Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including events for Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Hacks and Feud: Capote vs. the Swans.
Feud: Capote vs. the Swans FYC event
Ryan Murphy joined the Feud cast, including Naomi Watts, Tom Hollander, Diane Lane, Chloë Sevigny and Demi Moore, at a For Your Consideration event in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
Chloë Sevigny, Ryan Murphy, Demi Moore, Naomi Watts, Tom Hollander and Diane Lane
Bad Boys: Ride or Die premiere
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence celebrated their fourth Bad Boys movie at its L.A. premiere on Thursday, where Smith was supported by wife Jada Pinkett Smith and their three kids.
Jerry Bruckheimer, Adil El Arbi, Martin Lawrence, Will Smith and Bilal Fallah Trey Smith, Willow Smith, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jaden Smith and Adrienne Banfield-Norris Thomas Rothman, chairman and...
Feud: Capote vs. the Swans FYC event
Ryan Murphy joined the Feud cast, including Naomi Watts, Tom Hollander, Diane Lane, Chloë Sevigny and Demi Moore, at a For Your Consideration event in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
Chloë Sevigny, Ryan Murphy, Demi Moore, Naomi Watts, Tom Hollander and Diane Lane
Bad Boys: Ride or Die premiere
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence celebrated their fourth Bad Boys movie at its L.A. premiere on Thursday, where Smith was supported by wife Jada Pinkett Smith and their three kids.
Jerry Bruckheimer, Adil El Arbi, Martin Lawrence, Will Smith and Bilal Fallah Trey Smith, Willow Smith, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jaden Smith and Adrienne Banfield-Norris Thomas Rothman, chairman and...
- 5/31/2024
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Gold Gala is the type of weekend where you can share an intimate booth at L.A. culinary hotspot Yangban with a Pulitzer winner (journalist Jose Antonio Vargas) and a top festival exec (TIFF chief programming officer Anita Lee) on Friday night and then mimosas and a sound bath at the Four Seasons the next morning with an Olympic figure skater and a former Miss Universe (Madison Chock and R’Bonney Gabriel, respectively) – all as part of mere pre-gaming to the titular main event, which took place at the Music Center in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday night.
Ostensibly a cultural celebration and awards dinner from Asian Pacific power broker network Gold House, the third annual Gold Gala was simultaneously an haute couture showcase (fashion designer Prabal Gurung served as its creative director) and a family reunion, with 600 Api talent and leaders from across multiple industries turning out in their finest “heritage black tie,...
Ostensibly a cultural celebration and awards dinner from Asian Pacific power broker network Gold House, the third annual Gold Gala was simultaneously an haute couture showcase (fashion designer Prabal Gurung served as its creative director) and a family reunion, with 600 Api talent and leaders from across multiple industries turning out in their finest “heritage black tie,...
- 5/13/2024
- by Rebecca Sun
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
‘Here Lies Love’ Teams With Gold House, The Asian American Foundation for Broadway Ticket Initiative
Broadway’s Here Lies Love, the disco-pop musical from David Byrne and Fatboy Slim about the infamous former First Lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos, is launching a new ticket initiative tied to Filipino American Heritage Month.
In an effort to increase access to the historic musical, which features Broadway’s first all-Filipino cast, Here Lies Love‘s producers have partnered with Gold House and The Asian American Foundation (Taaf) on “Democracy in Action.” The initiative aims to raise $1 million in tax-deductible donations, which will go to subsidizing 33 percent of tickets to the show in October, a cultural heritage month for Filipino Americans.
“We are extremely proud of this initiative and grateful to our colleagues at Gold House and Taaf for recognizing the unique opportunity Here Lies Love creates to broaden the demographics of Broadway audiences,” said the show’s producers Jose Antonio Vargas, Patrick Catullo, Diana Dimenna, Clint Ramos,...
In an effort to increase access to the historic musical, which features Broadway’s first all-Filipino cast, Here Lies Love‘s producers have partnered with Gold House and The Asian American Foundation (Taaf) on “Democracy in Action.” The initiative aims to raise $1 million in tax-deductible donations, which will go to subsidizing 33 percent of tickets to the show in October, a cultural heritage month for Filipino Americans.
“We are extremely proud of this initiative and grateful to our colleagues at Gold House and Taaf for recognizing the unique opportunity Here Lies Love creates to broaden the demographics of Broadway audiences,” said the show’s producers Jose Antonio Vargas, Patrick Catullo, Diana Dimenna, Clint Ramos,...
- 10/4/2023
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Twelve musicians will be included in the upcoming Broadway production of the David Byrne-Fatboy Slim musical Here Lies Love, an agreement reached today in a labor dispute over the use of pre-recorded music tracks.
“After negotiation, we have reached an agreement that will bring live music to Here Lies Love with the inclusion of 12 musicians to the show,” said Tino Gagliardi, president and executive director of Local 802 NYC Musicians Union. “Broadway is a very special place with the best musicians and performances in the world, and we are glad this agreement honors that tradition.”
The musical’s producers said in their own statement, “On behalf of our entire cast, company and creative team, we have reached an agreement with Musicians Union Local 802, per the collective bargaining agreement. We look forward to welcoming audiences to experience the revolutionary musical experience that is Here Lies Love at the Broadway Theatre beginning on Saturday,...
“After negotiation, we have reached an agreement that will bring live music to Here Lies Love with the inclusion of 12 musicians to the show,” said Tino Gagliardi, president and executive director of Local 802 NYC Musicians Union. “Broadway is a very special place with the best musicians and performances in the world, and we are glad this agreement honors that tradition.”
The musical’s producers said in their own statement, “On behalf of our entire cast, company and creative team, we have reached an agreement with Musicians Union Local 802, per the collective bargaining agreement. We look forward to welcoming audiences to experience the revolutionary musical experience that is Here Lies Love at the Broadway Theatre beginning on Saturday,...
- 6/9/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Michelle Yeoh, Simu Liu and Daniel Dae Kim are among the headliners and honorees set to appear during The Asian American Foundation’s Heritage Month Summit and Celebration, as well as its inaugural awards dinner.
All three Hollywood talents are set to join fellow trailblazers, leaders and luminaries, along with more than 500 attendees, between May 5-6 in New York to celebrate the Api community and Taaf’s second anniversary. The two-day event will feature panels and roundtable discussions, tied to this year’s summit theme of “Together We Build,” daytime discussions will focus on efforts to address the rise in hate crimes, underfunding of Aapi communities and representation gaps in media and leadership.
That includes a fireside chat with Barbie and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Liu moderated by ABC News’ Juju Chang, as well as a screening and panel of the upcoming Disney+ series American Born Chinese,...
All three Hollywood talents are set to join fellow trailblazers, leaders and luminaries, along with more than 500 attendees, between May 5-6 in New York to celebrate the Api community and Taaf’s second anniversary. The two-day event will feature panels and roundtable discussions, tied to this year’s summit theme of “Together We Build,” daytime discussions will focus on efforts to address the rise in hate crimes, underfunding of Aapi communities and representation gaps in media and leadership.
