Michael Ealy joins ‘Power Book II: Ghost’ season 4 (Photo Credit: Dewayne Rogers)
Starz’s Power Book II: Ghost will return for a fourth season. The network announced the early renewal of the critically acclaimed drama ahead of its season three premiere on March 17, 2023.
Starz also announced Michael Ealy has joined the show’s cast as a series regular for the fourth season.
Per Starz: “Ealy joins the cast as Detective Don Carter, a rising NYPD officer who was on track to become Police Commissioner until his wife was killed in a crossfire between rival drug gangs. Vowing to make the streets safer, Carter traded in his tie for a kevlar vest and now leads an elite NYPD drug task force that elicits concrete results against drug-related violence. While his achievements are noteworthy public recognition, nothing can bring back his lost love.”
Michael Ealy’s recent credits include Reasonable Doubt, The Devil You Know, Bel-Air, and The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window.
Power Book II: Ghost season three stars Michael Rainey Jr. (Power) as “Tariq St. Patrick,” Mary J. Blige (Mudbound) as “Monet Stewart Tejada,” Shane Johnson (Power) as “Cooper Saxe,” and Gianni Paolo (The Fosters) as “Brayden Weston.” Cliff “Method Man” Smith (The Deuce) is “Davis MacLean,” Larenz Tate (Ray) is “Rashad Tate,” Berto Colon (Orange Is the New Black) is “Lorenzo Tejada,” Woody McClain (The Bobby Brown Story) plays “Cane Tejada,” and Lovell Adams-Gray (Coroner) is “Dru Tejada.” LaToya Tonodeo (The Fosters) stars as “Diana Tejada,” Alix Lapri (Power) is “Effie Morales,” and Paton Ashbrook (House of Cards) plays “Jenny Sullivan.”
New season three cast members include Monique Curnen (The Dark Knight) as “Detective Blanca Rodriguez,” Keesha Sharp (Girlfriends) as “Professor Harper Bennet,” David Walton (Bad Moms) as “Lucas Weston,” and Moriah Brown (Turnt) as “KeKe Travis.”
Season four is currently in production in New York.
“The high-octane drama of Power Book II: Ghost continues to resonate with our viewers, and we’re thrilled to get season four production underway ahead of our season three debut,” stated Kathryn Busby, President of Original Programming for STARZ. “It’s clear our fans are ready to devour more of this explosive series, and we look forward to having Michael join our incredible cast.”
Brett Mahoney serves as showrunner and executive produces along with Power creator/showrunner Courtney A. Kemp, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Chris Selak, and Mark Canton.
The Power Book II: Ghost Season Three Plot:
The third season of Power Book II: Ghost kicks off with Tariq St. Patrick determined to get his trust, get back to his family, and get out of the game for good. The emergence of a ruthless new connect interrupts Tariq’s plans to reunite with Tasha and Yaz and puts him, Brayden, and Effie back into business with the Tejadas as they’re challenged to move more weight than ever before.
When Brayden brings Tariq in as an intern at his family’s hedge fund Weston Holdings, the drug business expands beyond Stansfield and the streets onto Wall Street, while Tariq is also shown an alternate, legitimate path to success. Monet Tejada, set ablaze by the death of her son Zeke Cross, is willing to pay a hefty price to avenge her firstborn and keep the rest of her children – and the business – in line as she works closely with Davis MacLean to solve Zeke’s murder and keep the feds off her trail.
Business is booming when a staggering reveal forces Tariq to reckon with a betrayal from those closest to him… and a R.I.C.O. investigation mounting into the entire drug enterprise, pulling Tariq deeper into the business and even closer to the legacy of his father.
Anna Camp, David Strathairn, Billie Roy, Celia Weston and Jane Levy in ‘A Little Prayer’ (Photo Courtesy of Sundance Institute / Photo by Diana Greene)
How does it feel to be seen when you’ve spent your entire life feeling invisible? That question is posed and answered in the moving family drama A Little Prayer.
The very definition of a slow burn, writer/director Angus MacLachlan (Abundant Acreage Available, Goodbye to All That) takes his time and slowly introduces the dysfunctional family at the center of the story. David Strathairn and Celia Weston play the family patriarch and matriarch, a couple who’ve been married for decades and who’ve come to accept what can’t be changed in their relationship. Bill and Venida should be at the empty-nester stage heading into pre-retirement, yet their brood has failed to fly.
David (Will Pullen) works for his dad’s company and lives behind his childhood home with his wife, Tammy (Jane Levy). Bill becomes aware of his son’s lack of respect for his marriage and ultimately catches on to the looks exchanged between David and Narcedalia (Dascha Polanco) at work. But David’s troubles don’t end with infidelity; he’s an alcoholic who refuses to seek help.
David has a troubled past that MacLachlan teases but doesn’t reveal until it’s necessary to understand in order to grasp the underlying issues at work ripping apart David and Tammy’s marriage.
