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Apple TV+ has released the trailer for “Silo” Season 2. Based on Hugh Howey’s trilogy of dystopian sci-fi novels, the second season premieres Nov. 15 with new episodes airing every Friday until Jan. 17.

According to an official logline, “‘Silo’ is the story of the last ten thousand people on earth, their mile-deep home protecting them from the toxic and deadly world outside. However, no one knows when or why the silo was built and those who try to find out face fatal consequences. Rebecca Ferguson stars as Juliette, an engineer who seeks answers about a loved one’s murder and tumbles onto a mystery that goes far deeper than she could have ever imagined, leading her to discover that if the lies don’t kill you, the truth will.”

Steve Zahn joins the Season 2 cast, starring alongside Ferguson, Tim Robbins, Common, Harriet Walter, Chinaza Uche, Avi Nash, Alexandria Riley, Shane McRae,...

America’s heartland experienced an unfathomable shock in 1995 as the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City was bombed, devastating the lives of countless local families. Nearly three decades on, An American Bombing reopens this painful chapter through sobering archival images and moving testimonies from those forever altered by the tragedy. Beyond dissecting the harrowing details, director Marc Levin casts a critical eye on how domestic terrorism becomes possible, pushing audiences to contemplate how political rifts rip communities apart and what allows hatred to take root.

The documentary begins by taking viewers into the routine morning of Kathy Sanders, whose world was shattered upon learning her two young grandsons were among the 19 children killed at the daycare center. From this gut-wrenching introduction, we then learn the attack was carried out by Gulf War veteran Timothy McVeigh, who sought retribution against the federal government. Beyond profiling McVeigh’s disturbing actions and mindset,...

"This is my life!!" Kino Lorber has revealed a new official trailer for the 4K restoration and re-release of a 1998 film titled Slam, from director Marc Levin and starring the talented actor / filmmaker / musician Saul Williams. This originally premiered back in 1998 at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won a few prizes, later playing at Cannes, Deauville, Helsinki, Toronto, and New York Film Fests that same year. "Slam is a landmark film that defies easy categorization. This emotionally powerful and technically innovative film deserves to be seen on the big screen." Williams stars as a guy named Ray Joshua who copes with urban crime and despair by competing in poetry slams. This also stars Sonja Sohn, Marc Levin, Bonz Malone, and Beau Sia. Slam has been digitally restored from the 35mm interpositive, and a new 4K Dcp created in collaboration between Sundance Institute, the Academy Film Archive, the UCLA Film & Television Archive,...

“The Big Door Prize” Season 2 Gets Trailer

Let’s see what’s behind door number two! Apple TV+ has released the trailer for the upcoming second season of its critically acclaimed comedy series “The Big Door Prize,” which will premiere on the streamer on Wednesday, April 24.

Led by Chris O’Dowd and based on the novel of the same name by M.O. Walsh, the series is set in a small town that is forever changed when a mysterious machine appears, promising to reveal everyone’s true potential. In Season 2, the residents of Deerfield ready themselves as the Morpho machine prepares them for the mysterious “next stage.”

Watch the trailer for “The Big Door Prize” Season 2 below:

In addition to O’Dowd, the ensemble comedy stars Gabrielle Dennis, Djouliet Amara, Sammy Fourlas, Josh Segarra, Crystal Fox, Ally Maki, and Damon Gupton. Season 2 will also feature Justine Lupe, Aaron Roman Weiner, Mary Holland,...

Warner Bros. Discovery has announced the movies, TV shows, and live sports that will be available on the Max streaming service in April. The Max April 2024 lineup includes the HBO original limited series The Sympathizer, the Max original unscripted series Conan O’Brien Must Go, and the HBO original comedy special Alex Edelman: Just for Us.

The April schedule also includes the HBO original documentary series The Jinx – Part Two and The Synanon Fix, the HBO original documentaries Brandy Hellville & The Cult Of Fast Fashion and An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th, season four of HBO original We’re Here, And A24’s The Zone of Interest.

Sports fans will be able to watch live games from the 2024 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship and studio coverage airing on TBS, TNT, and truTV. The coverage will include the 2024 NCAA Men’s Final Four National Semifinals and the 2024 Men’s National Championship.

Exclusive: The Dtla Film Festival has set the full feature lineup for its 15th edition, taking place at Regal L.A. Live from November 1-5, announcing the Jack Huston starrer Hail Mary as its opening night film.

Also starring Angela Sarafyan, Natalia del Riego, and Benny Emmanuel, the film from Rosemary Rodriguez is described as a genre-bending retelling of the Mary and Joseph story following an undocumented, pregnant migrant’s journey to make it safely across the U.S. border.

