“It’s very, very prideful and it was very special for all of us making it,” reflects Damian Marcano on the experience of directing three episodes of “Lawmen: Bass Reeves.” As a child growing up in Trinidad, he and his grandfather would watch “The Lone Ranger” together and, when approached about joining the Paramount+ series, he was “very shocked to find out that he was actually the inspiration for what I had watched portrayed by a white actor,” referring to the influence of the real-life Bass Reeves (David Oyelowo) on American pop culture. Reeves was one of the first Black U.S. Deputy Marshals, and the director is glad for the opportunity not only to “retell these stories with the correct lens,” but also to show “a character of this skin color, an African man, formerly enslaved man” who “gets to do the ass-kicking.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.
- 5/8/2024
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: Henry Simmons, Bryan Greenberg, Torrey Hanson, Ora Jones and Jasmine Batchelor are set to recur in the new MGM+ series Emperor of Ocean Park, a suspense thriller inspired by the best-selling novel of the same name from Stephen L. Carter. They join previously announced series regulars Forest Whitaker, Grantham Coleman, Tiffany Mack and Paulina Lule.
From John Wells and Sherman Payne, Emperor of Ocean Park is set in the worlds of politics, Ivy League academia and the beaches of Martha’s Vineyard. It follows Talcott Garland (Coleman), an Ivy League law professor whose quiet life is shattered when his father, Judge Oliver Garland (Whitaker), dies of an apparent heart attack. The nature of the judge’s death is questioned by Tal’s sister, Mariah (Tiffany Mack), a former journalist and inveterate conspiracy theorist, who believes that the judge, a failed Black nominee to the Supreme Court, met with foul play.
From John Wells and Sherman Payne, Emperor of Ocean Park is set in the worlds of politics, Ivy League academia and the beaches of Martha’s Vineyard. It follows Talcott Garland (Coleman), an Ivy League law professor whose quiet life is shattered when his father, Judge Oliver Garland (Whitaker), dies of an apparent heart attack. The nature of the judge’s death is questioned by Tal’s sister, Mariah (Tiffany Mack), a former journalist and inveterate conspiracy theorist, who believes that the judge, a failed Black nominee to the Supreme Court, met with foul play.
- 2/6/2024
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Forest Whitaker has signed on to star in John Wells’ “Emperor of Ocean Park” series set at MGM+. He joins previously announced cast members Grantham Coleman (“Lawman: Bass Reeves”), Tiffany Mack (“Jessica Jones”), and Paulina Lule (“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D”).
He’ll play Judge Oliver Garland, a notable name in national politics and the judicial system as well as the leader of his family. “He is stern, intelligent, calculating, and proud. As a Black man in America, navigating unwelcoming and often hostile environments, he has formed a hard exterior—that he’s come to rely on as a shield. He is a devoted father whose commitment to his family simultaneously bolsters and undercuts his deeply and rigidly held conservative principles,” reads the description.
“I’m excited to be playing Judge Oliver Garland, and thank John Wells, Sherman Payne, and Michael Wright for this opportunity to join the cast and crew of Emperor of Ocean Park,...
He’ll play Judge Oliver Garland, a notable name in national politics and the judicial system as well as the leader of his family. “He is stern, intelligent, calculating, and proud. As a Black man in America, navigating unwelcoming and often hostile environments, he has formed a hard exterior—that he’s come to rely on as a shield. He is a devoted father whose commitment to his family simultaneously bolsters and undercuts his deeply and rigidly held conservative principles,” reads the description.
“I’m excited to be playing Judge Oliver Garland, and thank John Wells, Sherman Payne, and Michael Wright for this opportunity to join the cast and crew of Emperor of Ocean Park,...
- 1/17/2024
- by BreAnna Bell
- Variety Film + TV
Forest Whitaker (Godfather of Harlem) has joined the cast of Emperor of Ocean Park, the new MGM+ suspense thriller inspired by the best-selling novel of the same name from Stephen L. Carter.
From John Wells and Sherman Payne, Emperor of Ocean Park is set in the worlds of politics, Ivy League academia, and the beaches of Martha’s Vineyard. It follows Talcott Garland (Grantham Coleman), an Ivy League law professor whose quiet life is shattered when his father, Judge Oliver Garland, dies of an apparent heart attack. The nature of the judge’s death is questioned by Tal’s sister, Mariah (Tiffany Mack), a former journalist and inveterate conspiracy theorist, who believes that the judge, a failed Black nominee to the Supreme Court, met with foul play.
Whitaker will portray Judge Oliver Garland, the patriarch of his family and a formidable figure in national politics and the judicial system. He is stern,...
From John Wells and Sherman Payne, Emperor of Ocean Park is set in the worlds of politics, Ivy League academia, and the beaches of Martha’s Vineyard. It follows Talcott Garland (Grantham Coleman), an Ivy League law professor whose quiet life is shattered when his father, Judge Oliver Garland, dies of an apparent heart attack. The nature of the judge’s death is questioned by Tal’s sister, Mariah (Tiffany Mack), a former journalist and inveterate conspiracy theorist, who believes that the judge, a failed Black nominee to the Supreme Court, met with foul play.
Whitaker will portray Judge Oliver Garland, the patriarch of his family and a formidable figure in national politics and the judicial system. He is stern,...
- 1/17/2024
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Emperor of Ocean Park, MGM+’s series adaptation of Stephen L. Carter’s best-selling novel, has found its lead.
The series, which comes from John Wells and Sherman Payne, has cast Grantham Coleman as Talcott Garland.
