http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact Shadow and Act from IndieWire en en indiewire/shadowandacthttp://feedburner.google.com http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/the-stakes-are-high-in-the-much-anticipated-season-finales-of-the-game-and-lets-stay-together-tuesday-june-5-at-10-pm-rick-fox-returns-to-the-game Thu, 31 May 2012 02:01:54 GMT http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/the-stakes-are-high-in-the-much-anticipated-season-finales-of-the-game-and-lets-stay-together-tuesday-june-5-at-10-pm-rick-fox-returns-to-the-game Tambay 2012-05-31T02:01:54Z For all you fans of both series out there, of which there are many... this one's or you... from the press release: NEW YORK, May 30, 2012 -- Marriages are tested, relationships broken and loyalties proven on the explosive season finales of THE GAME and LET'S STAY TOGETHER Tuesday, June 5 at 10:00 p.m.* Many questions are answered in the shocking season finale of THE GAME, "The Championship Game Episode," premiering Tuesday, June 5 at 10:00 p.m.* After bringing the San Diego Sabres a championship, Derwin (Pooch Hall) and Melanie (Tia Mowry) are still in pursuit of a resolution to their potential long distance relationship. Meanwhile, in order to maintain his... http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/beasts-of-the-southern-wild-will-open-the-2012-american-black-film-festival Wed, 30 May 2012 23:16:12 GMT http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/beasts-of-the-southern-wild-will-open-the-2012-american-black-film-festival Tambay 2012-05-30T23:16:12Z This is wonderful news for those of you who'll be attending this year's American Black Film Festival, which runs from June 20 to 23. We've already sung the praises of Behn Zeitlin’s feature film debut, Beasts Of The Southern Wild, which continued its streak of festival accolades, picking up the FIPRESCI prize and the coveted Camera d'Or, at the Cannes Film Festival last weekend. Now little Hushpuppy (Quvenzhané Wallis) and her posse will ber heading to South Beach, FL next month! Vanessa will be covering the festival for S&A this year, whose lineup includes films we've highlighted like... http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/02a71630-aa91-11e1-bcc4-123138165f92 Wed, 30 May 2012 20:19:28 GMT http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/02a71630-aa91-11e1-bcc4-123138165f92 Tambay 2012-05-30T20:19:28Z A film that caused quite a stir when it was originally released in the UK is getting a revival of sorts, when the Edinburgh International Film Festival will host a special screening of it 1 Day is a 2009 British musical film about gang life in inner city Birmingham. The story follows a character named Flash as he attempts to get £100,000 to his boss Angel in less than 24 hours, or be killed. The full synop: Flash (Dylan Duffus) wakes up to a phone call from Angel (Yohance Watson) announcing that he's being released and wants the £500,000 he's left Flash for safekeeping. Flash is £100,000 short of the full amount and is pushed for time, Flash is forced... http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/watch-3-exclusive-clips-from-david-e-talberts-a-fool-and-his-money-out-next-month Wed, 30 May 2012 18:59:12 GMT http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/watch-3-exclusive-clips-from-david-e-talberts-a-fool-and-his-money-out-next-month Tambay 2012-05-30T18:59:12Z For fans of David E. Talbert's work, here's a clip from his latest effort, which Sergio profiled about a week ago, titled A Fool and His Money, which will be released through Image Entertainment, on DVD and digital download, on June 5th. Although, you'll be able to see it two days before that, on June 3rd, when it'll be broadcast on BET. In A Fool And His Money, Michael Beach plays the patriarch of a down-on-their-luck family who wins a million dollars in a radio contest. And, not surprisingly, everyone wants a piece of the family’s new found fortune, including a long-lost uncle with dubious intentions. ... http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/c30145e0-aa7d-11e1-bcc4-123138165f92 Wed, 30 May 2012 18:21:43 GMT http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/c30145e0-aa7d-11e1-bcc4-123138165f92 Tambay 2012-05-30T18:21:43Z A question that I get asked more often than any other is some variation of the following: do you have any suggestions or advise for how I can get into the business? Like I said, it's not that specific question, itself quite broad, but variations of that, and all pretty much asking for my help in breaking into this incredibly competitive, cutthroat business; I should mention that the questions most often come from actors.  