Nicki Micheaux’s Summer of Violence will serve as Centerpiece film for the fest, being put on in accordance with SAG-AFTRA strike guidelines, with Deborah Attoinese’s Women in Fire to close it out. Additional feature highlights include the sci-fi rom-com Molli and Max in the Future starring Zosia Mamet, Aristotle Athari, and Okieriete Onaodowan; Maxim Pozdorovkin’s animated doc The Conspiracy featuring voice actors like Mayim Bialik, Liev Schreiber,...

Exclusive: Point Road Productions, led by filmmaker Billy Raftery and NBA legend Grant Hill, unveiled a new slate of projects, including an animated series, a video game and a sports documentary.

Point Road Productions is a full-service production company that also provides gap financing and development funds, and is incubating a slate of high-profile, socially conscious and character-driven documentaries and scripted projects set to launch in Q4 2023 and 2024.

As part of its newest slate, Point Road has optioned Andrew Archer’s Edo Ball, a graphic novel that’s a collection of artwork that integrates modern basketball visuals with traditional Japanese art and aesthetics from the Edo era. They are adapting the IP into an animated series and video game. Talent will be announced in the coming weeks.

Additionally, Point Road is releasing a sports documentary, Nothing But Net, featuring NBA superstar Kevin Garnett and sports television personality Jay Bilas in a meta-cinematic approach,...

The first trailer has been unveiled for Cannes, Emmy and Peabody-winning director Marc Levin’s documentary “It’s Basic,” which will have its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival.

The film examines several pilot programs launched in the U.S. that test the effects of giving everyday people an extra $500 to $1,000 monthly, with no strings attached. It aims to present an unbiased account of the benefits, criticisms, and outcomes of providing unconditional money to people in need, and examines whether Basic Income pilot programs eradicate child poverty and level the racial playing field through community-centric solutions.

The documentary features commentary by Michael Tubbs, the founder of Mayors for Guaranteed Income. At 26, Tubbs became mayor of Stockton, California. Under his stewardship, the city saw a 40% drop in homicides in 2018 and 2019, led the state in the decline of officer-involved shootings in 2019, was named the second most financially healthy city in California and...

Slam and The Doom Generation have both been restored Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute Sundance Film Festival has announced its first films for its 2023 edition, which will run from January 19 to 29.

The festival's From the Collection screenigns of archive film will feature a 25th anniversary and digital restoration screening of Slam and the uncensored director's cut and restoration of The Doom Generation.

Slam won the Grand Jury prize in 1998. Directed by Marc Levin and written by Levin, Saul Williams, Sonja Sohn, and Richard Stratton, the film sees a young man compete in poetry slams in the face of social injustice. Gregg Araki's The Doom Generation, meanwhile, recounts the tale of a trio who go on a crime spree and first debuted in Sundance's Premieres section in 1995. The film has been remastered in 4K for an uncensored director's cut.

“Before we announce the full slate for the upcoming Festival, we...

Director Gregg Araki’s 1995 comedy-thriller “The Doom Generation” first debuted at that year’s Sundance Film Festival, setting in motion the film’s successful trajectory toward the distinction of being a cult classic. Almost three decades later, the film — now remastered in 4K and presented as an uncensored director’s cut — will be enjoyed by audiences again at the 2023 iteration of the Utah-based festival.

Also being screened for audiences is a digital restoration of “Slam,” the 1998 urban crime drama from director Marc Levin that took home the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival that same year. “Slam” and “The Doom Generation” were announced by the nonprofit Sundance Institute as the first two films in this year’s From the Collection screening line-up.

“The two restorations certainly celebrate how groundbreaking so many independent works from the 90s were, but they also remind us of how collaborative, fierce and transformative...

While your future planning probably only extends to Thanksgiving, the Sundance Film Festival is already thinking ahead to January, the 2023 edition of their festival. Today, the nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today the first two films in the lineup for the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and they are the 25th Anniversary and digital restoration screening of “Slam” and the uncensored director’s cut and restoration of “The Doom Generation.”

Directed by Marc Levin and written by Levin, Saul Williams, Sonja Sohn, and Richard Stratton, “Slam” was first introduced to audiences at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival, where it premiered in the U.S.

Continue reading Sundance Film Festival Announces Restoration Of ‘Slam’ & Director’s Cut Of Gregg Araki’s ‘Doom Generation’ For 2023 Edition at The Playlist.

The 2023 Sundance Film Festival will host special screenings of “Slam” and “The Doom Generation,” the Sundance Institute announced Wednesday.

