberta Flack, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler and David Bowie. He released his successful, double platinum debut album, Never Too Much, in 1981 and has sold 40 million albums worldwide. Most of his albums achieved platinum or double platinum status, and he scored five Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including “Here and Now,” “Endless Love” and “Power of Love/Love Power.” He earned 27 Top 10 hits on the R&b chart,...
- 7/11/2023
- by Mesfin Fekadu
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Stand-up comic. Talk show innovator. The View firebrand. Betty Rubble. There’s very little Rosie O’Donnell, 61, has left to accomplish in her singular career. From the moment she broke out of Long Island with a performance on Star Search in 1984, O’Donnell has proved a highly resilient, sometimes confrontational and always entertaining force. She’s also among the most fiercely outspoken advocates of LGBTQ+ causes in Hollywood. (She launched her own gay family cruise line, for heaven’s sake.) Then, as the country’s far right kicks up its attacks on queer people and their art forms, who better than O’Donnell, the original Donald Trump adversary and Broadway’s biggest cheerleader, to celebrate in The Hollywood Reporter‘s 2023 tribute to Pride?
THR sat down with the actor (American Gigolo, Smilf) and podcaster (iHeart’s Onward With Rosie O’Donnell) at a seaside restaurant near her home in Malibu — she moved...
THR sat down with the actor (American Gigolo, Smilf) and podcaster (iHeart’s Onward With Rosie O’Donnell) at a seaside restaurant near her home in Malibu — she moved...
- 6/15/2023
- by Seth Abramovitch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jamie Foxx is a man of many talents. As an actor, singer, comedian, and pianist, Foxx has built an impressive career spanning over 25 years. From humble beginnings growing up in Terrell, Texas, Foxx has risen to become an award-winning performer and one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. His journey to fame was not an easy one, but through perseverance, skill, and charisma, Foxx broke down barriers and achieved his dreams. This article explores Foxx’s inspiring life story, from performing stand-up comedy in dingy clubs to starring in hit movies, releasing chart-topping music, and becoming the second male actor in history to receive two acting Academy Awards. Foxx’s versatile talent, work ethic, and ability to reinvent himself time and again serve as an example that, with hard work and dedication, one can achieve remarkable success.
Jamie Foxx. Depostiphotos Jamie Foxx: From Small Town Texas to the Big Screen...
Jamie Foxx. Depostiphotos Jamie Foxx: From Small Town Texas to the Big Screen...
- 6/13/2023
- by Movies Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
Derren Brown’s five-star spectacle Showman will be screened on television for the first time on Sunday night (23 April).
When the illusionist’s show hit the London stage last year, it was described by critics as “mind-blowing” and “sobering”.
The content of Showman remains top secret, but to mark the broadcast, we listened back on Brown’s fascinating 2019 interview on Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs. Here are five intriguing things we learnt…
The liquid latex anecdote
Brown told a bizarre story about using liquid latex years ago when he was living in a house share. “I put some of this latex on my eye just a little bit one morning because it looked like special effects makeup, it looked like, you know, I’d hurt my eye,” he said.
“I went down to breakfast and I loved the attention and when friends asked, ‘What did you do to your eye?...
When the illusionist’s show hit the London stage last year, it was described by critics as “mind-blowing” and “sobering”.
The content of Showman remains top secret, but to mark the broadcast, we listened back on Brown’s fascinating 2019 interview on Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs. Here are five intriguing things we learnt…
The liquid latex anecdote
Brown told a bizarre story about using liquid latex years ago when he was living in a house share. “I put some of this latex on my eye just a little bit one morning because it looked like special effects makeup, it looked like, you know, I’d hurt my eye,” he said.
“I went down to breakfast and I loved the attention and when friends asked, ‘What did you do to your eye?...
- 4/23/2023
- by Ellie Harrison
- The Independent - TV
Derren Brown’s five-star spectacle Showman will be screened on television for the first time on Sunday night (23 April).
When the illusionist’s show hit the London stage last year, it was described by critics as “mind-blowing” and “sobering”.
The content of Showman remains top secret, but to mark the broadcast, we listened back on Brown’s fascinating 2019 interview on Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs. Here are five intriguing things we learnt…
The liquid latex anecdote
Brown told a bizarre story about using liquid latex years ago when he was living in a house share. “I put some of this latex on my eye just a little bit one morning because it looked like special effects makeup, it looked like, you know, I’d hurt my eye,” he said.
“I went down to breakfast and I loved the attention and when friends asked, ‘What did you do to your eye?...
When the illusionist’s show hit the London stage last year, it was described by critics as “mind-blowing” and “sobering”.
The content of Showman remains top secret, but to mark the broadcast, we listened back on Brown’s fascinating 2019 interview on Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs. Here are five intriguing things we learnt…
The liquid latex anecdote
Brown told a bizarre story about using liquid latex years ago when he was living in a house share. “I put some of this latex on my eye just a little bit one morning because it looked like special effects makeup, it looked like, you know, I’d hurt my eye,” he said.
“I went down to breakfast and I loved the attention and when friends asked, ‘What did you do to your eye?...
- 4/21/2023
- by Ellie Harrison
- The Independent - TV
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