Priyanka Chopra wants to get south Asian stories “influxed” into Hollywood. The 38-year-old actress – who was born in Jamshedpur, India, but now lives in the US – is determined to see more diversity in the American movie business, after starring in Netflix’s new Indian drama ‘The White Tiger’. Priyanka – who married Nick Jonas in 2018 – explained: “I chased after this movie, actually, I read about it on Twitter. “I had read this book about a decade ago. I was very excited and profoundly moved by it so when I read about the fact that it was being made by Netflix, I got my agents to call the producers and offered my services.” Priyanka – who plays the role of Pinky Madam in the movie – relished the chance to make the film and bemoaned the general lack of diversity in the industry. She told Sky News: “Pinky as a part has really developed in the movie but I really wanted to be an executive producer on this to offer my support. And my belief is to be able to get South Asian stories influxed into Hollywood. “We don’t see enough representation in global entertainment, considering we’re one-fifth of the world’s population. So I was very, very excited to offer my support to this movie.” Priyanka has also revealed that Nick, 28, is a big fan of her new movie. The former Miss World admitted that her husband is a hugely supportive influence in her career. Asked if Nick is her biggest supporter, she replied: “Well, I would like to believe that family does that for each other. He does love this film, though. He’s a very big fan of the movie, I have to say.”
Tag: Bollywood
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Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher to star in Super Bowl commercial
The celebrity couple will feature in an advertisement for Cheetos and will reunite on screen for the first time since appearing together in ‘That ’70s Show’ during the big NFL clash on February 7. A cryptic teaser for the commercial shows Mila standing in a dark room and giving a dramatic monologue to the camera. The 37-year-old actress tearfully says: “What exactly are you insinuating? You think that I would do that to you, to go behind your back after everything that we’ve been through? I can’t even look at you.” The ‘Bad Moms’ star abruptly breaks character and turns to face rapper Shaggy – who is unimpressed with her performance.
In the clip seen by People, he tells her: “Just stick to the line I gave you.”
The Hollywood star then begins to practice the monologue again as Shaggy’s hit ‘It Wasn’t Me’ plays in the background.
Another clip showed Ashton, 42, opening an envelope with black and white photographs and an empty bag of Cheetos’ new Crunch Pop Mix. Meanwhile, Mila previously revealed that she discovered new things about Ashton during the coronavirus lockdown – particularly how he is better homeschooling their children.
Mila – who has Wyatt, six, and Dimitri, four – said: “It’s really hard to learn things about each other 20 years into a friendship. “We’re homeschooling our kids now. We’re piggybacking on what the school’s Zoom sessions are doing and extending on that. And I have learned about myself, I am not a good teacher.
“I clearly don’t have that skill set, but my husband is fantastic at it, so I think that’s something I’ve learned about you – although you’ve always been good at explaining things, so I guess that’s understandable.”
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Justin Timberlake announces birth of second son with Jessica Biel
Actor-singer Justin Timberlake has revealed that his wife, Jessica Biel, gave birth to their second child last year. He also revealed the name of the baby boy: Phineas. In an appearance on Ellen DeGeneres’ show, he said that they are ‘thrilled’ and ‘couldn’t be happier’. The couple’s first son, Silas, was born in 2015. “He’s awesome and he’s so cute … and nobody’s sleeping,” he told Ellen, who recalled the time when she he told her about the baby being on the way. “I think we were FaceTiming and you said, ‘Hey, you want to know a secret?’ and then Jessica walked in and you put your hand on her stomach. You were like, ‘I’m having another baby’,” she said. This comes a year after rumours of the couple’s marriage being on the rocks did the rounds after Timberlake was photographed in a compromising position with a co-star. He had issued an apology to his wife, and wrote in an Instagram post, “A few weeks ago I displayed a strong lapse in judgment — but let me be clear — nothing happened between me and my costar. I drank way too much that night and I regret my behavior. I should have known better.”
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Tandav makers agree to changes, thank I&B ‘guidance’
FOLLOWING a second meeting with the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Tuesday, the makers of Tandav said they had decided to drop certain scenes from the Amazon Prime web series. In a statement announcing the same, the makers thanked the ministry for its “guidance” on the issue. The makers of the political drama, along with representatives of Amazon Prime, had been called for the second video-conference meeting by the I&B Ministry after they were asked to explain their stand on Monday, on the number of complaints the ministry said it had received. The show’s director, Ali Abbas Zafar, who was present for both meetings as per sources, tweeted on Tuesday evening that they will make changes to “address the concerns raised”. He said, “The cast & crew of Tandav have made the decision to implement the changes to the web series to address the concerns raised towards the same. We thank the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for the guidance & support in the matter. We once again apologise if the series has unintentionally hurt anybody’s sentiments.” He added, “We have utmost respect for the sentiments of the people of our country. We did not intend to hurt or offend the sentiments of any individual, caste, community, race, religion or religious beliefs, or insult or outrage any institution, political party or person, living or dead.”
