Freestyle Digital Media has secured the North American distrubtuion rights to On Thin Ice, a social justice-themed sports documentary featuring athletes Allyson Felix, Evander Holyfield, Robbie Rogers, Apolo Ohno, Michael Sam, Aimee Mullins, and Greg Louganis. Directed by Keli Price, the film will be available to rent and own on February 2. The doc calls attention to athletes who have struggled for acceptance due to race, religion, sexual orientation, and other prejudices. The film chronicles the life of filmmaker Keli Price’s Great-grandfather Jack Brooks, who escaped the anti-Jewish pogroms in Eastern Europe in 1923 and went on to become one of the premier speed skaters of interwar America. He skated with the U.S. Olympic team, and traveled to Lake Placid in 1932 for the III Olympic Winter Games. But his dream was cut short. Singled out because of the religion he practiced and the place he called home, the “speedster from...
- 1/14/2021
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
YouTube has created a $100 million fund to help amplify the voices of Black creators and artists on its video streaming platform. As part of the initiative, YouTube today announced Bear Witness, Take Action, a 90-minute-plus special aimed at inspiring the platform’s global community to take action for racial justice. Hosted by Common and Keke Palmer, the special will feature YouTube creators, artists, public figures and activists. It’s set to premiere Saturday, June 13 at 6 Pm Et/3 Pm Pt.
“I support the Black Lives Matter movement and I think it’s imperative that we help amplify Black voices and continue the conversation about meaningful change and racial justice,” said Susanne Daniels, Global Head of Original Content for YouTube. “YouTube has a unique ability to unite creators, artists and powerful voices within the Black community to encourage the world to stand up and speak out for racial justice.”
Moderators include Jemele Hill,...
“I support the Black Lives Matter movement and I think it’s imperative that we help amplify Black voices and continue the conversation about meaningful change and racial justice,” said Susanne Daniels, Global Head of Original Content for YouTube. “YouTube has a unique ability to unite creators, artists and powerful voices within the Black community to encourage the world to stand up and speak out for racial justice.”
Moderators include Jemele Hill,...
- 6/11/2020
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Yara Shahidi, star of “Black-ish” and “Grown-ish,” is raising her profile as a political activist with the official launch of an initiative urging young Americans to get involved politically — and vote in the 2018 U.S. midterm elections.
Shahidi, who turned 18 on Feb. 10, has teamed with social-news publisher NowThis for Eighteen x 18, a content partnership that will run through the November 2018 elections. Under the partnership, Shahidi will join NowThis as a guest editor to contribute original pieces that will run across all of NowThis’s channels including Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter.
Over the seven-month campaign, NowThis will stage an Eighteen x 18 “takeover” of all its channels on the 18th of each month, starting Wednesday, April 18. The goal is to educate young people and drive them to register to vote online (at eighteenx18.com/registertovote).
“It’s more clear than ever that young people have both social and political power in our country,...
Shahidi, who turned 18 on Feb. 10, has teamed with social-news publisher NowThis for Eighteen x 18, a content partnership that will run through the November 2018 elections. Under the partnership, Shahidi will join NowThis as a guest editor to contribute original pieces that will run across all of NowThis’s channels including Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter.
Over the seven-month campaign, NowThis will stage an Eighteen x 18 “takeover” of all its channels on the 18th of each month, starting Wednesday, April 18. The goal is to educate young people and drive them to register to vote online (at eighteenx18.com/registertovote).
“It’s more clear than ever that young people have both social and political power in our country,...
- 4/18/2018
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
[Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers from the “Atlanta” episode “Money Bag Shawty.”]
“Atlanta” continues to blow us away week to week with its insight into today’s culture, brand of danger-comedy, gorgeous cinematography, and layers of meaning all packed into a half hour. Thursday’s “Money Bag Shawty” kicked off that episode’s tone with a direct reference to a viral video.
