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Exclusive: Starz #TakeTheLead and Veterans in Media and Entertainment, a nonprofit connecting U.S. military veterans with careers in entertainment, have set the first year cohort for their Creative Mentorship Program for Television Writers and Producers. The inaugural cohort includes Rachael Brant, Thada Catalon, Shannon Corbeil, Libby Friz, Sarah Hopkins, Satinder Kaur, Lynelle White, and Jazmyn Wright.

Additionally, applications for the second year of the program are now available until September 14 at 6 Pm Pst. The five-week online program offers veterans insight into the TV industry and its processes as they pursue careers in the field.

Eight veterans will be selected to receive mentorship, which includes weekly interactive sessions with Starz executives, to gain insight into the creative process and practical skills. Workshops cover development, finance, budgeting, post-production, publicity, and distribution, while also guiding participants in the fundamentals of navigating general meetings, delivering compelling pitch presentations, and deepening their overall understanding...

Omar Chaparro, one of Mexico’s most popular comedian-actors, and Mexican-Lebanese actress Edy Ganem (“Devious Maids”) have been cast as leads in feature drama “7th & Union” from newly launched Broken English Productions.

Launched in response to Hollywood’s paucity of diverse voices, in front and behind the camera, Broken English Prods. was unveiled mid-June by fledgling film finance company Grandave Capital, which plans to invest some $20 million in two to four Latinx projects with budgets of up to $5 million.

“We are proud to kick off Broken English Prods. with such a strong and commercial cast. Paired with [director] Anthony Nardolillo’s vision, ‘7th & Union’ is just the beginning of our investment in the Latinx pool of talent and projects,” said Broken English Prods. head Christopher Acebo.

“7th & Union” turns on two men, one well-off, the other not so much, who are both down on their luck. They strike...

If you watch “Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words” looking for a clue as to Thomas’ inner workings, a key to who Clarence Thomas really is, then you’ll have to wait a while before it arrives. But it does. The reason it takes so long is that Thomas, dressed in a red tie, light shirt, and blue jacket, his graying head looking impressive and nearly statue-ready as he gazes into the camera, presents himself as a regular guy, affably growly and folksy in a casual straight-shooter way. And while I have no doubt that’s an honest aspect of who he is, it’s also a shrewdly orchestrated tactic, a way of saying: Don’t try to look for my demons — you won’t find them.

The revealing moment comes when Thomas recalls the 1991 Senate hearings in which he was grilled on national television as part of the Supreme Court confirmation process.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is reportedly working with producers from Manifold Productions, led by conservative filmmaker Michael Pack, on a documentary intended for release in 2020 titled Created Equal. 

Thomas has apparently agreed to take part in a film that looks back over his life and career, including his 1991 Senate confirmation hearings where he battled with sexual harassment accuser Anita Hill.

Manifold Productions released the following statement on the company's website: "Although Clarence Thomas remains a controversial figure, loved by some, reviled by others, few know much more than a few headlines and the recollections ...

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is reportedly working with producers from Manifold Productions, led by conservative filmmaker Michael Pack, on a documentary intended for release in 2020 titled Created Equal. 

Thomas has apparently agreed to take part in a film that looks back over his life and career, including his 1991 Senate confirmation hearings where he battled with sexual harassment accuser Anita Hill.

Manifold Productions released the following statement on the company's website: "Although Clarence Thomas remains a controversial figure, loved by some, reviled by others, few know much more than a few headlines and the recollections ...

Full credit where “It” is due: Currently standing at $266 million through its third weekend, “It” is a stunning success and boosted a domestic box office in serious crisis. A reasonable estimate, if somewhat conservative, is a domestic gross around $325 million.

All this, from a September horror film made for $35 million? That’s a stunning performance. And it’s by far the best-performing Stephen King adaptation. But it’s far from the top horror movie in history.

At $325 million, here’s where “It” will stand in adjusted totals:

Horror films The Exorcist (1973) – $983 million The Sixth Sense (1999) – $512 million House of Wax (1953) – $449 million Psycho (1960) – $379 million Signs (2002) – $345 million It (2017) – $325 million (projected)

“House of Wax” was by far the biggest 3D hit in that technique’s first wave. “The Exorcist” is the ninth biggest-grossing of the post-silent era and a social phenomenon in its time. M. Night Shyamalan’s films both had high-end casts and...

Keep up with the always-hopping film festival world with our weekly Film Festival Roundup column. Check out last week’s Roundup right here.

Lineup Announcements

– Exclusive: The 12th Annual Sunscreen Film Festival announced its official selections for the 2017 event featuring films with Alec Baldwin, Dylan McDermott, John Cleese, Daphne Zuniga and more. Opening night will feature Michael Mailer’s newest film, “Blind,” a romantic-drama, starring Alec Baldwin, Demi Moore and Dylan McDermott. Closing night will wrap up the festival with “Albion: The Enchanted Stallion,” a family fantasy adventure, starring John Cleese, Debra Messing, Jennifer Morrison and Stephen Dorff.

Retrospective Screenings will include Daphne Zuniga appearance at the festival honoring the 30th anniversary of “Spaceballs.” Also in this category will be “The Greatest Show on Earth,” from 1952 directed by Cecile B. DeMille, which won the Oscar for Best Pictures and Best Writing in 1953. The screening will honor the closing of the Ringling Bros.