The films, which premiered in 1998 and 1995 respectively, are the first titles announced for the upcoming festival. Both received their world premieres at Sundance — “Slam” premiered in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section and won the Grand Jury Prize, while “The Doom Generation” premiered in the festival’s Premieres section. Both screenings will take place as part of the festival’s From the Collection section, which is dedicated to rescreening notable titles that previously played at Sundance. Each screening will be followed by a panel and discussions with the filmmakers, the details of which will be announced at a later date.

“Before we announce the full slate for the upcoming festival, we are taking a moment to honor our past in anticipation of what is to come,” Kim Yutani, Sundance’s director of programming,...

Before the full slate is announced for the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, the Park City, Utah event has already teed up two movies: the 25th Anniversary and digital restoration screening of Marc Levin’s Slam and the uncensored director’s cut and restoration of Gregg Araki’s The Doom Generation.

Both titles are showing in the fest’s From the Collection section.

“Before we announce the full slate for the upcoming Festival, we are taking a moment to honor our past in anticipation of what is to come,” said Kim Yutani, Director of Programming. “Sundance has always been a place for discovery, inspired conversations, and critical reflection, all thanks to the independent storytellers we are so fortunate to encounter each year. These screenings are our opportunity to present newly restored films From the Collection, reemphasize our commitment to artists throughout their careers, and find new ways to recontextualize the work that...

Just before passes go on sale, the Sundance Film Festival has dropped the first two titles for the upcoming 2023 edition and we have a proper, refurbished version of Gregg Araki‘s seminal debut film to look forward to. The 25th Anniversary and digital restoration screening of Marc Levin‘s Slam and the uncensored director’s cut and restoration of The Doom Generation. The screenings will each be followed by conversations with the filmmakers and special guests to be announced at a later date.

Slam / U.S.A. (Director: Marc Levin, Screenwriters: Saul Williams, Sonja Sohn, Bonz Malone, Marc Levin, Richard Stratton, Producers: Henri M.…...

In-person festival runs January 19-29 with online component.

Sundance has announced the first two films in the 2023 festival’s From The Collection section – the 25th anniversary digital restoration of Slam and the uncensored director’s cut and restoration of The Doom Generation.

Marc Levin directed Slam, which premiered in U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 1998 festival and won the grand jury prize. The film exposes the structural inequity of the criminal justice system through the story of a young Black performance poet imprisoned for a petty crime who finds salvation in his rhymes. Bonz Malone, Beau Sia, Sonja Sohn, and Saul Williams star.

Many of Sidney Lumet's movies have social themes. "Network" is an eerily prescient satire of corporate media and television as a vehicle for demagoguery. "Serpico" explores police corruption and the real-life assassination attempt on the incorruptible officer Frank Serpico. This political conscience goes right back to Lumet's debut, "12 Angry Men." This story about a hung jury in a murder trial isn't just a great ensemble drama, but a powerful testament to civic duty.

However, Lumet wasn't out to make a statement when directing "12 Angry Men," he was just trying to prove himself. The film's producers took a chance on Lumet, who had only theater and television credits to his name at the time, and he wasn't about to let them down and blow his big break in the process.

Lumet's Big Break

Interviewed by Marc Levin for the Director's Guild of America, Lumet recalled how he got...

Click here to read the full article.

Meeting the Terminator

It seems implausible now, but there was once a time when a studio could force James Cameron to take a lunch. In 1982, Orion and Hemdale, the studios backing The Terminator, set the young director up on a lunch meeting with a rising European actor whom executives thought might boost their 6 million sci-fi film’s foreign box office potential: Arnold Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger’s agents wanted their client, who was transitioning from body building to acting, considered for the role of Kyle Reese, the heroic warrior from the future ultimately played in the movie by Michael Biehn. Cameron thought that was an absurd idea given Schwarzenegger’s size and background. He planned to attend the lunch to appease the studios but intended to pick a fight with Schwarzenegger to make the whole thing go away.

Instead, that lunch became the start of...

Welcome to another episode of the Scene 2 Seen Podcast! It’s your host Valerie Complex and I am back with another exciting episode.

This week, I talk to Neptune Frost co-directors American poet, musician, and actor Saul Williams, and actress, playwright Anisia Uzeyman. Frost had its world premiere last summer in the Directors’ Fortnight section of the Cannes Film Festival in 2021, before screening at Toronto and NYFF during fall of last year.

The film takes place amid the hilltops of Burundi, where a collective of computer hackers emerges from a mining community, the result of a romance between a miner and an intersex runaway. Set between states of being—past and present, dream and waking life, colonized and free, male and female, memory and prescience—Neptune Frost is a call to reclaim technology for progressive political ends. The film offers an amalgamation of many of the themes, ideas and songs...

