This weekend, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is hosting the Regeneration Summit: A Celebration of Black Cinema in honor of their ongoing exhibition Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898–1971, which has been extended through July 16. The three-day festival, which runs Feb. 3-5, will feature live entertainment, workshops, panel discussions and screenings with guests including Julie Dash, Carla Hayden, Janaya Future Khan, Shola Lynch, Justice Maya Singleton and others.
“Our exhibition, Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898–1971, is like no other museum exhibition in that it celebrates Black participation in American cinema from the turn of the 19th century all the way through the Civil Rights Movement in the early 1970s,” Amy Homma, Chief Audience Officer of the Academy Museum, tells The Hollywood Reporter. “We want visitors to understand, celebrate and uplift this history. So what better way to do that than to complement the exhibition with a weekend-long festival?”
Stars and Icons, ‘Regeneration: Black...
“Our exhibition, Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898–1971, is like no other museum exhibition in that it celebrates Black participation in American cinema from the turn of the 19th century all the way through the Civil Rights Movement in the early 1970s,” Amy Homma, Chief Audience Officer of the Academy Museum, tells The Hollywood Reporter. “We want visitors to understand, celebrate and uplift this history. So what better way to do that than to complement the exhibition with a weekend-long festival?”
Stars and Icons, ‘Regeneration: Black...
- 2/3/2023
- by Evan Nicole Brown
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Since 1988, the Library of Congress has selected 25 films each year as new additions to the National Film Registry in order to be preserved for their historical, cultural, and aesthetic contributions to American culture. The United States National Film Preservation Board has included a wide selection of movies since its inception that range from classic films to newsreels to music videos to documentaries. There are even student films and home movies included among the collection.
This year, the selections highlight the diversity of filmmakers in America by including at least 15 projects directed or co-directed by filmmakers of color, women, or LGBTQ+ people. For example, home movies from jazz, blues, and swing pioneer Cab Calloway are included in the latest wave of inductees, along with an 1898 documentary about the Mardi Gras Carnival and the 1950 adaptation of "Cyrano de Bergerac," which propelled José Ferrer to become the first Latinx actor to win an Academy Award for Best Actor.
This year, the selections highlight the diversity of filmmakers in America by including at least 15 projects directed or co-directed by filmmakers of color, women, or LGBTQ+ people. For example, home movies from jazz, blues, and swing pioneer Cab Calloway are included in the latest wave of inductees, along with an 1898 documentary about the Mardi Gras Carnival and the 1950 adaptation of "Cyrano de Bergerac," which propelled José Ferrer to become the first Latinx actor to win an Academy Award for Best Actor.
- 12/14/2022
- by Ben F. Silverio
- Slash Film
The MCU has reached the National Film Registry. The Library of Congress has announced the 25 American films selected for preservation in the archive this year. Among them is Jon Favreau’s “Iron Man,” the first entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The list of films was announced Wednesday by Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. Aside from “Iron Man,” other notable films on the list include the 1950 film version of “Cyrano de Bergerac,” Frederick Wiseman’s “Titicut Follies,” the classic blaxploitation film “Super Fly,” Brian De Palma’s Stephen King adaptation “Carrie,” John Water’s “Hairspray,” Disney animated musical “The Little Mermaid,” Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal’s rom-com “When Harry Met Sally,” and teen comedy film “House Party.”
The oldest film on the list is 1898’s “Mardi Gras Carnival,” a footage reel of the New Orleans celebration that was recently discovered in the Netherlands after being lost for decades. The...
The list of films was announced Wednesday by Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. Aside from “Iron Man,” other notable films on the list include the 1950 film version of “Cyrano de Bergerac,” Frederick Wiseman’s “Titicut Follies,” the classic blaxploitation film “Super Fly,” Brian De Palma’s Stephen King adaptation “Carrie,” John Water’s “Hairspray,” Disney animated musical “The Little Mermaid,” Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal’s rom-com “When Harry Met Sally,” and teen comedy film “House Party.”
The oldest film on the list is 1898’s “Mardi Gras Carnival,” a footage reel of the New Orleans celebration that was recently discovered in the Netherlands after being lost for decades. The...
