Viola Davis, John Boyega, Gina Prince-Bythewood And More Break Down The Grit It Took To Bring The Film to Life: 'The Connection Was Guttural'

Based on the real life, Agojie, the fearless warrior women who acted as the king’s guard and kept Dahomey (now Benin) safe in the 19th century, Gina Prince-Bythewood’s The Woman King is a thunderous action film. It praises the strength of Black women and the power of sisterhood. The Women King had been a passion project for Viola Davis for several years. She didn’t hold back when she finally got the opportunity to transform into Nanisca, the Agojie’s general. 

In the film, Nanisca is focused on the future.

With a new king (John Boyega) on the throne, she is determined to pull Dahomey away from the slave trade. With her top soldiers, Amenza (Sheila Atim) and Izogie (Lashana Lynch), by her side, Nanisca has a new crop of recruits to train so that the Agojie may defeat their rival, tribe Oyo and be done with the slave trade for good.

However, Nawi (Thuso Mbedu), a defiant recruit, will show Nanisca that sometimes the best thing to do is turn your back on the rules.

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Jonathan Majors Flies High In J.D. Dillard's 'Devotion' (TIFF Review)

The heroes of the Korean War, America’s forgotten war, specifically Jesse Brown, who became the first Black aviator in Navy history, have been largely erased from history.

However, Sleight director J.D. Dillard, whose father is the second African American Blue Angels pilot, has always known Brown’s story, which is the subject of Devotion.

Adapted from Adam Makos' book of the same name, 'Devotion' opens in 1950.

We meet a strapping Brown (the always immaculate Jonathan Majors), who has endured every type of abuse and anguish to earn his place as a Navy fighter pilot. Dillard chooses to begin his story once Jesse is already established. Though the audience may not be privy to the navel and aviator lingo that take up much of the film’s beginning, Major is electric on the screen. His world further expands when we enter his quaint Rhode Island home, where his wife Daisy (a magnificent Christina Jackson) is buzzing about with their young daughter, Pam.

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The Sidney Poitier Apple TV+ Doc Is A Beautiful Tapestry Of A Life Well Lived (TIFF Review)

If you are lucky, you will live a good life. The days and years of your story will be filled with more triumphs than trials. Perhaps you will even have some successes, but most importantly, there will be love and peace. However, some people get a little bit more than that, which will reward and cost them simultaneously.

Sidney Poitier was a giant, but as the late actor relays to the audience in Reginald Hudlin’s Sidney opens, he was never supposed to live. Born two months premature on a tiny island in the Bahamas to tomato farmers, the Academy Award winner had little more than a third-grade education when he stepped off a boat in Miami at age 15.

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Viola Davis-Led Historical Epic 'The Woman King' Showcases The Pure Majesty of Black Women (TIFF Review)

As Gina Prince-Bythewood’s historical epic, The Woman King, opens, a statuesque Black woman emerges from blades of tall grass. Clad in cowrie shells and coated in oil, she looks fearlessly out into the open plane before raising her fist and calling out into the darkness — a crop of similarly dressed Black women emerging behind her. And with that sound, a film centering on Black womanhood and the power of choice begins at a rip-roaring pace. 

Set in 1823 in the robust lands of Dahomey, West Africa — now called Benin, Prince-Bythewood introduces her audience to an illustrious kingdom. King Ghezo (John Boyega) has just ascended the throne, taking over for his brother. Though Dahomey is a pleasant and peaceful place, the ongoing slave trade with the Americans and Europeans continues to be a sore point among the citizens. The terror and barbarism of enslavement and the patriarchal structure of the society, along with the nearby dominating tribe called the Oyo, rings loudly. Dahomey owes its safety to General Nanisca (an enraptures Viola Davis), who leads her all-women army, the Agojie.

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Elegance Bratton's 'The Inspection' Starring Jeremy Pope And Gabrielle Union Is A Stellar Examination Of Resilience And Self-Acceptance (TIFF Review)

Jeremy Pope and Gabrielle Union are absolutely stellar in The Inspection.