HBO has acquired the Oscar-nominated documentary short “When We Were Bullies,” which will premiere on March 30.

“When We Were Bullies” focuses on director Jay Rosenblatt, as he tries to track down people from his 5th grade class to interview them about a severe bullying incident that occurred at their school 50 years ago. Using a mix of archival footage, animation and modern day interviews, Rosenblatt both reconstructs the event and comes to terms with his own sense of shame about what occurred.

“Everyone carries pain,” Rosenblatt narrates in the trailer for the short that HBO released. “Yet through that pain, I can see yours.”

In addition to directing, Rosenblatt wrote, produced and edited “When We Were Bullies.” The short is one of five nominees in the best documentary short category at the 94th Academy Awards.

“When We Were Bullies” will premiere on HBO at 9 p.m Et on March 30. The short...

Exclusive: Miami has become the epicenter of the cryptocurrency boom and a new docuseries will follow the bombastic individuals on the frontlines of this digital gold rush.

Portal A, the production company backed by Brent Montgomery’s Wheelhouse, has teamed with Brick City, the production company behind the eponymous Sundance doc, to produce Crypto Beach (w/t).

The series, which is being taken out to buyers in the coming weeks, will look at the rise of the digital currency, from the emergence of Bitcoin in 2009 to today’s landscape which includes thousands of decentralized currencies.

Miami has positioned itself as crypto innovation hub with Mayor Francis Suarez recently establishing his city’s very own currency, MiamiCoin, and, announcing he would take his entire salary in Bitcoin. Crypto exchange Ftx purchased the naming rights to the Miami Heat arena, and the city has recently played host to events including Bitcoin 2021, thought...

NBC announced its winter 2022 lineup, including the final season of “This Is Us,” which premieres on Jan. 4 at 9 p.m.

On Mondays starting Jan. 3 “Kenan” will air its second season with a two-episode block at 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., followed by Jimmy Fallon’s variety game show “That’s My Jam” at 9 p.m., and “Ordinary Joe” will return with new episodes on this date at 10 p.m.

In addition to “This Is Us,” Jan. 4 will see the time period premieres of “American Auto” and “Grand Crew” at 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., respectively, and the midseason premiere of “New Amsterdam” at 10 p.m.

On Wednesdays starting Jan. 5 “Chicago Med” returns to its traditional time period at 8 p.m., followed by “Chicago Fire” and “Chicago P.D.” On Thursdays, “The Blacklist” will air at 8 p.m., followed by “Law & Order: Svu” at 9 p.m. and “Law & Order: Organized Crime” at 10 p.

“I Promise,” a documentary film that tells the story of LeBron James’ efforts to close the educational achievement gap in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, is coming to the YouTube Originals channel later this month.

The film, directed by Marc Levin, premieres Thursday, Sept. 28, at 12 p.m. Et, available free to watch (with ads). Originally greenlit as a series by Jeffrey Katzenberg’s now-defunct Quibi, “I Promise” was picked up as a feature-length film by the YouTube Originals team. The 102-minute documentary from the NBA superstar premiered at the 2021 Tribeca Festival in June.

“I Promise” provides an in-depth look at the first academic year inside James’ groundbreaking I Promise School, which opened in 2018 in Akron, adopting a new model for urban public education – a Stem-focused approach led by Social Emotional Learning and the LeBron James Family Foundation’s “We Are Family” philosophy. The film explores the day-to-day trials, triumphs and...

The Criterion Channel’s stellar offerings are continuing next month with a selection of new releases, retrospective, series, and more. Leading the pack is, of course, a horror lineup perfectly timed for Halloween, featuring ’70s classics and underseen gems, including Abel Ferrara’s The Driller Killer (pictured above), Tobe Hopper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, early films by David Cronenberg, Wes Craven, and Brian De Palma, Bill Gunn’s Ganja & Hess, and more.

Also of note is a New Korean Cinema retrospective, featuring a new introduction by critic Grady Hendrix and a conversation between directors Bong Joon Ho and Park Chan-wook, whose Barking Dogs Never Bite, The Host, Mother, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, and Lady Vengeance are part of the lineup, as well as Lee Myung-se’s Nowhere to Hide, and more titles to be announced. Bong’s short Influenza will also arrive, paired with Michael Haneke’s Caché.

HBO is amplifying the message from its Michael Tubbs documentary Stockton on My Mind with the launch of its digital Action Series, an educational experience that will motivate documentary fans, social justice organizers, political activists, and community figures to follow in Tubbs’ footsteps and make a difference in their communities.

The premium cabler debuted the documentary on July 28, with the Action Series kicking off July 29 and concluding August 8.