Set in the worlds of politics, Ivy League academia, and the beaches of Martha’s Vineyard, the series centers on Talcott Garland, an Ivy League law professor whose quiet life is shattered when his father, Judge Oliver Garland, dies of an apparent heart attack. The nature of the judge’s death is questioned by Tal’s sister, Mariah, a former journalist and inveterate conspiracy theorist, who believes that the judge, a failed Black nominee to the Supreme Court, met with foul play.
Tiffany Mack & Paulina Lule (Courtesy of Di Harvell / Molly Pan)
Tiffany Mack plays Mariah Denton and Paulina Lule plays Kimmer Madison Garland, Tal’s wife, a high-powered lawyer on the verge...
The series, which comes from John Wells and Sherman Payne, has cast Grantham Coleman as Talcott Garland.
Set in the worlds of politics, Ivy League academia, and the beaches of Martha’s Vineyard, the series centers on Talcott Garland, an Ivy League law professor whose quiet life is shattered when his father, Judge Oliver Garland, dies of an apparent heart attack. The nature of the judge’s death is questioned by Tal’s sister, Mariah, a former journalist and inveterate conspiracy theorist, who believes that the judge, a failed Black nominee to the Supreme Court, met with foul play.
Tiffany Mack & Paulina Lule (Courtesy of Di Harvell / Molly Pan)
Tiffany Mack plays Mariah Denton and Paulina Lule plays Kimmer Madison Garland, Tal’s wife, a high-powered lawyer on the verge...
- 11/30/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
And the Duttons of 1883 thought they had it rough.
Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstoneverse will expand once more this weekend with Sunday’s premiere of Lawmen: Bass Reeves, a Paramount+ drama chronicling the life of the first Black U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi. David Oyelowo (Nightingale) plays Reeves, a former slave who was both deeply spiritual and very good at his job, making him a storied figure in the American West.
More from TVLineFrasier Sneak Peek: June Diane Raphael Plays a Blind Date for Frasier... or Is It Freddy? (Watch Exclusive Video)Frasier Learns About a Snooty Elitist Club,...
Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstoneverse will expand once more this weekend with Sunday’s premiere of Lawmen: Bass Reeves, a Paramount+ drama chronicling the life of the first Black U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi. David Oyelowo (Nightingale) plays Reeves, a former slave who was both deeply spiritual and very good at his job, making him a storied figure in the American West.
More from TVLineFrasier Sneak Peek: June Diane Raphael Plays a Blind Date for Frasier... or Is It Freddy? (Watch Exclusive Video)Frasier Learns About a Snooty Elitist Club,...
- 11/3/2023
- by Kimberly Roots
- TVLine.com
Here is a wrap-up of all the news you need to know from Tuesday, April 25, 2023.
Lara Jean's journey is over, and it's time for Kitty to enter the spotlight.
Netflix has unveiled the official trailer for the To All the Boys... franchise's spinoff series, Xo, Kitty, and it looks like a lot of fun.
"Teen matchmaker Kitty Song Covey thinks she knows everything there is to know about love," the logline reads.
"But when she moves halfway across the world to reunite with her long-distance boyfriend, she'll soon realize that relationships are a lot more complicated when it's your own heart on the line."
Xo, Kitty stars Anna Cathcart (Kitty Song Covey), Minyeong Choi (Dae), Gia Kim (Yuri), Sang Heon Lee (Min Ho), Anthony Keyvan (Q), Peter Thurnwald (Alex) with Yunjin Kim (Jina), and Sarayu Blue (Trina).
The cast is rounded out by John Corbett (Dan Covey), Michael K Lee...
Lara Jean's journey is over, and it's time for Kitty to enter the spotlight.
Netflix has unveiled the official trailer for the To All the Boys... franchise's spinoff series, Xo, Kitty, and it looks like a lot of fun.
"Teen matchmaker Kitty Song Covey thinks she knows everything there is to know about love," the logline reads.
"But when she moves halfway across the world to reunite with her long-distance boyfriend, she'll soon realize that relationships are a lot more complicated when it's your own heart on the line."
Xo, Kitty stars Anna Cathcart (Kitty Song Covey), Minyeong Choi (Dae), Gia Kim (Yuri), Sang Heon Lee (Min Ho), Anthony Keyvan (Q), Peter Thurnwald (Alex) with Yunjin Kim (Jina), and Sarayu Blue (Trina).
The cast is rounded out by John Corbett (Dan Covey), Michael K Lee...
- 4/25/2023
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
A television adaptation of Stephen L. Carter’s best-selling novel “Emperor of Ocean Park” has been granted a 10-episode series order at MGM+.
The suspense thriller, which is set in the worlds of politics, Ivy League academia, and the beaches of Martha’s Vineyard, centers on Talcott Garland, an Ivy League law professor whose quiet life is shattered when his father, Judge Oliver Garland, dies of an apparent heart attack. The nature of the judge’s death is questioned by Tal’s sister, Mariah, a former journalist and inveterate conspiracy theorist, who believes that the judge, a failed Black nominee to the Supreme Court, met with foul play.
“Emperor of Ocean Park is much more than a murder mystery,” MGM+ head Michael Wright said in a statement. “While it is an engrossing whodunit in its own right, it also explores important themes of middle-and-upper-class Black identity, making it an outstanding...
The suspense thriller, which is set in the worlds of politics, Ivy League academia, and the beaches of Martha’s Vineyard, centers on Talcott Garland, an Ivy League law professor whose quiet life is shattered when his father, Judge Oliver Garland, dies of an apparent heart attack. The nature of the judge’s death is questioned by Tal’s sister, Mariah, a former journalist and inveterate conspiracy theorist, who believes that the judge, a failed Black nominee to the Supreme Court, met with foul play.
