How Marti Hines & Jasmin Greene are taking on the entertainment industry, their way (EXCLUSIVE)

Black women are done waiting for opportunities. Instead, they are paving their own way in the entertainment industry. If we look ahead into 2018 at all of the women of color slated to play leading ladies -- it's clear that it's our time to shine. After working for years as an event producer for Sundance Film Festival and Hyatt Hotels, producer and entrepreneur Marti Hines, decided it was time to make a name for herself. Hines and her partner Jasmin Greene launched D Pique Productions (DPP), a company that focuses on high-quality film and television for women of color. Now, the pair is gearing up for festival season with their first feature film, die Expats. “I think it’s very important that we support each other, and we stick together," Greene explained. “Marti and I really try to work with people who are in line with our mission -- work with other women. So our film, all of the people in the key departments, they were women. I think it’s just important if we can open a door, open it to another woman and keep the party going that way.” Hines realized that fulfilling her dreams was about recognizing the talent that was right in front of her. “I think that we have to really use each other," she proclaimed. “I was listening to an interview that Issa Rae did, and I just love how she was talking about working laterally instead of networking up. I think that we have such a community of talent and so much intelligence just right around us. Jasmin and I, we went to college together and have been friends for almost two decades. It took so long for us to realize, ‘Hey, why don’t we actually work together on something?’ We were kind of just parallel, working side by side, and, of course, cheering each other on. Then, about five years ago, it dawned on us that if we decided to work together, we could really be unstoppable.”

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Keesha Sharp on 'Marshall,' playing strong women and her NAACP Image Award nomination (EXCLUSIVE)

Black women aren’t often recognized or remembered for their extensive contributions in history. However, with her roles in film and on television Keesha Sharp is making sure that some of these women are getting the recognition that they deserve. Last year, the Girlfriends alum starred in the critically acclaimed FX series, American Crime Story: The People v. O.J .Simpson as Dale Cochran, the wife of the infamous attorney Johnnie Cochran. Her most recent role as Buster Marshall – the wife of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in the legal thrill Marshall proved that Sharp is ready to give more unsung women the spotlight. When Sharp heard a film about Thurgood Marshall's life was in development, she jumped at the chance to be involved. "I said, ‘Oh my god, they're doing something on Thurgood Marshall!,’” Sharp told me just a few days after she’d been nominated for an NAACP Image Award for her role in the film. “I was so excited even to be able to audition for it, to be honest, because is someone in this country I don't think we know enough about. We know the two major things, but a lot of us don't know the struggles and the fights. I think it's important for us to see and to know that we can do that too. It gives us inspiration that this man started someplace where we all can start. We can all be advocates for things that we believe in. It was exciting to be a part of it, and I was so really blessed when I got the role.”

Since she was such a private woman, there is little known about Vivian “Buster” Marshall, but we do know how much she sacrificed for her husband and for Black people's education in this country. “She had cancer while was fighting , but she did not tell him," Sharp explained. “She didn't want him to be distracted in any way. It tells you so much about her just knowing that information. We know Thurgood Marshall, we know what an activist he was, but what we don't know is how important Vivian was in the shadows. She was holding him up and being the strength for him and encouraging him to continue the fight. Even knowing that she had cancer wouldn't tell him because Brown vs. the Board of Education was more important to her than her personal fight."

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Mario Van Peebles, Jasmine Guy & Joel Anderson Thompson examine 'Superstition' (EXCLUSIVE)

Black horror narratives that encompass the supernatural and the paranormal haven’t yet found solid footing on television. With his new series Superstition, celebrated filmmaker Mario Van Peebles is changing the landscape. In the show, Van Peebles turns his lens on the Hastings family. Residents of the fictional town of La Rochelle, Georgia, they live amongst graveyards, strange townsfolk, and rich history of odd phenomena. Van Peebles' Issac and Robinne Lee’s Bea run a funeral home during the day, but their nighttime activities involve battling the evil the constantly infiltrates the town. With the New Jack City auteur at the helm as the writer/director and House M.D’s Joel Anderson Thompson as showrunner, Superstition's impressive cast also includes Brad James, Demetria McKinney and the legendary Jasmine Guy as Aunt Nancy. Recently, I sat down to speak with Van Peebles, Anderson and Guy about the series, why they were inspired to dive into the genre, and why it was so important to tell these types of stories.

“Some of the folks at Syfy had identified that there was big unserved demographic of folks that were interested in seeing more multicultural reflections of Americana in these horrors/thriller spaces,” Van Peebles explained about the series conception. “They talked to Barry and myself and brother Joel, and it just continued to grow and evolve. Early on, while I was still filming Roots, I started going over to explore funeral homes. One of the funeral homes that I was looking at in New Orleans was a little mom and pop funeral home owned by folks of color, and they were doing specialty services. There was a couple of cases where they actually buried people -- if you could call it burying them -- standing up. So some of those stories made their way into what became our show. This is a family run business and are still trying to make it work as a business. Then Joel kept bringing in all the dope folklore and gothic Americana that is so rich."

