Kris Bowers Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

If Vladimir Putin was watching the Academy Awards on Sunday night from his dacha on the Black Sea, his mood may have been blackened by the Best Documentary Feature category. As Deadline’s Doc Talk podcast had predicted, the Oscar went to , Mstyslav Chernov’s harrowing film about the early days of Russia’s brutal siege of the Ukrainian port city. 

For the second time in the last three years, the Oscar for Best Documentary Short has been claimed by Ben Proudfoot. The Canadian-born filmmaker and his fellow director Kris Bowers won the Academy Award tonight for their film The Last Repair Shop, the story of craftspeople in Los Angeles who keep 80,000 musical instruments in working order for the city’s public school students. It’s the only big city school system that keeps kids in tune with free bassoons, trombones, sousaphones, cellos, piccolos and every other kind of instrument.

At the age of 84, documentary legend Sheila Nevins today earned the first Oscar nomination of her career.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor Composer Kris Bowers calls the score to Ava DuVernay‘s “Origin” “one of the most meaningful” of his career, but there’s one music cue, “Leaves,” which he says “stands out as one of my favorite pieces I’ve ever composed.” Inspired by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson’s “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent, “Origin” follows Wilkerson’s journey in writing the book. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor plays Isabel as the film explores how caste systems have shaped societies.

In a hidden corner of Los Angeles, a small group of people toil in obscurity, tending to broken pegs, stuck valves, clogged tubing and damaged keys – all to restore musical instruments to perfect working order for the city’s public-school students. 

The Color Purple often succeeds as a thoughtful fusion of two other adaptations of Alice Walker’s landmark novel that still confidently hums its own tune.In shakier moments, though, confidence gives way to nostalgia, when the film hammers home its reinterpretations of quotable scenes and dialogue from the Quincy Jones-produced, Steven Spielberg-directed 1985 adaptation with an insistence that borders on flashing “Hey, remember this?” in bold type onscreen.Creating and saying something new with such proven material, while also purposely coaxing audience sentiment for a beloved original, surely posed a formidable challenge for Bazawule and company. And having Jones, Spielberg, and Oprah Winfrey — the big guns and big breakout from the 1985 film — onboard as producers must have eased and complicated the gig in unfathomable ways.Oprah and Jones also had a hand in the original Broadway musical adaptation, which has spun off its own lore and legacy, and adds another meta layer of pop-lit gloss to what this film aims to freshly reinterpret.The stage musical — with a book by Marsha Norman, and lyrics and music by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray — has amassed its own roster of breakout stars, including American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino, who made her 2007 Broadway debut stepping into the lead role of Celie, and Orange Is the New Black‘s Danielle Brooks, Tony-nominated for playing Sofia opposite Cynthia Erivo in the 2015 Broadway revival.Barrino and Brooks reprise their respective roles here with a lived-in grace and fortitude that does freshly illuminate Walker’s moving narrative, the lifeblood that courses through every iteration.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the shortlists in 10 categories for the upcoming 96th Oscars ceremony. Overall, Greta Gerwig’s meta-comedy “Barbie” had the most mentions with five including sound, original song for its three submissions from Billie Eilish (“What I Was Made For?”), Dua Lipa (“Dance the Night”) and Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt (“I’m Just Ken”), and original score, from the latter duo. The big miss for “Barbie” was in makeup and hairstyling, which was the category that yielded the most surprises.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor “The Color Purple” director Blitz Bazawule hesitated to take on the latest incarnation of Alice Walker’s sacred text. However, when he revisited the book, the first line (“Dear God, I’m 14 years old”) struck him as a way to navigate a familiar story and “keep expanding Celie’s imagination.” In the new musical movie adaptation, as Celie (Fantasia Barrino) is bathing Shug (Taraji P. Henson), an old record plays on a gramophone in the background.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Ava DuVernay‘s latest drama “Origin” has added an original song to its Oscar prospects. New Zealand Māori artist Stan Walker performed the new song, “I Am,” at a private film screening at the Edition Hotel in West Hollywood on Wednesday. He also co-wrote the track with Michael Fatkin, Vince Harder and Te Kanapu Anasta.

Searchlight Pictures and the L.A. Times Studios on Wednesday announced their boarding of The Last Repair Shop, an acclaimed documentary short, which just received two Critics Choice Association nominations and a spot on DOC NYC’s Short List, on the heels of its premiere at Telluride.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor When director Justin Simien was looking for a composer to score Disney’s “Haunted Mansion,” he called his frequent collaborator Kris Bowers. The two had worked together on “Dear White People” and Simien’s last feature, “Bad Hair.” “I’ve always wanted to have that relationship with the director where you work on a number of projects and develop this trust,” says Bowers. For their latest film, which opens in theaters July 28, Bowers pays homage to the Disney theme-park ride and its famous “Grim Grinning Ghosts” tune while making his mark on the feature.

