March 15, 2016, New York, New York – Helmed the largest gathering of African American film and television enthusiasts, The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) prides itself on creating unique opportunities and partnerships, as well as working to diversify Hollywood. Since its inception in 1997, the ABFF has partnered with HBO®, Comcast NBCUniversal, TV One and McDonald’s to develop talent discovery programs for up-and-coming actors, comedians, filmmakers and television hosts. These platforms provide exposure for tomorrow’s rising stars and leaders in entertainment.
“The American Black Film Festival’s Talent Discovery Programs introduce dynamic content creators and artists to a broader audience. These programs are a rich mine for discovering new talent, and offer career springboards outside of the traditional film platform and entertainment industry,” says Melanie Sharee, ABFF Programming Director.
Comcast NBCUniversal will partner with ABFF for two talent competitions at the festival this year. The Star Project searches to find the next fresh face for film and television. This highly successful competition has discovered Hollywood’s “next big star,” such as 2011 winner Emayatzy Corinealdi (Miles Ahead, Roots, Middle of Nowhere). If you are an actor ready to compete for the opportunity to audition in front of judges who are executives and casting directors from NBC, this is the competition for you. Submission and deadline info: http://www.abff.com/star-project/.
Returning to the festival is Comcast NBCUniversal’s Television Hosting Workshop designed to help emerging TV hosts sharpen their skills and identify dynamic personalities ready for on-air opportunities. Submission and deadline info: http://www.abff.com/nbcu-tv-hosting-workshop/.
ABFF’s 4th annual Comedy Wings Competition, sponsored by HBO®, is a national search to identify outstanding comedic talent — people who demonstrate a natural ability to be funny. The Comedy Wings Competition has been created to showcase talented yet undiscovered comedians and introduce them to the industry at large. Zainab Johnson is a Comedy Wings alum, who has appeared on television comedy shows, tours and film and was a finalist on Last Comic Standing.
Up to ten semi-finalists will be selected from the 2016 pool of competition entries, to perform at a renowned Los Angeles comedy club in May, to secure a position as a finalist. The four finalists will be flown to the 2016 ABFF in June to perform before a panel of judges, and one winner will be chosen. Submission and deadline information: http://www.abff.com/comedy-wings/.
The HBO® Short Film Competition is regarded as one of the country’s most prestigious short film screening series. Each year, five filmmakers (writers and/or directors of African descent) are selected to screen their film at the American Black Film Festival in Miami, where one winner will be selected to receive the HBO® Short Film Award and cash prize of $10,000. Previous winners of this competition include Director Ryan Coogler (Creed, Fruitvale Station, Black Panther), who won this competition in 2011 for his short film, Fig and Director Stephen Caple, Jr. (The Land, Class) won the competition in 2015 for his short film, A Different Tree. Submission and deadline information: http://www.abff.com/submissions/shorts/.
The McDonald’s Video Competition offers an exciting opportunity for aspiring filmmakers and challenges them to create a 90-second video based on the concept of McDonald’s 365Black mantra, “Deeply Rooted in Your Community.” Three finalists will be selected to attend the ABFF and screen their video before the festival audience, where one winner will be selected. In addition, finalists will attend a private “Mentor Luncheon” with director Malcolm D. Lee (The Best Man, Barbershop, The Best Man Holiday). Submission and deadline info: http://www.abff.com/mcdonalds-video-competition/.
TV One’s 2nd annual Screenplay Competition will highlight three new writers who will receive an all- expense paid trip to the ABFF, where each finalist will get to direct a scene from their script. Each script will be performed by professional actors in front of a live audience at TV One’s “Celebrity Scene Stealers” event during the ABFF. The 2015 TV One Screenplay Competition winner Kiki McKnight, will premiere her film Deadbeat Dad Rehab at this year’s festival. This film centers around four men who are in denial of their poor parenting skills and attend a rehab for deadbeat dads that uses unusual methods to help them become true fathers and real men. Submission and deadline info: http://www.abff.com/tv-one-screenplay-competition/.
Sponsors are HBO® (Founding and Presenting Sponsor), GMCVB (Host and Presenting Sponsor), TV One, Cadillac, and McDonald’s (Presenting Sponsors); Comcast NBCUniversal and Prudential (Platinum Sponsors); American Airlines (Official Sponsor); Motion Picture Association of America (Supporting Sponsor); and Black Enterprise, Ebony Magazine and MIA Magazine (Media Partner). To purchase passes, tickets and/or book hotel rooms for the 2016 American Black Film Festival, go to www.ABFF.com.
Join the conversation on social media by logging on to ABFF’s multiple social media platforms:
Laced with opportunities for sequels, Batman vs. Superman, Dawn of Justice, has hit the theaters with a whopping running time of 2 hours and 31 minutes. Starring Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman, it’s nothing like any other Batman or Superman movie you’ve seen in the past!
Moment after moment and scene after scene, good versus evil and God versus man are still prevalent throughout, but there is an extremely heavy darkness that the film carries. The injections of humor that these Superhero’s super movies were once riddled with have been dialed back, way back, to a point where some may say that it’s too much gloom not enough hum(or).
Both Batman and Superman, steeped in egotistical extravagance, present throughout the movie in a manner seeking reverence from the populations of Gotham and Metropolis rather than simply being in it for the good of all mankind. And the brute strength and superhuman powers that they possess are skewed and overshadowed by the films excessive use of special effects.
If you are a true fan of either Batman or Superman, there is unfortunately a chance that you may be quite disappointed by the films lack of seizing the opportunity to give the true score settling battle that you are probably awaiting. Perhaps that is in the plans, somewhere several sequels away. In the meantime, I’m certain that DC Comics and all of its affiliates would appreciate you taking advantage of the several other products and promotional items that are being created to keep you hanging on in hopes of ever finally settling the score.