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Nefertite Nguvu talks AT&T Hello Lab and 'The Last Two Lovers At The End of The World' (EXCLUSIVE trailer)

We all have stories to tell -- anecdotes about our experiences, what we hope for in the future, and the words that have moved us throughout our lives. However, the structure of the entertainment industry makes it so that only certain voices are given platforms, but things are changing. In recent years, mentorship programs like AT&T’s Hello Lab have helped minorities and women push through the red tape. AT&T’s Hello Lab specifically, is empowering up-and-coming filmmakers and writers while giving them the opportunity to bring their stories and views to the forefront of the industry. Nefertite Nguvu is one of those voices. Nguvu’s debut self-funded film In the Morning was her love letter to Black women and focused the intricacies and changes in relationships. Now, with her filmThe Last Two Lovers At The End of The World which will debut on DIRECTV NOW on Dec. 1. Nguvu was able to step back and lean into her creative flow. “With self-fund projects, there are so many things that you have to think about outside of the creative that are exhausting,” she explained. “Not having to think about, ‘How am I going to get the money, whom am I going to get?’ All of those things take a huge load off your shoulders as a creative person. Sometimes in situations like that, the creative things are the last things that you get to think about at the end of the day because you're so busy trying to put out fires and figure out logistics. So that was really lovely, just to have the opportunity to focus on the creative aspect of making the film and not worry about those things.”

AT&T’s Hello Lab Mentorship Program connects filmmakers with industry leaders. This year’s mentors included Octavia Spencer, Common, and Rick Famuyiwa who provided support to the filmmakers as they crafted signature short films. Nguvu’s mentor was Academy Award Winner Common whom she’d worked with previously. “From the first project that we did together which was theLove Star mini-documentary, it's just been really wonderful, “ she reflected. “He’s everything that he appears to be. He's just an incredibly generous, smart, collaborative person. So it really was wonderful working with him and I'm thankful to have the opportunity to make this film.“

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Denzel Washington's magnetism keeps 'Roman J. Israel, Esq.' afloat (Review)

There are actors, and then there are chameleons. Never before in our contemporary times has there been a pillar of the entertainment industry like Denzel Washington. On the heels of the 25th anniversary of his astounding performance in Malcolm X, Washington has transformed himself into Roman J. Israel, Esq. Like the many many roles that have come before this one, Washington wraps himself in his character as if he’s wearing a second skin. His incredible performance as a man with a computer-brain and a determination to aid the helpless is what keeps Roman J. Israel, Esq. moving forward -- even during the moments it seems to lean off track. From the mind of writer/director, Dan Gilroy, Washington stands at the center of the legal drama as its titular character. In shoes that are two sizes too big (literally), an oversized blazer, and some haphazardly shaped bell bottoms, Roman is a fossil – a relic of the 1970’s locked away in a law office and dragged into the light when his partner, William Henry Jackson aka The Bulldog has a heart attack. In an instant, the man who has always stayed in the shadows becomes the face of the two-person firm. He also inadvertently captures the attention of hotshot attorney George Pierce (Collin Farrell) who is intrigued by Roman’s wealth of knowledge and encyclopedic brain.

Over the course of just three weeks, Roman’s life changes forever. A man who is obviously on the autistic spectrum and has never practiced in a courtroom, Roman finds himself both enraged at the greed and ignorance of others while simultaneously seduced by it. As he tries to find a place for himself at Pierce’s lush and massive law firm, Roman becomes enamored with Civil Rights attorney Maya Alston (play stellarly by Carman Ejogo). As Roman finds himself increasingly adrift from his beliefs, Maya -- inspired by his legacy -- desperately tries to hold on to the reigns of activism despite all that she’s had to sacrifice for it.

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Netflix's 'She's Gotta Have It' is bold, brilliant & black as hell (Review)

From the moment the Prince/ Notorious B.I.G. opening track rings out from the television screen, Spike Lee’s electric new Netflix joint She’s Gotta Have It springs to life. After much critique about his "woman problem" in some of his past work — Lee has gotten with the program. Tracy Camilla Johns’ 1986 Nola Darling, which was set against a crisp black and white Brooklyn background will always remain glued in my memory, but the film was ruined for me when our protagonist was viscously raped by her suitor Jamie Overstreet (Tommy Redmond Hicks). I haven’t gotten over it, and neither has Lee.In a 2014 interview with Deadline, he said, “It was just totally…stupid. I was immature.” We are in an age where women – especially Black women are laying themselves bare, and unapologetically demanding to be heard. With guidance from his wife, Tonya Lewis Lee who also serves as an executive producer on the Netflix TV adaptation of She’s Gotta Have It — Lee presents an image of a Black woman who is as refreshing as she is enticing. Shots Fired and Underground alum DeWanda Wise is center stage this time, delivering a brown-skinned Nola Darling whose the homegirl you love, envy, and are sometimes exasperated with. Netflix’s She’s Gotta Have It is a complicated and multi-angled portrait of a millennial Black woman trying to make in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Nola’s got her men — Greer Childs (Cleo Anthony), Jaime Overstreet (Lyriq Bent), and Mars Blackmon (Anthony Ramos) all return in vibrant color with new layers and subtle personality changes. However, she’s also got her girlfriends Shemekka Epps (Chayna Lane) and Clorinda Bradford (Margot Bingham), a lady lover (Ilfenesh Hadera) and a bomb ass therapist (Heather Headley). Gentrification is rampant, money is tight, but Nola is living — and how she lives, who she makes love with, and the art that she creates is going to be on her terms.

