Colman Domingo to Star as Joe Jackson in the Michael Jackson Biopic “Michael”

Posted on January 25, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Colman Domingo has landed a father of a role…

The 54-year-old Belizean-Guatemalan American actor, who recently earned his first-ever Oscars nomination, has landed the role of Jackson family patriarch Joe Jackson in Lionsgate and Universal Pictures International’s Michael Jackson biopic Michael.

Joe Jackson was known for his hard-driving management and often controversial parenting of the Jackson 5. Domingo joins Michael Jackson’s real-life nephew Jaafar Jackson, who is playing his King of Pop uncle in the Antoine Fuqua-directed film from Oscar-winning producer Graham King and his GK Films. Three-time Oscar nominee John Logan wrote the screenplay.

“Few actors present themselves with Colman’s screen presence and force of will,” said King. “We’re so fortunate to have an actor with his undeniable talent portraying Joe Jackson on screen. We couldn’t be more excited to have him join us on this journey.”

Fuqua added, “Colman has such incredible range – he puts in the work to deeply inhabit his characters and understand their true essence and motivation. I’m grateful to be working with an actor with his passion and ability to portray the many sides of Joe Jackson: a husband, a father and a manager.”

Domingo said, “I’m excited to be a part of a film that explores both the complicated soul of the legendary Michael Jackson as well as his impact on music and culture as a global icon. Not only am I fortunate to have a rich, complex and flawed character to portray in Joe Jackson, but I also have a front row seat for Jaafar’s incredible transformation. After seeing him in rehearsal, my mind was blown. There is something divine about the way that Jaafar is channeling his late uncle. His talent and embodiment of Michael’s essence is simply on another level.”

Domingo’s turn in Rustin also earned him BAFTA, SAG Award and Golden Globes nominations. He’s also an Emmy winner for his guest role on HBO’s Euphoria and his recent work includes in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Zola, the newly conceived musical film version The Color Purple, as well as his just-completed starring role on Fear the Walking Dead.

Upcoming for the actor is Ethan Coen’s movie Drive-Away Dolls opposite Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Beanie Feldstein, Pedro Pascal, Bill Camp and Matt Damon, which arrives on February 23.

Later this year, he will be seen starring in the feature film Sing, Sing and in The Madness, a new Netflix limited series.

Michael will be produced by King and the co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate, John Branca and John McClain. It is getting an overseas release from Universal Pictures International (sans Japan, which Lionsgate is handling). The film bows day-and-date around the world on April 18, 2025.

Jacob Elordi Earns Career-First BAFTA Film Awards Nod for “Saltburn” Performance

Posted on January 19, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Jacob Elordi has another chance to win at this year’s BAFTAs.

The 26-year-old half-Spanish Australian actor and Saltburn star, a previously revealed nominee for the BAFTA Film Rising Star Award, has earned his first-ever BAFTA nomination from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

Elordi earned the nod in the Supporting Actor category for his work in Saltburn.

But he isn’t the only Latinx actor to earn a first BAFTA nod.

Colman Domingo is nominated in the Leading Actor category.

The 54-year-old Belizean-Guatemalan American actor is nominated for his performance in Netflix’s Rustin.

Rodrigo Prieto is nominated in the Cinematography category.

The 58-year-old Mexican cinematographer, previously nominated three times for a BAFTA, earned this year’s nod for his work on Killers of the Flower Moon.

J.A. Bayona, the Spanish filmmaker, is nominated in the Film Not in the English Language category for directing Society of the Snow. It’s his first BAFTA nod.

Winners will be announced at the 2024 BAFTA Film Awards ceremony, hosted by actor David Tennant on February 18 at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London.

Here’s the list of 2023 BAFTA Film Awards Nominations:

BEST FILM
ANATOMY OF A FALL Marie-Ange Luciani, David Thion
THE HOLDOVERS Mark Johnson
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON Dan Friedkin, Daniel Lupi, Martin Scorsese, Bradley Thomas
OPPENHEIMER Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, Emma Thomas
POOR THINGS Ed Guiney, Yorgos Lanthimos, Andrew Lowe, Emma Stone

