The International Documentary Association announced the 17 feature-length and 25 short documentaries included on the shortlists for the 39th IDA Documentary Awards, which will be held during the week of Dec. 11in Los Angeles.
The nominees will be announced on Nov. 21, and IDA members will vote for Best Feature Documentary and Best Short Documentary until Dec. 5.
“The 39th IDA Documentary Awards continues the tradition of celebrating the best of international nonfiction media of the year,” said Ken Ikeda, IDA’s Interim Executive Director. “This year’s Best Feature Documentary and Best Short Documentary shortlists reflect important work from twenty-one countries. We are excited to celebrate the work of our community and present winners this December in Los Angeles.”
The 2023 shortlists and nominees are selected by independent committees of 280 documentary makers, curators, critics and industry experts from 40 countries. IDA received 669 total submissions in all categories from 48 countries.
Best Feature Documentary Shortlist
Against the Tide...
The nominees will be announced on Nov. 21, and IDA members will vote for Best Feature Documentary and Best Short Documentary until Dec. 5.
“The 39th IDA Documentary Awards continues the tradition of celebrating the best of international nonfiction media of the year,” said Ken Ikeda, IDA’s Interim Executive Director. “This year’s Best Feature Documentary and Best Short Documentary shortlists reflect important work from twenty-one countries. We are excited to celebrate the work of our community and present winners this December in Los Angeles.”
The 2023 shortlists and nominees are selected by independent committees of 280 documentary makers, curators, critics and industry experts from 40 countries. IDA received 669 total submissions in all categories from 48 countries.
Best Feature Documentary Shortlist
Against the Tide...
- 10/24/2023
- by Jordan Moreau
- Variety Film + TV
The International Documentary Association (IDA) on Tuesday announced its best feature and short shortlists for the 2023 IDA Documentary Awards.
The ceremony will be held during the week of Dec. 11 in Los Angeles — venue information is set to follow. Starting Nov. 7, IDA members will be able to view each of the shortlisted films on IDA Virtual Cinema, and up to 10 nominees from each category will be selected. The nominees will be announced on Nov. 21.
“The 39th IDA Documentary Awards continues the tradition of celebrating the best of international nonfiction media of the year,” said Ken Ikeda, IDA’s interim executive director. “This year’s best feature documentary and best short documentary shortlists reflect important work from twenty-one countries. We are excited to celebrate the work of our community and present winners this December in Los Angeles.”
280 documentary filmmakers, curators, critics and industry experts from 40 countries selected the shortlists. IDA received 669 total submissions from 48 countries.
The ceremony will be held during the week of Dec. 11 in Los Angeles — venue information is set to follow. Starting Nov. 7, IDA members will be able to view each of the shortlisted films on IDA Virtual Cinema, and up to 10 nominees from each category will be selected. The nominees will be announced on Nov. 21.
“The 39th IDA Documentary Awards continues the tradition of celebrating the best of international nonfiction media of the year,” said Ken Ikeda, IDA’s interim executive director. “This year’s best feature documentary and best short documentary shortlists reflect important work from twenty-one countries. We are excited to celebrate the work of our community and present winners this December in Los Angeles.”
280 documentary filmmakers, curators, critics and industry experts from 40 countries selected the shortlists. IDA received 669 total submissions from 48 countries.
- 10/24/2023
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Author Raquel Cepeda once said, "The role of hip-hop journalists is to document hip-hop with integrity." Fifty years ago, that esteemed role did not yet exist, for the culture was too young and too niche to find its way into literary archives and journalistic coverage. But seeing how far hip-hop has come, times have changed, and so have the rules for those documenting it - namely, us women.
The role of women hip-hop journalists, unfortunately by today's standards, is not just to report on the culture earnestly. Thanks to sexism, patriarchy, and misogyny, we don't get that luxury. Our skills and knowledge are always under a microscope in this "boys' club," as we've oftentimes been seen as the ill-informed who stumbled our way into this space and not as the revered who helped build, refine, and make it better; as those who've made it safer to tell ours and others' stories.
The role of women hip-hop journalists, unfortunately by today's standards, is not just to report on the culture earnestly. Thanks to sexism, patriarchy, and misogyny, we don't get that luxury. Our skills and knowledge are always under a microscope in this "boys' club," as we've oftentimes been seen as the ill-informed who stumbled our way into this space and not as the revered who helped build, refine, and make it better; as those who've made it safer to tell ours and others' stories.
- 8/30/2023
- by Njera Perkins
- Popsugar.com
Netflix’s Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop revisited the real OGs of the Hip-Hop movement for women and transformed Black culture through their poetry, art, and music. Directed and produced by Dream Hampton, Hannah Beachler, and Raeshem Nijhon, this groundbreaking series showcases how women reshaped the music industry and inspired generations. Despite Hip-Hop not being my favorite genre, what I appreciated about the documentary series is how it prompts us to contemplate the dedication and passion of these artists in pushing boundaries and becoming inspirations.
Even though many people around the world vibe with the music of contemporary Hip-Hop stars like Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, and Megan Thee Stallion, not everyone is familiar with the original trailblazers of the genre. In a male-dominated world, the story of how a woman became the first female Mc is often overlooked. However, thanks to this documentary, we gain valuable insights...
Even though many people around the world vibe with the music of contemporary Hip-Hop stars like Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, and Megan Thee Stallion, not everyone is familiar with the original trailblazers of the genre. In a male-dominated world, the story of how a woman became the first female Mc is often overlooked. However, thanks to this documentary, we gain valuable insights...
- 8/9/2023
- by Poulami Nanda
- Film Fugitives
Women in hip-hop are getting a major spotlight from Netflix next month in a new limited docuseries. Per the streamer, "Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop" aims to recall the history, impact, and influence of women in the culture, as well as "their role in the genre's 50 years by reinserting them into the canon where they belong: at the center, from day one to present day."
The trailer, which was released on July 26, plainly states that "Black women are crushing it in hip-hop right now," from "dominating the charts" to "being the ultimate influencers of the culture." So, in their own words, the docuseries gives women in hip-hop the floor to share their stories and honor the sisterhood that's contributed to their success.
The Netflix series has four installments that each feature a parade of iconic women rappers and originators, such as Mc Lyte, Queen Latifah, Rah Digga,...
The trailer, which was released on July 26, plainly states that "Black women are crushing it in hip-hop right now," from "dominating the charts" to "being the ultimate influencers of the culture." So, in their own words, the docuseries gives women in hip-hop the floor to share their stories and honor the sisterhood that's contributed to their success.
The Netflix series has four installments that each feature a parade of iconic women rappers and originators, such as Mc Lyte, Queen Latifah, Rah Digga,...
- 7/26/2023
- by Njera Perkins
- Popsugar.com
At a time when the true-crime genre has reached a creative nadir, as streaming services churn out assembly-line products that prioritize shock value over victims’ stories — and even stoop to paying perpetrators for exclusive access — Surviving R. Kelly stands out.
Premiering in January 2019, Dream Hampton’s docuseries painted a damning portrait of the R&b legend’s decades-long pattern of grooming and abuse via interviews with survivors, journalists, enablers, and eyewitnesses. The Lifetime program was a Greek chorus of grief indicting not just Kelly but an industry that went to great pains to protect him,...
Premiering in January 2019, Dream Hampton’s docuseries painted a damning portrait of the R&b legend’s decades-long pattern of grooming and abuse via interviews with survivors, journalists, enablers, and eyewitnesses. The Lifetime program was a Greek chorus of grief indicting not just Kelly but an industry that went to great pains to protect him,...
- 12/31/2022
- by Marlow Stern
- Rollingstone.com
Click here to read the full article.
Dream Hampton, executive producer of Surviving R. Kelly, may not hold much stock in the U.S. criminal justice system, but still hopes R. Kelly being sentenced to 30 years in prison will bring some closure for survivors of his sexual abuse and predation.