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Carmen Ejogo on 'Roman J. Israel, Esq,' working with Denzel Washington & playing badass women (EXCLUSIVE)

For a long while, especially in the entertainment industry, there was this archaic notion that women could not be complicated and messy, that we could not have angles and layers and been seen in various lights. Thankfully, in the recent years, various stories and characters are shifting the tide. For Carmen Ejogo — ho has been dazzling recently in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and It Comes at Night —these are the roles that speak to her soul.

For Ejogo, starring alongside Denzel Washington as Civil Rights attorney/activist Maya Alston — a woman who is both burdened and enchanted by activism — in Roman J. Israel, Esq. was a no-brainer. “What I find most frustrating is when people operate from a place of clear delineations that you're either good or bad,” Ejogo explained to me over the phone a few weeks before the film was set to premiere. “I really don't like people that think in that way. I think it's very destructive because I've not yet met a human being that operates in one of those zones to a degree of perfection. It means we are all going to be losers if that is somehow the definition of what is to be a valuable human being in the world. So I'm excited to bring to the screen people that are messy, that are weak as well as strong, that are nuanced, that are complex, that have complexity about them because that's when you see yourself on screen.”

Set in Los Angeles, Roman J. Israel, Esq follows an idealistic lawyer (Washington) whose life is shifted drastically when his law partner dies and he's thrust into the courtroom. Earning the attention of a hotshot attorney (Collin Farell) and a Civil Rights activist (Ejogo), Roman tries to cling to his morals while getting seduced by the trophies of greed. “I've never seen Denzel in a role like this," Ejogo explained. "And I've never actually seen a film like this. There's something about it that is super-mesmerizing and idiosyncratic and it really had its own signature. And that's a testament to Dan as a really interesting filmmaker. He's a dream to work with.”

Written and directed by Gilroy, the film is a massive tale driven by character. It's a story that came together in a way Ejogo never expected. “I've gotten used to the idea that you can hope that a film is going to reach its potential," she reflected. "What's really gonna make me sign on is believing that this film has that potential, but most importantly, 'What can I then bring to it individually?' 'Who am I gonna get to play with?' 'Will the components in place allow me to rise to the challenge at hand?' If it then emerges that we've got a much bigger piece of art that starts to emerge, because you realize that all of the components that you'd hoped might be in place actually are in place, then it becomes like the golden goose. That's when it becomes quite special. There are so many things that can happen during the making of a movie that people end up wavering from that vision. But you've got to know that what you can contribute individually is gonna be worth the time and the effort and the process. I just got very lucky on this that it all came together in a way that makes for a really timeless and relevant movie.”

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Spotlight On: Sundance Institute Directors & Screenwriters Labs 2017 fellows (EXCLUSIVE)

Everybody has a story to tell, but not everyone has the tools needed to get their story out to a mass audience. Sundance Institute Directors & Screenwriters Lab provides a bridge from screenwriters and directors to the public, shining a spotlight on voices that aren't often given the amplification that they deserve. Earlier this year, the Sundance Institute announced thirteen new independent feature projects from Cuba, Chile, Kenya, the UK and the U.S. The Director’s and Screenwriters Lab are part of the Institute's year-round support of emerging independent artists. Feature Film Program Founding Director Michelle Satter said, "Our Lab brings together a community of artists from the U.S. and around the world to learn, discover and take risks in a pure workshop environment. These 13 artist-driven projects will advance through our year-round support system, with the June Lab as a centerpiece of our program. Each artist brings a personal voice, unique worldview, and deep humanity to their work, creating an exchange of ideas and distinctive storytelling that resonates profoundly in today's world.”

Shadow and Act spoke with four of the fellows, Radha Blank, Colman Domingo, Reinaldo Marcus Green and Tayarisha Poe. We discussed their selected projects, influences, and what they took from the Lab.

Netflix's She's Gotta Have It scribe Radha Blank’s The 40-Year Old Version tells the story of a down-on-her-luck New York playwright who decides that the only way to salvage her artistic voice is to become a rapper...at age 40.

