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Maxine Productions, the company behind Investigation Discovery’s Quiet on Set and The Fall of Diddy, has hired Anneka Jones as EVP Development and Current.

Jones was previously Chief Content Officer at The Circus producer Left/Right.

In the new role, she will be tasked with expanding the Sony Pictures Television-backed company’s development slate and will also oversee current series and feature productions.

Maxine Productions was founded by Mary Robertson, who previously worked with Jones when she was showrunner of The New York Times Presents, which was produced by Left/Right for FX. Its slate includes a series about Oren, Tal and Alon Alexander, two high-profile real-estate agents and their brother, who were recently charged with sex trafficking, that it is producing with Charlize Theron’s Secret Menu and Vox Media.

Other credits for Jones includes Showtime’s This American Life; Apple TV+’s Gutsy, hosted by Hillary and...

Today, Prime Video released the official trailer and key art for the upcoming highly anticipated docuseries Shiny Happy People: A Teenage Holy War.

The three-part docuseries, executive produced by Blye Faust and Cori Shepherd, the award-winning team behind Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets, premieres on July 23 on Prime Video.

Directed by the Oscar-nominated, Emmy-winning filmmakers Nicole Newnham and Cori Shepherd, Shiny Happy People: A Teenage Holy War focuses on the controversial organization Teen Mania, once America’s largest youth ministry, which attracted millions through their wildly popular stadium shows known as “Acquire the Fire.”

The series bursts with peak Millennial nostalgia and cringe, featuring colossal stadiums filled with teens enraptured by religious rock anthems, inspired to swear purity oaths and eagerly embark by the thousands on culturally questionable global missions.

But beneath the wholesome youth group illusion lies a darker undercurrent: a high-pressure pipeline of brutal spiritual boot camps,...

Emmy-winning writer, producer and actor Lena Waithe has signed on to executive produce the documentary feature “Move Ya Body: The Birth of House” from filmmaker Elegance Bratton.

The film documents a group of friends out of the underground dance clubs on the South Side of Chicago as they turn a new sound into a global movement. In the chaos of Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey Park, a teenage usher named Vince Lawrence witnessed the fiery backlash against disco—a sound that defined freedom and pride. Undeterred by the hostility, Vince used his earnings to buy a synthesizer, setting in motion a journey that would change music forever.

“I am incredibly grateful for Lena’s support as we continue to bring the story and music of ‘Move Ya Body’ to audiences,” said Bratton. “Lena has an undeniable love for storytelling, music and dance which mirrored the vision we had when we...

Jane Rosenthal is taking the pulse of the nonfiction feature space — and it doesn’t look good. The mega-producer and Tribeca co-founder told Variety during a recent interview that she is “worried” about how documentaries are faring, especially amid the current political climate and rise in streaming.

When asked how the “business” of documentary films are going — citing how the Tribeca Festival is known for spotlighting pioneering docs — Rosenthal lamented that perhaps the golden age of political documentaries has passed.

“I’m worried about that space,” Rosenthal said. “Fewer places are buying hard-hitting documentaries. If it’s about true crime, you’ll get a deal someplace. The bigger platforms — Netflix and Amazon — want more celebrity stories and sports stories. But for political stories, it’s harder to find a home.”

It’s a concern that many documentaries and distributors alike have also voiced: “We are caught in this terrible place...

On May 15, following the 7 p.m. performance of Redwood, Dr. Chelsea Clinton, vice chair of the Clinton Foundation, participated in a discussion on addiction and recovery. She was joined by Dr. Chinazo Cunningham, commissioner of New York State’s Office of Addiction Services and Support, and David Wilke, vice president and chief development officer of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. The conversation was moderated by Sean Daniels, founder of the Recovery Arts Project. Check out photos below! The Clinton Foundation’s Overdose Response Network, which began in 2012, has worked to address the overdose crisis through partnerships that expand access to naloxone, build faith-based support networks and train community leaders in prevention and recovery strategies. Clinton acknowledged the role of the arts in supporting these efforts, saying in a...

When Martin Scorsese’s book club read Argentinian author Ariana Harwicz’s novel Die, My Love, about a new mother living in the countryside who unravels when she develops post-partum depression, the director immediately envisioned a film version in which Jennifer Lawrence, with whom he was keen to work, would play the lead.

Itwas the summer of 2020 and Scorsese sent the novel to Lawrence’s New production outfit Excellent Cadaver that she runs with Justine Ciarrocchi.

“He was adamant no-one could pull off Grace like [Lawrence] could,” Ciarrocchi told Screen.

Five years later the film debuts tonight (May 17) in Cannes Competition,...