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
ALL OF US STRANGERS Andrew Haigh, Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Sarah Harvey
HOW TO HAVE SEX Molly Manning Walker, Emily Leo, Ivana MacKinnon, Konstantinos Kontovrakis
NAPOLEON Ridley Scott, Mark Huffam, Kevin J. Walsh, David Scarpa
THE OLD OAK Ken Loach, Rebecca O’Brien, Paul Laverty
POOR THINGS Yorgos Lanthimos, Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Emma Stone, Tony McNamara
RYE LANE Raine Allen-Miller, Yvonne Isimeme Ibazebo, Damian Jones, Nathan Bryon, Tom Melia
SALTBURN Emerald Fennell, Josey McNamara, Margot Robbie
SCRAPPER Charlotte Regan, Theo Barrowclough
WONKA Paul King, Alexandra Derbyshire, David Heyman, Simon Farnaby
THE ZONE OF INTEREST Jonathan Glazer, James Wilson, Ewa Puszczyńska

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
BLUE BAG LIFE Lisa Selby (Director), Rebecca Lloyd-Evans (Director, Producer), Alex Fry (Producer)
BOBI WINE: THE PEOPLE’S PRESIDENT Christopher Sharp (Director) [also directed Moses Bwayo]
EARTH MAMA Savanah Leaf (Writer, Director, Producer), Shirley O’Connor (Producer), Medb Riordan (Producer)
HOW TO HAVE SEX Molly Manning Walker (Writer, Director)
IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE? Ella Glendining (Director)

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL Mstyslav Chernov, Raney Aronson Rath
ANATOMY OF A FALL Justine Triet, Marie-Ange Luciani, David Thion
PAST LIVES Celine Song, David Hinojosa, Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon
SOCIETY OF THE SNOW J.A. Bayona, Belen Atienza
THE ZONE OF INTEREST Jonathan Glazer

DOCUMENTARY
20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL Mstyslav Chernov, Raney Aronson Rath
AMERICAN SYMPHONY Matthew Heineman, Lauren Domino, Joedan Okun
BEYOND UTOPIA Madeleine Gavin, Rachel Cohen, Jana Edelbaum
STILL: A MICHAEL J. FOX MOVIE Davis Guggenheim, Jonathan King, Annetta Marion
WHAM! Chris Smith

ANIMATED FILM
THE BOY AND THE HERON Hayao Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki
CHICKEN RUN: DAWN OF THE NUGGET Sam Fell, Leyla Hobart, Steve Pegram
ELEMENTAL Peter Sohn, Denise Ream
SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson, Avi Arad, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Amy Pascal, Christina Steinberg

DIRECTOR
ALL OF US STRANGERS Andrew Haigh
ANATOMY OF A FALL Justine Triet
THE HOLDOVERS Alexander Payne
MAESTRO Bradley Cooper
OPPENHEIMER Christopher Nolan
THE ZONE OF INTEREST Jonathan Glazer

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
ANATOMY OF A FALL Justine Triet, Arthur Harari
BARBIE Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach
THE HOLDOVERS David Hemingson
MAESTRO Bradley Cooper, Josh Singer
PAST LIVES Celine Song

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
ALL OF US STRANGERS Andrew Haigh
AMERICAN FICTION Cord Jefferson
OPPENHEIMER Christopher Nolan
POOR THINGS Tony McNamara
THE ZONE OF INTEREST Jonathan Glazer

LEADING ACTRESS
FANTASIA BARRINO The Color Purple
SANDRA HÜLLER Anatomy of a Fall
CAREY MULLIGAN Maestro
VIVIAN OPARAH Rye Lane
MARGOT ROBBIE Barbie
EMMA STONE Poor Things

LEADING ACTOR
BRADLEY COOPER Maestro
COLMAN DOMINGO Rustin
PAUL GIAMATTI The Holdovers
BARRY KEOGHAN Saltburn
CILLIAN MURPHY Oppenheimer|
TEO YOO Past Lives

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
EMILY BLUNT Oppenheimer
DANIELLE BROOKS The Color Purple
CLAIRE FOY All of Us Strangers
SANDRA HÜLLER The Zone of Interest
ROSAMUND PIKE Saltburn
DA’VINE JOY RANDOLPH The Holdovers

SUPPORTING ACTOR
ROBERT DE NIRO Killers of The Flower Moon
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. Oppenheimer
JACOB ELORDI Saltburn
RYAN GOSLING Barbie
PAUL MESCAL All of Us Strangers
DOMINIC SESSA The Holdovers