White Tears
In the spoof, a blonde white woman with the username “lilysmom_11” addresses the camera, distraught over her daughter listening to Paper Boi’s (Brian Tyree Henry) latest song on the radio. The mom proceeds to read out loud the song’s lyrics, which include profanity and liberal use of the N-word. As she becomes increasingly upset, she’s particularly disturbed by the rapper voicing a disdain for college and referencing Colin Kaepernick. She eventually breaks down crying, and later, Earn and his friends toast to her “white tears” for giving Alfred’s song even more exposure.
“Atlanta” continues to blow us away week to week with its insight into today’s culture, brand of danger-comedy, gorgeous cinematography, and layers of meaning all packed into a half hour. Thursday’s “Money Bag Shawty” kicked off that episode’s tone with a direct reference to a viral video.
White Tears
In the spoof, a blonde white woman with the username “lilysmom_11” addresses the camera, distraught over her daughter listening to Paper Boi’s (Brian Tyree Henry) latest song on the radio. The mom proceeds to read out loud the song’s lyrics, which include profanity and liberal use of the N-word. As she becomes increasingly upset, she’s particularly disturbed by the rapper voicing a disdain for college and referencing Colin Kaepernick. She eventually breaks down crying, and later, Earn and his friends toast to her “white tears” for giving Alfred’s song even more exposure.
- 3/16/2018
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman delivered a powerful victim impact statement on Friday during the final day of former Team USA gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar’s sexual abuse sentencing hearing.
The 23-year-old athlete initially announced that she would not attend the hearing, but showed up to Michigan’s Ingham County Circuit Courtroom, embraced fellow gymnast Jordyn Wieber (who revealed she too was Nassar victim during Friday’s hearing) and directly addressed Nassar, whom she accused of molesting her on several occasions.
“The tables have turned, Larry. We are here. We have our voices, and we are not going anywhere. And now,...
The 23-year-old athlete initially announced that she would not attend the hearing, but showed up to Michigan’s Ingham County Circuit Courtroom, embraced fellow gymnast Jordyn Wieber (who revealed she too was Nassar victim during Friday’s hearing) and directly addressed Nassar, whom she accused of molesting her on several occasions.
“The tables have turned, Larry. We are here. We have our voices, and we are not going anywhere. And now,...
- 1/19/2018
- by Char Adams
- PEOPLE.com
President Donald Trump faced immediate backlash after he criticized hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico and warned the U.S. territory that federal aid workers cannot stay there “forever.”
In a series of tweets on Thursday morning, Trump quoted conservative television journalist Sharyl Attkisson as he blamed the island for a financial crisis “largely of their own making” and infrastructure that was a “disaster” before Hurricane Maria struck on Sept. 20.
“We cannot keep Fema, the Military & the First Responders, who have been amazing (under the most difficult circumstances) in P.R. forever!” the president said.
He also accused Puerto Rico officials of a...
In a series of tweets on Thursday morning, Trump quoted conservative television journalist Sharyl Attkisson as he blamed the island for a financial crisis “largely of their own making” and infrastructure that was a “disaster” before Hurricane Maria struck on Sept. 20.
“We cannot keep Fema, the Military & the First Responders, who have been amazing (under the most difficult circumstances) in P.R. forever!” the president said.
He also accused Puerto Rico officials of a...
- 10/12/2017
- by Tierney McAfee
- PEOPLE.com
Jared Kushner‘s Jewish faith is back in the spotlight as his father-in-law, Donald Trump, faces widespread backlash over his refusal to unequivocally condemn white supremacists, neo-Nazis and the Kkk for the deadly violence that engulfed Charlottesville, Virginia, during a white nationalist rally over the weekend.
The president’s daughter and advisor, Ivanka Trump — who converted to Judaism before marrying Kusher, an Orthodox Jew, in 2009 — tweeted after the events in Charlottesville, “There should be no place in society for racism, white supremacy and neo-nazis.”
But Kushner, 36, a former real-estate developer and newspaper publisher who is also a senior advisor to the president,...
The president’s daughter and advisor, Ivanka Trump — who converted to Judaism before marrying Kusher, an Orthodox Jew, in 2009 — tweeted after the events in Charlottesville, “There should be no place in society for racism, white supremacy and neo-nazis.”