“Emperor of Ocean Park is much more than a murder mystery,” MGM+ head Michael Wright said in a statement. “While it is an engrossing whodunit in its own right, it also explores important themes of middle-and-upper-class Black identity, making it an outstanding...
- 4/25/2023
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
MGM+ is moving forward with its series adaptation of suspense thriller Emperor of Ocean Park.
The network has handed the adaptation of Stephen L. Carter’s best-selling novel a 10-episode series order. It comes from Shameless writer Sherman Payne, John Wells Productions and Warner Bros. Television.
It comes after the project was unveiled in development at the start of the year as the Amazon-owned company rebranded from Epix to MGM+.
Damian Marcano (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty) is set to direct multiple episodes.
Related: 2023 MGM+ Pilots & Series Orders
Set in the worlds of politics, Ivy League academia, and the beaches of Martha’s Vineyard, the series centers on Talcott Garland, an Ivy League law professor whose quiet life is shattered when his father, Judge Oliver Garland, dies of an apparent heart attack. The nature of the judge’s death is questioned by Tal’s sister, Mariah, a...
The network has handed the adaptation of Stephen L. Carter’s best-selling novel a 10-episode series order. It comes from Shameless writer Sherman Payne, John Wells Productions and Warner Bros. Television.
It comes after the project was unveiled in development at the start of the year as the Amazon-owned company rebranded from Epix to MGM+.
Damian Marcano (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty) is set to direct multiple episodes.
Related: 2023 MGM+ Pilots & Series Orders
Set in the worlds of politics, Ivy League academia, and the beaches of Martha’s Vineyard, the series centers on Talcott Garland, an Ivy League law professor whose quiet life is shattered when his father, Judge Oliver Garland, dies of an apparent heart attack. The nature of the judge’s death is questioned by Tal’s sister, Mariah, a...
- 4/25/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
“Emperor of Ocean Park,” the best-selling novel by Stephen L. Carter, is being adapted into a TV series at MGM+.
MGM+ (formerly Epix) has ordered 10 episodes of the show. The order brings the book’s long road to the screen to near completion. It was originally optioned back in 2001 ahead of the book publishing. Multiple attempts have since been made to adapt the book into a film and later a television series, though none of those projects have moved forward until now.
“Emperor of Ocean Park is much more than a murder mystery,” said Michael Wright, head of MGM+. “While it is an engrossing whodunit in its own right, it also explores important themes of middle-and-upper-class Black identity, making it an outstanding addition to MGM+’s slate of engaging and thought-provoking original series.”
Per the official logline, the series is “set in the worlds of politics, Ivy League academia, and...
MGM+ (formerly Epix) has ordered 10 episodes of the show. The order brings the book’s long road to the screen to near completion. It was originally optioned back in 2001 ahead of the book publishing. Multiple attempts have since been made to adapt the book into a film and later a television series, though none of those projects have moved forward until now.
“Emperor of Ocean Park is much more than a murder mystery,” said Michael Wright, head of MGM+. “While it is an engrossing whodunit in its own right, it also explores important themes of middle-and-upper-class Black identity, making it an outstanding addition to MGM+’s slate of engaging and thought-provoking original series.”
Per the official logline, the series is “set in the worlds of politics, Ivy League academia, and...
- 4/25/2023
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
As part of the Television Critics Association’s 2023 Winter Press Tour, MGM+ (still known as Epix until Jan. 15) chief Michael Wright unveiled a programming lineup and development slate that includes premiere dates for several shows including “A Spy Among Friends,” Season 2 of “From,” and “Murf the Surf.”
“It’s a new beginning for our service, as we introduce MGM+ and its distinctive brand promise to viewers on January 15. MGM+ will deliver on its iconic and beloved studio legacy, with cinematic, sophisticated, and transportive storytelling that audiences love,” said Wright in a statement. “We are growing our rich library of content, comprised of original television series and blockbuster films that celebrate the MGM brand.”
The newly rebranded premium linear channel and streaming service will launch on Jan. 15 with the Season 3 premiere of “Godfather of Harlem.” Created by Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein, the drama series stars and is executive produced by Forest Whitaker.
“It’s a new beginning for our service, as we introduce MGM+ and its distinctive brand promise to viewers on January 15. MGM+ will deliver on its iconic and beloved studio legacy, with cinematic, sophisticated, and transportive storytelling that audiences love,” said Wright in a statement. “We are growing our rich library of content, comprised of original television series and blockbuster films that celebrate the MGM brand.”
The newly rebranded premium linear channel and streaming service will launch on Jan. 15 with the Season 3 premiere of “Godfather of Harlem.” Created by Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein, the drama series stars and is executive produced by Forest Whitaker.
- 1/10/2023
- by BreAnna Bell
- Variety Film + TV
A half-hour comedy about a Broadway has-been starring Kevin Kline is among MGM+’s new slate of series. “American Classic” is one of several other scripted shows and docuseries to be developed at the premium linear channel and streaming service, including one documenting the rise of underground disco.
Formerly known as Epix and rebranding to MGM+ on Jan. 15 (coinciding with the “Godfather of Harlem” Season 3 premiere), the platform unveiled a slew of upcoming programming, joining already announced series like limited show “A Spy Among Friends” with Guy Pearce (March 12), the second season of sci-fi “From” (April 23) and true-crime docuseries “Murf the Surf” (Feb. 5). There were also sophomore renewals for “Rogue Heroes” and “Billy the Kid.”