That includes a fireside chat with Barbie and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Liu moderated by ABC News’ Juju Chang, as well as a screening and panel of the upcoming Disney+ series American Born Chinese,...
- 5/2/2023
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Gold House has unveiled its annual A100, the list that honors the 100 Asian Pacific leaders impacting American culture and society. The list includes names like Sandra Oh, Ke Huy Quan, Joanna Gaines and Angels baseball player Shohei Ohtani.
“Gold House’s A100 List is a vital representation of the diverse opportunities and achievements of and for Asian Pacific leaders. Becoming begins with seeing–and it shows how we’re just getting started. I’m so proud to be part of past classes and applaud this year’s class.” said Michelle Yeoh, Academy Award-winning actor, Gold House A100 Hall of Famer, and inaugural Gold Gala Honoree last year.
Gold House will celebrate these honorees through a slate of events from May 5 through May 7, including the Gold Gala on May 6, the premier and most-viewed Asian Pacific gathering, which convenes over 750 Asian Pacific and multicultural luminaries across industries and highlights several major initiatives...
“Gold House’s A100 List is a vital representation of the diverse opportunities and achievements of and for Asian Pacific leaders. Becoming begins with seeing–and it shows how we’re just getting started. I’m so proud to be part of past classes and applaud this year’s class.” said Michelle Yeoh, Academy Award-winning actor, Gold House A100 Hall of Famer, and inaugural Gold Gala Honoree last year.
Gold House will celebrate these honorees through a slate of events from May 5 through May 7, including the Gold Gala on May 6, the premier and most-viewed Asian Pacific gathering, which convenes over 750 Asian Pacific and multicultural luminaries across industries and highlights several major initiatives...
- 5/1/2023
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu and Saweetie are among those honored on Gold House’s 2023 Most Impactful Asians A100 list.
The A100 List honors trailblazers across the industry who are at the forefront of what the organization calls the “new gold age.” Gold House will celebrate these honorees and announce several new initiatives at the second annual Gold Gala during Aapi month on May 6 in downtown Los Angeles.
“It’s impossible to fully appreciate the artistic and entrepreneurial renaissance that is currently underway without Gold House,” said honoree Jose Antonio Vargas, the founder of Define American and one of the lead producers of Broadway’s “Here Lies Love.” “With Gold House at the forefront, not only are Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the mainstream — we are helping define what is mainstream.”
Honoree and PBS news anchor Amna Nawaz also stated, “When it comes to the power of journalism, I...
The A100 List honors trailblazers across the industry who are at the forefront of what the organization calls the “new gold age.” Gold House will celebrate these honorees and announce several new initiatives at the second annual Gold Gala during Aapi month on May 6 in downtown Los Angeles.
“It’s impossible to fully appreciate the artistic and entrepreneurial renaissance that is currently underway without Gold House,” said honoree Jose Antonio Vargas, the founder of Define American and one of the lead producers of Broadway’s “Here Lies Love.” “With Gold House at the forefront, not only are Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the mainstream — we are helping define what is mainstream.”
Honoree and PBS news anchor Amna Nawaz also stated, “When it comes to the power of journalism, I...
- 5/1/2023
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
This summer, David Byrne is bringing disco to Broadway. Here Lies Love, the musical the Talking Heads frontman created with Fatboy Slim, will return from a six-year stage hiatus to join the big ranks just in time to follow up the April 2022 close of David Byrne’s American Utopia. The immersive 90-minute show chronicling the life of former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos will be directed by Alex Timbers.
Led by only 15 actors, Here Lies Love replicates the fluid movement of a nightclub floor with a primarily standing-only audience that...
Led by only 15 actors, Here Lies Love replicates the fluid movement of a nightclub floor with a primarily standing-only audience that...
- 1/12/2023
- by Larisha Paul
- Rollingstone.com
Here Lies Love, a disco musical featuring a score by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, will come to Broadway this summer.
The musical centers on the life of Imelda Marcos, the former first lady of the Philippines, who was known for her lavish lifestyle amid civil unrest in the country. To tell the story, the Broadway Theatre will be reconfigured from a traditional proscenium stage into a “dance club environment,” which will allow audience members to stand and move with the actors, according to the production.
The idea for the musical came out of a concept album recorded by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim and released in 2010. The show had its world premiere Off-Broadway at the Public Theater in 2013, followed by a return engagement there from 2014 to 2015, a run at London’s Royal National Theatre in 2014 and a run at Seattle Repertory Theatre in 2017.
Here Lies Love will begin previews...
The musical centers on the life of Imelda Marcos, the former first lady of the Philippines, who was known for her lavish lifestyle amid civil unrest in the country. To tell the story, the Broadway Theatre will be reconfigured from a traditional proscenium stage into a “dance club environment,” which will allow audience members to stand and move with the actors, according to the production.
The idea for the musical came out of a concept album recorded by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim and released in 2010. The show had its world premiere Off-Broadway at the Public Theater in 2013, followed by a return engagement there from 2014 to 2015, a run at London’s Royal National Theatre in 2014 and a run at Seattle Repertory Theatre in 2017.
Here Lies Love will begin previews...
- 1/12/2023
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Here Lies Love, the acclaimed “immersive disco musical” about Imelda Marcos from David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, will premiere on Broadway this summer, with Alex Timbers directing and Annie-b Parson choreographing.
Transforming the floor space of the Broadway Theatre into a dance club environment, Here Lies Love will begin previews on Saturday, June 17 ahead of an official opening night on Thursday, July 20.
Based on the rise and fall of Marcos and the People Power Revolution of the Philippines, Here Lies Love features music by Byrne and Fatboy Slim, based on a concept by Byrne, who also provides lyrics. Tom Gandey and J Pardo contribute additional music.
The result of a decade-long-plus collaboration between Byrne and Fatboy Slim, Here Lies Love began as a 2010 concept album, then made its world premiere as a stage musical Off Broadway at The Public Theater in 2013, receiving considerable critical acclaim and audience popularity. The show...
Transforming the floor space of the Broadway Theatre into a dance club environment, Here Lies Love will begin previews on Saturday, June 17 ahead of an official opening night on Thursday, July 20.
Based on the rise and fall of Marcos and the People Power Revolution of the Philippines, Here Lies Love features music by Byrne and Fatboy Slim, based on a concept by Byrne, who also provides lyrics. Tom Gandey and J Pardo contribute additional music.
The result of a decade-long-plus collaboration between Byrne and Fatboy Slim, Here Lies Love began as a 2010 concept album, then made its world premiere as a stage musical Off Broadway at The Public Theater in 2013, receiving considerable critical acclaim and audience popularity. The show...