Daughter Patti (Anna Camp) is the designated problem child, alternately suffering through an unhappy marriage and fleeing to her parents’ house when she feels the need to be waited on. Where she goes, so does her young, strangely silent daughter.
Patti doesn’t have a legitimate reason for sucking the energy from a room, other than that she’s a narcissist. A taker with no concern for how her words or actions impact others, Patti couldn’t care less if her presence imposes on her parents. Headphones on, she scans the yard with her metal detector rather than help with chores or assisting with cooking meals.
David Strathairn and Jane Levy in ‘A Little Prayer’
Of the trio of young adults who take up residence at Bill and Venida’s cozy home, it’s daughter-in-law Tammy who’s the blossoming rose, in direct contrast to David and Patti’s thorny personalities. Tammy’s an old soul who connects with her father-in-law on a level that neither of his children can comprehend – not that they’ve ever tried.
It’s the relationship between Bill and Tammy that makes A Little Prayer so compelling. Bill’s leery of taking sides, but it’s obvious that although she’s not his flesh and blood, Tammy is as important to him as either David or Patti.
What keeps the melodrama at bay is writer/director MacLachlan infusing Tammy, easily the most sympathetic figure in the film, with flaws that make her incredibly relatable. Patti labels her Miss Perfect, but that’s because Tammy’s become an expert at hiding her pain.
A Little Prayer requires a little patience as it lays out an honest, emotional story of a family struggling to understand each other. The entire ensemble is outstanding, but it’s the powerful performances by David Strathairn and Jane Levy that truly drive the narrative.
There’s nothing flashy about the production; there isn’t any distracting noise that shifts the focus off of the development of the family’s relationships. Writer/director MacLachlan’s A Little Prayer sneaks up on you if you just settle in and let it.
GRADE: B+
A Little Prayer screened as part of the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Sony Pictures Classics acquired the film after its world premiere at the festival.
Protestors are in trouble as a fire advances on their position on CBS’s Fire Country season one episode 13. Directed by Marie Jamora from a script by Tia Napolitano and Barbara Kaye Friend, episode 13 – “You Know Your Dragon Best” – will air on Friday, February 3, 2023 at 9pm ET/PT.
Max Thieriot leads the cast as Bode Donovan. Season one’s regulars include Billy Burke as Vince, Kevin Alejandro as Manny, Diane Farr as Sharon, Stephanie Arcila as Gabriela, Jordan Calloway as Jake, and Jules Latimer as Eve.
“You Know Your Dragon Best” Plot: The crews work to contain a dangerous forest fire and save a group of environmentalists protesting a housing development.
Episode 13 guest stars include Zach Tinker as Collin , David James Lewis as Neil Wallace, Leslie Murphy as Tatum, Vince Song as Doug, Amira Anderson, and Jamal Ali.
Fire Country stars Max Thieriot as Bode Donovan, a young convict seeking redemption and a shortened prison sentence by joining a prison release firefighting program in Northern California, where he and other inmates are partnered with elite firefighters to extinguish massive, unpredictable wildfires across the region. It’s a high-risk, high-reward assignment, and the heat is turned up when Bode is assigned to the program in his rural hometown, where he was once a golden all-American son until his troubles began.
Five years ago, Bode burned down everything in his life, leaving town with a big secret. Now he’s back, with the rap sheet of a criminal and the audacity to believe in a chance for redemption with Cal Fire.
The Boogeyman is made for those of us who remember freaking out as kids over the possibility that monsters not only existed but were hiding in the closet or under the bed. I blame Stephen King for my night terrors, and now another of King’s short stories is about to become fodder for even more nightmares.
20th Century Studios’ new trailer shows a dad trying to convince his kid that there’s nothing to be afraid of. Of course, he’s wrong, and, of course, it’s the kid who has to pay the price as the target of a terrifying supernatural presence.
The new trailer arrived along with a suitably creepy poster in support of the horror film’s upcoming June 2, 2023 theatrical release.
Sophie Thatcher (Yellowjackets), Chris Messina (Birds of Prey), Vivien Lyra Blair (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Marin Ireland (The Umbrella Academy), Madison Hu (Bizaardvark), LisaGay Hamilton (Vice), and David Dastmalchian (Dune) star. Rob Savage (Host) directs from a screenplay by Scott Beck & Bryan Woods (A Quiet Place) and Mark Heyman (Black Swan).
The producers are Shawn Levy (Stranger Things), Dan Levine (Arrival), and Dan Cohen (The Adam Project), with John H. Starke (Sicario), Emily Morris (Rosaline), Scott Beck, Bryan Woods, Ryan Cunningham, Adam Kolbrenner (The Tomorrow War), and Robin Meisinger executive producing.
