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Entertainment tech company Gathr has announced a full Api (Application Performance Interface) integration with Artinii.Pro, a software service aimed at secure delivery and exhibition of films worldwide. Gathr and Artinii.Pro’s new collaboration combines film booking, event management, ticketing, and exhibition into a “fully automated system for non-theatrical screenings.”

“This partnership exemplifies Gathr’s mission to remove the barrier between storyteller and audience by empowering filmmakers, connecting audiences, and transforming how independent films are experienced globally,” said Gathr founder and CEO Scott Glosserman. “Our unique approach ensures that even in countries where certain web browsers and third-party video players are restricted, audiences can still host screenings and engage with impactful content.”

Films slated for global screenings and discussions under the new collaboration include Monument Releasing’s “Dinner in America,” Vanessa Hope’s “Invisible Nation,” and Stephen Maing’s “Union.”

Friday, March 7 Marc Maron Documentary ‘Are We Good?’ to...

SXSW has announced new keynotes and featured speakers for its 39th edition.

Keynote additions include Insecure‘s Issa Rae, Signal President Meredith Whittaker, and the duo of actor Joe Manganiello and Ben Lamm, founder and CEO of Colossal Biosciences. Newly announced featured speakers include the creators and stars of HBO’s The Last of Us; video game creator Hideo Kojima (Death Stranding); Rivian CEO Rj Scaringe; food critic and creator Keith Lee; former late-night host Conan O’Brien; Kevin Bacon; comedian and After Midnight host Taylor Tomlinson; and singer-songwriter Andrew McMahon.

As previously announced, others set for Keynotes at this year’s SXSW include Creedence Clearwater Revival’s John Fogerty, Bluesky CEO Jay Graber, and Ibm Chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna. SXSW 2025’s opening session will feature Kasley Killam, Mph, a social health expert and author of The Art and Science of Connection.

SXSW is taking place in Austin, TX from...

Mentorship and building a network that cultivates sustainable careers is at the core of Hoorae Media, the independent production company founded by Issa Rae. And that ethos continues with the company’s talent management firm ColorCreative, which takes on a “360” approach to reveal its clients’ full potential.

ColorCreative began as a networking space where Rae and cofounder Deniese Davis passed along constructive career advice to emerging creators in the entertainment business following the success of Rae’s hit YouTube series “The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl.” In 2019, ColorCreative hired its first manager, Ashley Calloway, and that’s when a seedling of an idea bloomed into the two plotting their own stake in the talent management industry.

Today, Talitha Watkins serves as president and head of ColorCreative Management.

“Issa and Deniese [were] kind of looking at what was there and saying, ‘Hmm, I wonder if we turn this into a full-fledged management company?...

Can television have its own New Hollywood moment?

Much like movies such as Bonnie and Clyde, The Graduate, Rosemary’s Baby and Easy Rider took the late 1960s by storm, a group of writers and directors are hoping that their own independent TV projects can break through and find their way to the small screen amidst the current Hollywood contraction.

After a number of web series such as Issa Rae’s The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl, Broad City and High Maintenance were turned into TV series over the past decade, writers and directors hoped that this would lead to more.

However, the rise of streaming originals saw the business go the other way, with incredibly expensive dramas and comedies, often led by movie stars, taking over. This trend is now waning and a new generation of creators hopes that cost-conscious companies will now pay more attention to their projects instead.

For Issa Rae, music has always been an extra cast member on the call sheet.

The nine-time Emmy nominee has used music as a storytelling tool, extending the voices of her complex and comedic characters — from the groundbreaking series Insecure and to her current adventure Rap Sh!t to the web series that launched her career, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl.

“Music elevates the storytelling of everything. I write to music, [and] you can have a scene that plays out great but music will add that little bit of tension, or that spark, or that feeling. It will cement a scene in your brain,” she tells The Hollywood Reporter. “There are so many songs that I associate with specific scenes that have also, in turn, affected my life and my memories, and it just adds an extra feeling to that song. So, they really work hand-in-hand beautifully.”

Rae is so...

Issa Rae has been named creative director for the 2024 American Black Film Festival (ABFF), the annual film festival presented by Nice Crowd.

“Throughout the course of her career, Issa Rae has made an indelible impact within the entertainment ecosystem ranging from her wide array of roles – in front of and behind the camera – to her fierce advocacy for equitable representation and opportunities for Black creatives,” said ABFF co-founders and producers Nicole and Jeff Friday, in a statement announcing Rae’s appointment.