- 1/12/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Before his Hollywood career as a screenwriter and CEO of the Latino Film Institute, Rafael Agustin was a Southern California teenager just trying to get his driver’s license.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t drive; rather, it turned out that he wasn’t legally permitted to. Although Agustin had clear and fond memories of an early childhood in his native Ecuador before immigrating to Los Angeles with his parents, he had had no idea that the three had been living without papers ever since. That meant no driving, no four-year university and no international travel — although, as the former Jane the Virgin writer details in his recent memoir, that didn’t stop him from doing two of those things well before he secured his green card and, eventually, citizenship.
Illegally Yours, which was released July 12, debunks many of the caricatures — both...
Before his Hollywood career as a screenwriter and CEO of the Latino Film Institute, Rafael Agustin was a Southern California teenager just trying to get his driver’s license.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t drive; rather, it turned out that he wasn’t legally permitted to. Although Agustin had clear and fond memories of an early childhood in his native Ecuador before immigrating to Los Angeles with his parents, he had had no idea that the three had been living without papers ever since. That meant no driving, no four-year university and no international travel — although, as the former Jane the Virgin writer details in his recent memoir, that didn’t stop him from doing two of those things well before he secured his green card and, eventually, citizenship.
Illegally Yours, which was released July 12, debunks many of the caricatures — both...
- 9/6/2022
- by Rebecca Sun
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Define American Releases Best Practices Guide on Immigrant Representation in Film and TV (Exclusive)
Define American has released “Telling Authentic Immigrant Stories: A Reference Guide for the Entertainment Industry,” a best practices’ guide in telling immigrant stories, with a focus on film and television.
The guide is aimed at individual content creators, as well as production companies and studios at large, and it features detailed descriptions, definitions, historical timelines and dates, and other resources about specific communities. There is an emphasis on such still-evolving topics as Daca and, in partnership with Natural Resources Defense Council (Nrdc) and International Refugee Assistance Project, global climate displacement.
“Our research shows that immigrants continue to be underrepresented on screen. As such, Hollywood has a unique opportunity, a unique power, and a unique responsibility to meet the moment and make meaningful cultural change by authentically and accurately telling the disparate stories of our country,” said Jose Antonio Vargas, founder, Define American. “We are making great strides forward with more...
The guide is aimed at individual content creators, as well as production companies and studios at large, and it features detailed descriptions, definitions, historical timelines and dates, and other resources about specific communities. There is an emphasis on such still-evolving topics as Daca and, in partnership with Natural Resources Defense Council (Nrdc) and International Refugee Assistance Project, global climate displacement.
“Our research shows that immigrants continue to be underrepresented on screen. As such, Hollywood has a unique opportunity, a unique power, and a unique responsibility to meet the moment and make meaningful cultural change by authentically and accurately telling the disparate stories of our country,” said Jose Antonio Vargas, founder, Define American. “We are making great strides forward with more...
- 11/5/2021
- by Danielle Turchiano
- Variety Film + TV
The “Documenting the Undocumented” episode of Hollywood Remixed, The Hollywood Reporter‘s topical inclusion-themed podcast explores narratives about undocumented immigrants with two special guests.
Pulitzer-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas is, for many, the public face and also voice for undocumented immigrants in this country. The former Washington Post reporter learned the truth about his status as a teenager, then went public about it 14 years later. Since telling his own story in that 2011 New York Times Magazine essay, Vargas has now gone on to advocate for other immigrants through shaping the storytelling about them.
“In this country, you cannot change ...
Pulitzer-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas is, for many, the public face and also voice for undocumented immigrants in this country. The former Washington Post reporter learned the truth about his status as a teenager, then went public about it 14 years later. Since telling his own story in that 2011 New York Times Magazine essay, Vargas has now gone on to advocate for other immigrants through shaping the storytelling about them.
“In this country, you cannot change ...
- 9/17/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The “Documenting the Undocumented” episode of Hollywood Remixed, The Hollywood Reporter‘s topical inclusion-themed podcast explores narratives about undocumented immigrants with two special guests.
Pulitzer-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas is, for many, the public face and also voice for undocumented immigrants in this country. The former Washington Post reporter learned the truth about his status as a teenager, then went public about it 14 years later. Since telling his own story in that 2011 New York Times Magazine essay, Vargas has now gone on to advocate for other immigrants through shaping the storytelling about them.
“In this country, you cannot change ...
Pulitzer-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas is, for many, the public face and also voice for undocumented immigrants in this country. The former Washington Post reporter learned the truth about his status as a teenager, then went public about it 14 years later. Since telling his own story in that 2011 New York Times Magazine essay, Vargas has now gone on to advocate for other immigrants through shaping the storytelling about them.
“In this country, you cannot change ...
- 9/17/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Actor-producer Daniel Dae Kim urged those of Asian and Pacific Islander descent to work hard at “allyship” with other underrepresented communities in order to focus on the roots of systemic racism. Kim spoke on May 20 at a half-day virtual seminar hosted by Amazon Studios to examine Api representation in film and media as part of Asian American Pacific Islander heritage month.
The rising tide of anti-Asian hate crimes underscores the urgency to act. But Asian Americans in general represent about 6% of the U.S. population, which means that Aapi advocates need to build bridges with Black and brown communities, Kim said during Amazon’s “Voices: Api Representation in Film & Media.”
“It’s going to take more than just us,” said Kim, the actor known for “Lost,” “Hawaii 5-0” and, most recently, NBC’s “New Amsterdam.” “It’s important that we find allies in every other demographic. And part of accepting allyship is being an ally.
The rising tide of anti-Asian hate crimes underscores the urgency to act. But Asian Americans in general represent about 6% of the U.S. population, which means that Aapi advocates need to build bridges with Black and brown communities, Kim said during Amazon’s “Voices: Api Representation in Film & Media.”
“It’s going to take more than just us,” said Kim, the actor known for “Lost,” “Hawaii 5-0” and, most recently, NBC’s “New Amsterdam.” “It’s important that we find allies in every other demographic. And part of accepting allyship is being an ally.
- 5/21/2021
- by Antonio Ferme
- Variety Film + TV
Jose Antonio Vargas’s media advocacy group Define American teamed with the Norman Lear Center at USC Annenberg to release its second annual “Change the Narrative, Change the World” report, which has found that the portrayal of immigrants on television is getting slightly better — the operative word being “slightly.” Even though there has been some improvement, there’s still significant work to be done for more accurate representation.
The new report analyzed 129 unique immigrant characters across 97 episodes of 59 scripted, narrative TV shows on broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms, airing between August 2018 and July 2019. Right out of the gate, the report showed crime is still an overrepresented theme in immigrant storylines with 22% of immigrant characters associated with some sort of crime. Even though this is down from 34% in 2018, it still reinforces negative stereotypes.
There was a huge drop of immigrant characters with an accent going from 77% to 47% which indicates more nuanced...