The film is Blank’s first feature which she aims to begin filming in 2018. This would be a massive feat in itself, but she's also writing, directing and starring in it as well. She said, “ is loosely based on my life as Playwright in New York. And so yes, I am nuts.” For Blank, the Lab was an opportunity to explore the tone of her screenplay. “I got to experiment with improvisation as well as with storytelling that wasn’t on the page, “ she explained. “I’m coming from working as a playwright where dialogue is the force that propels a story forward, but at the Lab, I was reminded how powerful images and silences are in expanding my storytelling beyond dialogue.”

The daughter of a New York cinephile, Blank was influenced by Sidney Lumet, Hal Ashby, John Cassavetes, Spike Lee and Shmoody Shmallen. “I’ve always wanted to see a New York comedy where the New Yorker at the center of the storytelling looked, felt and sounded like me and my friends, “ she said. “Not sure I've seen it so maybe I make it?"

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Ashley & Andy Williams talk their new 'Flip or Flop' series, giving back & being a voice for veterans (EXCLUSIVE)

HGTV is switching things up. The network has gone through some significant changes in the recent months. After a fifth and final season, audiences will say goodbye to Chip and Joanna Gaines’ fan favorite Fixer Upper. Another beloved series Flip or Flop is expanding across the country and will introduce several new spin-offs including the much-anticipated, Flip or Flop Ft. Worth. Starring military veterans Ashley and Andy Williams, this married couple are making a mark on the real estate and design industries while giving back to their community and fellow military veterans. The couple met overseas while stationed in Iraq – Ashley was in the Army while Andy served in the Marines. Once they returned stateside, real estate became a way for them reimmerse themselves back into everyday life. Since Flip or Flop Ft. Worth was announced, life has been a whirlwind for the couple. “Real estate became important to us because, with us being veterans and transitioning out of the military -- there's not really a lot of options where you can control your own destiny," Ashley explained to me as we chatted on the phone a few weeks ago. “We've had a lot of experience in the military. We've had a lot of job experience, but that doesn't always translate into a civilian job. A lot of times, veterans, including us, were getting docked for time spent in the military because no one understood what we did. A lot of things require certificates and training and a lot of times we don't get the paperwork behind it, so it's like it never happened. Real estate was a way that we could control our destiny.”

The Williams’ business Recon Realty, Inc., was born out of the climate of the country and the couple’s desire to invest in their community. “America was going through its own problems between 2005 and 2008," Andy explained. “The entire country was at war, but also economically, the country was rebounding. Initially, I invested in my hometown. We were renting houses because there's a lot of people that needed rental homes, and a lot of homes were dilapidated and needed to be repaired. However, there's no real financing in that market accessible to those people in that community. So, we decided to invest in our town. One house turned into ten, ten houses turned into a ten-unit, a ten-unit turned into a twenty-five house rental portfolio, and we just built it from there. Then we started rehabbing. When we started the rehab to resale, the war was coming to an end, and a lot of veterans were coming back home. We were like, ‘Hey, you know what, we can make a little bit of money, make a little bit of an impact, and solve a little bit of a problem.’ We started our real estate company with the mission of revitalizing communities and bringing our fellow veteran along.”

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Dee Rees on bringing 'Mudbound' to life & confronting America's gruesome history (EXCLUSIVE)

There are films, and then there are masterpieces. Dee Rees’ Mudbound is a masterpiece. It’s difficult to translate words onto film — giving the characters and storylines vibrancy and richness especially when another person birthed those words. And yet, Rees was able to electrify Hillary Jordan’s debut novel into a sweeping cinematic epic. At a time when the country is suffocating under the vilest remnants of our history, Rees has used film to drag our past into the present — laying it at our feet. Considering her debut indie film Pariah and her stellar HBO biopic Bessie, Rees didn’t expect to take on Mudbound. “It's funny, I wasn't aware of the book," she explained to me as we sat in a hotel suite one fall afternoon overlooking New York City’s Columbus Circle. “I read through the script first and thought okay there's a lot there and that prompted me to go back to the book and see what else I could bring forward. I ended up writing a lot more original material because it needed to be a story of two families — not just the Jackson family in service of the McAllans. I wanted to really contextualize our history, and how it's not this separated thing, it's not this disjointed thing. It's all interwoven. I wanted to try and work on this film on a thematic level and conceptual level. It's not just about racism; it's not just Black and white, it's about who we are as people and the stories we tell about ourselves versus what our story actually is and how those things connect.”

Set in Mississippi during the 1940's Mudbound centers around the McAllans — a white family who buy a farm and the Jacksons—a Black family who have been sharecroppers on the land for generations. For Rees, the beauty of this story was found in witnessing the families bang and clash against one another on this muddy cotton farm in the Jim Crow South. “I wanted to have this dark symbiosis of two families who are kind of tied to each other,” Rees explained. “With the two patriarchs Hap (Rob Morgan) and Henry (Jason Clarke), I'm dealing with this idea of disinheritance. Hap literally has bones in this land. He has blood. He has his ancestors there. But he can't take title to it. Whereas Henry buys into the land, but ironically feels like he's been disinherited. Pappy (Jonathan Banks) sold his land, so he is clinging on to this thing that he feels is rightfully his.”