But Kushner, 36, a former real-estate developer and newspaper publisher who is also a senior advisor to the president,...
- 8/16/2017
- by Tierney McAfee
- PEOPLE.com
Donald Trump kicked off Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend by criticizing civil-rights icon and John Lewis and accusing him of “all talk ” and “no action or results.”
In a Twitter rant on Saturday, the President-elect said that the Georgia congressman should spent more time trying to fix his “horrible,” “crime-infested” district rather than “falsely complaining” about results of the 2016 presidential election.
Lewis, a Democratic representative and former “freedom rider,” has a long history of political action. As chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in the 1960s, he marched with Dr. King during the peaceful 1965 voting rights protest on Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma,...
In a Twitter rant on Saturday, the President-elect said that the Georgia congressman should spent more time trying to fix his “horrible,” “crime-infested” district rather than “falsely complaining” about results of the 2016 presidential election.
Lewis, a Democratic representative and former “freedom rider,” has a long history of political action. As chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in the 1960s, he marched with Dr. King during the peaceful 1965 voting rights protest on Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma,...
- 1/14/2017
- by Dave Quinn
- PEOPLE.com
Photos of President Obama playing with children flooded Twitter feeds over the weekend in honor of Black History month. The hashtag #ObamaAndKids started trending after activist and entrepreneur Michael Skolnik asked Obama fans to share feel-good pics that illustrate how America's first black president has inspired young children. Skolnik wrote a post Sunday night explaining why he created #ObamaAndKids. "We'll probably never truly be able to measure the impact that President Barack Obama has had on our children. As we enter the final year of his presidency, we will cherish and hold onto the great moments of progress and accomplishment.
- 2/22/2016
- by Tierney McAfee, @tierneymcafee
- PEOPLE.com
Photos of President Obama playing with children flooded Twitter feeds over the weekend in honor of Black History month. The hashtag #ObamaAndKids started trending after activist and entrepreneur Michael Skolnik asked Obama fans to share feel-good pics that illustrate how America's first black president has inspired young children. Skolnik wrote a post Sunday night explaining why he created #ObamaAndKids. "We'll probably never truly be able to measure the impact that President Barack Obama has had on our children. As we enter the final year of his presidency, we will cherish and hold onto the great moments of progress and accomplishment.
- 2/22/2016
- by Tierney McAfee, @tierneymcafee
- PEOPLE.com
In the lively and informative morning panel The Changemakers: Tactics for Equality and Diversity in Film and Television at the Produced By Conference at the Time Warner Center in New York, the conversation focused on the importance of taking action and concrete ideas to ensure that more people of color and women find opportunities in all levels of the film and television industry.
The speakers:
Effie T. Brown
Founder, Duly Noted, Inc.; "Project Greenlight," "Dear White People."
Charles D. King
Founder & CEO, MacRo
Mynette Louie
President, Gamechanger Films
Pete Nowalk
"How to Get Away with Murder"
Lindsey Taylor Wood
Founder & President, Ltw
Moderator Michael Skolnik (President, Global Grind Civil Rights Organizer) opened with several statistics from the 2015 UCLA report on diversity from the Bunch Center: Here
The report looked at 175 films, and 1,015 television shows over two years.
Lead actors: 75 % men, 25 % women
Directors: 94 % men, 6 % women
Writers: 87% men, 13% women
Television show creators: 71% men, 29% women
Lead actors: 83% white, 17% people of color
Directors: 82% white, 18 % people of color
Writers: 88% white, 12% people of color
Show creators 94 % white, 6 % people of color
Cable television show creators: 89 % white, 11% people of color
And perhaps what drew the loudest audience gasp from Skolnik’s last statistic:
CEO and chairs of the 18 studios: 94 % white and 100% men.
Skolnik : The good news is, if there is good news, is that the audience is demanding much more of us, and certainly on television there has been an explosion of diverse audiences on and off screen.
Skolnick asked the panel about some proud moments in their career.