- 12/14/2022
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Iron Man, Super Fly, When Harry Met Sally, and more have been added to the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry.
The Film Registry inducts 25 movies each year, selecting them for their “cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation’s film heritage.” The public also has the opportunity to weigh in with nomination suggestions throughout the year, and among the newly-inducted films that saw significant support are Iron Man, The Little Mermaid, Carrie, When Harry Met Sally, and Betty Tells Her Story.
The inclusion of Iron Man — which...
The Film Registry inducts 25 movies each year, selecting them for their “cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation’s film heritage.” The public also has the opportunity to weigh in with nomination suggestions throughout the year, and among the newly-inducted films that saw significant support are Iron Man, The Little Mermaid, Carrie, When Harry Met Sally, and Betty Tells Her Story.
The inclusion of Iron Man — which...
- 12/14/2022
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Marvel’s original superhero blockbuster “Iron Man,” Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” and Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal’s classic romantic comedy “When Harry Met Sally” have been selected for preservation by the National Film Registry.
Every year, the Librarian of Congress names 25 motion pictures that are at least 10 years old and register as “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant.
Other titles added to the National Film Registry in 2021 include Brian De Palma’s adaptation of “Carrie,” the John Waters musical “Hairspray,” the 1950 version of “Cyrano de Bergerac,” and the 1990s comedy “House Party.”
“Films have become absolutely central to American culture by helping tell our national story for more than 125 years. We are proud to add 25 more films by a group of vibrant and diverse filmmakers to the National Film Registry as we preserve our cinematic heritage,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “We’re grateful to the entire film...
Every year, the Librarian of Congress names 25 motion pictures that are at least 10 years old and register as “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant.
Other titles added to the National Film Registry in 2021 include Brian De Palma’s adaptation of “Carrie,” the John Waters musical “Hairspray,” the 1950 version of “Cyrano de Bergerac,” and the 1990s comedy “House Party.”
“Films have become absolutely central to American culture by helping tell our national story for more than 125 years. We are proud to add 25 more films by a group of vibrant and diverse filmmakers to the National Film Registry as we preserve our cinematic heritage,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “We’re grateful to the entire film...
- 12/14/2022
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
When Harry Met Sally …, Iron Man, The Little Mermaid, Hairspray, House Party and Carrie are among the 25 cinematic gems chosen this year for the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry, it was announced Wednesday.
Also voted in: Cyrano de Bergerac (1950), which made José Ferrer the first Hispanic actor to win the Oscar for best actor; Stanley Donen‘s Charade (1963), starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant; the documentaries Titicut Follies (1967) from Frederick Wiseman and Union Maids (1976) from the recently deceased Julia Reichert; Super Fly (1972), the blaxploitation classic starring Ron O’Neal; and The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez (1982), starring Edward James Olmos.
The latest selections span the years 1898 (a film about a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans) to 2011 (Pariah, directed by Dee Rees) and include at least 15 films directed or co-directed by filmmakers of color, women or LGBTQ+ filmmakers.
TCM will screen some of the inductees starting at 5 p.
When Harry Met Sally …, Iron Man, The Little Mermaid, Hairspray, House Party and Carrie are among the 25 cinematic gems chosen this year for the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry, it was announced Wednesday.
Also voted in: Cyrano de Bergerac (1950), which made José Ferrer the first Hispanic actor to win the Oscar for best actor; Stanley Donen‘s Charade (1963), starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant; the documentaries Titicut Follies (1967) from Frederick Wiseman and Union Maids (1976) from the recently deceased Julia Reichert; Super Fly (1972), the blaxploitation classic starring Ron O’Neal; and The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez (1982), starring Edward James Olmos.
The latest selections span the years 1898 (a film about a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans) to 2011 (Pariah, directed by Dee Rees) and include at least 15 films directed or co-directed by filmmakers of color, women or LGBTQ+ filmmakers.
TCM will screen some of the inductees starting at 5 p.