Directed by Marc Levin, Stockton on My Mind chronicles the political journey of Tubbs, who, at 26, became the youngest and first Black mayor of his hometown of Stockton, CA. The docu follows his road to becoming mayor and explores how growing up amid poverty and violence shaped his vision for innovative change.

The Action Series programming will include topical — and very timely — discussions around the prison pipeline, voter registration/suppression and other topics, led by Tubbs,...

Exclusive: Kevin Garnett’s Content Cartel is partnering with Village Roadshow Television, Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions and Marc Levin’s Blowback Productions to develop Lo Lifes: Stealing The American Dream, a scripted series based on the story of the 1980s Brooklyn street crew.

The Lo Lifes formed in 1988 from the marriage of two shoplifting crews from Brooklyn: Ralphie’s Kids from Crown Heights, and Polo U.S.A. from Brownsville.

The group, co-founded by Victor “Thirstin Howl The 3rd” DeJesus, gained popularity in the late ’80s and “boosted” designer labels from Tri-state department stores and helped spark the urban fashion phenomenon. “From their creation to their global expansion, the Lo Lifes captured the genesis of the subversive hip-hop spirit in a totally original fashion and were the original influencers,” according to the producers.

DeJesus will executive produce the project with Garnett, Levin and Matt Mosko.

Former NBA All-Star...

Upset the setup! HBO has debuted the first official trailer for a documentary film titled Stockton On My Mind, from award-winning filmmaker Marc Levin. This was set to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival this spring. Stockton On My Mind is a "hopeful and beautiful" portrayal of how Michael Tubbs, the youngest, and first African-American mayor of Stockton, California transformed a community through his love and radical imagination for it. With Tubbs' holistic approach to change, the city has become a kind of social policy incubator, using private and public partnerships to test methods of challenging the systems that create conditions of inequality and lack of opportunity. Yes, please. "Stockton On My Mind weaves Michael Tubbs’ story together with an extraordinary group of people living in Stockton, some of whose stories echo Tubbs' own experience, and many of whom are working alongside him to reinvent the city." Damn! Sounds like...

With the Quibi short-form series I Promise, executive producer Maverick Carter aimed to spotlight the impact of education in the lives of at-risk youth, as well as the incredible achievements of educators at one particular urban public school.

Directed by Marc Levin, the series takes an in-depth look at the first academic year of Akron, Ohio’s I Promise School, examining the stories and struggles of both students and teachers within this institution.

Founded by Akron native LeBron James in 2018, the I Promise School was created to provide a familial, progressive and supportive environment, in which at-risk kids from inner-city neighborhoods could come together, learn and thrive. Helping kids to deal with behavioral and familial issues, as well as educational challenges, the innovative establishment’s long-term goal has been to improve graduation rates, and subsequently, to spark a revolution in public education.

To Carter—a longtime friend of James’, who...

The American Film Institute has revealed its full slate of films being presented online for the AFI Docs 2020 Film Festival, which will take place digitally this year. The lineup features 59 films from 11 countries and 12 virtual world premieres, with 61 percent of the films directed by women, 25 percent by Poc directors, and 14 percent by LGBTQ directors. The festival runs June 17–21, with films available to view on Docs.AFI.com. See the full lineup below.

“Now more than ever, it is important to expand our perspectives and listen to voices that may differ from our own, and this year’s festival includes a diverse range of insights and experiences for audiences to share in,” said Michael Lumpkin, AFI Festivals director. “These films explore political and social issues in the U.S. and across the globe, introducing us to the next generation of leaders and shedding new light on figures of the past.”

The...

Quibi launches today with tons of content available, and even though recent events have provided us all with a large amount of time for entertainment, that doesn’t mean you want to spend it wading through underwhelming content, even at Quibi’s easily digestible lengths. Quibi’s hook is right in the title. The service, short for “Quick Bites,” offers viewers a variety of movies, shows and news programs, all of which clock in at less than 10 minutes, perfect for short attention spans and mini-binges.

Of those made available to the press ahead of time, here are the five best shows and movies Quibi is streaming into your phone on Day One:

More from IndieWireQuibi's Debut Shows, Ranked'Killing Eve' Review: A Suitable Season 3 Settles Into an Edgeless Groove Pop Culture Randomness Finds a “Memory Hole”

If you’re the kind of person that has bits of pop culture detritus constantly...

Exclusive: Actor Ezra Miller has teamed with artist and musician Saul Williams to create the MartyrLoserKin production company. Under the newly-launched banner, the two have set their first project: a sci-fi musical titled Neptune Frost which will be directed by Williams.

