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Several incredible films are challenging to watch nowadays. This can be for a variety of reasons, including issues with licensing or streaming. The best movies of all time rarely have issues such as these, but there are plenty of incredible movies that are still hard to find in the modern day.

Many of the films that are difficult to find, both on streaming or otherwise, are movies with great anti-heroes. Others, like Porgy and Bess, are great romance films. Regardless, the fact that these movies are so hard to find makes the effort worth it, as they are each an important part of movie history in their own right.

Dogma (1999) Licensing Issues Are At The Core Of This Comedy Film

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Dogma

Dogma is a 1999 comedy that revolves around two fallen angels, Bartleby and Loki, who try to...

Da’Vine Joy Randolph has already brought her vocal chops to “Rustin,” “High Fidelity,” and the upcoming Pharrell Williams biopic, but the Academy Award winner is ready to fully showcase her opera background onscreen.

Randolph told IndieWire while attending the “Through Her Lens” cocktail reception, hosted by Tribeca and Chanel, that Pablo Larraín’s buzzy Maria Callas film “Maria” has opened the door for opera biopics — and Randolph is more than ready to bring history-making Leontyne Price’s story to the screen.

“It’s ironic because Angelina Jolie has the Maria Callas biopic [‘Maria’] coming up,” Randolph said. “I’m a classically trained opera singer. I want to do a biopic of an opera singer.”

Leontyne Price is celebrated as one of the great modern vocalists — she played title roles in both “Porgy and Bess” and “Aida.” If a success, “Maria” — and Randolph — could be what ultimately ushers Price’s legacy into movie theaters.

Ron Simons, who had a busy if low-key TV acting career before making his greatest impact producing such acclaimed Broadway plays as Thoughts of a Colored Man (2021) and the 2022 revival of for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf, died Wednesday. The four-time Tony Award winner was 63.

His death was announced by SimonSays Entertainment, the production company he founded in 2009. A cause of death was not immediately available.

“It is with heavy hearts that we share the unexpected passing of our beloved, blessed, and highly favored friend, Ronald Keith Simons. Funeral details will be forthcoming,” the production company said in a statement.

The Classical Theatre of Harlem said in a separate statement, “We are heartbroken to learn of our friend and former trustee Ron Simon’s passing. Our thoughts are with his family. Ron has left behind an unmatched legacy on Broadway and beyond. We will...

Ron Simons, an actor and four-time Tony Award-winning producer, has died. He was 63.

His production company SimonSays Entertainment shared that Simons died Wednesday. His cause of death wasn’t immediately available.

“It is with heavy hearts that we share the unexpected passing of our beloved, blessed, and highly favored friend, Ronald Keith Simons. Funeral details will be forthcoming,” the production company wrote in a statement on Facebook.

Born on Nov. 30, 1960, in Detroit, Michigan, Simons didn’t initially pursue a career in acting and theater. After graduating from Columbia Business School in 1989 with an Mba in marketing and international business, he started his professional career at Microsoft as a product manager in San Francisco, California.

It wasn’t until years later, at 39 years old, that he decided to quit his job and follow his dreams in entertainment.

He got his Mfa in acting from the University of Washington and eventually moved from California to New York,...

The Drama League Awards unveiled their slate of winners at an in-person ceremony on Friday, May 17. The event was hosted by Frank Dilella at the Ziegfeld Ballroom, where attendees toasted the best of Broadway and Off-Bradway.

The biggest winner of the day was Sarah Paulson, who claimed the coveted Distinguished Performance Award for her fiery role in “Appropriate.” That play, by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, also took home the League’s trophy for Best Revival of a Play.

See 2024 Dorian Theater Awards nominations announced: LGBTQ journalists champion ‘Merrily We Roll Along,’ ‘Stereophonic,’ ‘Oh, Mary!‘

The Distinguished Performance Award is unique in that a performer may only win the award once in their career. After prevailing, they are never eligible again. The category is also a massive catch-all race that includes actors of all genders, roles of all sizes, and both Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. This year, 54 thespians were included as nominees.

Winning...

Directors Jack O’Brien and George C. Wolfe will each receive a 2024 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.

Wolfe is a five-time Tony-Award winning director, helming shows including Angels in America: Millennium Approaches and Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk, and has worked as a writer, a producer and artistic director of The Public Theater from 1993 to 2005. O’Brien is a three-time Tony Award-winning director for Hairspray, Henry IV and The Coast of Utopia, among many other credits on Broadway, including last season’s Shucked, All My Sons, Carousel, The Front Page, The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Porgy and Bess. He led the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego from 1981 to 2007 and has also directed projects in London and Off-Broadway.

In addition to his work in the theater, which includes writing the score to and directing the musical Jelly’s Last Jam and directing...