Poster for the horror film ‘The Boogeyman,’ based on the Stephen King short story
The Boogeyman Plot:
High school student Sadie Harper and her younger sister Sawyer are reeling from the recent death of their mother and aren’t getting much support from their father, Will, a therapist who is dealing with his own pain. When a desperate patient unexpectedly shows up at their home seeking help, he leaves behind a terrifying supernatural entity that preys on families and feeds on the suffering of its victims.
Jane the Virgin star Gina Rodriguez leads the cast of ABC’s new half-hour comedy Not Dead Yet. Created by David Windsor and Casey Johnson (This is Us, The Real O’Neals), the new comedy debuts on February 8, 2023 at 8:30pm ET/PT and finds Rodriguez playing an obituary writer who sees ghosts.
In addition to Gina Rodriguez as Nell Serrano, the season one cast includes Hannah Simone (New Girl) as Sam, Lauren Ash (Superstore) as Lexi, Rick Glassman (As We See It) as Edward, Josh Banday (Upload) as Dennis, and Angela Gibbs (Hacks) as Cricket. Martin Mull, Ed Begley Jr., Mo Collins, Telma Hopkins, Rhea Perlman, Brittany Snow, and Julia Sweeney are among the guest stars showing up as ghosts.
The series is adapted from Alexandra Potter’s 2020 novel Confessions of a 40-something F**k Up. Rodriguez, Windsor, Johnson, and Wonderland Sound and Vision’s McG, Mary Viola, and Corey Marsh serve as executive producers.
“Pilot” Plot:Not Dead Yet follows Nell Serrano (Rodriguez), a broke and newly single self-described disaster, working to restart the life and career she left behind five years ago. When she lands the only job she can find – writing obituaries – Nell starts getting life advice from an unlikely source.
Josh Banday and Gina Rodriguez in ‘Not Dead Yet’ season 1 episode 1 (ABC/Scott Everett White)Martin Mull and Gina Rodriguez in season 1 episode 1 (ABC/Eric McCandless)Josh Banday and Hannah Simone in season 1 episode 1 (ABC/Eric McCandless)Gina Rodriguez in season 1 episode 1 (ABC/Temma Hankin)Josh Banday, Gina Rodriguez and Hannah Simone in season 1 episode 1 (ABC/Scott Everett White)Gina Rodriguez in the series pilot (ABC/Temma Hankin)Gina Rodriguez and Hannah Simone in season 1 episode 1 (ABC/Scott Everett White)
Discovery Channel’s unscripted survival series Naked and Afraid returns for a 15th season on February 19, 2023. The new season promises higher stakes and a surprising twist that finds two Naked and Afraid medics stepping in front of the camera and taking part in the challenge.
The naked survivalists will attempt to find food, water, and shelter in such inhospitable climates as the jungles of Guyana and Devil’s Canyon in Mexico.
The teaser trailer for the new season shows the contestants are absolutely miserable. One admits that what looked like paradise turned out to be hell, while another believes the jungle’s trying to kill her. One survivalist even points out that everything in the area is named after the Devil, adding, “Not today, Satan.”
Discovery offered this description of the crazy new season:
“To kick-off a season packed with franchise firsts, two survivalists from overseas fight to become the first foreigners to endure 21 days on U.S. soil in America’s Wild West. Others will use their time in the wilderness to seek redemption for past failures. Four survivalists who tapped out in previous challenges – and have deep regrets about their fateful decisions – seize their last chance to prove their resolve and triumph as a tribe. These survivalists have no idea what they are in for.
This season, survivalists get down and dirty for grueling challenges that are as raw as the third degree burns on their feet. No one can imagine the brutal journey that they are about to embark on. From a battle-tested MMA fighter to a professional backpacker, even the toughest will be knocked down and forced to put their ultimate survival skills to the test. Pushed way beyond their comfort zones, survivalists quickly go from pumped to punished by unrelenting insects, unpredictable temperatures and unfamiliar terrain.”
New episodes will arrive on Sundays at 8pm ET/PT on Discovery Channel. Episodes will be added to discovery+ the same day as their Discovery Channel premiere.
Naked and Afraid is a Renegade 83 production for Discovery Channel.
Season two episode three of Paramount+’s Mayor of Kingstown is shorter than usual and seems like a filler episode. Bunny’s still in jail, Mike still hasn’t located Iris, and Kyle’s still in need of a good therapist by the time episode three wraps up.
“Five at Five” opens with Iris (Emma Laird) explaining she thought Milo (Aidan Gillen) died in the riot and didn’t know where to go. He demands to know if she slept with Mike, and Iris says she didn’t.
Elsewhere, Robert and his SWAT guys do a quick search of an apartment, making sure there aren’t any concealed weapons or drugs, and clearing the way for Ian (Hugh Dillon) to have a chat with the older woman who rents the place. She assumes they know who her grandson is.
She’s correct.
Mike (Jeremy Renner) is not having a good day. An FBI agent confronts him as he’s heading into the office, pissed that he let Iris run away. Mike warns the agent to do what he needs to do, but Milo will kill Iris if they try and force her to testify against him.