Below is a full lineup of the newly announced slate:
Also Read:
AMC Studios Head Says Network Is ‘Optimally Positioned’ Following Layoffs, Scrapped Shows “The Emperor of Ocean Park” (scripted)
From John Wells Productions and Warner Bros. Television,...
Formerly known as Epix and rebranding to MGM+ on Jan. 15 (coinciding with the “Godfather of Harlem” Season 3 premiere), the platform unveiled a slew of upcoming programming, joining already announced series like limited show “A Spy Among Friends” with Guy Pearce (March 12), the second season of sci-fi “From” (April 23) and true-crime docuseries “Murf the Surf” (Feb. 5). There were also sophomore renewals for “Rogue Heroes” and “Billy the Kid.”
Below is a full lineup of the newly announced slate:
Also Read:
AMC Studios Head Says Network Is ‘Optimally Positioned’ Following Layoffs, Scrapped Shows “The Emperor of Ocean Park” (scripted)
From John Wells Productions and Warner Bros. Television,...
- 1/10/2023
- by Natalie Oganesyan
- The Wrap
MGM+, formerly Epix, unveiled its programming lineup and development slate that includes a new John Wells drama based on a Stephen L. Carter novel, a period drama about Harlem crime boss Stephanie St. Clair, based on an MGM movie, and a docuseries about the disco era.
The newly rebranded premium linear channel and streaming service will launch on January 15 in conjunction with the season three premiere of Godfather of Harlem starring and executive produced by Forest Whitaker and created by Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein.
The development slate includes scripted series The Emperor of Ocean Park, Hoodlum, based on the 1997 movie starring Laurence Fishburne, Tim Roth and Andy Garcia, Earth Abides, based on a George R. Stewart book, Ark, based on Stephen Baxter’s books and Kevin Kline comedy American Classic, which was previously announced. See full details below.
These series will join previously greenlit series Hotel Cocaine and San...
The newly rebranded premium linear channel and streaming service will launch on January 15 in conjunction with the season three premiere of Godfather of Harlem starring and executive produced by Forest Whitaker and created by Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein.
The development slate includes scripted series The Emperor of Ocean Park, Hoodlum, based on the 1997 movie starring Laurence Fishburne, Tim Roth and Andy Garcia, Earth Abides, based on a George R. Stewart book, Ark, based on Stephen Baxter’s books and Kevin Kline comedy American Classic, which was previously announced. See full details below.
These series will join previously greenlit series Hotel Cocaine and San...
- 1/10/2023
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
One of the most well-curated festivals spotlighting indie filmmaking comes courtesy of Bam and their annual BAMcinemaFest, which takes place in person at Bam Rose Cinemas on June 23-30 this year. The lineup has now been announced, which includes some of our recent festival favorites: the Lily Gladstone-led The Unknown Country, Free Chol Soo Lee from Julie Ha & Eugene Yi, Tyler Taormina’s Happer’s Comet, and Ramin Bahrani’s 2nd Chance.
“I’m thrilled to have BAMcinemaFest back in person and to spotlight this incredible lineup of filmmakers,” said Jesse Trussell, festival programmer and senior programmer for film at Bam. “As we close in on a year since Bam Rose Cinemas reopened, it’s a joy to be able to gather and celebrate this art form as a collective experience.”
See the lineup below and learn more here.
Aftershock (2022) Dirs. Paula Eiselt & Tonya Lewis Lee. Shamony Gibson and...
“I’m thrilled to have BAMcinemaFest back in person and to spotlight this incredible lineup of filmmakers,” said Jesse Trussell, festival programmer and senior programmer for film at Bam. “As we close in on a year since Bam Rose Cinemas reopened, it’s a joy to be able to gather and celebrate this art form as a collective experience.”
See the lineup below and learn more here.
Aftershock (2022) Dirs. Paula Eiselt & Tonya Lewis Lee. Shamony Gibson and...
- 5/5/2022
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
The 2022 BAMcinemaFest has officially unveiled its lineup. IndieWire can exclusively announce that Sundance breakout documentary “Aftershock” will make its New York Premiere on the opening night of the festival, which kicks off June 23 and runs through June 30.
The fully in-person event will begin with Paula Eiselt and Tonya Lewis Lee’s critically acclaimed documentary. The film exposes the failures of the maternal healthcare system that have led to a disproportionate amount of Black women dying in childbirth. “Aftershock” won the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award: Impact for Change at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.
Fellow Sundance selection “2nd Chance” is set to make its New York Premiere, as well as breakthrough filmmaker Andrew Infante’s “Ferny and Luca,” a fresh take on the ebbs and flows of a young Brooklyn relationship.
BAMcinemaFest will also mark the world premiere of Amber Bemak’s performative documentary “100 Ways to Touch the Border,” which...
The fully in-person event will begin with Paula Eiselt and Tonya Lewis Lee’s critically acclaimed documentary. The film exposes the failures of the maternal healthcare system that have led to a disproportionate amount of Black women dying in childbirth. “Aftershock” won the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award: Impact for Change at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.
Fellow Sundance selection “2nd Chance” is set to make its New York Premiere, as well as breakthrough filmmaker Andrew Infante’s “Ferny and Luca,” a fresh take on the ebbs and flows of a young Brooklyn relationship.
BAMcinemaFest will also mark the world premiere of Amber Bemak’s performative documentary “100 Ways to Touch the Border,” which...
- 5/5/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
This year’s SXSW Film Festival marked the first in-person edition of the Austin gathering in two years, and it was filled with buzz for new movies and crowds eager to embrace them. From opening night entry “Everything Everywhere All at Once” to the meta Nicolas Cage comedy “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent,” SXSW was a satisfying platform for several upcoming releases.