“We couldn’t think of a better partner to help us continue to embody the ABFF mission of showcasing Black talent — and discovering and amplifying new voices,” they added.

In the newly created role, Rae will work closely with the Fridays to program the lineup for the festival’s 28th edition, which will take place June 12-16, 2024 in Miami Beach, Fl.

“As one of the first major festivals to showcase my work,...

Spoiler Warning: HBO's InsecureInsecure was HBO’s 2016 comedy-drama series starring co-creator Issa Rae. The award-winning show is based on Rae’s 2011 project, The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl, and follows Issa Dee (portrayed by Rae) and Molly Carter (Yvonne Orji) as they explore their identities and roles as Black women in America. Audiences and critics praised Insecure for its well-written characters, engaging storylines, and authentic depictions of African-American women navigating corporate America and the modern dating scene.

With Insecure recently being syndicated and airing two episodes back-to-back on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) three years after its series finale, it is safe to say the comedy-drama has made its mark on pop culture. But what was so special about Insecure that Winfrey’s network decided to air re-reruns of the show? Was it the cast of characters, the comedic timing of the actors, the writing, or all three? Let's examine...

Exclusive: Deniese Davis and her Reform Media Group banner have entered into a development deal with Tyler Perry Studios. The pact covers TV, unscripted, and first-look feature film projects with the aim of bringing more diverse storytelling across both television and film. In addition to the deal announcement, Reform also announced Monday that it has hired Melora Rivera as a producer.

“I could not be more excited to be joining forces with Deniese Davis and usher in a new era at Tyler Perry Studios, where we invite creatives to have the freedom to tell the kind of stories that they truly believe in,” Perry said.

It is rare for Tyler Perry Studios to enter into deals with other creators/writers/producers. Perry has one other deal with former Lionsgate executive Tim Palen. The two teamed to create Peachtree & Vine Productions, a non-exclusive joint venture focusing on film, television, and digital scripted and non-scripted content.

Mosaic has signed multi-hyphenate actor, director, and writer Sujata Day for representation in all areas.

Day’s directorial debut “Definition Please” was recently acquired by Ava DuVernay’s Array and is currently streaming on Netflix. The indie film earned multiple awards on its festival circuit including the Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature at San Francisco Caam Fest, Best Feature Film at Indian Film Festival of Cincinnati, and Outstanding Directorial Debut Award at the South Asian Film Festival of America. Day also received the Special Jury Award for Fresh Narrative Voice at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. For her work illuminating race and mental illness on film, Day was additionally profiled for NBCUniversal News Group’s Inspiring America series.

“Definition Please” follows Monica (Day), a former Scribbs Spelling Bee champion in the U.S. who must reconcile with her estranged brother when he returns home to help care for their sick mother.

“Insecure” creator and star Issa Rae has been named the recipient of the Producers Guild Awards’ 2022 Visionary Award.

The Visionary Award honors producers across television, film or new media who share inspiring, uplifting stories that add unique value to society and culture. Past recipients include: Octavia Spencer, Kenya Barris, Ava DuVernay, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner’s Plan B Entertainment, Illumination Entertainment’s Chis Meledandri, Laura Ziskin and Participant Media’s Jeff Skoll.

Rae first garnered attention for her web series and subsequent best-selling book, “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl.” She created and stars in HBO’s “Insecure,” which just concluded its fifth and final season in December. Rae has received multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for the show. On the film side, Rae appeared starred in “The Hate U Give” and “The Lovebirds.”

Up next, Rae is developing several projects under her overall deal with HBO and HBO Max,...

Ten years ago, Issa Rae debuted a new character on her YouTube channel with the blunt introductory line, “My name is J and I’m awkward and Black,” and thus kicked off her 25-episode series “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl.” Taking inspiration from a Clutch article (“Where’s the Black version of Liz Lemon?” by Leslie Pitterson) and her own life experience, Rae used the videos to present an authentic look at the lives of millennial Black women in America. The series’ popularity over its two-year run eventually led to the HBO adaptation “Insecure,” which premiered in the fall of 2016. With the show now in the midst of its fifth and final season, Rae is looking to finally earn the recognition of her peers by becoming a Screen Actors Guild Award nominee.

Rae began creating YouTube content in 2007, the same year she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University.

Issa Rae has unveiled the soundtrack for the next soundtrack to her Peabody-award-winning HBO series “Insecure,” which features new songs from Saweetie — “Get It Girl,” which dropped earlier this month — Nnena, Thundercat, B.K. Habermehl, TeaMarrr and Amindi, among many others. The full tracklist appears below.