- 12/14/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Long-time Academy Museum of Motion Pictures executive Amy Homma was promoted to Chief Audience Officer Nov. 28, Director and President of the Academy Museum Jacqueline Stewart announced.
“Amy has proven herself to be a skillful, forward-thinking, and inspiring leader since she began at the museum in 2019, and I look forward to seeing her and her teams thrive in this new capacity,” Stewart said. “As a seasoned programmer, educator, and administrator who brings a deep knowledge of audience engagement and museology, Amy is the ideal person to steer our museum’s next chapter of external relations.”
Prior to her new appointment, Homma worked as vice president of Education and Public Engagement at the Academy Museum. Under her leadership, the museum developed K-12 programming and public programs rooted in accessibility and activism.
Homma’s introduction to the Academy Museum was as the inaugural director — a position she acquired following the conclusion of her...
“Amy has proven herself to be a skillful, forward-thinking, and inspiring leader since she began at the museum in 2019, and I look forward to seeing her and her teams thrive in this new capacity,” Stewart said. “As a seasoned programmer, educator, and administrator who brings a deep knowledge of audience engagement and museology, Amy is the ideal person to steer our museum’s next chapter of external relations.”
Prior to her new appointment, Homma worked as vice president of Education and Public Engagement at the Academy Museum. Under her leadership, the museum developed K-12 programming and public programs rooted in accessibility and activism.
Homma’s introduction to the Academy Museum was as the inaugural director — a position she acquired following the conclusion of her...
- 11/29/2022
- by Jazz Tangcay, Michaela Zee and Katie Reul
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
The first time Nazanin Boniadi attended a protest in her native Tehran, Iran, she wasn’t yet born.
“I was in my mother’s uterus,” explained the Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power star while delivering the keynote Wednesday during the Academy Women’s Luncheon presented by Chanel. “She was 19 and bravely joined the tens of thousands of protestors who opposed the newly forming theocracy. My parents realized the dangers of raising a daughter in a social, political and legal climate that was growing increasingly oppressive, particularly towards women and girls. Although they were granted political asylum in London when I was just three weeks old, the challenges facing women in Iran became ingrained in my psyche.”
Experiencing the Iranian Revolution — at least through the womb — set the stage for a lifetime of activism, and Boniadi said advocating for the women...
The first time Nazanin Boniadi attended a protest in her native Tehran, Iran, she wasn’t yet born.
“I was in my mother’s uterus,” explained the Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power star while delivering the keynote Wednesday during the Academy Women’s Luncheon presented by Chanel. “She was 19 and bravely joined the tens of thousands of protestors who opposed the newly forming theocracy. My parents realized the dangers of raising a daughter in a social, political and legal climate that was growing increasingly oppressive, particularly towards women and girls. Although they were granted political asylum in London when I was just three weeks old, the challenges facing women in Iran became ingrained in my psyche.”
Experiencing the Iranian Revolution — at least through the womb — set the stage for a lifetime of activism, and Boniadi said advocating for the women...
- 11/17/2022
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
After decades of false starts and years of delays for construction and the pandemic, the 484 million, Renzo Piano-designed Academy Museum finally opened to the public in September 2021. Since then, the museum has exceeded expectations by drawing 700,000 visitors (20 percent more than its goal), and it is easily covering its operating expenses via a mix of ticket sales, memberships (24,000 sold to date), a successful gift shop (which has done more than 6 million in sales), renting the space for events and its annual gala, which takes place Oct. 15 and honors Julia Roberts, Steve McQueen, Miky Lee and Tilda Swinton.
On the occasion of the museum’s one-year anniversary, THR spoke with Academy Museum director Jacqueline Stewart (who ascended to the position in July after serving as its head artistic and programming officer) and chief operating officer Brendan Connell Jr. about the institution’s surprising visitor demographics,...
