One of country music’s most accomplished mainstays and global entertainers, Kane Brown, will serve as mentor for the fan-favorite “American Idol” Disney Night episode airing Sunday, May 12.
The contestants will head to “The Most Magical Place On Earth,” Walt Disney World and perform classics from your favorite Disney movies. Also joining the fun is award winning actress, activist and singer Jenifer Lewis, who will perform “Dig a Little Deeper” during the episode. Eight-time Grammy winner Terence Blanchard will accompany Lewis on the trumpet.
See ‘American Idol’ deaths: Full list of singers we’ve lost
Opening this summer at Walt Disney World Resort and later this year at Disneyland Resort, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will take guests on a musical adventure inspired by “The Princess and the Frog.” The attraction’s story picks up where the film left off as guests join Princess Tiana, Naveen, Mama Odie, jazz-loving alligator Louis...
The contestants will head to “The Most Magical Place On Earth,” Walt Disney World and perform classics from your favorite Disney movies. Also joining the fun is award winning actress, activist and singer Jenifer Lewis, who will perform “Dig a Little Deeper” during the episode. Eight-time Grammy winner Terence Blanchard will accompany Lewis on the trumpet.
See ‘American Idol’ deaths: Full list of singers we’ve lost
Opening this summer at Walt Disney World Resort and later this year at Disneyland Resort, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will take guests on a musical adventure inspired by “The Princess and the Frog.” The attraction’s story picks up where the film left off as guests join Princess Tiana, Naveen, Mama Odie, jazz-loving alligator Louis...
- 5/6/2024
- by Denton Davidson
- Gold Derby
A legend is set to take the stage to help celebrate Disney Night on American Idol. TV Insider can first exclusively reveal that Jenifer Lewis will be performing “Dig A Little Deeper” from The Princess & The Frog on the May 12 episode. The award-winning actress/activist, stage performer, and author starred in Black-ish for eight seasons. She can be seen most recently as Patricia in the Showtime series I Love That For You and guest-starring on the Not Dead Yet Season 2 finale. The Broadway star was also recently revealed as Miss Cleocatra on The Masked Singer. This multi-hyphenate has also sold out the Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2022. Lewis, who voiced Mama Odie in the 2009 classic animated film, is going to be accompanied by seven-time Grammy winner Terence Blanchard on the trumpet. Disney / Temma Hankin Blanchard was the featured musician...
- 5/3/2024
- TV Insider
Note: LateNighter generally posts late night daily ratings on a two (business) day delay, which is how they are released by Nielsen.
NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers are both dark this week, giving their timeslot competition the opportunity to gain viewers; at least temporarily.
CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert kicked off the week of April 15, 2024 by earning first place in the late night ratings race, and delivered week-to-week audience growth in the process.
According to Nielsen live-plus-same-day data, The Late Show averaged 2,117,000 total viewers and 255,000 P18-49 viewers this past Monday. That’s+9 % and +31%, respectively, from the previous Monday episode. Salman Rushdie, Anna Sawai, and Terence Blanchard were Colbert’s Late Show guests this past Monday.
ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! took second place at 11:35 p.m. this past Monday, both in total viewers and in P18-...
NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers are both dark this week, giving their timeslot competition the opportunity to gain viewers; at least temporarily.
CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert kicked off the week of April 15, 2024 by earning first place in the late night ratings race, and delivered week-to-week audience growth in the process.
According to Nielsen live-plus-same-day data, The Late Show averaged 2,117,000 total viewers and 255,000 P18-49 viewers this past Monday. That’s+9 % and +31%, respectively, from the previous Monday episode. Salman Rushdie, Anna Sawai, and Terence Blanchard were Colbert’s Late Show guests this past Monday.
ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! took second place at 11:35 p.m. this past Monday, both in total viewers and in P18-...
- 4/17/2024
- by A.J. Katz
- LateNighter
The Society of Composers & Lyricists will honor Martin Scorsese and the late Robbie Robertson with the Spirit of Collaboration Award at this year’s Scl Awards on Feb. 13.
This award recognizes a “composer/director relationship which has created a prodigious body of work.” Robertson and Scorsese’s collaborations have included Raging Bull, Shutter Island, The Wolf of Wall Street, Silence, The Irishman and Killers of the Flower Moon.
Past recipients of the Spirit of Collaboration Award include Thomas Newman and Sam Mendes, Terence Blanchard and Spike Lee, Carter Burwell and the Coen Brothers and last year’s honorees Justin Hurwitz and Damien Chazelle.
The nominees for the Scl Awards, which this year will be hosted by Siedah Garrett, closely reflect this year’s Oscar-nominated songwriters and composers: Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell (Barbie), Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt (Barbie), Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson (American Symphony) and Diane Warren...
This award recognizes a “composer/director relationship which has created a prodigious body of work.” Robertson and Scorsese’s collaborations have included Raging Bull, Shutter Island, The Wolf of Wall Street, Silence, The Irishman and Killers of the Flower Moon.
Past recipients of the Spirit of Collaboration Award include Thomas Newman and Sam Mendes, Terence Blanchard and Spike Lee, Carter Burwell and the Coen Brothers and last year’s honorees Justin Hurwitz and Damien Chazelle.
The nominees for the Scl Awards, which this year will be hosted by Siedah Garrett, closely reflect this year’s Oscar-nominated songwriters and composers: Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell (Barbie), Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt (Barbie), Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson (American Symphony) and Diane Warren...
- 1/26/2024
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Inheritance,” “The Accident” and “Good Bad Things” are among the award winners at the 30th annual Slamdance Film Festival. The winners were announced Thursday at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Park City – The Yarrow in Park City, Utah.
The three films feted the Feature Grand Jury Prizes, while the Audience Awards went to “African Giants,” “Demon Mineral,” “Good Bad Things” and “Night Drives.”
The festival also announced the recipient of their Agbo Fellowship from Slamdance alumni Joe and Anthony Russo. It went to Kiarash Dadgar, whose short film “The Steak” was programmed as a part of the Narrative Shorts competition and included a $25,000 prize with mentorship from the brothers.
“This year’s award-winning films leave an indelible mark on the world of independent cinema. Each one delves into groundbreaking storytelling and the spirit of human resilience, highlighting the extreme filmmaking talent on show at Slamdance ’24,” Taylor Miller, Slamdance director, said in a statement.
The three films feted the Feature Grand Jury Prizes, while the Audience Awards went to “African Giants,” “Demon Mineral,” “Good Bad Things” and “Night Drives.”
The festival also announced the recipient of their Agbo Fellowship from Slamdance alumni Joe and Anthony Russo. It went to Kiarash Dadgar, whose short film “The Steak” was programmed as a part of the Narrative Shorts competition and included a $25,000 prize with mentorship from the brothers.
“This year’s award-winning films leave an indelible mark on the world of independent cinema. Each one delves into groundbreaking storytelling and the spirit of human resilience, highlighting the extreme filmmaking talent on show at Slamdance ’24,” Taylor Miller, Slamdance director, said in a statement.
- 1/26/2024
- by Jazz Tangcay, Caroline Brew, Diego Ramos Bechara and Jaden Thompson
- Variety Film + TV
The Rolling Stones, Foo Fighters, Chris Stapleton, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, the Killers, and Bonnie Raitt highlight the 2024 Jazz Fest lineup as the venerated festival returns to New Orleans from April 25 to May 5.
Vampire Weekend, Queen Latifah, Heart, Bomba Estéreo, Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, Earth, Wind & Fire, Widespread Panic, and the Beach Boys are also among the hundreds of acts that will perform at the Fair Grounds Race Course over the course of two long weekends this spring. Additionally, Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band will perform in celebration of the late singer-songwriter.
Vampire Weekend, Queen Latifah, Heart, Bomba Estéreo, Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, Earth, Wind & Fire, Widespread Panic, and the Beach Boys are also among the hundreds of acts that will perform at the Fair Grounds Race Course over the course of two long weekends this spring. Additionally, Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band will perform in celebration of the late singer-songwriter.
- 1/18/2024
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
With festival season in full swing, the Middleburg Film Festival has just announced its first round of selections for the upcoming 11th edition of the festivities, which runs from October 19-22. Several notable celebrities were also announced as the recipients of special honors being handed out by the festival.