The new report analyzed 129 unique immigrant characters across 97 episodes of 59 scripted, narrative TV shows on broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms, airing between August 2018 and July 2019. Right out of the gate, the report showed crime is still an overrepresented theme in immigrant storylines with 22% of immigrant characters associated with some sort of crime. Even though this is down from 34% in 2018, it still reinforces negative stereotypes.
There was a huge drop of immigrant characters with an accent going from 77% to 47% which indicates more nuanced...
- 9/23/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
As immigration policy continues to be a crucial topic in the news, a new report from Define American and the Norman Lear Center at USC Annenberg shows the television industry still has a long way to go when representing immigrant stories in narrative series.
The report, entitled “Change the Narrative, Change the World,” finds that half of the immigrant characters on television were judged to be Latinx, with 21% judged to be white and only 12% Asian/Pacific Islander (Api), 10% Middle Eastern and 7% Black. The characters were also predominantly straight and male, with women being represented in 43% of immigrant characters and Lgbtqia+ (6% — with zero transgender immigrant characters for the second year in a row).
“There are definitely some promising findings in the study, findings that provide me with hope. But there are still many areas in which immigrant representation can improve,” says Jose Antonio Vargas, founder, Define American. “The study really highlights...
The report, entitled “Change the Narrative, Change the World,” finds that half of the immigrant characters on television were judged to be Latinx, with 21% judged to be white and only 12% Asian/Pacific Islander (Api), 10% Middle Eastern and 7% Black. The characters were also predominantly straight and male, with women being represented in 43% of immigrant characters and Lgbtqia+ (6% — with zero transgender immigrant characters for the second year in a row).
“There are definitely some promising findings in the study, findings that provide me with hope. But there are still many areas in which immigrant representation can improve,” says Jose Antonio Vargas, founder, Define American. “The study really highlights...
- 9/23/2020
- by Danielle Turchiano
- Variety Film + TV
In honor of the 55th anniversary of the passage of the Voting Rights Act, Magnolia Pictures, Participant and Color Farm Media will host a series of live events tied to the milestone and the documentary “John Lewis: Good Trouble.”
Producers will first lead a live tweet event of the film at 8 p.m. Et on Wednesday, which will follow the live tweets of leaders in the Civil Rights space, elected representatives, filmmakers and more. Their analysis will honor Lewis’s life and career. Erika Alexander, the documentary’s producer, will take over Secretary Hillary Clinton’s Twitter account.
On Aug. 6, Alexander will move to Secretary Clinton’s Instagram account, using the platform’s live function to chat with Stacey Abrams, Ayanna Pressley, Rev. William Barber, the film’s director Dawn Porter, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Aunjanue Ellis, Ledisi, Jose Antonio Vargas and Alexander’s “Living Single” cast members.
Also on Aug.
Producers will first lead a live tweet event of the film at 8 p.m. Et on Wednesday, which will follow the live tweets of leaders in the Civil Rights space, elected representatives, filmmakers and more. Their analysis will honor Lewis’s life and career. Erika Alexander, the documentary’s producer, will take over Secretary Hillary Clinton’s Twitter account.
On Aug. 6, Alexander will move to Secretary Clinton’s Instagram account, using the platform’s live function to chat with Stacey Abrams, Ayanna Pressley, Rev. William Barber, the film’s director Dawn Porter, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Aunjanue Ellis, Ledisi, Jose Antonio Vargas and Alexander’s “Living Single” cast members.
Also on Aug.
- 8/5/2020
- by Mackenzie Nichols
- Variety Film + TV
The Asian American and Pacific Islander (Aapi) anti-bullying non-profit group Act to Change is hosting “United We Stand”, a virtual event calling for the end of racism and xenophobia. The livestream is set for May 18 at 4pm Et/1pm Pt and will feature John Cho, Randall Park, Lisa Ling, Kal Penn and a roster of notable actors, advocates and elected officials.
May marks Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and specifically, May 18 marks the second annual Aapi National Day Against Bullying and Hate, which is the birthday of Vincent Chin, who was murdered in an anti-Asian hate crime in 1982. With the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a surge of anti-Asian hate crimes. Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council’s Stop Aapi Hate has received more than 1,900 reports of hate crimes against Asians since March. “United We Stand” is a call for communities to stand together against violence, xenophobia, and racism.
“Our...
May marks Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and specifically, May 18 marks the second annual Aapi National Day Against Bullying and Hate, which is the birthday of Vincent Chin, who was murdered in an anti-Asian hate crime in 1982. With the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a surge of anti-Asian hate crimes. Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council’s Stop Aapi Hate has received more than 1,900 reports of hate crimes against Asians since March. “United We Stand” is a call for communities to stand together against violence, xenophobia, and racism.
“Our...
- 5/14/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
The need for authentic storytelling takes more than just a screenwriter. Outside research, good intentions, and personal experience come together to tell a story that can, hopefully, influence and inspire others to see themselves reflected in a piece of popular culture. Authentic representation should allow for more stories to take flight, and such is the case with the relationship between Define American and The CW series, “Roswell, N.M.”
“Roswell, N.M” is a reboot of the television series “Roswell” which aired on the then-wb Network from 1999-2002. The teen drama followed a group of high schoolers, four of whom were alien survivors from the infamous 1947 UFO crash. But it’s immediately clear how the original series reflected a time before prominent calls for diversity. The book series cast its heroine as a Latina, but outside of her last name there was nothing about the character that emphasized her roots.
“Roswell, N.M” is a reboot of the television series “Roswell” which aired on the then-wb Network from 1999-2002. The teen drama followed a group of high schoolers, four of whom were alien survivors from the infamous 1947 UFO crash. But it’s immediately clear how the original series reflected a time before prominent calls for diversity. The book series cast its heroine as a Latina, but outside of her last name there was nothing about the character that emphasized her roots.
- 3/25/2020
- by Kristen Lopez
- Indiewire
Before signing an open letter asking Oprah Winfrey to rescind her endorsement of Jeanine Cummins’ “American Dirt,” her latest book club pick, Jose Antonio Vargas spent the day digging around on YouTube. “I was listening to interviews between Toni Morrison and Oprah Winfrey, and I was listening to them thinking, what would Toni Morrison say about this moment? What would she say to Oprah Winfrey?”
Vargas, a journalist and activist who immigrated to the U.S. from the Philippines as a child, was one of many writers — the letter attracted 138 signatories from the literary world — who asked Winfrey to rescind her selection of “American Dirt.” The novel, written by a woman who identifies as white and Latina and about a mother and son fleeing violence trying to enter the U.S. at the border with Mexico, has been widely criticized for a condescending treatment of race. And Winfrey’s inclusion...
Vargas, a journalist and activist who immigrated to the U.S. from the Philippines as a child, was one of many writers — the letter attracted 138 signatories from the literary world — who asked Winfrey to rescind her selection of “American Dirt.” The novel, written by a woman who identifies as white and Latina and about a mother and son fleeing violence trying to enter the U.S. at the border with Mexico, has been widely criticized for a condescending treatment of race. And Winfrey’s inclusion...
