Dozens of top Hollywood creatives and activists have signed an open letter in response to the shuttering of production company Participant — imploring the industry to continue to effect change through film and television as the defunct company once did.
George Clooney, Aflonso Cuarón, Ava DuVernay, Jane Fonda, Regina King, Viola Davis, #MeToo founder Tarana Burke, civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson, Color of Change president Rashad Robinson and more are signators, in addition to groups like GLAAD and Human Rights Watch. The letter was coordinated by the National Domestic Workers Alliance (Ndwa), which collaborated with Participant and director Cuarón on a visibility campaign for his 2018 Oscar winner “Roma.”
“As we say goodbye to Participant, we must underscore that values-based storytelling is needed now more than ever,” the letter states. “There is a whole ecosystem of people, connected by the work of the last 20 years of Participant, ready to work with you.
George Clooney, Aflonso Cuarón, Ava DuVernay, Jane Fonda, Regina King, Viola Davis, #MeToo founder Tarana Burke, civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson, Color of Change president Rashad Robinson and more are signators, in addition to groups like GLAAD and Human Rights Watch. The letter was coordinated by the National Domestic Workers Alliance (Ndwa), which collaborated with Participant and director Cuarón on a visibility campaign for his 2018 Oscar winner “Roma.”
“As we say goodbye to Participant, we must underscore that values-based storytelling is needed now more than ever,” the letter states. “There is a whole ecosystem of people, connected by the work of the last 20 years of Participant, ready to work with you.
- 5/7/2024
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including red carpets for Reality, Primo and FYC events for Queen Charlotte and George & Tammy.
GLAAD Media Awards
GLAAD announced its second batch of 2023 winners at its NYC Media Awards on Saturday, where Maren Morris received the Excellence in Media Award and Jonathan Van Ness received the Vito Russo
Award. The New York ceremony for the 34th Annual GLAAD Media Awards was hosted
by Harvey Guillén, and featured a special performance from Idina Menzel. Winners included Fire Island, We’re Here and Heartstopper.
Cast of ‘Fire Island’ Maren Morris and Jonathan Van Ness
Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies FYC
The stars of the new Paramount+ series attended a FYC event for the show in Hollywood on Sunday.
Ari Notartomaso, Marisa Davila, Cheyenne Isabel Wells and Tricia Fukuhara
George & Tammy FYC...
GLAAD Media Awards
GLAAD announced its second batch of 2023 winners at its NYC Media Awards on Saturday, where Maren Morris received the Excellence in Media Award and Jonathan Van Ness received the Vito Russo
Award. The New York ceremony for the 34th Annual GLAAD Media Awards was hosted
by Harvey Guillén, and featured a special performance from Idina Menzel. Winners included Fire Island, We’re Here and Heartstopper.
Cast of ‘Fire Island’ Maren Morris and Jonathan Van Ness
Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies FYC
The stars of the new Paramount+ series attended a FYC event for the show in Hollywood on Sunday.
Ari Notartomaso, Marisa Davila, Cheyenne Isabel Wells and Tricia Fukuhara
George & Tammy FYC...
- 5/19/2023
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
On Tuesday night, Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex was named as one of Ms. Foundation’s 2023 Woman of Vision Awards honorees.
Joining her at the event were her husband, Prince Harry and mother Doria Ragland. This is the couple’s first public appearance since Prince Harry attended King Charles’ coronation. The event was also a mini-reunion for the Duchess and journalist Gloria Steinem, as Steinem presented her with the reward onstage.
> Celebrity Kids & Their Famous Parents – Slideshow!
Markle’s acceptance speech acknowledged Steinem for her inspiration and friendship. They have been friends since 2020 after working together to make calls thanking voter registration organizers.
“Because of this foundation, so many of our youth have been instilled with self-worth and limitless possibility no matter their race, gender, class, sexual orientation, disability or age,” Markle continued in her acceptance speech. “Your collective work in pursuit of a world where every person is...
Joining her at the event were her husband, Prince Harry and mother Doria Ragland. This is the couple’s first public appearance since Prince Harry attended King Charles’ coronation. The event was also a mini-reunion for the Duchess and journalist Gloria Steinem, as Steinem presented her with the reward onstage.
> Celebrity Kids & Their Famous Parents – Slideshow!
Markle’s acceptance speech acknowledged Steinem for her inspiration and friendship. They have been friends since 2020 after working together to make calls thanking voter registration organizers.