After decades of false starts and years of delays for construction and the pandemic, the 484 million, Renzo Piano-designed Academy Museum finally opened to the public in September 2021. Since then, the museum has exceeded expectations by drawing 700,000 visitors (20 percent more than its goal), and it is easily covering its operating expenses via a mix of ticket sales, memberships (24,000 sold to date), a successful gift shop (which has done more than 6 million in sales), renting the space for events and its annual gala, which takes place Oct. 15 and honors Julia Roberts, Steve McQueen, Miky Lee and Tilda Swinton.
On the occasion of the museum’s one-year anniversary, THR spoke with Academy Museum director Jacqueline Stewart (who ascended to the position in July after serving as its head artistic and programming officer) and chief operating officer Brendan Connell Jr. about the institution’s surprising visitor demographics,...
- 10/7/2022
- by Rebecca Keegan
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has upped Jeanell English to the newly created position of executive vice president, impact and inclusion. English will report directly to new Academy CEO Bill Kramer.
In her role, English will lead the Academy’s initiatives designed to address underrepresentation across the industry. She will also oversee the Academy’s talent development programs, known as Academy Gold. The programs include the Gold Rising internship and mentorship program, Gold Fellowship for Women, Student Academy Awards, Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting and the Gold Alumni Program. In addition, English will continue to oversee the Academy’s sustainability, representation, inclusion and accessibility efforts.
“Over the last two years, Jeanell has been an invaluable part of our evolving Academy team,” Kramer said. “Her commitment to diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion has driven progress across Academy departments, as have her contributions to creating a more sustainable and accessible institution.
In her role, English will lead the Academy’s initiatives designed to address underrepresentation across the industry. She will also oversee the Academy’s talent development programs, known as Academy Gold. The programs include the Gold Rising internship and mentorship program, Gold Fellowship for Women, Student Academy Awards, Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting and the Gold Alumni Program. In addition, English will continue to oversee the Academy’s sustainability, representation, inclusion and accessibility efforts.
“Over the last two years, Jeanell has been an invaluable part of our evolving Academy team,” Kramer said. “Her commitment to diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion has driven progress across Academy departments, as have her contributions to creating a more sustainable and accessible institution.
- 7/11/2022
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Wow. Bill Kramer’s lightning strikes at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences—into the chief’s job 17 days early, Chief Operating Officer Christine Simmons out by mid-morning, Jacqueline Stewart in place to take his old Academy Museum post less than a week later—are impressive. Even the Academy’s often spotty Website was updated in real time: The revised executive line-up posted as the coup got underway.
Really, Kramer moved in like Grant took Richmond. Slowly at first (a lot of lobbying preceded his appointment to replace predecessor Dawn Hudson), and then all of a sudden. Boom!
So now what?
In the first week of a new fiscal year, less than a month until the election of a new Academy board president, with 248 days to maneuver before the next Oscar show (but who’s counting?), Kramer holds in his hands the rare opportunity to salvage and perhaps reshape an American institution.
Really, Kramer moved in like Grant took Richmond. Slowly at first (a lot of lobbying preceded his appointment to replace predecessor Dawn Hudson), and then all of a sudden. Boom!
So now what?
In the first week of a new fiscal year, less than a month until the election of a new Academy board president, with 248 days to maneuver before the next Oscar show (but who’s counting?), Kramer holds in his hands the rare opportunity to salvage and perhaps reshape an American institution.
- 7/7/2022
- by Michael Cieply
- Deadline Film + TV
Mary Poppins is practically perfect in every way – but it wasn’t her perfection that drew Julie Andrews to the role. She says it was the vaudevillian feel of the music.
In a new interview with Vanity Fair, in which Andrews talked through her career leading up to her latest release, “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” the beloved actress revealed that when Walt Disney originally asked her to star in “Mary Poppins,” it was the zaniness of the music that really drew her in, rather than the character itself.
“It was a brand new thing in my life that I’d never done before. It was for Walt Disney, of course, and the songs in ‘Mary Poppins’ had a kind of Vaudeville quality to them,” Andrews explained. “I think it’s what attracted me to the role, because all that kind of ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ and ‘Jolly Holiday’ music was very much...