- 2/4/2020
- by Daniel D'Addario
- Variety Film + TV
Last week, Pen America hosted their 2019 LitFest Gala in Los Angeles, a celebration of free expression and the literary arts that honored some of the brightest names in film, television, and literature.
Blair Underwood and Ava DuVernay
Credit/Copyright: Getty Images for Pen America
Filmmaker Ava DuVernay received the Voice of Influence Award, songwriter Diane Warren received the Artistic Expression Award, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” writers Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster received the Award for Screenplay Excellence, the writing and creative team behind Netflix’s series “Unbelievable” – Showrunner/Writer/Director/Executive Producer Susannah Grant, Writer/Executive Producer Michael Chabon, Writer/Executive Producer Ayelet Waldman, and Executive Producer Sarah Timberman received the Award for Television Excellence, attorney Theodore J. Boutrous, Jr. received the Pen America Distinguished Leadership Award, and Julie Brown received the Dan Eldon Courage in Journalism Award. Presenters and Speakers included LeVar Burton, Kathy Griffin, Chrissy Metz,...
Blair Underwood and Ava DuVernay
Credit/Copyright: Getty Images for Pen America
Filmmaker Ava DuVernay received the Voice of Influence Award, songwriter Diane Warren received the Artistic Expression Award, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” writers Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster received the Award for Screenplay Excellence, the writing and creative team behind Netflix’s series “Unbelievable” – Showrunner/Writer/Director/Executive Producer Susannah Grant, Writer/Executive Producer Michael Chabon, Writer/Executive Producer Ayelet Waldman, and Executive Producer Sarah Timberman received the Award for Television Excellence, attorney Theodore J. Boutrous, Jr. received the Pen America Distinguished Leadership Award, and Julie Brown received the Dan Eldon Courage in Journalism Award. Presenters and Speakers included LeVar Burton, Kathy Griffin, Chrissy Metz,...
- 11/13/2019
- Look to the Stars
Exclusive: Pen America is set to honor Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster, the writing duo behind the forthcoming award season film A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood and the creative team behind the Netflix series Unbelievable at its 2019 LitFest Gala, which will take place on November 1 at the Beverly Wilshire in Los Angeles.
Fitzerman-Blue and Harpster will receive the Award for Screenplay Excellence for the Mr. Rogers biopic while the Award for Television Excellence will go to the Unbelievable team which includes Showrunner/Writer/Director/Executive Producer Susannah Grant, Writer/Executive Producer Michael Chabon, Writer/Executive Producer Ayelet Waldman, and Executive Producer Sarah Timberman (on behalf of Timberman and her producing partner Carl Beverly).
In addition, actor and Reading Rainbow icon LeVar Burton will deliver a tribute to the legendary Toni Morrison a long-time Pen America winner and Nobel Prize winner. She will be recognized for her unparalleled contributions to literature,...
Fitzerman-Blue and Harpster will receive the Award for Screenplay Excellence for the Mr. Rogers biopic while the Award for Television Excellence will go to the Unbelievable team which includes Showrunner/Writer/Director/Executive Producer Susannah Grant, Writer/Executive Producer Michael Chabon, Writer/Executive Producer Ayelet Waldman, and Executive Producer Sarah Timberman (on behalf of Timberman and her producing partner Carl Beverly).
In addition, actor and Reading Rainbow icon LeVar Burton will deliver a tribute to the legendary Toni Morrison a long-time Pen America winner and Nobel Prize winner. She will be recognized for her unparalleled contributions to literature,...
- 10/10/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Emmy, Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated director, producer and activist Ava DuVernay will be honored by Pen America with the Voice of Influence Award. The organization “unites writers and allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible” — something that is definitely in DuVernay’s wheelhouse.
DuVernay will be honored with the award at Pen America’s 2019 LitFest Gala on November 1 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. She will be in good company with fellow LitFest Gala honoree Diane Warren who will be honored with the Artistic Expression Award
“We are honored to recognize the unparalleled work that Ava DuVernay has done throughout her career, which constantly reminds us of the true purpose and power of storytelling,” said Michelle Franke, executive director of Pen America’s Los Angeles office. “We admire the rigor with which her work has explored the lesser-heard, all-too-often suppressed voices of history. Pen...
DuVernay will be honored with the award at Pen America’s 2019 LitFest Gala on November 1 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. She will be in good company with fellow LitFest Gala honoree Diane Warren who will be honored with the Artistic Expression Award
“We are honored to recognize the unparalleled work that Ava DuVernay has done throughout her career, which constantly reminds us of the true purpose and power of storytelling,” said Michelle Franke, executive director of Pen America’s Los Angeles office. “We admire the rigor with which her work has explored the lesser-heard, all-too-often suppressed voices of history. Pen...
- 8/27/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Pen America announced today that internationally acclaimed songwriter Diane Warren will receive the Artistic Expression Award at the organization’s 2019 LitFest Gala in Los Angeles.
Among the most successful contemporary songwriters of our time, Warren has collaborated with legendary artists including Whitney Houston, Cher, Aerosmith, Celine Dion, Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and Adele. Her powerful, message-driven songs like “Stand Up For Something” and “I’ll Fight” have inspired millions to speak out about their beliefs and have earned her worldwide recognition, including 10 Academy Award® nominations, a Grammy Award, and a Golden Globe Award, among many other honors.. The 2019 LitFest Gala will take place on November 1, 2019 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.
“I am always moved when I hear my songs being used to empower and motivate, including such recent songs as ‘Til It Happens to You,’ ‘Stand Up For Something,’ ’I’ll Fight,’ and ’I’m Standing with You,...
Among the most successful contemporary songwriters of our time, Warren has collaborated with legendary artists including Whitney Houston, Cher, Aerosmith, Celine Dion, Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and Adele. Her powerful, message-driven songs like “Stand Up For Something” and “I’ll Fight” have inspired millions to speak out about their beliefs and have earned her worldwide recognition, including 10 Academy Award® nominations, a Grammy Award, and a Golden Globe Award, among many other honors.. The 2019 LitFest Gala will take place on November 1, 2019 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.
“I am always moved when I hear my songs being used to empower and motivate, including such recent songs as ‘Til It Happens to You,’ ‘Stand Up For Something,’ ’I’ll Fight,’ and ’I’m Standing with You,...
- 7/29/2019
- Look to the Stars
What the Constitution Means to Me, playwright-performer Heidi Schreck’s Tony-nominated Pulitzer Prize finalist, has recouped its $2.5 million Broadway capitalization, producers announced today.
The milestone arrived with the week ending July 14, with six weeks left in the Broadway engagement. The production will deliver a full return of capital to investors.
The recoupment comes during a Broadway summer when good financial news is sparse. A recent Forbes article tallied $111 million in losses from recent or recently announced Broadway closings, with King Kong, The Cher Show, Pretty Woman, The Prom, Be More Chill, King Lear, Gary: A Sequel To Titus Andronicus, Hillary and Clinton and Frankie And Johnny in the Clair de Lune all falling well short of expectations.