Merriam-Webster defines the word inspection as “a careful and critical examination.” In his fiction debut film, filmmaker Elegance Bratton turns his sharp lens on his own story of rejection, perseverance, and self-acceptance. Set in Trenton, New Jersey, in the years following the September 11th terrorist attack, The Inspection follows Ellis French, a quiet young man whose sensitivity and sexuality have driven a wedge between him and his hostile and hyper-religious mother, Inez (Gabrielle Union, who also served as executive producer). Her rejection of Ellis at age 16 has led him to homelessness for nearly a decade of his life. The distance between himself and his mother wounds Ellis so profoundly that he decides to enlist in the Marines in a final effort to earn not just her respect but her love.

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Inside The Wacky, Wondrous World Of Netflix's 'Wendell & Wild,' The Reteaming Of Jordan Peele And Keegan-Michael Key

As technology has expanded, the use of computer-generated imagery (CGI) and other special effects to bring narratives to life has become commonplace in cinema. Stop-motion animation, which requires a film crew to work in absolute harmony and for a movie to be captured frame by frame, is, in some ways, a lost art. However, for The Nightmare Before Christmas director Henry Selick, it is still the most delectable way to tell a story. A master at his craft, the Academy Award nominee has teamed up with Academy Award winner Jordan Peele for his latest wickedly delightful project, Netflix‘s Wendell & Wild.

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'House Of The Dragon': Emma D'Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Milly Alcock And Emily Carey On The Women Who Shaped The Targaryen Dynasty

In House of the Dragon, the prequel to Game of Thrones set roughly 200 years before the eight-season epic, viewers will look upon Daenerys Targaryen’s ancestors basking in the height of their power. 

HBO’s Game of Thrones introduced the Mother of Dragons, Daenerys (Emilia Clarke), the last of her bloodline, desperate to regain the former glory of the Targaryen dynasty.

The Targaryens ruled Westeros for some 300 years. When House of the Dragon opens, we meet them about 100 years into their reign, smack-dab in the middle of George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, which outlines the history of the Targaryen kings. 

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'House Of The Dragon' Showrunners Need You To Forget About 'Game of Thrones' Characters 'Without Discarding Them'

The heads of HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel series, House of the Dragon, have a messaage for fans.

When news broke that HBO was looking for a Game of Thrones spinoff series, many writers and creatives threw their ideas in the ring. In the end (at least for now), co-showrunners Ryan J. Condal and Miguel Sapochnik’s House of the Dragon was ultimately the sole project to get the green light. 

Co-created by Condal and fantasy novelist George R. R. Martin, House of the Dragon acts as a prequel to Game of Thrones. Set some 200 years before Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) tries to take back the Iron Throne, we find ourselves amongst her ancestors. A book loyalist, Condal draws the House of the Dragon source material from Martin’s Fire & Blood, a book that outlines the history of the Targaryen kings before the entire bloodline is nearly wiped out.

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'A League Of Their Own': Chanté Adams, Abbi Jacobson And More Talk Intersecting Truth With Joy In This New Take On Classic

A robust reimagining of the 1992 film of the same name, A League of Their Own, tells the stories of a women’s professional baseball league amid World War II.

While the classic Penny Marshall film mostly centered on the sexism and injustices that the ladies faced during the time, this Prime Video series, co-created by Will Graham and Abbi Jacobson, unpacks the women’s personal lives. 

Across the first season, the series dives into the personal lives of the women playing on the AAGPBL’s Rockford Peaches team as they contend with the era’s sexism, misogyny, racism, and homophobia. However, the series also carefully highlights the women’s joys and passions. 

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'House Of The Dragon': Steve Toussaint And Eve Best On The 'GOT' Prequel, Powerful Hair Choices And The Dynamic Between Corlys and Rhaenys

House of the Dragon star Steve Toussaint says his character’s locs are very important to the world in the Game of Thrones prequel series.

For years, fans sat riveted by the original global phenomenon. The HBO series ran for eight seasons and centered on the brewing war of power amongst the noblest houses of Westeros, including the Starks, Lannisters, Greyjoys, Tyrells, and Martells. Now, we are returning to George R.R. Martin’s stunningly colorful world in House of the Dragon.