Keeping in the innovative and artistic spirit of Miller and Williams, the company aims to “create and proliferate works that dismantle conventional cinematic ideological frameworks, as well as to synergistically naturalize into this industry more poetic, queer, explorative, anarchic, diverse, subversive, non-binary, aboriginal, environmental, ecological and esoterically conscious content that will speak to both the times in which we live and the forces that seek to restrict them.”

Their aforementioned first project, Neptune Frost is certainly on-brand with their inclusive, conceptual and open-minded mission statement. The sci-fi musical follows an intersex African hacker, a coltan miner and the virtual marvel born as a result of their union. Miller will produce alongside Williams.

Despite the devastating mudslides that overwhelmed the Santa Barbara, California community of Montecito last week — resulting in at least 20 deaths and the destruction of 100-plus homes — the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (Sbiff) will go on as usual. A reason to celebrate is “needed now more than ever,” wrote Sbiff director Roger Durling in a letter soon to be shared with festival-goers. He continued, “It is an opportunity for people to gather – reflect – experience – feel – and process,” noting that cinema attendance was strong during the Great Depression.

Launched in 1986, this year’s Sbiff will include films from 58 countries. Numbered among its 45 world premieres is opening night film “the public,” the first feature written and directed by Emilio Estevez since 2010’s “The Way.” Set at a Cincinnati public library, the film follows its homeless and marginalized patrons during a dangerous cold spell. The cast includes Alec Baldwin, Jena Malone (“Neon Demon...

Donald Trump’s battles with intelligence agencies and the many controversial moves by former FBI director James Comey may change the way Hollywood approaches stories from that world.

Stories of the FBI and CIA usually focus on a simple good guy/bad guy approach. The agencies, with the backing of the United States government, take on evildoers. On CBS’ “Criminal Minds,” that means chasing down brutal killers. On Fox’s “The X-Files,” that has meant exploring a shadowy conspiracy by a cabal far removed from the elected government.

But that’s all starting to change, and the battle between government officials and the intelligence community, which might have seemed an unnecessary plot a few years ago (“Wait? Who are audiences supposed to root for? Aren’t they on the same side?”) is now front and center.

Read More: FBI TV Album: From ‘Twin Peaks’ to ‘The Americans,’ Here Are The...

Inside The FBI: New York is a new documentary series on USA Network taking a never-before-seen look at the New York field office of the FBI. The series comes from Law & Order creator, Dick Wolf, and filmmaker Marc Levin, both Emmy winners. It takes a behind-the-scenes look at the operation of the New York field office of the FBI where the special agents take their job personally. Although they have a global aspect to their work, the New York field office are very much concerned with what is happening locally. They have to adapt to changing situations where just about anybody...read more...

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Here at Et, we’re obsessed with a lot of things -- and for the week of April 24 to April 30, this is what we’re most excited about:

Why We’re Obsessed With ‘The Lost Tapes: L.A. Riots’

On April 29, 1992, following the acquittal of four white Lapd officers in the beating of a black motorist named Rodney King, Los Angeles became a war zone as protestors took to the streets to stand up to the injustice that had occurred. The protests quickly turned violent, leaving 50 people dead and hundreds more in hospitals, while laying waste to parts of the city. On the 25th anniversary of the event, a trio of documentaries -- A&E’s L.A. Burning: The Riots 25 Years Later, Showtime’s Burn Motherf**ker, Burn! and The Lost Tapes: L.A. Riots -- look back on what happened during those six days. The latter...

Executive producer Dick Wolf has yet another upcoming TV series, but this one isn't set in Chicago, won't air on NBC, and isn't a scripted procedural drama. The Inside the FBI: New York TV show is a docu-series premiering on USA Network, Thursday, April 27, 2017 at 10:00pm Et/Pt. Watch a preview, below.USA Network says: "'Inside the FBI: New York' – In conjunction with the FBI, this unscripted series centers round the FBI New York Field office. Each episode will follow a division within the New York office from Counter Terrorism, Gang Units, Cyber Crimes and Human Trafficking." Marc Levin, Tom Thayer, and Mark Benjamin also executive produce.Read More…...

Dick Wolf has another new show coming — but this one’s not an NBC procedural. The docuseries Inside the FBI: New York will premiere at 10 Pm Thursday, April 27, on USA Network, the NBCUniversal-owned net said today. It also released the first promo for the series; watch it above. Wolf executive produces Inside the FBI: NY, which comes from Emmy-winning filmmaker Marc Levin. It takes an unprecedented look at the Bureau’s New York field office. “The threat’s always…...