Judi Dud
According to several reports is seems that radio jock and comedian Rickey Smiley is all set to join the WQHT HOT 97 FM April Fool’s Comedy Show!
The show is set to take place at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden on Friday, April 1st and will be hosted by the iconic Tracy Morgan, and will include performances by some of the funniest people in show business including Aries Spears, Deray Davis, Dominique, Felipe Esparza and more. HOT 97 has your chance to win tickets each weekday with
HOT 97’s April Fools’ Day Comedy Show is presented by Marquee Concerts. Tickets are on-sale now at Ticketmaster.com.
According to sources, it seems that there is about to be another talk show on the horizon, featured as a presentation.
The special presentation will launch with an illuminating and intimate conversation between the charismatic NBA legend, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, and the brilliant ballerina Misty Copeland – American Ballet Theatre’s (ABT) first African-American female principal dancer.
“Magic in the Making” will premiere Monday, March 28 at 9 p.m. EDT exclusively on ASPiRE.
Source: Radio Facts
Check out the new comedy video from sketch comedian Miss Jay in her series of videos titled ‘When You Weren’t Ready For The Shade‘ as it also features music from Juhahn Jones! See the video below!
Will Smith is heading to the 2016 MTV Movie Awards.
The actor will receive the Generation Award at the awards show, hosted by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Kevin Hart. Johnson announced the news on social media on Thursday, writing, “Will Smith is our MTV Generation Award recipient.”
He added, “When I first broke into Hollywood 15yrs ago, all I wanted to do was learn the business and put in the hard work to have a career like his. It’s a real privilege to honor you my friend.” Johnson posted the caption under a video of Will Smith saying “I make this look good” in a scene from Men in Black.
The award show airs on Sunday, April 10, at 8:00 p.m. from the Warner Bros. Studios backlot in Burbank.
Zac Efron, Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth and more are set to present.
Source: Billboard
According to several sources that we have spoken to over the last couple of weeks, it seems that The Comedy Get Down Tour is about to become a reality show!
The tour, which currently features Cedric The Entertainer, George Lopez, Eddie Griffin, DL Hughley and sometimes Mike Epps (depending on the dates) currently has camera men with them filming tons of behind the scenes footage as they tour across the country.
No word yet on which network, but we hear that the tour is still in developmental stages and being prepared to shop to the networks.
As of this writing we hear that several networks is in the running such as WE TV, Bravo and VH1.
This story is still developing! Stay tuned!
According to our sources, we have discovered the news that comedian and actor Cedric The Entertainer is preparing to film his new comedy special, yet to be titled for Netflix!
The stand-up special is set to be filmed April 30th in Nashville and we hear it will be Executive Produced by Ced and Eric Rhone. No word yet when the special is set to be released.
This may come to folks living in the Burbank area in California as no surprise as Cedric has been hosting Mondays at that venue for the past several weeks while working on new material. Ced is also currently on the Comedy Get Down Tour with George Lopez, DL Hughley, Eddie Griffin and more.
Stay tuned as this story is still developing!
We see another major seating-chart tweak in wedding-bound Cece and Schmidt’s future.
On-again/off-again New Girl co-star Damon Wayans Jr. is set to reprise his role as Coach for two episodes, one of which will be show’s nuptial-themed Season 5 finale, TVLine has confirmed. Co-star Jake Johnson broke the news of Wayans’ comeback on Instagram Wednesday, declaring that “the vibe on set is jacked.”
The Happy Endings alum starred in the New Girl pilot back in 2011, but his commitment to the aforementioned ABC sitcom prevented him from continuing with the series. When Happy Endings was axed, Wayans returned to the sitcom for a four-episode arc, eventually becoming a “special guest star” for the remainder of Season 3. In May 2014, ahead of Season 4, he was upped to full-fledged series regular in a one-year deal. He eventually left the show (again) last spring at the conclusion of Season 4.
“I was in a very dark place,” the comedian says
Tracy Morgan contemplated suicide after the tragic car crash that left him severely injured and his friend and fellow comedian James McNair dead.
“I said, ‘If my funny ever went away, I’d die,’” he told the Rolling Stone in an article published Thursday. “And I thought I was going to die for a long time. My thoughts — I was in a very dark place. I was sitting right here, contemplating suicide. I couldn’t walk.”
“Emotionally, it’s hard for me to deal with,” he went on to explain, admitting that he often blamed himself for what happened. “I asked everybody to be there that night [of the crash]. I have to live with that. But I had to forgive myself. I know Jimmy [McNair] would want it like that.”
Morgan, 47, was in critical condition after a six-vehicle accident on the New Jersey Turnpike in June 2014. Four others were hospitalized. A Walmart truck driver named Kevin Roper was charged with first-degree aggravated manslaughter, second-degree vehicular homicide and third-degree aggravated assault.
In an interview with GQ last November, the “30 Rock” star revealed his intense therapy sessions. While he didn’t remember anything from the first few moments he woke up from his coma, the actor said it took him 10 months to feel like himself again.
“I wasn’t in a good place,” Morgan said. “I didn’t get into a good place until maybe 10 months later. I started to remember and think and all of that stuff. They taught me how to walk again, and stand up and sit up again, and it was really painful for a long time. I did therapists, did cognitive, what do they call it? Did cognitive therapy. Still doing it … That therapy, the psychiatrist had to keep going back to see me.”
See the full Rolling Stone interview here.
Source: The Wrap