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Brutally honest and witty, 'A Whole New Irving' gives young Black men room to express themselves

Millennials have a bad rap. We’ve been called lazy, entitled and so forth – but in reality, I think most of us are exhausted. We’re trying to wade our way through life using rules that rusted over a generation ago, and when we get stuck – which many of us do especially coming right out of college -- things seem hopeless. We get angry, and perhaps we wallow and sink into what we feel is the injustice of it all. After all, it isn’t as if we haven’t done the work. In his brutally honest and witty debut web series, A Whole New Irving, LA-based producer-director Terry Dawson examines the post-grad struggle from the perspective of a Black young man. Irving (Chase Anthony) is a recent grad who is submerged in debt and barely holding on to his job at a local health food store in Venice Beach. He lives every day trying not to let the bitterness and angst that he feels consume him.

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Bianca Lawson talks embodying Darla ahead of reunion with parents on 'Queen Sugar' (EXCLUSIVE)

Bianca Lawson radiates on screen. Becoming Darla on the stunning OWN series Queen Sugar has been an exceptional gift for the actress. A veteran in the television and film industry, Lawson has been delivering stellar performances in everything from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to the ever-popular Pretty Little Liars. On Queen Sugar – where she plays a young recovering addict, Darla who is trying to rebuild a life with her son Blue (Ethan Hutchison) and his father Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe) — Lawson has had to expose herself in ways that she hasn’t ever had to previously. Infectiously effervescent, Lawson’s personality is very different from the quiet and anxious Darla. We spoke earlier this week, just a few days before the premiere of Darla’s much-anticipated reunion with her estranged parents. “There is something about this particular character, she's completely unlike anything else I've ever played — you have a really visceral experience with her," Lawson explained to me. “It's analytical for me. I think when I started acting it's something about feeling the security of hiding behind a character — and for her, I've had to actually reveal more of my true self. With Darla, there's something very interesting about her where the things that she's gone through even though I haven't gone through the exact same situations, I've had to process things about myself or confront things about myself or at least expose certain aspects of myself to do her justice. This has probably been the most personal character for me, and definitely, I'd say the most complex and intricately layered. I feel like she's made me a better actress. I feel like she's made me a more empathetic human.”

Accustomed to creating her own back-stories for her characters, Lawson was not aware of the complicated layers that shaped Darla’s past when she first read for the role. Embodying this young woman has brought forth an arresting fierceness not often seen on television – especially in a role that has historically been portrayed stereotypically. “Ava and I had a long call before I officially came on,” Lawson recalled. “She told me a little bit about her thoughts about the character, and why she wanted to write this character. She really wanted to tell the story of a young Black woman getting sober in a way that hadn't been done before — in a way that was more real and true to life. There’s a real loneliness in that journey.”

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Robinne Lee talks Syfy's 'Superstition,' her debut novel 'The Idea of You' & being a Black woman in Hollywood (EXCLUSIVE)

Robinne Lee won’t wait for someone to hand her an opportunity. Instead, she's created a space for herself. The veteran actress, writer, and producer is demanding to be heard. It’s early morning in Los Angeles, and Lee is dropping her children off at school as she talks to me. A jack-of-all-trades, she is obviously is a master multitasker. Her latest film, ‘Til Death Do Us Part just debuted last month and her newest project – a role in Mario Van Peebles' Syfy series Superstition is gearing up to begin. Set in La Rochelle, Georgia Van Peebles latest work follows the Hastings — a family who owns the town’s funeral home and also dabbles in fighting unworldly phenomena and evil. For Lee – the script was a dream come true. “It was just different from the beginning,” she recalled, reflecting back on when she first learned about Superstition. “The way Mario pitched it, he talked about our country going through a period right now when we're dealing with this new administration, and people being at a low point. The news is so depressing and frustrating. want to have something that is just for pure escapism.”

We all gravitate toward the cinema and to television because, if only for a moment — we can forget about the trials and tribulations of our everyday lives. However, with Superstition Van Peebles was determined to take it a step further. “He wanted to do it in a way that was novel, “ Lee expressed. “We had for eight years, this beautiful Black family in the White House to look up to and see these positive images. He thought, 'Wouldn't it be nice if we had a Black family who is like that we could see on TV, but in a supernatural realm?'"

Until Jordan Peele’s Get Out – Black characters were rarely taken seriously (or even seen) in the horror/sci-fi genre. Black women, in particular, have been erased from this particular space. Superstition is subverting all of that. Instead of being relegated to the background, Lee’s character Bea Hastings is just as badass and at the forefront of this series as her husband Issac (Van Peebles) and the couple’s grown son Calvin (Brad James). “I liked the fact that she was this pillar of strength for her family, but she had vulnerable moments, “ Lee said of her sharp and fearsome character. “She wasn't a stereotypical matriarch.”