Iris is shoved to the back burner when Mike learns Ian and Stevie (Derek Webster) led a raid on the Commons. Ian and Stevie claim they got a tip about drugs, and Mike is absolutely furious. “Are you f**king kidding me? When is there not drug activity?” asks Mike, sarcastically.
Mike reminds them that Bunny took a hit for him after he negotiated a deal to get all the leaders inside. They can’t screw with Bunny’s crew while he’s locked up. Ian points out Bunny’s a drug dealer, and Mike fights back, again reminding them Bunny’s on the inside trying to help calm down the streets. If they hassle his family, the sh*t will hit the fan.
Ian and Mike get in each other’s faces, and Ian blames Mike for making his job more difficult. Mike leaves but not before he tells them to f**k off and warns them that he’s not their janitor.
Over at the temporary jail, Bunny (Tobi Bamtefa) remains certain they need to trust Mike at least for a while. If it doesn’t go the way they want it to shake out, then they’ll handle it their way.
Mike pays Bunny a visit, ordering him to get the leaders lined up. Mike’s working on getting everything in order on the outside, and Bunny confesses Mike’s word doesn’t mean much to him at this point. Mike asks what he needs and Bunny says, “Backs turned, 5:00 tomorrow.” Mike agrees.
Mike tells Carney (Lane Garrison), Captain Moore’s new second-in-command, what Bunny needs, and Carney says he’ll get it done.
Kyle (Taylor Handley) shows up at the Kingstown Police Department and gets a hug from Ian. Kyle’s been suspended without pay, so he quit.
Ian wants him back, but Kyle’s going to have to be patient. The State will have to declare it a righteous shoot before he can get back out on the street. Until then, Kyle has to keep calm and not make any waves.
Kyle’s desperate to come back, and Ian reminds him that at least he has something to live for with a wife and a kid on the way. He assures Kyle he’s got his back.
Kyle’s next stop is to talk with his brother. He needs to earn and he needs to stay busy or else he’ll lose it. Mike thinks he should work around their mom’s house, but that doesn’t interest Kyle. Mike’s next suggestion is for Kyle to check the train station and taxis for any sign of Iris. Kyle thinks his bro should just let the FBI worry about her. Anyway, she’s probably already back in New York.
But Mike’s really worried and that’s why he wants Kyle to help him search.
Obsessing over Iris, Mike checks in with Joseph the Russian (George Tchortov) to see if he’s heard from Milo. Joseph’s still loyal to Milo, and Mike assumes Joseph knows Iris’s location. Joseph calls her a whore and everyone knows what happens when someone talks to the Feds.
Mike beats the crap out of Joseph and then leaves, warning him that he’ll be back.
Later, Joseph supervises the placement of a new tracker under Iris’s skin. She has a new bed, closet, and safe, and will need to make $5000 a night…or else.
Mike calls Assistant DA Evelyn Foley (Necar Zadegan) and she assures him that she’s “working” her boss. Everything’s good as far as she knows. Mike made promises and needs release dates, and Evelyn warns him she’s not a paper to be pushed around. Also, she needs to see him in 30 minutes. She doesn’t say why other than that the world is changing.
It turns out Evelyn wants Mike to join her as they tour a prison along with Captain Moore (Michael Beach). Wendy, the woman giving the tour, explains that within five years all of the prisons in Kingstown will be under contract with the Warwick Group. She also claims that in their prisons, they have violence under control. Captain Moore points out that’s because they don’t offer education services, yard time, or cafeterias.
Evelyn informs Mike that Warwick’s doing the report on the riot and that this scenario is a likely outcome. Some of the inmates from tent city are heading to Anchor Bay, and the rest will be moved to Warwick Detention – the private prison they’re currently touring.
If there isn’t enough room there, they’ll move them to other facilities – even if that means moving them to other states.
One of Milo’s girls who Mike saw exiting Joseph’s place earlier with a baby approaches him and says she knows where Iris is. If Mike still wants to save Iris, she’ll leave a door open in the alley at the club.
Mike visits the club that night and snoops around. He’s knocked out, and when he comes to, he’s in a room with Joseph and a couple of his thugs. Mike wonders if the baby is Joseph’s and if Milo knows he’s screwing one of his whores.
Joseph reacts by hitting Mike with his gun and, of course, Mike’s able to disarm him. He leaves after warning Joseph to tell Milo he knows he’s out and he’s coming for him.
5:00pm arrives and the guards turn their backs. All hell breaks loose in the yard and the leader of the Bloods attacks Bunny, but Bunny manages to get the upper hand. The other gang leaders stand back and let Bunny settle matters.
Mike arrives later and Bunny confronts him about allowing the cops to hassle his family and not telling him what went down. If Mike doesn’t get him out of prison, there will be payback. Bunny warns he’s coming for Mike – not the guards or cops on the street. Mike says the order to hassle his family came from KPD, and Bunny points out that Mike no longer has control over his own people.
