News

My good people, we are finally in the midst of Detty December! For this month’s column, I’ve compiled a list of concerts, festivals, and fetes across Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa where you can catch some of the hottests acts and hear some of the best music, like Everyday People and Days Like This, two traveling parties making multiple stops on the continent.

But first, some context: Across many African nations – and most famously in the pop culture capitals of Lagos, Nigeria, and Accra, Ghana – December into...

In the Sixties and Seventies, Sly Stone and his band invented an undeniable cocktail of pop, soul, and psychedelia on hits like “Dance to the Music,” “Hot Fun in the Summertime,” “Family Affair,” and more. But Stone also grappled with drug addiction for decades, which is clear from the first sentence of his upcoming memoir: “I decided to get clean on the fourth visit.”

Co-written with Ben Greenman, who has also worked with Questlove on his books, Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) (Auwa Books, Oct. 17) traces Stone’s...

On Election Day 2016, Rachel Crooks went to bed without watching the results. A friend texted her in the middle of the night. “It was something ambiguous, maybe just the word ‘sigh,’ ” Crooks says. “I knew what it meant, but I didn’t want to believe it.”

Weeks earlier, Crooks had accused Donald Trump of forcibly kissing her while she was a 22-year-old receptionist at Trump Tower in New York. She recognized Trump and introduced herself with a handshake. He didn’t let go, she said, instead kissing her on each cheek,...

“En la comunidad hay poder. En los números hay fuerza.” Translated to English, this line means “There’s power in community. There’s strength in numbers.” Spoken in first trailer for En el Séptimo Día, this sentiment embodies the essence of Jim McKay’s newest film. Having spent the past few years directing various high-profile television shows like The Good Wife and Mr. Robot, McKay has finally returned to independent filmmaking for the first time since 2005 – and what better time than now to craft a film that speaks to the importance of community within minority groups.

En el Séptimo Día tells the story of a group of undocumented immigrants as they navigate their full-time jobs throughout the week – ultimately leading to Sunday, the day they spend together playing soccer in Sunset Park. When team captain José (Fernando Cardona) is scheduled to work on the upcoming championship Sunday, both he and...

In today’s film news roundup, documentaries on Sly Stone and a Wisconsin police killing are moving forward and a CEO is named for the Afm & SAG-AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund.

Documentaries

Network Entertainment and filmmaker Derik Murray have acquired the rights to produce a feature documentary on the life and legacy of musician Sylvester Stewart, better known as Sly Stone.

Production on the film has commenced, with the filming of an exclusive interview with the traditionally reclusive Stone.

“In the annals of pop music, certain artists are more than just innovators and more than just icons. Certain artists are avatars — the manifestation of an idea,” said Murray. “For Sly Stone, that idea was to create a diverse band that embraced a kaleidoscope of musical and cultural styles, that stand unparalleled to this day.”

“Sly Stone” will trace the musician’s journey from child prodigy to stardom to...

The most satisfying aspect of “En El Séptimo Dia” (“On the Seventh Day”), Jim McKay’s first feature in 12 years, stems from the way it combines a simple premise with profound concerns. Set across one week in the life of a Mexican immigrant in Brooklyn, it harkens back to classic neorealist traditions by providing a window into the everyday challenges of a lower-class existence all too often ignored in mainstream cinema. At the same time, it positions the drama as a feel-good crowdpleaser, a rousing sports movie about characters trapped by their surroundings and galvanized by their communal spirit.

It doesn’t take long to establish the plight of José (Fernando Cardona, a non-professional newcomer like the rest of the cast), who works a bland job as the deliveryman at a Mexican restaurant in Brooklyn’s Carroll Gardens when he’s not leading his soccer team to a championship in...

Top 32 contestants vie for spots in the top 16.

By Adam Graham

Paula Abdul with guest judge Pharrell on the "X Factor" on Sunday

Photo: Fox

The second half of the final 32 "X Factor" acts performed in front of the judges at their respective homes on Sunday's episode, vying for spots in the top 16. Those 16 will compete in the show's live episodes and ultimately battle it out for a $5 million recording contract.

The judges were joined by celebrity consultants for this round. Rihanna partnered with L.A. Reid at his home in the Hamptons to evaluate the boys; Pharrell Williams helped Paula Abdul critique the groups in Santa Barbara, California; and Enrique Iglesias assisted Nicole Scherzinger while she evaluated the over-30s at her home in Malibu, California. Over in France, Simon Cowell was joined by a team of industry professionals to assess the girls after his original co-judging choice, Mariah Carey,...

Some films out on DVD/VOD today that you may want to check out this week…

First, The Inheritance… the story of five ambitious cousins who set out in a winter storm to a reunion at the family estate. They hope to please the elders and secure their inheritance, a fortune that dates back to days of slavery. Their Uncle Melvin welcomes them with open arms, but warns them to respect their family traditions. During the weekend, as each of the cousins mysteriously disappears, they learn the truths about their family legacy, blood ancestor, and the ultimate sacrifice they must make in exchange for their beloved inheritance.

The film was produced by Effie Brown and her Duly Noted production company. For those unfamiliar with either name, some titles Brown has produced in recent years include, Stranger Inside (directed by Cheryl Dunye, 2001); Real Women Have Curves (directed by Patricia Cardosa, 2002); and...

In this corner….!

Though I hate to recommend anything in place over Regina King’s Southland, tonight on FX is the debut of the new boxing drama Lights Out starring Holt McCallany (who was wonderful as the right-hand baddie in 2010′s The Losers) as Patrick ‘Lights Out’ Leary, an aging former heavyweight boxing champion who struggles to find his identity and support his wife and three daughters after retiring from the ring. Financial problems leave him at a perilous crossroads – battling the urge to return to boxing or reluctantly accepting a job as a brutal and intimidating debt collector.

Though for our purposes here, it also stars Billy Brown as ‘Death Row’ Reynolds, Leary’s rival, his Apollo Creed if you will. Brown has been in the acting game for some time now. His most most recent film was, Race to Witch Mountain, alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. He also...

My post just below this one (on the lady – Cynthia Stafford – who won the lottery and started a film production company) led me to this film – My Place In The Horror, a horror/thriller that, if you read the post, would know that Stafford executive-produced, and likely financed, to the tune of $500,000, as IMDb Pro states.

The film was produced by Effie Brown (also a black woman) and her Duly Noted production company – an 8 or so year old venture. For those unfamiliar with either name, some titles Brown has produced in recent years include, Stranger Inside (directed by Cheryl Dunye, 2001); Real Women Have Curves (directed by Patricia Cardosa, 2002); and Everyday People (2004, Jim McKay). Brown later served as executive producer on In the Cut (2003, directed by Jane Campion). And there are others… she’s been around, and certainly has a resume to prove it.

I found a teaser trailer for My Place In The Horror,...

NEW YORK -- A host of faves from festivals over the past year -- including the Sundance standout DIG! and Toronto pickups Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring and The Story of Weeping Camel -- have been selected to screen in this year's New Directors/New Films Festival, thrown by the Film Society of Lincoln Center. The festival launches March 24 -- with Jim McKay's Everyday People, from HBO Films, serving as the opening-night feature -- and runs through April 4. A total of 22 features were selected.