“Insecure: Music From The HBO Original Series, Season 5” will arrive on Rae’s Atlantic-distributed label, Raedio, on Dec. 3.

On December 5th, Los Angeles-based Insecure fans will have the opportunity to participate in a scavenger hunt at select locations from all of the seasons of Insecure. Each location will feature interactive audio, photo and visual experiences for the soundtrack, podcasts and sneak peaks for the upcoming podcast We Stay Looking. Fans who participate in the Scavenger Hunt will have the chance to win round-trip flights, a hotel stay, and tickets to experience a special Raedio curated weekend in DC this March 2022. To join, fans can text...

Issa Rae has unveiled the soundtrack for the next soundtrack to her Peabody-award-winning HBO series “Insecure,” which features new songs from Saweetie — “Get It Girl,” which dropped earlier this month — Nnena, Thundercat, B.K. Habermehl, TeaMarrr and Amindi, among many others. The full tracklist appears below.

“Insecure: Music From The HBO Original Series, Season 5” will arrive on Rae’s Atlantic-distributed label, Raedio, on Dec. 3.

Also, Nnena, Habermehl and TeaMarrr will perform on a special “Insecure”-themed NPR Tiny Desk concert that will air on Dec. 17.

Launched in 2019, Raedio serves artists and creators at the highest level as an “audio everywhere company,” according to its mission statement. The label also is a platform to align acts with film and television projects, commercials, podcasts, and other endeavors.

Nnena – Fun

Nick Hakim / Josh Levi – What’s The Use?

Thundercat – Satellite

Drew Love ft. Josh Levi – Snoring

Saweetie – Get It Girl

Jessie Boykins / Duckwrth / Ambre...

Wrapping up production on “Insecure” in June was an emotional experience for writer and executive producer Amy Aniobi. Not only was the beloved HBO comedy ending, but world events made production even more complex.

“Creating that final season in a pandemic felt like the hardest thing any of us had ever done,” Aniobi tells Variety. “It was just like pulling teeth to be funny when you’re sad, but I think we pulled it off.”

Fortunately, the cast and crew of “Insecure” feels like family — Aniobi and creator-star Issa Rae have known each other since Stanford, first teaming up for “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl” web series, and now working on the new HBO Max comedy “Rap Sh*t” in Miami, which is where Aniobi Zooms in from. But, she notes, not every young writer has that support system, which became increasingly apparent after the murder of George Floyd.

“It was such a dark time,...

WME has signed director, writer and actor Sujata Day for representation in all areas.

Day has starred as CeCe in Issa Rae’s The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl and appeared throughout three seasons on HBO’s Insecure. She honed her improv comedy and sketch-writing skills at Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre and regularly performs in Ucb’s hit Asian Af show.

Her narrative short film, Cowboy and Indian, sold to a major studio for series development with Day writing, executive producing and starring. Additionally, she directs This Is My Story, a poignant series in which beloved storyteller LeVar Burton narrates real life personal experiences of everyday ...

WME has signed director, writer and actor Sujata Day for representation in all areas.

Day has starred as CeCe in Issa Rae’s The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl and appeared throughout three seasons on HBO’s Insecure. She honed her improv comedy and sketch-writing skills at Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre and regularly performs in Ucb’s hit Asian Af show.

Her narrative short film, Cowboy and Indian, sold to a major studio for series development with Day writing, executive producing and starring. Additionally, she directs This Is My Story, a poignant series in which beloved storyteller LeVar Burton narrates real life personal experiences of everyday ...

Hours before the dawn even considers cracking, Issa Rae is awake. The weekday routine is as follows: At 4:20 a.m., she sets out on an hourlong walk, alternating between two routes. With AirPods in and podcasts playing, Rae whips down quiet Los Angeles roads lit only by streetlamps, sometimes passing by a house she grew up in, before beginning her day. This is how Rae keeps her sanity, though when we meet on a Tuesday in early March, she confesses the regimen has been upended.

“I hadn’t done my walking since January,...

After four sometimes awkward and often acclaimed seasons on HBO, Insecure will come to its conclusion with the upcoming fifth season.

“Prentice and I are so grateful that HBO believed in our show from the beginning and kept faith in us to see our vision through the end,” co-creator and star Issa Rae told Deadline today of the Emmy nominated comedy she executive produces with Prentice Penny.