The Black Women on Broadway Awards, which celebrates the legacy and achievements of Black women in the Broadway community, said Monday they are returning for their third annual in-person event June 10 at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers in New York City/

This year, Irene Gandy, Aisha Jackson and DeDe Ayite will be honored for their work at the highest level of commercial live theater in the U.S.

The show, an offshoot of the Black Women on Broadway (Bwob) Instagram account , launched in June 2020 and is led by Oscar and Tony nominee Danielle Brooks, Amber Iman and Jocelyn Bioh, who just received a Drama League and Outer Critics Circle nomination for her play Jaja’s African Hair Braiding.

“We are thrilled to be able to host the third annual Black Women on Broadway Awards Celebration. It is our goal as an organization to honor and celebrate the achievements of Black...

Buddy Adler was just two years into his brief reign as the Head of Production for 20th Century Fox in 1958 when producer Walter Wanger brought him an epic project that could potentially pull the then-struggling studio out of its box office slump. The film wound up soaring so far over budget that Fox would be forced to sell 180 acres of its Los Angeles backlot to Alcoa just to stay financially afloat.

Had Adler made "Cleopatra" on his own terms, the title role would've been a sensibly priced production toplined by one of the studio's affordable contract stars (e.g. Joan Collins or Joanne Woodward). Wanger, however, had outsized dreams. He saw the historical drama as a Hollywood epic for the ages. He believed in its potential to dominate the box office and win scores of Academy Awards. He wanted Elizabeth Taylor, arguably the most popular movie star on the planet,...

"All in the Family" might've been Norman Lear's finest half-hour as a sitcom producer, but I'm not sure he ever put a funnier show on the airwaves than "The Jeffersons." For 11 seasons, Sherman Hemsley's dry-cleaning magnate George Jefferson and Isabel Sanford's good-hearted Louise "Weezy" Jefferson led a stellar cast that delivered edgy-for-network-television laughs revolving around race, class, gender, and whatever happened to be grinding the hot-headed George's gears that particular week. It was the African-American answer to "All in the Family" (on which the characters of George and Weezy originated), and might actually be more shocking today for its fearless deployment of the n-word (particularly early in the series' run).

And if you're making a list of the most memorable theme songs in television history, "The Jeffersons" better be in the top five. Anyone who grew up watching the show in prime time or via syndication should...

Exactly 20 years after he made history as the first Black performer to win a Golden Globe for a multi-part limited series, Jeffrey Wright is widely expected to triumph on his second general notice from the same organization. According to Gold Derby’s odds, he is the frontrunner in the 2024 Best Film Comedy/Musical Actor race based on his work in “American Fiction,” which is also set to compete for Best Comedy/Musical Film and Best Screenplay. If Wright at least prevails and thereby maintains his perfect Golden Globes record, he will become the third Black winner in his category’s seven-decade existence.

Adapted from the no-holds-barred 2001 novel “Erasure,” “American Fiction” was written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker Cord Jefferson, who has collected numerous accolades (including a Primetime Emmy) for his script work on such TV programs as “Watchmen” and “Succession.” Wright leads a primarily Black cast as fictional author Thelonious “Monk” Ellison,...

Duck Dynasty and the Metropolitan Opera are two very different cultural phenomena, but they have at least one thing in common: Fathom Events, the unique and prolific theatrical distributor based in Denver.

Over the past 20 years, Fathom has mastered the art of finding audiences for one-off cinematic events, from live broadcasts of opera, stage plays and live concert pics to anniversary rereleases of classic Hollywood films. A groundbreaking partnership with The Metropolitan Opera put Fathom on the map. Launched in 2006, The Met: Live in HD program, which sees about 10 operas a year beamed into theaters on Saturdays and Wednesdays, has generated more than $205 million in box office sales and consistently lands on a weekend’s top 10 list.

The company has also made a big impression in the faith-based and anime spaces (again, two disparate genres). Fathom ranked No. 9 on the list of top distributors at the 2022 domestic box office, with...

Netflix’s “The Perfect Find” director Numa Perrier collected generational references in her film adaptation of Tia Williams’ novel.

The story follows Jenna Jones (Gabrielle Union) and Eric Combs (Keith Powers) who gravitate toward each other despite a substantial age gap and the fact that Eric is the son of Jenna’s boss Darcy (Gina Torres).

The two pair up for a creative project for Darzine, Darcy’s fashion magazine. The project, which eventually becomes “The Perfect Find” highlights fashions inspired by Black starlets of Hollywood’s past. Jenna and Eric also bond over their love for old Hollywood — like Nina Mae McKinney, who pops up throughout the film with clips from “Hallelujah!,” a Greta Garbo clip from “The Flesh and Devil” and Spike Lee’s “School Daze,” featured at a drive-in movie date.