Redwood will host two special post-show talkbacks ahead of the show’s final Broadway performance as follows: On Thursday, May 15 following the 7 pm show, Dr. Chelsea Clinton, Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation, will join Dr. Chinazo Cunningham, Commissioner of the New York State’s Office of Addiction Services and Support, and David Wilke, Vice President and Chief Development Officer of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation for a post-show conversation on addiction and recovery, moderated by Sean Daniels, Founder of Recovery Arts Project. The Clinton Foundation's Overdose Response Network has worked since 2012 to fight the overdose crisis -- forging partnerships to bring lifesaving naloxone to first responders, health departments, and recovery organizations; convening diverse coalitions of faith leaders to build support networks...

"Saturday Night Live" has been a comedy institution since 1975. It's helped launch the careers of some of the biggest names in the entertainment business, from Bill Murray to Adam Sandler, and brought quotable lines like "Schwing!" and "We are two wild and crazy guys!" to the modern pop culture lexicon. Even if you don't watch regularly, there's a good chance "SNL" has influenced your life in one way or another, and plenty of folks likely have fond memories of watching the show growing up.

But as is the case with anything that's been around for several decades, not everything from "SNL" has aged so well. The late night sketch series has its share of moments it'd probably want you to forget, many of which were hilariously eulogized during the "SNL 50" anniversary celebration. Whether it's jokes that have aged poorly or gags that should have been instantly questionable, to the point...

Tamron Hall has made history as her self-titled program is Disney’s second-longest running syndicated talk show. She recently celebrated another milestone when she hit 1,000 episodes. Since premiering in 2019, that equated to more than 80,000 studio audience members affectionately called “Tam Fam” members and 8,000 guests. On top of that, 45 emerging designers have enjoyed the platform to show their looks on the Up-and-Coming Designers Runway. Not to mention 13 Daytime Emmy nominations and two wins for Hall as Outstanding Informational Talk Show. Robin Roberts of Good Morning America stopped by to celebrate during the 1,000th episode on March 31 in an emotional scene. Roberts has been among a long list of famous faces who has joined Hall for often deep conversations with everyone from Mary J. Blige and Lucy Hale to Deion Sanders and Chelsea Clinton. Then there was that time Hall met up with the “Queen of Daytime” herself Oprah Winfrey during Oprah’s 2020 Vision Tour.

Welcome back, Insiders. Jesse Whittock here taking you back over the week Netflix one-shotted its way to a TV hit and Asian film buyers decamped in Hong Kong. Sign up for the newsletter here.

‘Adolescence’ Is Not Just For Teens

Grown-up TV: If such an award existed, Netflix would have taken home last year’s crown for word-of-mouth TV hit of the year for Richard Gadd’s Baby Reindeer. It may only be March, but the streamer looks to have repeated the trick in 2025. Adolescence, the four-part drama starring Stephen Graham and breakout teenager Owen Cooper, has topped the streamer’s charts in 71 countries after launching on March 13, while amassing a flawless set of reviews. The show has currently got a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 98%/9.2 out of 10, ranking it among the best television shows of this century. As Katie Campione wrote Tuesday, it was watched 24.3 million times around the world over its first few days.

Jon Bernthal isn’t just an actor — he’s a powerhouse on screen. Whether he’s in a gritty drama or a high-octane action flick, Bernthal’s intensity makes him impossible to ignore. He’s the kind of performer who doesn’t just play a role; he dives right into it, making every character feel real and raw.

You’ve probably seen him stealing scenes in films like Fury and The Wolf of Wall Street. But for many, he’s best remembered as Frank Castle in The Punisher. While others like Dolph Lundgren and Thomas Jane have donned the skull logo, Bernthal’s take on the vengeful vigilante hit differently — it is darker, deeper, and packed with emotional weight. Before that, he made waves in The Walking Dead as Shane Walsh, the hot-headed survivor who kept fans on edge.

With over 20 years in the industry, Bernthal has built a career on intense,...

Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has warned against striking a deal with Russia to end the Ukraine War that does not hold the instigators of the 2022 invasion and perpetrators of war crimes to account.

“Everybody would hope that the war in Ukraine could come to an end, and the unjustified suffering of the Ukrainian people could be ended,” Clinton told an event at the pro-democracy Cinema for Peace World Forum in Berlin on Monday.

“But there is no peace without justice; there’s no peace without accountability, and there is no peace without every effort undertaken to end the impunity of those who ordered this invasion and those who perpetuated the killings and the war crime.”

Clinton was speaking in a Q&a for UK director and cinematographer Laura Warner’s Ukrainian war crimes documentary The Cranes Call, organized at the French embassy in Berlin as part...