Created by Martin and Ryan Condal, the series is set some 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke). House of the Dragon will center The Mother of Dragons’ ancestors, who set upon the Iron Throne and reigned until misogyny and greed incinerated them all.  

'House of the Dragon' opens at the end of King Jaehaerys Targaryen's life.

Without an heir to take over as king, he chooses his grandson, Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine), to take the Iron Throne over Viserys’ cousin, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best), who has the direct blood claim to the throne.

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Tyler Perry Is Working On A Zombie Movie And A WWII Movie: 'Now Is The Time To Start Believing' [MVAAFF Exclusive]

A zombie film and a World War II-set film are upcoming projects that Tyler Perry says he has in the works.

A prolific director, Perry is no stranger to premiering multiple projects in a year. However, A Jazzman’s Blues, premiering on Netflix next month, allowed him to savor his role as filmmaker and producer.

"It's the happiest I've ever been making a film because it was a joy, a peacetime," he explained to Shadow and Act during a conversation before a panel on the film at the Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival.

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Tyler Perry Says He Wrote Netflix Film 'A Jazzman's Blues' In 1995 And Initially Wanted To Star In It Himself [MVAAFF Exclusive]

For Tyler Perry, now is the time for dreaming. Nearly 30 years in the making, the multi-hyphenate talent presented clips from his forthcoming sweeping epic, A Jazzman’s Blues, at the 20th annual Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival on Aug. 6.

Told over 50 years from 1937 to 1987, the romantic drama follows the forbidden romance between lovers Bayou (Joshua Boone) and Leanne (Solea Pfeiffer). 

Filmed with cinematography by Brett Pawlak, the film unravels five decades of secrets and lies entwined with a juke joint blues soundtrack. The film also stars Amirah Vann, Austin Scott, Milauna Jemai Jackson, Brent Antonello, Brad Benedict, Kario Marcel, Lana Young, and Ryan Eggold. Songs for the film were arranged and produced by multi-Grammy winner and two-time Academy Award nominee Terence Blanchard with music by Aaron Zigman. The choreography was done by the legendary Debbie Allen.

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In Netflix's 'Descendant,' The Past Bubbles Up To The Surface [MVAAFF Review]

There were many horrors born out of the enslavement of Black bodies. Terror, sexual abuse, mental anguish, despair, and the separation of families are only the tip of the iceberg. Erasure— of history and personhood — are still things that echo through the Black community. However, as filmmaker Margaret Brown’s striking documentary Descendant suggests, our histories and the truth can never stay buried for long. 

Descendant begins the search for a slave ship that should have never existed. Just one year before the American Civil War began and 52 years after the International slave trade was outlawed in the United States, a ship named Clotilda arrived on the shores of Alabama. A white plantation owner named Timothy Meaher charted the illegal expedition in a bet that he could evade the law. Clotilda carried 110 African men, women, and children to the Alabama shores before Meaher set the vessel ablaze —determined to erase what he’d done. 

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Barack And Michelle Obama Surprise Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival To Introduce Higher Ground's Netflix Doc 'Descendant'

The 20th annual Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF), founded by Stephanie and Floyd Rance, opened Friday evening with a robust crowd at a screening of Descendant, a searing documentary helmed by filmmaker Margaret Brown. The film follows the residents of Africatown, Alabama, the descendants of the Clotilda, the last known slave ship to hit American shores long after the transatlantic slave trade had been outlawed. The Netflix film is produced by Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions, and the former POTUS and First Lady surprised the crowd when they stepped out to introduce the film.

“When we screened this, we immediately thought, this is why we’re doing Higher Ground,” Mrs. Obama said. “As Black people, we don’t talk about things, and there is a lot of psychology around that. But, what this film reminds us of is the power that our stories have, and we have to tell that truth.” 