“Because of this foundation, so many of our youth have been instilled with self-worth and limitless possibility no matter their race, gender, class, sexual orientation, disability or age,” Markle continued in her acceptance speech. “Your collective work in pursuit of a world where every person is...
- 5/18/2023
- by Rose Anne Cox-Peralta
- Uinterview
The Duchess of Sussex is being celebrated for her vision.
On Tuesday night, Meghan Markle was an honouree at Ms. Foundation 2023 Women of Vision Awards in New York, and she brought her mom and husband along as special guests.
Read More: Twitter Users Think Meghan Markle Snuck Into King Charles’ Coronation In Disguise
Markle was honoured at the event, which was billed as “Celebrating Generations of Progress & Power,” for her work as a global advocate for the empowerment of women and girls.
Photo: Mega Photo: Mega
She arrived at the event, posing for photographs alongside her mother, Doria Ragland, and husband, Prince Harry.
During the ceremony, Markle was given the award by friend and Co-Founding Mother of the Ms. Foundation Gloria Steinem.
The Duchess thanked Steinem in her speech “for the inspiration that you are, for your mentorship, your sage advice, your extraordinarily cheeky sense of humour and for your incredible friendship.
On Tuesday night, Meghan Markle was an honouree at Ms. Foundation 2023 Women of Vision Awards in New York, and she brought her mom and husband along as special guests.
Read More: Twitter Users Think Meghan Markle Snuck Into King Charles’ Coronation In Disguise
Markle was honoured at the event, which was billed as “Celebrating Generations of Progress & Power,” for her work as a global advocate for the empowerment of women and girls.
Photo: Mega Photo: Mega
She arrived at the event, posing for photographs alongside her mother, Doria Ragland, and husband, Prince Harry.
During the ceremony, Markle was given the award by friend and Co-Founding Mother of the Ms. Foundation Gloria Steinem.
The Duchess thanked Steinem in her speech “for the inspiration that you are, for your mentorship, your sage advice, your extraordinarily cheeky sense of humour and for your incredible friendship.
- 5/17/2023
- by Corey Atad
- ET Canada
Meghan Markle touched down in New York City on May 16, 2023, for her first public appearance since 2022. There, she accepted an award for being a woman of vision in an event sponsored by Ms. Magazine. The event honored Meghan and others for doing their part in advancing women’s collective power. Subsequently, during her acceptance speech, she revealed a secret afternoon ritual, charming the event’s attendees, which included her husband, Prince Harry, and mother, Doria Ragland.
Meghan Markle at the Women of Vision Awards in New York City on May 16, 2023, | Kevin Mazur/Getty Images Ms. Foundation for Women A secret afternoon ritual grounded Meghan Markle
Meghan Markle accepted her award alongside other honorees, including grantee partners Wanda Irving, co-founder of Dr. Shalon’s Maternal Action Project, and Kimberly Inez McGuire, executive director of Urge. Also honored is Latosha Brown for her activism and work for social change.
During her acceptance speech,...
Meghan Markle at the Women of Vision Awards in New York City on May 16, 2023, | Kevin Mazur/Getty Images Ms. Foundation for Women A secret afternoon ritual grounded Meghan Markle
Meghan Markle accepted her award alongside other honorees, including grantee partners Wanda Irving, co-founder of Dr. Shalon’s Maternal Action Project, and Kimberly Inez McGuire, executive director of Urge. Also honored is Latosha Brown for her activism and work for social change.
During her acceptance speech,...
- 5/17/2023
- by Lucille Barilla
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Meghan Markle will be honored by the Women of Vision Awards, highlighting her work as a “feminist, champion of human rights and gender equality, and global role model.” However, one royal expert finds fault with one aspect of this long list of accomplishments, calling it “royal ridiculousness.” Here’s the reason why.
Meghan Markle may not be a ‘global role model’ says commentator | Samir Hussein/WireImage Meghan Markle to be honored with the Women of Vision Award
The Ms. Foundation sponsors the Women of Vision Awards. The organization’s website explains the award in the following manner.
“Each year, the foundation honors visionary leaders and game-changing grantee partners committed to the Ms. Foundation’s mission of advancing women’s collective power and creating safe, just, and equitable futures for all.”
The 2023 ceremony celebrates 50 years of “progress and power.” The event will highlight the past, share current initiatives, and discuss the organization’s future.
Meghan Markle may not be a ‘global role model’ says commentator | Samir Hussein/WireImage Meghan Markle to be honored with the Women of Vision Award
The Ms. Foundation sponsors the Women of Vision Awards. The organization’s website explains the award in the following manner.