“We always planned to tell this story through five seasons, but we couldn’t have made it this far without the tremendous support of our audience,” the best selling The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl author and recently minted Television Academy Executive Committee member added.

“I feel blessed beyond measure to bring our characters’ stories to an end, on-screen at least.”

With all its scripts completed, the fifth and final season of Insecure is expected to go into production later this month. Starring its lead cast of Rae,...

"For me, my longevity will be opening the door for others." Issa Rae has built her ever growing entertainment empire on taking a chance on emerging talent—much like Pharrell Williams did when he helped bring her web series, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, to the mainstream. In fact, it's what brought Issa and Yvonne Orji together long before their onscreen friendship in Insecure took a turn for the worse during season 4 of the hit HBO series. Before Insecure's 2016 premiere, Issa convinced HBO execs to cast Yvonne—who at that point in her career had never...

Giant publisher Condé Nast today named Dawn Davis editor-in-chief of Bon Appétit, several months after previous editor Adam Rapaport resigned amid a blackface scandal and complaints of racially insensitive behavior at the publication.

Davis, who starts Nov. 2, was most recently vice president and publisher of 37 Ink, an imprint of Simon & Schuster that she founded. Conde Nast praised the 25-year industry vet as “an award-winning publisher and storytelling advocate who, for over two decades, has championed and elevated underrepresented voices.” In her new role, she will oversee the editorial vision of Bon Appétit and Condé Nast other food brands Epicurious, Healthyish and Basically across digital, video, Ott, social and print.

“A proven trailblazer in publishing and known for her innovative approach, Dawn’s ability to find emerging voices and give them the platforms to transform our society is unparalleled,” said Roger Lynch, CEO of Condé Nast.

Rapoport resigned June 8 after...

Season 4 of Issa Rae’s Insecure premiered on April 12 and based on the discussion between Issa and her Bff Molly (Yvonne Orji) at the end of the episode, their friendship journey is about to hit some rough waters — some really rough waters.

Rae built a following with her web series The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl which later grew into an HBO series we now know as Insecure. Since its first episode in 2016, Rae’s character (who is also named Issa in case you don’t watch) has mirror-rapped her way to give us a whole new mood when it comes to millennial life, portrayal of the Black community, and Los Angeles — the show has also given us so many songs to add to our playlists.

More from DeadlineHBO Europe Enlists Spanish Directors To Film Short Stories At Home For Lockdown Anthology SeriesCoping With Covid-19 Crisis: Postponed Asian American Film...

Kobalt today announced a worldwide publishing deal with Emmy-nominated actor-producer-writer Issa Rae’s company, Raedio Publishing, LLC. The global partnership with Raedio includes creative and administration services, which includes providing guidance and funding on new Raedio signings, pitch Raedio’s writers, artists and library for synchronization opportunities and provide admin services, according to the announcement.

Rae has maintained a close connection to the music world throughout her career. Her Peabody Award-winning HBO series “Insecure” has featured the work of female, independent or Los Angeles-based artists including Jazmine Sullivan, Sza, City Girls, Saweetie, Radiant Children, and more. Indeed, Rae’s emphasis on the importance of soundtracks dates back to her early web series, including “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl.”

Last fall, her Raedio label struck a partnership with Atlantic Records, which kicked off with today’s release of the new single, “Kinda Love,” by singer-rapper TeaMarrr. Formed in 2019, Raedio serves...

Image Source: Getty / Monica Schipper

Issa Rae is at the top of her game, though the 34-year-old actress, writer, and producer might beg to differ. On June 23, the Insecure star opened up about her hustle-and-grind mentality and her eagerness to keep breaking barriers in a panel discussion moderated by her friend Amy Aniobi - who is also a writer and executive producer for Insecure - at Popsugar Play/Ground. During the chat, Issa dished on her determination to keep setting new goals for herself with each step in her career. "I always think about what I want to do next," she said. "I want to be able to create other people's projects, finance other people's projects, have a studio, [and] do things outside of entertainment."

Issa's big break dates back to her popular 2011 web series, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, followed by a steady ascent to stardom that has yielded admirable accomplishments.

Each year, the Women in Film gala supports the org’s foundation, which advocates for gender parity for women throughout the entertainment industry, while also supporting various educational and philanthropic efforts in Los Angeles.

The 2019 edition, taking place June 12 at the Beverly Hilton, will honor Amy Poehler (Entrepreneur in Entertainment Award), Issa Rae (Emerging Entrepreneur Award), Elizabeth Debicki (Max Mara Face of the Future Award) and Cathy Schulman (Crystal Award for Advocacy in Entertainment Award). Xosha Roquemore (“The Mindy Project”) will serve as host at the event, which was formerly known as the Wif Crystal + Lucy Awards.