Filmmakers usually just send me their work, ask me to take a look, and hopefully post on the site; actors are usually looking for advise on what they should or should not be doing to get that break many are working towards. And while I certainly... http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/michelle-rodriquez-says-you-have-to-be-trashy-and-black-to-win-an-oscar Wed, 30 May 2012 17:15:23 GMT http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/michelle-rodriquez-says-you-have-to-be-trashy-and-black-to-win-an-oscar Sergio 2012-05-30T17:15:23Z I love it when I come across something like this. It's always guaranteed to get people talking. And, no doubt, there will be some of you who'll be outraged by her comments, while others will agree with her. Let's see what happens this time. In a very recent interview, Michelle Rodriguez sang her praises for Lee Daniels' latest film, The Paperboy, which she saw at the Cannes Film Festival. Though the film has received mainly negative reviews, calling everything from "outrageous," to "uintentionally funny" and "campy," the film does have its defenders, including, evidently, Ms. Rodriguez. She was very impressed... http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/5e2de5a0-aa74-11e1-bcc4-123138165f92 Wed, 30 May 2012 16:42:42 GMT http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/5e2de5a0-aa74-11e1-bcc4-123138165f92 Tambay 2012-05-30T16:42:42Z I'm close to wrapping up this series, with 1 or 2 more entries coming; but I hope that, in reading all the previous entries, intentionally spread of over the last 3 months or so, the program is one that you're now intimately familiar with, and won't soon forget; so when we talk about the Focus Features Africa First program, you'll instantly make the connection! But continuing on with the series... first, as always, a recap, for those just joining us. You can obviously skip this part and jump right into the interview below. Announced last fall, the 5 filmmakers selected for the next class (2011) of Focus Features' Africa First program... http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/watch-good-looking-trailer-for-afro-colombian-cannes-2012-coming-of-age-entry-la-playa-d-c Wed, 30 May 2012 16:05:27 GMT http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/watch-good-looking-trailer-for-afro-colombian-cannes-2012-coming-of-age-entry-la-playa-d-c Tambay 2012-05-30T16:05:27Z A film we totally missed in our Cannes 2012 coverage, and certainly deserved our attention... Directed by Juan Andrés Arango, and titled La Playa D.C., the film centers on Tomas, an Afro-Colombian teenager struggling with the difficulties of growing up in a city (Bogota) of exclusion and racism against those who look like him; When his younger brother disappears, Tomas is forced to leave his home to look for him. With the help from his older brother Chaco, Tomas roams the city's streets, as his search becomes more of a journey in which he's forced to face his past, and to leave aside the influence of his brothers in order to find his own identity, all with... http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/eab091f0-aa63-11e1-bcc4-123138165f92 Wed, 30 May 2012 15:07:02 GMT http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/eab091f0-aa63-11e1-bcc4-123138165f92 Tambay 2012-05-30T15:07:02Z As I'm sure you've all heard by now, Paramount has moved the release date for G.I. Joe: Retaliation from its initial June 29, 2012 date, to March 29, 2013 instead! Why, you ask? The immediate reason reported was that the studio wanted to convert the film to 3D. "We’re going to do a conscientious 3D job because we’ve seen how it can better box office internationally... Jim Cameron did all of Titanic‘s 3D in post – and look how well that movie turned out," said a Paramount exec. Given how soon the film was already scheduled to be released (just over a month from now), the questions that I think were... http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/47730c50-aa60-11e1-bcc4-123138165f92 Wed, 30 May 2012 14:19:40 GMT http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/47730c50-aa60-11e1-bcc4-123138165f92 Tambay 2012-05-30T14:19:40Z Announced in march... Michael K. Williams will play Ol' Dirty Bastard, but not in a traditional biopic on the late rapper's life (one has long been rumored to be coming); rather seemingly as a character in someone else's story. The project is titled Dirty White Boy and will center on... ... the astounding rise of Jarred Weisfeld, a 22-year-old VH1-intern-turned-manager, and his misadventures with the legendary rapper leading up to the performer’s tragic death in 2004... ... said