“Each year, the foundation honors visionary leaders and game-changing grantee partners committed to the Ms. Foundation’s mission of advancing women’s collective power and creating safe, just, and equitable futures for all.”
The 2023 ceremony celebrates 50 years of “progress and power.” The event will highlight the past, share current initiatives, and discuss the organization’s future.
- 4/4/2023
- by Lucille Barilla
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Southern Black Girls & Women’s Consortium, along with a number of prominent industry figures, has issued an extensive open letter denouncing violence against women. The letter is addressed in particular to Megan Thee Stallion, who was recently the apparent target in one of Drake’s lyrics on “Circo Loco,” where he accused the rapper of lying about being shot by Tory Lanez in 2020.
The letter — which was signed by musician Ethel Cain, congresswoman Maxine Waters, MeToo founder Tarana Burke, Planned Parenthood CEO Alexis McGill Johnson, congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and...
The letter — which was signed by musician Ethel Cain, congresswoman Maxine Waters, MeToo founder Tarana Burke, Planned Parenthood CEO Alexis McGill Johnson, congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and...
- 11/10/2022
- by Larisha Paul
- Rollingstone.com
Days before the midterm elections, Americans concerned about alleged voter suppression efforts in Georgia and other states will get the chance to see a documentary that puts the issue into sharp relief.
Vigilante: Georgia’s Vote Suppression Hitman, directed by David Ambrose and featuring the reporting of investigative journalist Greg Palast, will screen for free for 24 hours beginning Wednesday, November 2, on the Show and Tell documentary film platform.
“We’re having a national impact showing. This was at the specific request of Rev. Jesse Jackson,” Palast tells Deadline, “and Latosha Brown of Black Voters Matter, who said, ‘Look, this is not just a Georgia film. We’ve got to get this out nationally.’”
Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp speaks at a campaign event on October 22, 2022 in Norcross, Georgia
The “vigilante/hitman” of the film’s title refers to Brian Kemp, the incumbent Republican governor of Georgia who is running for re-election this year,...
Vigilante: Georgia’s Vote Suppression Hitman, directed by David Ambrose and featuring the reporting of investigative journalist Greg Palast, will screen for free for 24 hours beginning Wednesday, November 2, on the Show and Tell documentary film platform.
“We’re having a national impact showing. This was at the specific request of Rev. Jesse Jackson,” Palast tells Deadline, “and Latosha Brown of Black Voters Matter, who said, ‘Look, this is not just a Georgia film. We’ve got to get this out nationally.’”
Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp speaks at a campaign event on October 22, 2022 in Norcross, Georgia
The “vigilante/hitman” of the film’s title refers to Brian Kemp, the incumbent Republican governor of Georgia who is running for re-election this year,...
- 10/31/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Emmy–winning director Daresha Kyi, who writes and produces film and TV in Spanish and English, has signed with WME.
Kyi directed Mama Bears, a film about the impact of a support group for conservative, Christian mothers of LGBTQ children, that debuted in the documentary feature competition at SXSW this year. The doc will also play at Michael Moore’s Traverse City Film Festival.
Kyi also directed a short documentary for Time Studios and the SpringHill Company, Georgia Going Blue, about a Georgia-based grassroots organizations working to fight voter suppression in Georgia and around the U.S.
She is currently in post production on Black Voters Matter, a feature documentary that follows Cliff and April Albright’s and Latosha Brown’s rise from aspiring acolytes to game changing civil rights leaders and the pivotal role they played in helping Georgia flip from red...
Emmy–winning director Daresha Kyi, who writes and produces film and TV in Spanish and English, has signed with WME.
Kyi directed Mama Bears, a film about the impact of a support group for conservative, Christian mothers of LGBTQ children, that debuted in the documentary feature competition at SXSW this year. The doc will also play at Michael Moore’s Traverse City Film Festival.
Kyi also directed a short documentary for Time Studios and the SpringHill Company, Georgia Going Blue, about a Georgia-based grassroots organizations working to fight voter suppression in Georgia and around the U.S.
She is currently in post production on Black Voters Matter, a feature documentary that follows Cliff and April Albright’s and Latosha Brown’s rise from aspiring acolytes to game changing civil rights leaders and the pivotal role they played in helping Georgia flip from red...