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Nora Fatehi flaunts her culinary skill in Dubai, watch viral video
Actress Nora Fatehi took to social media to share a video of herself cooking up a storm in Dubai. The actress is seen helping Turkish Chef Burak Ozdemir perform a few tricks in public as they dished up some delicious delights. The actress joined famed chef Burak Ozdemir at his Turkish-Middle Eastern restaurant at the Boulevard Point in Dubai. In the video, she is seen performing a few visually pleasing techniques under the supervision of the chef and aces a pot flip on her own. Nora was enjoying the evenings entertaining activities and also was seen sitting inside the restaurant to feast upon her well-deserved meal. She captioned the video saying, The flip was on point thank you @cznburak for the lovely surprise and the warm hospitality! I had fun last night. The Chef responded to the tweet and said: We love you. The actress who is known for her amazing dance skills was last seen in Street Dancer 3D along with Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor. Her next upcoming film is Bhuj: The Pride Of India with Ajay Devgn.
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Deepika confirms SRK’s return to big screen with Pathan
It was only recently that Shah Rukh Khan had announced returning to the big screen after in 2021. However, he did not divulge details about his comeback project. Now, after much speculations, Deepika Padukone confirmed SRK’s casting in Pathan. In an interview with Femina, Deepika confirmed the project with Shah Rukh and Prabhas and shared details about her upcoming films. She said, “So, I immediately started with Shakun Batra’s film, which is a relationship story that we haven’t seen in Indian cinema before. Then there is Pathan, an action film with Shah Rukh Khan, next is Nag Ashwin’s multilinual film with Prabhas.
“Then I am doing which is a remake of Anne Hathaway’s movie The Intern, which is so relevant in today’s times when you have the millennial and the older generation coming together. And then, the most famous story coming out of our country, Mahabharata, in which I am playing Draupadi; I want to tell that story to the world.”
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Anne Hathaway reveals her preferred name
Anne Hathaway prefers to be called Annie. The 38-year-old actress has been known as Anne for her entire Hollywood career, but has said she regrets telling the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) she wanted to be known by her full name, because she prefers being called Annie. She said: “Call me Annie, everybody, everybody, call me Annie, please. It’s … can we talk about my name for a second? “When I was 14 years old, I did a commercial, and I had to get my SAG card and they asked me, ‘What do you want your name to be?’ And I was like, ‘Well, it should be my name. My name’s Anne Hathaway.’ So that seemed like the right choice, but it never occurred to me that for the rest of my life, people will call me Anne.”
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Halle Berry: Having Black role models in Hollywood is ‘so important’
Halle Berry says having Black role models in film and television was “very important” to her growing up. The ‘Catwoman’ star has insisted it’s “crucial” for Hollywood to create content with diverse casts, as being able to look up to actresses such as Lena Horne, Dorothy Dandridge, and Diahann Carroll when she was younger helped to “rearrange” her into the woman she is today. Speaking in the upcoming PBS documentary ‘American Masters: How It Feels to Be Free’, she said: “I really struggled to find images of Black women or women that I could identify with. Early on, I remember seeing Lena Horne in ‘Stormy Weather’. I remember seeing Dorothy Dandridge in ‘Carmen Jones’. And then a little after that, I remember seeing Diahann Carroll in ‘Julia’ and that just rearranged me. “Seeing Diahann Carroll being the star of a show and playing a mother who was a nurse, who was educated, who was beautiful, just rearranged me and it made me realise I had value and I could turn to every week, a woman that looked like who I would aspire to be when I grew up. “I was a Black child being raised by a white woman, so I didn’t have those images in my household. Finding them on television and through movies became very, very crucial to me.” ‘American Masters: How It Feels to Be Free’ is set to premiere on January 18, and tells the story of how six women – Horne, Carroll, Abbey Lincoln, Nina Simone, Cicely Tyson, and Pam Grier – broke through an entertainment industry hell-bent on keeping them out and looks at their activism as precursor to contemporary movements like #BlackLivesMatter.
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Gwyneth Paltrow is ‘uncomfortable’ with fame
Gwyneth Paltrow isn’t “comfortable” with being a “public person”. The ‘Shakespeare in Love’ star has been taking on fewer acting roles in recent years, with her most recent film role being in 2019’s ‘Avengers: Endgame’, and has now admitted the reason she’s begun to take a step back is because she’s no longer sure she wants to pursue an acting career. She said: “I think lot of that also comes from the fact that I and this is something that I think I realised later in life like I actually haven’t been that comfortable being a public person or being in front of the camera even though I’ve done it for so long. There’s a part of me that really feels shy and doesn’t feel like I’m naturally an extrovert …
“I started doing it so young … I went for a long time before I asked myself like do I like this job? Am I comfortable doing this? Do I want to be an actor?”