the press release. Although EW added this about 2 weeks ago: [The film] is based on the final years of ODB’s life and will focus on the... http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/8b69d420-aa5b-11e1-bcc4-123138165f92 Wed, 30 May 2012 13:54:39 GMT http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/8b69d420-aa5b-11e1-bcc4-123138165f92 Tambay 2012-05-30T13:54:39Z Cannes 2012 is done, and as is usually the case every year, there was very little representation from the African Diaspora, and we've pretty much highlighted the small handful of feature films of note that fall under that category - from Senegalese filmmaker, Moussa Touré’s La Pirogue (The Pirogue), to the the award-winning Beasts Of The Southern Wild. Add to that Moroccan director Nabil Ayouch's Les Chevaux De Dieu (God's Horses).  A first-time Official Selection at Cannes, the film is loosely based on the terrorist attacks that took place in Casablanca on May 13, 2003. Ayouch was shocked... http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/1a160ed0-aa59-11e1-bcc4-123138165f92 Wed, 30 May 2012 13:27:54 GMT http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/1a160ed0-aa59-11e1-bcc4-123138165f92 Tambay 2012-05-30T13:27:54Z We didn't discuss this much - that new Marvel Blade anime series which premiere on the G4 channel in January, running for 11 successive half-hour episodes every week after its debut. Harold Perrineau provided the voice of the titular character, the supernatural Daywalker known as Blade, as Marvel promises "more action, terrifying villains and bloodthirsty monsters than you’ve ever seen before." Official synopsis read: A master of weaponry with a desire to avenge the death of his mother, Blade finds himself in Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Cambodia in an effort to take down the evil villain, Deacon Frost. With vampire hunter Makoto at... http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/watch-ali-speaks-short-right-here Wed, 30 May 2012 12:56:04 GMT http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/watch-ali-speaks-short-right-here Sergio 2012-05-30T12:56:04Z Last week, here on S & A, I posted an item about this new short titled Ali Speaks, made by actor Eddie Goines III, and filmmaker Foley, which made to honor and document the legendary Muhammad Ali.  As Goines, who plays Ali in the film, said about the short, "I wanted to collaborate with a great visionary artist like Foley and really make something powerful on this incredible force that Muhammad Ali was and is. I just don't think we've ever had anything really evoke his impact on society and we're excited about what this piece is going to display to the world." The short made its exclusive online premiere last week, and you can watch it... http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/single-ladies-season-2-debuted-last-night-did-you-watch-if-so-reactions Wed, 30 May 2012 01:37:17 GMT http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/single-ladies-season-2-debuted-last-night-did-you-watch-if-so-reactions Courtney 2012-05-30T01:37:17Z What? No S&A Single Ladies Talkback session? Tambay tells me that your reactions to recent Single Ladies season 2 posts were weak, suggesting that you all aren't very much interested in the show, hence no S&A talkback like we did for Scandal, since you guys evidently determine what we write about :) But an open thread is allowed for those of you who are fans of the series. Season 2 premiered last night, Monday, 9 pm, on VH1, picking up where season 1 left off. There was one big difference however: Val (Stacey Dash) is no longer part of the show, and viewers were introduced to her *replacement* Raquel (played by Denise Vasi). If you all make enough noise,... http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/watch-teaser-for-i-am-john-wayne-young-black-cowboy-struggles-w-death-of-best-friend Tue, 29 May 2012 23:53:37 GMT http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/watch-teaser-for-i-am-john-wayne-young-black-cowboy-struggles-w-death-of-best-friend Courtney 2012-05-29T23:53:37Z Here's a very brief teaser for a short film titled I Am John Wayne, directed by Christina Choe. It doesn't give you a lot of information about the film, but I'm drawn to it. Something about a melancholic young black man riding a horse in the middle of a desolate, gritty, grimy New York city street locale; throw in the unexpected background music.  