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Exclusive: Alana Hadid, the fashion designer and sister of models Bella and Gigi, is spearheading film production and distribution label Watermelon Pictures.

The firm’s website describes Watermelon as a “Palestinian-owned independent film distribution, production, and financing” outfit.

The company will focus on “cultural representation and social advocacy, and be dedicated to amplifying the voices of underrepresented filmmakers across the globe”.

The first movie on the label is documentary Walled Off about the Walled Off Hotel, a Palestinian managed-hotel which was financed and designed by British street artist Banksy and is located in Bethlehem opposite the Israeli West Bank barrier wall. The film looks at the lives of Palestinians living in the area and discusses the importance of creative resistance as a form of protest.

Pic is written and directed by Vin Arfuso, an American filmmaker of Palestinian and Italian descent, and will get a limited theatrical run and digital release in the U.

Nelson Mandela, the iconic anti-apartheid leader who went from 27 years as a political prisoner to eventually becoming the first president of a free South Africa, will be the subject of the 30-hour scripted TV series “Mandela.” The project is currently the works at writer/producer Josh Wakely’s Grace: A Storytelling Company shingle.

Wakely has secured the TV series life rights to the late Mandela via House of Mandela Entertainment, the media arm of the Mandela estate. Wakely will executive produce and write “Mandela,” along with South African writer/director Kagiso Lediga (“Queen Sono”) and producer Kweku Mandela (who is also Nelson Mandela’s grandson).

The project, which Wakely compares to a multi-season saga in the vein of Netflix’s “The Crown,” will center on Mandela’s life as he was sent to prison while aiming to end apartheid, the system of institutional racism and segregation that was administered in South Africa for generations.

MPI Media Group has come on board worldwide sales for EFM on the Banksy hotel documentary Walled Off.

Vin Arfuso, an American filmmaker of Palestinian and Italian descent, wrote and directed the film, which explores The Walled Off Hotel in the West Bank financed and designed by the elusive British street artist.

The film tours the hotel with manager Wissam Salsa and examines lives of Palestinians living in the area and highlights the use of art as a means of engaging in social and political dialogue.

American-Palestinian model and musician Anwar Hadid (the brother of Bella and Gigi Hadid) co-produced...

On Saturday night, the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project (Ctaop) hosted the annual Block Party 2023, raising over $900,000 for Ctaop.

Alan Ritchson, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez and Sung Kang with Ctaop auction winner (2nd from L) speak on stage during Charlize Theron's Africa Outreach Project Block Party

Credit/Copyright: Presley Ann/Getty Images for Ctaop

The event brought together over 350 guests for a night of food, music, and fun to benefit Ctaop’s work supporting the health, education, and safety of youth in Southern Africa.

The evening’s live programming included a special drag show featuring performances by drag queens Luxx and Salina EsTitties, an onstage trivia game with the cast of Fast X, hosted by Aisha Tyler, and a live auction.

Charlize Theron is the founder of Ctaop, an organization dedicated to supporting the health and safety of youth in sub-Saharan Africa, with a particular focus on her home country of South Africa.

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“It’s quite the stereotype, that all of Africa is one big safari,” says actress and The Woman King producer and writer Maria Bello, who lives part-time each year in Kenya. Indeed, the continent offers so much more beyond wildlife — though the fauna of the continent is naturally one of the biggest draws for an exclusive echelon of traveler. “There are thriving, beautiful cities. It’s about culture, it’s about food and fashion. I think there’s so much energy right now on the continent,” says Bello.

Here are some of the best places to visit in Southern and East Africa right now, including Hollywood-frequented luxury hotels in Cape Town, South Africa; pastoral new retreats in South Africa’s Cape Winelands region and beautiful, recently debuted spots to stay in Nairobi, Kenya. (For THR‘s look at the best new and updated safari camps in Africa,...

Utopia, the fledgling sales and distribution company co-founded by filmmaker Robert Schwartzman, has picked up North American rights to artist Amalia Ulman’s debut feature ‘El Planeta.’ The dark comedy was one of the buzz titles at Sundance’s World Dramatic competition.

Danielle Digiacomo, Utopia’s Head of Content commented: “Amalia Ulman’s “El Planeta” is a pure, transportive cinematic experience that is deceptively simple in its construction, yet so layered with wit, heart, and humanity that it leaves a profound impression akin to the work of many great auteurs.”

“It is a true gem of a film; Utopia couldn’t be more enamored of Amalia, her vision, and overjoyed about the ability to partner with her on its distribution,” added Digiacomo who joined Utopia early last year.