And the Goop founder, 48, also said the only way she’d return to acting is if she was to work on something made by her writer and producer husband, Brad Falchuk. She told Naomi Campbell on her ‘#NoFilterWithNaomi’ YouTube series: “Someone said what is it going to take to get you acting again? And I said I have to be ‘f******’ the writer!’ ‘But that’s sort of it if my husband writes something and he wants me to do it then I’ll do it. I could never say never. I would like to go back on stage one day I really loved doing theatre.”
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Priyanka is excited as The White Tiger makers send her name for awards season
Actor Priyanka Chopra is excited about her upcoming Netflix movie, The White Tiger. On Wednesday, she took to Instagram to share pictures and videos of the screener package she had received for the movie.
Also attached with the screener was a ‘For Your Consideration’ leaflet, asking awards academies, associations and other organisations to consider the film and its team for the upcoming awards season. Priyanka’s name was submitted in the Best Actress in a Supporting Role while her co-star Rajkummar Rao’s name was submitted in Best Actor in a Supporting Role category. The film’s lead, Adarsh Gourav, was championed for the Best Actor in a Leading Role category while Divine and others were asked to be considered in the Best Original Song category for their song, Jungle Mantra. Director Ramin Bahrani and multiple others’ names have also been submitted in different categories.
Sharing the leaflet on Instagram Stories, Priyanka added by fire effects and wrote, “And then I saw this!!” Adarsh, too, reposted her video on his Instagram page. Rajkummar, meanwhile, shared a picture of a large billboard, bearing the film’s poster in New York City. The White Tiger opened to largely positive reviews last week. It released in select theatres in the US and will start streaming on Netflix on January 22. Based on the Man Booker Prize-winning novel by the same name, it is being called among the few frontrunners this awards season.
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Saif allows shooting inside Pataudi Palace exclusively for ‘Tandav’
Saif Ali Khan will be next seen in the Amazon Prime Video’s Tandav. The actor shot for the series at his own ancestral palace in Pataudi. While the actor allows film crews to shoot outside Pataudi Palace, he had never allowed shooting inside his property before Tandav. Saif said that he made an exception for Tandav. Tandav is an upcoming political drama web series directed by Ali Abbas Zafar. In the show, Saif will be seen as an ambitious politician with his eyes at the Prime Minister’s chair. Since he belongs to a family of powerful leaders, a palace-like house was required for which Saif Ali Khan’s ancestral palace in Pataudi, Haryana, was chosen. While Saif Ali Khan has rented out the Pataudi Palace a couple of times, he says that it still makes him nervous. Speaking to Mid-day, Saif said, “I don’t mind giving it for shoots sometimes because it remains unused 340 days of the year. These days, film crews have become responsible and look after the venues, but [the idea of a shoot] still makes me nervous. Usually, I am more comfortable if they are filming around the exterior of the palace. But for Tandav, I made an exception [by shooting inside.” -
Hrithik Roshan and Deepika announce their first film together
Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone and director Siddharth Anand put all rumours to rest as they announce their collaboration together today with the film Fighter, on the occasion of Hrithik’s birthday. The Greek God of Bollywood took to his social media handle to introduce Fighter with a motion poster and a sweet note introducing Siddharth’s production house MARFLIX and Deepika. His caption read, “Presenting a glimpse of the MARFLIX vision as #Fighter! Looking forward to my first flight alongside the exceptional @deepikapadukone. All buckled up for this Sid Anand joyride. #SiddharthAnand.” Hrithik’s emotional note for director Siddharth read, “It is an honour for me as an actor to introduce & be a part of Mamta & Sid Anand’s FIRST PRODUCTION #Fighter for MARFLIX! This one is special as it deepens my association with a director and friend whose journey I have witnessed from being an AD on my sets, to directing me in Bang Bang & War. And now as he turns producer for FIGHTER, I cant seem to contain my excitement. This one is pure adrenaline for the heart and mind. So here goes ! BOOM Thank you Sid, for believing in me & making me your co-passenger yet again. Here’s to your journey towards the sky.” It’s a casting coup that Siddharth has pulled off by getting two of the most talented and good looking actors of the Indian film industry together for the very first time, Hrithik and Deepika, for this highly stylized action film. Deepika seems to be on a film signing spree with another big film added to her kitty. The actress took to her social media sharing the asset and her caption read as, “Dreams really do come true… #Fighter #SiddharthAnand @HrithikRoshan #Marflix.”