“In the last 18 months, there’s been a significant earthquake in the discussion of how men and women interact while working in the entertainment industry,” says Women in Film board president Amy Baer, who also serves as gala co-chair. “By re-naming the gala, we all felt strongly that it would promote a full...

Image Source: Getty / Michael Loccisano

I was 20 years old when Issa Rae's The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl aired its first episode on YouTube. Before discovering the web series, I had never met a character that genuinely made me feel seen. A young black woman who's just awkward enough to be different, trying to make it through uncomfortable everyday situations, and has a penchant for creating raps that allow her to express her feelings? I may not be able to rap, but I feel all of that. So, to be a fan and see the progression of Rae's career since that award-winning series has been not only a gift, but a tale of inspiration.

It's been eight years since Awkward Black Girl first aired on YouTube and Rae doesn't show signs of slowing down anytime soon. The actress, writer, director, producer, and web series creator (did I mention how much she loves to work?...

“Breaking Black” is a weekly column focused on emerging black talent.

“Girls Trip” screenwriter Tracy Y. Oliver got a career by getting mad. Before she became the co-star, writer, and producer on fellow Stanford University alum Issa Rae’s web series “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl,” she watched the 2009 ensemble rom-com “He’s Just Not That Into You” starring Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connelly and Scarlett Johansson. The film was set in Baltimore, which has a population that is 64% black and 30% white.

That let to a spec script: “Marriage Is for White People.” She said she wrote it in jest, but it stemmed from a very real response. “It had an all-white cast, which made little sense to me,” she said. “Baltimore is very black, and it felt like an aggressive erasure of people of color. So instead of just being upset about it, I thought, let me...

HBO has given a series order to A Black Lady Sketch Show, a half-hour sketch comedy starring and executive produced by Robin Thede (The Rundown with Robin Thede) and executive produced by Insecure‘s Issa Rae.

Created, written by and starring Thede, A Black Lady Sketch Show will be breaking new ground in sketch comedy TV. It will feature narrative sketches performed by a core cast of black women, including Thede, as well as celebrity guests. The show also will be written and directed by an array of black women.

Lauren Ashley Smith, who was head writer on Thede’s Bet! late-night show The Rundown with Robin Thede, will serve in the same capacity on A Black Lady Sketch Show. She also will co-executive produce.

Thede executive produces with Rae via her Issa Rae Productions, Dave Becky and Jonathan Berry for 3 Arts Entertainment as well as Tony Hernandez and Brooke Posch for Jax Media,...

Issa Rae is celebrating the success of Insecure and she couldn't be more grateful. In addition her Lead Actress in a Comedy Series nomination at the Emmys, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl author is up for the Female TV Star of 2018 for HBO's Insecure at the People's Choice Awards. If that wasn't enough, the hit series also scored its own nomination for the Comedy Show of 2018 at the PCAs. "That's such an honor because obviously that comes directly from the people," the Insecure executive producer, writer and star gushed to E! News at Rihanna's Diamond Ball on Thursday. "With the Emmys, that's something that is just huge in the television space so I'm...

Congress now has less than two months to reinstate net neutrality after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) repealed the Obama-era order.

They must act.

The FCC repeal allows internet and mobile service providers (ISPs) like Comcast and Verizon to discriminate against publishers, from Netflix, YouTube, and Vimeo, charging them higher carriage fees. It allows for what is called “zero-rating,” where ISPs like At&T that own content companies like DirecTV can make it free for their customers to watch their own products while charging for data usage from its competitors. It will continue the practice of tiered pricing, where we as consumers can be charged more based on the data we use.

The repeal of net neutrality will kill the TV revolution few people are paying attention to. Most of the media interest in net neutrality has focused on how big companies like Netflix can reach customers without having to charge us more.

E! Host Guiliana Rancic asked “Insecure” creator Issa Rae what she’d title her memoir during an interview on “Live from the Red Carpet” at the Golden Globes. Trouble is, Issa Rae already wrote a best-selling memoir. “I’ve got to ask you, you have been so busy lately, you really have so much going on,” Rancic said to Rae during a red carpet interview. “A lot of the work you do is somewhat autobiographical. If you were to write a memoir, an autobiography, what would the name be?” Rae’s book “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl” was published in 2015. She deftly.

