‘Ammonite’ Director Francis Lee to Receive NewFest’s Inaugural World Queer Visionary Award (EXCLUSIVE)

Thomas Jefferson Byrd was an actor known for roles in Spike Lee films including “Clockers” and “Get on the Bus.”Byrd worked with Lee in a number of the acclaimed director’s films, beginning with 1995’s “Clockers,” in which he played a drug lord’s enforcer. Byrd would return to the big screen in Lee’s “Girl 6” (1996), “Get on the Bus” (1996), “He Got Game” (1998), “Bamboozled” (2000), “Red Hook Summer” (2012), “Da Sweet Blood of Jesus” (2014) and “Chi-Raq” (2015).

Naman Ramachandran Ang Lee leads Taipei masterclasses; ITV Studios/Something Special strike formats deal; Sky hires “The Office” producer Anil Gupta; U.K.

Spike Lee is paying tribute to late actorThomas Jefferson Byrd, who starredin a myriad of the director's films including Clockers, He Got Game and Red Hook Summer. Lee took to Instagram Sunday to reveal that Byrd was murdered Saturday night in Atlanta, Georgia.In his post, Lee shared a photo of Thomas as the character Errol Barnes in his 1995 film, Clockers.

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorDrive-ins are coming to Hollywood.Post 43, the historic American Legion memorial clubhouse on Highland Avenue, is launching a drive-in screening series in its parking lot on Oct. 3 with “E.T.

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorGlenn Close has spent the last decade working hard to get people to open up about mental illness.“Everyone is connected in some way to mental illness, whether it’s a friend or a family member,” the actor tells Variety from her home in Montana. “The fact that it’s still so hard for people to talk about is tragic.”Close co-founded Bring Change to Mind (BC2M) in 2010 to help end the stigma around mental health issues.

Janet W. Lee NewFest, New York’s LGBTQ film and media organization, has announced its program for the 32nd New York LGBTQ Film Festival.

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorRyan Murphy had a very specific look in mind for Lucia State Hospital, a mental institution that’s at the center of his new Netflix series, “Ratched” (premiering Sept.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentUniFrance, the French film promotion organization, released a letter on Friday supporting Maimouna Doucouré, the helmer of Netflix film “Cuties,” which has been the subject of a backlash on social media for allegedly “sexualizing” young girls.UniFrance, which also gave its support for the movie’s producer, Zangro and Paris-based distributor Bac Films, is the latest French film body to side with Doucouré.

Clayton Davis As the early rumblings of the Oscar race begin with the conclusion of Toronto and the kickoff of NYFF, Netflix is starting to set their chess pieces up for a strategic and boastful awards season.

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorGiven the controversies and allegations that surrounded Nate Parker, it came as a surprise to many when it was announced that the filmmaker would be directing David Oyelowo’s new film “Sweet Thunder,” a biopic about boxing great Sugar Ray Robinson.“I have a pretty good discernment when it comes to good people,” Oyelowo said during a conversation at Variety’s Virtual TIFF Studio presented by Canada Goose while promoting his directorial

Ben Lewis and Blake Lee, who are a real-life married couple, will be starring in Lifetime’s first holiday movie to revolve around an LGBTQ storyline.

The Walking Dead: World Beyond, the forthcoming new two-season event series in The Walking Dead Universe, is coming to AMC in October, and it's going to show the world of The Walking Dead in a way that's never been done before.

When it comes to mood and milieu, writer-director Francis Lee prefers something bare, austere and quiet. In fact, it was the harmonious union of these severe qualities that furnished his 2017 feature debut, “God’s Own Country,” with a daring edge and lyrical spirit.

Pro wrestler Stevie Lee Richardson has sadly died at the age of 54. The athlete, who was otherwise known as Puppet The Psycho Dwarf in the ring, also starred in Jackass 3D and FX’s American Horror Story. His family revealed that he passed away “unexpectedly” on September 9.

Jackass star and TNA wrestler Stevie Lee has died at the age of 54.His family confirmed the news via a GoFundMe page set up in his honour to help pay for funeral costs.A statement on the site reads: “Steve ‘Puppet The Psycho Dwarf’ Lee Richardson unexpectedly passed away on Wednesday, September 9, 2020 at his home in the morning.“He was beloved by many and has many friends that were family, fans that adored him, but only his brother Jim left to take care of final arrangements.