Now in its seventh year, the New York City-based and documentary-focused film festival aptly titled Doc NYC has become a mainstay on the documentary festival circuit. Along with series like Hot Docs and the more avant-garde-heavy True/False, Doc NYC is slowly but surely becoming one of the must-attend festivals for cinephiles who have an affinity for the non-fiction side of cinema.

And yet, it’s still a festival on the come up. With only six previous iterations in its history, Doc NYC is one of the hundreds, if not thousands, of festivals or film series that make up a calendar year in New York and the film world in general. Marking this year’s event with 110 features (roughly 44% of which are directed or co-directed by women, I will add) including 18 world premieres and 19 Us premieres and even a small repertory sidebar, this is set to be the biggest and arguably best lineup yet.

Here’s your daily dose of an indie film, web series, TV pilot, what-have-you in progress — at the end of the week, you’ll have the chance to vote for your favorite.

In the meantime: Is this a project you’d want to see? Tell us in the comments.

Curious George Documentary

Logline: “Curious George Documentary” explores the extraordinary lives of “Curious George” creators Hans & Margret Rey and how their narrow WWII escape brought us the world’s most beloved monkey.

Elevator Pitch:

We all know Curious George. But what about his creators, Hans and Margret Rey? From fleeing Nazi-occupied France on handmade bicycles to encounters with exotic animals in Brazil, this mixed-media documentary explores the untold story of “Curious George” – the life-long journey of Hans and Margret Rey, whose creation continues to touch the hearts and minds of children around the world today.

Production Team:

Ema Ryan Yamazaki – Director...

A Chicago man who was featured as a symbol of hope in a 2014 CNN documentary series about violence in the city was shot and killed on Thursday, People confirms.

Lee McCullum, 22, was shot multiple times, including once in the head, and died on a Chicago street, Chicago police and the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office tell People. On Friday, the homicide remained under investigation and no one had been charged, Officer Nicole Trainor says.

McCullum, at the time a student at Fenger High School in Chicago, appeared in several episodes of the 8-part CNN series Chicagoland and was the school's prom king.

A Chicago man who was featured as a symbol of hope in a 2014 CNN documentary series about violence in the city was shot and killed on Thursday, People confirms. Lee McCullum, 22, was shot multiple times, including once in the head, and died on a Chicago street, Chicago police and the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office tell People. On Friday, the homicide remained under investigation and no one had been charged, Officer Nicole Trainor says. McCullum, at the time a student at Fenger High School in Chicago, appeared in several episodes of the 8-part CNN series Chicagoland and was the school's prom king.

A Chicago man who was featured as a symbol of hope in a 2014 CNN documentary series about violence in the city was shot and killed on Thursday, People confirms. Lee McCullum, 22, was shot multiple times, including once in the head, and died on a Chicago street, Chicago police and the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office tell People. On Friday, the homicide remained under investigation and no one had been charged, Officer Nicole Trainor says. McCullum, at the time a student at Fenger High School in Chicago, appeared in several episodes of the 8-part CNN series Chicagoland and was the school's prom king.

Academy invitee Eddie Redmayne in 'The Theory of Everything.' Academy invites 322 new members: 'More diverse and inclusive list of filmmakers and artists than ever before' The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has offered membership to 322 individuals "who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures." According to the Academy's press release, "those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy's membership in 2015." In case all 322 potential new members say an enthusiastic Yes, that means an injection of new blood representing about 5 percent of the Academy's current membership. In the words of Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs (as quoted in the press release), in 2015 "our branches have recognized a more diverse and inclusive list of filmmakers and artists than ever before, and we look forward to adding their creativity, ideas and experience to our organization." In recent years, the Academy membership has...

©Renzo Piano Building Workshop/©Studio Pali Fekete architects/©A.M.P.A.S.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced this week that the Los Angeles City Council, in a unanimous vote, approved plans for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Construction will begin this summer, and ceremonial groundbreaking festivities will occur this fall.

“I am thrilled that Los Angeles is gaining another architectural and cultural icon,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “My office of economic development has worked directly with the museum’s development team to ensure that the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will create jobs, support tourism, and pay homage to the industry that helped define our identity as the creative capital of the world.”

“We are grateful to our incredible community of supporters who have helped make this museum a reality,” said Dawn Hudson, the Academy’s CEO. “Building this museum has been an Academy...

Strangely dropping a press release on a historic day where the nation's attention is elsewhere, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed their annual list of new member invitees this morning. For those who criticize the makeup of the Academy there was some good news and the stark realization the organization still has a long way to go. The Academy has spent the last eight to 10 years attempting to diversify its membership and this year's class mostly reflects that. There are significantly more invitees of Asian and African-American descent, but the male to female disparity is still depressing. Out of the 25 potential new members of the Actor's Branch only seven are women. And, no, there isn't really an acceptable way for the Academy to spin that sad fact. Additionally, It's important to realize the 322 people noted in the release have only been invited to join Hollywood's most exclusive club.