Perrier explained the process behind making references to classic Black Hollywood, first during Jenna’s swap meet browsing,...

Revivals have been a mainstay of Broadway for decades. But it wasn’t until the 31st ceremony in 1977 that the Tony Awards added a new category honoring these productions. The nominees for the inaugural prize were “Guys and Dolls,” “The Cherry Orchard” and “The Three Penny Opera” with “Porgy and Bess” taking the honors. Other winners over the years included “The Pirates of Penzance,” “Anything Goes,” “Death of a Salesman,” “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Gypsy.”

In 1994, the category was divided into best revival of a musical with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Carousel” winning the award and “An Inspector Calls” taking home the best revival of a play honor.

This year’s nominees in both categories celebrate the work of Stephen Sondheim, Henrik Ibsen and three landmark black playwrights: August Wilson, Suzan-Lori Parks and Lorraine Hansberry. Here’s a closer look at this year’s contenders.

Best Revival of a Musical

“Into the Woods”

“Company,...

“It grabbed my heart and just shook it,” reveals Audra McDonald of Adrienne Kennedy’s searing play “Ohio State Murders.” The six-time Tony Award winner initially participated in a reading of the script over Zoom, one of many plays producer Jeffrey Richards organized during the pandemic to keep folks engaged while theater was shuttered. “When we finished, I couldn’t breathe. I was so stunned, and my soul was so shaken by what I had just read that I couldn’t let it go,” admits McDonald. The actress immediately agreed to star in the searing drama, eventually earning her 10th career Tony nomination. Watch the exclusive video interview above.

Even though it just recently debuted on Broadway, “Ohio State Murders” was first performed over 30 years ago. Its central figure, Suzanne, never leaves the stage and endures a horrific, unceasing wave of racism, misogyny, and violence. “I know that if I...

This year’s Tonys will be held on June 11, so the American Theatre Wing will likely be announcing their lifetime achievement award recipient in the near future. Who do you think should be taking home this prestigious trophy? Scroll down to let us know in our poll which behind-the-scenes creative deserves the honor this year.

The Tony for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre honors an individual’s body of work, and in some years we’ve gotten multiple recipients. Last year legendary five-time Tony winner Angela Lansbury received this honor about four months before her death on October 11 at the age of 96. The following living creatives have already received this award so they’re not eligible to be chosen again: Paul Gemignani, Alan Ayckbourn, Athol Fugard, Jane Greenwood, Sheldon Harnick, Marshall W. Mason, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Harold Wheeler, and Graciela Daniele.

Here are 10 possibilities, all of them creatives over the...

When Joni Mitchell finally took the stage near the end of an all-star tribute concert honouring her as this year’s recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, she opted to perform a cover rather than one of her own songs.

The 79-year-old music legend, who is the first Canadian and only the third woman to be honoured with the accolade, leaned against the piano Wednesday as she crooned a sultry version of “Summertime”, the popular tune from George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess”, an appropriate choice since the award was named after the composer.

But she wasn’t done. The evening’s other performers came to the stage and surrounded Mitchell as she launched into one of her more popular tunes, “The Circle Game”. Graham Nash, James Taylor, Ledisi, Cyndi Lauper, Herbie Hancock, Marcus Mumford, Brandi Carlile and others brought the crowd to their feet...

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Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’ second major temporary exhibition, opening Aug. 21, is a nuanced exploration of the ways in which Black filmmakers and performers have impacted, defined and expanded American movies. The exhibition (which was five years in the making) takes a comprehensive look at film history and Black visual culture more broadly, highlighting notable items like original costumes worn by Lena Horne in Stormy Weather (1943) and Sammy Davis Jr. in Porgy and Bess (1959), tap dance shoes from the Nicholas Brothers and one of Louis Armstrong’s trumpets.

The beginning of the show, 1898, marks the creation of “the first known moving image footage of African American performers onscreen, [seen] in a dignified way,” says Doris Berger, co-curator and vp curatorial affairs at the Academy Museum. The show concludes with material from 1971, the dawn of the Blaxploitation subgenre, acknowledging the...

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures debuts Regeneration: Black Cinema, 1898–1971 on August 21, 2022. The ambitious exhibition, on view through April 9, 2023, explores the achievements and challenges of Black filmmakers in the US in both independent production and the studio system—in front of the camera and behind it—from cinema’s infancy in the 1890s to the early 1970s.