CASTING
ALL OF US STRANGERS Kahleen Crawford
ANATOMY OF A FALL Cynthia Arra
THE HOLDOVERS Susan Shopmaker
HOW TO HAVE SEX Isabella Odoffin|
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON Ellen Lewis, Rene Haynes

CINEMATOGRAPHY
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON Rodrigo Prieto
MAESTRO Matthew Libatique
OPPENHEIMER Hoyte van Hoytema
POOR THINGS Robbie Ryan
THE ZONE OF INTEREST Łukasz Żal

EDITING
ANATOMY OF A FALL Laurent Sénéchal
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON Thelma Schoonmaker
OPPENHEIMER Jennifer Lame
POOR THINGS Yorgos Mavropsaridis
THE ZONE OF INTEREST Paul Watts

COSTUME DESIGN
BARBIE Jacqueline Durran
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON Jacqueline West
NAPOLEON Dave Crossman, Janty Yates
OPPENHEIMER Ellen Mirojnick
POOR THINGS Holly Waddington

MAKE UP & HAIR
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON Kay Georgiou, Thomas Nellen
MAESTRO Sian Grigg, Kay Georgiou, Kazu Hiro, Lori McCoy-Bell
NAPOLEON Jana Carboni, Francesco Pegoretti, Satinder Chumber, Julia Vernon
OPPENHEIMER Luisa Abel, Jaime Leigh McIntosh, Jason Hamer, Ahou Mofid
POOR THINGS Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier, Josh Weston

ORIGINAL SCORE
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON Robbie Robertson
OPPENHEIMER Ludwig Göransson
POOR THINGS Jerskin Fendrix
SALTBURN Anthony Willis
SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE Daniel Pemberton

PRODUCTION DESIGN
BARBIE Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON Jack Fisk, Adam Willis
OPPENHEIMER Ruth De Jong, Claire Kaufman
POOR THINGS Shona Heath, James Price, Zsuzsa Mihalek
THE ZONE OF INTEREST Chris Oddy, Joanna Maria Kuś, Katarzyna Sikora

SOUND
FERRARI Angelo Bonanni, Tony Lamberti, Andy Nelson, Lee Orloff, Bernard Weiser
MAESTRO Richard King, Steve Morrow, Tom Ozanich, Jason Ruder, Dean Zupancic
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE Chris Burdon, James H. Mather, Chris Munro, Mark Taylor
OPPENHEIMER Willie Burton, Richard King, Kevin O’Connell, Gary A. Rizzo
THE ZONE OF INTEREST Johnnie Burn, Tarn Willers

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
THE CREATOR Jonathan Bullock, Charmaine Chan, Ian Comley, Jay Cooper
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 Theo Bialek, Stephane Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot, Guy Williams
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE Neil Corbould, Simone Coco, Jeff Sutherland, Alex Wuttke
NAPOLEON Henry Badgett, Neil Corbould, Charley Henley, Luc-Ewen Martin-Fenouillet
POOR THINGS Simon Hughes

BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION
CRAB DAY Ross Stringer, Bartosz Stanislawek, Aleksandra Sykulak
VISIBLE MENDING Samantha Moore, Tilley Bancroft
WILD SUMMON Karni Arieli, Saul Freed, Jay Woolley

BRITISH SHORT FILM
FESTIVAL OF SLAPS Abdou Cissé, Cheri Darbon, George Telfer
GORKA Joe Weiland, Alex Jefferson
JELLYFISH AND LOBSTER Yasmin Afifi, Elizabeth Rufai
SUCH A LOVELY DAY Simon Woods, Polly Stokes, Emma Norton, Kate Phibbs
YELLOW Elham Ehsas, Dina Mousawi, Azeem Bhati, Yiannis Manolopoulos

EE RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)
PHOEBE DYNEVOR
AYO EDEBIRI
JACOB ELORDI
MIA MCKENNA-BRUCE
SOPHIE WILDE

Almudena Amor to Star in the Thriller “Turn Up The Sun!”

Posted on November 1, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Almudena Amor is turning things up…

The 29-year-old Spanish actress is starring opposite James McAvoy, Lucas Bravo and Aisling Franciosi in the thriller Turn Up The Sun!

The film has begun production in the UK under an Equity PACT agreement.