“I’m hoping, for the survivors, that this feels a little bit like justice,” Hampton tells The Hollywood Reporter. R. Kelly was sentenced Wednesday to 30 years in prison for using his fame to sexually abuse young fans in a systematic scheme that spanned decades.
The sentence caps a slow-motion fall for Kelly, which was accelerated due to Hampton’s Emmy-nominated Lifetime miniseries Surviving R. Kelly breaking ratings records and setting in motion criminal investigations that resulted in the the R&b singer being convicted of racketeering and sex trafficking.
Hampton, who executive produced Surviving R. Kelly with Brie Miranda Bryant and Tamra Simmons,...
Dream Hampton, executive producer of Surviving R. Kelly, may not hold much stock in the U.S. criminal justice system, but still hopes R. Kelly being sentenced to 30 years in prison will bring some closure for survivors of his sexual abuse and predation.
“I’m hoping, for the survivors, that this feels a little bit like justice,” Hampton tells The Hollywood Reporter. R. Kelly was sentenced Wednesday to 30 years in prison for using his fame to sexually abuse young fans in a systematic scheme that spanned decades.
The sentence caps a slow-motion fall for Kelly, which was accelerated due to Hampton’s Emmy-nominated Lifetime miniseries Surviving R. Kelly breaking ratings records and setting in motion criminal investigations that resulted in the the R&b singer being convicted of racketeering and sex trafficking.
Hampton, who executive produced Surviving R. Kelly with Brie Miranda Bryant and Tamra Simmons,...
- 7/1/2022
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This week, R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison. The singer, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was convicted of racketeering and eight counts of violating the Mann Act, which prohibits transporting people across state lines for prostitution.
R. Kelly still faces charges in Chicago for child pornography and obstruction of justice, as well as additional charges in state courts in Illinois and Minnesota. The musician, who was found guilty on all nine counts against him during a six-week trial last September, lured his fans and aspiring musicians into sexually abusive and controlling situations, including hostage-like conditions of locking them up in rooms without food or access to a bathroom for days.
A monumental moment in the continuous fight to hold abusers in power accountable for their behavior, the turn of events for R. Kelly marks a staggering fall from grace for one of the biggest hitmakers in...
R. Kelly still faces charges in Chicago for child pornography and obstruction of justice, as well as additional charges in state courts in Illinois and Minnesota. The musician, who was found guilty on all nine counts against him during a six-week trial last September, lured his fans and aspiring musicians into sexually abusive and controlling situations, including hostage-like conditions of locking them up in rooms without food or access to a bathroom for days.
A monumental moment in the continuous fight to hold abusers in power accountable for their behavior, the turn of events for R. Kelly marks a staggering fall from grace for one of the biggest hitmakers in...
- 7/1/2022
- by Elizabeth Wagmeister
- Variety Film + TV
Taylor Swift to Talk ‘All Too Well: The Short Film,’ Approach to Filmmaking at Tribeca Film Festival
Taylor Swift, Pharrell, Seth Meyers, and more will partake in the various special talks and screenings set to take place during the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival, running June 8 through 19 in New York City.
Swift will be on hand for a special conversation about her 2021 project, All Too Well: The Short Film — which she directed, wrote, produced, and appeared in — as well as her approach to filmmaking. The conversation will take place June 11 at the Beacon Theater, and All Too Well will screen beforehand.
Elsewhere during the festival, Pharrell will discuss his...
Swift will be on hand for a special conversation about her 2021 project, All Too Well: The Short Film — which she directed, wrote, produced, and appeared in — as well as her approach to filmmaking. The conversation will take place June 11 at the Beacon Theater, and All Too Well will screen beforehand.
Elsewhere during the festival, Pharrell will discuss his...
- 5/2/2022
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Matthew Baskharoon is joining United Talent Agency as an agent in the unscripted TV department. Based in the Los Angeles office, Baskharoon will work alongside UTA Partner Darnell Strom and the culture & leadership division.
“Matthew is not only a terrific agent but also an incredible human, said Matt Rice, UTA head of TV and board member, said in a statement. “His clients and colleagues adore him because he leads with his taste and his heart. We are excited to welcome him to the UTA family and know he will further elevate our business and culture.”
“UTA has established themselves as a company willing to disrupt and go against the grain,” added Baskharoon in a statement. “Their culture promotes innovation and entrepreneurship and I look forward to leveraging everything the company has to offer to service my diverse roster of clients.”
Baskharoon comes from WME where he worked in the non-scripted...
“Matthew is not only a terrific agent but also an incredible human, said Matt Rice, UTA head of TV and board member, said in a statement. “His clients and colleagues adore him because he leads with his taste and his heart. We are excited to welcome him to the UTA family and know he will further elevate our business and culture.”
“UTA has established themselves as a company willing to disrupt and go against the grain,” added Baskharoon in a statement. “Their culture promotes innovation and entrepreneurship and I look forward to leveraging everything the company has to offer to service my diverse roster of clients.”
Baskharoon comes from WME where he worked in the non-scripted...
- 3/30/2022
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
WME and Endeavor Content will be recognizing the one-year anniversary of #BlackoutTuesday on June 1 by teaming with Color of Change and its #ChangeHollywood initiative to pause work for a “day on,” which will consist of workshops and programming focused on achieving racial equity.
The day’s programing will feature a conversation with Michael B. Jordan, Color of Change president Rashad Robinson and Endeavor executive chairman Patrick Whitesell; and a review of McKinsey’s “Leaving $10B On the Table,” a study of Hollywood’s economic losses from Black inequity, with co-authors Sheldon Lyn, Nony Onyeador and Ammanuel Zegeye and moderated by WME client and The Sum of Us author Heather McGhee.
Additionally, there will be discussions about colorism in entertainment with The Grapevine, filmmaker and WME client Dream Hampton and Robinson talking power and responsibility in Hollywood in a panel moderated by Endeavor chief inclusion officer Alicin Williamson, and a workshop titled “Tools for Talent,...
The day’s programing will feature a conversation with Michael B. Jordan, Color of Change president Rashad Robinson and Endeavor executive chairman Patrick Whitesell; and a review of McKinsey’s “Leaving $10B On the Table,” a study of Hollywood’s economic losses from Black inequity, with co-authors Sheldon Lyn, Nony Onyeador and Ammanuel Zegeye and moderated by WME client and The Sum of Us author Heather McGhee.
Additionally, there will be discussions about colorism in entertainment with The Grapevine, filmmaker and WME client Dream Hampton and Robinson talking power and responsibility in Hollywood in a panel moderated by Endeavor chief inclusion officer Alicin Williamson, and a workshop titled “Tools for Talent,...
- 5/26/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Tamra Simmons, an executive producer behind the Emmy-nominated docuseries Surviving R. Kelly, has signed a development deal with Blue And Studios to identify and develop a slate of unscripted projects.
The partnership builds on Blue Ant’s expanding U.S. production business and comes is the latest in the series of development initiatives that seek to champion women-led content. Under the new deal, the LA Productions executive producer and CEO of Atlanta-based firm The Tamra Simmons Brand Agency will work with Blue Ant to produce unscripted projects that explore a range of perspective sand experiences. Her credits include Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning, Growing Up Hip Hop, Growing Up Hip Hop: Atlanta, Mary Mary and Words of Wisdom: Faith & Forgiveness.
“The content we consume shapes our minds, drives our decisions and informs our outlook on the world. It is imperative that our content options provoke our thoughts...
The partnership builds on Blue Ant’s expanding U.S. production business and comes is the latest in the series of development initiatives that seek to champion women-led content. Under the new deal, the LA Productions executive producer and CEO of Atlanta-based firm The Tamra Simmons Brand Agency will work with Blue Ant to produce unscripted projects that explore a range of perspective sand experiences. Her credits include Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning, Growing Up Hip Hop, Growing Up Hip Hop: Atlanta, Mary Mary and Words of Wisdom: Faith & Forgiveness.