Set in the industrial northern Spanish city of Gijon during the country’s economic crisis in 2009, “El Planeta” turns on mother and daughter grifters,...

From its 2018 launch in Johannesburg as an industry event rooted in the local community, the Africa Rising Intl. Film Festival (Ariff) has sought to promote diversity and inclusion in the South African biz, where Black, female, and LGBTQ filmmakers too often struggle to gain a foothold, and white and male executives still hold a disproportionate amount of power.

“From an access point of view, we don’t have access in terms of the full value chain of the industry,” says Ariff co-chair and president Lala Tuku. “Women and young people, queer members of our society, they are still being marginalized.”

Giving emerging voices a platform is one of the festival’s foundational pillars, and something that Tuku says “is very close to home.” As a young, Black woman looking to break into the industry two decades ago, Tuku says she found few mentors from a similar background who were able to guide her career path.

Even in the best of times, a young film festival might expect growing pains as it preps for its third edition. But the organizers of the Africa Rising Intl. Film Festival, which ran online and in Johannesburg, South Africa, from Nov. 27-29, were faced with the additional and monumental task of pulling it off in the midst of a global pandemic.

Ayanda Sithebe, Ariff co-founder and artistic director, says the festival had been “very fortunate” to raise its curtain at a time when life in South Africa was slowly returning to normal. After a strict, six-month lockdown, the country has begun reopening its economy and loosening restrictions on travel and public gatherings. International flights began returning in early October, while cinemas are again operating, albeit at limited capacity.

For a festival that was founded as a proudly community-driven event, however, the coronavirus pandemic didn’t just present logistical challenges, but...

More than two dozen athletes and leaders spoke at last week’s Laureus Summit presented by ESPN at La Live in Los Angeles, which aimed to shine a light on sports positive impact on youth and communities across the globe.

Edwin Moses, Allyson Felix, Benita Fitzgerald Mosley and Chris Paul

Falling on the 100th birthday of Laureus founding patron Nelson Mandela, the summit also celebrated his legacy and propelled his belief that “sport has the power the change the world.”

The day kicked off with a warm welcome from NBA All-Star and Laureus Ambassador Chris Paul, Olympic legend and Laureus USA Chairman Edwin Moses and Olympic Gold Medalist and Laureus USA CEO Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, followed by a panel discussion which included Olympic Gold Medalist Allyson Felix.

“Today, we are here to celebrate the power of sport to change the world,” Benita Fitzgerald Mosley remarked. “From community playing fields to professional stadiums,...

International advocacy organisation Global Citizen today announced that Beyonce, Jay-Z, Cassper Nyovest, D’banj, Ed Sheeran, Eddie Vedder, Femi Kuti, Pharrell Williams and Chris Martin, Sho Madjozi, Tiwa Savage, Usher, and Wizkid will headline the first Global Citizen Festival to be held in Africa, a free-ticketed event on Sunday, 2 December 2018 at the Fnb Stadium, Johannesburg.

The December event is the culmination of Global Citizen’s “Mandela 100” campaign in partnership with the House of Mandela; a series of global events honouring the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela in his centenary year.

Oprah Winfrey will deliver a special keynote address remembering Nelson Mandela and his legacy.

Executive producers of the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 include Dr. Precious Moloi Motsepe, Patrice Motsepe, Kweku Mandela, Dave Holmes, Declan Kelly, Liza Henshaw and Hugh Evans.

Hosts of the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 include Naomi Campbell, Sir Bob Geldof, Gayle King, Bonang Matheba, Tyler Perry,...

Amber Heard will join “All the Money in the World” star Charlie Plummer in the indie drama “Gully,” sources tell Variety.

Kelvin Harrison Jr., Jacob Latimore, Alice Eve, and Jonathan Majors are also on board. The movie marks the directorial debut of in-demand music video director Nabil Elderkin. Marcus Guillory penned the script.

The movie is set in a slightly dystopian version of Los Angeles. It follows three disaffected teenagers, all victims of childhood trauma, who are running a hedonistic riot. Heard plays Plummer’s mom.

The pic is being produced by Brad Feinstein of Romulus Entertainment, along with Tom Butterfield, Ben Pugh, Corey Smyth, and Alex Georgiou. It is executive produced by Joseph F. Ingrassia, Gabriela Revilla Lugo, Andy Brunskill, and Kweku Mandela. Romulus Entertainment is fully financing the effort. Endeavor Content is representing domestic rights on the film. Christopher Tricarico of Tricarico Chavez, Llp represents Romulus and is handling legal on finance,...