But that’s only a small fraction of the lineup, which also includes a lot of smaller highlights that have yet to secure U.S. distribution. As usual, we’ve combed through the program and urge buyers to consider these gems as they look for new work to round out their slates.
Carlos Aguilar, Robert Daniels, David Ehrlich, and Kate Erbland contributed to this story.
“Chee$e”
Fresh from directing a few episodes of HBO’s “Winning Time,” Trinidadian filmmaker Damian Marcano’s first feature is a...
But that’s only a small fraction of the lineup, which also includes a lot of smaller highlights that have yet to secure U.S. distribution. As usual, we’ve combed through the program and urge buyers to consider these gems as they look for new work to round out their slates.
Carlos Aguilar, Robert Daniels, David Ehrlich, and Kate Erbland contributed to this story.
“Chee$e”
Fresh from directing a few episodes of HBO’s “Winning Time,” Trinidadian filmmaker Damian Marcano’s first feature is a...
- 3/20/2022
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Films will continue to be available on festival platform until March 21.
James Morosini’s I Love My Dad starring Patton Oswalt and Morosini has won SXSW 2022’s Narrative Feature Competition and Rosa Ruth Boesten’s Master Of Light the documentary feature competition.
In other juried and special awards announced on Tuesday night (15) Antonia Campbell-Hughes’s It is In Us All earned special jury recognition for extraordinary cinematic vision. All 2022 film categories will be eligible for category-specific audience awards which will be announced next week.
“It was extraordinary to gather together in person again after so long and we are so...
James Morosini’s I Love My Dad starring Patton Oswalt and Morosini has won SXSW 2022’s Narrative Feature Competition and Rosa Ruth Boesten’s Master Of Light the documentary feature competition.
In other juried and special awards announced on Tuesday night (15) Antonia Campbell-Hughes’s It is In Us All earned special jury recognition for extraordinary cinematic vision. All 2022 film categories will be eligible for category-specific audience awards which will be announced next week.
“It was extraordinary to gather together in person again after so long and we are so...
- 3/16/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Back together in person after two years of going virtual during the pandemic, the Austin-based SXSW Film Festival has announced its juried prizes. As in previous editions, the awards show happened at the midpoint of the nine-day event, before SXSW’s music events suck much of the attention away from film screenings.
The top prize in narrative feature competition went to “I Love My Dad,” written and directed by James Morosini, who also stars as a younger version of himself in this uncomfortable retelling of how he was catfished by his father (played by Patton Oswalt).
“Morosini displays massive empathy as a filmmaker to get into the mind of the father he feels betrayed by, and also as an actor portraying the impact of that betrayal,” said the jury, who also gave special jury prizes to the cast and crew of “It Is in Us All” and Elizaveta Yankovskaya, star of the Russian film “Nika.
The top prize in narrative feature competition went to “I Love My Dad,” written and directed by James Morosini, who also stars as a younger version of himself in this uncomfortable retelling of how he was catfished by his father (played by Patton Oswalt).
“Morosini displays massive empathy as a filmmaker to get into the mind of the father he feels betrayed by, and also as an actor portraying the impact of that betrayal,” said the jury, who also gave special jury prizes to the cast and crew of “It Is in Us All” and Elizaveta Yankovskaya, star of the Russian film “Nika.
- 3/16/2022
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Snowfall director Damian Marcano wanted to show another side of strippers-turned-assassins Black Diamond and Dallas, so he explored them through motherhood.
The end result was an awkward-but-comical interaction in last week’s Episode 3 between the pair and Louie and Jerome, as Black Diamond and Dallas dropped off their children at elementary school. Louie told the women, who now work for Franklin, she would and could forgive them for nearly killing her if they used their exotic dancer connections to plant seeds of usurpation in Mello’s head.
More from TVLineSnowfall's Taylor Kowalski Talks [Spoiler]'s Tragic Death, What's NextSnowfall Recap: Louie vs.
The end result was an awkward-but-comical interaction in last week’s Episode 3 between the pair and Louie and Jerome, as Black Diamond and Dallas dropped off their children at elementary school. Louie told the women, who now work for Franklin, she would and could forgive them for nearly killing her if they used their exotic dancer connections to plant seeds of usurpation in Mello’s head.
More from TVLineSnowfall's Taylor Kowalski Talks [Spoiler]'s Tragic Death, What's NextSnowfall Recap: Louie vs.
- 3/9/2022
- by Mekeisha Madden Toby
- TVLine.com
Two years after its 2020 edition was moved to a virtual-only affair, SXSW is zipping back to (in-person) life with its upcoming 2022 event. Once again, movie junkies, TV obsessives, tech whizzes, and music nuts are all about to descend on Austin, TX for ten days of cultural mirth and discovery.
While a number of other film festivals have had to rejigger their plans in recent months, SXSW stands out: it’s one of the first major U.S. festivals to get back to a mostly in-person affair since the start of the pandemic. And this year’s programming won’t disappoint those who opt to travel to Texas for the event, with a slate packed with both proven quantities and actual discoveries.
The festival, in its 29th edition, will run from March 11 – 20. As previously announced, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s film, “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” will open the festival.
While a number of other film festivals have had to rejigger their plans in recent months, SXSW stands out: it’s one of the first major U.S. festivals to get back to a mostly in-person affair since the start of the pandemic. And this year’s programming won’t disappoint those who opt to travel to Texas for the event, with a slate packed with both proven quantities and actual discoveries.