“The content we consume shapes our minds, drives our decisions and informs our outlook on the world. It is imperative that our content options provoke our thoughts...
- 4/13/2021
- by Alexandra Del Rosario
- Deadline Film + TV
With the 93rd Oscars forced to adapt and change with the coronavirus pandemic still a major factor, the production team for the April 25 ceremony announced Wednesday reflects those conditions.
Producers Jesse Collins, Stacey Sher and Steven Soderbergh unveiled 14 key members of their team for the show, which will air live on ABC from both the Oscars’ usual home at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and downtown Los Angeles’ Union Station. Among the returning veterans are newcomers including The Roots drummer and filmmaker Questlove, who had previously performed on the telecast but is now musical director; Oscar-nominated screenwriter Richard Lagravenese, who also penned the Soderbergh-directed Liberace movie Behind the Candelabra, as a writer; and Dream Hampton, a writer and executive producer of Surviving R. Kelly, also as as writer.
All three are first-timers in the Oscar world. Other newcomers include Jesse Collins Entertainment veterans Jeannae Rouzan-Clay and Dionne Harmon as co-producers. They will be joined by veterans of the annual broadcast including supervising producer Rob Paine, who has been part of the Oscars team for 20 years; co-producer Raj Kapoor, back for a fifth consecutive year overseeing screen content and performances; and Taryn Hurd who returns for the eighth consecutive year as talent producer.
Head writer writer Jon Macks, the longtime Tonight Show With Jay Leno scribe who returns for his 24th Oscars telecast after recent gigs writing for the 2020 Democratic National Convention and the Celebrating America inauguration special, will lead a team that includes Amberia Allen (second Oscars), Rodney Barnes (Wu-Tang: An American Saga) and Mitchell Marchand (MTV Music Video Awards) along with Lagravenese and Hampton.
Other veterans returning include production designer David Rockwell, who served in that role for the 81st and 82nd Oscars and is a Tony winner with more than 60 theatrical productions including She Loves Me, Kinky Boots and Harispray (he also designs Nobu hotels and restaurants); and lighting designer Robert Dickinson, who returns for his 32nd Oscars show with 18 Primetime Emmy Awards to his credit — including three for Oscars telecasts.
As Deadline scooped this week, there is no single host planned for this year’s ceremony, with producers now out with offers to talent they hope will come in to present the categories on a rotating basis.
Glenn Weiss returns to direct the Oscars for a sixth straight year but little else is known about the makeup of the ceremony. Organizer the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has told nominees there will be a ban on Zooms, so popular with other Covid-era shows including Golden Globes, Critics Choice and the upcoming truncated SAG Awards.
“Our plan is that this year’s Oscars will look like a movie, not a television show, and Glenn has embraced this approach and come up with ideas of his own on how to achieve this,” Collins, Sher and Soderbergh said when Weiss came aboard last week.
Producers Jesse Collins, Stacey Sher and Steven Soderbergh unveiled 14 key members of their team for the show, which will air live on ABC from both the Oscars’ usual home at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and downtown Los Angeles’ Union Station. Among the returning veterans are newcomers including The Roots drummer and filmmaker Questlove, who had previously performed on the telecast but is now musical director; Oscar-nominated screenwriter Richard Lagravenese, who also penned the Soderbergh-directed Liberace movie Behind the Candelabra, as a writer; and Dream Hampton, a writer and executive producer of Surviving R. Kelly, also as as writer.
All three are first-timers in the Oscar world. Other newcomers include Jesse Collins Entertainment veterans Jeannae Rouzan-Clay and Dionne Harmon as co-producers. They will be joined by veterans of the annual broadcast including supervising producer Rob Paine, who has been part of the Oscars team for 20 years; co-producer Raj Kapoor, back for a fifth consecutive year overseeing screen content and performances; and Taryn Hurd who returns for the eighth consecutive year as talent producer.
Head writer writer Jon Macks, the longtime Tonight Show With Jay Leno scribe who returns for his 24th Oscars telecast after recent gigs writing for the 2020 Democratic National Convention and the Celebrating America inauguration special, will lead a team that includes Amberia Allen (second Oscars), Rodney Barnes (Wu-Tang: An American Saga) and Mitchell Marchand (MTV Music Video Awards) along with Lagravenese and Hampton.
Other veterans returning include production designer David Rockwell, who served in that role for the 81st and 82nd Oscars and is a Tony winner with more than 60 theatrical productions including She Loves Me, Kinky Boots and Harispray (he also designs Nobu hotels and restaurants); and lighting designer Robert Dickinson, who returns for his 32nd Oscars show with 18 Primetime Emmy Awards to his credit — including three for Oscars telecasts.
As Deadline scooped this week, there is no single host planned for this year’s ceremony, with producers now out with offers to talent they hope will come in to present the categories on a rotating basis.
Glenn Weiss returns to direct the Oscars for a sixth straight year but little else is known about the makeup of the ceremony. Organizer the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has told nominees there will be a ban on Zooms, so popular with other Covid-era shows including Golden Globes, Critics Choice and the upcoming truncated SAG Awards.
“Our plan is that this year’s Oscars will look like a movie, not a television show, and Glenn has embraced this approach and come up with ideas of his own on how to achieve this,” Collins, Sher and Soderbergh said when Weiss came aboard last week.
- 3/24/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Oscar producers Jesse Collins, Stacey Sher and Steven Soderbergh have announced 14 key members of the production team for the 93rd Academy Awards.
Rob Paine (“A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote”) will serve as supervising producer, while co-producer Raj Kapoor (“Grammy Awards”) joins the Oscars for the fifth consecutive year, overseeing screen content and performances. Taryn Hurd (Governors Awards) rejoins the Academy Awards for the eighth consecutive year as talent producer, while head writer Jon Macks (“The Tonight Show With Jay Leno”) returns for his 24th Oscarcast. Amberia Allen (“The Daily Show With Trevor Noah”), Rodney Barnes (“Things That Make White People Uncomfortable”) and Mitchell Marchand (“The Upshaws”) return as writers for the Oscar ceremony. Production designer David Rockwell (founder and president of Rockwell Group) is returning after having designed the 81st and 82nd Oscars, and lighting designer Robert Dickinson (“The Kennedy Center Honors”) is back for his 32nd Oscarcast.
Rob Paine (“A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote”) will serve as supervising producer, while co-producer Raj Kapoor (“Grammy Awards”) joins the Oscars for the fifth consecutive year, overseeing screen content and performances. Taryn Hurd (Governors Awards) rejoins the Academy Awards for the eighth consecutive year as talent producer, while head writer Jon Macks (“The Tonight Show With Jay Leno”) returns for his 24th Oscarcast. Amberia Allen (“The Daily Show With Trevor Noah”), Rodney Barnes (“Things That Make White People Uncomfortable”) and Mitchell Marchand (“The Upshaws”) return as writers for the Oscar ceremony. Production designer David Rockwell (founder and president of Rockwell Group) is returning after having designed the 81st and 82nd Oscars, and lighting designer Robert Dickinson (“The Kennedy Center Honors”) is back for his 32nd Oscarcast.
- 3/24/2021
- by Antonio Ferme
- Variety Film + TV
Oscars producers have unveiled the production team for this year’s ceremony, including Questlove as the show’s musical director and Richard Lagravenese and Dream Hampton as writers.
Jesse Collins, Stacey Sher and Steven Soderbergh, the producers for this year’s Academy Awards, announced a total of 14 new members of the team on Wednesday. This follows the news that Glenn Weiss will be returning to direct the show with the intention of making it look more cinematic than past Oscars broadcasts.
The members added to this year’s show are supervising producer Rob Paine, co-producers Jeannae Rouzan-Clay, Dionne Harmon and Raj Kapoor, talent producer Taryn Hurd, writers Amberia Allen, Rodney Barnes, Dream Hampton, Mitchell Marchand and Richard Lagravenese and head writer Jon Macks, music director Questlove, production designer David Rockwell and lighting designer Robert Dickinson.