Written and directed by Welsh filmmaker Jamie Adams, BAFTA-winner McAvoy leads cast in the ensemble about two couples that accidentally book the same countryside mansion for a weekend of work and pleasure but discover things may not be as they seem.

Sales outfit The Syndicate is handling worldwide sales and will introduce the project at AFM.

Shaun Sanghani is financing through his credit facility SSS Film Capital and will be producing through SSS Entertainment alongside Cara Shine Ballarini and Rebecca Miller and their Good Pals production shingle. The trio produced the 2021 SXSW Grand Jury winner The Fallout starring Jenna Ortega, which was acquired by Warner Bros. This is their third feature together.

Sanghani told us: “James McAvoy is one of the most talented actors in the business and having him and the rest of our amazing cast collaborate with Jamie Adams, who we are lucky to be reteaming with for a second feature, is exciting on every level.”

Amor previously starred in the films The Good Boss and The Grandmother.

Javier Bardem to Receive Donostia Award at San Sebastian Film Festival

Posted on May 13, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Javier Bardem will be feted in Northern Spain…

The San Sebastian Film Festival will honor the 54-year-old Spanish Oscar-winning actor with its prestigious Donostia Award at its 71st edition, running September 22 — 30.

Bardem will receive the career achievement prize on Friday, September 22 at the Kursaal Auditorium, 30 years after his first visit to the Festival for the competition screening of Bigas Luna’s film Golden Balls in 1993.

An image of Bardem will also serve as the official poster of this year’s festival.

Bardem is one of Spain’s most prominent cinematic names, with over 70 screen credits. He picked up an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and a BAFTA for his turn in the Coen Brothers’ neo-western No Country for Old Men.

Bardem was last at San Sebastian in 2021 with the workplace comedy-drama The Good Boss from Fernando León de Aranoa. The film was Spain’s submission for the international Oscar race.

Later this year, Bardem returns for the second film in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune series, where he plays the character Stilgar alongside Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya.

Last year, the lifetime achievement award was handed to David Cronenberg and Juliette Binoche. Other previous filmmakers to have received the Donostia Award include Francis Ford Coppola, Woody Allen, Oliver Stone, Agnès Varda, Hirokazu Koreeda, and Costa-Gavras.

Colombian filmmaker Laura Mora clinched the Golden Shell in the main competition at last year’s San Sebastian Film Festival with her latest feature The Kings of the World (Los reyes del mundo).

Banijay Developing ‘Reconciliation’ Documentary Project Featuring Pablo Escobar’s Son & Rodrigo Lara’s Son

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Pablo Escobar’s son’s reconciliation story is headed to the small screen…

Banijay is developing a documentary project about Escobar’s son’s extraordinary reconciliation with Colombian politician Rodrigo Lara’s son Jorge, whose father’s death was ordered by the drug kingpin.

Lara vs. Escobar is being produced by Banijay Benelux JV Scenery and distributed by Banijay Rights.

BAFTA-winning director Mags Gavan said she dedicated over a decade to get access for the feature, which delves into Rodrigo Lara’s Escobar-backed murder and the incredible fallout. Upon learning of his father’s death, Jorge Lara was initially out for revenge but a twist of fate reconciled him with the son of Escobar, one of the most notorious criminals of all time, as he realized that they had more in common than he thought. The docuseries will be told via double narrative, weaving between past and present.

Escobar has long been a subject of fascination and the story of his attempted assassination was told in recent BBC doc Killing Escobar.

“Our expansion into the premium feature documentary space is led by this extraordinary modern-day story and with no hesitation we decided to take this gripping project to market,” said Simon Cox, Banijay Rights EVP Content Acquisitions.

“Lara vs. Escobar is a reconciliation tale like no other, bringing two of the unlikeliest of friends together to find common ground, with a plot as powerful of some of the world’s best dramas.”

Gavan added: “I started the most inspiring journey which also took me through the worst tragedy whilst developing this film. It’s going to take the audience on the same emotional rollercoaster but hopefully leave them in better, more hopeful place”.

Anya Taylor-Joy Returning for Sixth & Final Season of BBC’s Period Drama “Peaky Blinders”

Posted on January 1, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Anya Taylor-Joy is putting her Blinders back on…

The BBC has released the trailer for the sixth and final season of its hit period gangster saga Peaky Blinders, featuring extended footage of the 25-year-old Argentine American actress, who will be reprising her role as Gina Gray in the upcoming season.

