Film Independent Partners With Muslim Public Affairs Council On Writing Fellowship For American Muslim Writer

Ethan Shanfeld Gravitas Ventures has acquired the North American distribution rights to “Paper Tiger,” written and directed by Paul Kowalski. The drama/thriller film will be released on VOD/digital on Aug.

Television pioneer Norman Lear will be honored with the Legend Award by the African American Film Critics Association as part of its Special Achievement Honoree class during its annual TV Honors celebration.

Frank Ocean has launched a new luxury company called Homer, which sells jewellery and silk scarves, it has been announced.The musician’s new endeavour was revealed earlier today (August 6), with a physical store opening in New York on Monday (August 9).According to a press release, Homer’s name “represents carving history into stone”.

LeBron James’ SpringHill Company will produce a film for Netflix about a Native American style of basketball commonly known as “Rez Ball.” The streamer has set Sydney Freeland to co-write and direct the feature. Freeland is a Navajo filmmaker known for “Drunktown’s Finest” and the upcoming FX show “Reservation Dogs.” She will direct “Rez Ball” in addition to co-writing with “Reservation Dogs” collaborator Sterlin Harjo.

Angelique Jackson Emmy-nominated film and TV writer-director Sydney Freeland has signed on to direct “Rez Ball,” a coming-of-age drama about Native American basketball for Netflix.Described as “Friday Night Lights” meets “Hoosiers,” “Rez Ball” follows the Chuska Warriors, a Native American high school basketball team from Chuska, New Mexico, that must band together after losing their star player in order to keep their quest for a state championship alive.

Three finalists for HBO’s fifth annual Asian Pacific American Visionaries short film competition have been announced, and include filmmakers Jess X. Snow (Little Sky), Jesse Gi (Neh), and Urvashi Pathania (Unmothered).

The African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) announced its Special Achievement Honorees set to be feted at the third annual AAFCA TV Honors on Saturday, August 21. They include Steve McQueen, Wanda Sykes, Naomi Ackie, and Michaela Coel.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentThe Deauville American Film Festival is set to reteam with Cannes to showcase five movies that have played on the Croisette during its next edition and will launch a mini-strand dedicated to anticipated French movies.Cannes joined forces with Deauville last year following the cancellation of its physical edition due to the pandemic.

Mk2 Films has sold Cannes buzz pic The Worst Person In The World to Parasite distributor NEON following a tussle for North American rights, we can reveal.

It’s safe to say that director Sean Baker‘s latest film, “Red Rocket,” is one of the most anticipated of this year’s Cannes Film Festival. “The Florida Project,” Baker’s last film, premiered during the Director’s Fortnight at Cannes 2017 and quickly became one of the most talked-about films at the festival.

International and indie film distributor Well Go USA Entertainment has acquired North American rights to Korean film Escape From Mogadishu. It will open in theaters in the U.S. and Canada August 6 following a July 28 release in Korea.

EXCLUSIVE: Charles “Charlie” Wiggins, the most famous African American race car driver of the 1920s and 1930s, is to be the subject of a new movie biopic, whose producing partners will include racing staples IndyCar and Firestone.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorRev. Moose is the executive director and co-founder of NIVA, the National Independent Venue Association, as well as managing partner at Marauder, the firm that produces Independent Venue Week in the United States.If the American dream is alive and well, then this past year-and-a-half has been a nightmare.

Dutch director Paul Verhoeven (“RoboCop,” “Total Recall,” “Elle“) will finally debut his erotic lesbian nun drama “Benedetta” at the Cannes Film Festival this week, following a year of waiting around for the COVID-19 pandemic to subside. READ MORE: Watch 3 Clips From Paul Verhoeven’s Erotic Lesbian Nun Thriller ‘Benedetta’ Premiering At Cannes During the pandemic, the director seemingly had a lot of time to consider his next couple of movies.

EXCLUSIVE: Storyboard Media has sold North American rights for horror Lair to Hunt For The Wilderpeople and American Animals distributor 1091 Pictures.