- 6/27/2022
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The CAA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of talent and sports agency, and the Pop Culture Collaborative revealed the launch of Evolutionaries, a collective of movement leaders, cultural organizers, and civic activists who are using storytelling to create change.
Four Evolutionaries have been selected, and over a nine-month period, each individual will receive $50,000 from the Pop Culture Collaborative’s Becoming America Fund and the CAA Foundation to support their nonpartisan projects, and curated mentorship from the CAA Foundation, and access to Pop Culture Collaborative’s Abundance League.
“For over 25 years, the CAA Foundation has activated popular culture to create sustainable, positive social change,” said Natalie Tran, Executive Director, CAA Foundation. “We are thrilled to partner with the Pop Culture Collaborative to launch this unique program, which uplifts the voices of movement leaders as storytellers who show us how to create a more just and equitable world for all.”
The participants have spent their careers leading organizations,...
Four Evolutionaries have been selected, and over a nine-month period, each individual will receive $50,000 from the Pop Culture Collaborative’s Becoming America Fund and the CAA Foundation to support their nonpartisan projects, and curated mentorship from the CAA Foundation, and access to Pop Culture Collaborative’s Abundance League.
“For over 25 years, the CAA Foundation has activated popular culture to create sustainable, positive social change,” said Natalie Tran, Executive Director, CAA Foundation. “We are thrilled to partner with the Pop Culture Collaborative to launch this unique program, which uplifts the voices of movement leaders as storytellers who show us how to create a more just and equitable world for all.”
The participants have spent their careers leading organizations,...
- 10/26/2021
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
The Georgia Legislature has a message for corporations working in the Peach State: Fight too hard against the new voting law, and you might lose your subsidies and tax credits. The Georgia House sent it loud and clear Wednesday, the last day of its legislative session, when the Republican controlled body passed a bill to repeal a jet-fuel tax break worth tens of millions. The move was a swift response to Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian, who that same day derided the law as “unacceptable” in a memo to employees.
Though the Senate did not pass the bill, the threat remains. While Delta, Coca-Cola, and other major Georgia businesses have spoken out, Hollywood’s response has been much more muted. Studios were among the beneficiaries of $870 million in Georgia film and TV tax credits in 2019, a program that has supported hundreds of productions including “Avengers: Endgame.”
“These corporations, they’re cross-pressured,...
Though the Senate did not pass the bill, the threat remains. While Delta, Coca-Cola, and other major Georgia businesses have spoken out, Hollywood’s response has been much more muted. Studios were among the beneficiaries of $870 million in Georgia film and TV tax credits in 2019, a program that has supported hundreds of productions including “Avengers: Endgame.”
“These corporations, they’re cross-pressured,...
- 4/2/2021
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Danni Conner, Trevite Willis, Avril Speaks, Adetoro Makinde, Letitia Guillory, Ashley Chrisman, and Jessica Funches has been named the 2020 fellows for The Blackhouse Foundation’s 2nd annual Multicultural Producers Lab. The program highlights seven accomplished Black female producers responsible for fiction and nonfiction projects, showcasing the best-of-the-best in film and television.
Blackhouse Foundation launched the program last year with a mission to expand the number of multicultural production companies and executives, to increase their pipeline of content, and to support the sustainability of mid-career independent producers and the scale at which their projects and businesses operate.
In light of the current global pandemic program, this year’s program will consist of virtual symposiums, online workshops, and feedback sessions. Starting on Feb. 5th through the 9th, the 2020 fellows will have the opportunity to engage in in-person industry meetings and a pitch fest to showcase their projects to film studios, networks,...
Blackhouse Foundation launched the program last year with a mission to expand the number of multicultural production companies and executives, to increase their pipeline of content, and to support the sustainability of mid-career independent producers and the scale at which their projects and businesses operate.
In light of the current global pandemic program, this year’s program will consist of virtual symposiums, online workshops, and feedback sessions. Starting on Feb. 5th through the 9th, the 2020 fellows will have the opportunity to engage in in-person industry meetings and a pitch fest to showcase their projects to film studios, networks,...
- 12/9/2020
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
Like many, Oprah Winfrey first learned about the election results through a friend. Unlike many, however, said friend was also in the process of telling millions of others on television. "I knew something must have happened because my phone started going off. So I turned on the TV on Saturday and watched Gayle," Oprah said, of course referring to her longtime friend Gayle King of CBS This Morning. In a recent interview with People, the media magnate
shared her thoughts on Joe Biden and Kamala Harris's victory
, and spoke to the pivotal role Black women voters played in delivering that victory.