The Academy Museum’s second exhibition in the 11,000-square-foot Marilyn and Jeffrey Katzenberg Gallery, Regeneration includes rarely seen excerpts of films, documentaries, newsreels, and home movies, as well as historical photographs, costumes, props, and posters. Regeneration will also feature contemporary artworks referencing the impact of the legacy of Black filmmaking and Ar elements designed for the exhibition. The exhibition will be accompanied by a range of film screenings, including world premieres of films newly restored by the Academy Film Archive, an interactive microsite with supplemental content, a robust curriculum to engage high school students and teachers,...

Nichelle Nichols, who broke down barriers with her portrayal of translator and communications officer Lt. Nyota Uhura in the original Star Trek TV series and later in its film franchise, died Saturday night in Silver City, N.M. She was 89 years old.

Nichols’ death was confirmed by Gilbert Bell, her talent manager and business partner of 15 years.

A popular part of the principal players on Star Trek, Nichols shared one of the first interracial kisses in television history with costar William Shatner.

Nichols also played Lt. Uhura by voicing her on “Star Trek: The Animated Series,” and appeared in the first six “Star Trek” films. She became a lieutenant commander in “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” and then a full commander in “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.” Throughout, she was a powerful symbol for African Americans and a fan favorite in the various projects.

NASA later employed Nichols...

Click here to read the full article.

Nichelle Nichols, who made history and earned the admiration of Martin Luther King Jr. for her portrayal of communications officer Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek, has died. She was 89.

Nichols, who earlier sang and danced as a performer with Duke Ellington’s orchestra, died Saturday night of natural causes, her son, Kyle Johnson, posted on her official Facebook page.

“Her light however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration,” he wrote Sunday. “Hers was a life well lived and as such a model for us all.” (Read tribute to the late actress here.)

A family spokesman told The Hollywood Reporter that she died in Silver City, New Mexico. She had been living with her son and was recently hospitalized.

Nichols played a person of authority...

Nichelle Nichols, who portrayed communications officer Uhura on the original “Star Trek” series, died Saturday night in Silver City, N.M. She was 89 years old.

Nichols’ death was confirmed by Gilbert Bell, her talent manager and business partner of 15 years.

Nichols shared one of the first interracial kisses in television history on “Star Trek.” That moment, with her co-star William Shatner, was a courageous move on the part of her, “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry and NBC considering the climate at the time, but the episode “Plato’s Stepchildren,” which aired in 1968, was written to give all involved an out: Uhura and Captain Kirk did not choose to kiss but were instead made to do so involuntarily by aliens with the ability to control the movements of humans. Nevertheless, it was a landmark moment.

There had been a couple of interracial kisses on American television before. A year earlier on “Movin’ With Nancy,...

Colin Kaepernick. Cher. George Clooney. Charlize Theron. Sherry Lansing. Dwyane Wade. Barbara Broccoli. Jennifer Hudson. This may seem like a disparate group of powerful people in the fields of entertainment and sports. But what they have in common is a deep sense of philanthropic commitment — a desire to do something beyond a photo op for the causes that matter to them. And all these people have entrusted the same organization to help them run their charities, the Entertainment Industry Foundation.

“People come to me for advice,” says Lansing, whose blockbuster charity, Stand Up To Cancer, has raised more than $746 million to fund cancer research since she and eight other women founded it in 2008. “I often say to them, ‘You should meet the people at Eif.’ “

In Hollywood, getting Lansing’s endorsement for a philanthropic organization is akin to getting a 100 percent Rotten Tomatoes score, so trusted is the former Paramount...

The Drama League Awards set themselves apart from other theater industry kudos thanks to their Distinguished Performance Award. The category generally features forty to fifty performers from both Off-Broadway and Broadway productions. Nominees encompass both lead and supporting roles from plays and musicals, and can be of any gender. When one performer rises to the top of this deep roster, they tend to be the frontrunner for one of the acting races at the Tony Awards. This year, Sutton Foster claimed the Distinguished Performance award for “The Music Man.” In the process, the Tony race for Lead Actress in a Musical was just upended.

Most Tony pundits have assumed that Lead Actress in a Musical is a two horse race up until this point. Sharon D Clarke has held a strong lead in our combined odds thanks to her formidable performance in the revival of “Caroline, or Change.” The British...

Exclusive: Producer Sam Okun and his Sam Okun Productions banner have optioned worldwide film and TV remake and sequel rights to a pair of classic films directed and produced by three-time Oscar nominee Otto Preminger: 1959’s Anatomy of a Murder and 1962’s Advise & Consent.

The former courtroom drama based on Michigan Supreme Court Justice John D. Voelker’s novel watched as an upstate Michigan lawyer defended a soldier who claimed he killed an innkeeper due to temporary insanity after the victim raped his wife. The drama starring James Stewart, Lee Remick and Ben Gazzara landed seven Academy Award nominations upon its release, including Best Picture, Screenplay and Actor.