The Roots crew leader Questlove has previously been a musical director for artists like D’Angelo,...
Jesse Collins, Stacey Sher and Steven Soderbergh, the producers for this year’s Academy Awards, announced a total of 14 new members of the team on Wednesday. This follows the news that Glenn Weiss will be returning to direct the show with the intention of making it look more cinematic than past Oscars broadcasts.
The members added to this year’s show are supervising producer Rob Paine, co-producers Jeannae Rouzan-Clay, Dionne Harmon and Raj Kapoor, talent producer Taryn Hurd, writers Amberia Allen, Rodney Barnes, Dream Hampton, Mitchell Marchand and Richard Lagravenese and head writer Jon Macks, music director Questlove, production designer David Rockwell and lighting designer Robert Dickinson.
The Roots crew leader Questlove has previously been a musical director for artists like D’Angelo,...
- 3/24/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Just over one month before the first pandemic-era ceremony, Oscars producers Jesse Collins, Stacey Sher and Steven Soderbergh announced 14 additions to their production team, including big names like musician Questlove, set designer David Rockwell and writers dream hampton and Richard Lagravenese.
The full list of newcomers follows.
Rob Paine has been associated with the Oscars telecast for more than 20 years and returns as supervising producer. Paine has more than 200 television events to his name and has earned eight Primetime Emmy Award nominations, a Daytime Emmy Award nomination and a Peabody Award. His credits include Celebrating America, A West Wing Special to Benefit When We ...
The full list of newcomers follows.
Rob Paine has been associated with the Oscars telecast for more than 20 years and returns as supervising producer. Paine has more than 200 television events to his name and has earned eight Primetime Emmy Award nominations, a Daytime Emmy Award nomination and a Peabody Award. His credits include Celebrating America, A West Wing Special to Benefit When We ...
- 3/24/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Warner Bros. Television Group has established an exclusive creative partnership and overall deal with Dr. Phillip Atiba Goff, the Carl I. Hovland Professor of African American Studies at Yale University and Center for Policing Equity co-founder and CEO, which aims to identify and reduce the causes of racial disparity in public safety and advocates for scalable change.
A highly respected national leader in the science of racial bias and expert on sexism and public safety, Goff and his newly formed creative team, JusticeRx, will develop original programming under the terms of the multiyear pact, and consult with studio and show creators to promote equity, inclusion and social justice via his insights and other resources. They will consult through a project’s original inception through development, production and beyond.
Additionally, Goff’s pioneering work with scientific experiments that expose how our minds learn to associate Blackness and crime implicitly — often with...
A highly respected national leader in the science of racial bias and expert on sexism and public safety, Goff and his newly formed creative team, JusticeRx, will develop original programming under the terms of the multiyear pact, and consult with studio and show creators to promote equity, inclusion and social justice via his insights and other resources. They will consult through a project’s original inception through development, production and beyond.
Additionally, Goff’s pioneering work with scientific experiments that expose how our minds learn to associate Blackness and crime implicitly — often with...
- 3/22/2021
- by Mónica Marie Zorrilla
- Variety Film + TV
Dr. Phillip Atiba Goff, a respected expert on racism, sexism, and public safety, has entered into a multi-year creative partnership and exclusive overall deal with Warner Bros. Television Group.
Goff is a Professor of African-American Studies and Psychology at Yale University, and Co-Founder and CEO of the Center for Policing Equity, a research center which aims to ensure accountable and racially unbiased policing in the U.S. Under the pact, Goff, along with his newly formed creative team JusticeRx, will develop original programming and consult with the Studio and show creators to promote equity, inclusion and social justice. Goff and his team will consult from a project’s original inception through development, production and beyond.
The new programming developed by Goff and JusticeRx will range from scripted dramas and comedies to docuseries and other unscripted projects for streaming, cable, and the broadcast networks.
JusticeRx’s executive team will be led by Kevin Richardson,...
Goff is a Professor of African-American Studies and Psychology at Yale University, and Co-Founder and CEO of the Center for Policing Equity, a research center which aims to ensure accountable and racially unbiased policing in the U.S. Under the pact, Goff, along with his newly formed creative team JusticeRx, will develop original programming and consult with the Studio and show creators to promote equity, inclusion and social justice. Goff and his team will consult from a project’s original inception through development, production and beyond.
The new programming developed by Goff and JusticeRx will range from scripted dramas and comedies to docuseries and other unscripted projects for streaming, cable, and the broadcast networks.
JusticeRx’s executive team will be led by Kevin Richardson,...
- 3/22/2021
- by Nellie Andreeva and Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
IMDb TV has ordered an Original true-crime docu-series, ‘Moment of Truth’ from Amazon Studios, and also announced a series in development with award-winning filmmaker dream hampton (Surviving R Kelly).
The five-part docu-series tells the never-before-seen story behind the murder of beloved husband and father, James Jordan, and exposes the checked history in the small North Carolina town where the heinous crime and subsequent trial occurred.
The docu-series newly examines the crime which took place not far from where Mr. Jordan lived with his wife and raised his five children, including NBA superstar Michael Jordan, who was at the height of his global fame when his father was killed.
Directed by Matthew Perniciaro and Clay Johnson, the story of the arrest and conviction of then-teenagers Larry Demery and Daniel Green continues today through the current appeals by Green, who maintains his innocence nearly three decades later. Perniciaro and Michael Sherman of...
The five-part docu-series tells the never-before-seen story behind the murder of beloved husband and father, James Jordan, and exposes the checked history in the small North Carolina town where the heinous crime and subsequent trial occurred.
The docu-series newly examines the crime which took place not far from where Mr. Jordan lived with his wife and raised his five children, including NBA superstar Michael Jordan, who was at the height of his global fame when his father was killed.
Directed by Matthew Perniciaro and Clay Johnson, the story of the arrest and conviction of then-teenagers Larry Demery and Daniel Green continues today through the current appeals by Green, who maintains his innocence nearly three decades later. Perniciaro and Michael Sherman of...
- 12/4/2020
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
YouTube has unveiled a slate of shows dedicated to amplifying Black voices including a documentary from Patrisse Cullors, co-founder of Black Lives Matter, and livestreamed homecoming from Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
These projects have emerged from the company’s $100M #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund.
Resist, which launches this month is a 12-part docuseries that follows the grassroots work of organizations fighting the Los Angeles county’s $3.5 billion jail expansion plan in 2018 and examines the issues of cash bail, unlawful arrest, over-policing of Black and brown neighborhoods, and mass incarceration. The series is produced by Blackpills and Pulse Films with Patrisse Cullors exec producing alongside Dream Hampton, Mervyn Marcano, Thomas Benski, Marisa Clifford, Robin Frank, Tani Ikeda, Kai Bowe, Davey Spens, Clara Levy and Philipe Haim.
Hbcu Homecoming 2020: Meet Me On The Yard is an event that launches on October 24. Jesse Collins Entertainment and Live Nation Urban are putting together...
These projects have emerged from the company’s $100M #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund.
Resist, which launches this month is a 12-part docuseries that follows the grassroots work of organizations fighting the Los Angeles county’s $3.5 billion jail expansion plan in 2018 and examines the issues of cash bail, unlawful arrest, over-policing of Black and brown neighborhoods, and mass incarceration. The series is produced by Blackpills and Pulse Films with Patrisse Cullors exec producing alongside Dream Hampton, Mervyn Marcano, Thomas Benski, Marisa Clifford, Robin Frank, Tani Ikeda, Kai Bowe, Davey Spens, Clara Levy and Philipe Haim.
Hbcu Homecoming 2020: Meet Me On The Yard is an event that launches on October 24. Jesse Collins Entertainment and Live Nation Urban are putting together...