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Anushka-Virat requests paparazzi to not click photos of their daughter
Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli became parents to a baby girl on January 11. Since then, fans of the couple have been waiting to catch the first glimpse of the newborn baby. But, Virushka, as their fans fondly address them, wants to protect the privacy of their child and hence have requested photographers in Mumbai not to click photos of their daughter. In a statement, Virat and Anushka said, “Hi, Thank you for all the love that you have given us for all these years. We are happy to celebrate this momentous occasion with you. As parents, we have a simple request to make to you. We want to protect the privacy of our child and we need your help and support.“ The couple promised the paparazzi all the ‘content’ featuring them but urged the photographers to not “take any content that has our child.” “While, we will always ensure that you get all the content you need featuring us, we would request you to kindly not take or carry any content that has our child. We know that you will understand where we are coming from and we thank you for the same,” Virushka added.
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Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber splash $10 million on Miami Beach home
The 54-year-old supermodel and her businessman husband, 58, are believed to have splashed out on the midcentury-modern house, which is situated in Miami Beach, Florida, on a stretch of land that’s a known favourite among celebrities.
According to a real estate source – who reported the news to People magazine – the couple spent $9.6 million on the property, which has five bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms, and almost 4,000 square feet of living space.
The property was built in the 1950s and sits on a lot with more than 100 feet of water frontage. -
Vanessa Hudgens dating MLB star Cole Tucker
Vanessa Hudgens is reportedly dating Cole Tucker. The 32-year-old actress was first linked to the baseball player, 24, back in November, and sources have now said the couple are officially “boyfriend and girlfriend”.
An insider told E! News: “They are boyfriend and girlfriend. They rang in the New Year together.”
When the pair were spotted together in November, other insiders had claimed they enjoyed a “romantic dinner” together, and said Vanessa was “giddy with laughter” and “couldn’t contain her smile”.
One source said: “They had a romantic dinner outside under the stars. They shared wine and food and had a great two-hour meal. Vanessa was giddy with laughter. She was looking over at Cole and couldn’t contain her smile.”
The news comes almost exactly a year after the ‘High School Musical’ alum split from her longterm boyfriend Austin Butler in January 2020, after nearly nine years together. Also in November, before she was spotted with Cole, Vanessa had said she was interested in finding a partner who shares “similar fundamentals” to her. She explained: “Your girl’s open. I feel like at the end of the day, it’s just about having similar fundamentals and wanting the same things. Like, I am not picky, really.” The ‘Spring Breakers’ actress – who also previously dated her former ‘High School Musical’ co-star Zac Efron – also revealed she’d probably prefer to find a boyfriend who isn’t “in the public eye”. She added: “I know what I want and I’m like, if someone comes into the picture and can give me all those things, then great, it doesn’t matter if they’re in the public eye or not – if anything I prefer them not to be but we’ll see, we’ll see.” -
Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles spark dating rumors
Actor-director Olivia Wilde and singer-actor Harry Styles have reportedly been dating for “a few weeks”. The duo was photographed holding hands at a friend’s wedding, sparking dating rumors.
A source told People magazine, Wilde, 36 and Styles were in Montecito, California, this weekend for a wedding.
“They were affectionate around their friends, held hands, and looked very happy. They have dated for a few weeks,” the insider added. Post the wedding, Wilde and Styles, 26, were spotted at the former One Direction member’s LA home with luggage in tow. They recently worked together on the film Don’t Worry Darling, which Styles starred in and Wilde directed.
Styles, who made his feature film acting debut with Christopher Nolan’s 2017 war drama Dunkirk, replaced Shia LaBeouf in the psychological thriller last September.
Don’t Worry Darling is set in an isolated, utopian community in the 1950s California desert. The film also stars Florence Pugh, Chris Pine, Gemma Chan, with Wilde in a supporting role. -
On Deepika’s birthday, Ranveer posts adorable picture of her as baby
Actor Ranveer Singh has shared a baby picture of wife Deepika Padukone on her birthday. “My jaan, my life, my gudiya. Happy birthday!!! @deepikapadukone,” he wrote in his caption.
The picture, shared on social media on Tuesday evening, showed a toddler Deepika wearing a cream-coloured sweater. Deepika and Ranveer tied the knot in 2018, after meeting on the sets of their film Goliyon Ki Raasleela – Ram Leela. Earlier in the day, they were spotted out on brunch, twinning in tracksuits. While Deepika wore a brown ensemble with sunglasses, Ranveer was spotted in a grey tracksuit. Both made sure to wear masks.