The festival, in its 29th edition, will run from March 11 – 20. As previously announced, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s film, “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” will open the festival.
- 3/9/2022
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The founder of the inaugural Third Horizon Caribbean Film Festival and his friend, director of programming, preview this week’s event.
Jeffers, a Barbados native, musician and former journalist who founded the festival and also serves as its artistic director, and London-based Trinidadian Ali, a veteran programmer who has worked at the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival and Toronto, believe the time is right for Third Horizon and its particular focus.
The event runs from September 29-October 2 and opens with Guetty Felin’s Ayiti Mon Amour (pictured). All screenings will take place at the O Cinema in Wynwood, Miami.
What’s the idea behind Third Horizon?
Jason Jeffers (from a note previously sent to Ali): Third Horizon came about from this sense, as a kid, that I had of the stories of the Caribbean and Third World being regarded as supplementary to those of the First World. We were bit players in world affairs and in...
Jeffers, a Barbados native, musician and former journalist who founded the festival and also serves as its artistic director, and London-based Trinidadian Ali, a veteran programmer who has worked at the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival and Toronto, believe the time is right for Third Horizon and its particular focus.
The event runs from September 29-October 2 and opens with Guetty Felin’s Ayiti Mon Amour (pictured). All screenings will take place at the O Cinema in Wynwood, Miami.
What’s the idea behind Third Horizon?
Jason Jeffers (from a note previously sent to Ali): Third Horizon came about from this sense, as a kid, that I had of the stories of the Caribbean and Third World being regarded as supplementary to those of the First World. We were bit players in world affairs and in...
- 9/29/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Campaign aimed at raising $127,000 (£95,000) to fund technology improvements, product development and marketing for world cinema VOD platform.
UK-based VOD platform FilmDoo has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs and raised two thirds of its target within one week.
The campaign is aiming to raise $127,000 (£95,000) to fund technology improvements, product development and marketing, and has so far raised more than $80,000 (£60,000) from 33 investors.
Seedrs is a platform that allows UK investors to participate in the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme that offers generous tax deductions and other financial incentives for investors. See the FilmDoo campaign here: www.seedrs.com/filmdoo.
Launched at the Cannes Film Festival last year, FilmDoo streams world cinema for a global audience. The platform currently has a library of nearly 1,000 features and shorts from over 20 countries, including award-winning indie films such as God Loves The Fighter from Trinidadian filmmaker Damian Marcano and In The Absence Of The Sun (pictured) from Indonesian director Lucky Kuswandi.
The platform...
UK-based VOD platform FilmDoo has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs and raised two thirds of its target within one week.
The campaign is aiming to raise $127,000 (£95,000) to fund technology improvements, product development and marketing, and has so far raised more than $80,000 (£60,000) from 33 investors.
Seedrs is a platform that allows UK investors to participate in the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme that offers generous tax deductions and other financial incentives for investors. See the FilmDoo campaign here: www.seedrs.com/filmdoo.
Launched at the Cannes Film Festival last year, FilmDoo streams world cinema for a global audience. The platform currently has a library of nearly 1,000 features and shorts from over 20 countries, including award-winning indie films such as God Loves The Fighter from Trinidadian filmmaker Damian Marcano and In The Absence Of The Sun (pictured) from Indonesian director Lucky Kuswandi.
The platform...
- 9/9/2016
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
It’s aimed at raising $127,000 (£95,000) to fund technology improvements, product development and marketing,
UK-based VOD platform FilmDoo has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs and raised two thirds of its target within one week.
The campaign is aiming to raise $127,000 (£95,000) to fund technology improvements, product development and marketing, and has so far raised more than $80,000 (£60,000) from 33 investors.
Seedrs is a platform that allows UK investors to participate in the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme that offers generous tax deductions and other financial incentives for investors. See the FilmDoo campaign here: www.seedrs.com/filmdoo.
Launched at the Cannes Film Festival last year, FilmDoo streams world cinema for a global audience. The platform currently has a library of nearly 1,000 features and shorts from over 20 countries, including award-winning indie films such as God Loves The Fighter from Trinidadian filmmaker Damian Marcano and In The Absence Of The Sun (pictured) from Indonesian director Lucky Kuswandi.
The platform...
UK-based VOD platform FilmDoo has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs and raised two thirds of its target within one week.
The campaign is aiming to raise $127,000 (£95,000) to fund technology improvements, product development and marketing, and has so far raised more than $80,000 (£60,000) from 33 investors.
Seedrs is a platform that allows UK investors to participate in the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme that offers generous tax deductions and other financial incentives for investors. See the FilmDoo campaign here: www.seedrs.com/filmdoo.
Launched at the Cannes Film Festival last year, FilmDoo streams world cinema for a global audience. The platform currently has a library of nearly 1,000 features and shorts from over 20 countries, including award-winning indie films such as God Loves The Fighter from Trinidadian filmmaker Damian Marcano and In The Absence Of The Sun (pictured) from Indonesian director Lucky Kuswandi.
The platform...
- 9/9/2016
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
The 44th edition of the Festival du Nouveau Cinema has just announced their entire lineup and it’s pretty insane! The festival which takes place in Montreal from October 7 to 18 is screening nearly 400 films and events in only 11 days. This includes 151 feature films and 203 short films from 68 countries – 49 world premieres, 38 North American premieres and 60 Canadian premieres. Give credit to the team of programmers: Claude Chamberlan, Dimitri Eipides Julien Fonfrède, Philippe Gajan, Karolewicz Daniel, Marie-Hélène Brousseau, Katayoun Dibamehr and Gabrielle Tougas-Frechette.