Brown: In ‘Project Greenlight’ you are actually able to see an inclusive crew that looks like America. So, people watching in Middle America, for example, could see that they have a voice and place in film.
Nowalk : I’m proud of lead actress Viola Davis. We created the role together of Annalise Keating. The character is not perfect. The same is true for the gay character, who is also not perfectly perfect. That’s not real or interesting. Viola plays the anti-hero – a character which men always do. She’s a character people love to hate. It’s so nice not to write perfect boring people.
Skolnick asked the panel how their work has changed and how their art changed as the energy in this country has changed.
During his 15 years as an agent at Wme agency days, Charles D. King recounted, “I was always the guy in the room saying, ‘Why can’t the role be this way?'” King also emphasized the importance of making sure talent does not get pigeonholed, citing examples of director Tim Story going from directing “Barbershop” to “Fantastic Four” and how he worked with his clients, including Terrence Howard, Michael Ealy and Paula Patton. “It was almost like the Underground Railroad for a while.”
Nowalk: I don’t write ethnicity into characters. We cast colorblind. In the past, we ignored the race issue; we didn’t speak to it in the script. Viola Davis encouraged me that the world is not colorblind. We got positive feedback for the show. We do address race and use it in strange, manipulative ways that fits the tone in the show. The new PC is let’s talk about it (race).
Louie: What’s changed is my courage and mindset, and not accepting the status quo as gospel. When I started 10 years ago, I was told by companies; ‘Black people don’t sell overseas’ but now I question that a lot more. That attitude is part of a system that is a self-perpetuating racist institution.
Brown: I don’t feel so alone anymore. I remember growing up in New Jersey, looking at images on television. I just wasn’t there. I wasn’t in Three’s Company, Charlies Angels, Give Me a Break -- that was a mammy trope. Good Times wasn’t reflecting my experience. I want to reflect the image of the other.
Later on, Brown added how the aftermath of the Project Greenlight flap was ‘shocking…It started a conversation. I’m grateful, it set a tone. Black Twitter is real. Everyone kept strong.”
Wood: We need to learn how to be better allies and know when to ask questions. We’re not all done addressing these issues. We need to have honest conversations and understand the solutions that are working in other industries.
Concluding the discussion, Skolnick asked the panel for one take away tactic to increase diversity.
Wood: I would love to have conversations over alternative distribution models.
Nowalk: Think about the interns and the assistants you’re hiring. That’s the way to mentor people; hire a diverse group of people. It starts there.
King: Live by what you’re preaching.
Brown: Stop talking about it, be about it. Whatever you’re doing, make sure it’s inclusive otherwise we don’t have any right to bitch about it
Louie: Learn the marketplace and learn the statistics. Read ‘The Ms. Factor: The Power of Female Driven Content Toolkit.’ It puts all the statistics together about women-driven films. It will help you pitch your projects. It shows all the numbers that are in support of women driven films. Be armed with this. If you’re armed with this, you have a better chance of getting your film made.
For more information visit Here
Award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker, Susan Kouguell teaches screenwriting at Purchase College Suny, and presents international seminars on screenwriting and film. Author of Savvy Characters Sell Screenplays! and The Savvy Screenwriter, she is chairperson of Su-City Pictures East, LLC, a consulting company founded in 1990 where she works with writers, filmmakers, and executives worldwide. www.su-city-pictures.com, http://su-city-pictures.com/wpblog...
The speakers:
Effie T. Brown
Founder, Duly Noted, Inc.; "Project Greenlight," "Dear White People."
Charles D. King
Founder & CEO, MacRo
Mynette Louie
President, Gamechanger Films
Pete Nowalk
"How to Get Away with Murder"
Lindsey Taylor Wood
Founder & President, Ltw
Moderator Michael Skolnik (President, Global Grind Civil Rights Organizer) opened with several statistics from the 2015 UCLA report on diversity from the Bunch Center: Here
The report looked at 175 films, and 1,015 television shows over two years.