Constitution joins a considerably shorter summertime list: Jez Butterworth’s The Ferryman recently ended its limited run in the black, having recouped a reported $6.7 million capitalization.
Even with its relatively low cost, three-person cast,...
The milestone arrived with the week ending July 14, with six weeks left in the Broadway engagement. The production will deliver a full return of capital to investors.
The recoupment comes during a Broadway summer when good financial news is sparse. A recent Forbes article tallied $111 million in losses from recent or recently announced Broadway closings, with King Kong, The Cher Show, Pretty Woman, The Prom, Be More Chill, King Lear, Gary: A Sequel To Titus Andronicus, Hillary and Clinton and Frankie And Johnny in the Clair de Lune all falling well short of expectations.
Constitution joins a considerably shorter summertime list: Jez Butterworth’s The Ferryman recently ended its limited run in the black, having recouped a reported $6.7 million capitalization.
Even with its relatively low cost, three-person cast,...
- 7/15/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: There is a synergy between social change and comedy that just seems to make sense — no matter how absurd the jokes and how serious the issues are. Because of that Comedy Central and Define American are teaming for Yes, And… Laughter Lab and initiative launched by American University’s research center Center for Media and Social Impact (Cmsi) and creative agency Moore+Associates.
The initiative (which takes its name from improv golden rule of comedy) is a convening of funny people and social justice activists intended to spark more collaboration between the two and support the creation of comedy content that helps create important social change.
The partnership will bring in the help of popular figures in the comedy world including Broad City‘s Abbi Jacobson, former Daily Show correspondent Aasif Mandvi, Decoded host and author Franchesca Ramsey and others. They will help combine advocacy and comedy to create content...
The initiative (which takes its name from improv golden rule of comedy) is a convening of funny people and social justice activists intended to spark more collaboration between the two and support the creation of comedy content that helps create important social change.
The partnership will bring in the help of popular figures in the comedy world including Broad City‘s Abbi Jacobson, former Daily Show correspondent Aasif Mandvi, Decoded host and author Franchesca Ramsey and others. They will help combine advocacy and comedy to create content...
- 3/14/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and immigration rights activist Jose Antonio Vargas is adding his first Broadway producer credit to his resume. Vargas will join Broadway veterans Diana Dimenna, Aaron Glick, and Matt Ross to produce Heidi Schreck’s critically-acclaimed play What The Constitution Means To Me.
The news comes after the producers announced the Clubbed Thumb, True Love and New York Theatre Workshop production would be moving from Off-Broadway to Broadway for a 12-week limited engagement this spring with Olivia Butler directing. Vargas tweeted his involvement as producer Thursday morning saying, “Thrilled and Honored to join the producing team of @constitutionbwy—written and performed by the glorious Heidi Schreck (@hbrikin) and directed by the awesome @oliverbutler!”
Schreck also took to Twitter to announce the news. “The brilliant Jose Antonio Vargas has joined the producing team of @constitutionbwy!” she wrote. “Ecstatic to be working with this visionary writer and activist.”
“What the...
The news comes after the producers announced the Clubbed Thumb, True Love and New York Theatre Workshop production would be moving from Off-Broadway to Broadway for a 12-week limited engagement this spring with Olivia Butler directing. Vargas tweeted his involvement as producer Thursday morning saying, “Thrilled and Honored to join the producing team of @constitutionbwy—written and performed by the glorious Heidi Schreck (@hbrikin) and directed by the awesome @oliverbutler!”
Schreck also took to Twitter to announce the news. “The brilliant Jose Antonio Vargas has joined the producing team of @constitutionbwy!” she wrote. “Ecstatic to be working with this visionary writer and activist.”
“What the...
- 2/28/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
In today’s TV News Roundup, watch the first trailer for season two of “Killing Eve.”
First Looks
The first trailer for season two of “Killing Eve” has dropped, teasing new looks at Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer continuing down the path of their mutual obsession. Premiering April 7 at 8/7c on BBC America and AMC, the new season picks up just 30 seconds after season one ends.
“Santa Clarita Diet” returns for Season 3 on March 29, and Netflix has released a first look trailer in anticipation of the new season, in which Sheila (Drew Barrymore) prompts Joel (Timothy Olyphant) to consider the meaning of “forever.”
Greenlights
Investigation Discovery has announced “Crime Obsession,” a new weekly talk show that dives deep into famous cases of unsolved crimes as well as favorite podcasts and more. Hosted by Traci Stumpf, the show will feature a rotating selection of panelists from the true crime universe that changes each week.
First Looks
The first trailer for season two of “Killing Eve” has dropped, teasing new looks at Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer continuing down the path of their mutual obsession. Premiering April 7 at 8/7c on BBC America and AMC, the new season picks up just 30 seconds after season one ends.
“Santa Clarita Diet” returns for Season 3 on March 29, and Netflix has released a first look trailer in anticipation of the new season, in which Sheila (Drew Barrymore) prompts Joel (Timothy Olyphant) to consider the meaning of “forever.”
Greenlights
Investigation Discovery has announced “Crime Obsession,” a new weekly talk show that dives deep into famous cases of unsolved crimes as well as favorite podcasts and more. Hosted by Traci Stumpf, the show will feature a rotating selection of panelists from the true crime universe that changes each week.
- 2/14/2019
- by Margeaux Sippell
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: UTA has signed director, producer, journalist and committed immigration activist Jose Antonio Vargas. The agency has also signed Vargas’s non-profit media organization Define American.
Vargas is best known for his work as a journalist for the Washington Post and a staunch advocate for immigration rights. While at the WaPo, he was part of the team that won the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting in 2008 for coverage of the Virginia Tech shooting.
His work with immigration and cultural identity has spilled over into his work as a writer. He started the media organization Define American, the leading immigration-centric organization in Hollywood, which has worked with several industry executives, showrunners and writers to help with a more realistic portrayal of immigrant characters and immigration-related storylines.
In 2011, Vargas wrote a New York Times essay “My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant” where he came forward as an undocumented immigrant. He also...
Vargas is best known for his work as a journalist for the Washington Post and a staunch advocate for immigration rights. While at the WaPo, he was part of the team that won the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting in 2008 for coverage of the Virginia Tech shooting.
His work with immigration and cultural identity has spilled over into his work as a writer. He started the media organization Define American, the leading immigration-centric organization in Hollywood, which has worked with several industry executives, showrunners and writers to help with a more realistic portrayal of immigrant characters and immigration-related storylines.
In 2011, Vargas wrote a New York Times essay “My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant” where he came forward as an undocumented immigrant. He also...
- 9/24/2018
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Pen America announced today that globally lauded artist Ai Weiwei will receive the Artistic Expression Award at the organization’s 2018 LitFest Gala in Los Angeles.
