Basketball superstar Kobe Bryant along with his daughter Gianna Maria Onore — aka GiGi, died Sunday morning in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. Kobe was 41. As first reported by TMZ, and confirmed by CNN, nine people were killed the crash on a hillside in Calabasas.
Oprah Winfrey has stepped away and will no longer be an executive producer of the upcoming untitled documentary about music executive Drew Dixon, who accused Russell Simmons of sexual misconduct. The documentary also will not air on Apple TV+, but is still expected to world premiere as scheduled at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.
Former president Barack Obama shared his list of favorite movies of 2019 which included American Factory, a film from his own production company, Higher Ground, that was recently shortlisted for an Oscar. The list features primarily some of the most critically acclaimed indie films and documentaries of 2019 including Amazing Grace, Apollo 11, Ash Is Purest White and The Last Black Man in San Francisco.
Film at Lincoln Center will present The Bong Show, a retrospective of internationally beloved South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon Ho, January 7 to 14.
Georgian film director Zaza Urushadze known internationally for his film Tangerines passed away on December 7th, reportedly of heart attack, according to local news sites. He was 53.
Four Seattle film organizations (SIFF, Northwest Film Forum [NWFF], Grand Illusion Cinema, and The Beacon) will host a joint retrospective of the prolific Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami between September 14 to October 6, 2019.
Sundance Institute, will present The Farewell director Lulu Wang, an alumna of Institute’s 2017 FilmTwo Initiative, with its Vanguard Award. The Institute will also present a special premiere benefit screening of her film The Farewell and afterparty at The Theatre at Ace Hotel DTLA on Wednesday, June 26, 2019.
In recognition of his contribution to the world of film, the European Film Academy will present Werner Herzog with the Life Achievement Award for his outstanding body of work at the 32nd European Film Awards (EFAs) on December 7, 2019 in Berlin.
Multitalented film, television and music video artist Melina Matsoukas (AFI Class of 2005) will receive the 2019 Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni Medal at the AFI Life Achievement Award Tribute to Denzel Washington in Hollywood on June 6, 2019. This honor recognizes the extraordinary creative talents of AFI Conservatory alumni who embody the qualities of filmmaker Franklin J. Schaffner: talent, taste, dedication and commitment to quality storytelling in film and television.
John Singleton, the Oscar nominated film director, screenwriter and producer died Monday April 29 in Los Angeles after suffering a stroke on April 17, 2019. Earlier today, Singleton’s family announced he was removed from life support. He was 51.
Award-winning filmmaker and advertising executive Deborah Riley Draper will be the featured speaker at the 2019 Black Women Film Network (BWFN) Summit Welcome Reception and Scholarship Awards hosted by Georgia Power on Thursday, March 7 at 6:30pm. Draper will discuss her career and achievements in a one-on-one conversation moderated by BWFN Scholarship Recipient and E! Networks Sr. Director of Content Strategy Jaunice Sills.
The Film Society of Lincoln Center will spotlight the amazing work of ‘the boldly iconoclastic director’ Yorgos Lanthimos with a five-film retrospective from February 1 to 5.