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Exclusive: LeToya Luckett (Greenleaf), Romeo Miller (Honey) and Keith David (Greenleaf) have signed on to star in the film A Miracle Before Christmas, from writer-director LazRael Lison (#Unknown).

The love story centers on Mercedes Wright (Luckett), a famous, fast-talking relationship therapist who has the answers to fixing everyone else’s marital issues, but is challenged by problems faced with her own husband (Miller), leaning on help from an angel (David) to get past them. Lison and Tatiana Chekhova are producing the film under their Summer House Pictures banner, with Charles F. Porter of Black Bench Productions, and Jasper Cole (Never and Again). Marlon D. Haynes is serving as exec producer.

Luckett is represented by WME and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman; Miller by Pantheon Talent; David by Artists & Representatives, Silver J Management and Meyers & Downs; and Lison by Newman-Thomas Management and Kaye & Mills.

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Exclusive: Rose Reid (Finding You), Ruairi O’Connor...

I got excited when I saw this trailer the first time, because it's put together well, stars Michael K Williams, and was directed by Rik Cordero (S&A readers might remember that he directed an acclaimed feature film called Inside A Change 3 years ago, which starred Ephraim Benton). But when I found it was a short film, my heart sunk a bit. I was hoping it was a feature length film that we hadn't covered yet. It's not, but I'm still excited to see the rest of it. It premiered in the Short Film Corner at the Cannes Film Festival in May, and the trailer surfaced yesterday on YouTube. Titled W8, the film's synopsis reads: When notorious street hustler...

It took a while, but finally the complete and final 2010 Black Harvest Film Festival in Chicago has been announced. Over 40 movies in every category from feature film to shorts, documentaries, dramas (such as Bilal’s Stand pictured), comedies and everything else in between. All the films will be screened at the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago located at 164 N. State St in the heart of downtown Chicago.

Opening night is Friday August 6th and the festival continues throughout the month until Thursday Sept. 2 with a special advance screening of Tanya Hamilton’s Night Captures Us with Ms. Hamilton present. Of course I will be there too on most nights, so if you ever had the desire to punch me out for any of my articles on S & A now here’s your chance. (Not that I encourage it though…)

The complete list below:

The Gene Siskel Film Center welcomes...

Well, it’s that time again… the first ActNow: New Voices in Black Cinema in partnership with BAMcinématek screening event of 2010, and I hope you can certainly make it!

To kick this off this year, we will be screening a feature film titled Inside A Change, which was profiled on this blog last year. I was intrigued enough by what I read about it, and the trailer at the time, to check it out, which I did, when it played at the HBO New York Latino Film Festival last summer, where it happened to win the Best Film Award.

Synopsis: About to serve 180 days in prison for a first-time offense, Chris is invited home for dinner by his mom where he finds his younger brother following in his footsteps and his older brother disowning him. With his family falling apart, Chris is forced to re-examine his life and how he...

Well, it’s that time again… the first ActNow: New Voices in Black Cinema in partnership with BAMcinématek screening event of 2010, and I hope you can certainly make it!

To kick this off this year, we will be screening a feature film titled Inside A Change, which was previously profiled on this blog last year. I was intrigued enough by what I read about it, and the trailer, at the time, to check it out, which I did, when it played at the HBO New York Latino Film Festival last summer, where it happened to win the Best Film Award.

Synopsis: About to serve 180 days in prison for a first-time offense, Chris is invited home for dinner by his mom where he finds his younger brother following in his footsteps and his older brother disowning him. With his family falling apart, Chris is forced to re-examine his life and how...

Here’s the first of a few press releases from my inbox that I’ll be posting:

Beyond Influencing Da Hood Inc has announced today the location, dates and call for submissions for the 1st annual Chillin On Da Corner & Beyond Film Series being held this summer from June 29th – September 7th, 2010 in Brooklyn, NY. Official deadline to submit is April 20th, 2010.

“Our community will get a chance to see great independent films they wouldn’t normally see because they’re not mainstream films and the filmmakers also get introduced to a new potential fan base for the future and a diversified audience,” says Co-Founder Ephraim Benton. A Change Gon Come is our 2010 Chillin On Da Corner & Beyond Film Series theme; a great choice for the Bed-Stuy area. In addition, we have tons of support from within the political, independent film community and some well established film festivals that you...

Lest we forget, for all the talk this year about whether the New York Film Festival in particular and arthouse film in general have become elitist and unwelcoming to the general population, one of this year's major indie buzz films features no less a celeb for all demographics than Mariah Carey, in her fifth cinematic role.

Mimi and her man were out in full force at the festival's Lincoln Center screening of "Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire," an impressively star-studded event also saw costars Paula Patton, Lenny Kravitz, Chyna Layne, Sherri Shepherd, Ephraim Benton and newcomer Gabourey Sidibe, who plays the title character, out on the red carpet. (Mo'Nique, despite the Oscar buzz her role in the film has generated, chose not to make an appearance.)

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Bobby Cannavale, Wendell Pierce and Steve Buscemi were amongst the other stars who came out in support of the film.