The opening night film will be Netflix’s civil rights biopic, “Rustin,” starring Emmy winner Colman Domingo as the titular organizer of the 1963 March on Washington who faced ostracization due to his sexuality. The Centerpiece film that will screen on Saturday evening is Alexander Payne’s latest, “The Holdovers,” which stars Paul Giamatti as a crabby boarding school teacher who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to look after students who have nowhere to go. Also screening this year is the sophomore effort from Emerald Fennell, “Saltburn,” starring Oscar nominee Barry Keoghan as an Oxford student trying to...
The opening night film will be Netflix’s civil rights biopic, “Rustin,” starring Emmy winner Colman Domingo as the titular organizer of the 1963 March on Washington who faced ostracization due to his sexuality. The Centerpiece film that will screen on Saturday evening is Alexander Payne’s latest, “The Holdovers,” which stars Paul Giamatti as a crabby boarding school teacher who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to look after students who have nowhere to go. Also screening this year is the sophomore effort from Emerald Fennell, “Saltburn,” starring Oscar nominee Barry Keoghan as an Oxford student trying to...
- 9/6/2023
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Awards, sure — over his 60-odd-year career, Wayne Shorter amassed his share of prizes and honors. But none of that conveys what a singular and visionary talent he was more powerfully than this simple fact: Miles Davis and Art Blakey, two of the greatest bandleaders in the history of jazz, fought over him.
In Wayne Shorter: Zero Gravity, director Dorsay Alavi tells his story over three roughly hourlong episodes called “portals,” a fitting nod to the Buddhism that Shorter embraced and the sci-fi and fantasy he adored. The Prime Video docuseries — which takes its streaming bow Aug. 25, on what would have been Shorter’s 90th birthday — traces the chronology of the New Jersey native’s biography, but, much more than that, it’s a chronicle of emotion, creativity and faith, tuned in to the magnitude of Shorter’s musicianship and, no less, to his playfulness and searching nonconformity.
Alavi, who first...
In Wayne Shorter: Zero Gravity, director Dorsay Alavi tells his story over three roughly hourlong episodes called “portals,” a fitting nod to the Buddhism that Shorter embraced and the sci-fi and fantasy he adored. The Prime Video docuseries — which takes its streaming bow Aug. 25, on what would have been Shorter’s 90th birthday — traces the chronology of the New Jersey native’s biography, but, much more than that, it’s a chronicle of emotion, creativity and faith, tuned in to the magnitude of Shorter’s musicianship and, no less, to his playfulness and searching nonconformity.
Alavi, who first...
- 8/22/2023
- by Sheri Linden
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
On Tuesday, TIFF announced additional honorees who will be receiving a TIFF Tribute Award at this year’s Festival. Recipients include award-winning Brazilian filmmaker Carolina Markowicz who will be honoured with the TIFF Emerging Talent Award presented by MGM. This award is in the spirit of Torontonian Mary Pickford, the groundbreaking actor, producer, and co-founder of United Artists, whose impact continues today. Two-time Academy Award–nominated Polish cinematographer Łukasz Żal will receive the TIFF Variety Artisan Award, which recognizes a distinguished creative who has excelled at their craft and made an outstanding contribution to cinema and entertainment. Both Markowicz and Żal will be honoured on Sept. 10 at the fifth annual TIFF Tribute Awards gala fundraiser at Fairmont Royal York Hotel, presented by Bulgari.
On Sept. 15, TIFF will be honouring Andy Lau, the multi-hyphenate Hong Kong artist with a Special Tribute Award at the World Premiere Gala presentation of Ning Hao’s “The Movie Emperor,...
On Sept. 15, TIFF will be honouring Andy Lau, the multi-hyphenate Hong Kong artist with a Special Tribute Award at the World Premiere Gala presentation of Ning Hao’s “The Movie Emperor,...
- 8/22/2023
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
"My emotions are taken to places I didn't know existed." Prime Video has unveiled an official trailer for a music documentary biopic titled Wayne Shorter: Zero Gravity, about the extraordinary life and music of the accomplished musician Wayne Shorter. It will be streaming starting on August 25th, which would have been the saxophonist's 90th birthday (he passed away in March earlier this year). Zero Gravity is an intimate portrait and cinematic ode to Jazz giant and saxophone player Wayne Shorter's life and music. Depicted in three parts, each about a different period of Shorter's life & music - from NYC to Buddhism and beyond. Shorter is considered one of the greatest modern composers and musicians of American music. "Zero Gravity isn’t just a documentary about a legendary jazz musician, it’s a story of Wayne Shorter's life and how through adversity he grew to greatness. By turning obstacles into opportunities throughout his entire life,...
- 8/18/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Italian production designer Tonino Zera, whose credits include Roman Polanski’s upcoming drama The Palace, will be feted with the Campari Passion Award at the 80th edition of Venice Film Festival, running from August 30 to September 9.
The prize, which was launched at the 75th Venice Film Festival, pays tribute to cinema crafts professionals who have made a “remarkable contribution” to the films on which they have worked.
Previous recipients span U.S. film editor Bob Murawski, Italian cinematographer Luca Bigazzi, U.S. jazz trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard, UK production designer Marcus Rowland, and U.S. artist and costume designer Arianne Phillips.
Zera will be presented with the award on September 2 ahead of the Out of Competition world premiere of The Palace in the Sala Grande.
“To receive the prestigious Campari Passion for Film Award during the Venice Film Festival is not only a personal honor, it is also a...
The prize, which was launched at the 75th Venice Film Festival, pays tribute to cinema crafts professionals who have made a “remarkable contribution” to the films on which they have worked.
Previous recipients span U.S. film editor Bob Murawski, Italian cinematographer Luca Bigazzi, U.S. jazz trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard, UK production designer Marcus Rowland, and U.S. artist and costume designer Arianne Phillips.
Zera will be presented with the award on September 2 ahead of the Out of Competition world premiere of The Palace in the Sala Grande.
“To receive the prestigious Campari Passion for Film Award during the Venice Film Festival is not only a personal honor, it is also a...
- 8/10/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Italian production designer Tonino Zera will receive the Campari Passion for Film Award at this year’s Venice Film Festival. Zera — whose works include production design for Giuseppe Tornatore’s The Unknown Woman (2006), Paolo Virzì’s Like Crazy (2016) and Michele Placido’s Caravaggio’s Shadow (2022) — most recently created the sets for Roman Polanski’s The Place, which will have its world premiere at the 80th Venice Film Festival next month. The dramedy, set in a luxurious Swiss hotel on a fateful New Year’s Eve in 1999, stars Oliver Masucci, Fanny Ardant, John Cleese, Luca Barbareschi and Mickey Rourke. It will screen out of competition in Venice.
Zera will receive his award Sept. 2 ahead of The Palace premiere.
“To receive the prestigious Campari Passion for Film Award during the Venice Film Festival is not only a personal honor, it is also a recognition of the importance of set design in the world of cinema,...
Zera will receive his award Sept. 2 ahead of The Palace premiere.
“To receive the prestigious Campari Passion for Film Award during the Venice Film Festival is not only a personal honor, it is also a recognition of the importance of set design in the world of cinema,...
- 8/10/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Film Independent is currently in the middle of a Matching Campaign to raise support for the next 30 years of filmmaker support. All donations make before or on September 15 will be doubled—dollar-for-dollar up to $100,000. To kick off the campaign, we’re re-posting a few of our most popular blogs.
Regardless of its importance to the storytelling process, film music is too often an afterthought. There are a variety of theories that composers have as to why, and they’re mostly related to a lack of education. So I’ve decided to take an active stance in educating filmmakers about the role of music in film and the process of how a film score comes into being.
My hope is that by the end of this piece you’ll be more familiar with: A) the history of film music in general, and B) the key composers who have contributed to the...
Regardless of its importance to the storytelling process, film music is too often an afterthought. There are a variety of theories that composers have as to why, and they’re mostly related to a lack of education. So I’ve decided to take an active stance in educating filmmakers about the role of music in film and the process of how a film score comes into being.
My hope is that by the end of this piece you’ll be more familiar with: A) the history of film music in general, and B) the key composers who have contributed to the...