195 Lewis, a web series directed by Chanelle Aponte Pearson and created by Rae Leone Allen, premieres tomorrow night at 8:00 Pm at the show’s website. Last year, when the series was in production, we interviewed Pearson, and she discussed her own motivation for joining the project: At the time of joining the project as director, I used to watch The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl and The Couple, so I largely understood the format to work best for comedies with episodes ranging from two to five minutes. Despite knowing this, I still entered the writing process not focusing on […]...

Issa Rae is one of the six names in entertainment being celebrated at the inaugural IndieWire Honors on Nov. 2. Her voice and creativity showcased on HBO’s “Insecure” has earned her the Vanguard Award for television.

The success of Issa Rae takes on even more symbolism right now. Her HBO comedy “Insecure” is the story of a young woman, living in the big city, and trying to figure it all out — while often getting it wrong. Rae said she realized that the obstacles that come with being a woman in this society couldn’t be ignored on her show either.

According to Rae, her show’s writing staff has been sharing and discussing the recent litany of stories about how the industry’s misogynistic culture allowed for high-profile figures to commit sexual harassment and assault, and the unfair pressure put on women in Hollywood.

“In our writers’ room it’s mostly comprised of women,...

IndieWire, the definitive outlet for creative independence in film and TV, will launch IndieWire Honors — celebrating six of the biggest names in entertainment with an event November 2 in Los Angeles as well as video coverage and interviews with the honorees that will be featured on Indiewire.com.

“For more than 20 years, IndieWire has celebrated the fresh talent who help advance unique and original storytelling,” said IndieWire Editor in Chief Dana Harris. “This event highlights the best and brightest who remain true to their voice.”

“At the heart of this event is IndieWire’s mission to advocate for distinctive artists who push boundaries,” said IndieWire Publisher James Israel. “We couldn’t be more pleased to have this amazing group for our first IndieWire Honors.”

Selected by IndieWire’s editorial team, the first-ever honorees are familiar names on the cusp of even greater success. They include:

Mary J. Blige — Breakthrough Performance (Film...

Issa Rae has gained a huge following due to her role on the HBO series Insecure, and it's not hard to tell why. Aside from being an extremely talented actress, she's also just an incredibly inspiring human being. The 32-year-old isn't afraid to speak up on important issues like sexism and the need for more diversity on television. As you patiently wait for the return of her hit show, get to know her even better with these key facts. She was named after her grandmothers. Bet you didn't know that Issa goes by a stage name. Her full birth name is Jo-Issa "Issa" Rae Diop. Her first name, Jo-Issa, is after her grandmothers Joyce and Isseu, while her middle name, Rae, is after an aunt, who was also an artist. She went to Stanford University. In 2007, the actress graduated with a degree in African and African-American studies at the private university.

Paramount Network (currently Spike) and Paramount Television have tapped Girls Trip co-writer Tracy Oliver to pen First Wives Club, a half-hour TV series based on the 1996 Paramount Pictures movie.

A First Wives Club reboot was originally developed and picked up to pilot by TV Land last year with a different writer. While the network passed on the pilot, the project was kept alive and moved to Paramount Network for redevelopment. Paramount Network, slated to debut Jan. 18 as Viacom’s leading scripted cable brand, also took in newly picked up TV Land series Heathers and American Woman, which will be part of the network’s inaugural slate. This marks Par Network’s first collaboration with sibling production company Par Television.

The First Wives Club series, like the film, which starred Diane Keaton, Bette Midler and Goldie Hawn, will be based on New York City. It will follow a group of women...

Issa Rae has nothing to be insecure about. She's gorgeous. She's ambitious and accomplished, growing the YouTube series The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl into the Golden Globe-nominated HBO sitcom, Insecure. And, the writer's beauty is an authentic expression of who she is: a black woman that doesn't quite fit into mold. Thankfully, instead of trying to blend, she leans further into what makes her different, wearing a layer of confidence that pushes the boundary of what we believe is beautiful (despite the title of her hit show). This is why Issa Rae more than deserves to be a Covergirl. This week, she announced that she will be joining Sofia Vergara, Janelle Monae, Katy Perry and Drew...

Issa Rae is the new face of Covergirl!

The creator and star of HBO’s hit series Insecure just unveiled the news about her first big-time beauty deal on Instagram with the popular drugstore makeup brand, which couldn’t be a more perfect fit for the actress.