That's enough for me to take notice and want to see the rest of it. And it's apparently worth seeing since it's been picking up acclaim on the film festival circuit, where it's been all year, and continues to travel. It started off the year winning the Grand jury prize for best short... http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/call-for-papers-evolving-african-film-cultures-local-and-global-experiences Tue, 29 May 2012 23:29:41 GMT http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/call-for-papers-evolving-african-film-cultures-local-and-global-experiences Courtney 2012-05-29T23:29:41Z We're a little late on this but you have about 1-1/2 weeks to put a 300-word abstract together. Courtesy fo the Black Film Center/Archive: This is the first call for papers for a two-day conference on changes in African film and television production and, of equal importance, the transformation of African film audiences in local and global contexts. African film production, distribution and consumption have been more noticeable in the West African region, as showcased by biennial exhibitions at the FESPACO festivals in Burkina Faso. Arguably, such festivals have encouraged a type of production that is admired by Europeans, but which is rarely available to, or appreciated widely... http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/don-cheadle-says-miles-davis-project-is-not-heading-to-broadway-after-all Tue, 29 May 2012 22:32:31 GMT http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/don-cheadle-says-miles-davis-project-is-not-heading-to-broadway-after-all Courtney 2012-05-29T22:32:31Z Dear Everybody, contrary to several internet sites, I am NOT doing in any way shape or form a Broadway play about Miles Davis. Word is bond. Don Cheadle tweeted those words yesterday, negating reports that he was indeed taking his Miles Davis project to Broadway first, before adapting it to film. The news was initially reported by reputable sites like BroadwayWorld.com, and MilesDavisOnline.com, who revealed very detailed exclusive info on this. S&A of course picked up the story. But if he says it's not happening, then it's not happening. End of story. I anticipate that we won't be posting news about this project anymore unless the news comes... http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/what-new-characters-will-be-introduced-in-game-of-thrones-season-3-any-of-them-roles-for-black-actors Tue, 29 May 2012 22:06:45 GMT http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/what-new-characters-will-be-introduced-in-game-of-thrones-season-3-any-of-them-roles-for-black-actors Courtney 2012-05-29T22:06:45Z Season 2 isn't quite over yet, but fans (as well as the network - HBO) are already looking to season 3 of the hit series Game Of Thrones, based on George R.R. Martin’s third Song of Ice and Fire novel, A Storm of Swords. One big question on the minds of many, and for producers of the series to ponder is what season 3's cast list will look like; specifically, what new characters can audiences expect to be introduced next year, especially since the lengthy book is being divided into two seasons. EW.com recently spoke to showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss about next season’s plans, and they revealed what new characters will be introduced in season 3: ... http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/lucius-fox-returns-in-new-tv-spot-for-the-dark-knight-rises Tue, 29 May 2012 21:32:32 GMT http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/lucius-fox-returns-in-new-tv-spot-for-the-dark-knight-rises Tambay 2012-05-29T21:32:32Z Wait, Morgan Freeman is in The Dark Knight Rises? Really? Why, I had no idea. *Sarcasm* A new commercial for The Dark Knight Rises gives Morgan Freeman’s tech guru Lucius Fox some shine... not much though. Opens July 20. Watch: http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/9cddffd0-a9cd-11e1-bcc4-123138165f92 Tue, 29 May 2012 21:13:02 GMT http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/9cddffd0-a9cd-11e1-bcc4-123138165f92 Tambay 2012-05-29T21:13:02Z It's been a long while since we last wrote anything about this flick... The last bit of news on it was almost a year ago, June 2011, when it was announced that it had been picked up for international distribution by Other Angle Pictures, a Paris-based company; but my research tells me that since then, it's only been released in 4 countries, France of course, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada. The French time travel/slavery comedy titled Case Départ, which translates as Back To Square One, opened in France last summer, and was quite a hit in that country, causing a bit of a stir outside of France, particularly here in the USA, where many... http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/zombies-in-africa-feature-the-dead-posts-impressive-box-office-did-you-see-it Tue, 29 May 2012 20:04:44 GMT http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/zombies-in-africa-feature-the-dead-posts-impressive-box-office-did-you-see-it Tambay 2012-05-29T20:04:44Z It's been on DVD/Blu-ray/VOD for a few months now; It's been on my cue, but I just haven't gotten around to it yet. However, what I really wanted to draw your attention to here is something I learned earlier today (via Deadline) that I thought was worth sharing: And that is... the $150,000 zombie film, grossed $10 million worldwide.  