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The Oscar-nominated documentary short “The Last Repair Shop” is coming to broadcast television this weekend. The 40-minute film will air Saturday on ABC owned television stations and select affiliates, the studios announced Thursday. “It’s not too much to say I owe my career to people like the four repair people in our film,” Bowers said. The broadcast push is a first for an Oscar nominated short documentary. “We are all so excited that The Last Repair Shop has the opportunity to connect with audiences across the country.”

Persons: It’s, Ben Proudfoot, Kris Bowers, “, Bowers, “ King Richard ”, ”, Steve Bagmanyan, “ It’s, ” Bowers, Matthew Greenfield, David Greenbaum Organizations: ABC, Disney, Los Angeles Unified School District, Searchlight Pictures Locations: California, San Francisco , Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Fresno, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia , New York, Raleigh, Durham

☆ Ava DuVernay on her ‘rebellious and radical’ new film ‘Origin’ and the ‘caste system of Hollywood’
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Thomas Page | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

With “Origin,” her latest film, she was forced to dig in a little deeper. She built that film herself – it’s an absolutely Herculean effort.”Jon Bernthal and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor star as a married couple in Ava DuVernay's film "Origin." Atsushi Nishijima/NEON“Origin” began life at Netflix before DuVernay split and pivoted to independent financing (the film is distributed in the US by Neon). “Because we were making a film about this idea of caste, this system of hierarchy, (DuVernay) wanted to do away with that on set,” she said. The streamer had reportedly eyed a 2025 release, but the director wanted the film out well ahead of the 2024 US election.

Persons: CNN —, ‘, ‘ That’s, ” Ava DuVernay, Isabel Wilkerson, namechecked, Barack Obama, “ Selma, ”, DuVernay, Wilkerson, Niecy Nash, Betts, Marion, “, Jon Bernthal, Brett, Wilkerson’s, – it’s, ” Jon Bernthal, Aunjanue Ellis, Taylor, Ava DuVernay's, Atsushi Nishijima, ” DuVernay, Oscar, “ King Richard, that’s what’s, George Zimmerman, Trayvon Martin, Husband Brett, Ellis, ” Brett, Bernthal “, Nash, let’s, ” Bernthal, I’ve, it’s, undersells Organizations: CNN, Pulitzer, Netflix, DuVernay, Reich Locations: United States, India, Nazi Germany, Texas, Delhi, Germany

☆ Now Jada Pinkett Smith says she and Will Smith are 'staying together forever' despite separation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Ayomikun Adekaiyero | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Jada Pinkett Smith addressed her relationship with Will Smith on "The Drew Barrymore Show." Pinkett Smith said she and Smith are "staying together forever." AdvertisementJada Pinkett Smith is now saying she and Will Smith are "staying together forever" despite previously announcing that they have been separated since 2016. Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith. Will Smith, left, and Jada Pinkett Smith arrive at the premiere of "Emancipation," Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022, at the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles.

Persons: Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith, Drew Barrymore, Pinkett Smith, Smith, —, Barrymore, Getty, Valerie Macon, recommit, Chris Rock, Chris, Jordan Strauss, Richard, Jada Organizations: Service, Entertainment, Village Theatre Locations: New York City, Los Angeles, Baltimore , Maryland

☆ Seeing Yourself Onscreen Is Good, but Not Good Enough
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Elamin Abdelmahmoud | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

WANNABE: Reckonings With the Pop Culture That Shapes Me, by Aisha HarrisBeing a Black critic in a time of exceptional art made by Black people has immense rewards and myriad risks. “Wannabe,” the debut essay collection from Aisha Harris, a co-host of NPR’s “Pop Culture Happy Hour,” is at its best when engaging with those risks and the thorny questions of her profession. In what ways does identity inform a critic’s work? “I don’t want to ‘just be happy’ about ‘King Richard,’” she insists. “I want interiority and surprise and characters who feel as though they have a reason to exist beyond retelling history.”

Persons: Aisha Harris, Harris, John Legend ”, cheekily, Issa Rae’s, —, Black, Will Smith, Richard ”, King Richard, ’, “, ”

☆ How TikTok helps Will and Jada Pinkett Smith's Westbrook find fresh talent and supercharge its marketing strategy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Nhari Djan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Westbrook is an entertainment company whose founders include Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. Two execs explain how they use the app to find talent and incorporate TikTok creators in their marketing projects. TikTok specifically has helped Westbrook find creators to work on its marketing projects. Sadao Turner, Westbrook Media's SVP of talent strategy, said TikTok has been a better recruiting tool than some other social-media platforms because of its search and discovery features. Turner said that TikTok creators display a different level of creativity and freedom than he had seen from other digital creators.

