Lovecraft Country garners 18 Emmy nominations

Congratulations are in order for the creator of Lovecraft Country, Misha Green and the entire cast and crew. Although the HBO show was not renewed for a second season, it garnered 18 Emmy Award nominations.

Those nominations are:

Outstanding Drama Series

Drama actor (Jonathan Majors)

Drama Actress (Jurnee Smollett)

Drama Supporting Actor (Michael K. Williams)

Drama Supporting Actress (Aunjanue Ellis)

Drama Guest Actor (Courtney B. Vance)

Casting for a Drama Series

Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (One Hour)

Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes

Main Title Design

Prosthetic Makeup

Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)

Music Supervision

Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour)

Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour)

Special Visual Effects In A Season or a Movie

Stunt Performance

Writing for a Drama Series

Atlanta's Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children premieres April 5, 2020

Atlanta's Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children premieres tonight on HBO at 8 PM Eastern. RATED TV-MA.

Atlanta's Missing And Murdered: The Lost Children is a five-part documentary series offering an unprecedented look at the abduction and murder of at least 30 African-American children and young adults in Atlanta between 1979 and 1981. Forty years later, with the official re-opening of the case by Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, the series tells the inside story of this shocking tragedy, shedding new light on the horrific killings through exclusive archival material as well as interviews with those closest to the children and investigation.

The series tracks the story from the initial disappearance and discovery of two murdered teenage boys to the fear that progressively gripped the city, ultimately building to the indictment and prosecution of 23-year-old Wayne Williams, who was found guilty of murdering two adults while also being linked to the murders of 10 children. Days after Williams was sentenced to two life terms, most of the children’s cases were closed and attributed to Williams, without ever going to trial.

Further, it details the rush to officially shut down the case and the continuing deluge of questions that remain unanswered, including how the victims’ family members – along with many others in the Atlanta community – remain skeptical of Williams’ guilt. The documentary series also points to alternate suspects and details the biases and unexplored leads that may have tainted the original investigation.

Through never-before-seen footage, interviews and court documents, the series brings new evidence to light while raising new questions related to the racial tensions and political clashes that brought Atlanta to a boiling point during this tragedy.

Atlanta's Missing And Murdered: The Lost Children is executive produced and directed by Sam Pollard, Maro Chermayeff, Jeff Dupre and Joshua Bennett for Show of Force; produced by Saralena Weinfield for Show of Force; executive produced by Mike Jackson, Ty Stiklorius and John Legend for Get Lifted Film Co. in association with Roc Nation. For HBO: supervising producer, Sara Rodriguez; executive producers, Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller.

Check out the 2018 American Black Film Festival

THE NATION'S LARGEST GATHERING OF BLACK FILM & TELEVISION ENTHUSIASTS

Be a part of the American Black Film Festival (ABFF®) experience. From June 13 through 17, 2018, join our community of artists, executives and industry tastemakers who gather each year in Miami Beach to showcase emerging talent, celebrate Black culture and create opportunities for people of color to achieve success in the entertainment industry. Enjoy five action-packed days of red carpet premieres, master classes, celebrity conversations, tech talks, exclusive parties and more. ABFF® is at the forefront of diversity in Hollywood and continues to inspire generations of new artists and storytellers! Be a part of this coming summer’s hottest event.

The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) is an annual event dedicated to showcasing quality film and television content by and about people of African descent. Founded by Jeff Friday, it supports emerging artists to foster a wider range of images, stories and storytellers represented in the entertainment industry. The ABFF is committed to the belief that Black artists deserve the same opportunities as their mainstream counterparts, and is recognized as a vital pipeline for Black talent in front of and behind the camera. Annually held during the month of June, the festival is comprised of five action-packed days of films, engaging panels, networking events and more…from the star-studded opening night screening to the inspirational closing filmmaker ceremony.

Since its inception in 1997, the festival has been held in several locations — from Acapulco, Mexico, to Miami, Florida. The festival is today the nation’s largest gathering of Black film and TV enthusiasts, with approximately 10,000 attendees. The 22nd annual ABFF will take place in Miami Beach, June 13-17, 2018. The Founding and Presenting Sponsor is HBO®.

The ABFF encourages and rewards artistic excellence, providing a platform for more than 1,000 narrative feature films, documentaries, shorts and Web originals. Alumni success stories range from veteran producer Will Packer (Ride Along, Think Like A Man) to young auteur Ryan Coogler (Creed, Fruitvale Station) – testimony to the festival’s mission to introduce and connect talented newcomers to the industry at large.