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In Rap Sh!t, Social Media Has Main Character Energy

The first 60 seconds of Issa Rae's new HBO series Rap Sh!t are a glorious whirlwind. The Earth spins, zooming into Google Maps’ street-level view of Miami before transitioning to a swirl of Instagram stories that moves down South Beach. We’re introduced to the show’s protagonist Shawna (Aida Osman) via a hotel guest’s video, and the texts and notifications don’t stop there — they’re constantly in frame, mimicking the 24/7 rhythm of life in the social media age. While the dramedy about two friends with rap girl dreams is nominally about music, it’s social media — and the ways Shawna and her friend Mia (KaMillion) use it as they navigate their lives — that steals the show.

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Simone Missick On The Meteoric Ascent Of 'All Rise': 'We Are Operating At Our Highest Selves'

All Rise has been a singular type of show since its inception. It is much more than a courtroom procedural drama. Led by Judge Lola Carmichael (Simone Missick), the series follows the cases that land in her courtroom and the personal and professional lives of the prosecutors, public defenders, bailiffs, cops, and defendants that orbit around her. 

After a two-season run, All Rise was canceled on CBS. It has since been revived on OWN as a more comprehensive series that expands beyond the courtroom. As we head into the second half of season 3, Shadow and Act spoke with Missick, who is also now an executive producer on the series, about this amplified version of Lola, multifaceted female characters, and all of the remaining secrets and surprises that this season will reveal. 

"I definitely wanted for Lola to make some missteps," Missick says of the expansion of her character this season.

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Tonya Lewis Lee And Paula Eiselt Humanize The Black Maternal Health Crisis In 'Aftershock'

When considering the health of a country, one of the first things to examine is the health and viability of its birthing population. Compared to other countries of its size and resources, the United States is failing women and birthing people. The situation is beyond dire when we zoom in on the maternal health rates as they pertain to Black women. In their heartbreakingly poignant new documentary, Aftershock, directors Tonya Lewis Lee and Paula Eiselt probe all of the ways that America’s health system has betrayed and devastated Black women and the Black community across time. 

Told through the families of Shamony Gibson and Amber Rose Issac, and screened at the 2022 ESSENCE Festival of Culture, two young women who died due to childbirth complications, Aftershock explores some damning statistics in our healthcare system, centers on the families left to pick up the pieces, and demands a call to action. 

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'Beauty' Director Andrew Dosunmu Says The Lena Waithe-Penned Netflix Film Is A Love Letter To Black Women Vocalists

The intricacies of our identities are what make us unique. However, ostracization and othering are also used in a society that delights in placing people in boxes. Netflix’s Beauty, directed by Nigerian director Andrew Dosunmu and written by Lena Waithe, centers on one young woman’s determination to hold on to her identity amid her rising fame. Set in the ’80s on the East Coast, Beauty follows a young singer (Gracie Marie Bradley) who, after earning a lucrative recording contract, is determined to define herself outside of the oppressive household of her hyper-religious parents (portrayed by Niecy Nash and Giancarlo Esposito).

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'The Wire' Cast, Creator Reflect On Show After 20 Years: Only Individuals, Not Institutions, Can Be Fundamentally Reformed

Twenty years after its debut, The Wire continues to speak to the present just as it commands us to look back at the past. Set in Baltimore, Maryland, in the early 2000s, The Wire was not a ratings hit or even an award-winner when it was on the air. However, David Simon and Ed Burns’ masterpiece is considered one of the most significant pieces of television ever conceived. 

Composed of five seasons tackling institutions and social issues, including The War on Drugs, Capitalism and Economics, Politics, Public Education and the Media, The Wire is a searing and compelling examination of our failing structures told through the lives of some truly remarkable characters. 

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Why 'A League Of Their Own' Is A Throwback For Today: 7 Things To Know About Upcoming Show [ABFF 2022]

Penny Marshall's 1992 classic, A League Of Their Own, is getting an updated TV adaptation, inviting a new generation of women to lean into the beloved story. Like the film, the Prime Video series is set amid the Second World War and centers on several women with aspirations of playing for the Rockford, Illinois Peaches, an All-American Women Professional Baseball team.

However, the television version of A League of Their Own explores the women's lives well beyond the field. Chanté Adams and Abbi Jacobson lead the series as Maxine and Carson. The first two episodes of the series were screened at the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) and Shadow and Act was on hand for the screening and discussion with Adams and co-creator Will Graham. 

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