An air date has not yet been announced, although it has been teased for early 2022.

Cillian Murphy is back as Tommy Shelby, seeking a means for the titular Birmingham-based clan to finally rest.

In addition to Murphy and Taylor-Joy, Tom Hardy, Paul Anderson, Finn Cole, and Sophie Rundle, among others, return for the final season. Stephen Graham also appears. Co-star Helen McCrory passed away in April of 2021. The fate of her Aunt Polly is not disclosed in the trailer released today.

Creator and writer Steven Knight previously said of the sixth season, “Peaky is back and with a bang. After the enforced production delay due to the COVID pandemic, we find the family in extreme jeopardy and the stakes have never been higher. We believe this will be the best series of all and are sure that our amazing fans will love it. While the TV series will be coming to an end, the story will continue in another form.”

The sixth season of Peaky Blinders is written by Knight, while Anthony Byrne returns as director having helmed season five to great acclaim, and Nick Goding produces.

Created and entirely written by Knight, the beloved drama first aired on BBC Two eight years ago, winning the BAFTA for Best Drama in its fourth season and then making the move to BBC One in 2019 with audiences of over 7M. Outside the UK, it airs on Netflix.

Diego Luna to Receive 2021 Platino Award of Honor

Posted on September 6, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Diego Luna is being celebrated for his platinum career.

This year’s seventh edition of the Ibero-American Platino Awards (Premios Platinos) will honor the 41-year-old Mexican actor, director, producer and festival organizer with the Platino Award of Honor.

An itinerant award show by design, this year’s Platinos will be held on October 3 in Madrid.

Luna will be the youngest recipient of the career achievement honor, joining previous winners Miguel Rafael Martos Sánchez, often simply referred to as Raphael, one of Spain’s most iconic entertainers of the 20th century; Adriana Barraza, the Oscar nominated Spanish-English-language crossover star of Alejandro Iñárritu’s Babel and Amores Perros; Oscar and three time Primetime Emmy nominee Edward James Olmos (Stand and Deliver); Oscar nominee Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory); and Primetime Emmy (The Burning Season) and BAFTA (“Dona Flor e Seus Dois Maridos) nominee Sonia Braga.

A child actor who excelled from an early age, Luna’s first film appearance was in Javier Bourges’ 1991 Mexican Academy Award-nominated short The Last New Year.” He appeared in several telenovelas throughout the ‘90s, joined on screen for the first time by his longtime collaborator and close friend Gael García Bernal in El abuelo y yo in 1992. Alternating between film and television over the next decade, his international breakout came with García Bernal and Spain’s Marbel Verdú in Alfonso Cuarón’s seminal coming-of-age road trip film “Y Tu Mamá También.”

Shortly after, Luna began his Hollywood career appearing alongside Bon Jovi in John Carpenter’s Vampires: Los Muertos and in Salma Hayek’s Oscar-winning biopic Frida.

In the decades since, Luna has continued to work on both Latin American and U.S. productions while also taking turns as a producer, writer and director. He also, again with García Bernal, launched the nomadic documentary film festival Ambulante, as well as their own production label, first Canana in 2005 and now La Corriente del Golfo.

Most recently, he created and hosts the Amazon Original conversation series Pan y Circo and is starring in the Disney+’s Andor, a spinoff series following his Rogue One: A Star Wars Story character Cassian Andor.

He was also recently confirmed as a voice actor for Netflix’s upcoming animated series Maya and the Three, where he will team with frequent collaborator Jorge Gutierrez (The Book of Life).

Last year’s ceremony was, like so many, forced online by the COVID-19 pandemic. But this time around, the Platinos are planning an in-person event to celebrate the best offerings from the Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American screen industries.

At 11 nominations each, the two standout titles are Fernando Trueba’s Colombian drama Memories of My Father and Jayro Bustamante’s Guatemalan thriller La Llorona.

The Platino Awards are promoted by EGEDA (Spain’s Entity for the Rights Management of Audiovisual Producers) and FIPCA (the Ibero-American Federation of Film and Audiovisual Producers) and have the support of the Ibero-American film academies and institutes as well as numerous sponsors in Europe and Latin America.