If Bunny’s not out in 48 hours, then he’ll come for Mike. Bunny almost died today and he’s done playing along with Mike’s plan. Mike owes him and he plans on collecting that debt.
Mike tells Carney to make sure nothing happens to Bunny. Whatever happens to Bunny will happen to Carney. If Bunny bleeds, Carney bleeds.
Teyana Taylor and Aaron Kingsley in ‘A Thousand and One’ (Photo Courtesy of Sundance Institute / Photo by Focus Features)
The Sundance Film Festival named A Thousand and One from writer/director A.V. Rockwell the winner of the prestigious U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic. Directors Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson’s The Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project won the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary at the 2023 festival which hosted in-person screenings as well as access online.
“This year’s Festival has been an extraordinary experience,” said Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute CEO. “The artists that comprise the 2023 Sundance Film Festival have demonstrated a sense of urgency and dedication to excellence in independent film. Today’s award winners highlight our programs’ most impressive achievements in the current moment of cinematic arts. I hope you will join me in congratulating our winners, as well as thanking all artists across sections for sharing their stories with the Sundance community.”
Over 15,000 submissions were received for this year’s festival, and 111 feature-length and 64 short films were screened.
2023 Sundance Film Festival Award Winners
The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to A.V. Rockwell for A Thousand and One / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: A.V. Rockwell, Producers: Eddie Vaisman, Julia Lebedev, Lena Waithe, Rishi Rajani, Brad Weston) — Convinced it’s one last, necessary crime on the path to redemption, unapologetic and free-spirited Inez kidnaps 6-year-old Terry from the foster care system. Holding on to their secret and each other, mother and son set out to reclaim their sense of home, identity, and stability in New York City. Cast: Teyana Taylor, Will Catlett, Josiah Cross, Aven Courtney, Aaron Kingsley Adetola.
The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented to Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson for Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project / U.S.A. (Directors and Producers: Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson, Producer: Tommy Oliver) — Intimate vérité, archival footage, and visually innovative treatments of poetry take us on a journey through the dreamscape of legendary poet Nikki Giovanni as she reflects on her life and legacy.
The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to Charlotte Regan for Scrapper / U.K. (Director and Screenwriter: Charlotte Regan, Producer: Theo Barrowclough) — Georgie is a dreamy 12-year-old girl who lives happily alone in her London flat, filling it with magic. Out of nowhere, her estranged father turns up and forces her to confront reality. Cast: Harris Dickinson, Lola Campbell, Alin Uzun, Ambreen Razia, Olivia Brady, Aylin Tezel.
The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented to Maite Alberdi for The Eternal Memory / Chile (Director and Producer: Maite Alberdi, Producers: Juan de Dios Larraín, Pablo Larraín, Rocío Jadue) — Augusto and Paulina have been together for 25 years. Eight years ago, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Both fear the day he no longer recognizes her.
A scene from ‘Radical’ from director Chris Zalla (Photo Courtesy of Sundance Institute)
Festival Favorite Award: Selected by audience votes from the feature films that screened at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, the Festival Favorite Award was presented to Radical / U.S.A (Director and Screenwriter: Christopher Zalla, Producers: Ben Odell, Eugenio Derbez, Joshua Davis) — In a Mexican border town plagued by neglect, corruption, and violence, a frustrated teacher tries a radical new method to break through his students’ apathy and unlock their curiosity, their potential… and maybe even their genius. Based on a true story. Cast: Eugenio Derbez, Daniel Haddad, Jenifer Trejo, Mia Fernanda Solis, Danilo Guardiola.
The Audience Award: U.S. Documentary, Presented by Acura was awarded to Beyond Utopia / U.S.A. (Director: Madeleine Gavin, Producers: Jana Edelbaum, Rachel Cohen, Sue Mi Terry) — Hidden camera footage augments this perilous high-stakes journey as we embed with families attempting to escape oppression from North Korea, ultimately revealing a world most of us have never seen.
The Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic, Presented by Acura was awarded to The Persian Version / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Maryam Keshavarz, Producers: Anne Carey, Ben Howe, Luca Borghese, Peter Block, Corey Nelson) — When a large Iranian-American family gathers for the patriarch’s heart transplant, a family secret is uncovered that catapults the estranged mother and daughter into an exploration of the past. Toggling between the United States and Iran over decades, mother and daughter discover they are more alike than they know. Cast: Layla Mohammadi, Niousha Noor, Kamand Shafieisabet, Bella Warda, Bijan Daneshmand, Shervin Alenabi.
The Audience Award: World Cinema Dramatic, Presented by United Airlines was awarded to Shayda / Australia (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Noora Niasari, Producer: Vincent Sheehan) — Shayda, a brave Iranian mother, finds refuge in an Australian women’s shelter with her 6-year-old daughter. Over Persian New Year, they take solace in Nowruz rituals and new beginnings, but when her estranged husband re-enters their lives, Shayda’s path to freedom is jeopardized. Cast: Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Osamah Sami, Leah Purcell, Jillian Nguyen, Mojean Aria, Selina Zahednia.
