google-site-verification=cXrcMGa94PjI5BEhkIFIyc9eZiIwZzNJc4mTXSXtGRM ‘American Fiction’ director Cord Jefferson highlights the importance of diverse Black experiences after winning an Oscar - 360WISE MEDIA
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‘American Fiction’ director Cord Jefferson highlights the importance of diverse Black experiences after winning an Oscar

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“American Fiction” director Cord Jefferson shared more about the importance of telling diverse Black stories after winning his first Oscar at the 2024 Academy Awards.

The writer-director, who won an Oscar for best adapted screenplay for “American Fiction,” spoke to reporters backstage and emphasized that the Black community is “just as nuanced, complex and diverse as any other group of people.”

“Showing people you don’t normally get to see on the big screen is important to me,” Jefferson said of his film. “I feel it is vital to indicate diversity inside diversity. I mean, it’s like people assume that diversity means one thing and that there is one Black guy in the room that makes for a complete Black experience.

Writer-director Cord Jefferson poses backstage with the Oscar winner for best adapted screenplay at Sunday’s Academy Awards. (Photo: Michael Baker / ©AMPAS)

He continued: “It’s vital for me to understand that there isn’t a one Black one who encapsulates the entirety of the Black experience; of course you will have people in the projects; of course you had individuals who were slaves. But between the pole of being a slave, here you will have the pole of being president of the United States. It’s part of the Black experience on this country. You have hundreds of thousands of stories to inform between these two poles.

Jefferson wrote and directed “American Fiction,” a black comedy a few black author (Jeffrey Wright) who decides to jot down a stereotypically black novel after becoming irritated by the racist systems and stereotypes which were imposed on him. Along the way, he strengthens his relationship along with his family, including his brother (Sterling K. Brown), and redefines what blackness and black success mean to him.

Jefferson’s Oscar win was the only Oscar of the night for “American Fiction,” based on Percival Everett’s 2001 novel “Erasure.” The film was nominated for five awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Jeffrey Wright, Best Supporting Actor for Sterling K. Brown, and Best Original Score.

Wright lost to Cillian Murphy, who won for his role as J. Robert Oppenheimer in “Oppenheimer,” while Brown lost to Robert Downey Jr., who won the Oscar for his role in “Oppenheimer.” During his acceptance speech, Jefferson thanked Wright and Brown, in addition to the rest of the forged of “American Fiction.”

“Thank you to everyone who worked on this film for trusting a 40-year-old black guy who had never directed anything before,” Jefferson said. “It modified my life. I really like you all. Thank you very much.”

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This article was originally published on : thegrio.com

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Winston Duke talks about ‘The Fall Guy’, overcoming fear

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Winston Duke’s newest character delivers thrills.

In “The Fall Guy,” Duke plays Dan Tucker, a talented stunt coordinator who knows easy methods to make even essentially the most demanding movie stunts seem easy and fun. When his best friend, stuntman Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling), comes into conflict with several shady characters on and off set, Tucker is tasked with helping his buddy get answers and complete their sci-fi film.

“I was at a point in my life where I said I wanted to do something cool,” Duke explains. “I didn’t want to do something super hard. From the very beginning, the biggest advantage of videos is that they can be layered. So even though the top layer may be very fun and enjoyable, sometimes the depth and seriousness can lie in the three layers below. I wanted something that would start out as a lot of fun and then find meaning.”

While Duke’s character in his recent film could also be fearless, it is a trait he needed to develop in real life. The Tobagonian-Rwandan actor says he’s a “very fearful person” but often challenges himself to look fear in the attention and overcome it.

Winston Duke stars as Dan Tucker in “The Fall Guy,” directed by David Leitch. (Source: Eric Laciste/Universal Pictures)

“I believe fear is a great thing. I all the time see fear as something that tells me I’m taking this seriously,” Duke shares. “Every time I do not feel fear, I ponder why I’m so free. I believe I’m a really fearful person. That’s what I believe builds my integrity because I’m like – I realize that is essential.

“I realize there are consequences. I understand all these items and I’ll do it anyway. Normal? I’ll do it anyway, and I’ll come out higher on the opposite side. I’m afraid of each project I tackle. I’m afraid of each stunt I do. I’m afraid of each recent relationship I start, all these items, but , you continue to do it.

In “The Fall Guy”, Duke decided to perform a lot of his own stunts, no matter fear. The actor hopes the film will introduce audiences to the customarily underappreciated work of stuntmen, including his stunt double, JoJo, who worked with Duke on “The Fall Guy” and “Black Panther.”

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“I always do a lot of stunts,” Duke says. “But I always have the care and cooperation of a really great team. JoJo was on that stunt team. He had a really great relationship with me. He knew my body and how I worked. When he was preparing everything for me, even before I showed up, he had an idea of ​​how to tell the story with certain moves that I knew very well.”

“My relationship with the entire (stunt) team was very helpful,” Duke adds. “I also played a stunt coordinator on this film. So I needed to shadow stunt coordinator Chris O’Hara and the remaining of the stunt team only for my very own learning.