Below is the lineup. There’s a lot to process so take your sweet time!
Opening and closing
The whole New Testament directed by Jaco Van Dormael (Toto the Hero, Mr Nobody, The Eighth Day), will kick off this 44th edition.
After its world premiere at the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes last May, the new opus unconventional Belgian director, starring Benoît Poelvoorde (Three Hearts, Ransom of Glory), Yolande Moreau (Mammuth,...
Below is the lineup. There’s a lot to process so take your sweet time!
Opening and closing
The whole New Testament directed by Jaco Van Dormael (Toto the Hero, Mr Nobody, The Eighth Day), will kick off this 44th edition.
After its world premiere at the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes last May, the new opus unconventional Belgian director, starring Benoît Poelvoorde (Three Hearts, Ransom of Glory), Yolande Moreau (Mammuth,...
- 9/29/2015
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Fresh off of their breakout screening of Damian Marcano’s feature film “God Loves the Fighter,” the Caribbean Film Series returns to Brooklyn’s BAMcinématek on September 30th for their second edition with the hit Jamaican film “Better Mus’ Come.” The Caribbean Film Series is co-presented by the Caribbean Film Academy (CaFA), BAMcinématek and the Brooklyn Cinema Collective. While “Better Mus’ Come,” director Storm Saulter’s historically-inspired ‘gangs versus government’ drama meets love story was released in theaters in 2013 via the African-American Film Releasing Movement (Affrm), this will be the first showing of the film on the big screen in...
- 9/16/2015
- by Curtis Caesar John
- ShadowAndAct
Controversial in that, the main protagonist happens to be a pot dealer which, no doubt, some people will object to. But then again, nothing gets more people more curious to watch anything than controversy. The 10 episode series is called “Chee$e”, which is still in production, and was created and directed by Damian Marcano, a native of Trinidad & Tobago, and whose previous work includes, "The Little Boy & The Ball," and the feature film "God Loves The Fighter” Starring Akil Williams, Lou Lyons and Julio Prince, Marcano describes his film as the story about a young man, Skimma (Williams) whose world is turned upside down when he gets the news that...
- 7/30/2015
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
It's always eye-opening to expand one's cinematic boundaries, and Trinidadian film "God Loves the Fighter" is a fantastic example of the fresh creativity that can come from a place that hasn't been seen on screen enough. Landing on VOD platforms (iTunes and Amazon) on July 7th, the film, from director and native son Damian Marcano, is a visual and aural journey into the rougher spots of paradise on the Caribbean island of Trinidad. The film follows several different characters as they seek money, power, purpose and redemption among the drugs, guns, and prostitutes of the ghetto Laventile. Narrated with a rollicking sense of rhythm and verse by street poet King Curtis (Lou Lyons), and soundtracked by Q Major and Freetown Collective, "God Loves the Fighter" has an intrinsic musicality, which adds to the fairytale, fable-like aspect of the film. The intense visual style struts and skitters from moment to moment,...
- 7/1/2015
- by Katie Walsh
- The Playlist
FilmDoo to debut Trinidad’s God Loves the Fighter at East End Film Festival; signs New Wave and Eureka for VOD.
New video-on-demand and community platform FilmDoo is to host a day-and-date VOD release of Caribbean crime drama God Loves the Fighter in the UK and Ireland simultaneous to its premiere at London’s East End Film Festival on July 7.
FilmDoo negotiated the deal with Nathan Fischer from sales agent Stray Dogs.
Directed by Damian Marcano, the gritty drama is centred on the heart of the Port of Spain’s illicit world of crime and tells the story of several characters including Charlie who - for all his attempts to avoid a life of crime - is eventually forced to do so in order to survive.
The film won the Curaçao International Film Festival Rotterdam’s Yellow Robin Award.
FilmDoo recently closed output deals with UK distributors Eureka and New Wave having signed deals with Trinity...
New video-on-demand and community platform FilmDoo is to host a day-and-date VOD release of Caribbean crime drama God Loves the Fighter in the UK and Ireland simultaneous to its premiere at London’s East End Film Festival on July 7.
FilmDoo negotiated the deal with Nathan Fischer from sales agent Stray Dogs.
Directed by Damian Marcano, the gritty drama is centred on the heart of the Port of Spain’s illicit world of crime and tells the story of several characters including Charlie who - for all his attempts to avoid a life of crime - is eventually forced to do so in order to survive.
The film won the Curaçao International Film Festival Rotterdam’s Yellow Robin Award.
FilmDoo recently closed output deals with UK distributors Eureka and New Wave having signed deals with Trinity...
- 6/17/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Having successfully navigated the international film festival circuit for over a year, the gritty Trinidadian drama God Loves the Fighter makes its way to Brooklyn, NY via the new ‘Caribbean Film Series’ on April 7th at 7:30pm, marking its premiere in the largest enclave of Caribbean immigrants and first-generation Caribbean-Americans outside of the West Indies. Check out the cool trailer below. A modern and raw exploration into the illicit underworld in Trinidad’s capital city Port-of-Spain (specifically the east in Laventille), director Damian Marcano’s debut feature film dispels the archetypes of the beach-laden,...
- 3/31/2015
- by Curtis Caesar John
- ShadowAndAct
Exclusive: Other Iffr pick-ups include God Loves the Fighter.
Newly launched French sales company Stray Dogs has picked up world rights to Mexican horror-thriller I Stay With You (Me quedo contigo) following its world premiere at the Rotterdam International Film Festival (Iffr) last month.