Advise & Consent was a political thriller based on Allen Drury’s 1959 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, in which the polarizing search for a new Secretary of State had far-reaching consequences. Henry Fonda, Charles Laughton, Don Murray, Walter Pidgeon, Peter Lawford,...

Emmy, SAG, and Tony Award nominee Norm Lewis premiereda new solo concert program with The New York Pops, led by Music Director and Conductor Steven Reineke, at Carnegie Halls Stern AuditoriumPerelman Stage. One Night Only An Evening with Norm Lewis highlights Norms illustrious career on stage, including his leading turns in Les Misrables, The Phantom of the Opera, Porgy and Bess, and Sweeney Todd.

Sidney Poitier's cause of death has been determined more than a week after his passing. The legendary actor died on Jan. 6 from a combination of heart failure, Alzheimer's dementia and prostate cancer, according to a death certificate obtained by E! News. He was 94. While he had suffered from dementia and cancer for years, per the document, he experienced heart failure in the hours before his passing. The death certificate stated that Poitier passed away at his Beverly Hills home and was cremated. It also mentioned Poitier's history as an actor of 76 years. During his prolific career, Poitier starred in films such as Porgy and Bess, A Raisin in the Sun, To Sir, With...

“Sidney Poitier was the epitome of Black Dignity, Black beauty, Black pride and Black power” by “N.Y. Times” Charles M. Blow Sidney Poitier family issues statement on his death: “he is our guiding light.” “Sidney L. Poitier Kbe, February 20, 1927 – January 6, 2022, R.I.P. Sidney Poitier was a Bahamian-American actor, film director, activist, and ambassador. In 1964, he was the first black person and first Bahamian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. He received two Academy Award nominations, ten Golden Globes nominations, two Primetime Emmy Awards nominations, six BAFTA nominations, eight Laurel nominations, and one Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG) nomination. Poitier’s entire family lived in the Bahamas, then still a British colony, but he was born unexpectedly in Miami while they were visiting for the weekend, which automatically granted him U.S. citizenship. He grew up in the Bahamas, but moved to Miami at age 15, and to...

Over the holidays, TCM showed one of my favorite movies of all time, 1967’s “To Sir With Love. “ It stars Sidney Poitier as Mark Thackeray from British Guyana who takes a job as a teacher in the East End of London filled rowdy Cockney students who have little interest in their curriculum. Sir, as his class calls him, realizes that what these teens need is a course in how to make a life for themselves in the world outside a classroom.

Eventually, his pupils realize that he has their best interests at heart and they celebrate at a dance before his flock flies off into real world . Seeing a sexy and sweaty Poitier cut a rug by doing the Pony and the Jerk with Judy Geeson’s flirtatious student was just like receiving an extra surprise gift under my tree.

Little did I know that this silver screen legend, who...

Every artist hopes to make the world a better place. Sidney Poitier actually did.

It was partly timing. When the actor, who died Friday, made his film debut in 1950’s “No Way Out,” Hollywood was ready to tackle the issue of racial equality. After centuries of bigotry, 20th century mass media like radio and newsreels alerted the public to cases of blatant prejudice like the 1931 Scottsboro trial. Consciousness was slowly being raised by negative examples as well as positive ones, such as the contributions of Black people during World War II.

So Hollywood cautiously opened the gates. There were other Black actors in lead film roles, including James Edwards and Harry Belafonte, but they were rare. It was Poitier who captured the public imagination, with his soft but powerful voice, his precise way of speaking and, crucially, his integrity.

Poitier was given opportunities in Hollywood; more important is what he did with them.

Sir Sidney Poitier, the first Black man to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, has died at age 94.

Bahamas Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell confirmed the actor’s passing, saying, “We’ve lost a great a Bahamian and I’ve lost a personal friend.” (A native of Cat Island in the Bahamas, Poitier at one time served as a Bahamian ambassador to Japan and Unesco.)...

Sidney Poitier, the trailblazing and iconic Black actor, director, civil rights activist and humanitarian, has died, the Bahamian Minister of Foreign Affairs announced Friday.

Details of his death were not immediately available.

The first Black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor — for 1964’s Lilies of the Field — Poitier was towering figure in Hollywood and beyond, starring in such classics as A Raisin in the Sun, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, In the Heat of the Night and To Sir With Love, to name a select few, while taking on a global profile for his unceasing calls for civil rights, racial equality and human dignity.

Offscreen, Poitier’s work and support for civil rights in the 1960s put him at the forefront of the movement and made him one of its most prominent public faces. He attended, along with his lifelong friend Harry Belafonte, the 1963 March on Washington,...

Six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald will return to Broadway in Ohio State Murders by Adrienne Kennedy, the acclaimed playwright who will be making her Broadway debut at age 90. Kenny Leon will direct.