- 7/28/2023
- by Olajide Paris
- Film Independent News & More
Stage 32, the social network designed to support TV and film professionals in more than 185 countries, has reached the milestone of 1 million members as the company expands its offerings.
The service was founded in 2011 by Richard “Rb” Botto, an actor, producer and screenwriter. The platform features global job boards and 3,000 hours of webinars, classes and labs to support a wide range of entertainment industry careers, including above- and below-the-line disciplines.
Among the top markets for Stage 32 are the U.S., Canada, the U.K., France, South Africa, India, Saudi Arabia, Germany, the Netherlands and Australia. The price of the service ranges depending on the level and duration of access. A one-year subscription to its Writers Room plan, offering a database of open film and TV writing jobs, costs about $350.
“From the beginning, the mission of Stage 32 has been to democratize the entertainment industry by leveling the playing field for film and television creatives worldwide.
The service was founded in 2011 by Richard “Rb” Botto, an actor, producer and screenwriter. The platform features global job boards and 3,000 hours of webinars, classes and labs to support a wide range of entertainment industry careers, including above- and below-the-line disciplines.
Among the top markets for Stage 32 are the U.S., Canada, the U.K., France, South Africa, India, Saudi Arabia, Germany, the Netherlands and Australia. The price of the service ranges depending on the level and duration of access. A one-year subscription to its Writers Room plan, offering a database of open film and TV writing jobs, costs about $350.
“From the beginning, the mission of Stage 32 has been to democratize the entertainment industry by leveling the playing field for film and television creatives worldwide.
- 7/7/2023
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
Further new releases include ’Big George Foreman’ and ‘Little Richard: I Am Everything’.
The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry is the widest release across the UK’s three-day bank holiday weekend, walking into 643 locations for eOne, with no franchise new releases in the mix.
Jim Broadbent and Penelope Wilton star in Hettie Macdonald’s feature, about a seemingly unremarkable man in his 60s who embarks on a 450-mile mission to see his friend who is dying in a hospice.
Broadbent’s last big screen outing was in Roger Michell’s The Duke, which brought in £941,975 in its first weekend for...
The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry is the widest release across the UK’s three-day bank holiday weekend, walking into 643 locations for eOne, with no franchise new releases in the mix.
Jim Broadbent and Penelope Wilton star in Hettie Macdonald’s feature, about a seemingly unremarkable man in his 60s who embarks on a 450-mile mission to see his friend who is dying in a hospice.
Broadbent’s last big screen outing was in Roger Michell’s The Duke, which brought in £941,975 in its first weekend for...
- 4/28/2023
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
The winners of the 13th annual Guild of Music Supervisors Awards were revealed Sunday night at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles.
Anton Monsted won best music supervision for a film budgeted over $25 million for Elvis, while Lauren Marie Mikus and Bruce Gilbert won the award for a film budgeted $25 million or under for Everything Everywhere All at Once. The latter film also won best song written and/or record for a film for “This Is a Life.” Rob Lowry took home two awards for his work on Cha Cha Real Smooth and Do Revenge.
On the television side, Nora Felder won for best music supervision for a television drama for the fourth season of Stranger Things, while Kier Lehman won in the comedy/musical category for Insecure season five. “Perfect Day” from Better Call Saul season six won best song written and/or recorded for TV.
At the awards ceremony,...
Anton Monsted won best music supervision for a film budgeted over $25 million for Elvis, while Lauren Marie Mikus and Bruce Gilbert won the award for a film budgeted $25 million or under for Everything Everywhere All at Once. The latter film also won best song written and/or record for a film for “This Is a Life.” Rob Lowry took home two awards for his work on Cha Cha Real Smooth and Do Revenge.
On the television side, Nora Felder won for best music supervision for a television drama for the fourth season of Stranger Things, while Kier Lehman won in the comedy/musical category for Insecure season five. “Perfect Day” from Better Call Saul season six won best song written and/or recorded for TV.
At the awards ceremony,...
- 3/6/2023
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Wayne Shorter, the legendary, Grammy-winning saxophonist who — in addition to his own renowned albums and work with jazz supergroup Weather Report — collaborated with the likes of Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Steely Dan, and Joni Mitchell, has died at the age of 89.
The venerated musician died Thursday morning, March 2, in Los Angeles, Shorter’s rep confirmed to Rolling Stone. No cause of death was provided. His longtime label Blue Note said in a statement Thursday, “Visionary composer, saxophonist, visual artist, devout Buddhist, devoted husband, father, and grandfather Wayne Shorter has passed...
The venerated musician died Thursday morning, March 2, in Los Angeles, Shorter’s rep confirmed to Rolling Stone. No cause of death was provided. His longtime label Blue Note said in a statement Thursday, “Visionary composer, saxophonist, visual artist, devout Buddhist, devoted husband, father, and grandfather Wayne Shorter has passed...
- 3/2/2023
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Walter Smith III has released his stunning new cover of Kate Bush’s “Mother Stands for Comfort,” the latest single from the saxophonist’s forthcoming Blue Note debut return to casual out April 7. The album features pianist Taylor Eigsti, guitarist Matt Stevens, bassist Harish Raghavan, and drummer Kendrick Scott as well as guest appearances by trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and pianist James Francies return to casual is available for pre-order now on Blue Note Store exclusive color vinyl, black vinyl, CD, or digital download.
Walter Smith III
It was Akinmusire who first introduced Smith to “Mother Stands for Comfort,” which is the sole non-original composition on the 10-song set. “From the moment I heard it, the mood and character of the piece grabbed me,” recalls Smith. “‘Mother Stands for Comfort’ was my introduction to Kate Bush’s music, and the more I heard the more I was drawn into her style.
Walter Smith III
It was Akinmusire who first introduced Smith to “Mother Stands for Comfort,” which is the sole non-original composition on the 10-song set. “From the moment I heard it, the mood and character of the piece grabbed me,” recalls Smith. “‘Mother Stands for Comfort’ was my introduction to Kate Bush’s music, and the more I heard the more I was drawn into her style.
- 2/27/2023
- by Music Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Music
The Woman King that edged out all of the competition at The Black Reel Awards this year. With six wins out of the fourteen nominations, The Woman King nabbed wins for outstanding film, outstanding director, outstanding ensemble, breakthrough actress, outstanding score and outstanding editing.
Gina Prince-Bythewood’s sweeping epic that focused on the women warriors of Dahomey, narrowly overtook Marvel’s superhero film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever which garnered 5 Black Reel wins of its own. Going into the night, Wakanda Forever was tied with The Woman King with fourteen award nominations. With her third Black Reel Award win for Outstanding Costume Design for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the fantastic Ruth E. Carter became the most decorated technical award winner in Black Reel history.
Actress Angela Bassett also made Black Reel history, becoming the first woman ever to win an acting and honorary award in the same year. Ms. Bassett won...
Gina Prince-Bythewood’s sweeping epic that focused on the women warriors of Dahomey, narrowly overtook Marvel’s superhero film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever which garnered 5 Black Reel wins of its own. Going into the night, Wakanda Forever was tied with The Woman King with fourteen award nominations. With her third Black Reel Award win for Outstanding Costume Design for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the fantastic Ruth E. Carter became the most decorated technical award winner in Black Reel history.
Actress Angela Bassett also made Black Reel history, becoming the first woman ever to win an acting and honorary award in the same year. Ms. Bassett won...
- 2/7/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Works & Process at the Guggenheim presents Champion—an opera by Terence Blanchard, with a libretto by Michael Cristofer—featuring performances by members of the cast and a moderated discussion about the work’s forthcoming company premiere at the Metropolitan Opera. Tickets available now at worksandprocess.org.
Champion
An Opera by Terence Blanchard
Libretto by Michael Cristofer
Monday, March 20, 7:30Pm
Tickets 35–45, Choose What You Pay
Experience highlights from six-time Grammy-winning composer Terence Blanchard’s haunting “opera in jazz.” Following their triumphant 2021 collaboration on Fire Shut Up in My Bones, Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, director James Robinson, and choreographer Camille A. Brown reunite with Blanchard to explore the life of boxer Emile Griffith. Blanchard’s first opera, Champion tells the story of Griffith’s rise from obscurity to world champion, his struggle with his sexuality, and how a knockout of a homophobic rival in the early 1960s led to tragedy.