The Audience Award: World Cinema Documentary, Presented by United Airlines was awarded to 20 Days in Mariupol / Ukraine (Director and Producer: Mstyslav Chernov, Producers: Michelle Mizner, Raney Aronson-Rath, Derl McCrudden) — As the Russian invasion begins, a team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol struggle to continue their work documenting the war’s atrocities.
The Audience Award: NEXT, Presented by Adobe was awarded to KOKOMO CITY / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: D. Smith, Producers: Harris Doran, Bill Butler) — Four Black transgender sex workers explore the dichotomy between the Black community and themselves while confronting issues long avoided. World Premiere.
The Directing Award: U.S. Documentary was presented to Luke Lorentzen for A Still Small Voice / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Luke Lorentzen, Producer: Kellen Quinn) — An aspiring hospital chaplain begins a yearlong residency in spiritual care, only to discover that to successfully tend to her patients, she must look deep within herself.
The Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented to Sing J. Lee for The Accidental Getaway Driver / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Sing J. Lee, Screenwriter: Christopher Chen, Producers: Kimberly Steward, Basil Iwanyk, Andy Sorgie, Brendon Boyea, Joseph Hiếu) — During a routine pickup, an elderly Vietnamese cab driver is taken hostage at gunpoint by three recently escaped Orange County convicts. Based on a true story. Cast: Hiệp Trần Nghĩa, Dustin Nguyen, Dali Benssalah, Phi Vũ, Gabrielle Chan.
The Directing Award: World Cinema Documentary was presented to Anna Hints for Smoke Sauna Sisterhood / Estonia, France, Iceland (Director: Anna Hints, Producer: Marianne Ostrat) — In the darkness of a smoke sauna, women share their innermost secrets and intimate experiences, washing off the shame trapped in their bodies and regaining their strength through a sense of communion.
The Directing Award: World Cinema Dramatic was presented to Marija Kavtaradze for Slow / Lithuania, Spain, Sweden (Director and Screenwriter: Marija Kavtaradze, Producer: Marija Razgute) — Dancer Elena and sign language interpreter Dovydas meet and form a beautiful bond. As they dive into a new relationship, they must navigate how to build their own kind of intimacy. Cast: Greta Grinevičiūtė, Kęstutis Cicėnas.
The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented to Maryam Keshavarz for The Persian Version / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Maryam Keshavarz, Producers: Anne Carey, Ben Howe, Luca Borghese, Peter Block, Corey Nelson) — When a large Iranian-American family gathers for the patriarch’s heart transplant, a family secret is uncovered that catapults the estranged mother and daughter into an exploration of the past. Toggling between the United States and Iran over decades, mother and daughter discover they are more alike than they know. Cast: Layla Mohammadi, Niousha Noor, Kamand Shafieisabet, Bella Warda, Bijan Daneshmand, Shervin Alenabi.
The Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award: U.S. Documentary was presented to Daniela I. Quiroz for Going Varsity in Mariachi / U.S.A. (Directors: Alejandra Vasquez, Sam Osborn, Producers: James Lawler, Luis A. Miranda, Jr., Julia Pontecorvo) — In the competitive world of high school mariachi, the musicians from the South Texas borderlands reign supreme. Under the guidance of coach Abel Acuña, the teenage captains of Edinburg North High School’s acclaimed team must turn a shoestring budget and diverse crew of inexperienced musicians into state champions.
A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award: Ensemble was presented to the cast of Theater Camp / U.S.A. (Directors and Screenwriters: Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman, Screenwriters: Noah Galvin, Ben Platt, Producers: Erik Feig, Samie Kim Falvey, Julia Hammer, Ryan Heller, Will Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum) — When the beloved founder of a run-down theater camp in upstate New York falls into a coma, the eccentric staff must band together with the founder’s crypto-bro son to keep the camp afloat. Cast: Molly Gordon, Ben Platt, Noah Galvin, Jimmy Tatro, Patti Harrison, Ayo Edebiri.
A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award: Creative Vision was presented to the creative team of Magazine Dreams / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Elijah Bynum, Producers: Jennifer Fox, Dan Gilroy, Jeffrey Soros, Simon Horsman) — An amateur bodybuilder struggles to find human connection as his relentless drive for recognition pushes him to the brink. Cast: Jonathan Majors, Haley Bennett, Taylour Paige, Mike O’Hearn, Harrison Page, Harriet Sansom Harris.
A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award: Acting was presented to Lio Mehiel for Mutt / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Vuk Lungulov-Klotz, Producers: Alexander Stegmaier, Stephen Scott Scarpulla, Jennifer Kuczaj, Joel Michaely) Jury citation:— Over the course of a single hectic day in New York City, three people from Feña’s past are thrust back into his life. Having lost touch since transitioning from female to male, he navigates the new dynamics of old relationships while tackling the day-to-day challenges of living life in between. Cast: Lío Mehiel, Cole Doman, MiMi Ryder, Alejandro Goic.