In a new interview with Vanity Fair, in which Andrews talked through her career leading up to her latest release, “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” the beloved actress revealed that when Walt Disney originally asked her to star in “Mary Poppins,” it was the zaniness of the music that really drew her in, rather than the character itself.
“It was a brand new thing in my life that I’d never done before. It was for Walt Disney, of course, and the songs in ‘Mary Poppins’ had a kind of Vaudeville quality to them,” Andrews explained. “I think it’s what attracted me to the role, because all that kind of ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ and ‘Jolly Holiday’ music was very much...
- 7/6/2022
- by Andi Ortiz
- The Wrap
Exiting Academy Museum director Bill Kramer is not wasting any time. He sought to take the reins of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences from departing CEO Dawn Hudson, and landed the gig with unanimous support from the Board of Governors. He was supposed to start in his new role on July 18, but took over July 1 to get started on Oscar-planning season. First order of business: he dismissed Hudson’s Chief Operating Officer Christine Simmons.
And Wednesday the Board of Trustees of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures announced the expected appointment of Jacqueline Stewart, the museum’s Chief Artistic and Programming officer, to replace Kramer as Director and President of the museum. Kramer brought in the cinema scholar, curator, public educator, and TCM host in 2020. She’ll take over the role of Academy Museum Director and President on July 18 to guide the future course of the organization, which...
And Wednesday the Board of Trustees of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures announced the expected appointment of Jacqueline Stewart, the museum’s Chief Artistic and Programming officer, to replace Kramer as Director and President of the museum. Kramer brought in the cinema scholar, curator, public educator, and TCM host in 2020. She’ll take over the role of Academy Museum Director and President on July 18 to guide the future course of the organization, which...
- 7/6/2022
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Click here to read the full article.
Jacqueline Stewart, the noted film scholar and Turner Classic Movies host, has been appointed director and president of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the museum’s board of trustees announced Wednesday.
Since 2020, Stewart has served as the museum’s chief artistic and programming officer, leading strategy and planning for the Academy Museum’s curatorial, educational and public programming initiatives, including exhibitions, screenings, symposia, publications, workshops, youth programs and the Academy Museum Podcast.
In her new roles, which she will assume on July 18, she will be responsible for guiding the vision and overseeing all aspects of the operations of the institution, which opened to the public last September.
The only prior director and president of the museum was Bill Kramer, who became CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences last week.
“It has been a great privilege to work hand-in-hand...
Jacqueline Stewart, the noted film scholar and Turner Classic Movies host, has been appointed director and president of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the museum’s board of trustees announced Wednesday.
Since 2020, Stewart has served as the museum’s chief artistic and programming officer, leading strategy and planning for the Academy Museum’s curatorial, educational and public programming initiatives, including exhibitions, screenings, symposia, publications, workshops, youth programs and the Academy Museum Podcast.
In her new roles, which she will assume on July 18, she will be responsible for guiding the vision and overseeing all aspects of the operations of the institution, which opened to the public last September.
The only prior director and president of the museum was Bill Kramer, who became CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences last week.
“It has been a great privilege to work hand-in-hand...
- 7/6/2022
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures has named Jacqueline Stewart as the institution’s director and president.
Stewart replaces Bill Kramer, who last week was appointed as CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She will assume her new role on July 18.
Ted Sarandos, chair of the Academy Museum’s board of trustees and co-ceo of Netflix, said, “The board warmly and unanimously agrees that Jacqueline Stewart is the ideal choice to lead the Academy Museum into the future. A strong and inspiring partner to Bill Kramer throughout the period leading up to our opening, she gave indispensable direction to the curatorial program that has been so widely admired. Her assumption of the role of director and president is a testament to both the intellectual heft of the Academy Museum and its institutional strength.”
In the new role, Stewart will will guide the vision of the Academy...
Stewart replaces Bill Kramer, who last week was appointed as CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She will assume her new role on July 18.
Ted Sarandos, chair of the Academy Museum’s board of trustees and co-ceo of Netflix, said, “The board warmly and unanimously agrees that Jacqueline Stewart is the ideal choice to lead the Academy Museum into the future. A strong and inspiring partner to Bill Kramer throughout the period leading up to our opening, she gave indispensable direction to the curatorial program that has been so widely admired. Her assumption of the role of director and president is a testament to both the intellectual heft of the Academy Museum and its institutional strength.”