- 10/7/2020
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Producer dream hampton says she’s happy flying the flag for Detroit but had to leave her hometown for New York City and Los Angeles to build a career documenting abuse of power and celebrity, as with her award-winning Lifetime series Surviving R. Kelly.
“No one disses Toronto. No one is against you Toronto,” the Detroit-based producer, filmmaker and activist said during a virtual masterclass during the Toronto Film Festival on Monday. “The reason is we had ‘Detroit vs Everybody,’ what Trump would call an S-hole country, and we are disconnected from Michigan in almost every ...
“No one disses Toronto. No one is against you Toronto,” the Detroit-based producer, filmmaker and activist said during a virtual masterclass during the Toronto Film Festival on Monday. “The reason is we had ‘Detroit vs Everybody,’ what Trump would call an S-hole country, and we are disconnected from Michigan in almost every ...
- 9/14/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Producer dream hampton says she’s happy flying the flag for Detroit but had to leave her hometown for New York City and Los Angeles to build a career documenting abuse of power and celebrity, as with her award-winning Lifetime series Surviving R. Kelly.
“No one disses Toronto. No one is against you Toronto,” the Detroit-based producer, filmmaker and activist said during a virtual masterclass during the Toronto Film Festival on Monday. “The reason is we had ‘Detroit vs Everybody,’ what Trump would call an S-hole country, and we are disconnected from Michigan in almost every ...
“No one disses Toronto. No one is against you Toronto,” the Detroit-based producer, filmmaker and activist said during a virtual masterclass during the Toronto Film Festival on Monday. “The reason is we had ‘Detroit vs Everybody,’ what Trump would call an S-hole country, and we are disconnected from Michigan in almost every ...
- 9/14/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Industry Conference, talent development details.
A documentary about climate activist Greta Thunberg and a shot film about a teenage Indigenous communities activist have joined the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) line-up.
Nathan Grossman’s I Am Greta chronicles the young Swede’s meteoric rise to public attention, while James Burns’s short film The Water Walker focuses on the work of 15-year-old Autumn Peltier, an Anishinaabe water activist.
Peltier will take part in a live conversation with author Naomi Klein that will be made free to international audiences. The date will be announced closer to the start of TIFF, which...
A documentary about climate activist Greta Thunberg and a shot film about a teenage Indigenous communities activist have joined the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) line-up.
Nathan Grossman’s I Am Greta chronicles the young Swede’s meteoric rise to public attention, while James Burns’s short film The Water Walker focuses on the work of 15-year-old Autumn Peltier, an Anishinaabe water activist.
Peltier will take part in a live conversation with author Naomi Klein that will be made free to international audiences. The date will be announced closer to the start of TIFF, which...
- 8/27/2020
- by 36¦Jeremy Kay¦54¦
- ScreenDaily
To commemorate the anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington, in which about 250,000 people demonstrated in front of the Lincoln Memorial and Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech, Facebook Watch will stream a one-hour special hosted by Queen Latifah at on Thursday, Aug. 27.
Executive produced by Will Packer Media, Jesse Collins Entertainment, and dream hampton, “Change Together: From the March on Washington to Today” will feature civil rights activists, educators, entertainers and speakers who will address the history and impact of systemic racism, and encourage viewers to vote.
“I can’t think of a more important time than now to recognize the powerful changemakers from the ’60s and how we can bring the same needed energy to the present,” said Latifah. “I hope you love watching this program as much as I loved hosting it.”
Among the guests slated to appear on the Facebook Watch special are Amanda Seales,...
Executive produced by Will Packer Media, Jesse Collins Entertainment, and dream hampton, “Change Together: From the March on Washington to Today” will feature civil rights activists, educators, entertainers and speakers who will address the history and impact of systemic racism, and encourage viewers to vote.
“I can’t think of a more important time than now to recognize the powerful changemakers from the ’60s and how we can bring the same needed energy to the present,” said Latifah. “I hope you love watching this program as much as I loved hosting it.”
Among the guests slated to appear on the Facebook Watch special are Amanda Seales,...
- 8/25/2020
- by Elaine Low
- Variety Film + TV
Long before it won a Peabody Award, the entire original editing team on “Surviving R. Kelly” walked off the project due to disputes over the creative direction of the Emmy-nominated docuseries, a new report from THR shares. The editors, most of whom are Black, resigned after notes about centering survivors and addressing Black audiences were ignored. Many elements of the original cut ended up in the final product that aired, but the first editing team was not listed in the credits.
Following reports of the dispute, their names have been restored to the Peabody Award website, but are not currently listed on Netflix. “Surviving R. Kelly” originally aired as six episodes on Lifetime in January 2019. It was followed with a five-part sequel earlier this year called “Surviving R. Kelly: Part II — The Reckoning.”
Though the members of the team have all signed NDAs, original members Daysha Broadway, Stephanie Filo, Bradinn French,...
Following reports of the dispute, their names have been restored to the Peabody Award website, but are not currently listed on Netflix. “Surviving R. Kelly” originally aired as six episodes on Lifetime in January 2019. It was followed with a five-part sequel earlier this year called “Surviving R. Kelly: Part II — The Reckoning.”
Though the members of the team have all signed NDAs, original members Daysha Broadway, Stephanie Filo, Bradinn French,...
- 8/12/2020
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Shondaland Audio, the podcast arm of Shonda Rhimes’ production company, has set its debut podcast slate with a slew of scripted and non-scripted series.
This comes after the Grey’s Anatomy creator partnered with iHeartMedia on a tranche of original podcasts.
Dylan Brown, a writer and producer on Power prequel Raising Kanan, is writing, producing and directing #Matter, a series told through the lens of a reporter looking back at a case of police brutality, as a father intervenes in his teenage son’s beating and later finds himself, his badly hurt son and a wounded cop barricaded in a nearby restaurant as they all struggle to stay alive. It will launch in the fall.
American Coup is a series from Law and Order: Svu writer Aaron Tracy and Royal Pains co-creator Andrew Lenchewski. It explores the untold story of Edith Wilson, the woman who hijacked the Oval Office and will launch this winter.
This comes after the Grey’s Anatomy creator partnered with iHeartMedia on a tranche of original podcasts.
Dylan Brown, a writer and producer on Power prequel Raising Kanan, is writing, producing and directing #Matter, a series told through the lens of a reporter looking back at a case of police brutality, as a father intervenes in his teenage son’s beating and later finds himself, his badly hurt son and a wounded cop barricaded in a nearby restaurant as they all struggle to stay alive. It will launch in the fall.
American Coup is a series from Law and Order: Svu writer Aaron Tracy and Royal Pains co-creator Andrew Lenchewski. It explores the untold story of Edith Wilson, the woman who hijacked the Oval Office and will launch this winter.
- 8/11/2020
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Miguel, Doja Cat and Blood Orange’s Dev Hynes are part of a stacked lineup of musicians who will perform during Black Power Live, a digital benefit taking place this Saturday, June 27th, on Twitch.
The event will be hosted by Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors and feature a mix of musical performances and conversations with black artists and organizers. The event will start at 5 p.m. Pt/8 p.m. Et and wrap at 12 a.m. Pt/3 a.m. Et. Money raised will benefit the Crenshaw Dairy Mart, Trap Heals,...
The event will be hosted by Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors and feature a mix of musical performances and conversations with black artists and organizers. The event will start at 5 p.m. Pt/8 p.m. Et and wrap at 12 a.m. Pt/3 a.m. Et. Money raised will benefit the Crenshaw Dairy Mart, Trap Heals,...
- 6/25/2020
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
As U.S. cities erupt with protests over racial injustice in the wake of George Floyd's death, Dream Hampton, executive producer of Surviving R. Kelly, will direct Black Wall Street, a limited documentary series about the Tulsa Race Massacre, a deadly act of racial violence committed 99 years ago, it was announced Monday.