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Andrew "King Bach" Bachelor on 'Where is the Money?,' being social media's king & what's next

Andrew "King Bach" Bachelor is ready to conquer the entertainment industry. The Toronto native burst onto social media dominating Vine -- the now discontinued micro-blogging platform as its most followed person. With a whopping 16.2 million followers on Vine as well as an immense platform across Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, King Bach is arguably social media's biggest star. Now, the 29-year-old has set his sights on the film world. Though Bach has a production company -- Bach Enterprises it’s the work in front of the camera that has constantly inspired his genius. “That's always what I wanted to do,” Bach explained to me over the phone one fall afternoon. “When I was a kid, I saw the movie Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. I didn't know what it was called that Jim Carrey was doing, but I was like, ‘Yeah, I want to do that.’ I looked up to people like Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence, Jamie Foxx, D.L. Hughley, Bernie Mac, Richard Pryor -- all the legends." When Bach was studying in college and then taking courses at New York Film Academy – he realized to reach his audience quickest he had to understand social media and make it work for him. “I don't think it's what I gravitated towards; I think it was more of what was relevant," he explained. “That's why I started doing videos on there because I wanted people to see it. I do have a film crew that I went to film school with, but every platform requires different equipment. For instance, for Vine, even if I wanted to shoot on the Alexa ARRI or the red camera, I wasn't able to because you couldn't upload at that time. YouTube was different. If you ever see any of my Youtube clips, you'll see that the production value on that is extremely high. Those same clips on my YouTube page could be placed on TV or in a movie theater, and people wouldn't notice a difference in quality. I would do that just to challenge myself to be a real artist and creator. When it was time for me to make silly videos on Vine or Instagram, I used my phone because it's quick. When people are on their phone, they're not really paying attention to the production value. They just want a quick blast, to get in and get out.”

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Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival & Lecture Series celebrates 20 years on Oct. 21 & 22

Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival + Lecture Series is celebrating its 20th anniversary on Oct. 21 and Oct. 22. Founded by African Voices publisher Carolyn A. Butts – Reel Sister’s Film Festival provides a unique platform for women of color in an industry that so often shuts them out. “ have so many dynamic women who are now producing and who are making opportunities for others," Butts told me. “I think that's wonderful. However, since I started the festival, Hollywood hasn't been as progressive. We still need outlets like Reel Sisters because there are so many talented filmmakers and we're one of the places where these filmmakers can be celebrated." Butts says she’s most proud of the family-friendly festival because of the relationships that she was able to help the filmmakers forge to get their work to wider audiences and on platforms like BET and Netflix. “I think the festival gives a chance for the audience to really see some of the untold histories that we have in our families,” she explained.

20 years after its founding, Reel Sisters is much more than just a film festival. The month-long celebration also provides access to leading professionals by presenting panels and workshops on topics from screenwriting to producing. In the past, Reel Sisters has honored everyone from Issa Rae to Julie Dash. This year, actress Vinie Burrows (Walk Together Children) is the Reel Sisters Hattie McDaniel Award honoree, the Reel SistersTrailblazer Award went to actresses Tamara Tunie (Law & Order: SVU) and Nicole Beharie (Sleepy Hollow), and the first Reel Sisters Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to veteran film producer/director Nicole Franklin.

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Sam Adegoke talks 'Dynasty,' relatability and defining Jeff Colby for himself (EXCLUSIVE)

Thirty years after the world said goodbye, Dynasty has returned to television. The iconic ‘80s soap opera was a cultural phenomenon, and now The CW has reimagined it for the 21st century. Set in Atlanta, and following the rival Carrington and Colby families (this go-round, the Colbys are Black) the new series is giving the legendary soap some pretty insane twists. For relative newcomer, Sam Adegoke, whose credits include Murder in the First and Switched at Birth —  taking on Dynasty was about digging into the television archives. “To be perfectly honest, Dynasty was before my time,” Adegoke told me with an amused chuckle. “I had to do my homework. It skipped an entire generation.” Still, from the series' legacy alone – one that labels itself as “delicious, ambitious, and vicious,” Adegoke knew that he had to be a part of the reboot. "You want to do work that's impactful, and that can resonate with as many audiences as the original Dynasty did,“ he explained to me. “I started trying to find clips, which was harder than you'd think, of some of the original Dynasty shows and watching it, getting a taste for what it was. I thought, 'This could really, really be cool,' especially since The CW seemed so open to the idea of reprising and reimagining some of these iconic characters with a more inclusive and diverse cast. That was pretty much all I needed to hear. I was really excited about it.”