Champion
An Opera by Terence Blanchard
Libretto by Michael Cristofer
Monday, March 20, 7:30Pm
Tickets 35–45, Choose What You Pay
Experience highlights from six-time Grammy-winning composer Terence Blanchard’s haunting “opera in jazz.” Following their triumphant 2021 collaboration on Fire Shut Up in My Bones, Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, director James Robinson, and choreographer Camille A. Brown reunite with Blanchard to explore the life of boxer Emile Griffith. Blanchard’s first opera, Champion tells the story of Griffith’s rise from obscurity to world champion, his struggle with his sexuality, and how a knockout of a homophobic rival in the early 1960s led to tragedy.
- 2/6/2023
- by Music Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Music
We will update all our Oscar predictions throughout the season, so keep checking IndieWire for the latest news from the 2023 Oscar race. The nomination round of voting will take place from January 12 to January 17, 2023, with the official Oscar nominations announced on January 24, 2023. The final voting is between March 2 and 7, 2023. Finally, the 95th Oscars telecast will be broadcast on Sunday, March 12 and air live on ABC at 8:00 p.m. Et/ 5:00 p.m. Pt.
See our initial thoughts for what to expect at the 95th Academy Awards here.
The State of the Race
The Oscar nominees for Best Original Score on Tuesday were led by 90-year-old John Williams, who received his 53rd nomination for Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical “The Fabelmans.” The remainder of the field is composed of two-time “La La Land” winner (score and original song) Justin Hurwitz for “Babylon,” three-time nominee Carter Burwell for “The Banshees of Inisherin,...
See our initial thoughts for what to expect at the 95th Academy Awards here.
The State of the Race
The Oscar nominees for Best Original Score on Tuesday were led by 90-year-old John Williams, who received his 53rd nomination for Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical “The Fabelmans.” The remainder of the field is composed of two-time “La La Land” winner (score and original song) Justin Hurwitz for “Babylon,” three-time nominee Carter Burwell for “The Banshees of Inisherin,...
- 1/26/2023
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Ninety-year-old John Williams received his 53rd nomination, and a team of composers was nominated for original score for only the eighth time in Oscar history during this morning’s Academy Awards nominations.
Yet, despite the presence of two women and three African-American composers on this year’s 15-film shortlist, none made the final five. So Chanda Dancy (“Devotion”) and Hildur Guðnadóttir (“Women Talking”) were left off, as were Michael Abels (“Nope”) and Terence Blanchard (“The Woman King”).
With his nomination for “The Fabelmans,” the venerable Williams, scoring his 29th film over the past 50 years for director Steven Spielberg, retains his record as the most-nominated composer and most-nominated living person.
He already has five Oscars, including three for Spielberg, and according to Academy statistics is also believed to be the oldest nominee in a competitive award category.
Son Lux’s nomination for “Everything Everywhere All at Once” is especially interesting as...
Yet, despite the presence of two women and three African-American composers on this year’s 15-film shortlist, none made the final five. So Chanda Dancy (“Devotion”) and Hildur Guðnadóttir (“Women Talking”) were left off, as were Michael Abels (“Nope”) and Terence Blanchard (“The Woman King”).
With his nomination for “The Fabelmans,” the venerable Williams, scoring his 29th film over the past 50 years for director Steven Spielberg, retains his record as the most-nominated composer and most-nominated living person.
He already has five Oscars, including three for Spielberg, and according to Academy statistics is also believed to be the oldest nominee in a competitive award category.
Son Lux’s nomination for “Everything Everywhere All at Once” is especially interesting as...
- 1/24/2023
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Elvis lead the nominees for the 2023 Music Supervisors Guild Awards.
Each film earned three nominations in the same categories: best music supervision for film budgeted over 25 million, best song written and/or recorded for a film and best music supervision in a trailer – film.
Artists who contributed to the Black Panther sequel and Elvis movie soundtrack, Rihanna and Doja Cat, were also nominated for awards this year, as were performers and songwriters Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Diana Ross and David Byrne.
High-profile films and TV shows that earned two nominations apiece include A Jazzman’s Blues, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Minions: The Rise of Gru, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Atlanta, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Better Call Saul, Stranger Things, P-Valley and The Afterparty.
The winners in categories spanning film, TV, video games, advertising and trailers will be revealed at an in-person and...
Each film earned three nominations in the same categories: best music supervision for film budgeted over 25 million, best song written and/or recorded for a film and best music supervision in a trailer – film.
Artists who contributed to the Black Panther sequel and Elvis movie soundtrack, Rihanna and Doja Cat, were also nominated for awards this year, as were performers and songwriters Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Diana Ross and David Byrne.
High-profile films and TV shows that earned two nominations apiece include A Jazzman’s Blues, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Minions: The Rise of Gru, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Atlanta, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Better Call Saul, Stranger Things, P-Valley and The Afterparty.
The winners in categories spanning film, TV, video games, advertising and trailers will be revealed at an in-person and...
- 1/23/2023
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
New York, NY – – See Me As I Am: Lincoln Center’s Year-Long Celebration of Terence Blanchard launches in March 2023, the first cross-campus exploration of a single artist. Following a long and deep relationship with Jazz at Lincoln Center, and building off of 2021’s historic staging of Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones at The Metropolitan Opera and its forthcoming production of Champion, his work will be featured across Lincoln Center in a diverse and expanded range of art forms. A collaboration of seven arts organizations across campus: Film at Lincoln Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Juilliard School, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, The Metropolitan Opera, New York Philharmonic, and The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, the year will feature jazz, opera, chamber music, orchestral music, film scores, dance, and more.
Portrait of musician Terence Blanchard at his home in New Orleans, LA.
“One...
Portrait of musician Terence Blanchard at his home in New Orleans, LA.
“One...
- 1/19/2023
- by Music Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Music
With all the chatter about the 2022 movies that are already well on their way to Oscar night, it’s time to shine one last spotlight on Gina Prince-Bythewood’s historical epic “The Woman King.” Released last September, the movie stars Oscar winner Viola Davis in another unforgettable role as Nanisca, the general of the Agojie, an all-woman army protecting the African kingdom of Dahomey during the 1800s.
If that idea sounds familiar, that’s because the Agojie were the inspiration for “Black Panther” comic book writer Christopher Priest to create the Dora Milaje, Wakanda’s woman army that would play a huge role in both 2018’s “Black Panther” and 2022’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
Despite the similarities, “The Woman King” is a very different movie, based more on historical knowledge of the Agojie while telling an original story about Nanisca and the Agojie’s newest young recruit, Nawi, as played by Thuso Mbedu.
If that idea sounds familiar, that’s because the Agojie were the inspiration for “Black Panther” comic book writer Christopher Priest to create the Dora Milaje, Wakanda’s woman army that would play a huge role in both 2018’s “Black Panther” and 2022’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
Despite the similarities, “The Woman King” is a very different movie, based more on historical knowledge of the Agojie while telling an original story about Nanisca and the Agojie’s newest young recruit, Nawi, as played by Thuso Mbedu.
- 1/13/2023
- by Edward Douglas
- Gold Derby
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Lizzo, Ed Sheeran, and Dead and Company lead the massive lineup set to take the stage at New Orleans’ venerable Jazz Fest, returning to the Big Easy the weekends of April 28-30 and May 5-7.
Santana, Mumford & Sons, H.E.R., Gary Clark Jr., Jon Batiste, Jazmine Sullivan, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, the Lumineers, Mavis Staples, Leon Bridges, Buddy Guy, Kane Brown, Steve Miller Band, and countless more...
Lizzo, Ed Sheeran, and Dead and Company lead the massive lineup set to take the stage at New Orleans’ venerable Jazz Fest, returning to the Big Easy the weekends of April 28-30 and May 5-7.
Santana, Mumford & Sons, H.E.R., Gary Clark Jr., Jon Batiste, Jazmine Sullivan, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, the Lumineers, Mavis Staples, Leon Bridges, Buddy Guy, Kane Brown, Steve Miller Band, and countless more...