“The Fall Guy” can now be seen in cinemas across Poland.


This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Beyoncé ‘was a mom first’ as she and Blue Ivy collaborated on the upcoming ‘Lion King’ prequel

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Who is Blue Ivy in Mufasa?, Beyoncé Blue Ivy Lion King, Beyonce Blue Ivy Mufasa, Who is Blue Ivy in Mufasa?  theGrio.com

After winning the hearts of fans around the world on her “Renaissance World Tour,” Blue Ivy joins her mother on her latest project. On April 29, Disney released the trailer for the latest installment of the “Lion King” cinematic universe, “Mufasa: The Lion King.”

The latest prequel to the classic film will star Beyoncé as Queen Nala, a role she played in Disney’s 2019 remake of the 1994 film. And 12-year-old Blue Ivy will make her acting debut, playing the voices of Kiara, Queen Nala and daughter of King Simba.

Beyoncé and Blue Ivy Carter backstage at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, broadcast live from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, Sunday, February 4 (8:00-11:30 p.m., live ET/5:00 p.m.- ) 20:30, live PT) on the CBS television network. (Photo by Francis Specker/CBS via Getty Images)

While performing in “Good morning America” – the film’s director, Barry Jenkins, shared his experience working with the mother-daughter duo.

“Beyoncé is an extraordinary figure, but when she’s working with her daughter, when she’s in the room with her, she’s first and foremost a mom,” Jenkins told GMA. “So much of that energy poured into the film.”

Even as they stood side by side on the Renaissance stage, it was clear that Beyoncé’s role as “mother” trumped every little thing else. In the “Renaissance World Tour” video, fans got a behind-the-scenes take a look at the making of the show, including the moments when the “Cowboy Carter” singer needed to punish a teenager for speaking out of turn.

“Blue told me she was ready to perform and I told her, ‘No,'” Beyoncé said in the video, in line with Washington Post.. “I didn’t think it was an appropriate place on the stadium stage for an 11-year-old.”

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Fans quickly became a highlight of the world tour and watched the star-born teenager’s confidence grow on stage as she performed in front of hundreds of individuals.

“It was magical,” Beyoncé added. “Her confidence kept growing. It was a beautiful thing for her.”

Premiering on December 20, 2024, “Mufasa: The Lion King” will present the bond between Beyoncé and her eldest daughter in a latest way.

“I was so happy that both Beyoncé and Blue Ivy decided to do this, and seeing them work together was really special…” Jenkins added. “I think they also just approached it (like) they both wanted to perform and give it their all. And yet they didn’t have to pretend too much, because they were actually mother and daughter.”



This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Naomi Osaka and LeBron James chair the 2024 Uninterrupted Film Festival selection committee

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As announced by the festival’s directors on Monday, Naomi Osaka, LeBron James and Joel Embiid will head the selection committee of the Uninterrupted Film Festival 2024.

According to reports, the tennis phenom and NBA superstars will select short movies to premiere at the Los Angeles festival, which focuses on the “intersection of sports culture and cinematography.” Deadline. The movies can be chosen through an open call for proposals and will develop into “the inaugural class of Uninterrupted Film Festival winners,” the website reported.

The Uninterrupted Film Festival, which kicked off in 2023, is supported by film producer Jane Rosenthal and Robert De Niro’s Tribeca Enterprises. Uninterrupted, a brand owned by James and entrepreneur Maverick Carter The SpringHill Company, is hosting the two-day event.

SpringHill was founded by James and Carter in 2020.

Los Angeles Lakers star and kid’s book writer LeBron James warms up before Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets in May at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. (Photo: Harry How/Getty Images)

“Collaborating with LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s The SpringHill Company in the heart of Los Angeles for the film festival is not only a celebration of storytelling, it is also breaking new ground,” said Rosenthal, co-founder and CEO of Tribeca Rosenthal.

“This partnership is an exciting opportunity for Tribeca to further expand its presence beyond New York and establish itself as a platform for award-winning sports filmmaking and programming. In its second 12 months, Uninterrupted Festival, powered by Tribeca Festival, will mix the passion of sports with the art of filmmaking to offer fans with a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience.

Ricardo Viramontes, CEO of Uninterrupted, added that the brand “has partnered with Tribeca and the industry’s top athletes, all of whom define excellence both on and off the field.”

“These individuals are ideally suited to help us discover the next generation of storytellers, and they stand united in improving storytelling in the athlete and sports community,” he said in a press release.

The submission portal starts on Monday, April 29 and ends on Friday, May 31. According to the selection committee, short movies have to be “gripping stories from athletes” which can be “unique, innovative and inspiring.” Submissions must even be a maximum of 40 minutes in length, produced after January 2022 and could also be a narrative or documentary film.

The Uninterrupted Film Festival will happen on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 9-10 in Los Angeles and can be open to the general public.


This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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