The couple recently returned from a quick New Year’s trip to Ranthambore. Sharing a collection of images and videos from the vacation, Deepika posted on Instagram, “What my New Years looked like…” Deepika and Ranveer were joined in Ranthambore by her parents Prakash and Ujjala Padukone, and sister Anisha. Also in Ranthambore were Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt with their families. In a 2018 interview to Filmfare, Deepika said that she had serious trust issues when she first met Ranveer, and even though she liked him, she didn’t want to fully commit. “It was not about him. It was about whether I was ready to commit to a relationship. Because I’d been in several relationships before and many times my trust was broken. When I met Ranveer, I was exhausted,” she said. -
Ranbir Kapoor to star in Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s crime drama Animal
Actor Ranbir Kapoor is all set to play the lead role in Kabir Singh fame Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s next directorial Animal. The makers of the crime drama took to social media to share a video announcing the film.
In the video, Ranbir’s voiceover hints at Animal being an intense drama. Also, towards the end, we get to hear incessant gunshots which suggest some good action sequences.
Ranbir Kapoor agreed to star in Animal as soon as director Sandeep Reddy Vanga narrated the story. Eager to start the filming, Ranbir shared, “During the pandemic, we all got some time to introspect and choose films that are close to our hearts. So when Sandeep narrated the story, I grew close to the character and was immediately keen on doing the role. I’m a huge admirer of both of his movies and really looking forward to our creative collaboration. Bhushan sir is one of the producers who is backing strong, entertaining cinema and his immense knowledge of music will be seen in Animal. I am so grateful to work with such a great ensemble cast. I can’t wait to start shoot for Animal.” Besides Ranbir Kapoor, Animal will also star Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol and Parineeti Chopra. The dialogues of the film will be penned by writers Siddharth and Garima who were a part of Shahid Kapoor-starrer Kabir Singh as well. -
Disha Patani to play Jackie Shroff’s sister in Radhe!
She might be rumoured to be dating actor Tiger Shroff, but on the sets of Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai, actor Disha Patani’s relationship with Shroff’s dad, actor Jackie Shroff, changed. News is that Patani is playing senior Shroff’s sister in film that stars Salman Khan.
The duo also starred in the other Salman Khan film, Bharat (2019), but neither had any scenes with each other. Patani and Shroff have multiple scenes in the upcoming film directed by Prabhu Deva and they had a pleasant time working with each other, in roles unlike their personal lives. “In Bharat, they did not get a chance to share the screen but now in Radhe- The Most Wanted Bhai, they will be seen in multiple scenes in the action film, playing the role of an elder brother and younger sister,” reveals a source. (Source: HT) -
Kriti Sanon fulfills her dream of riding a bike to this song
Kriti Sanon recently got to fulfill one of her dreams and the video shared by her on Instagram is proof how happy the actor was to be able to accomplish her goal. She is seen riding a bike in the video and shared it with the Lucky Ali song Hairat playing in the background.
She wrote along with the video, “Four wheels Move the body, Two wheels Move the soul.. P.S. I always wanted to ride a bike with this song playing in the background!” The Bareilly Ki Barfi actor is seen in a brown high-neck and denims, with a helmet and knee pads while confidently riding a back on an empty road. A team member is seen riding on another bike behind her. Her industry colleagues and fans were all praise for the actor as her happiness was clearly visible in the video. It received more than 870000 likes within a few hours, including one each from Arjun Kapoor and Ayushmann Khurrana. Preity Zinta dropped multiple fire emojis while Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari shared a heart in reaction to the video. Dia Mirza commented, “Arrey waah”, Varun Sharma wrote, “Gedddddiiiiii.” When one of Kriti’s friends asked her when did she learn to ride the bike, the actor answered, “this is day 1 of learning,” along with a laughing emoji. -
NY Social Justice Film Fest 2021
By Mabel Pais
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. WEEKEND (January 14-18, 2021)
Festival promotes Social Action and Positive Change through Films, Special Events, and Conversations to Celebrate the Legacy of Dr. King
GEETA GANDBHIR’S ‘HUNGRY TO LEARN’
In Film Slate
“As we observe the Martin Luther King Day weekend, we’re proud to support a film festival that seeks to bend our attention to the vision of a more just and equitable world.” – Anne del Castillo: Commissioner, – NYC Mayor’s Office / Media and Entertainment
“When we launched Cinematters: NY Social Justice Film Festival in January 2020, we were blown away by participants’ passion for some of today’s most pressing issues,” – Isaac Zablocki, Director: The Carole Zabar Center for Film, Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
The 2nd Annual Cinematters: NY Social Justice Film Festival, in collaboration with the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan announces the lineup for the Fest, which runs virtually January 14-18, 2021.
“The ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement and the resulting conversations around ending systemic racism have reaffirmed the crucial need for events such as this, which create an opportunity to learn, discuss, and advocate as a community for a better future,” said Isaac Zablocki.