Lead actors: 75 % men, 25 % women
Directors: 94 % men, 6 % women
Writers: 87% men, 13% women
Television show creators: 71% men, 29% women
Lead actors: 83% white, 17% people of color
Directors: 82% white, 18 % people of color
Writers: 88% white, 12% people of color
Show creators 94 % white, 6 % people of color
Cable television show creators: 89 % white, 11% people of color
And perhaps what drew the loudest audience gasp from Skolnik’s last statistic:
CEO and chairs of the 18 studios: 94 % white and 100% men.
Skolnik : The good news is, if there is good news, is that the audience is demanding much more of us, and certainly on television there has been an explosion of diverse audiences on and off screen.
Skolnick asked the panel about some proud moments in their career.
Brown: In ‘Project Greenlight’ you are actually able to see an inclusive crew that looks like America. So, people watching in Middle America, for example, could see that they have a voice and place in film.
Nowalk : I’m proud of lead actress Viola Davis. We created the role together of Annalise Keating. The character is not perfect. The same is true for the gay character, who is also not perfectly perfect. That’s not real or interesting. Viola plays the anti-hero – a character which men always do. She’s a character people love to hate. It’s so nice not to write perfect boring people.
Skolnick asked the panel how their work has changed and how their art changed as the energy in this country has changed.
During his 15 years as an agent at Wme agency days, Charles D. King recounted, “I was always the guy in the room saying, ‘Why can’t the role be this way?'” King also emphasized the importance of making sure talent does not get pigeonholed, citing examples of director Tim Story going from directing “Barbershop” to “Fantastic Four” and how he worked with his clients, including Terrence Howard, Michael Ealy and Paula Patton. “It was almost like the Underground Railroad for a while.”
Nowalk: I don’t write ethnicity into characters. We cast colorblind. In the past, we ignored the race issue; we didn’t speak to it in the script. Viola Davis encouraged me that the world is not colorblind. We got positive feedback for the show. We do address race and use it in strange, manipulative ways that fits the tone in the show. The new PC is let’s talk about it (race).
Louie: What’s changed is my courage and mindset, and not accepting the status quo as gospel. When I started 10 years ago, I was told by companies; ‘Black people don’t sell overseas’ but now I question that a lot more. That attitude is part of a system that is a self-perpetuating racist institution.
Brown: I don’t feel so alone anymore. I remember growing up in New Jersey, looking at images on television. I just wasn’t there. I wasn’t in Three’s Company, Charlies Angels, Give Me a Break -- that was a mammy trope. Good Times wasn’t reflecting my experience. I want to reflect the image of the other.
Later on, Brown added how the aftermath of the Project Greenlight flap was ‘shocking…It started a conversation. I’m grateful, it set a tone. Black Twitter is real. Everyone kept strong.”
Wood: We need to learn how to be better allies and know when to ask questions. We’re not all done addressing these issues. We need to have honest conversations and understand the solutions that are working in other industries.
Concluding the discussion, Skolnick asked the panel for one take away tactic to increase diversity.
Wood: I would love to have conversations over alternative distribution models.
Nowalk: Think about the interns and the assistants you’re hiring. That’s the way to mentor people; hire a diverse group of people. It starts there.
King: Live by what you’re preaching.
Brown: Stop talking about it, be about it. Whatever you’re doing, make sure it’s inclusive otherwise we don’t have any right to bitch about it
Louie: Learn the marketplace and learn the statistics. Read ‘The Ms. Factor: The Power of Female Driven Content Toolkit.’ It puts all the statistics together about women-driven films. It will help you pitch your projects. It shows all the numbers that are in support of women driven films. Be armed with this. If you’re armed with this, you have a better chance of getting your film made.
For more information visit Here
Award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker, Susan Kouguell teaches screenwriting at Purchase College Suny, and presents international seminars on screenwriting and film. Author of Savvy Characters Sell Screenplays! and The Savvy Screenwriter, she is chairperson of Su-City Pictures East, LLC, a consulting company founded in 1990 where she works with writers, filmmakers, and executives worldwide. www.su-city-pictures.com, http://su-city-pictures.com/wpblog...