Disney’s Haunted Mansion premiere at Disneyland this Saturday will turn into a fan event should the SAG-AFTRA strike occur.

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle Editor Disney’s red carpet premiere for “Haunted Mansion,” held on July 15 at Disneyland, will take place even if there is a SAG-AFTRA strike. If the actors guild does call a strike, the premiere will pivot to a “fan event,” according to a source. It is the first major world premiere set to take place after the strike deadline. The stars of the movie, including LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Chase W. Dillon, Daniel Levy, Jamie Lee Curtis, Hasan Minhaj, Marilu Henner and Lindsay Lamb, would no longer be able to take part in the festivities in the case of a strike.

Academy Gold Rising career development program. Gold Rising teams up with several studios and organizations to aid students and young professionals from underrepresented communities develop their careers in the film industry. This year’s slate includes 90 students and 21 film and entertainment companies. The eight-week program kicked off on Wednesday with a two-day orientation process, consisting of a presentation on the Academy Film Archive and tours of the Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.  The Gold Rising program will commence with a graduation ceremony on August 10. After completion of the program, participants will be matched up with an Academy member for an eight-month mentorship experience. 

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story – check it out below.Created by Shonda Rhimes (Grey’s Anatomy), the Netflix prequel series follows young Queen Charlotte’s (India Amarteifio and Golda Rosheuvel) rise to prominence in the late 18th century.A synopsis reads: “Young Queen Charlotte’s marriage to King George of England sparks an epic love story and transforms high society in this Bridgerton universe prequel.”Alongside Amarteifio and Rosheuvel, the show’s cast includes Arsema Thomas, Adjoa Andoh, Ruth Gemmell, Corey Mylchreest, Michelle Fairley and Sam Clemmett.After scoring the first two seasons of Bridgerton, Kris Bowers returns to provide the soundtrack for Queen Charlotte. Along with working with Jay-Z, Kanye West and Jose James, his other past credits include When They See Us, Dear White People and 2018 Oscar winner Green Book.You can stream the official score below.Like Bridgerton, Queen Charlotte features orchestral covers of pop songs throughout.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor It took the combined talent of composers Kris Bowers and Michael Abels to help filmmaker Stephen Williams ensure Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges’ music lives on after his life story was erased from the history books. Williams’ new film, “Chevalier” tells the story of the illegitimate son of a plantation owner and slave. Played by Kelvin Harrison Jr., Chevalier is a promising young Black musician who excels at fencing, playing the violin and wooing the court of Marie Antoinette. In dividing their tasks, Abels wrote the music for the on-camera performances while Bowers composed the film’s score.

Paul Gertz also serving as exec producers.The brand also announced a multiyear overall deal with filmmaker and “Summer of Soul” producer Joseph Patel, who will produce, write and direct new projects through his banner Dub Version under the terms of his new deal. He is repped by Kate Hurwitz at Cinetic Media, and Marc Simon, Alex Threadgold and Daniel Spencer at Fox Rothschild LLP.“Anthem” will premiere on Hulu as part of Onyx Collective’s overall deal with Proximity.

Onyx Collective has landed a pair of documentaries including Questlove’s upcoming Sly Stone film.

Nicola Coughlan, Simone Ashley and Charithra Chandran gather up for a group photo as they arrive for Netflix’s Bridgerton FYSEE event held at Raleigh Studios on Sunday (May 15) in Los Angeles.

Netflix’s FYSEE Space’s opening night ATAS panel on Sunday night showcased Shondaland’s Bridgerton season 2 and revealed big news about Season 3.

Turning up the heat! Season 3 of Bridgerton has officially tapped Luke Newton and Nicola Coughlan to lead the next chapter — with Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington’s love story being moved up in an interesting turn of events.

Bridgerton music? Without “Wildest Dreams” playing in the background, Daphne and Simon's 30-second hookup on top of a rain-soaked stone might even give you the ick. This applies to the rest of the show too—the ballroom antics and pall-mall matches would feel far less dramatic without the novelty of hearing a violin cover of your favorite song from 2010. You can thank music supervisor Justin Kamps and composer Kris Bowers for the Netflix show's Regency-era take on modern pop songs, along with groups like the Vitamin String Quartet, Duomo, and Midnite String Quartet who contribute to the .The Bridgerton season 2 soundtrack is arguably even better than the first, with orchestral versions of Harry Styles' “Sign of the Times,” Rihanna's “Diamonds,” and Madonna's “Material Girl” all making an appearance.

