Yahoo News American Cinematheque’s Richard Roundtree Retrospective Includes His Final Film ‘Thelma’ – Film News in Brief
The American Cinematheque will pay tribute to the late Richard Roundtree through a retrospective film series screening June 8-14. The lineup of films includes “Shaft,” “Once Upon A Time…When We Were Closed,” “Q: The Winged Serpent” and “Shaft’s Big Score!” The retrospective will conclude with Roundtree’s final film “Thelma” followed by a Q&A with director Josh Margolin and June Squibb.
The retrospective, co-sponsored with AAFCA, takes place at the Los Feliz and Egyptian theaters.
More from Variety
Miami Film Festival Sets Lineup With 'Thelma' Opening and 'Ezra' as Closing Night Screening
June Squibb's Action-Comedy 'Thelma' Sells to Magnolia After Sundance Premiere
“Thelma” follows a 93-year-old woman (Squibb) and her best friend (Roundtree) as they travel across Los Angeles on a motor scooter to retrieve $10,000 from a telephone scammer.
The American Pavilion Announces Emerging Filmmaker Showcase Winners at Cannes
The American Pavilion revealed the Jury Award winners of this year’s Emerging Filmmaker Showcase presented by Gold House at Cannes.
The showcase allows upcoming filmmakers to have their works seen by Cannes Festival and Film Market attendees.
Prize packages were sponsored by Gold House, Write Brothers Movie Magic Screenwriter, International Documentary Association, Screening Services Group, Simple DCP, Michael Wiese Productions Books, The American Library in Paris and ESE Film Workshops Online
The films will also be part of a special screening at The American Library in Paris on May 28.
The winners are as follows:
Gold House Cultural Impact Award – “Nate and John” – Director: Jumai Yusuf
Best LGBTQ+ Showcase Film – “El Paisa” – Director: Daniel Eduvijes Carrera
Emerging Filmmaker Showcase – “Under the Blue” – Directors: Linda Ludwig, James Curle
Documentary – “Spear. Spatula. Submarine.” – Director: Shannon Morrall
Student Film – “Ojue” – Director: Fernando Alberto Broce
Student Documentary – “Sar: Search and Rescue” – Director: Tristan Owen
Documentary ‘Still Working 9 to 5’ Sets Los Angeles Premiere With Cher, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin Attending
“Still Working 9 to 5,” the 2022 documentary that uses the ideas raised in 1980’s “9 to 5” as a way to explore inequality in the workplace, will have its L.A. premiere May 29 at the Renberg Theatre in Hollywood in partnership with the ERA.
“Still Working 9 to 5” follows the journey of women in the workplace and looks at the continuing inequality over the past 40 years. It’s directed and produced by Camille Hardman and Gary Lane.
Alyssa Milano will present the ERA Coalition Trailblazer Awards to “9 to 5” stars Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton at the screening. Fonda and Tomlin are confirmed to attend, while Parton will accept her award in a prerecorded video from Nashville.
A panel discussion moderated by the evening’s host Lisa Ann Walter will be held with Tomlin and Fonda about the documentary, women’s rights and the importance of the ERA passing this election year will be hosted by Zakia Thomas, the president of the ERA Coalition.
Additional confirmed guests to attend include Cher, Rosie O’Donnell, Kathy Griffin, Donna Mills, Frances Fisher, Maxine Waters, Chastity Saunders, Mercedes Blanche and Eren Legend. There will also be a tribute to the late “9 to 5” co-star Dabney Coleman.
Rideback RISE Announces Diana Mogollón as First-Ever CEO and Expands Fellowship For Its Second Year
Rideback RISE, the nonprofit devoted to advancing the cause of racial equity, announced that Diana Mogollón, founder and former head of Warner Bros.’ Stage 13 has joined RISE as its first-ever CEO. Mogollón takes over from founding executive director Sabrina Pourmand.
Mogollón plans to lead RISE in its support of POC writers and filmmakers who will be financially and creatively supported as they produce their own mainstream television and film projects. Mogollón will also expand this year’s cohort of fellows from five to 15. The fellows will each receive $40,000 stipends, and have access to development funds to secure IP, ability to create visual materials and other resources.
“In a short time, RISE has established itself as a highly-respected institution doing the necessary work to advance narrative change by developing mainstream content by diverse creators, and I am honored to have been entrusted to lead RISE at a time when the industry is contracting and the need to amplify POC stories is both real and good business,” said Mogollón.
The application period for the 2024/2025 fellowship opens June 1 and runs through June 30. More information can be found here.
Art Directors Guild Elects First All-Female Executive Board, Dina Lipton Named as President
The Art Directors Guild has elected Dina Lipton as its president, replacing Nelson Coates who was at the helm of the guild for over eight years.
In Lipton’s new role, she will lead a 20-member executive board and for the first time in ADG’s history, the four top-ranking members are all women. The executive officers include senior set designer Kristen Davis as vice president, supervising art director Helen Harwell as treasurer and art director/senior set designer Judy Cosgrove is reelected as secretary.
“Celebrating the results of our elections this year, we’re excited to highlight the milestone of electing all-female executive officers for the first time in the guild’s herstory,” says Chuck Parker, ADG national executive director. “I look forward to the leadership they will provide over the next three years.”
ADG was first established in 1937 and represents 3,300 members who work in the film, TV and theater industries as production designers and art directors, set designers and model makers.
All four officers will serve three-year terms starting June 1.
Tribeca Festival 2024 Unveils Artists for Immersive Program In Collaboration with Mercer Labs
Tribeca Festival 2024 and Mercer Labs have unveiled their lineup of digital artists for a new immersive exhibition that will run June 6-17 at the Mercer Labs Museum of Art and Technology.
