After our debut at Sundance, and a successful screening at Morehouse, we brought BURNING SANDS to the LA’s PAFF. At 25 years old it is one of the oldest black film festivals in the country.
Here I am with the amazing, writer/director Gerard McMurray and PAFF founder Babu Ayuko.
Me with fellow producers Stephanie Allain and Mel Jones.
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JANUARY 31, 2017 / SHADOWANDACT
MARSHALL
Having already played Jackie Robinson and James Brown, Chadwick Boseman is taking on another real-life icon in a courtroom thriller about Thurgood Marshall.
Under the direction of Reginald Hudlin, Boseman stars as the legendary attorney in “Marshall,” a film that focuses on a case early in the career of the Supreme Court justice.
Via the press announcement: “As the nation teeters on the brink of WWII, a nearly bankrupt NAACP sends Marshall to conservative Connecticut to defend a black chauffeur against his wealthy socialite employer in a sexual assault and attempted murder trial that quickly became tabloid fodder. In need of a high profile victory but muzzled by a segregationist court, Marshall is partnered with Samuel Friedman, a young Jewish lawyer who has never tried a case. Marshall and Friedman struggle against a hostile storm of fear and prejudice, driven to discover the truth in the sensationalized trial which helped set the groundwork for the Civil Rights Movement to come.”
Joining Boseman in front of the camera are Sterling K. Brown as Joseph Spell, the defendant at the center of the above case; Keesha Sharp plays Buster Marshall, Thurgood’s wife; and Josh Gad is Samuel Friedman, the young Jewish lawyer who partners with Marshall on the case.
Kate Hudson, Dan Stevens and James Cromwell round out the starring cast.
Paula Wagner is producing through her Chestnut Ridge Productions banner along with Jonathan Sanger and Hudlin.
Open Road has set an October 13 release date for “Marshall,” it was announced today – just in time for awards season.
“I can’t wait for the world to see this movie,” Hudlin said. “It’s a thriller, not a biopic, about an early case of one of the greatest lawyers in American history. In a time when we need heroes who fight for justice, ‘Marshall’ is an inspirational movie that brings people together.”
The film is being produced with the full cooperation of the Thurgood Marshall and Samuel Friedman estates.
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Octavia Spencer, left, Janelle Monáe and Taraji P. Henson will present at the 48th NAACP Image Awards. (Robyn Beck / AFP / Getty Images)
The 48th NAACP Image Awards will have a slew of Oscar, Emmy and SAG award nominees and winners handing out trophies at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on Feb. 11.
Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe of “Hidden Figures,” Sterling K. Brown of “This Is Us,” “Insecure” producer-actress Issa Rae and Mykelti Williamson of “Fences” are among the first group of presenters revealed, as are Image Awards nominees Mike “Lucas Cage” Colter and Trevor Noah, host of “The Daily Show.”
Anthony Anderson, star of “black-ish,” will host the live two-hour broadcast, which airs at 9 p.m. on TV One, and a red carpet pre-show featuring host Nischelle Turner kicks off live at 7:30 p.m. Both shows are tape-delayed on the West Coast.
The NAACP Image Awards celebrate the accomplishments of people of color in TV, music, literature and film and also honor individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors.
LeBron James and Harvard Law professor Charles J. Ogletree Jr. already have been announced as recipients of the Jackie Robinson Sports Award and the Chairman’s Award, respectively.
Other presenters are yet to be announced, as is this year’s NAACP Entertainer of the Year. Reginald Hudlin and Phil Gurin are the Executive Producers. Co-Executive Producers are Kimmie H. Kim and Byron Phillips. Tony McCuin is the Director and Robin Reinhardt is the Talent Producer.
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The biggest names in film, television and music including Tracee Ellis Ross, Mandy Moore, Adam Rodriguez, Rashida Jones, Bill Paxton, Brian White, Deon Cole, Jussie Smollett, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Justin Cornwell, Nick Kroll, Penny Johnson and Pooch Hall will present at 48th NAACP IMAGE AWARDS. The all-star celebration will be hosted by Anthony Anderson and will broadcast LIVE from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium from 9-11pm ET on February 11 on TV One. A 90-minute pre-show will air LIVE FROM THE RED CARPET from 7:30-9pm ET on TV One hosted by Nischelle Turner and Terrence J with Tai Beauchamp and Chris Spencer as special correspondents.
As previously announced, they will join presenters Taraji P. Henson, Sterling K. Brown, Octavia Spencer, Trevor Noah, Janelle Monae, Issa Rae, Mike Colter and Mykelti Williamson. Additional talent scheduled to attend includes: Denzel Washington, Dwayne Johnson, Kerry Washington, John Legend, Terrence Howard, Angela Bassett, Don Cheadle, Keesha Sharp, Andra Day, Kofi Siriboe, Nate Parker, Niecy Nash, Omari Hardwick, Regina King, Rutina Wesley, Stephan James, Tika Sumpter and Uzo Aduba. Also expected are cast members from Empire, This Is Us, Atlanta, The Carmichael Show, Power, black-ish, Queen Sugar, and more.
In addition, the NAACP “Entertainer of the Year” will be revealed. This special honor is bestowed upon an individual within the entertainment industry who has achieved notable success in multiple projects and mediums – the nominees are Beyoncé, Viola Davis, Regina King, Dwayne Johnson and Chance the Rapper.
Harvard Law Professor Charles J. Ogletree, Jr. will be honored with the NAACP “Chairman’s Award” and Lonnie G. Bunch, III will receive the NAACP “President’s Award.” LeBron James was already presented with the NAACP “Jackie Robinson Sports Award.”
Reginald Hudlin and Phil Gurin are the Executive Producers. Co-Executive Producers are Kimmie H. Kim and Byron Phillips. Tony McCuin is the Director and Robin Reinhardt is the Talent Producer. Cree Summer is the in-show announcer.
The NAACP IMAGE AWARDS celebrates the accomplishment of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film and also honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors. Winners were voted upon by NAACP members and will be announced when the envelopes are opened LIVE on stage during the two-hour star-studded TV One telecast on February 11.
For additional information and the latest news, please visit the official NAACP IMAGE AWARDS website at http://www.naacpimageawards.net.
FB: /naacpimageaward | Twitter: @naacpimageaward |Social: #ImageAwards
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