Andra Day to Receive Breakthrough Performance Honor From Palm Springs International Film Awards

It was less than a week into filming The United States vs. Billie Holiday when Andra Day found herself on set singing “Strange Fruit” in front of an audience filled with extras. They were playing police waiting to arrest the singer for uttering even a word of her politically charged and, at the time, banned song.

The United States vs. Billie Holiday, delivered an impressive rendition of Holiday’s classic ‘Strange Fruit’ on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last night (February 23).Performed as part of a medley, the virtual performance also saw Day sing the Golden Globe-nominated ‘Tigress & Tweed – a Raphael Saddiq-produced, Holiday-inspired original from the film’s soundtrack.The performance was filmed in Los Angeles in one long take.

Billie Holiday has always been a monster of a role. Diana Ross tackled her on film and Audra McDonald did it on stage.

Andra Day was prepared to suffer for her art when assuming the role of legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday.

Owen Gleiberman Chief Film CriticThe gifted and mercurial Lee Daniels, director of “Precious,” is one of the only filmmakers I can think of who would dare to drop a badass-diva moment of Billie Holiday violently slapping her spouse into the middle of an otherwise giddy celebrity-singer-on-tour montage. In Daniels’ “The United States vs.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorSinger-turned-actor Andra Day brought versatility to Lee Daniels’ biopic “The United States vs.

Antonio Ferme editorIFC Films has acquired the North American rights to Gia Coppola’s romantic drama “Mainstream,” which stars Andrew Garfield and Maya Hawke.The film had its worldwide premiere last year at the Venice Film Festival. It was also selected for the Telluride Film Festival in  2020.

Natalie Oganesyan editorLegendary Korean star Yuh-Jung Youn will receive the 2021 Spotlight Award, Actress for her role in the critically-hailed “Minari” at the Palm Springs International Film Awards.“In her first-ever American feature film, ‘Minari,’ Yuh-Jung Youn wonderfully portrays a feisty and foul-mouthed grandmother whose Korean American family has suddenly moved from California to a hardscrabble farm in Arkansas.

CBS San Francisco reported. Yahya Muslim, 28, was charged with assault, battery, elder abuse and a special allegation while on bail, according to Alameda County Sheriff's Office. The office also said Muslim had two prior felony assault convictions. Newly sworn-in Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong announced the arrest Monday.

Student filmmakers from USC dominated the 26th Annual DGA Student Film Awards for African American, Asian American, Latino and women directors, which are designed to honor, encourage and bring attention to exceptional diverse directors in film schools and universities across the country. A national awards ceremony will take place virtually on Tuesday.

Continuing its recent nominations rout at the Golden Globes and SAG nominations last week, Netflix starts this week in the same mode scoring 46 noms in the Critics Choice Awards, with David Fincher’s Mank landing in an impressive 12 categories to lead the field. A24’s tender drama of a Korean American family seeking a new beginning on an Arkansas farm, Minari was just behind with 10 nominations.

Polin Cohanne, an entertainment attorney who represented Martin and Charlie Sheen, the TV talent show Star Search and Aaron Spelling Productions, has died. She was 70.

Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired North American rights to Tarzan and Arab Nasser’s Gaza Mon Amour, Palestine’s official submission for Best International Feature at the 93rd Academy Awards. The film will be released later this year.

UPDATED with latest: The Santa Barbara Film Festival on Tuesday unveiled the recipients of its Virtuosos Award, given annually to a group recognizing their noteworthy performances in film. The honors will be bestowed Saturday, April 3.

Andra Day gained fame as a singer thanks to her hit anthem “Rise Up”, but she’ll soon be seen making her acting debut in the role of legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday in the Lee Daniels-directed biopic “The United States vs. Billie Holiday”.

They are both regularly hailed as strong, important and influential women.

The Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) has revealed its annual Top Ten List as well as winners of its film awards which was topped by Nomadland. In addition, The Chloé Zhao American wanderlust drama was named Best Picture. Also on the list is Pixar’s Soul which was also named Best Animated Feature.