"Black people from Tulsa have refused to let the Greenwood District Massacre be erased from history. I'm so inspired by their persistence to lift up the stories of what North Tulsa was before the massacre," Hampton said in a statement on Monday about the burning ...
"Black people from Tulsa have refused to let the Greenwood District Massacre be erased from history. I'm so inspired by their persistence to lift up the stories of what North Tulsa was before the massacre," Hampton said in a statement on Monday about the burning ...
“Surviving R. Kelly” executive producer Dream Hampton has been attached to executive produce and direct a Cineflix Productions documentary series about one of the worst episodes of racial violence in U.S. history, the Tusla Race Massacre.
With the working title of “Black Wall Street,” the limited series weaves together past and present to recount the 1921 Massacre in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which left more than 300 African Americans dead and thousands displaced and the city on fire.
Tulsa’s mayor, G.T. Bynum, recently opened a controversial investigation to locate the unknown sites of the mass graves and to help provide a level of closure and justice for the Massacre, which has long been left out of history books.
News of the project to mark the centenary of the Massacre comes as the U.S. has experienced days of protests and riots following the death of George Floyd.
“Black Wall Street” is being distributed by Cineflix Rights.
With the working title of “Black Wall Street,” the limited series weaves together past and present to recount the 1921 Massacre in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which left more than 300 African Americans dead and thousands displaced and the city on fire.
Tulsa’s mayor, G.T. Bynum, recently opened a controversial investigation to locate the unknown sites of the mass graves and to help provide a level of closure and justice for the Massacre, which has long been left out of history books.
News of the project to mark the centenary of the Massacre comes as the U.S. has experienced days of protests and riots following the death of George Floyd.
“Black Wall Street” is being distributed by Cineflix Rights.
- 6/1/2020
- by Tim Dams
- Variety Film + TV
Dream Hampton, the executive producer of Lifetime’s record-breaking documentary Surviving R. Kelly, has been attached to direct and executive produce a Cineflix Productions mini-series on the Tulsa race massacre.
Working titled Black Wall Street, the series will examine Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum’s controversial attempts to locate the mass graves of 300 African Americans who were slaughtered by white mobs in 1921 during one of the worst episodes of racial violence in U.S. history.
The announcement of the show, which marks the centenary of the massacre, comes against the backdrop of race riots across America following the death of George Floyd. A broadcaster or streamer is not yet attached to the Cineflix project.
“After 99 years of silence, Black Wall Street needs to be told, and there’s no one better than Dream Hampton to bring it to life. Driven by social justice, her sensitive yet hard-hitting approach will honor...
Working titled Black Wall Street, the series will examine Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum’s controversial attempts to locate the mass graves of 300 African Americans who were slaughtered by white mobs in 1921 during one of the worst episodes of racial violence in U.S. history.
The announcement of the show, which marks the centenary of the massacre, comes against the backdrop of race riots across America following the death of George Floyd. A broadcaster or streamer is not yet attached to the Cineflix project.
“After 99 years of silence, Black Wall Street needs to be told, and there’s no one better than Dream Hampton to bring it to life. Driven by social justice, her sensitive yet hard-hitting approach will honor...
- 6/1/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
When “Surviving R. Kelly” debuted last January on Lifetime, the six-part documentary series re-ignited the conversation around #MeToo, galvanizing the black community by exposing one its most popular artists as an alleged sexual predator. Just weeks later, “Leaving Neverland” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival amid protests from supporters of Michael Jackson, whose adult victims provided painstaking firsthand accounts of the sexual abuse they suffered at the hands of the late performer. While many were horrified by the accounts in both docu-series, others were angered by what they viewed as a targeted campaign against black men. “Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning,” airing over three nights this January, explores the surprising aftermath of the series, which included threats and online attacks aimed at many of the survivors who spoke out.
“The backlash we have seen as a result of not just R. Kelly but #MeToo in general, in particular...
“The backlash we have seen as a result of not just R. Kelly but #MeToo in general, in particular...
- 12/19/2019
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
It’s hard to imagine that R. Kelly would be in jail today without “Surviving R. Kelly,” the Lifetime docuseries that aired just under a year ago and threw decades of sexual-assault and misconduct allegations against the singer into dramatic relief. Just six weeks after the series aired, the singer was arrested on a new set of allegations that were soon joined by more allegations, and now he faces multiple charges in three states, and the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison.
That it took a dramatically produced docuseries to produce a result that years of investigative reporting and legal action could not is itself a statement about this country and this culture. That is one of the many collateral effects explored in the second part of the series, “Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning,” and a panel discussion that immediately followed a media preview...
That it took a dramatically produced docuseries to produce a result that years of investigative reporting and legal action could not is itself a statement about this country and this culture. That is one of the many collateral effects explored in the second part of the series, “Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning,” and a panel discussion that immediately followed a media preview...
- 12/18/2019
- by Jem Aswad
- Variety Film + TV
Without overstating the case, it’s hard to imagine that R. Kelly would not be in jail today if not for “Surviving R. Kelly.” While many of the details and accusers featured in the Lifetime docuseries were new, the primary facts have been known for many years — and yet the series, more than any of the news reports over the decade since he was acquitted on child-pornography charges in 2008, put all of the facts into a single powerful context. And the fact that there was a gun threat at the docuseries’ first screening in New York only amplified the air of criminality around it.
Almost exactly one year later, “Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning” takes a look at the events of the past year that led to multiple new charges and accusations against the singer, the demise of his empire and his current indefinite incarceration as he awaits trial in three states.
Almost exactly one year later, “Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning” takes a look at the events of the past year that led to multiple new charges and accusations against the singer, the demise of his empire and his current indefinite incarceration as he awaits trial in three states.
- 12/11/2019
- by Jem Aswad
- Variety Film + TV
On Monday, singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile announced her decision to drop out of Fortune magazine’s Most Powerful Women Summit in Washington, D.C., at which she was scheduled to have a conversation with event chair Pattie Sellers and perform a few songs. Her reason for doing so was the summit’s inclusion of former Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, whose handling of U.S. border policy under Donald Trump she called an “atrocity.”
In a letter posted on Twitter, Carlile touched on how honored she was to be included,...
In a letter posted on Twitter, Carlile touched on how honored she was to be included,...
- 10/21/2019
- by Jon Freeman
- Rollingstone.com
Alison Grillo can see both sides of the debate around Dave Chappelle’s latest Netflix stand-up special, “Sticks & Stones,” which has been criticized for jokes about Lgbtq people. As a comedian, she thinks Chappelle should be free to joke about anything. But as a trans woman, she said one of his jokes “rankled” her a little bit.
“I wouldn’t say you shouldn’t make jokes about Michael Jackson, or you shouldn’t make jokes about trans people unless you’re trans, or you shouldn’t make jokes about school shootings unless you’ve been in a school shooting. No. I wouldn’t put that level of censorship on anyone,” Grillo told TheWrap.
But she didn’t love a joke in which a character isn’t sure what pronoun to use for trans people: “I guess the most offensive joke I would say, personally, was the joke about the Lgbt people in the car,...
“I wouldn’t say you shouldn’t make jokes about Michael Jackson, or you shouldn’t make jokes about trans people unless you’re trans, or you shouldn’t make jokes about school shootings unless you’ve been in a school shooting. No. I wouldn’t put that level of censorship on anyone,” Grillo told TheWrap.
But she didn’t love a joke in which a character isn’t sure what pronoun to use for trans people: “I guess the most offensive joke I would say, personally, was the joke about the Lgbt people in the car,...
- 9/5/2019
- by Margeaux Sippell
- The Wrap
“Surviving R. Kelly” director Dream Hampton disputes the accuracy of a joke Dave Chappelle made in his latest Netflix stand-up special “Sticks & Stones,” in which he accused her of misquoting him while promoting her documentary about the singer.
In the special, Chappelle said Hampton asked him before a performance in Detroit if he would be in the Kelly documentary. He joked that he responded, “‘Nah, b—-, I’m cool,” and then he “just forgot about this s—.”