The International Documentary Association (Ida) announced nominations for the 2014 Ida Documentary Awards today, with awards being bestowed December 5th at the Paramount Theatre on the studio lot. The top films nominated in the best feature category include the critically-acclaimed Citizenfour from filmmaker Laura Poitras about Edward Snowden and the state of surveillance of civilians post 9/11 which has been enjoying a theatrical run and Nick Broomfield’s Tales Of The Grim Sleeper about the serial killer who terrorized South Central Los Angeles over 25 years. In the limited series category is Playtone’s CNN doc The Sixties, among others. Best episodic include Oprah Winfrey’s Master Class and HBO’s Vice exec produced by Bill Maher (and others). In addition, Robert Redford will receive the Career Achievement award from the Ida.

Winners in the Best Feature and Best Short categories are selected by Ida’s international membership. Screening committees of industry professionals based in New York City,...

One of the key awards at Cannes is the Camera d'Or, launched in 1978, which goes to the best film from a first-time filmmaker in the Official Selection, La Semaine de la Critique and Directors’ Fortnight. Past winners include Benh Zeitlin, whose 2012 "Beast of the Southern Wild" went on to nab Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay and Actress, as well as Jim Jarmusch ("Stranger than Paradise," 1984), Mira Nair ("Salaam Bombay!", 1988), John Turturro ("Mac," 1992), Marc Levin ("Slam," 1998), Miranda July ("Me, You and Everyone We Know," 2005), and Steve McQueen ("Hunger," 2008). It's a career launch prize. In 2014, fifteen films will be vying for the Camera d'Or award to be presented during the Awards Ceremony on Saturday May 24th. French director Nicole Garcia will preside. Here's the jury: Nicole Garcia, President, actress and director Richard Anconina, actor Gilles Gaillard, technician Sophie Grassin, journalist and critic Héléna...

Looks like a deep-dish double whammy today for CNN’s Chicagoland. First the 8-part docu series produced by Robert Redford‘s Sundance Productions got caught in a media hailstorm for being too chummy with one of its main subjects, Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Now the ratings are in for last night’s finale, and it ain’t pretty. Featuring an appearance from Windy City native Michelle Obama, the cable news series from filmmakers Marc Levin and Mark Benjamin drew 325,000 total viewers — a series low — and 132,000 adults 25-54 in its 10 Pm slot. Those numbers are well behind the 1.22 million total viewers and 244,000 in the demo that Fox News Channel‘s Sean Hannity drew in the time slot and behind the 648,000 total viewers and 202,000 25-54s that MSNBC’s Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell pulled in. Related: Media Shocked – Shocked! – To Learn CNN’s ‘Chicagoland’ Cajoled/Coordinated With Mayor Emanuel’s Office Matching Chicagoland’s April 10 performance,...

New York -- Casting is in place for the world premiere of Holler If Ya Hear Me, the Broadway musical about the struggle of inner-city lives, inspired by and set to the music and lyrics of rap legend Tupac Shakur. Story: Tupac Shakur Musical 'Holler If Ya Hear Me' Sets Broadway Plans Heading the cast of the non-biographical musical drama is Saul Williams, the recording artist and leading figure in the slam poetry movement who turned heads as star and co-writer of Marc Levin's Slam. That 1998 film won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance and the Camera d'Or award for

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Mariska Hargitay plays a sex crimes detective on Law and Order: Svu, but now the actress is taking her support for victims to another level by producing an upcoming documentary about rape kit backlog.

The documentary, Shelved, will focus on the many rape kits Detroit has failed to analyze and what can be done to stop the backlog from continuing. Rape kits are procedurally given to rape victims immediately after the reported crime and, when analyzed, often lead to identifying the DNA of the alleged attacker and then to the ultimate conviction of that individual. But according to The Detroit News,...

CNN's new eight-part docuseries “Chicagoland,” debuting Thursday, will be a lot more impressive if you've never seen “Brick City.” The filmmakers behind that masterful Sundance Channel series, Marc Levin and Mark Benjamin, have joined with Robert Redford on “Chicagoland,” which explores the problems facing America's third-largest city. In “Brick City,” the blueprint for the new show, Levin and Benjamin dissected Newark, N.J., a once-hopeless place that has made real improvements since “Brick City” first aired in 2009. Also read: ‘Brick City': What Reality TV Should Be (and Mark Zuckerberg, Too) “Brick City” is probably the best docuseries I've ever seen,...