Charlize Theron joined House of Mandela Family Foundation co-founder Kweku Mandela in conversation at an event on February 10 in Los Angeles to mark Nelson Mandela's 100th birthday.

Introduced by Chelsea Handler and moderated by Soledad O'Brien, the event was part of the Geffen Playhouse Unscripted Live series.

“It’s an incredible honor to take part in this event and to have the chance to reflect on what an inspirational hero Nelson Mandela was,” says Charlize Theron, founder of the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project. “His legacy continues to inspire people from around the world to stand up for what is right, to promote equality and inclusion, and to do so with empathy, compassion, and understanding. His message is as powerful and relevant today as it ever was.”

During the event, the pair talked about equal pay issues, #MeToo, and social justice.

“2017 was a year of a lot of division...

Today, global nonprofit Wcg Cares (Wcg), in collaboration with actress and activist Jessica Biel, announced the launch of the Tryst Network, a new mission-driven effort to improve the sexual health Iq of women and their partners using funny, provocative and empowering online content.

The sex positive resource will encourage open conversation and provide accurate and relevant information about sex, relationships and bodies.

“Within the current cultural climate, the need for a resource like the Tryst Network is now more timely than ever. Knowledge equals choice and choice equals empowerment,” said Jessica Biel. “The word Tryst means ‘a meeting place between lovers’ and that’s what we hope to create—a safe and supported meeting place for our community to get information and work toward increasing their own sexual Iq.”

Throughout the month of February, Wcg will be releasing a three-part video series starring Jessica Biel that will address the topics of sexual anatomy,...

Every day, thousands of people will die of AIDS and close to 6,000 will become infected with HIV.  GenEndit, a coalition dedicated to ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030, invites us all to help win this battle. The coalition, made up of Charlize Theron, Elton John, Nelson Mandela's grandson Kweku Mandela Amuah, Elizabeth Taylor's grandson Quinn Tivey and other committed activists, strongly believes that ours is the generation that will, indeed, end the scourge. Theron exclusively tells E! News, "We won't see the end of the epidemic unless we are all fighting, especially youth. Young people have always been strong drivers of social change. Ending AIDS requires speaking out and...

Laurence Fishburne is set to play Nelson Mandela in the Bet Networks six-hour mini-series "Madiba".

Named after the Thembu clan to which Mandela belonged, the story follows a younger Nelson Mandela during the early-60s as he deals with the political unrest engulfing South Africa.

Kevin Hooks ("Prison Break") helms the project based on two Mandela books, "Conversations With Myself" and "Nelson Mandela by Himself". Mandela's grandson Kweku Mandela will produce.

Shooting begins early 2016 in South Africa.

Source: Deadline...

Laurence Fishburne is set to play the lead role of Nelson Mandela in Madiba, a miniseries for Bet Networks executive produced by the late South African hero’s grandson Kweku Mandela. The six-hour mini, directed by Kevin Hooks (Prison Break), is based on two Mandela books, Conversations With Myself and Nelson Mandela by Himself. Named after Madiba, the Thembu clan to which Nelson Mandela belonged, the project tells the story of a younger Nelson Mandela during the early-60s…...

(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Film House Germany’s Egoli Tossell Film has tapped Jai Courtney to star opposite Lily James (Cinderella, Wrath Of The Titans) in The Kaiser’S Last Kiss which will be directed by David Leveaux. The film will also star Academy Award winner Christopher Plummer (Beginners, The Last Station, Remember) as the Kaiser.

The Kaiser’S Last Kiss takes place around the 1940 invasion of Holland which brings the Nazis face to face with their former monarch, Kaiser Wilhelm (Christopher Plummer) – exiled to the Netherlands since 1917. In an effort to thwart the Nazis, the Dutch resistance work covertly with Winston Churchill in inserting an agent into the Kaiser’s household. A lethally dangerous love affair ignites between a German officer (Courtney) and a young Jewish Dutch woman (James) with consequences that neither they nor the Kaiser himself could have foreseen. As the Nazis race to identify and eliminate the agent,...

This reality television news is something of a shock–Nelson Mandela’s three granddaughters are going to star in a reality show that will be pitched to U.S. networks starting Monday, reports Deadline. The show is also being disseminated internationally. The article states the show is slated for next year and the U.S. producing partner for the series is the former president of Wind Dancer Production Group, Rick Leed. Another producing partner is Kweku Mandela, Nelson Mandela’s grandson. Already, the show, “Being Mandela,” which is scheduled to start shooting in December and debut in the early part of 2012, is supposedly gaining a large amount of interest from TLC, USA, A&E, Lifetime,...