The exhibit will feature eight large-scale artworks from artists Memo Akten, Wen-Yee Hsieh, ScanLAB Projects, Robertina Šebjanič, Liam Young and Sutu. Their works will rotate in Mercer Labs’ exhibition spaces in three presentations: “Body In The World,” “Redesigning Tomorrow” and “Far From Nature.”
“The function of art is to see the world with new eyes; to motivate our community to consistently challenge and reinvent the world around us,” said Mercer Labs co-founder and artist Roy Nachum. “Mercer Labs gives life back to the museum experience, continuing the story and creating a new cycle.”
“At Tribeca, we’ve transformed our immersive offerings to meet the growing demand for expansive experiences,” said Tribeca Co-Founder and CEO Jane Rosenthal. “As artists transition from digital platforms to live audiences, we’ve embraced the opportunity to explore new avenues in immersive programming. Our curated showcase, in collaboration with Mercer Labs, features exclusive works from renowned artists across diverse disciplines. This marks a significant milestone in festival history and continues Tribeca’s commitment to innovation, creativity and technology.”
Hollywood Cinema Production Resources Names Ashlee Hypolite as Its Executive Director
Hollywood Cinema Production Resources’ (Hollywood CPR) board of directors names Ashlee Hypolite as its new executive director.
Hollywood CPR is a nonprofit that creates opportunities for employment and provides accessible workforce training for students from underrepresented communities. As executive director, Hypolite will lead the industry’s first union-recognized below-the-line career pathway training program. She will manage film and TV studios, nonprofit organizations, community colleges, industry leaders and partnerships with unions.
“I am thrilled to step into the role of executive director at Hollywood CPR. I am inspired by the stories of our students and the impact they have on our industry,” Hypolite said. “I look forward to building upon the organization’s 27 years of experience and partnering with other impact-driven organizations creating pipelines into the entertainment industry.”
Before joining Hollywood CPR, Hypolite created social impact initiatives for Range Media Partners and Project 68. She’s also worked at Creative Artists Agency and contributed to Time’s Up, CAA Amplify, Full Story Initiative and the CAA Alumni network.
The National Association of Latino Independent Producers Sets 25th Annual Media Summit for June 27-28
The National Association of Latino Independent Producers has set the date and location for their 25th annual NALIP Media Summit titled “The Time is Now: Redefining Horizons.” The two-day conference is scheduled for June 27-28 at the NeueHouse in Hollywood.
“NALIP’s 25th Media Summit embarks on a transformative journey of empowerment and inspiration. Charting a course to amplify Latinx voices and reshape the narrative, this event is our pivotal moment,” said Diana Luna, executive director of NALIP. “Seize the reins, for the future starts here and now. Together, we take a step towards shaping an inclusive and vibrant landscape, redefining horizons and inspiring change that resonates for the next 25 years and beyond.”
Co-Founder and President of Firelight Media Marcia Smith to Step Down At the End of 2024
Non-profit filmmaking company Firelight Media revealed that its co-founder and president Marcia Smith will step down once a successor is chosen. Smith co-founded the organization with her partner Stanley Nelson and has overseen the company over the past two decades. A search will begin this month to identify a new president.
Firelight Media is also an artist support organization offering several fellowship, grant, production and impact programs for documentary filmmakers of color at all stages of their careers. Smith built a pipeline for emerging filmmakers to help them establish sustainable careers in the nonfiction film industry through public and commercial media by forging program partnerships with PBS and commercial streamers like Hulu.
Smith has also produced and written several films under the Firelight Films production company banner, including “Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom,” “Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities,” “Through the Fire: The Legacy of Barack Obama” and more. She received a Primetime Emmy nomination and won the Writers’ Guild Award for best nonfiction writing for her work on “The Murder of Emmett Till.”
Firelight Media plans to appoint a new leader ahead of 2025. The search will be led by the company’s board of directors and assisted by the executive recruitment firm Koya Partners | Diversified Search Group.
The American Society of Cinematographers Re-elects Shelly Johnson as President
Shelly Johnson was re-elected to serve his second term as president of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC).
ASC serves to inspire the next generation of cinematographers and advance filmmaking through industry events and initiatives. Johnson has been a member of ASC since 2000 and is currently on the executive committee for the Cinematographers Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Johnson’s film credits include “Captain America: The First Avenger,” “Jurassic Park III,” “Sky High,” “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters,” “The Wolfman” and more.
“As we are accustomed to doing on-set, cinematographers lead by example. We hope that the ASC’s outreach of support, education, and collaborative spirit will continue to set the tone that helps facilitate a positive and rewarding future,” Johnson said.
The board of governors also elected Charlie Lieberman, Patti Lee and Cynthia Pusheck as vice presidents, Charles Minsky as treasurer, Dejan Georgevich as secretary and sergeant-at-arms Chris Chomyn.
Academy Foundation Workers Unanimously Approve First Contract
Members of the Academy Foundation Workers Union Local 126 have unanimously approved a three-year contract with the Academy Foundation. The contract passed with 64 yes to 0 no votes on May 22. This new deal secures wage increases between 11% and 27% over the next three years and regular step increases.
“Our first contract signals to our bargaining unit and management that a new era at the Academy Foundation has arrived – an era of a more fair and equitable partnership with management and workers,” said Jessi Jones, film archivist and member of AFWU’s bargaining team. “As we move forward, the bargaining unit will benefit from wage increases, health care and benefits stability and a system of checks and balances. I’m proud to be a member of AFWU, and proud of our accomplishments.”
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