Reports of the demise of South by Southwest’s music element seem to have been exaggerated, with SXSW organizers clarifying that while next year’s event will be shorter, its music presence will not be diminished.

A spokesperson for SXSW confirmed that the festival is reconfiguring as the Austin Convention Center is set to shut down for renovation. As such, SXSW 2026 will be two days shorter, cutting into what has traditionally been the festival’s music-focused second weekend. (Since 1987, a music conference with four days of programming has taken place on Wednesday through Saturday.) But next year’s event will feature an additional night of music, melding into SXSW’s film and television programming.

“We are really excited about the plans for SXSW 2026” a SXSW spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter. “With the Austin Convention Center closing down for three years, we believe it’s a great opportunity to put new ideas into action.

The Cranes Call, a documentary on war crimes in Ukraine directed by Laura Warner and produced by Hillary and Chelsea Clinton’s HiddenLight Productions, will go out worldwide via direct-to-consumer film and event platform Gathr, the producers unveiled Monday.

Warner and Hillary Clinton will present the documentary at the Cinema for Peace World Forum on Monday timed to the Gathr release.

The doc, described as a “real-time crime thriller set in a war zone,” follows war crimes investigator Anya Neistat and her team as they track down survivors of the Russian invasion of Ukraine who are courageous enough to stand against Russian commanders and soldiers accused of war crimes — including rape, torture and murder — against themselves and their families. Neistat is joined by Solomiia Stasiv, a young Ukrainian woman who had begun working in the field following the full-scale Russian invasion on Feb. 24, 2022.

Evan Williams produced The Cranes Call, with...

Greg Propper’s Propper Daley has been acquired by strategic communications and public affairs firm Bully Pulpit International.

Propper Daley will transition to the BPI brand immediately, and 25 staffers will integrate into BPI’s U.S. organizational structure. Propper Daley’s noted entertainment philanthropy practice, however, will continue to operate as Propper Daley BPI, and the division joins recent acquisitions Boldt BPI, Message House BPI, and Seven Hills BPI as part of the umbrella group. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Propper Daley — a culture-first social impact agency that collaborates with brands, philanthropies, advocacy organizations and individuals to drive change — has roots in Los Angeles and Miami, leading BPI to expand in those key markets. BPI’s transatlantic team includes over 350 communications, creative, measurement and media professionals across six countries and 14 offices.

“An effective campaign combines the best of communications and marketing with the power of influence, partnerships, and creators of culture,...

[This story contains major spoilers from the Zero Day finale.]

Zero Day ended with a shock when Robert De Niro’s politician did the right thing.

As a former U.S. president pulled back into politics to investigate the perpetrators of a deadly cyberattack, De Niro’s George Mullen put aside pressure from both the show’s current president (played by Angela Bassett) and his own wife Sheila Mullen, played by Joan Allen, to not tell the country the full truth of what he uncovered. That truth would be informing Americans about a homegrown attack involving Big Tech, but also elected officials like Speaker of the House Richard Dreyer, played Matthew Modine, and Mullen’s own idealistic daughter, Rep. Alexandra Mullen, played by Lizzy Caplan.

But in the end, that’s exactly what he did. He told the country the truth and faced the consequences. Mullen’s daughter turns herself in, and his wife leaves him; the...

Lara Trump, the daughter-in-law of President Donald Trump and former co-chair of the Republican National Committee, is joining Fox News to host a new weekend show.

Trump’s show, My View with Lara Trump, will air at 9 p.m. Et Saturdays starting February 22.

Lara Trump, who is the wife of Eric Trump, previously had been a paid contributor for Fox News but left in 2022 after Donald Trump launched his presidential campaign. She also has hosted a web series, The Right View, since 2020.

Suzanne Scott, CEO of Fox News Media, said in a statement, “A gifted communicator who knows how to connect to the viewers, successful entrepreneur and working mother, Lara’s innate understanding of the American public and today’s political landscape will be a compelling addition to our weekend lineup.”

Related: 2025 Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming

Trump’s new assignment is the latest example...

In a surprise move, Fox News Channel is giving President Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump her own program.

She will host a weekend show for Fox News, My View with Lara Trump, which will run Saturday evenings at 9 p.m. beginning Feb. 22.

“I’m thrilled to bring my voice back to Fox News, talk directly with the American people, and highlight what makes this country so great,” Trump said in a statement. “As I cover the success of The Golden Age of America, I look forward to where this time will lead our country and where this opportunity will lead me in the future.”

“A gifted communicator who knows how to connect to the viewers, successful entrepreneur and working mother, Lara’s innate understanding of the American public and today’s political landscape will be a compelling addition to our weekend lineup,” Fox News president Suzanne Scott said in a statement.