In the new role, Stewart will will guide the vision of the Academy...
- 7/6/2022
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
In a move that wasn’t unexpected, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’ Board of Trustees has announced that Jacqueline Stewart will become the institution’s Director and President. She succeeds Bill Kramer, who last week officially assumed his duties as the new CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, where he takes over for departing CEO Dawn Hudson.
Stewart was considered the most likely person to replace Kramer and was appointed in 2020 to a key position there as Chief Artistic and Programming Officer. She will begin the top job on July 18, overseeing all aspects of its operations. Perhaps best known as a host for Turner Classic Movies, guiding its “Silent Sunday Nights,” Stewart also is a leading scholar, curator and public educator on cinema.
Ted Sarandos, Chair of the Academy Museum’s Board of Trustees and Co-CEO of Netflix, said: “The Board warmly and unanimously agrees...
Stewart was considered the most likely person to replace Kramer and was appointed in 2020 to a key position there as Chief Artistic and Programming Officer. She will begin the top job on July 18, overseeing all aspects of its operations. Perhaps best known as a host for Turner Classic Movies, guiding its “Silent Sunday Nights,” Stewart also is a leading scholar, curator and public educator on cinema.
Ted Sarandos, Chair of the Academy Museum’s Board of Trustees and Co-CEO of Netflix, said: “The Board warmly and unanimously agrees...
- 7/6/2022
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Jacqueline Stewart has been named the new director and president of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the museum announced on Wednesday. She succeeds Bill Kramer, who left that position to become the CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on July 1.
Since 2020, Stewart has been serving as the chief artistic and programming officer of the museum, which opened last year. In that position, she oversaw the museum’s exhibitions, programs and screenings, among other programming.
Before joining the museum, she was a 2019 senior fellow at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. She is also the author behind “Migrating to the Movies: Cinema and Black Urban Modernity,” and she serves as chair of the National Film Preservation Board.
Also Read:
Bill Kramer Named CEO of Oscars Academy
In a statement announcing Stewart’s appointment, Ted Sarandos, the chair of the museum’s Board of Trustees,...
Since 2020, Stewart has been serving as the chief artistic and programming officer of the museum, which opened last year. In that position, she oversaw the museum’s exhibitions, programs and screenings, among other programming.
Before joining the museum, she was a 2019 senior fellow at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. She is also the author behind “Migrating to the Movies: Cinema and Black Urban Modernity,” and she serves as chair of the National Film Preservation Board.
Also Read:
Bill Kramer Named CEO of Oscars Academy
In a statement announcing Stewart’s appointment, Ted Sarandos, the chair of the museum’s Board of Trustees,...
- 7/6/2022
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Nearly 500 ‘race films’ were produced in the Us between 1915 and 1952 but lost due to a combination of neglect and poor preservation, yet a new project shines spotlight on the early 20th-century films of Oscar Micheaux and others
Contemporary film-makers such as Ava DuVernay (Selma) and Nate Parker (Sundance prizewinner The Birth of a Nation) have recently delved into key moments in African American history for subject matter. But now a Kickstarter-funded restoration and distribution project – Kino Lorber’s ‘Pioneers of African American Cinema’ – aims to shine a long-overdue spotlight on the trailblazing wave of black American independent film-making that flourished in the early part of the 20th century.
Executive produced by Paul D Miller (aka DJ Spooky) and curated by historians Dr Jacqueline Stewart and Charles Musser, the project focuses on a thematically and stylistically diverse group of low-budget movies written, directed, starring and frequently funded, distributed and exhibited by black film-makers.
Contemporary film-makers such as Ava DuVernay (Selma) and Nate Parker (Sundance prizewinner The Birth of a Nation) have recently delved into key moments in African American history for subject matter. But now a Kickstarter-funded restoration and distribution project – Kino Lorber’s ‘Pioneers of African American Cinema’ – aims to shine a long-overdue spotlight on the trailblazing wave of black American independent film-making that flourished in the early part of the 20th century.