He said he was surprised when the documentary was released two years later: “Dream’s promoting the s— and she keeps bringing me up. She said, ‘I asked Dave Chappelle to be in my documentary, and he said it was too hot for TV.’ B—-, I did not say that. That does not even sound like how I talk.” Then he pantomimed a goofy version of himself, saying the words “too hot for TV.
In the special, Chappelle said Hampton asked him before a performance in Detroit if he would be in the Kelly documentary. He joked that he responded, “‘Nah, b—-, I’m cool,” and then he “just forgot about this s—.”
He said he was surprised when the documentary was released two years later: “Dream’s promoting the s— and she keeps bringing me up. She said, ‘I asked Dave Chappelle to be in my documentary, and he said it was too hot for TV.’ B—-, I did not say that. That does not even sound like how I talk.” Then he pantomimed a goofy version of himself, saying the words “too hot for TV.
- 8/28/2019
- by Margeaux Sippell
- The Wrap
Few documentaries have triggered a real-world impact on the order of Surviving R. Kelly.
Before the six-part series aired on Lifetime, the titular R&b singer-songwriter had managed to avoid significant harm to his recording career, despite allegations going back decades that he had sexually abused numerous teenage girls, some of them minors. But since the show’s broadcast, Kelly’s life and career have utterly imploded.
“Because of the series everyone’s eyes were opened,” Tamra Simmons, one of the executive producers of Surviving R. Kelly, tells Deadline. “The public can’t turn a blind eye anymore.”
Perhaps just as importantly, record company executives and law enforcement officials could no longer look the other way either. Within weeks of Surviving R. Kelly’s debut last January, the artist’s label, RCA Records, cut ties with him. In February prosecutors in Cook County, Illinois filed multiple charges against Kelly, accusing...
Before the six-part series aired on Lifetime, the titular R&b singer-songwriter had managed to avoid significant harm to his recording career, despite allegations going back decades that he had sexually abused numerous teenage girls, some of them minors. But since the show’s broadcast, Kelly’s life and career have utterly imploded.
“Because of the series everyone’s eyes were opened,” Tamra Simmons, one of the executive producers of Surviving R. Kelly, tells Deadline. “The public can’t turn a blind eye anymore.”
Perhaps just as importantly, record company executives and law enforcement officials could no longer look the other way either. Within weeks of Surviving R. Kelly’s debut last January, the artist’s label, RCA Records, cut ties with him. In February prosecutors in Cook County, Illinois filed multiple charges against Kelly, accusing...
- 8/23/2019
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Lifetime is making a followup documentary to “Surviving R. Kelly,” as well a new docuseries on Jeffrey Epstein called “Surviving Jeffrey Epstein.”
“Surviving Jeffrey Epstein” will center on the billionaire New York financier, who was arrested earlier this month. He was charged with sex trafficking by federal prosecutors, who said that Epstein sexually abused dozens of underage girls and paid many of them to recruit others. He was denied bail last week.
Since Epstein’s arrest, Labor Secretary Alex Acosta resigned after defending the plea deal he struck with Epstein as a federal prosecutor. Over a decade ago, Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida to soliciting a minor for prostitution. He served 13 months of an 18-month sentence and was released in 2009.
Also Read: Viceland Pro-Wrestling Docuseries 'Dark Side of the Ring' Renewed for Supersized Season 2
“Surviving Jeffrey Epstein” is being developed by Robert Friedman’s Bungalow Media + Entertainment in association...
“Surviving Jeffrey Epstein” will center on the billionaire New York financier, who was arrested earlier this month. He was charged with sex trafficking by federal prosecutors, who said that Epstein sexually abused dozens of underage girls and paid many of them to recruit others. He was denied bail last week.
Since Epstein’s arrest, Labor Secretary Alex Acosta resigned after defending the plea deal he struck with Epstein as a federal prosecutor. Over a decade ago, Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida to soliciting a minor for prostitution. He served 13 months of an 18-month sentence and was released in 2009.
Also Read: Viceland Pro-Wrestling Docuseries 'Dark Side of the Ring' Renewed for Supersized Season 2
“Surviving Jeffrey Epstein” is being developed by Robert Friedman’s Bungalow Media + Entertainment in association...
- 7/23/2019
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
The amount of time that passes between a traumatic or otherwise subjective event and the way that event is recounted often greatly determines the response to and reception of those involved. In some cases, it may mean seeing someone who was once put on a pedestal as a much more complex and even criminal individual, while in others it allows for greater empathy toward someone previously thought of as a villain. And in some very special cases, revisiting a situation also allows for real social and systemic change.
“This series coming out in a post #MeToo [era] obviously adds an extra layer to it,” says “Lorena” executive producer and director Joshua Rofé. “There’s another lens through which it is viewed — I would say an even clearer lens than perhaps it would have been viewed a few years ago.”
Hindsight was vital to Rofé’s four-part series, which focuses on Lorena Bobbitt,...
“This series coming out in a post #MeToo [era] obviously adds an extra layer to it,” says “Lorena” executive producer and director Joshua Rofé. “There’s another lens through which it is viewed — I would say an even clearer lens than perhaps it would have been viewed a few years ago.”
Hindsight was vital to Rofé’s four-part series, which focuses on Lorena Bobbitt,...
- 6/13/2019
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Sean "Diddy" Combs got emotional as he spoke in an interview about the death of his ex Kim Porter, the mother of three of his children. Porter died of pneumonia in her Los Angeles home in November at age 47. Diddy, 49, appears with their 12-year-old twin daughters, D'Lila and Jessie, and his 13-year-old daughter Chance from a previous relationship on the cover of Essence's May 2019 issue. He gave an interview to filmmaker, writer and friend Dream Hampton, who wrote that the magazine says it "made a historic—and possibly controversial—decision to put a man on the cover in celebration of Mother's Day," adding that it was also a...
- 5/9/2019
- E! Online
Lifetime’s “Surviving R. Kelly” ignited a wave of activism, and the network will explore the wide-reaching effects of the doc in a follow-up two-hour special, “Surviving R. Kelly: The Impact.” It will be hosted by journalist Soledad O’Brien and is set to debut Saturday, May 4 at 10 p.m. Et/Pt.
The special will examine the impact the documentary has had on culture globally and how it has elevated the dialogue around sexual violence and being a survivor. Kelly has been accused by numerous women and their families of sexual abuse, and the January docuseries detailed decades of allegations, through interviews with survivors and associates.
Following the release of “Surviving R. Kelly,” hashtags like #MuteRKelly surged on social media and activists called for a boycott of the R&B singer. The public outrage led Sony to drop the artist from its record label and seven weeks after the special’s debut,...
The special will examine the impact the documentary has had on culture globally and how it has elevated the dialogue around sexual violence and being a survivor. Kelly has been accused by numerous women and their families of sexual abuse, and the January docuseries detailed decades of allegations, through interviews with survivors and associates.
Following the release of “Surviving R. Kelly,” hashtags like #MuteRKelly surged on social media and activists called for a boycott of the R&B singer. The public outrage led Sony to drop the artist from its record label and seven weeks after the special’s debut,...
- 4/26/2019
- by Rachel Yang
- Variety Film + TV
The Lifetime documentary series Surviving R. Kelly, which traces R. Kelly's history of alleged abuse of young girls, sparked record ratings for the cable network, an avalanche of online and cable news conversations, and criminal investigations that resulted in the sex-crimes case now surrounding the R&B singer.
The series' executive producers Brie Miranda Bryant, Dream Hampton and Tamra Simmons withstood pushback and denials from the singer after they revealed accusations that he had systematically assaulted, brainwashed and degraded both teenage girls and adult women throughout his career. Kelly has since been charged with sexually abusing four people, including three underage girls,...