"Black women literally changed this country."
"I felt like democracy was on a cliff, and Black women helped pull it back from the edge," Oprah said. According to exit polls,
90 percent of Black women voted for the Democratic ticket
. Leaders like Stacey Abrams and Latosha Brown, to name a few,...
shared her thoughts on Joe Biden and Kamala Harris's victory
, and spoke to the pivotal role Black women voters played in delivering that victory.
"Black women literally changed this country."
"I felt like democracy was on a cliff, and Black women helped pull it back from the edge," Oprah said. According to exit polls,
90 percent of Black women voted for the Democratic ticket
. Leaders like Stacey Abrams and Latosha Brown, to name a few,...
- 11/12/2020
- by Kelsey Garcia
- Popsugar.com
Facebook Watch has teamed with Will Packer Media and Jesse Collins on a one-hour special to commemorate the historic 1963 March on Washington and its impact on the civil rights movement.
Hosted by Queen Latifah, Change Together: From the March on Washington to Today will premiere Thursday, August 27 on Facebook Watch.
Latifah will be joined by civil rights activists, educators, entertainers and speakers who will address the history and harmful effects of systemic racism, outline ways we can address social injustices in the U.S., and inspire viewers to make their voices heard in the upcoming election by making sure they’re registered to vote and then getting out to the polls. There also will be a roundtable conversation, one-on-one interviews between public figures and activists, special archived footage, as well as a musical performance by artist Chika.
“I can’t think of a more important time than now to recognize...
Hosted by Queen Latifah, Change Together: From the March on Washington to Today will premiere Thursday, August 27 on Facebook Watch.
Latifah will be joined by civil rights activists, educators, entertainers and speakers who will address the history and harmful effects of systemic racism, outline ways we can address social injustices in the U.S., and inspire viewers to make their voices heard in the upcoming election by making sure they’re registered to vote and then getting out to the polls. There also will be a roundtable conversation, one-on-one interviews between public figures and activists, special archived footage, as well as a musical performance by artist Chika.
“I can’t think of a more important time than now to recognize...
- 8/25/2020
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
To commemorate the anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington, in which about 250,000 people demonstrated in front of the Lincoln Memorial and Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech, Facebook Watch will stream a one-hour special hosted by Queen Latifah at on Thursday, Aug. 27.
Executive produced by Will Packer Media, Jesse Collins Entertainment, and dream hampton, “Change Together: From the March on Washington to Today” will feature civil rights activists, educators, entertainers and speakers who will address the history and impact of systemic racism, and encourage viewers to vote.
“I can’t think of a more important time than now to recognize the powerful changemakers from the ’60s and how we can bring the same needed energy to the present,” said Latifah. “I hope you love watching this program as much as I loved hosting it.”
Among the guests slated to appear on the Facebook Watch special are Amanda Seales,...
Executive produced by Will Packer Media, Jesse Collins Entertainment, and dream hampton, “Change Together: From the March on Washington to Today” will feature civil rights activists, educators, entertainers and speakers who will address the history and impact of systemic racism, and encourage viewers to vote.
“I can’t think of a more important time than now to recognize the powerful changemakers from the ’60s and how we can bring the same needed energy to the present,” said Latifah. “I hope you love watching this program as much as I loved hosting it.”
Among the guests slated to appear on the Facebook Watch special are Amanda Seales,...
- 8/25/2020
- by Elaine Low
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: On August 11, Joe Biden named U.S. Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate for the November 3 election. This marked a groundbreaking moment in history as she is the first Black and South Asian woman to be selected for Vice Presidency on a major party ticket. BET and BET Her looks to amplify the importance of this moment and the power of Black women in politics with the one-hour news special Black America Votes: The VP Choice which will air August 16 at 7pm Et/Pt.
The news special will be anchored by CBS This Morning Saturday co-host Michelle Miller and provide an analysis and perspective on Harris’s presence in the election and how it impacts political history.
Black America Votes: The VP Choice will include interviews with notable Black women who have been changing the political landscape including Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Congresswoman Karen Bass, Black Voters Matter co-founder Latosha Brown,...
The news special will be anchored by CBS This Morning Saturday co-host Michelle Miller and provide an analysis and perspective on Harris’s presence in the election and how it impacts political history.
Black America Votes: The VP Choice will include interviews with notable Black women who have been changing the political landscape including Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Congresswoman Karen Bass, Black Voters Matter co-founder Latosha Brown,...
- 8/13/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
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