Despite its impact – the Dynasty of 30 years ago would be pretty problematic if it were to air today. Executive producer Josh Schwartz who is known for The O.C. and Gossip Girl knew that he had to create a show that would reflect how the world looks at this very moment. Making the Colbys a wealthy Black family was just one of the many changes that were made to the series. “As a human being, I think we watch and root for, and are drawn to people who share similar experiences to us,” Adegoke reflected. “ stories we can relate to. I think the more that we can kind of capture that on the screen through characters that portray and encompass a broad spectrum of beliefs, of appearances, ethnicities, morals — you cast a wider net for your audiences. I feel highly privileged to be a part of a show that is a champion of that."

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Regina Hall on the phenomenon that is 'Girls Trip,' 'Due North' and making Black women proud (EXCLUSIVE)

Regina Hall is just getting started. The veteran actress burst onto the scene nearly two decades ago in Malcolm D. Lee’ iconic film, The Best Man. Since then, she's been in everything from the Scary Movie franchise to Black-ish. However, the smash success of her the $100 million marvel Girls Trip – another Lee flick, has propelled the extremely busy actress back into the spotlight. “I've been really blessed, and I've always worked a lot,” Hall told me when I asked her if the success of Girls Trip has triggered new roles for her. “I'm not the most social media visible person, even though I do have a page. Maybe people don't know what I'm doing in between stuff. It was great and consistent before, and yeah, I think maybe my options continued to grow, but I think it's been good and it's staying good thanks to (Girls Trip)." The first time the Insecure actress had even heard of Girls Trip was two years ago. She and producer Will Packer were on an airplane headed to New York for another project. Packer asked her opinion about an idea he had for a film where four friends go to Essence Fest. “Honestly, I was like, ‘What?’," Hall told me reflecting back on that initial conversation. “I didn't know what that was going to be, but I thought about four women going to Essence Fest, and I knew it could be good.” It didn’t take long for Packer to set his plan in motion – bringing on Lee to direct and calling Kenya Barris and Tracy Oliver to write the script. “I think a year later there was a script and then we were on set," Hall remembers. “So, it all was a culmination of a perfect storm.”

Now that the critically acclaimed R-rating comedy has grossed a massive $130 million plus at the box office, Hall is still reeling a bit from the insanity that was this past summer. It’s all been an incredible ride for the Naked actress – but it’s also been shocking in some ways. “You never know what a movie is going to be, how it's going to go from paper to an actual film," she said thoughtfully. “I knew that we had a lot of fun. I mean, we laughed a lot. I knew that me and the girls had really created a deep connection and bond, and I knew that part was real. Then the rest you hope for. I don't know if my expectation was where it ended up being, but it was an amazing and wonderful surprise. I think we were just really happy that women who watched it enjoyed it. I think that was what I thought about the most. Even though it was an African American led movie — I wanted all women to receive it and love it, and I wanted Black women to be proud."

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'Girls Trip' scribe Tracy Oliver talks writing for Black women and being committed to the grind

Tracy Oliver knew that she had something special when she and Black-ish creator Kenya Barris finished the script for Girls Trip. “I'm not shocked,” she explained to me referring to the massive success of the film. “I knew what we were making. I was on set. Everyone just put together the film, including the cast — every part of it was so magical. I was like, 'This is going to do well.' What I didn't know was that it was going to break records. I didn't know that it was going to make over $100 million domestic. That's really, really rare, and really hard to do. There are movies with all white casts that are not hitting $100 million.” The South Carolina native has spent her career writing for and about Black women — and she’s not about to apologize for it. Like many of us –in the ‘90s Oliver was enraptured by all of the multifaceted stories of Black women that were available to us on television and in film, from Living Single to Love & Basketball. However, by the time the 31-year old hit her twenties – Black people had all but disappeared from the big and small screens. “I was really spoiled. Like a lot of people that grew up in the '90s, we had so much on television,“ Oliver said wistfully. “Then on the movie side, I loved Love & Basketball, Love Jones, The Best Man — those were my favorite things when I was growing up.”

In a moment it seemed like a switch had been flipped – all of these gorgeously textured stories simply vanished. “I can't tell you why people started believing that there wasn't an audience for Black content,” the Survivor's Remorse scribe reflected. “I don't know what the breaking point was, where Hollywood decided no more movies other than Tyler Perry. For almost a decade, there was nothing but Madea. I think that was really a bleak period for a lot of artists of color because it was like, that's fine an audience, but there's so much more to Black people and Black lives that we're not showcasing and not sharing with the world. I'm not really sure why that happened.”

During that time—Oliver was headed to Stanford University. An artist to her core, the actress, writer, and producer was quickly typecast. “I was basically getting cast as some version of Rizzo in Grease in everything, “ she said laughing. “I was always the cigarette-smoking, cool Black girl and I was like, 'All right, we're done.'" It was her mother who prompted the Stanford alum to stop complaining about her lack of opportunities and actually do something about it. “My mom is just not one of those people that is here for any complaining,” Oliver quipped. “She was like, ‘Well, aren't you at school? Can't you just learn how to write? If you don't like something, then you figure out how to change it. As long as you're auditioning for other people, that's what they're going to do. They don't have any obligation to cast you as anything other than how they see you.’”