Kennedy, whose plays over the last six decades have included such Off Broadway Obie Award winners as Funnyhouse of a Negro, June and Jean in Concert and Sleep Deprivation Chamber, said in a statement, “I am so thrilled. It’s only taken me 65 years to make it to Broadway!”

Kennedy was honored in 2008 with an Obie Lifetime Achievement Award, and she was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame in 2018.

Production dates, casting and the creative team will be announced in the coming months. The producing team is led by Jeffrey Richards, Rebecca Gold, Jayne Baron Sherman and Irene Gandy.

Producers describe Ohio State Murders as “an unusual look at the destructiveness of racism in the United States.

Exclusive: Two of Broadway’s biggest stars – Audra McDonald and Ariana DeBose – will be the guests of the season finale of Brian Stokes Mitchell’s on demand streaming talk show Crossovers Live!, with portions of ticket sales, as always, benefitting The Actors Fund.

The season holiday finale episode is set for Monday, Dec. 20, 8 p.m. Et. A Stellar Original presentation in association with Atomic Focus Entertainment, Crossovers Live! was created and will be directed by Tom WIggin, and is designed to showcase performers who have made the jump from stage to film, television or music.

Since the monthly series debuted last June, Crossovers Live!, hosted by Mitchell, has featured such guests as Vanessa Williams, Daniel J. Watts, Marc Shaiman, Megan Hilty, Bernadette Peters, Kristin Chenoweth and David Hyde Pierce.

Blending candid interviews, rare footage and various surprises, the series is livestreamed in New York City and also available on demand.

Colman Domingo, Chris Rock, Glynn Turman and Audra McDonald will star in “Rustin,” an upcoming biopic about gay, civil rights activist Bayard Rustin. The film is the first narrative feature to be produced by Higher Ground, Michelle and Barack Obama’s production company.

George C. Wolfe, who previously oversaw “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” directs from a screenplay he co-wrote with “Milk’s” Dustin Lance Black. Netflix will release the film under their deal with Higher Ground.

The film will look at the onslaught of obstacles that Rustin had to overcome to organize the 1963 March on Washington, which was where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech. Rock will play NAACP leader Roy Wilkins; Turman will portray activist and March on Washington co-organizer A. Philip Randolph; and McDonald, will play civil rights icon Ella Baker.

Academy Award winner Bruce Cohen (“American Beauty”) and Higher Ground...

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Shopping for the right coffee table book isn’t as easy as you might think, namely because there are so many choices out there. To narrow things down a bit, you can find books that align with your personal interests. If you’re a movie fan who wants to incorporate that cinema aesthetic into your living room decor, we rounded up a list of some of the coolest coffee table books to buy right now.

From “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” (not that one!) to “Criterion Designs,” this book list blends captivating photos and illustrations with fascinating stories and fun facts that cover more than 100 years of cinema history. Find the list below,...

All products and services featured by IndieWire are independently selected by IndieWire editors. However, IndieWire may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Black romance in movies has evolved since the days of “Porgy and Bess,” “Carmen Jones,” or “Claudine,” but it’s safe to say that the ’90s and 2000s marked a particularly sweet spot for the genre. To celebrate romance movies that helped shape the perception of Black love onscreen in the last 25 years, we put together a list of seven essential films that you can stream on Amazon Prime, HBO Max, and Hulu.

See our roster of Black romance movies below, and for more recommendations be sure to read our monthly Criterion Collection picks and Spike Lee movies to watch.

“Love Jones”

Where to Stream: Amazon Prime

“Love Jones” is quintessential viewing for lovers of Black romance films.

HollyShorts Film Festival Announces Dates and Lineup

Short films starring Taika Waititi, Jessica Chastain, Tiffany Haddish and those produced by Octavia Spencer and Leonardo DiCaprio are among highlights of the Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival, running Sept. 23-Oct. 1 at the Tcl Chinese Theatres and online.

Selections include Spencer Susser’s “Save Ralph,” starring Zac Efron, Waititi and George Lopez; Aneil Karia’s “The Long Goodbye” starring Riz Ahmed; Orlando von Einsiedel’s “Into Dust” produced by DiCaprio; Aidan Tanner’s “The Sands Between” starring Chastain; Minsun Park and Teddy Tenenbaum’s “Koreatown Ghost Story,” starring Margaret Cho; Zeberiah Newman’s “Right to Try,” produced by Spencer.

Other films on the slate are: Geoff Dunbar’s “When Winter Comes”; Lindiwe Suttle Müller-Westernhagen’s “Desmond’s Not Here Anymore;” Guy Nattiv and Jaime Ray Newman’s “Life Unexpected,” Julien Joslin’s “No Longer Suitable for Use,” Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe’s Oscar-Winning “Two Distant Strangers,...