Exclusive: Hillary Clinton’s HiddenLight is behind a Sky History documentary series about the Kursk submarine disaster that will for the first time feature her husband Bill Clinton.

Airing later this month, Kursk: 10 Days That Shaped Putin will forensically examine events that started in August 2000 after an explosion onboard the Kursk submarine trapped a group of Russian submariners at the bottom of the Barents Sea. The series questions why Russia’s military and political establishment took so long to alert President Putin to the disaster and took days to accept international assistance, whilst the families of the 118 submariners desperately waited for information.

Kursk: 10 Days That Shaped Putin will feature first-hand testimony from those involved including Bill Clinton, who was U.S. President at the time. Bill Clinton will for the first time be appearing in a show produced by the company run by his wife and daughter. The two-parter will...

Almost as soon as Donald Trump was sworn in late last month, the president, Elon Musk, and their allies embarked on a smash-and-grab-style blitz of purges and hard-right ideological enforcement that brought so much of the federal government to a screeching, tumultuous halt. Trump’s rule by self-inflicted chaos trickled down to the Federal Aviation Administration (Faa) in the Department of Transportation, where even air traffic controllers and airport control towers across the country have not been able to escape the torment of a hyper-maga onslaught.

Over the past two long weeks,...

The 32nd edition of SXSW running March 7-14 in Austin, Texas, will open with the Apple TV+ series The Studio starring Seth Rogen and brings world premieres of new films from Nicole Kidman, Rosamund Pike, Ben Affleck, and Paul Rudd.

Rogen stars as the frazzled head of fictitious Continental Studios in The Studio, which debuts on the platform on March 26.Rogen co-directed with Evan Goldberg, and co-wrote with Goldberg and others. The cast includes Catherine O’Hara, Ike Barinholtz, and Katheryn Hahn, with cameos from A-listers.

Anticipated feature highlights include Headliners selections Holland from Amazon Studios, a thriller starring Kidman and...

SXSW has announced a third round of artists who will be performing at the festival in Austin, Texas this year. The 2025 event will include Jack’s Mannequin, Sunflower Bean, and Holy Fuck, who have performed at SXSW in the past, along with newcomers like Mexico’s alt-maverick Nsqk, J-Pop boy band Psychic Fever, rapper Samara Cyn, and more.

Earlier, this week, the festival also shared some of its keynote speakers: The roster includes John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival and Bluesky CEO Jay Graber. Other featured speakers who attendees can...

SXSW has added new Keynotes and a third round of Featured Speakers for its 39th edition. Keynote speakers are Grammy winner John Fogerty and Bluesky CEO Jay Graber.

“Whether it be insights from the CEO of one of the fastest-growing social media platforms or tales from a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, the unique perspectives showcased each March is what makes SXSW such an exceptional event,” said Hugh Forrest, president and chief programming officer. “Jay Graber and John Fogerty are excellent additions to what is developing into a fascinating Keynote Speaker lineup.”

Fogerty and Graber join the previously announced Ibm chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna as keynote speakers for the festival, which runs March 7-15.

The Featured Speakers announced today include President and CEO of Qualcomm Incorporated Cristiano Amon; co-Chairman, Disney Entertainment Alan Bergman; professor, podcast host, New York Times bestselling author, co-founder of HiddenLight Productions and Vice Chair...

CBS has handed a pilot order to Zarna, a multi-camera comedy starring stand-up comedian Zarna Garg. The project, written by Garg and The Big C creator Darlene Hunt, comes from Mindy Kaling‘s Kaling International, Kevin Hart‘s Hartbeat and Warner Bros. Television, where Kaling International is under an overall deal.

Zarna has been on a priority track since landing at CBS for development in September in a competitive situation. It quickly emerged as one of Wbtv’s strongest broadcast prospects this season, giving the indie studio’s its first comedy greenlight at the network for a non-Chuck Lorre comedy in quite some time.

This is CBS’ third pilot order so far this development season, joining single-camera comedy Dmv and light drama Einstein.

Zarna centers on the eponymous heroine Zarna (Garg), a proud immigrant woman who’s been raising her American-born kids on Indian values. But now that they’re getting older,...

Am I Racist?, the controversial documentary that satirizes Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives, failed to make the Oscar shortlist of nonfiction features today, despite earning more money at the box office than any other documentary this year, by far.

The film directed by Justin Folk features conservative author and podcaster Matt Walsh going undercover to infiltrate Dei seminars, dinners and the like. It scooped up more than $12 million at the domestic box office, but that wasn’t enough to sway the minds of Academy Documentary Branch members, who determine the shortlist (as well as the eventual five Oscar nominees).