The festival traditionally opens with a Hollywood movie premiere, followed by independent film and television screenings. In addition, each year the ABFF presents over 30 exciting events and networking activities designed to educate, nurture career development and inspire festival attendees. In 2016, the ABFF worked to find new ways to spotlight female filmmakers. In 2017, the festival focused on educating festivalgoers about career opportunities within the business and innovations in entertainment technology. In 2018, we are pleased to announce the return of the Careers in Entertainment Center, offering master classes, tech talks and careers in entertainment sessions by leading media companies , along with our traditional lineup of entertainment, celebrity conversations and talent discovery programs co-programmed with our partners HBO, Comcast NBCUniversal, Turner and TV One.

Learn more about the ABFF here: http://www.abff.com/

HBO statement on #NoConfederate

There has been controversy around HBO's upcoming show Confederate since it was announced. During last nights airing on Game of Thrones #NoConfederate began trending. The hashtag is part of a campaign to get HBO to cancel the show before it even airs.The campaign was organized by April Reign, the activist behind #OscarsSoWhite.

This Sunday at 9pm ET, during @GameOfThrones, we ask you to stand with us. We want to send a message to @hbo using hashtag #NoConfederate.

— April (@ReignOfApril) July 28, 2017

Many are upset because Confederate is a show that will chronicle events leading to the "Third American Civil War". It takes place in an alternate timeline, where the southern states have successfully seceded from the Union, giving rise to a nation in which slavery remains legal and has evolved into a modern institution.

HBO has released the following statement on #NoConfederate:

“We have great respect for the dialogue and concern being expressed around ‘Confederate.’ We have faith that Nichelle, Dan, David and Malcolm will approach the subject with care and sensitivity. The project is currently in its infancy so we hope that people will reserve judgment until there is something to see.”

Issa Rae nominated for Golden Globe Award

Congratulations to Issa Rae. The creator and star of the HBO show "Insecure" has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award in the Best Actress in a Television Program - Comedy.

Rae faces some steep competition from others including Tracee Ellis Ross (Black-ish). Here is the full list of nominees;

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy:

Rachel Bloom – “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus – “Veep”
Sarah Jessica Parker – “Divorce”
Issa Rae – “Insecure”
Gina Rodriguez – “Jane the Virgin”
Tracee Ellis Ross – “Black-ish”



This is Rae's first nomination and she posted the following tweet after hearing about not only her nomination but of the nomination of other African Americans.

How I feel today seeing all these mela-nominations. Thank you everybody!https://t.co/WAztH68h08

— Issa Rae (@IssaRae) December 12, 2016

‘Bessie’ Wins Outstanding Television Movie at 2015 Emmy Awards

Hidden among a historic win by Viola Davis and other African American winners such as Regina King and Uza Aduba was a victory for Queen Latifah's HBO film Bessie.

Queen Latifah’s Bessie, a HBO biopic about legendary blues singer Bessie Smith, nabbed four trophies, including Outstanding Television Movie, at the 2015 Emmy Awards on Sunday (Sept. 20).

Unfortunately, the 45-year-old actress didn’t take home the trophy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her portrayal of the late jazz songbird, that went to Frances McDormand for her performance in Olive Kitteridge.

Nevertheless, Bessie did receive some hardware in the creative fields. Those awards were for Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or Movie, Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited Series, Movie or a Special (Original Dramatic Score) and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited Series or a Movie.

[SOURCE]

Viola Davis to portray Viola Davis in HBO movie

HBO Films has teamed with writer Kirk Ellis, producer Doug Ellin and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin TV for a project about Harriet Tubman, with Oscar nominee Viola Davis set to portray the famous abolitionist. Read more: Viola Davis To Star In Harriet Tubman HBO Movie

HBO Acquires ‘3 1/2 Minutes’ Doc on Jordan Davis Shooting

[SOURCE] HBO has licensed U.S. television rights to director Marc Silver’s “3 1/2 Minutes,” following its premiere in documentary competition at the Sundance Film Festival.

The film centers on the 2012 shooting death of black teenager Jordan Davis at a Florida gas station and the subsequent trial of his killer, Michael Dunn.

HBO will air the film in the fall after its theatrical release.

“3 1/2″ Minutes” is a production of the Filmmaker Fund / Motto Pictures, in association with Lakehouse Films and Actual Films. Producers are Carolyn Hepburn and Minette Nelson. Executive producers are Orlando Bagwell, Bonni Cohen, Julie Goldman and Participant Media’s Jeff Skoll and Diane Weyermann.

Watch the trailer below.