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is naming its 10,000-square foot lobby for 94-year-old screen legend Sidney Poitier, the museum announced on Monday. The museum opens Sept. 30.

“It is an incredible honor to name our grand lobby — the nucleus of the Academy Museum, in celebration of Sir Sidney Poitier, whose legacy of humanitarian efforts and groundbreaking artistry continue to inspire us all,” said Bill Kramer, director and president of the museum, in a statement. “We are deeply thankful to everyone who supported this campaign, and to Sidney, his wife Joanna Shimkus Poitier, and their entire family for allowing us this great privilege.”

Said Joanna Shimkus Poitier in the statement, “Sidney’s tremendous impact on the motion picture industry, and on audiences around the world, is inseparable from the story of his longstanding, collegial relationship with the Academy. Sidney has always taken great pride in the Academy’s recognition of this work.

The Tony Awards Administration Committee announced today that the 2020 Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre – to be presented in September – will go to Fred Gallo, President of Prg Scenic Technologies; Broadway press agent Irene Gandy; stage manager Beverly Jenkins and New Federal Theatre founder Woodie King, Jr.

“We are thrilled to recognize these deserving individuals and organizations with Tony Honors this year,” said Heather Hitchens, President of the American Theatre Wing and Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League. “New Federal Theatre, Fred Gallo, Irene Gandy, and Beverly Jenkins have made immeasurable contributions to the theatre community, and their impact will be felt for years to come.”

The Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre were established in 1990 and are awarded annually to institutions, individuals and/or organizations that have demonstrated extraordinary achievement in theater, but are not eligible in any of the established Tony Award categories.

Gallo,...

Lionsgate has acquired the rights to “Fascinating Rhythm,” the next film from “Once” director John Carney that is a musical inspired by the life of George Gershwin.

Martin Scorsese and Irwin Winkler are set to produce the film, which Carney is directing and co-writing with Chris Cluess.

“Fascinating Rhythm” is not a biopic but is described as a young woman’s magical journey through the past and present of New York City, as inspired by Gershwin.

The movie is being made in collaboration with the George Gershwin estate, which is providing the filmmakers with the rights to American Songbook standards such as “Fascinating Rhythm,” “I Got Rhythm,” “The Man I Love,” “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “’S Wonderful” and many more. It also includes the song score of “Porgy and Bess,” which yielded “Summertime,” “I Loves You Porgy” and “I Got Plenty O’ Nuttin’,” in addition to his classical works “Rhapsody in Blue,...

George Gershwin, the noted composer of “Rhapsody in Blue” and “An American in Paris,” will be the inspiration for a new musical drama from Martin Scorsese and John Carney.

Scorsese is producing the movie “Fascinating Rhythm,” named after one of Gershwin’s most recognizable songs, with Irwin Winkler. Carney, the filmmaker behind “Once” and “Sing Street,” as well as the showrunner of Amazon’s “Modern Love,” will direct the film. He’s also co-writing the screenplay with Chris Cluess.

An original musical, “Fascinating Rhythm” will draw creative influence from the life and music of Gershwin. However, the film is not expected to be a biopic. Instead, the story is centering on a young woman’s magical journey through past and present New York City. The Gershwin estate is on board and the movie will feature his music throughout.

Some of Gershwin’s best known compositions include “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off,...

Here’s a hot one. Film world titans Martin Scorsese and Irwin Winkler are teaming up with Modern Love showrunner and Begin Again director John Carney on the musical feature Fascinating Rhythm, inspired by the life and music of legendary American composer George Gershwin.

Oscar winners and regular production partners Scorsese and Winkler will produce, with Carney set to direct and co-write.

The trio have developed the original musical drama (named after the famous Gershwin song), which is described to us as “a young woman’s magical journey through past and present New York City, inspired by the life and music of American composer George Gershwin.”

We hear the Gershwin estate is on board and the film will feature the iconic composer’s music throughout.

Endeavor Content, which also developed and packaged, is out to market on the hot package.

Gershwin’s compositions spanned both popular and classical genres. Among...

Martin Scorsese and Irwin Winkler will produce

John Carney, the director of “Once” and “Sing Street,” will direct an original musical film called “Fascinating Rhythm” that is inspired by the life and music of American composer George Gershwin.

Martin Scorsese and Irwin Winkler will produce the film that they developed in partnership with Carney and Endeavor Content. It’s not a biopic but a drama about a young woman’s magical journey through past and present New York City that’s inspired by Gershwin’s music and his career and will feature Gershwin’s music throughout.

The Gershwin estate is on board with the film, and Endeavor Content is already out to market to present “Fascinating Rhythm” to buyers.