☆ Chris Rock unleashes on Will Smith and wife Jada a year after Oscars slap
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In March 2022, Smith walked on to the Oscars stage and slapped Rock's face after the comedian made a joke about the appearance of Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Pinkett Smith said she was protesting the fact that Will Smith and other Black actors were not nominated. Rock, who also is Black, joked about Pinkett Smith at the Oscars that year and again last year. Pinkett Smith admitted to an affair that she called an "entanglement" in 2020. Netflix agreed to pay $40 million for two Rock comedy specials under a deal reached in 2016, according to a person familiar with the matter.

☆ Warner Bros Discovery revenue misses as media giant posts big loss
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Pedestrians walk past a street commercial advertisement billboard from Warner Bros and DC comics character, The Batman, movie in Madrid. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros.

The film won nominations for best picture, best director and its stars Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan won nods for best performance by an actress and actor in a leading role. The nominations were announced by Allison Williams and Riz Ahmed on Tuesday morning at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Voting for the nominations concluded Jan. 17, and 9,579 members of the academy were eligible to vote, according to Variety. Neither women of color made it to the list for best leading actress. The Oscar nominations come just weeks after the Golden Globes returned to the airwaves.

☆ Will 'Emancipation' set Will Smith free from 'the slap?'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Three things to watch‘Emancipation’Will Smith (center) in a scene from "Emancipation." Smith has been banned from attending the Oscars for the next decade, but he is still eligible for nominations. ‘Idina Menzel: Which Way to the Stage?’Idina Menzel attends the American Music Awards on November 20, 2016 in Los Angeles. A Boogie wit da Hoodie performs at the Rolling Loud Los Angeles festival on December 15, 2019 in Los Angeles. Something to sip onNick Cannon attends an event at the GRAMMY Museum on June 25 in Los Angeles.

☆ "Emancipation" review: Will Smith casts an Oscar-shaped shadow over Antoine Fuqua's earnest movie
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Any discussion of “Emancipation” will inevitably be clouded by the Will Smith of it all, and Apple’s decision to release the movie into the teeth of awards season. Taken to work laying railroad track, Peter overhears word of Lincoln’s pronouncement and realizes his best chance at freedom involves reaching the Union Army in Baton Rouge. Effectively adopting a Haitian accent, Smith captures the physicality of the role, and Peter’s defiance toward his captors without uttering a word. “Emancipation” premieres December 2 in US theaters and December 9 on Apple TV+. It’s rated R. (Disclosure: The writer’s spouse works for a unit of Apple.)

☆ Will Smith's 'Emancipation' scores mixed reviews so far
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Danielle Broadway | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Ben Foster, Jordyn McIntosh, Jeremiah Friedlander, Will Smith and Charmaine Bingwa attend a premiere for the film "Emancipation" in Los Angeles, California, U.S. November 30, 2022. REUTERS/Mario AnzuoniDec 1 (Reuters) - Apple TV+’s 2022 slavery drama “Emancipation", actor Will Smith's first film since his famous slap of comedian Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars, has received mixed early reviews from film critics. The movie has scored a 59% positive rating on Rotton Tomatoes so far, with 14 out of 24 reviewers applauding the film as of Thursday afternoon. The first batch of reviews have earned “Emancipation” the rotten label, as many reviewers voice their disappointment in the historical action film’s execution. “Emancipation devolves into a confused jumble of messages,” Lovia Gyarke from The Hollywood Reporter wrote.

☆ Will Smith on slapping Chris Rock at Oscars: 'I lost it'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

But at the end of the day, I lost it,” Smith told Noah. At the Oscars, Rock was on stage presenting an award when he made a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, that referenced the 1997 film "G.I. It was unclear whether Rock was aware that Pinkett Smith has a condition that causes hair loss. Smith marched onto the stage and slapped Rock. ... That was a rage that had been bottled for a really long time ... but I understand the pain," Smith told Noah.

☆ The career rise and stumble of Will Smith, who is back in the awards conversation after the notorious Oscars slap
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

But his career hit a speed bump this year when he slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars in March. Will Smith appears to slap Chris Rock onstage during the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 27, 2022 in Hollywood, California. Neilson Barnard/Getty ImagesThe slap followed a joke Rock made about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, and came before Smith won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in "King Richard."

☆ Beyonce ties Jay-Z as most nominated artists in Grammy awards history
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Pop icon Beyonce on Tuesday received the most 2023 Grammy nominations with nine in total, putting her into a tie with her husband, rapper Jay-Z, as the most nominated artists of all time. Beyonce and Jay Z both have 88 nominations in total for the peer-voted music awards. Jay-Z received five 2023 nominations for contributions to Renaissance and DJ Khaled’s song, “God Did.”In 2021, Jay-Z took his total to 83 nominations, surpassing former Beatle Paul McCartney. However, for the 2023 awards, the “Run This Town” artist met his match in wife Beyonce. Trailing behind Beyonce this Grammy season is Kendrick Lamar with eight nods and Adele and Brandie Carlile with seven each.