A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award: Clarity of Vision was presented to The Stroll / U.S.A. (Directors: Kristen Lovell, Zackary Drucker, Producer: Matt Wolf) — The history of New York’s Meatpacking District, told from the perspective of transgender sex workers who lived and worked there. Filmmaker Kristen Lovell, who walked “The Stroll” for a decade, reunites her community to recount the violence, policing, homelessness, and gentrification they overcame to build a movement for transgender rights.
A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award: Freedom of Expression was presented to Bad Press / U.S.A (Directors: Rebecca Landsberry-Baker, Joe Peeler, Producers: Conrad Beilharz, Garrett F. Baker, Tyler Graim) — When the Muscogee Nation suddenly begins censoring its free press, a rogue reporter fights to expose her government’s corruption in a historic battle that will have ramifications for all of Indian country.
A World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award: Creative Vision was presented to Fantastic Machine / Sweden, Denmark (Directors and Producers: Axel Danielson, Maximilien Van Aertryck) — From the first camera to 45 billion cameras worldwide today, the visual sociologist filmmakers widen their lens to expose both humanity’s unique obsession with the camera’s image and the social consequences that lay ahead.
A World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award: Verite Filmmaking was presented to Against the Tide / India (Director and Producer: Sarvnik Kaur, Producer: Koval Bhatia) — Two friends, both Indigenous fishermen, are driven to desperation by a dying sea. Their friendship begins to fracture as they take very different paths to provide for their struggling families.
A World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award: Creative Vision was presented to Sofia Alaoui for Animalia / France, Morocco, Qatar (Director and Screenwriter: Sofia Alaoui, Producers: Margaux Lorier, Toufik Ayadi, Christophe Barral) — A young, pregnant woman finds emancipation as aliens land in Morocco. Cast: Oumaïma Barid, Mehdi Dehbi, Fouad Oughaou.
A World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award: Cinematography was presented to Lílis Soares for Mami Wata / Nigeria (Director and Screenwriter: C.J. “Fiery” Obasi, Producer: Oge Obasi) — When the harmony in a village is threatened by outside elements, two sisters must fight to save their people and restore the glory of a mermaid goddess to the land. Cast: Evelyne Ily, Uzoamaka Aniunoh, Kelechi Udegbe, Emeka Amakeze, Rita Edochie, Tough Bone.
A World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award: Best Performance was presented to Rosa Marchant for When It Melts / Belgium (Director and Screenwriter: Veerle Baetens, Screenwriter: Maarten Loix, Producers: Bart Van Langendonck, Ellen Havenith, Jacques-Henri Bronckart) — Many years after a sweltering summer that spun out of control, Eva returns to the village she grew up in with an ice block in the back of her car. In the dead of winter, she confronts her past and faces up to her tormentors. Cast: Charlotte De Bruyne, Rosa Marchant.
The NEXT Innovator Award presented by Adobe was presented to KOKOMO CITY / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: D. Smith, Producers: Harris Doran, Bill Butler) — Four Black transgender sex workers explore the dichotomy between the Black community and themselves, while confronting issues long avoided.
The Short Film Grand Jury Prize presented by Shutterstock was awarded to When You Left Me On That Boulevard / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Kayla Abuda Galang, Producers: Alifya Ali, David Oconer, Udoy Rahim, Samantha Skinner) — Teenager Ly and her cousins get high before a boisterous family Thanksgiving at their auntie’s house in southeast San Diego in 2006. Cast: Kailyn Dulay, Melissa Arcaya, Elle Rodriguez, Whitney Agustin, Gina May Gimongala, Allan Wayne Anderson.
The Short Film Jury Award: U.S. Fiction presented by Shutterstock was awarded to Rest Stop / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Crystal Kayiza, Producers: Jalena Keane-Lee, Brit Fryer) — On a bus ride from New York to Oklahoma, Meyi, a young Ugandan-American girl, realizes her place in the world through her mother’s ambitious effort to reunite their family. Cast: Leeanna E. Tushabe, Alicia Basiima, Khalid Semakula, Robert Wanyama, Margaret Bisase, Olivia Nantongo.
The Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction presented by Shutterstock was awarded to The Kidnapping of the Bride / Germany (Director and Screenwriter: Sophia Mocorrea, Producer: Sarah Valerie Radu) — Luisa from Argentina and Fred from Germany are confronted with their social roles at their wedding. The German tradition of kidnapping the bride shakes the couple’s equality. There is no room for love in this role-play of marriage. Cast: Rai Todoroff, David Bruning, Tatiana Saphir, Anne Kulbatzki, Michaela Winterstein, Niels Bormann.