Fernando Meirelles Launching Slate of Environmental Films with UK Production Firm ‘Make Waves’

Posted on March 18, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Fernando Meirelles is shining a spotlight on the environment…

The 65-year-old Brazilian Oscar-nominated film director, producer and screenwriter, best known for hit films The Two Popes, The Constant Gardener and City Of God, is launching a slate of environmental films in association with UK production firm Make Waves.

Four of the projects on the $20M documentary slate have already attracted talent and funding.

Meirelles himself will direct Soil, a feature-length documentary about the little-known microscopic world beneath our feet, which will reveal the revolutionary solutions that could help avert a planetary food crisis.

The “flagship” film on the slate is Blue Carbon, which will be directed by BAFTA and Emmy-winning filmmaker Nicolas Brown (Serengeti Rules). With 2021 Grammy-nominated DJ Jayda G as its protagonist, the feature will spotlight a movement to grow an ocean forest across the planet to help combat climate change. The film will weave together stories of ocean activists, scientists and frontline communities, and will feature music from Brazilian samba artist Seu Jorge (The Life Aquatic). The film’s development is being funded by HHMI/Tangled Bank Studios (The Serengeti Rules).

The Shackleton Solution will look at what iconic explorer Ernest Shackleton can teach the world about how to save a continent facing a catastrophe. It will draw parallels between Shackleton’s epic Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1914-1917) and a planet on the cusp of imminent environmental emergency.

Also on the slate is Law Of The Land from filmmaker Coral Brown, which asks the fundamental question: what if nature, like corporations, had the same legal rights as you and me? The feature doc will follow grassroots lawyers and Indigenous communities as they take the battle for the Rights of Nature movement into the courtrooms and onto the streets.

The slate has been co-created by Meirelles, former UN environment diplomat/producer Alexander and Irish author Don Mullan, and BAFTA-winning producer Sarah Macdonald and former Director of BBC World News Sian Kevill, all of whom will serve as EPs on the slate. Two additional films are due to be added to the lineup later in 2021.

Meirelles, a passionate environmentalist, most recently teamed up with Make Waves, Asen and Mullan on green documentary The Great Green Wall, which debuted at the Venice Film Festival two years ago.

“There is nothing more urgent than the climate crisis,” says Meirelles. “Information is what can turn the tide. Our goal is to make films that not only inform, but that enchant and engage. For my grandchildren and the grandchildren of others, that will be the theme of my work until the day I die.”

Former BBC journalist Macdonald heads investigations and documentary specialist Make Waves with former BBC journalist and executive Kevill.

Rodrigo Prieto Awarded Vilcek Prize in Filmmaking by Vilcek Foundation

Posted on March 15, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Rodrigo Prieto is a trailblazer…

The 55-year-old Mexican Oscar-nominated cinematographer is the recipient of the 2021 Vilcek Prize in Filmmaking, according to the Vilcek Foundation.

The award is part of the Vilcek Foundation Prizes, which are bestowed in a range of categories each year, in celebration of the outstanding contributions of immigrant trailblazers, within the arts and sciences.

Prieto, a Mexican native, has established himself over the years as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after DPs. Boasting credits including Amores Perros and Brokeback Mountain, he’s known for his collaborations with renowned directors including Martin Scorsese, Ang Lee, Julie Taymor, Oliver Stone and Alejandro González Iñárritu.

A three-time Academy Awards nominee most recently recognized by the Academy for his groundbreaking work on Scorsese’s The Irishman, Prieto has also received accolades for his work from BAFTA, the American Society of Cinematographers and the Independent Spirit Awards.

Known for his unconventional camerawork, and his remarkably detailed, evocative compositions, the DP grew up with a visual artist for a mother and an aeronautical engineer for a father. Thus, in his own career, he would come to balance technology with artistry, aiming with each new project to create a distinctive and visceral, cinematic experience. “That combination…is something that I have in my DNA,” Prieto says, “utilizing technology and different techniques to create art.”

Established in 2006, as a means of championing diverse perspectives—thereby advancing the arts and sciences—The Vilcek Foundation has thus far awarded over $5.8 million to immigrants from 56 different countries.

“As leaders in the arts, we have a responsibility to promote diversity by making space, providing access, and amplifying the artistic contributions of marginalized groups and individuals,” Vilcek Foundation President Rick Kinsel says. “The Vilcek Prizes in the arts and humanities enable us to speak to the value of immigration for our society in a non-politicized way.”