Film participant Amanda Zurawksi and executive producer Hilary Clinton speak after the world premiere of ‘Zurawski v Texas’ at Telluride Film Festival

It may come as cold comfort to the Am I Racist? team, but films with an overt take on American politics were all spurned by the doc branch. Those include Zurawaski v Texas,...

Exclusive: Howzat! Angel City director Arlene Nelson is helming cricket doc Floodlight about the journey of a new Women’s Premier League (Wpl) team in India.

Floodlight follows the mix of seasoned and emerging Indian cricketers who play alongside world-class players for the Up Warriorz in India’s Wpl, which launched in 2023 and is the female equivalent to the money-spinning Indian Premier League.

Global media and and entertainment company Art&m is producing, with UTA attached for worldwide sales in an unusual TV distribution move for the U.S. agency. Jinisha Sharma from Capri Global and Dipti Agrawal and Tushar Apshankar from Tudip Entertainment are series co-producers and Art&m’s Arnab Chakraborty is showrunner.

Filmed across the UK, Australia, Dubai and India, the series looks at the Wpl’s global impact and the figures driving the growth of women’s sports. The Wpl offers its stars some of the...

“Zurawski v Texas,” a reproductive rights documentary which unfolds like a legal thriller, has found a streaming home in indie service Jolt.

The nonfiction work is currently available to stream on the platform following an acclaimed festival run and awards-qualifying release. It boasts star power courtesy of Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence, Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton, who all serve as executive producers.

“Jolt is extremely excited to be launching ‘Zurawski v Texas’ this December,” said Geralyn Dreyfous, Jolt co-founder and chief film officer, adding it “has the potential to save lives once audiences have the opportunity to see it. We are honored to aggregate and amplify the call for legal accountability and the access needed for medical emergencies.”

Directed by Emmy-winner Maisie Crow (“Jackson”) and Abbie Perrault (“At the Ready”), the film offers an unflinching look at the human toll of Texas’s restrictive abortion laws. Centered on the stories...

Does anyone really know what’s going on with Cheslea Clinton? That’s what a lot of fans and critics on both sides of the aisle certainly want to know.

While she does make headlines here and there, it’s also been noted that she’s gotten attention for some pretty bizarre and mysterious things as well. And of course, people want to know why.

Bizarre And Mysterious Things About Chelsea Clinton

Earlier in the year, it was reported that Chelsea was shaming Ivanka Trump behind closed doors just because she’s suddenly disappeared during her father Donald’s historic hush money case.

Many have even said that if Hilary Clinton found herself trying to defend her freedom, there’s no doubt that Chelsea would be there each and every day to show her mother her support.

But at the same time, Chelsea Clinton has been out of the spotlight...

The Native American Media Alliance (Nama) has announced the class of fellows for the 6th Annual Native American Animation Lab. This program was created to support Native Americans pursuing careers in the animation field as well as to highlight more accurate portrayals of Indigenous communities in television and film.

“The Native American Animation Lab is a transformative experience that empowers Indigenous artists to bring their unique visions to life,” announced Ian Skorodin (Choctaw), director of strategy for the Native American Media Alliance. ”This lab has uplifted several Native American artists who want to bring their unique stories to life.”

The five-day curriculum for the Native American Animation Lab includes meetings with industry executives from companies such as Netflix, Dreamworks Animation, MTV, Sony Pictures Animation and more. The program is also tailored around mentoring opportunities, group sessions and initiatives to help participants build relationships with professionals in animation. The program concludes...

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story swept the board at the 9th Critics Choice Documentary Awards, winning all six categories in which it was nominated.

The UK-us feature won best director for Ian Bonhote and Peter Ettedgui, as well as tying for best documentary feature with Netflix title Will & Harper.

Scroll down for the full list of winners

Super/Man also picked up best editing, score, archival documentary and biographical documentary.

Produced by Bonhote, Robert Ford and Lizzie Gillett for the UK’s Passion Pictures and Misfits Entertainment, Super/Man depicts Reeve’s rise to becoming a film star,...

The Critics Choice Association (Cca) unveiled the winners of the Ninth Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards at a gala event in New York City on Sunday night. “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” and “Will & Harper” shared the top award of the evening, as the films tied for Best Documentary Feature. It was a huge night for “Super/Man,” which swept all six of its nominated categories, including wins for Best Director for Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, Best Editing for Otto Burnham, Best Score for Ilan Eshkeri, Best Archival Documentary, and Best Biographical Documentary.