Building on the success of the inaugural event and national conversations around racial and social justice this year, the festival will present impactful films and conversations exploring inequality, injustice, advocacy, and social responsibility through the lens of issues such as racial discrimination, LGTBQIA+ rights, environmental justice, immigrants’ rights, women’s rights, and religious intolerance.
Cinematters: NY Social Justice Film Festival Screening Lineup:
OPENING NIGHT
MLK/FBI
Dir: Sam Pollard l USA l 2020 l Doc l 1h 44m
Martin Luther King/J. Edgar Hoover (Photo / DOC NYC 2020)
‘MLK/FBI,’ is the highly anticipated film and screened before its official release date January 15. Based on newly declassified files, Pollard’s resonant film explores FBI director J. Edgar Hoover’s relentless campaign of surveillance and harassment against Martin Luther King, Jr. Today, when Dr. King is celebrated across political spectrums as a moral hero, it’s jolting to confront the years when US agents targeted him as a villain. Inspired by the work of historian David Garrow, the film uses recently declassified files to study the FBI’s motives and methods. A Q&A with Sam Pollard, follows.
CLOSING NIGHT
JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE
Dir: Dawn Porter l USA l 2020 l Doc l 1h 36m
John Lewis, Congressman (Photo: DOC NYC 2020) ‘John Lewis: Good Trouble’ chronicles the life and career of the legendary civil rights activist and Democratic Representative from Georgia, John Lewis. The film is a tribute to one of Dr. King’s peers and fellow civil rights activists. It explores the 60-plus years of John Lewis’ social activism and legislative action on civil rights, voting rights, gun control, health care reform, and immigration, leaving viewers—and the festival as a whole—with the urgent message that we must act now for a better, more just tomorrow.
SHORTS
HIGH SCORE
DIRS: Serena Ryen & Ethan Itzkow l USA l 2020 l Narr l 16m
After a young man is fired from his job as a result of his casually offensive behavior, he finds the perfect people to blame: minorities. Newly inspired by the white supremacist ideology of the “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory, we watch as he sinks into the darkest pits of the internet and takes the ideas he finds there as his own. View the trailer youtu.be/oLMlf07xufk
IMAGINING THE INDIAN
DIRS: Aviva Kempner & Ben West l USA l 2020 l Doc l NYC Premiere l 22m
‘Imagining the Indian’ examines the ongoing movement surrounding the use of Native American names, logos, and mascots in the world of sports and beyond. Learn more at imaginingtheindianfilm.org
THE SACRIFICE ZONE
DIR: JULIE WINOKUR l USA l 2020 l Narr Doc l 32m
‘The Sacrifice Zone’ refers to The Ironbound district of Newark, New Jersey, which is one of the most toxic neighborhoods in the country. Maria Lopez-Nuñez, a Honduran-American resident there, is waging a war for environmental justice. She is part of the Ironbound Community Corporation, one of the most effective environmental justice organizations in the country. The film follows Maria as she leads a group of environmental justice fighters determined to break the cycle of poor communities of color serving as dumping grounds for our consumer society.
Watch the trailer player.vimeo.com/video/471460408?
Learn more at thesacrificezone.org
FEATURES
HUNGRY TO LEARN
DIR: GEETA GANDBHIR l USA l 2020 l Doc l 1h 25m
A scene from ‘Hungry To Learn.’ (Photo : DOC NYC 2019) ‘Hungry To Learn,’ by director Geeta Gandbhir is a poignant film about youth and food insecurity. It is the story of three American college students and a professor facing up to the painful reality that college tuition has gotten so high that some students can’t afford to pay it and also eat. This film explains how we got here and the high price paid on campuses around the country. To learn more, visit soledadobrienproductions.com/hungerfilm
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI
DIR: REGINA KING l USA l 2020 l Narrative l 1h 54m
‘One Night in Miami’ is a special presentation of Oscar-winning actor Regina King’s directorial narrative feature debut. A fictional account of one incredible night where icons Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown gathered to discuss their roles in the civil rights movement and cultural upheaval of the ‘60s.
NEVERTHELESS
DIR: Sarah Moshman l USA l 2020 l Doc l 1h 19m
‘NEVERTHELESS,’ takes a look behind the headlines of #MeToo and Time’s Up, ‘Nevertheless’ follows the intimate stories of seven individuals who have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace or in a school context. Co-presented by Film Fatales.
MISSING IN BROOKS COUNTY
DIRS: LISA MOLOMOT & JEFF BERNISS l USA l 2020 l Doc l 1h 21m
The epicenter for migrant deaths in the United States isn’t on the border—it’s in Brooks County, Texas, 70 miles north of the Rio Grande. Two families arrive here to search for their missing loved ones and find a haunted land and very few answers. To learn more, visit missinginbrookscounty.com
BREAKING FAST
DIR: Mike Mosallam l USA l 2020 l Narr l 1h 32m
‘Breaking Fast’ is a romantic comedy that follows Mo, a practicing Muslim still reeling from heartbreak. The film is set against the twinkling lights of West Hollywood. When the all-American Kal offers to join Mo in his nightly Iftars (the traditional meal eaten by Muslims during Ramadan), the two start to discover that they have more in common than meets the eye.