☆ 2023 Grammys: Beyoncé and Jay-Z are tied for the most noms of all time
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The nominees for the 2023 GRAMMY Awards were released Tuesday, and Beyoncé is leading the pack with nine nominations. Beyoncé has already won 28 Grammys, the most by any female artist, and is within striking distance of the all-time record of 31, which is held by the Hungarian conductor Georg Solti. Her 88 overall nominations have tied her with husband Jay-Z for the most in history. Pop superstar Harry Styles received six nominations, including the 28-year-old's first for Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Album of the Year for 2022's "Harry's House". Read the full list of GRAMMY nominees here.

☆ The director of Will Smith's new movie about slavery hopes audiences can look beyond the infamous #OscarsSlap
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —After the Academy Awards earlier this year, movie watchers and industry insiders alike have wondered what Will Smith’s now-infamous, on-air slapping of Chris Rock will mean for the “King Richard” actor’s career, as well as his future Oscars chances. Now, ahead of the release of Smith’s new film “Emancipation,” director Antoine Fuqua is opening up about all that speculation, and his wish that audiences will instead focus on the searing narrative at the heart of the movie, namely the historic struggle against slavery in America. Four hundred years of slavery is bigger than one moment,” Fuqua told Vanity Fair in an interview published on Tuesday about the film, in which Smith plays a character named Peter, a man who escapes from slavery. The character was inspired by a historical figure commonly referred to as “Whipped Peter,” who was featured in graphic 1863 photos that depicted the brutality of slavery. Director Antoine Fuqua, seen here posing during a photocall on the set of the film "Equalizer 3" on October 19, 2022, directed Will Smith in the soon-to-be-released film "Emancipation."

☆ Comedian Jimmy Kimmel to return as Oscars host in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Rami Ayyub | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 7 (Reuters) - Late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel will host the 2023 Oscars ceremony, organizers said on Monday, choosing a veteran emcee for Hollywood's most prestigious showcase a year after actor Will Smith upended the event by slapping presenter Chris Rock. But video of Smith slapping Rock's face on stage after the comedian made a joke about the actor's wife was shared widely on social media and dominated news headlines for days. "Being invited to host the Oscars for a third time is either a great honor or a trap," Kimmel said in a statement. "Jimmy is the perfect host to help us recognize the incredible artists and films of our 95th Oscars," Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang said in a statement. He is banned from attending the Oscars for 10 years, but is still eligible to be nominated and win.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Monae said she uses both she/her and they/them pronouns. Jerrod CarmichaelJerrod Carmichael accepts Outstanding Writing for "Jerrod Carmichael: Rothaniel" at the 74th Primetime Emmys in Los Angeles, on Sept. 12, 2022. Charlee CorraCharlee Corra speaks at Human Rights Campaign dinner on March 12, 2022 in Los Angeles. Ellia GreenEllia Green, right, with his partner Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts and their daughter in Sydney, Australia, on Aug. 15, 2022. Blair came out publicly this year after serving as a consultant for Amazon Prime’s very queer TV reboot of the decades-old film.

☆ Jada Pinkett Smith to write memoir discussing her ‘complicated marriage’ to Will Smith
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-07 | by ( Ariana Brockington | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Jada Pinkett Smith has revealed she will be writing a memoir that shares details about her difficult journey in Hollywood and her “complicated marriage” to Will Smith. After starring in the hit sitcom “A Different World” and appearing in multiple films, Pinkett Smith met Smith. The press release also mentioned a “crisis” Pinkett Smith experienced at the age of 40 that caused her to reevaluate her life. Both Will and Jada Pinkett Smith have spoken candidly in the past about their struggles as parents and spouses. Last month, Pinkett Smith shared an Instagram video of her husband, family and friends singing happy birthday to her.

☆ Will Smith's first project since Oscars fiasco gets December release date
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-03 | by ( Jack Stebbins | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

US actor Will Smith accepts the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for "King Richard" onstage during the 94th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 27, 2022. Will Smith's upcoming film "Emancipation" will be released in theaters on Dec. 2 and on Apple TV+ a week later on Dec. 9. It's Smith's first project since the Oscars, where he made headlines for slapping host Chris Rock on stage and winning Best Actor for his titular role in "King Richard." In "Emancipation," Smith plays a runaway slave searching for his family in the swamps of Louisiana. In a tweet, NAACP CEO Derrick Johnson called the film "a story of adversity, of resilience, of love, and of triumph."

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