“The Last of the Sea Women,” “Simone Biles Rising,”and “Sugarcane” each took home two awards. “The Last of the Sea Women” won the awards for Best Cinematography for Iris Ng, Eunson Choo, and Justin Turkowski, and Best Science/Nature Documentary. “Simone Biles Rising” won Best Sports Documentary and Best Limited Documentary Series. “Sugarcane” picked...

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story led the pack of winners, sweeping with six accolades in all of its nominated categories at the ninth annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards, held today at The Edison Ballroom in New York City. In a surprise moment, the film also shared a win with Netflix’s Will & Harper for best documentary feature.

Also honored during the ceremony was Oscar-nominated documentarian Rory Kennedy, who received the Pennebaker Award, named for the late Critics Choice Lifetime Achievement Award winner D. A. Pennebaker (The War Room). Pennebaker’s widow and producing partner Chris Hegedus presented the award.

The celebration was live-streamed on platforms YouTube, X and Facebook, with viewing also made available on the Critics Choice Association website beginning at 7 p.m. Et.

Debuting at Sundance Film Festival, Super/Man became a favorite among critics upon its premiere. The movie tells the emotional story of Reeve’s rise...

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story and Will & Harper tied for best documentary feature at the 2024 Critics Choice Documentary Awards on Sunday night.

The first film won in all six of the categories in which it was nominated.

In addition to best documentary feature, Super/Man, about the actor who played the Man of Steel and his advocacy for disability awareness after he was paralyzed in a tragic accident, won best director (Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui), best editing (Otto Burnham), best score (Ilan Eshkeri), best archival documentary and best biographical documentary.

Sugarcane, which scored the most nominations this year with eight, won two awards, for best political documentary and best true-crime documentary. The Last of the Sea Women and Simone Biles Rising also won two awards each. The first film, which counts Malala Yousafzai among its producers, won the awards for best cinematography (Iris Ng, Eunson Choo and Justin Turkowski...

With days to go before the election, the push is on from both parties to get out the vote in battleground states like Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The Democrats and White House hopeful Kamala Harris got a boost in Nevada from two-time Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence, who landed in Las Vegas on Friday for a day of campaign activities that included door-knocking outreach and meetings with local officials.

Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence came to Vegas to rally some volunteers before hitting the doors to talk to voters about making their plan to vote! We need every voter to make their voices heard at the ballot box.

You can still vote early through November 1st,… pic.twitter.com/6aea5smF0D

— Kamala For Nevada (@KamalaForNevada) November 1, 2024

Per intel confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter, Lawrence’s itinerary kicked off with a canvass launch at the campaign field office,...

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Rory Kennedy will receive the prestigious Pennebaker Award at the upcoming Critics Choice Documentary Awards in New York, honoring a director whose body of work includes Ethel, a film about her late mother, Ethel Kennedy, as well as Last Days in Vietnam and Ghosts of Abu Ghraib.

The award, named for the late pioneer of direct cinema D.A. Pennebaker, will be presented by filmmaker Chris Hegedus, Pennebaker’s widow, as the Critics Choice Documentary Awards celebrates its 9th annual event. The ceremony will be held November 10 at the Edison Ballroom in Manhattan.

“Rory Kennedy is an Academy Award-nominated, Primetime Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker,” the Critics Choice Association writes in a release. “She has made over 40 films, including Downfall: The Case Against Boeing (Netflix), Last Days in Vietnam (American Experience), and Ethel (HBO), all of which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Her film, The Volcano: Rescue From Whakaari,...

The Critics Choice Documentary Awards will be honoring Emmy-winning filmmaker Rory Kennedy at the upcoming 9th annual edition of these kudos. Kennedy won the second of her six Emmy bids in 2007 for the non-fiction special “Ghosts of Abu Ghraib.” She most recently contended in this same category in 2013 for “Ethel,” a film about her late mother, Ethel Kennedy. She also reaped a Best Documentary Feature Oscar bid in 2015 for “Last Days in Vietnam.”

The Critics Choice Documentary Awards ceremony on Nov. 10 will be hosted by Erich Bergen (“Madam Secretary”) at The Edison Ballroom in Manhattan. Chelsea Clinton and Amanda Zurawski, who is the subject of the documentary “Zurawski V Texas” about reproductive rights, are among those who will be presenting these prizes. Also on hand will be: Michael Cyril Creighton (“Only Murders in the Building”), R.J. Cutler (“Elton John: Never Too Late”), Lauren Greenfield (“Social Studies”), Ken Leung (“Industry”), Bridget Moynahan...

Exclusive: Zurawski v Texas, the new documentary executive produced by Jennifer Lawrence, Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton, earned two awards as the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival wrapped its 33rd edition.