Reversing traditional male-female kidnap narratives to shocking effect, I Stay With You follows a group of women who abduct and abuse an unsuspecting cowboy they meet in a bar.
“This is a mind-blowing and crazy film about violence and the battle of the sexes,” says Nathan Fischer, who launched Paris-based Stray Dogs last month.
In another Iffr acquisition, Fischer has world rights excluding Us and the Caribbean to Trinidad and Tobago-born, Los Angeles-based Damian Marcano’s debut God Loves The Fighter.
Set against the backdrop of east Port of Spain, dubbed the murder capital of the Caribbean, the film revolves around a homeless criminal’s tragic struggle to help a young prostitute in trouble...
Newly launched French sales company Stray Dogs has picked up world rights to Mexican horror-thriller I Stay With You (Me quedo contigo) following its world premiere at the Rotterdam International Film Festival (Iffr) last month.
Reversing traditional male-female kidnap narratives to shocking effect, I Stay With You follows a group of women who abduct and abuse an unsuspecting cowboy they meet in a bar.
“This is a mind-blowing and crazy film about violence and the battle of the sexes,” says Nathan Fischer, who launched Paris-based Stray Dogs last month.
In another Iffr acquisition, Fischer has world rights excluding Us and the Caribbean to Trinidad and Tobago-born, Los Angeles-based Damian Marcano’s debut God Loves The Fighter.
Set against the backdrop of east Port of Spain, dubbed the murder capital of the Caribbean, the film revolves around a homeless criminal’s tragic struggle to help a young prostitute in trouble...
- 2/10/2015
- ScreenDaily
Iffr reveals Big Screen Awards nominees and the complete line-up for its Bright Future and Spectrum strands, including world premieres from the Us, China and the Netherlands.
Second Coming, starring Idris Elba and Nadine Marshall, has been named as one of 10 films up for the Big Screen Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr) (Jan 21 - Feb 1).
The UK film, written and directed by Debbie Tucker Green, will be vying for a prize of €10,000 ($12,000) awarded specifically to support theatrical distribution of the film in The Netherlands
The 10 nominees are from Iffr’s Bright Future and Spectrum programmes with the winner chosen by a specially selected audience jury. Other titles include Lisandro Alonso’s Cannes Fipresci winner Jauja and Carlos Vermut’s San Sebastian winner Magical Girl.
The nominees are:
I Swear I’ll Leave This Town, Danial AragãoJauja, Lisandro AlonsoKey House Mirror, Michael NoerThe Lesson, Kristina Grozeva, Petar ValchanovMagical Girl, Carlos VermutA...
Second Coming, starring Idris Elba and Nadine Marshall, has been named as one of 10 films up for the Big Screen Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr) (Jan 21 - Feb 1).
The UK film, written and directed by Debbie Tucker Green, will be vying for a prize of €10,000 ($12,000) awarded specifically to support theatrical distribution of the film in The Netherlands
The 10 nominees are from Iffr’s Bright Future and Spectrum programmes with the winner chosen by a specially selected audience jury. Other titles include Lisandro Alonso’s Cannes Fipresci winner Jauja and Carlos Vermut’s San Sebastian winner Magical Girl.
The nominees are:
I Swear I’ll Leave This Town, Danial AragãoJauja, Lisandro AlonsoKey House Mirror, Michael NoerThe Lesson, Kristina Grozeva, Petar ValchanovMagical Girl, Carlos VermutA...
- 1/7/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Carlos Lechuga’s Melaza has won the juried best feature prize at the 2013 trinidad+tobago film festival.
Top honours for the best documentary were shared by Raoul Peck’s Fatal Assistance and Miquel Galofre and Amanda Sans’ Songs Of Redemption.
The Best Local Feature Film award went to Damian Marcano’s (pictured) God Loves The Fighter, which also won the People’s Choice Feature award.
Songs Of Redemption was the audience favourite in the documentary category.
The festival ran from September 17 and will end on October 1. All in all 142 films screened at the Caribbean event. For the full list of winners visit the official website.
Top honours for the best documentary were shared by Raoul Peck’s Fatal Assistance and Miquel Galofre and Amanda Sans’ Songs Of Redemption.
The Best Local Feature Film award went to Damian Marcano’s (pictured) God Loves The Fighter, which also won the People’s Choice Feature award.
Songs Of Redemption was the audience favourite in the documentary category.
The festival ran from September 17 and will end on October 1. All in all 142 films screened at the Caribbean event. For the full list of winners visit the official website.
- 9/30/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Last September I wrote about and posted a teaser trailer for the upcoming new feature film, God Loves the Fighter, made entirely in Trinidad, by filmmaker Damian Marcano, a Trinidad native who now lives in the U.S. At the time, the film was still in post-production and details were sketchy. However, the film is now complete and is ready to make the film festival circuit rounds before, hopefully, finding a distributor; and the first full extended trailer for it has been released as well. According to the synopsis, the film deals with "King Curtis, a vagrant on the streets of Port of Spain, who is constantly ignored by passersby. He speaks and if he has to - sometimes shouts the...
- 5/21/2013
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
Here's the trailer for the new featuire film, God Loves the Fighter, made entirely in Trinidad, by filmmaker Damian Marcano, a Trinidad native who now lives in the U.S. Unfortunately, deatils about the film are a little sketchy at the moment, like when it's coming out, what's the production background, or even if it's still in post-production. But I can say that the film, according to its official synopsis "profiles several chararcters and their struggle to live under restrictions placed on them by their community and their circumstances." The director has only one previous short film to his credit, The Little Boy and the Ball,...
- 9/21/2012
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.