- 1/13/2023
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Renaissance and Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers have earned Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar some big nominations in the NAACP Image Awards’ music categories this year. On Thursday, the organization announced the nominees for this year’s awards show, and Bey and K-Dot lead with five nods each.
Following closely behind are Chris Brown and Tems with four nods, and Drake, who has three.
Mr. Morale and Renaissance are up against Chris Brown’s Breezy, Pj Morton’s Watch the Sun, and Ari Lennox’s age/sex/location for the Outstanding Album category.
Following closely behind are Chris Brown and Tems with four nods, and Drake, who has three.
Mr. Morale and Renaissance are up against Chris Brown’s Breezy, Pj Morton’s Watch the Sun, and Ari Lennox’s age/sex/location for the Outstanding Album category.
- 1/12/2023
- by Tomás Mier
- Rollingstone.com
Which, of the 15 shortlisted original scores for 2022, will Oscar’s music branch choose as their final five nominees in the category?
It is as diverse a group as the branch has ever considered, both in terms of the composers and the nature of their music. The composers hail from seven different countries; two are women and five are people of color.
Five are past Oscar winners and five others are past Oscar nominees, although it’s the newcomers to the Oscar race who seem to be sparking the most attention in these final days before nomination voting begins Thursday.
Their music ranges from traditional orchestra to elaborate choral work, electronic sounds to experimental compositional techniques. Approximately 390 music-branch voters are eligible to vote.
A guide to the shortlist contenders:
“The Fabelmans”
Topping the list is 90-year-old John Williams, whose 29th film for director Steven Spielberg is the last in an unprecedented collaboration stretching over 50 years.
It is as diverse a group as the branch has ever considered, both in terms of the composers and the nature of their music. The composers hail from seven different countries; two are women and five are people of color.
Five are past Oscar winners and five others are past Oscar nominees, although it’s the newcomers to the Oscar race who seem to be sparking the most attention in these final days before nomination voting begins Thursday.
Their music ranges from traditional orchestra to elaborate choral work, electronic sounds to experimental compositional techniques. Approximately 390 music-branch voters are eligible to vote.
A guide to the shortlist contenders:
“The Fabelmans”
Topping the list is 90-year-old John Williams, whose 29th film for director Steven Spielberg is the last in an unprecedented collaboration stretching over 50 years.
- 1/10/2023
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
With so much emphasis on Best Picture and acting races this Oscar season, get ready for some special attention to the crafts and artisans who made these movies possible.
American Cinematheque announced Monday its honorees for its second edition of Tribute to the Crafts, taking place on Thursday, February 9 at the Cinematheque’s Aero Theatre in Santa Monica. Among the achievements being celebrated are such blockbuster films Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: The Way of Water, Elvis, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, in addition to indie sensations like Everything Everywhere All at Once and Rrr.
After a successful inaugural ceremony last year, once again it is the key goal of Tribute to the Crafts to honor those at the heart of filmmaking, and have exhibited extraordinary work behind the camera over the past year, according to the Cinematheque. The evening will celebrate individuals in 15 categories covering all aspects of filmmaking and...
American Cinematheque announced Monday its honorees for its second edition of Tribute to the Crafts, taking place on Thursday, February 9 at the Cinematheque’s Aero Theatre in Santa Monica. Among the achievements being celebrated are such blockbuster films Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: The Way of Water, Elvis, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, in addition to indie sensations like Everything Everywhere All at Once and Rrr.
After a successful inaugural ceremony last year, once again it is the key goal of Tribute to the Crafts to honor those at the heart of filmmaking, and have exhibited extraordinary work behind the camera over the past year, according to the Cinematheque. The evening will celebrate individuals in 15 categories covering all aspects of filmmaking and...
- 1/9/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Blockbusters like “Top Gun: Maverick”, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and “Avatar: The Way of Water” and pop stars like Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and Rihanna just got one step closer to getting Oscar nominations.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Wednesday announced shortlists in 10 categories for the 95th Oscars, including documentary feature, international film, makeup and hairstyling, score, original song, sound, visual effects and shorts.
Alejandro González Iñárritu’s “Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths” was along the 15 films shortlisted in the international film category, one of the most competitive. The category also includes already decorated films like “Holy Spider” (Denmark), “All Quiet on the Western Front” (Germany), “Saint Omer” (France), “Corsage” (Austria), “Eo” (Poland), “Return to Seoul” (Cambodia), “Decision to Leave” (South Korea), “Close” (Belgium) and “Argentina, 1985” (Argentina).
Read More: Pakistan’s ‘Joyland’, Banned In Country, May Still Qualify For The Oscars. Courtesy, France...
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Wednesday announced shortlists in 10 categories for the 95th Oscars, including documentary feature, international film, makeup and hairstyling, score, original song, sound, visual effects and shorts.
Alejandro González Iñárritu’s “Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths” was along the 15 films shortlisted in the international film category, one of the most competitive. The category also includes already decorated films like “Holy Spider” (Denmark), “All Quiet on the Western Front” (Germany), “Saint Omer” (France), “Corsage” (Austria), “Eo” (Poland), “Return to Seoul” (Cambodia), “Decision to Leave” (South Korea), “Close” (Belgium) and “Argentina, 1985” (Argentina).
Read More: Pakistan’s ‘Joyland’, Banned In Country, May Still Qualify For The Oscars. Courtesy, France...
- 12/22/2022
- by Becca Longmire
- ET Canada
It could be a star-studded musical evening at the Academy Awards come March 12, as Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Rhianna and the Weeknd are all up for best-song Oscar nominations following today’s announcement of the shortlists in music.
Fifteen songs and 15 scores from 2022 movies were selected by the 389 voting members of Oscar’s music branch, and there were few surprises in the song category. The score category made history, however, with two women and three African-American composers on the list.
The music branch will vote again in January to select five nominees in each category.
Taylor Swift could, at long last, become an Oscar nominee, for her song “Carolina” from “Where the Crawdads Sing,” and Rhianna could score with her song “Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” Gaga, already an Oscar winner for “Shallow” from 2018’s “A Star Is Born,” could score again with her “Top Gun: Maverick” anthem “Hold My Hand.
Fifteen songs and 15 scores from 2022 movies were selected by the 389 voting members of Oscar’s music branch, and there were few surprises in the song category. The score category made history, however, with two women and three African-American composers on the list.
The music branch will vote again in January to select five nominees in each category.
Taylor Swift could, at long last, become an Oscar nominee, for her song “Carolina” from “Where the Crawdads Sing,” and Rhianna could score with her song “Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” Gaga, already an Oscar winner for “Shallow” from 2018’s “A Star Is Born,” could score again with her “Top Gun: Maverick” anthem “Hold My Hand.
- 12/21/2022
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
Shortlists have been revealed for the music categories for the 95th Academy Awards, and 15 semifinalists each for the Best Original Score and Best Original Song categories will compete for nominations that will be announced on Jan. 24, 2023.
As expected, the song category shortlist is chock-full of pop superstars such as Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Selena Gomez among the 15; however, last year’s Best Original Song victors Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell did not make the cut for their contribution of “Nobody Like U” to Pixar’s “Turning Red.”
Also Read:
As Holidays Arrive, Oscars Screening Room Fills Up With Everything But ‘Avatar’ and ‘Babylon’
And while she was the recipient of an honorary Oscar just this year after 13 nominations in the Best Original Song category, superstar pop songwriter Diane Warren could sneak in for No. 14 with “Applause,” her shortlisted song from the under-the-radar movie “Tell It Like a Woman.
As expected, the song category shortlist is chock-full of pop superstars such as Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Selena Gomez among the 15; however, last year’s Best Original Song victors Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell did not make the cut for their contribution of “Nobody Like U” to Pixar’s “Turning Red.”
Also Read:
As Holidays Arrive, Oscars Screening Room Fills Up With Everything But ‘Avatar’ and ‘Babylon’
And while she was the recipient of an honorary Oscar just this year after 13 nominations in the Best Original Song category, superstar pop songwriter Diane Warren could sneak in for No. 14 with “Applause,” her shortlisted song from the under-the-radar movie “Tell It Like a Woman.
- 12/21/2022
- by Jason Clark
- The Wrap
The Black Reel Awards has revealed its nominations for their 23rd Annual ceremony.