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Carney will direct and also co-wrote the screenplay with Chris Cluess.

George Gershwin is famous...

Sidney Poitier — who turns 94 on Feb. 20 — has received virtually every showbiz award possible: An Oscar, Grammy, Golden Globe, plus Life Achievement Awards from AFI, BAFTA, NAACP Image Awards, SAG and Kennedy Center Honors, to name a few. Though the kudos have been plentiful, they aren’t enough to convey the depth of his lasting impact on the entertainment industry, starting with being the first Black winner of best actor Oscar for the 1963 film “Lilies of the Field.”

The film industry’s lack of diversity is still an issue in the 21st century. But diversity was nearly non-existent when Poitier made his film debut in the 1950 “No Way Out.” There had been other Black actors in lead film roles, including James Edwards and Harry Belafonte, but they were extremely rare. And Poitier captured the public imagination like no one before him, with his soft but powerful voice and, crucially, his integrity.

Most moviegoers who witnessed the 2020 Sundance Film Festival premiere of “Palm Springs” probably did not expect that it would be the only traditional comedy nominated for Best Musical or Comedy at this year’s Golden Globes. After all, comedies (and dramedies) have disproportionately dominated the category for the past decade, while only eight musicals have managed to snag bids. However, the 2021 lineup turned out to be another deviation from the norm in a year full of them.

Joining “Palm Springs” is the unconventional mockumentary “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” which takes the subversiveness of its predecessor to a whole new level. The other three slots are filled by “The Prom,” a standard musical adaptation of the Broadway musical, “Hamilton,” a live stage recording of the legit hit, and “Music,” an original musical drama. The last time three musicals competed against each other for the top honor was in 2008, and it only happened six times before that.

Among the country’s preeminent dramatists, Suzan-Lori Parks has won a 2002 Pulitzer Prize for her play Topdog-Underdog and a 2012 Tony for an adaptation of Porgy and Bess. Along the way Parks, 57, has dipped a toe in Hollywood, as far back as 1996’s Girl 6, which she wrote for Spike Lee. In recent years, she’s ramped up her screenwriting efforts — first with Native Son, the 2019 film adaptation of Richard Wright’s landmark 1940 novel, and next with The United States vs. Billie Holiday (out Feb. 26 on Hulu). The biopic, with Grammy-nominated singer Andra Day in the title role,...

Among the country’s preeminent dramatists, Suzan-Lori Parks has won a 2002 Pulitzer Prize for her play Topdog-Underdog and a 2012 Tony for an adaptation of Porgy and Bess. Along the way Parks, 57, has dipped a toe in Hollywood, as far back as 1996’s Girl 6, which she wrote for Spike Lee. In recent years, she’s ramped up her screenwriting efforts — first with Native Son, the 2019 film adaptation of Richard Wright’s landmark 1940 novel, and next with The United States vs. Billie Holiday (out Feb. 26 on Hulu). The biopic, with Grammy-nominated singer Andra Day in the title role,...

Cristin Milioti stars opposite Andy Samberg in one of this year’s most critically acclaimed comedies, “Palm Springs,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January before launching on Hulu in July. The romantic comedy delivered Hulu its highest opening weekend viewership ever for a film, with more than 8 percent of the streaming platform’s subscribers watching within its first month of release. Now, Milioti is within striking distance of her first career Golden Globe nomination for Best Film Comedy/Musical Actress.

In “Palm Springs,” Milioti plays Sarah Wilder, a distraught woman who bonds with a man named Nyles (Samberg) at her sister’s wedding. On the verge of a drunken affair, Nyles wanders into a mysterious cave, from which he cautions Sarah to stay away. Ignoring his warning, Sarah follows him in and gets sucked into a vortex that sends her into a loop, continuously repeating one of...

Jazz drummer Jimmy Cobb, best known for backing Miles Davis on a string of iconic records, including 1959’s Kind of Blue, has died from lung cancer at age 91, NPR reports.

Cobb, born in Washington D.C. in 1929, began his touring career with saxophonist Earl Bostic in 1950. This led to a cascading series of gigs with vocalist Dinah Washington, pianist Wynton Kelly, and saxophonist Cannonball Adderley.

His most famous work arrived at the end of that decade: Along with Davis’ modal, melodic masterpiece Kind of Blue — which Rolling Stone named the...

Today we rewind to 2012 for the seventh Broadway revival of Porgy and Bess, starring Audra McDonald and Norm Lewis. The musical opened on January 12 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, where it played for 293 performances. Porgy and Bess takes place in Charleston's fabled Catfish Row, where the beautiful Bess struggles to break free from her scandalous past, and the only one who can rescue her is the crippled but courageous Porgy.