The music from Bridgerton became a sensation when season one premiered in December 2020 and now there is a great soundtrack that you need to hear for season two.

so many others in the Academy, they feel optimistic about the future of documentary short films as the projects become more accessible.“The short doc has the lowest barrier of entry to all forms of cinema,” said Ben Proudfoot, director of “The Queen of Basketball.” “As we think about making the film industry more diverse, more viable, more international… I think the short doc is the most exciting corner of cinema. Frankly, regardless of how the telecast is produced, the growth of this part of the industry is going to happen anyway,” Proudfoot added.Proudfoot was one of six nominated filmmakers who spoke with TheWrap’s Steve Pond on Tuesday about their work.

Wilson Chapman editorThe Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has announced its plans for the third annual Global Movie Day on Saturday.Global Movie Day, which was established in 2020 and is celebrated every second Saturday of February, was created as a way for film fans around the world to celebrate their love of film by engaging with Academy members and filmmakers on social media, using the hashtag #GlobalMovieDay.This year, celebrities and filmmakers who will participate in Global Movie Day include Zazie Beetz, Halle Berry, Jason Blum, Kris Bowers, Patricia Cardoso, Cher, Jon M. Chu, Ariana DeBose, Ali Fazal, Danny Glover, Eiza González, Tom Hanks, Aldis Hodge, Scarlett Johansson, Marc Maron, Marlee Matlin, Matthew McConaughey, Michelle Rodriguez, J.K.

Jon Burlingame editorThe Los Angeles Philharmonic took a major step forward over the weekend with its “Reel Change” series devoted to contemporary film composers.By inviting Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir (“Joker”) and Americans Kris Bowers (“Green Book”) and Nicholas Britell (“Moonlight”) to curate programs of their music, and those of composers that inspired them, the Phil is formally acknowledging the importance of media music as a legitimate part of the contemporary musical

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorFor Kris Bowers, “not much can beat the feeling of being in the room when a group of musicians pours their heart into a piece of music — especially when it’s your own.”It’s an emotion the Emmy-winning composer and jazz pianist hopes to capture with “Reel Change: The New Era of Film Music,” a concert series built alongside fellow composers Nicholas Britell and Hildur Guðnadóttir in collaboration with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Taking place Nov.

, Shondaland’s Regency drama set in 1800s London during the reign of King George III, is such a hit is thanks to the soundtrack. The music captures the series’ many emotional ups and downs with its clever mix of composer Kris Bowers’ lush, Emmy-nominated score and orchestral covers of modern pop songs selected by music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas.

Jon Burlingame As Emmy voting draws to a close, the 2021 music nominations span rookies to regulars.

In the months after the death of George Floyd, the country started to take a hard look in the mirror. We asked: Was this a nation built on white supremacy? Do we police African-Americans differently? Were we excluding people from opportunities based on the color of their skin? Protestors hit the streets, athletes boycotted games, and we demanded accountability from our politicians.

In the Oscar-nominated documentary short A Concerto Is a Conversation, acclaimed composer Kris Bowers traces a line from his family history to the premiere performance of his original concerto "For a Younger Self" at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2019. Following that line is Horace Bowers Jr., Kris Bowers' 91-year-old grandfather, who sits down with his grandson to tell the story of his journey out of the Jim Crow-era South in the pursuit of his American Dream.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorOscar-nominated short film “A Concerto Is a Conversation” is the story of love between a grandfather and his grandson woven together through music. It’s also a narrative about race in America.Composer Kris Bowers, the virtuoso behind “Green Book” and “When They See Us,” wears multiple hats for the film, as co-director (with friend Ben Proudfoot), producer, composer and star.

The Oscar-shortlisted short documentary A Concerto Is a Conversation is a classic two-hander, the kind of story with two protagonists of equal importance.

Ava DuVernay has boarded Oscar contender A Concerto Is A Conversation as executive producer. Co-directed by  Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers and Emmy-winning filmmaker Ben Proudfoot, the 13-minute short subject documentary follows Bowers as he tracks his family’s lineage through his 91-year-old grandfather Horace Bowers from Jim Crow Florida to the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Angelique Jackson Ava DuVernay is reuniting with “When They See Us” composer Kris Bowers for the documentary short “A Concerto Is a Conversation.”DuVernay will executive produce the film, which was co-directed and produced by Bowers and Ben Proudfoot. “A Concerto Is a Conversation” was selected to premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, which has shifted to a virtual model amid the ongoing pandemic.