Ai is renowned for making bold aesthetic statements that expose fault lines, unmask hypocrisies, and unleash empathy on a global scale. This honor comes in the wake of the razing last weekend of Ai Weiwei’s Beijing studio, including the destruction of several artworks, purportedly to make way for gentrification. In the fall of 2018, Ai Weiwei will open three major exhibitions in Los Angeles. The 2018 LitFest Gala, which will take place on November 2, 2018, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, will also recognize media and entertainment litigator and Pen America Trustee Marvin Putnam with the 2018 Distinguished Leadership Award for exceptional work in support of Pen America and its mission to defend free expression and celebrate literary excellence.
Now in its 28th year, Pen America’s LitFest Gala...
Ai is renowned for making bold aesthetic statements that expose fault lines, unmask hypocrisies, and unleash empathy on a global scale. This honor comes in the wake of the razing last weekend of Ai Weiwei’s Beijing studio, including the destruction of several artworks, purportedly to make way for gentrification. In the fall of 2018, Ai Weiwei will open three major exhibitions in Los Angeles. The 2018 LitFest Gala, which will take place on November 2, 2018, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, will also recognize media and entertainment litigator and Pen America Trustee Marvin Putnam with the 2018 Distinguished Leadership Award for exceptional work in support of Pen America and its mission to defend free expression and celebrate literary excellence.
Now in its 28th year, Pen America’s LitFest Gala...
- 8/16/2018
- Look to the Stars
Last night’s Real Time with Bill Maher with Roger Stone, Neera Tanden, Gen. Michael Hayden, Rick Santorum, and Jose Antonio Vargas did not disappoint. The heady episode had the panelists cover the past war sins of the neocons, the shortcomings of the Democrats, the lunacy of Trump’s administration and the milestone of Maher’s 420th show. Bill Maher’s top-of-show interview with Trump associate Roger Stone, who he dubbed the president’s “albino assassin”, included intense questioning over the Russian hacker Guccifer 2.0 and Russia’s alleged interference in the 2016 election. The show proceeded in panel and hashed over how awful Trump’s first 100...read more...
- 4/1/2017
- by April Neale
- Monsters and Critics
After it bowed at the 2016 SXSW Film Festival, director Matthew Newton’s (“Three Blind Mice”) latest feature “From Nowhere” took home the Audience Award in the Narrative Spotlight section, and now the festival winner is due for its theatrical release.
The film will arrive in theaters on February 17 in both New York City (at the Village East) and in Los Angeles (at the Laemmle Music Hall). Its timing couldn’t be more appropriate, as the film reflects the fear of deportation that many people now have regarding the stance our current administration has on immigration.
Read More: Jose Antonio Vargas on Using His Own Immigration Story For ‘Documented’
Set in The Bronx, the film centers around 3 undocumented teenagers on the brink of their high school graduation. Desperately wanting to live a life similar to their American classmates, Moussa (J. Mallory McCree), an African Muslim; Sophie (Octavia Chavez-Richmond), a troubled teen...
The film will arrive in theaters on February 17 in both New York City (at the Village East) and in Los Angeles (at the Laemmle Music Hall). Its timing couldn’t be more appropriate, as the film reflects the fear of deportation that many people now have regarding the stance our current administration has on immigration.
Read More: Jose Antonio Vargas on Using His Own Immigration Story For ‘Documented’
Set in The Bronx, the film centers around 3 undocumented teenagers on the brink of their high school graduation. Desperately wanting to live a life similar to their American classmates, Moussa (J. Mallory McCree), an African Muslim; Sophie (Octavia Chavez-Richmond), a troubled teen...
- 2/9/2017
- by Kerry Levielle
- Indiewire
Fox News host Tucker Carlson and refugee advocate Jose Antonio Vargas got into a heated argument on Tuesday night when the Fox News host started off the interview by asking, “What would happen if I showed up in the Philippines, as a non-citizen, there illegally and started saying, ‘Hey Philippines, I hate your immigration policy?” Vargas, a journalist who once wrote a New York Times column detailing his life as an undocumented immigrant, responded that he was only 12 years old when he came to America, so he wouldn’t have asked those kind of questions. Vargas attempted to explain the relationship.
- 2/1/2017
- by Brian Flood
- The Wrap
In the series premiere of "Truth and Power" (Pivot), Black Lives Matter activist Patrisse Cullors mounts the stage during a Democratic town hall and calls our state of affairs a "state of emergency." Interrupting a Q&A between journalist and immigration reform advocate Jose Antonio Vargas and presidential aspirant Martin O'Malley, Cullors and her fellow protestors demand to be heard, and with the presidential election set to kick off in earnest—the Iowa caucus is February 1, followed by the New Hampshire primary on February 9—TV networks, if not always the candidates themselves, are listening. The form's most popular entries may be still be "true crime," but the docuseries is getting political. Read More: "'Serial,' 'The Jinx,' 'Making a Murderer,' and the Rise of the Prestige Docuseries" While in-depth coverage of "The Circus" of campaign season—to use the title of Showtime's new series (trailer below), featuring.
- 1/21/2016
- by Matt Brennan
- Thompson on Hollywood
What does it mean "to be young and white?" That was the question Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas posed to white millenials all across the United States in White People, a documentary film that premiered last night on MTV. Vargas, who identifies himself as an "undocumented Filipino American," asked multiple Caucasian young adults to think about and discuss race-related issues they might not have considered before. "How might your life be different if you weren't white?" he inquired. "When you say white, what does that mean to you?" Vargas encouraged the subjects of the documentary to "get all uncomfortable together" as they talked...
- 7/23/2015
- E! Online
“White People,” the MTV documentary that explores the meaning of whiteness and racial identity in the United States, has drawn incredibly strong reactions online. The film follows Pulitzer-Prize winner Jose Antonio Vargas as he travels across the country and speaks with young people about racial identity and how it factors into their lives. It specifically addresses the concept of white privilege and how white people factor into the larger racial debate. Vargas believes that white people cannot be excluded when we talk about race. “Too often I think when we talk about diversity or we talk about inclusion, we don’t include.
- 7/23/2015
- by Joe Otterson
- The Wrap
MTV took on white privilege in their newest documentary, White People, with journalist Jose Antonio Vargas. White People Doc Explores White Privilege For MTV MTV attempted to start a discussion about race in America on Wednesday night with the premiere of their newest documentary. White People answers the question: What does it mean to be […]
The post ‘White People': MTV Explores White Privilege In New Documentary appeared first on uInterview.
The post ‘White People': MTV Explores White Privilege In New Documentary appeared first on uInterview.
- 7/23/2015
- by Olivia Truffaut-Wong
- Uinterview
MTV, as part of its ongoing “Look Different” anti-bias campaign, and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and filmmaker Jose Antonio Vargas, have joined forces to present “White People,” a first-of-its-kind documentary exploring race, whiteness, and how young white people perceive their racial identity in an increasingly multiracial America. The film was produced in collaboration with Vargas’s nonprofit, Define American, which uses the power of stories to transcend politics and shift the conversation around immigrants, identity and citizenship in a changing America. “White People” follows Vargas across the country as he uncovers the stories of five young white people from varying...