- 10/29/2015
- by Susan Kouguell
- Sydney's Buzz
"The Changemakers" panel on diversity was a highlight of the 2nd annual Produced By: New York (Pbny) conference on Saturday, October 24 at the Time Warner Center in New York. The panel kicked off with a familiar exercise, when moderator Michael Skolnik, President of Global Grind, shared some staggering stats showing that film and TV overwhelmingly favors white males in almost every aspect of the industry. Read More: The Unsinkable Effie Brown Makes 'Project Greenlight' a Must-See Yet, as the discussion that followed demonstrated, a lot more than just "creating awareness" was on the agenda. Aptly sub-headed "Tactics for Equality and Diversity in Film & Television," the panel kept its focus on practical methods and courses of action that could challenge the status quo, with everyone agreeing it's time to translate knowledge into action. "Stop talking about it, and be about it. Otherwise, we don’t have a right to.
- 10/26/2015
- by Tomris Laffly
- Indiewire
Sean Carter, aka Jay Z, doesn't use Twitter much, so it was a very rare moment indeed when the hip-hop mogul went on a 16-Tweet "stream of consciousness" tear on Sunday (April 26), to promote the music streaming service Tidal (owned by Carter's own Project Panther Ltd.). Using the hashtag #TidalFacts, Jay Z did his best to quell rumors about the company's health, to air his dreams for Tidal, and the like. It was not his intention, I'm sure, to cull responses like these: Jay-z (@S_C_) -- since you're on Twitter today, any thoughts on Baltimore or Nepal? #TidalFacts — Michael Skolnik (@MichaelSkolnik) April 26, 2015 Turn on the news. See Baltimore? Ok. Rt @S_C_: We are human (even Daft Punk ha). We aren't perfect - but we are determined. #TidalFacts — DuffJuice (@Bacardiduff) April 26, 2015 @S_C_ can't wait for the track about Ferguson or Baltimore that you will drop to debut on tidal.
- 4/29/2015
- by Katie Hasty
- Hitfix
Russell Simmons‘ pop culture site GlobalGrind.com was acquired by Interactive One, the two companies announced Thursday.
GlobalGrind will become a new Millennials channel for Interactive One (iOne), made up of over a dozen sites that target the younger demographic. Over the last year, iOne has collectively grown 145 percent to 33 million unique visitors per month.
Also Read: Russell Simmons on CNN: ‘It is Like Lightning Striking the Black Community Over and Over’ (Video)
The two companies formed a partnership in the summer of 2013. Since then, GlobalGrind has grown 60 percent, spiking from 2.5 million unique visitors per month to 4.1 million this month.
GlobalGrind will become a new Millennials channel for Interactive One (iOne), made up of over a dozen sites that target the younger demographic. Over the last year, iOne has collectively grown 145 percent to 33 million unique visitors per month.
Also Read: Russell Simmons on CNN: ‘It is Like Lightning Striking the Black Community Over and Over’ (Video)
The two companies formed a partnership in the summer of 2013. Since then, GlobalGrind has grown 60 percent, spiking from 2.5 million unique visitors per month to 4.1 million this month.
- 12/18/2014
- by Jordan Chariton
- The Wrap
Brayden Denton, 5-years-old, died of a brain tumor on May 8 and was honored with a superhero funeral.
Brayden, a young boy from Indiana, suffered from Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma and was diagnosed on April 20, 2013. When it came time to arrange Brayden’s funeral, his mother, Staci Denton decided to incorporate Brayden’s favorite superheroes. As opposed to traditional funeral dress, Denton asked the pallbearers to dress up as superheroes.
“I felt like I was honoring him in a way that if he was looking down on us he would be happy,” Denton explained.
At his funeral, Brayden was escorted by Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Batman, Superman and Spiderman, his favorite.
five year old, Brayden Denton, was given a superhero funeral after a battle with brain cancer: pic.twitter.com/6rLt5RIMKE
— Michael Skolnik (@MichaelSkolnik) May 20, 2014
“The whole time I saw them carrying Brayden he was probably up there going, ‘This is so cool.