“I remember being an awkward black girl in high school, reading the pages of my favorite magazines, casually flipping through @Covergirl ads, singing their slogan in my head. Never Ever in my life did I imagine I’d be one. I am So honored and So excited for what’s to come,” Rae captioned her Instagram photo.

Issa Rae didn't find out how her dad, a Senegal-born doctor, felt about her HBO series Insecure until a couple months after the first season wrapped. In fact, she thought he might hate it. "Then in our family group chat, he dropped a really inappropriate reference about Lawrence's back shots to Tasha," she says with a laugh, referring to the shocking, explicit finale scene where her character's ex-boyfriend rebounds with his bank teller. "I was like 'Wow, he made it to the finale! That's cool! This is not the place to show me,...

Still awkward. Still semi-single. Still expressing the depths of her neurotic soul by doing freestyle raps into the bathroom mirror. Issa Rae blew up last year with Insecure, one of 2016's most impressive rookie comedies. But the HBO show's new season is even sharper – you can tell right off the bat that her confidence is pumped up, and she's taking even bigger emotional and comic risks.

Rae began chronicling her adventures on her web series The MisAdventures of Awkward Black Girl, but she's barrelling through adulthood here, as she fumbles...

Four old college friends take a trip to New Orleans in this raunchy, freewheeling comedy

There are four members of the “Flossy Posse”: Ryan (Regina Hall), “the second coming of Oprah”, regal and never more beautiful (“It’s like travelling with Beyoncé!” one character remarks); uptight single mum Lisa (Jada Pinkett Smith); gossip-blog maven Sasha (Queen Latifah); and foul-mouthed party girl Dina (Tiffany Haddish, a rollicking, scene-stealing presence). College besties who haven’t reconnected in five years, they take a girls’ trip to the Essence festival in New Orleans for a weekend of raucous, boozy fun – and fun it is.

Directed by Malcolm D Lee of The Best Man films, and written by Kenya Barris (black-ish) and Tracy Oliver (The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl), the film’s female-led cast and barrage of raunchy gags will inevitably draw comparisons with Bridesmaids, but its bombastic set pieces, freewheeling energy and...

She may be known for being hilariously unsure of herself, but Issa Rae is actually pretty confident these days.

Thanks to Insecure, her bitingly smart, semi-autobiographical HBO show, back for its second season, the creator, writer and star is feeling more secure than ever. “I’m doing what I love with who I love and I feel good at it,” she tells People in this week’s issue, opening up about her amazing journey.

The only thing she’s not too sure about is her mom Delyna watching the show. “I don’t think she should watch this season,” she says,...

Fans may be upset over HBO's Insecure being excluded from the Emmys, but show creator and star Issa Rae is using it as fuel to work even harder.

Rae, 32, told Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live that while a nomination "would have been great," she was quickly "over it."

Related: 13 of the Biggest 2017 Emmy Snubs and Surprises

"It would have been great for the exposure of the show, but I was over it after a minute," the writer-director said. "We really stand behind this second season. We're so excited about it, and it motivates us to work harder next year to get noticed."

The star also paid tribute to her hit YouTube web series The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl by dishing on a series of awkward celebrity encounters.

"I held his hand for far too long, stared in his eyes and then collapsed to my knees after he left," Rae told Cohen...

What may be the only HBO show that doesn’t have a massive budget for fake blood is returning this summer for season two. First coming to attention with her web series “Awkward Black Girl” that earned 25 million views, and then writing the Nyt bestselling memoir “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl,” Issa Rae created the fantastic HBO series “Insecure.” Tackling issues of race, identity, sexuality, and other complex matters with both sensitivity and wit, it’s a unique show with a powerful voice behind it.

Continue reading Issa Rae Grows Up In New Trailer For ‘Insecure’ Season 2 at The Playlist.

Despite her brand of awkwardness and insecurity, a sleep-deprived Issa Rae is pretty confident these days. Well, mostly. “Sometimes I feel like Khaleesi and other times, I’m like, ‘Who are you, girl? Take a nap,’” she tells Et over the phone between editing sessions for the second season of Insecure, which returns on July 23.

Co-created by Rae and Larry Wilmore, the HBO comedy explores the black female experience as Issa (a character played by Rae, not the real person -- but more on that later) and her best friend Molly (Yvonne Orji) navigate work and relationships in south Los Angeles. The show -- an extension of Rae’s hilarious web series The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl -- debuted its acclaimed first season in October. Six months after the finale aired, Rae’s already turning around another eight episodes, leaving her to only catch three hours of sleep a night.

Born to an American...