THE CONDOR & THE EAGLE
DIRS: Sophie Guerra & Clement Guerra l USA l 2019 l Doc l 1h 30m
‘The Condor & The Eagle’ features Indigenous leaders deploying unparalleled global response and takes us on an adventure to unite the peoples of the Americas and deepen the meaning of “justice” while learning from each other’s long legacy of resistance to colonialism and its extractive economy. To learn more, visit thecondorandtheeagle.com
LOS HERMANOS / THE BROTHERS – Divided by Politics. United by Music
DIRS: Marcia Jarmel & Ken Schneider l USA l 2020 l Doc l 1h 24m
‘Los Hermanos’ is a film about virtuoso Afro-Cuban-born brothers—violinist Ilmar and pianist Aldo who live on opposite sides of a geopolitical chasm a half-century wide. Tracking their parallel lives in New York and Havana, their poignant reunion, and their momentous first performances together, this film offers a nuanced, often startling view of estranged nations through the lens of music and family.
Listen to Aldo Lopez Gavilian play the piano at youtu.be/rMgHMPZ9l7Y
Listen to “Pan con Timba” by Aldo Lopez-Gavilan (with violinist Ilmar) and the Harlem Quartet at youtu.be/SdiGXL9FeFk
To learn more, visit hermanosbrothersfilm.info
BLACK BOYS
DIR: Sonia Lowman l USA l 2020 l Doc l 1h 35m
‘Black Boys,’ a film for this historic moment, exposes the dehumanization of Black males in America at the intersection of sports, education, and criminal justice in a nation still struggling to rectify its past.
SHARED LEGACIES
DIR: Shari Rogers l USA l 2020 l Doc l 1h 35m
In ‘Shared Legacies,’ the crucial historical lessons of Black-Jewish cooperation are revisited and revived in this utterly fascinating and urgent call to action. Common cause was found in the turbulent ‘60s Civil Rights era, as Jewish leaders backed Dr. King’s efforts at racial equality and harmony. Yet, the relationship has frayed in recent years, as a once mighty bond of support and respect has seemingly faded, been forgotten or ignored. Shared Legacies is a collaboration between the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, the Jewish Museum, and Film at Lincoln Center.
TICKETS
The early bird full festival pass that includes access to all conversations and films, can be streamed on demand during the event. Tickets for individual screenings are also available.
For more information, up-to-date schedule, speaker information and tickets, visit cinematters.film
About Cinematters: NY Social Justice Film Festival
The Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan’s Cinematters: NY Social Justice Film Festival presents impactful films that engage the community toward a more democratic, inclusive, and just society. In the spirit of Dr. King’s legacy, the Center’s goal is to promote social action that leads to positive change in our society and beyond. For updates and more information, visit mmjccm.org/arts-film/film/cinematters
About The Carole Zabar Center for Film
The JCC’s film program showcases films that promote change and examine important topics. The Center hosts four film festivals: The ReelAbilities Film Festival: New York, The Other Israel Film Festival, the Israel Film Center Festival, and the Cinematters: NY Social Justice Film Festival. To learn more, visit mmjccm.org/node/8331
About The Joseph Stern Center for Social Responsibility
The Joseph Stern Center for Social Responsibility educates, inspires, and empowers people to work toward a better and fairer world through learning, volunteering, and activism. To learn more, visit mmjccm.org/node/8326
About the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Together with its community, the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan creates opportunities for people to connect, grow, and learn within an ever-changing landscape. The cornerstone of progressive programming in Manhattan, the JCC has been committed to serving the community by offering programs, classes, and events that reach beyond neighborhood boundaries, reaching people at all stages of their lives. Learn more at mmjccm.org
(Mabel Pais writes on Social Issues, The Arts and Entertainment, Spirituality, and Health & Wellness)
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FILM FESTIVAL ALLIANCECREATES FILMEX
By Mabel Pais
A Virtual Gathering Of Film Exhibitors Of All Kinds
January 11-15, 2021
Gray Rodriguez (Photo : Film Festival Alliance) 
Barbara Twist (Photo : Film Festival Alliance) The Film Festival Alliance (FFA) has created FilmEx, a virtual gathering of talks, panels, and presentations focusing on innovation, technological analysis, and methods to promote equity and inclusion in the film festival industry and independent film exhibition space. The FFA also continued its growth as an organization, adding Gray Rodriguez as Director of Communications and promoting Barbara Twist to the role of Associate Director from her previously held post as Director of Membership.