The 31-year old took that advice to heart and she and her classmate Issa Rae teamed up to write and produce the acclaimed web series, The Mis-Adventures of an Awkward Black Girl. Oliver starred as Issa’s mean girl co-worker J on the show. It was writing that really sparked something in Oliver. “I really enjoyed the power and the creative freedom of directing and writing, more so than just performing because there's so much control that I have on this side of things that I didn't have when I was just a performer," she reflected.

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Dee Rees' 'Mudbound' is astounding and marvelously crafted (NYFF Review)

I'm always disturbed by people who don’t want to talk about race — as if it’s not ingrained in the fabric of our country. To act as though race is not at the core of who we are as a people — as if race doesn’t stand at the center of how our country operates today, in the 21st century. Dee Rees’ sprawling World War II set epic, Mudbound serves up our history in a spellbinding tale of two families, one Black and one white whose lives crash together on a cotton farm in 1940’s Mississippi. Based on the stunning 2008 debut novel by Hillary Jordan – Mudbound follows the McAllan family, Laura (Carey Mulligan) and her husband Henry (Jason Clarke) who move from Memphis, Tennessee to rural Mississippi. Henry, desperate to put his own stamp on the world buys a cotton farm, uprooting his wife and two daughters. Endlessly grateful that her husband saved her from the fate of being an old maid when he married her at the ripe old age of 31 – Laura goes along with her husband’s plan, leaving behind her city-bred sensibilities and education for the grit, mud, and violence of the Mississippi cotton farm. With the move, she must also learn to deal with the leer of her racist, Klan-praising father-in-law Pappy (Jonathan Banks).

The McAllan’s arrival on the farm directly impacts the Jacksons – a Black family whose have teetered between sharecroppers and tenants (depending on the crop season) and whose ancestors have worked the land for generations. Florence Jackson – played quietly by Mary J. Blige- is a mother of four, healer and equal partner in her marriage to her husband Hap Jackson – a magnificent and commanding Rob Morgan of Netflix’s Marvel series. Hap is a force. He’s aware of the times in which he lives, but he’s not subservient. He’s a religious man, but he is also willing to take his destiny into his own hands.

Though the McAllans and the Jacksons coexist on the farm for a time with minimal runs ins, the end of the war brings forth major changes. The horrors of the Second World War torment Henry's brother – a charismatic and good looking fighter pilot named Jamie (Garrett Hedlund) and he brings those nightmares with him to his brother’s farm when he returns home. The Jackson’s eldest son Ronsel (portrayed by a marvelous Jason Mitchell) can’t force himself to conform to the wills of the Jim Crow South after living freely as a sergeant oversees. Still reeling from the war, both men find themselves adrift in their home country and their respective homes.

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'Marshall' is more of a thriller than a biopic (Review)

Superheroes. It's a word that's thrown around lightly these days. We eagerly flock to movie theaters and our television screens to watch metahumans with extraordinary strength and abilities conquer the world. In everyday life and certainly throughout history, there have been real-life figures who've defeated evil and transformed the world. They have been pillars of change who've forced mankind to move forward — whether we were ready for it or not. The late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall was one of those leaders. When we receive our primary education, we (hopefully) learn about Justice Marshall and his contribution to the Civil Rights Movement — namely that he was the force behind Brown v. Board of Education, which desegregated public schools in the United States. However, Brown v. Board is nestled in the middle of an illustrious career, one that spanned nearly seven decades and helped reshape the world as we know it.

Reginald Hudlin's latest film Marshall follows the lawyer at 30-years-old just as his career was beginning to gain some traction. In 1941, Marshall was the sole lawyer for the NAACP. The United States was on the verge of entering World War II when Marshall was sent to Connecticut to defend Joseph Spell (portrayed by Emmy- winner Sterling K. Brown), a black chauffeur who was accused of raping his white employer (portrayed by Kate Hudson).

Though oddly cast, Chadwick Boseman slides on Marshall's fedora perfectly — capturing his cadence and arresting intellect as soon as the film starts rolling. Though the brown skinned Black Panther actor looks nothing like the 6-foot tan skinned Baltimore native, you believe him from the very minute he opens his mouth, from the way he enraptures the courtroom to his everyday encounters when confronting bigots and racists on the screen.

Despite his massive success and reputation, 1941 still presents its hardships and barriers for Marshall. Upon arriving in Connecticut from Harlem, he is forced to enlist the help of a young Jewish insurance lawyer named Sam Friedman (played by a very convincing Josh Gad) who would be content to simply just exist in the background of the WASP washed suburb where he lives and practices. The fantastic banter between Gad and Boseman is what kept the film elevated when it might otherwise flounder into ordinary.

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