The Short Film Jury Award: Animation presented by Shutterstock was awarded to The Flying Sailor / Canada (Directors and Producers: Wendy Tilby, Amanda Forbis, Producer: David Christensen) — Two ships collide in a harbor, an explosion shatters a city, and a sailor is blasted skyward, where he soars high above the mayhem and toward the great unknown.
The Short Film Jury Award: Non-Fiction presented by Shutterstock was awarded to Will You Look At Me / China (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Shuli Huang) — As a young Chinese filmmaker returns to his hometown in search of himself, a long-overdue conversation with his mother drives them into a quest for acceptance and love.
A Short Film Special Jury Award, International: Directing presented by Shutterstock was awarded to AliEN0089 / Chile (Director and Screenwriter: Valeria Hofmann, Producers: Augusto Matte, Daniela Camino, Pascual Mena) — While a gamer uploads a testimonial video to denounce the harassment she suffers in a video game, a stranger enters her home and hacks her computer, blurring the boundaries between the real and virtual worlds. Cast: Mariana di Girolamo.
A Short Film Special Jury Award, U.S: Directing presented by Shutterstock was awarded to The Vacation / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Jarreau Carrillo, Producers: Marttise Hill, Julius Pryor) — A Black man attempts to take a vacation. Cast: Drew Harris, Jarreau Carrillo, Ohene Cornelius, Trae Harris.
Kiefer Sutherland admits he’s not feeling well and hasn’t slept for a few days in the opening seconds of Paramount+’s Rabbit Hole teaser trailer. Sutherland’s character John Weir drinks, takes pills, doesn’t trust anyone, and can’t tell the difference between what’s real and what’s not. Deception is reality, and the enemy is everywhere. Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it?
Joining Kiefer Sutherland in the eight-episode season are Charles Dance (Game of Thrones) as Dr. Ben Wilson, Meta Golding (Empire) as Hailey Winton, Enid Graham (Mare of Easttown) as Josephine “Jo” Madi, Jason Butler Harner (Ozark) as Valence, Rob Yang (Succession) as Edward Homm, and Walt Klink (The English) as The Intern.
Paramount+ has set a March 26, 2023 premiere date. The first two episodes will arrive on March 26th, followed by new episodes every Sunday.
This is Us‘ John Requa and Glenn Ficarra write, direct, and serve as executive producers. Sutherland is also executive producing, along with Charlie Gogolak, Suzan Bymel, and Hunt Baldwin.
Paramount+ offered this description of the spy thriller:
“In Rabbit Hole, John Weir (Sutherland), a master of deception in the world of corporate espionage, is framed for murder by powerful forces who have the ability to influence and control populations.”
Actor, producer, and director Joanna Kerns has the honor of directing the first episode of ABC’s A Million Little Things‘ final season. Season four wrapped up in May 2022, and season five episode one – “the last dance” – arrives on Wednesday, February 8, 2023 at 10pm ET/PT.
The cast includes David Giuntoli as Eddie Saville, Romany Malco as Rome Howard, Allison Miller as Maggie Bloom, Christina Moses as Regina Howard, Grace Park as Katherine Kim, and James Roday Rodriguez as Gary Mendez. Stephanie Szostak is Delilah Dixon, Tristan Byon is Theo Saville, Lizzy Greene is Sophie Dixon, and Chance Hurstfield is Danny Dixon.
“the last dance” Plot: The family of friends gathers once again to celebrate the life of a loved one who dies unexpectedly. Meanwhile, Katherine shows Maggie the secret to registering for baby gifts, and Rome supports his father through a difficult transition.
Christina Moses, Joanna Kerns, and DJ Nash on the set of ‘A Million Little Things’ season 5 episode 1 (ABC/Sergei Bachlakov)
The Season 5 Plot:
As Rome Howard says, “Life isn’t just about the moments, it’s about who you share them with.” And as the fifth and final season of the beloved ABC drama series A Million Little Things unfolds, we’ll watch through laughter and tears as we bring this incredible journey to its conclusion. Along the way, we’ll explore the depths of friendship, love, and sorrow as we bid this special family of friends goodbye, once again proving that friendship really is a million little things.
David Giuntoli, Cameron Esposito, Grace Park, Christina Moses, Allison Miller, Romany Malco, Lizzy Green, and Chance Hurstfield in ‘A Million Little Things’ season 5 episode 1 (ABC/Sergei Bachlakov)Christina Moses and Romany Malco in season 5 episode 1 (ABC/Sergei Bachlakov)Allison Miller and Grace Park in season 5 episode 1 (ABC/Sergei Bachlakov)Chance Hurstfield in season 5 episode 1 (ABC/Sergei Bachlakov)Cameron Esposito and Grace Park in season 5 episode 1 (ABC/Sergei Bachlakov)Romany Malco, Allison Miller, Lizzy Greene, David Giuntoli, Chance Hurstfield, Grace Park, Christina Moses, and Cameron Esposito (ABC/Sergei Bachlakov)