Gina Prince-Bythewood’s The Woman King, about the warrior women of the country of Dahomey, and Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, about a superhero from the fictional African nation of Wakanda and a memorial to Chadwick Boseman, are tied at 14 nominations.
Two other films joined the ranks of double-digit nominations: MGM’s Till and A24’s The Inspection.
Independent studio A24 garnered 11 nominations across all categories. However, Amazon Studios landed a record three nominations in the Outstanding Independent Film category for Master, Nanny, and Emergency. Perennial powerhouse, Disney Studios nabbed the most nominations for a studio with 15.
Viola Davis landed her sixth Outstanding Actress nomination for her work in The Woman King, becoming the most recognized individual in the Actress category in Black Reel Award (Bolts) history. At the same time, director Elegance Bratton received...
Gina Prince-Bythewood’s The Woman King, about the warrior women of the country of Dahomey, and Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, about a superhero from the fictional African nation of Wakanda and a memorial to Chadwick Boseman, are tied at 14 nominations.
Two other films joined the ranks of double-digit nominations: MGM’s Till and A24’s The Inspection.
Independent studio A24 garnered 11 nominations across all categories. However, Amazon Studios landed a record three nominations in the Outstanding Independent Film category for Master, Nanny, and Emergency. Perennial powerhouse, Disney Studios nabbed the most nominations for a studio with 15.
Viola Davis landed her sixth Outstanding Actress nomination for her work in The Woman King, becoming the most recognized individual in the Actress category in Black Reel Award (Bolts) history. At the same time, director Elegance Bratton received...
- 12/16/2022
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
“Top Gun: Maverick” has been named best picture by the National Board of Review, the organization announced Thursday.
The big acting winners included Colin Farrell taking the best actor prize for “The Banshees of Inisherin” after coming off the New York Film Critics Circle win earlier this month. Two NBR winners in the last 12 years have translated to Oscar winners — Casey Affleck for “Manchester by the Sea” (2016) and Will Smith for “King Richard” (2021). For winners becoming eventual nominees, only three men were snubbed by the Academy in the end — Oscar Isaac for “A Most Violent Year” (2014), Tom Hanks for “The Post” (2017) and Adam Sandler for “Uncut Gems” (2019).
Michelle Yeoh gets a huge boost after being announced as Madame Morrible in the upcoming “Wicked” movies and featured on Variety’s Actors on Actors. She can now add NBR best actress winner to her golden day for her turn as laundromat owner...
The big acting winners included Colin Farrell taking the best actor prize for “The Banshees of Inisherin” after coming off the New York Film Critics Circle win earlier this month. Two NBR winners in the last 12 years have translated to Oscar winners — Casey Affleck for “Manchester by the Sea” (2016) and Will Smith for “King Richard” (2021). For winners becoming eventual nominees, only three men were snubbed by the Academy in the end — Oscar Isaac for “A Most Violent Year” (2014), Tom Hanks for “The Post” (2017) and Adam Sandler for “Uncut Gems” (2019).
Michelle Yeoh gets a huge boost after being announced as Madame Morrible in the upcoming “Wicked” movies and featured on Variety’s Actors on Actors. She can now add NBR best actress winner to her golden day for her turn as laundromat owner...
- 12/8/2022
- by Clayton Davis and Jordan Moreau
- Variety Film + TV
Fathom Events and the Metropolitan Opera have renewed the “The Met: Live in HD” screening series, extending a cultural tradition that has delivered scores of performances from the Met’s stage at Lincoln Center directly to theater screens nationwide since 2006.
The partnership between the country’s largest performing arts institution and leading event-cinema distributor will be renewed for three more years, through the 2025–26 season, culminating in the 20th anniversary of the “Live in HD” program.
The announcement comes three weeks ahead of the Dec. 10 “Live in HD” transmission of a new work, “The Hours” by Kevin Puts, based on the novel by Michael Cunningham and the 2002 movie of the same title. The Met is presenting the world premiere staging of the work.
The partnership that began in 2006 with fewer than 100 theaters has grown to an average of 725 theaters and an estimated audience of more than 580,000 annually, according to representatives for both organizations.
The partnership between the country’s largest performing arts institution and leading event-cinema distributor will be renewed for three more years, through the 2025–26 season, culminating in the 20th anniversary of the “Live in HD” program.
The announcement comes three weeks ahead of the Dec. 10 “Live in HD” transmission of a new work, “The Hours” by Kevin Puts, based on the novel by Michael Cunningham and the 2002 movie of the same title. The Met is presenting the world premiere staging of the work.
The partnership that began in 2006 with fewer than 100 theaters has grown to an average of 725 theaters and an estimated audience of more than 580,000 annually, according to representatives for both organizations.
- 11/28/2022
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
When it comes to memorable scores, the five artists on the Gold Derby “Meet the Experts” composers panel are second to none. In fact, it’s likely Isobel Waller-Bridge, Abel Korzeniowski (“Till”), Benjamin Wallfisch (“Thirteen Lives”), Terence Blanchard (“The Woman King”) and Nathan Johnson (“Glass Onion”) will end up on more than a few Spotify Wrapped lists by year’s end. Not that most of those composers are actually focused on how their music will live beyond their film projects.
Watch our exclusive roundtable panel above with all 5 composers. Click on each name to watch that person’s individual video interview.
I don’t think about if it’s going to be an enjoyable or interesting listen outside the context of the film,” Waller-Bridge says. “I’m so involved with how it serves the story and what the journey of the music is doing and how it’s feeding the...
Watch our exclusive roundtable panel above with all 5 composers. Click on each name to watch that person’s individual video interview.
I don’t think about if it’s going to be an enjoyable or interesting listen outside the context of the film,” Waller-Bridge says. “I’m so involved with how it serves the story and what the journey of the music is doing and how it’s feeding the...
- 11/21/2022
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
When two-time Oscar nominee Terence Blanchard was first approached to score “The Woman King,” the composer was struck by the heroism of the Agojie army and how the citizens of the African kingdom Dahomey respected those women warriors.
“The first thing that I thought of was a scene after the battle, where they’re coming back to the kingdom – that’s actually where I started scoring the film,” Blanchard tells Gold Derby in an exclusive video interview as part of our “Meet the Experts” composers panel.
SEEGina Prince-Bythewood interview: ‘The Woman King’ director
Based on true events, “The Woman King” focuses on the struggle of the Agojie and their leader, played by Viola Davis, to defend Dahomey against interlopers both foreign and domestic. The result is an old-school Hollywood epic that combines big action with bold ideas. In fact, director Gina Prince-Bythewood has cited films like “Braveheart” and “Gladiator” as inspirations for “The Woman King.
“The first thing that I thought of was a scene after the battle, where they’re coming back to the kingdom – that’s actually where I started scoring the film,” Blanchard tells Gold Derby in an exclusive video interview as part of our “Meet the Experts” composers panel.
SEEGina Prince-Bythewood interview: ‘The Woman King’ director
Based on true events, “The Woman King” focuses on the struggle of the Agojie and their leader, played by Viola Davis, to defend Dahomey against interlopers both foreign and domestic. The result is an old-school Hollywood epic that combines big action with bold ideas. In fact, director Gina Prince-Bythewood has cited films like “Braveheart” and “Gladiator” as inspirations for “The Woman King.
- 11/21/2022
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
The reality of who Louis Armstrong was came as quite a shock to Sacha Jenkins as he was working on his new documentary “Louis Armstrong’s Black and Blues.” “He was the exact opposite of who I thought he might have been based on being a young, Black kid in New York in the ‘80s, finding my identity, being into this Black consciousness that hip-hop was delivering at the time,” he tells Gold Derby during our Meet the Experts: Documentary Film panel (watch the exclusive video interview above).
In addition to discovering the immense talent that Armstrong possessed, Jenkins came to realize how he was not at all what he thought he was. “What I knew about him felt contrary to the revolution or being pro-Black based on what other people might have said or based on my perceptions and when I did the research, it was completely the opposite of that.
In addition to discovering the immense talent that Armstrong possessed, Jenkins came to realize how he was not at all what he thought he was. “What I knew about him felt contrary to the revolution or being pro-Black based on what other people might have said or based on my perceptions and when I did the research, it was completely the opposite of that.