The film, centering on women who filed suit against the state of Texas after its extremely restrictive abortion laws almost cost them their lives, won the Jury Prize for Best Feature at Hsdff, North America’s longest-running documentary festival. Zurawski v Texas, directed by Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault, also won the Hot Springs Matt DeCample Audience Choice Award for Best Feature.

Plaintiff Amanda Zurawski in ‘Zurawski v Texas’

“This urgent film sheds light on the inhumane and devastating consequences of Texas’s restrictive abortion laws,” the jury said of Zurawski v Texas. “By following the legal battles and intimate personal stories of several women denied essential healthcare, it powerfully and movingly highlights the vital importance of protecting women’s autonomy,...

In the hot Texas sun, a group of women stand united, determined to have their voices heard. Their stories are intertwined by the drastic turn Texas law has taken in the two years since Roe fell. Amanda Zurawski, Samantha Casiano, Dr. Austin Dennard – each faced their own crisis, only to find the system had failed them too. Now, with seasoned advocate Molly Duane at their side, they’ll face the long odds stacked against them and fight with everything they have.

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, handing regulation of abortion back to the states, Texas wasted no time restricting the procedure further than nearly any other place in America. Zurawski found this out the hard way when complications arose in her pregnancy. Doctors feared intervening and she nearly died – a harrowing brush with death that left her chances of having more children in jeopardy.

Casiano faced an equally tragic situation.

For generations, people have come to Hot Springs, Arkansas to enjoy its thermal springs and elegant bathhouses. But around this time of year, they’re drawn to the historic spa town for another attraction – the longest running documentary film festival in North America.

The Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival wraps up its 33rd edition this weekend with a screening of Luther: Never Too Much, Dawn Porter’s film about the late singer-songwriter Luther Vandross.

Over the course of nine days, Hsdff, a program of the Hot Springs Documentary Film Institute, has screened world premieres, works in progress, Oscar-contending films, and more – a slate from as far away as Bhutan and Ethiopia, and as close as Arkansas itself.

Jennifer Lawrence is showing off her baby bump on the red carpet at the 2024 AFI Fest!

The 34-year-old Oscar-winning actress joined directors Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault at the premiere of the new documentary Zurwaski V Texas on Wednesday evening (October 23) held at the Tcl Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Calif.

For the premiere of the documentary, which she produced, Jennifer wore a white dress with black buttons and accentuated her baby bump with a black belt.

Keep reading to find out more…The event marks Jennifer‘s first public appearance after it was announced that she and husband Cooke Maroney are expecting their second child together! The couple, who have been married since 2019, are already parents to 2-year-old son Cy.

Zurwaski V Texas “reveals the true, dire consequences of losing access to healthcare and the right to make decisions for yourself–and the monumental effort it will take to win it back.

Apple Original Films has just dropped the trailer for Bread & Roses, a documentary feature — directed by Sahra Mani and produced by Jennifer Lawrence and Malala Yousafzai — about the plight of women in Afghanistan in the aftermath of the 2021 withdrawal from the country of the United States and fall of Kabul to the Taliban.

The film, which Lawrence and her Excellent Cadaver producing partner Justine Ciarrocchi initiated and hired Afghan filmmaker Mani (A Thousand Girls Like Me) to direct, follows three courageous Afghani women as they resist efforts to rob them of the autonomy they had acquired in recent decades.

Yousafzai, the Pakistani Nobel Peace Prize-winning champion of girls education, signed on as an executive producer to further highlight the film’s urgent message, joined by the Iranian composer Farhad Khosravi.

Bread & Roses had its world premiere at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, where it garnered strong reviews (it is...

Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault’s abortion documentary “Zurawski v Texas” garnered the inaugural Artemis Rising Foundation Award for Social Impact at the Hamptons International Film Festival. The new award honors one film that transforms our culture and challenges the status quo.

Executive produced by Hillary and Chelsea Clinton and Jennifer Lawrence, “Zurawski v Texas” follows a group of women who, in 2023, band together to sue the state of Texas after being denied abortions despite pregnancy health risks.

Crow and Perrault will receive a $15,000 cash award, which the directors can use in whatever capacity they choose. The 98-minute doc, which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in September, is seeking distribution.

“Our hope for this film has always been to reach as wide an audience as possible to educate, challenge, and inspire viewers through our film participants’ vulnerability and strength,” Crow and Perrault said in a joint statement. “This award...

The International Documentary Association has added 11 more films to its FallDocs screening series, an important FYC showcase for Oscar-contending documentaries.