Brayden, a young boy from Indiana, suffered from Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma and was diagnosed on April 20, 2013. When it came time to arrange Brayden’s funeral, his mother, Staci Denton decided to incorporate Brayden’s favorite superheroes. As opposed to traditional funeral dress, Denton asked the pallbearers to dress up as superheroes.
“I felt like I was honoring him in a way that if he was looking down on us he would be happy,” Denton explained.
At his funeral, Brayden was escorted by Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Batman, Superman and Spiderman, his favorite.
five year old, Brayden Denton, was given a superhero funeral after a battle with brain cancer: pic.twitter.com/6rLt5RIMKE
— Michael Skolnik (@MichaelSkolnik) May 20, 2014
“The whole time I saw them carrying Brayden he was probably up there going, ‘This is so cool.
- 5/21/2014
- Uinterview
On last Friday's Real Time with Bill Maher, artist Jay Z said that the American middle class is disappearing and the gap between the haves and have nots is a growing problem that "no amount of police can solve." O'Reilly Factor guest host Laura Ingraham found this an irresponsible, borderline threatening comment from the millionaire rapper. She clashed with guest Michael Skolnik over whether Jay Z was wrong to say it and whether he has any ground to say it when he's a big Obama supporter.
- 8/7/2013
- by Josh Feldman
- Mediaite - TV
Fuse, the national music television network of The Madison Square Garden Company, today announced that it will air a one-hour special dedicated to the highly controversial trial and verdict of the Trayvon Martin case on Friday, July 26 at 8pm Et. Fuse News Special: The Ballad of Trayvon Martin will explore how the music world has responded to the famed case and it’s divisive outcome. What are artists saying about the verdict? Tune-in as Fuse News anchors Matte Babel and Alexa Chung sit down with Wyclef Jean, Fat Joe, Raekwon, Lester Chambers, and others about these topics. The show will also include a panel discussion with M1 from Dead Prez, Michael Skolnik, John Reed and Shaheem Reid as well...
- 7/25/2013
- by April Neale
- Monsters and Critics
TORONTO -- The Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival on Friday gave the jury prize for best international feature documentary to "Losers and Winners", a German film from Ulrike Franke and Michael Loeken about a German factory taken apart to be rebuilt in China.
A special jury prize in the international feature film category went to U.S. filmmaker Michael Skolnik's "Without the King", a portrait of the impoverished nation of Swaziland, home of Africa's last remaining absolute monarchy.
Elsewhere, the best Canadian feature documentary category saw the top prize go to Bryan Friedman's "The Bodybuilder and I", a feature film about the estranged relationship between the filmmaker and his elderly, bodybuilding father.
In the same category, the special jury prize went to Serge Giguere's "Driven by Dreams", an inspiring feature about seniors passionately enjoying life in their twilight years.
And the best mid-length documentary trophy went to Canadian filmmaker Johanna Lunn's "Forgiveness: Stories for Our Time," a groundbreaking National Film Board of Canada documentary about victims of murder and terrorism who struggle to forgive the aggressors.
A special jury prize in the international feature film category went to U.S. filmmaker Michael Skolnik's "Without the King", a portrait of the impoverished nation of Swaziland, home of Africa's last remaining absolute monarchy.
Elsewhere, the best Canadian feature documentary category saw the top prize go to Bryan Friedman's "The Bodybuilder and I", a feature film about the estranged relationship between the filmmaker and his elderly, bodybuilding father.
In the same category, the special jury prize went to Serge Giguere's "Driven by Dreams", an inspiring feature about seniors passionately enjoying life in their twilight years.
And the best mid-length documentary trophy went to Canadian filmmaker Johanna Lunn's "Forgiveness: Stories for Our Time," a groundbreaking National Film Board of Canada documentary about victims of murder and terrorism who struggle to forgive the aggressors.