The series' executive producers Brie Miranda Bryant, Dream Hampton and Tamra Simmons withstood pushback and denials from the singer after they revealed accusations that he had systematically assaulted, brainwashed and degraded both teenage girls and adult women throughout his career. Kelly has since been charged with sexually abusing four people, including three underage girls,...
Dave Chappelle was noncommittal on his feelings about some old skits that mocked some shocking behavior by R. Kelly. We got the comic in WeHo Tuesday night leaving Craig's, and asked about his sketches from "Chappelle's Show" where he created a music video -- titled "Piss on You" -- mocking the real video of R. Kelly urinating on what appears to be a teenage girl. Dave also did a comedy sketch on the jury selection process in the criminal trial,...
- 1/16/2019
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Lifetime’s new docusesries “Surviving R. Kelly” debuted with two episodes Thursday night, prompting many viewers to take to Twitter praisting singer John Legend — one of the only major musicians to participate in the show — for speaking out about the R&B singer.
But Legend says the decision to come aboard the project chronicling the accusations of sexual, mental and physical abuse made against Kelly by multiple women was an “easy” one for him.
“To everyone telling me how courageous I am for appearing in the doc, it didn’t feel risky at all,” Legend tweeted Thursday. “I believe these women and don’t give a f–k about protecting a serial child rapist. Easy decision.”
Also Read: Watch John Legend Record His Original Song for Annie-Nominated 'The Crow: The Legend' (Exclusive Video)
He added: “Also I’m happy to support the work of people like my friends at @ALongWalkHome...
But Legend says the decision to come aboard the project chronicling the accusations of sexual, mental and physical abuse made against Kelly by multiple women was an “easy” one for him.
“To everyone telling me how courageous I am for appearing in the doc, it didn’t feel risky at all,” Legend tweeted Thursday. “I believe these women and don’t give a f–k about protecting a serial child rapist. Easy decision.”
Also Read: Watch John Legend Record His Original Song for Annie-Nominated 'The Crow: The Legend' (Exclusive Video)
He added: “Also I’m happy to support the work of people like my friends at @ALongWalkHome...
- 1/4/2019
- by Jennifer Maas
- The Wrap
Jay-z, Lady Gaga and Erykah Badu — all of whom worked with R. Kelly over the years — declined to be interviewed for “Surviving R. Kelly,” the Lifetime series documenting the sexual abuse allegations against the singer, executive producer Dream Hampton told the Detroit Free Press. In a separate interview, with Shadow and Act, she said Dave Chappelle, Mary J. Blige, Questlove and Lil’ Kim also declined to speak.
“Most people just don’t want to touch it,” Hampton said. “[Questlove] was like, ‘I would do anything for you but I can’t do this.’ It’s not because they support him, it’s because it’s so messy and muddy. It’s that turning away that has allowed this to go on.”
In a tweet that he later deleted, Questlove responded, “I always thought Kels was trash. My reason for declining the RKelly docu that I support 10000000 percent is I didn’t...
“Most people just don’t want to touch it,” Hampton said. “[Questlove] was like, ‘I would do anything for you but I can’t do this.’ It’s not because they support him, it’s because it’s so messy and muddy. It’s that turning away that has allowed this to go on.”
In a tweet that he later deleted, Questlove responded, “I always thought Kels was trash. My reason for declining the RKelly docu that I support 10000000 percent is I didn’t...
- 1/4/2019
- by Jem Aswad
- Variety Film + TV
John Legend, who appears in Lifetime’s Surviving R. Kelly docuseries, blasted R. Kelly during his interview in the final episode, which airs on Saturday. “R. Kelly has brought so much pain to so many people,” the musician said. “#TimesUp for R. Kelly.” Legend is the only major artist to appear in the series.
Following the airing of the first two episodes on Thursday, Legend took to Twitter to expound on why he chose to participate. “To everyone telling me how courageous I am for appearing in the doc, it...
Following the airing of the first two episodes on Thursday, Legend took to Twitter to expound on why he chose to participate. “To everyone telling me how courageous I am for appearing in the doc, it...
- 1/4/2019
- by Althea Legaspi
- Rollingstone.com
Join our newsletter to get more stories like this One of the most highly anticipated and controversial Lifetime documentaries is about to premiere and even then, not without the threat of a lawsuit. Surviving R. Kelly is the story of the women who accuse R. Kelly of a host of abuses and when their stories air, it’ll ignite a war between the network and the singer. While many women were interviewed for Surviving R. Kelly, including his ex-wife Drea Kelly, it turns out that many of his peers turned down interview requests. Prior to premiere day, executive producer Dream Hampton […]
The post Surviving R. Kelly documentary on Lifetime: Everything you need to know appeared first on Monsters and Critics.
The post Surviving R. Kelly documentary on Lifetime: Everything you need to know appeared first on Monsters and Critics.
- 1/4/2019
- by Shaunee Flowers
- Monsters and Critics
The premiere of long-awaited docuseries Surviving R. Kelly was halted on Tuesday night after gun threats were called in — and the singer’s wife thinks he is in some way connected to them. The three-part docuseries is set to air on Lifetime in January and was slated to premiere in New York City on Tuesday night. But NeueHouse Madison Square was evacuated not long after the screening started when multiple threats came in saying that if the film continued to run, an armed person inside the theater would begin shooting, CNN reports. Though the threat turned out not to be credible, […]
The post Was R. Kelly behind gun threats at Surviving R. Kelly premiere? Wife Andrea Kelly and showrunner Dream Hampton weigh in appeared first on Monsters and Critics.
The post Was R. Kelly behind gun threats at Surviving R. Kelly premiere? Wife Andrea Kelly and showrunner Dream Hampton weigh in appeared first on Monsters and Critics.
- 12/5/2018
- by Shaunee Flowers
- Monsters and Critics
Multiple women detail harrowing accusations of sexual, mental and physical abuse against one of R&B’s most celebrated singers in the new trailer for Surviving R. Kelly. The six-hour Lifetime docuseries will air in three installments: Thursday, January 3rd at 9 p.m. Et/Pt; Friday, January 4th at 9 p.m. Et/Pt; and Saturday, January 5th at 9 p.m. Et/Pt.
The clip contrasts Kelly’s smooth stage persona with the myriad lawsuits, charges and claims against the musician – including the allegations that he’s held women against their will in a sex cult.
The clip contrasts Kelly’s smooth stage persona with the myriad lawsuits, charges and claims against the musician – including the allegations that he’s held women against their will in a sex cult.
- 10/22/2018
- by Ryan Reed
- Rollingstone.com
HBO has acquired “O.G.,” a feature film starring Jeffrey Wright and directed by Madeleine Sackler. Written by Stephen Belber, the film was shot in its entirety on location at Indiana’s maximum-security Pendleton Correctional Facility.
“O.G.” premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival, where Wright won the award for best actor in a U.S. narrative feature film. In it Wright plays Louis, once the head of a prominent prison gang, in the final weeks of his 24-year sentence. His impending release is upended when he takes a new arrival under his wing. Theothus Carter and William Fichtner also star.
“We are proud to bring filmmaker Madeleine Sackler’s film to HBO audiences,” said Len Amato, president, HBO Films. “Groundbreaking in being filmed at an actual prison, with many of the men incarcerated there cast in acting roles, O.G. takes an intimate and unflinching look at the journey...
“O.G.” premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival, where Wright won the award for best actor in a U.S. narrative feature film. In it Wright plays Louis, once the head of a prominent prison gang, in the final weeks of his 24-year sentence. His impending release is upended when he takes a new arrival under his wing. Theothus Carter and William Fichtner also star.
“We are proud to bring filmmaker Madeleine Sackler’s film to HBO audiences,” said Len Amato, president, HBO Films. “Groundbreaking in being filmed at an actual prison, with many of the men incarcerated there cast in acting roles, O.G. takes an intimate and unflinching look at the journey...
- 10/12/2018
- by Daniel Holloway
- Variety Film + TV
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