This year, other prize recipients include geneticist Ruth Lehmann, chemical biologist Mohamed Abou Donia, entrepreneur (and former presidential candidate) Andrew Yang, and a number of filmmakers—among them, Juan Pablo González, Miko Revereza and Nanfu Wang.

González has been awarded the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Filmmaking for the artistic rigor and deep emotional engagement that he brings to his immersive and intimate explorations of his hometown in rural Mexico.

Up next for Prieto is Scorsese’s sprawling crime drama, Killers of the Flower Moon. Set in 1920s Oklahoma, the Apple Original Film centers on an investigation into a string of brutal murders within the Osage tribe. Eric Roth wrote the script, adapting an acclaimed work of nonfiction by David Grann.

Fernando Reyes Medina Named to BAFTA’s “BAFTA Breakthrough” List

Posted on November 17, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Fernando Reyes Medina is having a breakthrough moment…

BAFTA has named its BAFTA Breakthrough participants for 2020, with the Mexican game designer among the the 34-strong list of rising talents in film, games and television from both the United States and United Kingdom.

Reyes Medina is a game designer at 343 Industries, designing and creating exciting new experiences for the upcoming Halo Infinite. Born and raised in Mexico City, he graduated with a computer science degree from Tec de Monterrey. He’s the co-founder and the LATAM director for Latinx in Gaming, a 501c3 non-profit organization focus on helping members from the Latinx community to succeed in the gaming industry.

The organization’s Breakthrough showcase was expanded earlier this year to take talent from the U.S., India and China. Applications for India open at the end of this month and China will open in 2021.

The selected talent will receive mentorship and career guidance, plus access to BAFTA networking opportunities. They’ll be showcased together in 2021.

The selection jury this year included Paapa Essiedu, Fiona Shaw, Edward Enninful and Amma Asante.

“We are thrilled to be announcing our first ever BAFTA Breakthrough participants in the USA alongside those for our seventh year in the UK,” said BAFTA’s Amanda Berry. “This year’s cohort is such a strong and inclusive list, revealing the future stars of our industries. We are delighted to be partnering with Netflix again this year, which is supporting the global expansion of Breakthrough into the USA and India. Netflix shares our vision to raise awareness of and celebrate emerging talent from an array of different backgrounds and cultures.”

Here’s a look at those being named to the Breakthrough list:

Abigail Dankwa, Multi Camera Director (Love Song)
Aleem Khan, Director / Writer (After Love)
Ali Tocher, Game Audio Designer (Surgeon Simulator 2)
Amir El-Masry, Performer (Limbo)
Ben Sharrock & Irune Gurtubai, Director / Writer & Producer (Limbo)
Bethany Swan, Hair and Makeup up Designer (I May Destroy You)
Bim Ajadi, Director (Here Not Here)
Bukky Bakray, Performer (Rocks)
Catherine Unger, Artist/Co-Writer (Tangle Tower)
Chella Ramanan, Narrative Designer/Writer (Before I Forget)
Claire Bromley, External Game Producer (Sackboy: A Big Adventure)
Jordan Hogg, Director (Ackley Bridge)
Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor, Producer (Blue Story)
Lea Schönfelder, Lead Game Designer (Assemble With Care)
Linn Waite & Kate Byers, Producers (Bait)
Rina Yang, Cinematographer (Sitting in Limbo)
Rubika Shah, Director/Writer (White Riot)
Ruka Johnson, Costume Designer (Blue Story)
Tamara Lawrance, Performer (The Long Song)
Tim Renkow, Writer/Performer (Jerk)
Youssef Kerkour, Performer (Home)

U.S.

Aadip Desai, Writer (The Goldbergs)
Arnaldo Licea, Game Designer (The Last of Us Part II)
Edson Oda, Director / Writer (Nine Days)
Ekwa Msangi, Director / Writer (Farewell Amor)
Fernando Reyes Medina, Multiplayer Designer (Halo Infinite)
Gene Back, Composer (Cowboys)
Jim LeBrecht, Co-Director (Crip Camp)
Lauren Ridloff, Performer (Eternals, The Walking Dead)
Mary Kenney, Game Writer (Spider-Man: Miles Morales)
Nicole Newnham, Co-Director (Crip Camp)
Shannon DeVido, Performer (Insatiable, Difficult People)

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

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