- 11/20/2022
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Four-time Oscar nominee Danny Elfman has released the first song from Noah Baumbach’s “White Noise.” The number, titled “Duel Lecture,” gives audiences a taste of Elfman’s score for the film, which will be released in theaters on Nov. 25 and streaming on Dec. 30
Greta Gerwig, Adam Driver and Don Cheadle lead the ensemble in this adaptation of Don DeLillo’s novel. Driver is Jack Gladney, a professor of Hitler studies at the College-on-the-Hill. He lives with his wife Babette (Greta Gerwig) and their four children, but when an “Airborne Toxic Event” takes place in their community, the family must grapple with the universal mysteries of love, death and uncertainty.
Elfman says one of his favorite scenes was an academic speech in which Driver and Cheadle’s perform a sort of academic duet, bringing together their fascinations with Elvis and Hitler — combined with the sight of a potentially deadly speeding train.
Greta Gerwig, Adam Driver and Don Cheadle lead the ensemble in this adaptation of Don DeLillo’s novel. Driver is Jack Gladney, a professor of Hitler studies at the College-on-the-Hill. He lives with his wife Babette (Greta Gerwig) and their four children, but when an “Airborne Toxic Event” takes place in their community, the family must grapple with the universal mysteries of love, death and uncertainty.
Elfman says one of his favorite scenes was an academic speech in which Driver and Cheadle’s perform a sort of academic duet, bringing together their fascinations with Elvis and Hitler — combined with the sight of a potentially deadly speeding train.
- 11/16/2022
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Five top film composers will reveal secrets behind their projects when they join Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with 2022/2023 awards contenders. They will participate in two video discussions to premiere on Thursday, November 17, at 4:00 p.m. Pt; 7:00 p.m. Et. We’ll have a one-on-one with our senior editor Christopher Rosen and a roundtable chat with all of the group together.
RSVP today to our entire ongoing contenders panel series by clicking here to book your free reservation. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following Oscar and guild contenders:
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (Apple Original Films)
Synopsis: Follows a boy, a mole, a fox and a horse, as they create an unexpected friendship and travel together in the boy’s search for home.
RSVP today to our entire ongoing contenders panel series by clicking here to book your free reservation. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following Oscar and guild contenders:
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (Apple Original Films)
Synopsis: Follows a boy, a mole, a fox and a horse, as they create an unexpected friendship and travel together in the boy’s search for home.
- 11/10/2022
- by Chris Beachum and Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
Director Gina Prince-Bythewood launched her film career with the 2000 romantic sports drama “Love & Basketball,” which now is considered a cult classic. She would go on to shoot an adaptation of the female-driven book ‘The Secret Life of Bees’ in 2008. Meanwhile, she discovered a true talent with Gugu Mbatha-Raw as a troubled singer in the 2014 showbiz saga ‘Beyond the Lights.’
But Prince-Bythewood switched gears in 2020 and embraced the action genre with ‘The Old Guard,’ starring Charlize Theron and KiKi Layne. But her latest release, ‘The Woman King.’ is a throwback to the heroic action epics of yore, such as “The Last of the Mohicans,” “Braveheart,” “Gladiator” and “Spartacus.” The twist is that the mighty warriors known as the Agojir are Black women going through training for war in the West African kingdom of Dahomey in 1823. The headliner here is Oscar winner Viola Davis, who plays General Nanisca. She is tired...
But Prince-Bythewood switched gears in 2020 and embraced the action genre with ‘The Old Guard,’ starring Charlize Theron and KiKi Layne. But her latest release, ‘The Woman King.’ is a throwback to the heroic action epics of yore, such as “The Last of the Mohicans,” “Braveheart,” “Gladiator” and “Spartacus.” The twist is that the mighty warriors known as the Agojir are Black women going through training for war in the West African kingdom of Dahomey in 1823. The headliner here is Oscar winner Viola Davis, who plays General Nanisca. She is tired...
- 10/21/2022
- by Susan Wloszczyna
- Gold Derby
by Nathaniel R
Brendan Gleeson & Colin Farrell promoting their movie for Et. They also appeared onscreen before the Middleburg showing to introduce the film.
Safely ensconced back in NYC... or Brooklyn, rather (I've moved). Here's a quick take of the last day and a half of the festival. Middleburg is a four day festival but our flight times Sunday prevented us from staying for the Terence Blanchard concert on Sunday night (*weeping*). It was a low key day given the time constraints so my boyfriend and I hit the stables very briefly at the Salamander Resort & Spa to see the horses (I always make time for that though I've only actually ridden one in my first year there) and we squeezed in one final film before heading to the airport. And what a movie it was! The US Ambassador to Ireland was on hand to introduce the film and she...
Brendan Gleeson & Colin Farrell promoting their movie for Et. They also appeared onscreen before the Middleburg showing to introduce the film.
Safely ensconced back in NYC... or Brooklyn, rather (I've moved). Here's a quick take of the last day and a half of the festival. Middleburg is a four day festival but our flight times Sunday prevented us from staying for the Terence Blanchard concert on Sunday night (*weeping*). It was a low key day given the time constraints so my boyfriend and I hit the stables very briefly at the Salamander Resort & Spa to see the horses (I always make time for that though I've only actually ridden one in my first year there) and we squeezed in one final film before heading to the airport. And what a movie it was! The US Ambassador to Ireland was on hand to introduce the film and she...
- 10/17/2022
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Branford Marsalis, Thomas Newman, Howard Shore, and Kris Bowers — what do they have in common, besides each being an accomplished composer, conductor, and/or recording artist in his own right? Within the past four years, they all produced a film score that didn’t even register as a blip on the Oscar radar. “Let Them All Talk” and “Pieces of a Woman” gained zero traction for 15-time Oscar nominee Newman and three-time “The Lord of the Rings” Oscar winner Shore. Bowers and Marsalis had respectively picked up momentum elsewhere on the awards circuit for “Green Book” (the eventual Best Picture winner) and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (the eventual Best Makeup and Hairstyling winner), yet those two films’ Oscar fortunes couldn’t do anything to boost their chances in Best Original Score.
There’s no chalking it up to crowded fields, or voter bias. It all comes down to the rules: Prior to last Oscar season,...
There’s no chalking it up to crowded fields, or voter bias. It all comes down to the rules: Prior to last Oscar season,...
- 10/12/2022
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
There is a long history of Black actors and faces being over or underexposed on screen, a combination of how cameras and celluloid have been geared toward whiteness over Black skin. But “The Woman King” as a historical epic with a largely Black and female cast is a movie that challenges many norms, and it was important to cinematographer Polly Morgan that this film truly highlight “the beauty of Black skin.”
Morgan, who recently has served as the director of photography on both “Where the Crawdads Sing” and “A Quiet Place Part 2,” among others, told TheWrap that she and “The Woman King” director Gina Prince-Bythewood wanted to keep a couple of things top of mind. First, she needed to capture the striking red earth hues of the African nation of Dahomey in the 18th century. But more importantly, she wanted the film’s stars to look beautiful, natural and for...
Morgan, who recently has served as the director of photography on both “Where the Crawdads Sing” and “A Quiet Place Part 2,” among others, told TheWrap that she and “The Woman King” director Gina Prince-Bythewood wanted to keep a couple of things top of mind. First, she needed to capture the striking red earth hues of the African nation of Dahomey in the 18th century. But more importantly, she wanted the film’s stars to look beautiful, natural and for...
- 10/5/2022
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
“The Woman King” director Gina Prince-Bythewood will be feted at the 10th annual Middleburg Film Festival with the Agnès Varda Award, while “Triangle of Sadness” star Dolly De Leon will receive the festival’s Breakthrough Performance Award.
“Empire of Light” actor Micheal Ward is being honored with the Spotlight Actor Award. The Sam Mendes film has also been named as the closing night film of the festival.
2019 Distinguished Composer Award recipient Terence Blanchard and his band, the E-Collective, will return to the festival and close out with a music performance.
“All Quiet on the Western Front,” Germany’s Oscar entry will also screen. Director Edward Berger will be presented with the International Spotlight Award. The film is an adaptation of the classic Erich Maria Remarque anti-war novel and a remake of the 1930 Academy Award winner for Best Picture.