Executive produced by Paul D Miller (aka DJ Spooky) and curated by historians Dr Jacqueline Stewart and Charles Musser, the project focuses on a thematically and stylistically diverse group of low-budget movies written, directed, starring and frequently funded, distributed and exhibited by black film-makers.
- 2/12/2016
- by Ashley Clark
- The Guardian - Film News
Since his early work with the Video Venice Collective in the 1970s, Ulysses S. Jenkins has been creating powerful work that provokes and boldly ask questions regarding of race, history and images. As University of Chicago Professor Jacqueline Stewart points out Jenkins’ work “critiques mass media representation (particularly of African American men) while exploring historical and spiritual resistances to state power and structural racism”. And he also as well “blends conceptual complexity and political urgency with earthy humor as he explores the media’s portrayal of African Americans”. Currently a Professor of Art at the Claire Trevor School of Art at the University of...
- 4/24/2015
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
Back last fall I posed what I thought was an intriguing question that rarely gets much thought – what were the first black images on the screen? (Here) As I said that it is a “rather hard question to answer. It's elusive since so many silent films made at the birth of cinema (circa mid-1890’s), are lost, destroyed, thrown away or literally have rotted away, due to the unstable nitrate film stock used back then, which deteriorates after a period time”. There might be no true definitive answer as to what was the first black image on screen but “according to Professor Jacqueline Stewart of the University of Chicago Department of Cinema and Media Studies in her 2005 book,...
- 4/9/2015
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
I say without any hesitation or hyperbole that Kino Lorber’s currently in the works Blu-ray DVD set, curated by film history professors Charles Musser at Yale University and Jacqueline Stewart at the University of Chicago, of early black films from the silent film era to the 1940’s, is the most important Blu-ray DVD collection set come out hopefully next year. Showcasing the films by pioneering black filmmakers such as Oscar Michaeux, the Norman Manufacturing Company, Spencer Williams and James and Eloyce Gist among others, the set has already attracted a considerable amount of attention by film scholars and people who just love movies, their history and lore, Needless to say, it ...
- 3/16/2015
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
Yes I did post this article just a month ago, but since it's coming up soon, this Sunday in fact, I thought a freindly reminder wouldn't be out of place But first, as some of you may recall, I wrote an item in January about The Black Cinema House in Chicago, a newly established screening space, in operation since this fall, devoted to the exhibition and discussion of independent and rarely seen black cinema in all its forms - Here. Among the films the House has screened recently were the groundbreaking experimental 1958 classic Cry of Jazz, which was introduced by Northwestern University professor Jacqueline Stewart, Richard Pryor's Jo Jo Dancer - Your Life Is Calling...
- 2/19/2013
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
That's right folks, little old me. But first, as you may recall, just a few days ago, I wote an item about The Black Cinema House in Chicago, a newly established screening space, in operation since this fall, devoted to the exhibition and discussion of independent and rarely seen black cinema in all its forms - Here Among the films the House has screened recently were the groundbreaking experimental 1958 classic Cry of Jazz, which was introduced by Northwestern University professor Jacqueline Stewart, Richard Pryor's Jo Jo Dancer - Your Life Is Calling and the New York film collective Cinema Stereo. And now moi will be introducing the 1940 "race"...
- 1/15/2013
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
Courtesy of the Black Film Center/Archive (Bfc/A)... news you can use, especially if you like in the Bloomington, In area. This should be very worthwhile, in light of continuous conversations about representation right here on this blog: On Friday, October 26th, at 4Pm, visiting scholar Jacqueline Stewart will present the 2012 James Naremore Lecture at Iu Cinema, “The Films of Spencer Williams: A Comic History of Race Movies.” Stewart, an Associate Professor of Radio/Film/Television and African American Studies at Northwestern University, and author of the award-winning Migrating to the Movies: Cinema and Black Urban Modernity, will survey the filmmaking career of...
- 10/24/2012
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
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