- 4/28/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
- [Pierre-Alexandre Despatis suffers for his cinema. Now covering his second edition, our official festival reporter and multi-function human cyborg will provide us the sights (plenty of cool pics!), the sounds, the reviews and the occasional interviews of the still very young 5th edition of the Tribeca film festival. Below are some of Pierre-Alexandre’s reviews in easy to read, insightful capsule form. Enjoy!] Lockdown, USASimilar in many ways to Rock The Bells, Lockdown, USA documents Russell Simmons' quest to repeal New York State's Rockefeller Drug Laws and he shows the devastating effects that such acts have had for the families of the convicted. Figures are impressive; 2M people have been locked up in jail. Michael Skolnik and Rebecca Chaiklin's documentary poignantly demonstrates by use of many charts showing how such laws are unfair and how they especially target the black and Hispanic communities. Also thought-provoking is how the filmmakers made a strong point in outlining the importance of the prison lobby in the issues; after all, they benefit from having all the cells occupied! The film's 'in your face' approach is helped with the film's hip hop music soundtrack; its authoritative narration and the powerful footage of Russell Simmons' quest are truly remarkable. Farewell BENDERRemove all the comedy and hilarious situations from American Pie,
- 5/3/2006
- IONCINEMA.com
On the Outs, a drama directed by Lori Silverbush and Michael Skolnik received the Grand Jury Sparky Award for best narrative feature as well as the dramatic audience award as the 11th annual Slamdance Film Festival in Park City concluded Friday. Phil the Alien, directed by Rob Stefaniuk, received an honorable mention from the jury, while Chip Godwin also received an honorable mention for best performance for his work in John Erick Dowdle's The Dry Spell. The jury award for best documentary feature went to Abel Raises Cain, directed by Jenny Abel and Jeff Hockett, with Scott Dalton and Margarita Martinez's La Sierra receiving an honorable mention. The prize for best animated short went to Egg, with an honorable mention to Shoel.
- 1/30/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TORONTO -- The Toronto International Film Festival on Tuesday announced world premieres for U.S. filmmaker David Gordon Green's Undertow and U.K. helmer Michael Winterbottom's Nine Songs and a North American premiere for Claire Denis' L'intrus. In all, 62 titles were announced as Toronto programmers unveiled film bookings for the Discovery sidebar for emerging talent, the Vision program for experimental film and the Wavelengths forum for video artists. Toronto's Discovery lineup will present 28 features from 23 countries, including German director Hendrik Holzemann's feature film debut, Off Beat; Xiao Jiang's Electric Shadows, from China; U.S. filmmakers Lori Silverbush and Michael Skolnik's On the Outs, which portrays three Latino girls in New Jersey; Oyster Farmer, an Australia/United Kingdom romantic comedy by Anna Reeves; French director Lucile Hadzihalilovic's coming-of-age tale Innocence; Saving Face, which stars Joan Chen and comes from U.S. filmmaker Alice Wu; Macedonian filmmaker Svetozar Ristovski's Mirage; Ra'up McGee's thriller Autumn, a French-American film; Pete Travis' Omagh, an Ireland-United Kingdom co-production looking at a tragic 1998 IRA bombing in Ireland; and from Germany, Marco Kreuzpaintner's Summer Storm.
- 8/17/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NEW YORK -- Fader Films -- the sister film production unit of hipster glossy the Fader -- is teaming with Youth House Prods. to produce On the Outs, an urban drama following three teen girls whose lives intersect in a juvenile detention center. The project is currently shooting in New Jersey under co-helmers Michael Skolnik and Lori Silverbush. Judy Marte (Raising Victor Vargas), Paola Mendoza and Anny Mariano star. Based on true stories from girls in the streets and juvenile jail, Outs centers on Keesha, the female scion of a family drug business; Suzette, a runaway who gets involved in a relationship with an older man; and Marisol, a teen mother battling drug addiction. Outs boosts the nascent Fader's burgeoning slate. The company's documentary Hooked -- about the tragic life of Oakland's greatest street hoops star -- is playing the festival circuit. Skolnik co-executive produced the feature Jails, Hospitals & Hip-Hop, starring comic Danny Hoch. Silverbush's credits include the short film Sticks and Stones. The Fader divisions are units of New York-based parent company Cornerstone Promotion, headed by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen.
- 12/1/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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