The FFA has stepped up to host what has become an annual touchstone gathering event for the national film festival and independent film exhibition community and industry. They are currently accepting applications for prospective speakers. FilmEx speaker forms can be found at forms.gle/jo7jq8sC14jd47Rm7. Registration is open. The Film Festival Alliance Executive Director Lela Meadow-Conner, said, “FilmEx will set the tone for the year to come, bringing everyone in the ever-growing film festival and art house cinema communities together in the virtual space we are all currently inhabiting, to share new ideas, methods, and business practices, as our members and others continue to innovate the ways in which we present films, and benefit filmmakers, distributors and audiences. We hope to join the voices of experience and bring new ones to the table, to look at the ways in which we move forward and the opportunities that exist for change.”
Among the FilmEx topics informed by, but not limited to, the experiences of film festivals dealing with the realities of operating during the pandemic, will be; Building Loyalty & Audience Engagement in the Virtual Spaces; Next Level Grant Writing; Balancing Sponsorship in the Virtual & IRL Worlds; Redefining Success from An Experiential POV; Confronting Reduced Bandwidth & Oversaturation; Staffing Sustainability: Retention in the Age of Covid; and Rethinking Programming Categories & Barriers.
For more information on the Film Festival Alliance, visit filmfestivalalliance.org
ABOUT FILM FESTIVAL ALLIANCE
Film Festival Alliance (FFA) creates a collaborative global community for mission-driven film festivals. FFA advocates for a sustainable and inclusive environment for the industry within the cinema exhibition ecosystem and creates a powerful collective voice for film festivals and the people who run them. To learn more, visit filmfestivalalliance.org
(Mabel Pais writes on Social Issues, The Arts and Entertainment, Spirituality, and Health & Wellness)
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Robert Pattinson’s challenges of taking on Batman avatar
Actor Robert Pattinson is reportedly being pushed to his limits by director Matt Reeves while shooting the much-anticipated upcoming superhero film, ‘The Batman’. Pattinson takes over the role of the caped crusader from Hollywood star Ben Affleck in the new film and several sources have shared that filming has become a gruelling process with Reeves making Pattinson do over 50 takes, leaving him exhausted.
“Filming has been a gruelling process, especially for Robert, as Matt is such a perfectionist. He’ll insist on doing scenes over and over again and get bogged down in the tiny detail. Sometimes it’s like he doesn’t know when to stop,” said a source. Reeves is known for directing Cloverfield in 2008, besides 2014’s ‘Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes’ and its sequel ‘War For The Planet Of The Apes’.
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Emma Thompson criticizes casting older men with younger women
Veteran actor Emma Thompson has called out the double standard in Hollywood movies of pairing young women with older men, while staying away from doing the opposite. The 61-year-old actor believes the industry is still averse to the idea of older women romancing younger men and her upcoming comedy Good Luck To You, Leo Grande challenges that mindset.
“It’s completely acceptable for George Clooney, who is delightful, to have someone who is 40 years younger than him or 30 years younger than him. If I have someone playing opposite me in a romantic way, they have to exhume someone, because I’m 61 now. Do you see what I mean? It’s completely and utterly unbalanced,” she said on the podcast CultureBlast. In the Sophie Hyde-directed movie, Thompson will play a 55-year-old widow Nancy Stokes who hires a sex worker in his early 20s.
The actor said it will be “very interesting” for her to play the character and she is looking forward to the audience’s reaction to the film.
“If Leo Grande, the film that we make, speaks to people and people aren’t averse to seeing someone who’s 61 largely naked with a very much younger person, it’s going to be very interesting. We’ve got to keep being brave about that,” she added.
Good Luck To You, Leo Grande is based on an original screenplay by British Comedy award winner Katy Brand.
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Wonder Woman 3 in the works, Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot to return
Warner Bros has officially greenlit a third Wonder Woman movie. The film will bring back Patty Jenkins as the director and Gal Gadot as the DC superhero. While Jenkins had maintained that she had already mapped out Wonder Woman 3, she began to have doubts due to the pandemic and the resulting disruption in theatrical business. This is the first official confirmation. Warner Bros. chief Toby Emmerich said in a statement, “As fans around the world continue to embrace Diana Prince, driving the strong opening weekend performance of ‘Wonder Woman 1984,’ we are excited to be able to continue her story with our real life Wonder Women — Gal and Patty — who will return to conclude the long-planned theatrical trilogy.” Meanwhile, Wonder Woman 1984 hit Indian theatres on December 24. The film brings back Gal Gadot’s Diana Prince and also Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor. It pits the superhero against Kristen Wiig’s Cheetah and Pedro Pascal’s Maxwell Lord.