Granted, that figure is combo domestic and international, total. Still... it's quite impressive for a film of its size, and awareness; and likely thanks in part to its success, the filmmaker is on to his next one - a supernatural thriller that's been acquired by newly formed Armory Films, scheduled to begin... http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/carl-franklin-signs-up-to-direct-cop-thriller-city-of-night Tue, 29 May 2012 19:52:30 GMT http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/carl-franklin-signs-up-to-direct-cop-thriller-city-of-night Tambay 2012-05-29T19:52:30Z This comes on the heels of my Carl Franklin piece titled Trying To Understand Carl Franklin's Absence From Movie Theaters In 8 Years..., which was posted in mid-April. Announced this afternoon... Franklin will helm a new cop thriller titled City of Night, from a script by David Chisholm, which follows a rookie LAPD officer who works in the city's toughest crime unit, who's "drawn into a web of deceit by a corrupt veteran." Meyers Media Group and McDonald Entertainment have stepped up to co-finance the project. Franklin's most recent feature film work, which I've been followed since first learning about it in 2010, is an adaptation... http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/dont-expect-to-see-stephanie-mills-on-tv-ones-popular-unsung-series-anytime-soon Tue, 29 May 2012 19:12:55 GMT http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/dont-expect-to-see-stephanie-mills-on-tv-ones-popular-unsung-series-anytime-soon Tambay 2012-05-29T19:12:55Z I think most will agree that TV One's hour-long music series, Unsung, has been one of the network's treasured shows, earning his highest-rated, most successful season ever, this year. Just don't tell that to Stephanie Mills, because she doesn't care for the program, and has absolutely zero interest in being on it, so if you're one of those who's been hoping Mills featured in an episode, it's not happening, despite the fact that her journey is one that's seen as great fodder for an episode in the serie, as noted by HuffPo notes: ... rubbed shoulders with the likes of Michael Jackson and Pendergrass after acclaimed stints on Broadway in... http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/hbo-buys-pitch-for-scripted-dramedy-that-will-expose-behind-the-scenes-nba-happenings Tue, 29 May 2012 18:24:02 GMT http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/hbo-buys-pitch-for-scripted-dramedy-that-will-expose-behind-the-scenes-nba-happenings Tambay 2012-05-29T18:24:02Z Not quite Basketball Wives or The Game, but... HBO has picked up a pitch from Jeff Nathanson (screenwriter of Catch Me if you Can and the Rush Hour movies) and Gavin Polone (producer on Curb Your Enthusiasm, and others) for a yet-to-be-titled hour-long scripted dramedy that will give audiences an honest behind-the-scenes look at the operation of a professional basketball team, from the millionaire players to the billionaire owners, including the money, women, sex, power, and more that often make headlines when it comes to the world of professional sports. Nathanson will write, executive produce and direct the project. Polone will executive... http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/moving-painterly-detropia-to-open-theatrically-in-september-with-your-help Tue, 29 May 2012 18:08:42 GMT http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/moving-painterly-detropia-to-open-theatrically-in-september-with-your-help Tambay 2012-05-29T18:08:42Z This haunting piece of documentary cinema tells the story of one city in economic decay; but really, as the real people in the film repeatedly state, this isn't just a Detroit problem; it's an American problem, and other cities within the country will eventually experience a similar fate; that is unless something is done to reverse trends brought about by what we call globalization, as captains of industry make decisions based almost entirely on the need to generate profit. It's business as usual, and what you'll see and hear in Detropia won't necessarily be anything you haven't already seen and heard before - notably, the results of the exporting of jobs to...