Also attending the festival to present a Master Class in Film Editing is editor Terilyn Shropshire.
“Empire of Light” actor Micheal Ward is being honored with the Spotlight Actor Award. The Sam Mendes film has also been named as the closing night film of the festival.
2019 Distinguished Composer Award recipient Terence Blanchard and his band, the E-Collective, will return to the festival and close out with a music performance.
“All Quiet on the Western Front,” Germany’s Oscar entry will also screen. Director Edward Berger will be presented with the International Spotlight Award. The film is an adaptation of the classic Erich Maria Remarque anti-war novel and a remake of the 1930 Academy Award winner for Best Picture.
Also attending the festival to present a Master Class in Film Editing is editor Terilyn Shropshire.
- 9/30/2022
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
After two weeks of solid showings at the box office, excellent reviews and passionate fan responses, “The Woman King” has become one of the year’s standout hits, with plans to be competitive in the awards races for both major and artisan category attention.
One of the film’s standout stars, Thuso Mbedu, who plays the young Nawi, will be campaigning for supporting actress attention, Variety has learned. Academy Award winner Viola Davis (“Fences”) will be the sole actress campaigning for lead actress.
Mbedu, who was the breakout sensation of 2021’s Emmy-nominated series “The Underground Railroad” from director Barry Jenkins, will compete in supporting alongside her co-stars Sheila Atim, Jayme Lawson, Adrienne Warren and most prominent, Lashana Lynch. All of the male actors, including John Boyega, will be competing in supporting actor.
Beginning with “Gone with the Wind” (1939) duo Olivia de Havilland and winner Hattie McDaniel, who became the first...
One of the film’s standout stars, Thuso Mbedu, who plays the young Nawi, will be campaigning for supporting actress attention, Variety has learned. Academy Award winner Viola Davis (“Fences”) will be the sole actress campaigning for lead actress.
Mbedu, who was the breakout sensation of 2021’s Emmy-nominated series “The Underground Railroad” from director Barry Jenkins, will compete in supporting alongside her co-stars Sheila Atim, Jayme Lawson, Adrienne Warren and most prominent, Lashana Lynch. All of the male actors, including John Boyega, will be competing in supporting actor.
Beginning with “Gone with the Wind” (1939) duo Olivia de Havilland and winner Hattie McDaniel, who became the first...
- 9/26/2022
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
As the filmmaking team for “The Woman King” travels to Brazil to promote the historical epic, Viola Davis and her husband and producing partner Julius Tennon are celebrating the success of the film’s no. 1 debut at the box office, grossing 19 million domestically.
The film had its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival on Sept. 10, followed by opening in theaters one week later. It’s one of the rare films where critics and general audiences given it a similarly positive reception, with a 95 critics score and 99 audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. It even pulled off an “A+” Cinema Score.
Davis emphasizes that the story of “The Woman King” can connect to all audiences, not only Black women.
“There was a sense that our stories aren’t universal and can’t reach the white man or woman or the Hispanic man or woman,” Davis tells Variety. “I feel human stories are for everyone,...
The film had its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival on Sept. 10, followed by opening in theaters one week later. It’s one of the rare films where critics and general audiences given it a similarly positive reception, with a 95 critics score and 99 audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. It even pulled off an “A+” Cinema Score.
Davis emphasizes that the story of “The Woman King” can connect to all audiences, not only Black women.
“There was a sense that our stories aren’t universal and can’t reach the white man or woman or the Hispanic man or woman,” Davis tells Variety. “I feel human stories are for everyone,...
- 9/19/2022
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
It took the combined talents of four Grammy winners, a symphony orchestra and a choir of African-American opera singers to make “The Woman King” resonate with the sounds of 19th-century West Africa.
“This was one of those once-in-a-lifetime films,” says composer Terence Blanchard of director Gina Prince-Bythewood’s project, for which he wrote a powerful score – the likes of which haven’t been heard in a period African film since Quincy Jones’ “Roots” 45 years ago.
“All of your experiences lead you to this moment, to work on something like this,” says the two-time Oscar nominee and five-time Grammy winner. “As soon as I saw it, I was floored. I looked at these characters as the founding DNA of all the strong African-American women I experienced growing up.”
“The Woman King” is set in 1823 Dahomey, a West African kingdom now known as the nation of Benin. Viola Davis plays the leader...
“This was one of those once-in-a-lifetime films,” says composer Terence Blanchard of director Gina Prince-Bythewood’s project, for which he wrote a powerful score – the likes of which haven’t been heard in a period African film since Quincy Jones’ “Roots” 45 years ago.
“All of your experiences lead you to this moment, to work on something like this,” says the two-time Oscar nominee and five-time Grammy winner. “As soon as I saw it, I was floored. I looked at these characters as the founding DNA of all the strong African-American women I experienced growing up.”
“The Woman King” is set in 1823 Dahomey, a West African kingdom now known as the nation of Benin. Viola Davis plays the leader...
- 9/19/2022
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
“The Woman King” was reviewed by TheWrap out of the Toronto International Film Festival.
At first pass, “The Woman King” recalls those classic Disney animated fables. Though inspired by real-life warriors who guarded the Kingdom of Dahomey in 19th-century West Africa, the film hits many familiar notes: Ancient mythical land! Palace intrigue! Rebellious orphan! Tough-love mentors! Coming of age! Prince charming! Wicked villain! Good vs. evil showdown! It’s just that here, the tropes aren’t metaphors at all and the story isn’t an allegory.
In the Sony Pictures release, Oscar winner Viola Davis stars as General Nanisca, commander of the Agojie, an all-female army, and adviser to the young King Ghezo (John Boyega), who has recently ascended to the throne. The kingdom has been at war with the Oyo Empire, which routinely kidnaps Dahomey’s people and auctions them off to slave traders. Ghezo is himself complicit in this human trafficking,...
At first pass, “The Woman King” recalls those classic Disney animated fables. Though inspired by real-life warriors who guarded the Kingdom of Dahomey in 19th-century West Africa, the film hits many familiar notes: Ancient mythical land! Palace intrigue! Rebellious orphan! Tough-love mentors! Coming of age! Prince charming! Wicked villain! Good vs. evil showdown! It’s just that here, the tropes aren’t metaphors at all and the story isn’t an allegory.
In the Sony Pictures release, Oscar winner Viola Davis stars as General Nanisca, commander of the Agojie, an all-female army, and adviser to the young King Ghezo (John Boyega), who has recently ascended to the throne. The kingdom has been at war with the Oyo Empire, which routinely kidnaps Dahomey’s people and auctions them off to slave traders. Ghezo is himself complicit in this human trafficking,...
- 9/15/2022
- by Martin Tsai
- The Wrap
Writer-director Tyler Perry has been living with the screenplay for “A Jazzman’s Blues” for 27 years, longer than it takes most kids to grow up and move out of the house. Inspired by a chance meeting between Perry and playwright August Wilson in 1995, You can’t keep a good melodrama down.
A glowingly lensed Jim Crow-era drama, “Jazzman’s” not unlike “Green Book” or “The Help” — absent the pandering to white audiences’ anxiety about being (to paraphrase a meme) the baddies in this situation. There is one sympathetic white character, Holocaust survivor Ira (Ryan Eggold); his German accent is as exaggerated as the rest of the cast’s Southern drawls. But while the same folks who liked “Green Book” will likely enjoy “A Jazzman’s Blues,” Perry puts Black life in rural Georgia in the 1930s and ‘40s at the center of his story — no white intermediaries required.
We open on a modest clapboard home in Hopewell,...
A glowingly lensed Jim Crow-era drama, “Jazzman’s” not unlike “Green Book” or “The Help” — absent the pandering to white audiences’ anxiety about being (to paraphrase a meme) the baddies in this situation. There is one sympathetic white character, Holocaust survivor Ira (Ryan Eggold); his German accent is as exaggerated as the rest of the cast’s Southern drawls. But while the same folks who liked “Green Book” will likely enjoy “A Jazzman’s Blues,” Perry puts Black life in rural Georgia in the 1930s and ‘40s at the center of his story — no white intermediaries required.
We open on a modest clapboard home in Hopewell,...
- 9/13/2022
- by Katie Rife
- Indiewire
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