Good Universe, Mr. Mudd announce feature debut from Me And Earl And The Dying Girl author and screenwriter Jesse Andrews.

Issa Rae, the co-creator, co-writer, executive producer and star of HBO comedy series Insecure, has boarded the show.

Golden Globe-nominated Rae will play a reclusive kindred spirit on a month-long cruise in Empress Of Serenity who encounters a man played by Hader who is determined to win back his ex-wife.

Production is scheduled for an August start.

Rae first earned mainstream attention for her web series The Misadventures Of Awkward Black Girl. Her first book is a collection of essays under the same title.

Stephen Chbosky will produce alongside Mr. Mudd’s Lianne Halfon and Russell Smith after collaborating on The Perks Of Being A Wallflower.

Nathan Kahane and Joe Drake of Good Universe will serve as executive producers alongside Mr. Mudd’s John Malkovich. Erin Westerman is overseeing for Good Universe.

Dan Freedman of [link...

It’s a painfully funny way to look at stereotypes.

HBO Home Entertainment is set to release the first season of Insecure on Blu-ray and DVD tomorrow.

The comedy series is created, written and starring Issa Rae (The Misadventures Of Awkward Black Girl).

The series look at the honest depiction of a modern-day African-American woman and the everyday challenges she faces. It follows the best friends Issa (Rae) and Molly (Yvonne Orji) navigating in the professional and person environment of Los Angeles as they try to overcome all stereotypes of two black women.

It explores the black female experience in a subtle, witting and authentic way, while pulling their lives together.

The Blu-ray and DVD will inclue a free digital download copy. It features all eight episodes, along with bonus content. There is an exclusive and extended look at Insecure characters’ favorite reality TV show “Conjugal Visits.”

Jay Ellis (Lawrence...

As the nation becomes increasingly divided, a small piece of encouraging news comes from, of all places, Nielsen: A new study shows that several programs predominantly African-American casts also boast a large percentage of white viewers.

The new roster of diverse series that have found cross-cultural appeal include ABC’s “Black-ish” and HBO’s “Insecure.” Around 79% of the”Black-ish” audience is non-black, while the “Insecure” audience is 61% non-black.

“Black-ish” is a huge hit for ABC: It stars Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross as parents of a growing family who struggle to create a sense of black identity for their kids while living in a wealthy, predominantly white neighborhood. “Insecure,” created by Issa Rae and inspired by her web series “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl,” is about a young African-American woman in Los Angeles, her friendships, and how it’s sometimes hard to make the right decisions.

Both shows...

Hollywood is a notoriously difficult place for young, on-screen talent to find success. Actors fight to get the best agents, pass around head shots, and rush to cattle-call auditions filled with similar-looking folks characterized by age, gender, hair color, build, and so-on. Success is often defined by booking a few gigs, getting to know key casting agents, staging a one-person play, landing a recurring role – ultimately getting recognized for the breakout performance that launches them to stardom.

While there are many success stories from this path, it is remarkably difficult for people to stand out, much less for studios and filmmakers to identify transcendent talent in a sea of sameness. This, is the old model.

Enter YouTube.

The media giant who over the past decade has been rapidly evolving and driving new forms of storytelling and viewing behavior. Thanks to YouTube, there is more content available than ever before, and...

Aymar Jean Christian is part of the inaugural class of Peabody Fellows, distinguished media scholars who provide fresh perspectives and commentary on behalf of the Peabody Media Center, the outreach and media production arm of the prestigious awards program based at the University of Georgia. He is an assistant professor of communication studies at Northwestern University.

You know you’re a TV nerd when your most anticipated awards announcements are the Writers Guild Awards. TV is a writer’s medium. Every TV fan awaits the Emmys, and some even bother to care about the Golden Globes, but most don’t know the major Guilds give out statues to television producers.

Nerdier still, I’m most interested in the nominees almost nobody writes about: web original short form comedies and dramas.

So while you probably could not imagine my disappointment when the WGA released their nominees for original short-form new media this year,...

Loyal fans of HBO’s breakout hit Insecure are well aware of writer-actress-creator Issa Rae‘s star power.

The 31-year-old L.A. native is up for her first-ever Golden Globe award for her role as Issa Dee in the buzzy new comedy series, which follows its 20-something protagonist as she navigates life, love and career all while being “awkward,” as she so often proclaims.

“I’m coming on the narrative of black women are constantly portrayed now — which is amazing — as flawless and fierce, and I remember just not feeling that way,” Rae told The Breakfast Club. “There’s a...