- 7/23/2015
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
The MTV documentary “White People” explores the uncomfortable topic of what it means to be white in the modern age. The film is the creation of Jose Antonio Vargas, a Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist who traveled across the country talking to Millennials of varying social, economic and educational backgrounds about whiteness and race. Vargas believes that whiteness cannot be ignored in the larger racial debate in the U.S. “Too often I think when we talk about diversity or we talk about inclusion, we don’t include white people in the conversation,” he explained to TheWrap, adding that “diversity is the destiny of this country.
- 7/23/2015
- by Joe Otterson
- The Wrap
The one-minute trailer for Jose Antonio Vargas’s White People — set to air on MTV Wednesday at 8 p.m. — has already drawn ire from the right. “No one has seen this film yet,” said National Review editor Rich Lowry. “But I think we can agree that it will be as stupid and exploitative as you expect from a network that brought us Jersey Shore and Teen Mom 2.” Having watched the film, though, the 40-minute documentary arguably has a much softer touch. “We talk about race a lot in this country. But we don’t include you in the conversation,” Vargas says at the beginning of the film to a group of young white people. “I’m interested in how you feel.”I first met Vargas at a screening for Documented, a documentary about his life as an undocumented immigrant, which he made after he wrote his New York Times...
- 7/22/2015
- by E. Alex Jung
- Vulture
Plus, Jose Antonio Vargas discusses "White People" on MTV, Megan Hilty gets a copy of the "Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce" and HBO orders more of "The Brink."
The post TV on Tap: “Sharknado 3″ Storms The Feast Coast, Robert Kirkman Knows How He Wants “The Walking Dead” To End And “Vampire Diaries” Stud Joins “Chicago Fire” appeared first on thebacklot.com.
The post TV on Tap: “Sharknado 3″ Storms The Feast Coast, Robert Kirkman Knows How He Wants “The Walking Dead” To End And “Vampire Diaries” Stud Joins “Chicago Fire” appeared first on thebacklot.com.
- 7/22/2015
- by Lyle Masaki
- The Backlot
MTV, as part of its ongoing “Look Different” anti-bias campaign, and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and filmmaker Jose Antonio Vargas, have joined forces to present “White People,” a first-of-its-kind documentary exploring race, whiteness, and how young white people perceive their racial identity in an increasingly multiracial America. The film was produced in collaboration with Vargas’s nonprofit, Define American, which uses the power of stories to transcend politics and shift the conversation around immigrants, identity and citizenship in a changing America. “White People” follows Vargas across the country as he uncovers the stories of five young white people from varying...
- 7/21/2015
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
What is it like to be white in the United States today? It may seem like a silly question given the current climate, in which most every racial group except Caucasians has come under some form of attack from institutions meant to serve and protect. And that’s not to discount the reprehensible actions of individuals like gun-toting Confederate Flag-waver Dylann Roof and Mexico-deriding billionaire (and unlikely future president) Donald Trump, each perpetuating hate in his own way. But journalist-filmmaker Jose Antonio Vargas thinks there’s something to the query, and he attempts to parse it in the
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- 7/20/2015
- by Keith Uhlich
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Megyn Kelly and well-known journalist and undocumented immigrant Jose Antonio Vargas battled Monday on “sanctuary cities” and the recent murder of Kate Steinle at the hands of an illegal immigrant. Vargas, who was the central subject of CNN’s “Undocumented” documentary, argued the main issue in the murder of Steinle at the hands of an illegal Mexican immigrant was Ice (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) not issuing a warrant for Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez. Steinle was randomly shot to death in San Francisco by Lopez-Sanchez, who was deported five times and held by police under drug charges but released on March 26 when charges.
- 7/14/2015
- by Jordan Chariton
- The Wrap
It's "white history month." All kidding aside... Yesterday, MTV, as part of its ongoing “Look Different” anti-bias campaign, debuted the trailer for its first-of-its-kind documentary exploring race, whiteness, and how young white people perceive their racial identity in an increasingly multiracial America. Titled "White People," the network collaborated on the project with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and filmmaker Jose Antonio Vargas, whose non-profit organization, Define American, uses the power of stories to transcend politics and shift the conversation around immigrants, identity and citizenship in a changing USA. That documentary airs...
- 7/9/2015
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
How timely... although, quite frankly, this is something that should've happened (and far more comprehensively, and wide-reaching), ages ago. MTV, as part of its ongoing “Look Different” anti-bias campaign, and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and filmmaker Jose Antonio Vargas, have announced that they are joining forces to present “White People,” a first-of-its-kind documentary exploring race, whiteness, and how young white people perceive their racial identity in an increasingly multiracial America. The film was produced in collaboration with Vargas’s nonprofit, Define American, which uses the power of stories to transcend politics and shift the conversation around immigrants,...
- 7/8/2015
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Did you miss Justin Simien's Dear White People? Fear not! MTV has a new documentary that aims to go above and beyond race-relations parodying and instead take a long, hard look at white people's most favorite conversation topic: whiteness. White People, which premieres July 22, was spearheaded by Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and undocumented activist Jose Antonio Vargas. In the first trailer, he moderates a forum that takes place over the course of several sit-downs with white people — both in groups and one-on-one — wherein he asks them, plainly, to confront their whiteness. That means, he says, getting "all uncomfortable together" about sensitive issues like white guilt, white privilege, and, of course, racism. At face value, the doc doesn't feel like much more than a loudspeaker through which to hear a stream of white tears. (One, we should note, the New York Times also recently afforded white people.) But if...
- 7/8/2015
- by Dee Lockett
- Vulture
It may not be easy being green, but what’s it really like to be white? Jose Antonio Vargas and MTV set to find out with documentary “White People,” which aims to get young caucasian men and women to talk openly and honestly about race. “Whiteness often remains unexamined in conversations about race in this country, even as it acts as the implicit norm against which other racial identities are judged,” said Stephen Friedman, president of MTV. “By shining a spotlight on whiteness, we hope ‘White People’ will serve as a powerful conversation starter that encourages our audience to address racial bias through.
- 7/8/2015
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
How timely... although, quite frankly, this is something that should've happened (and far more comprehensively, and wide-reaching), ages ago. MTV, as part of its ongoing “Look Different” anti-bias campaign, and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and filmmaker Jose Antonio Vargas, have announced that they are joining forces to present “White People,” a first-of-its-kind documentary exploring race, whiteness, and how young white people perceive their racial identity in an increasingly multiracial America. The film was produced in collaboration with Vargas’s nonprofit, Define American, which uses the power of stories to transcend politics and shift the conversation around immigrants,...
- 6/22/2015
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
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