Among them is No Other Land, the film directed by a collective of Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers that offers a ground level view of life for Palestinian residents of a West Bank community, who face expulsion from their homes by the Israel Defense Forces. The documentary has won well over a dozen awards around the world, including the Berlinale Documentary Award and the Panorama Audience Award at the Berlinale.

Another of the newly added films — Zurawski v Texas, directed by Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault — will screen at FallDocs on October 29 at The Culver Theater in Culver City, Calif. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and daughter Chelsea Clinton are among the executive producers of the timely documentary, which examines “A group of women denied abortions, even as their lives are at risk,...

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has unveiled plans to open a new film center in Downtown Santa Barbara at the former location of the Fiesta Five theater. Sbiff expects the center to open Nov. 14.

“This is one of the most important chapters in the history of Sbiff and just as we’re celebrating 40 years of its existence. This is a huge leap forward for the organization while simultaneously helping with the revitalization of the downtown corridor of Santa Barbara,” said Sbiff executive director Roger Durling. “We’ve successfully run a year-round art house, the Riviera Theatre, for the past eight years. Now we will have five more screens to mindfully curate, and we will redefine people’s idea of what a sophisticated moviegoing experience is all about. At Sbiff, our mission has always extended beyond film; we’ve used cinema as an educational tool. Now, with this expanded canvas,...

Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light, Tim Fehlbaum’s September 5, and Paul Schrader’s Oh, Canada have joined the line-up for AFI Fest running October 23-27.

The full roster includes Samir Oliveros’s The Luckiest Man In America, and Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault’s Zurawski v Texas from executive producers Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton and Jennifer Lawrence.

Women and non-binary directors account for 48% of the official selection, and films from Bipoc filmmakers represent 26% of the line-up.

Festival highlights include No Other Land by Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor and Hamdan Ballal; David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds...

AFI Fest is primed and ready to roll out.

The American Film Institute revealed the full lineup for this month’s festival, scheduled to take place in Los Angeles from Oct. 23-27. Joining the previously announced roster of films will be Tim Fehlbaum’s September 5, Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light, Samir Oliveros’ The Luckiest Man in America, Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault’s abortion rights documentary Zurawski v Texas (executive produced by Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton and Jennifer Lawrence), and Paul Schrader’s Oh, Canada, among many others.

The lineup includes six red carpet premieres, 12 special screenings, 13 luminaries picks, 15 discovery films, 12 world cinema films, 14 documentaries, four after-dark titles, 54 films in the short film competition and 28 films from the AFI Conservatory Showcase presented by AMC Networks. Other notable titles include Durga Chew-Bose’s Bonjour Tristesse with Chloë Sevigny; Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths, starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste; Paolo Sorrentino...

Jennifer Lawrence has endorsed Kamala Harris for president, citing the vice president’s position on reproductive rights.

“I’m voting for Kamala Harris because I think she’s an amazing candidate and I know that she will do whatever she can to protect reproductive rights,” Lawrence told People magazine. “That’s the most important thing, is to not let somebody into the White House who is going to ban abortion.”

Lawrence is executive producer of the documentary Zurawski v Texas, about the challenge to that state’s abortion ban. Hillary and Chelsea Clinton are also executive producers.

Lawrence is the latest in a line of celebrity endorsements for Harris, a list that includes Taylor Swift and Oprah Winfrey. The cast of Scandal, among other figures, took part in a recent Harris campaign bus tour focused on abortion rights.

Lawrence told People that the film will “enlighten people’s idea of...

Prince Harry and Katie Couric have an awkward, complex history.

Despite a years-spanning smear campaign, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle still receive ample invitations and attend plenty of events. It’s just that none of them involve other members of the British royal family.

This week, it’s a series of appearances in New York. Prince Harry is honoring his late mother, Princess Diana.

But the Duke of Sussex may have just had an uncomfortable run-in with Katie Couric.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex speaks onstage during Day 2 of the Clinton Global Initiative 2024 Annual Meeting at New York Hilton Midtown on September 24, 2024. (Photo Credit: Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Clinton Global Initiative) Katie Couric and Prince Harry Have Met Before

This is going to sound a little random, but bear with us.

On Tuesday, September 24, Prince Harry participated in the Everything Everywhere All At Once global issues panel at the...

Jennifer Lawerence got candid about why she’s endorsing Kamala Harris in this year’s presidential election against Donald Trump.

“Abortion is literally on the ballot,” the Oscar-winning actress told People. “I’m voting for Kamala Harris because I think she’s an amazing candidate, and I know that she will do whatever she can to protect reproductive rights. That’s the most important thing, is to not let somebody into the White House who is going to ban abortion.”

Lawrence has been vocal about politics and equal rights for women in the past, previously noting she “can’t fuck with people who aren’t political anymore,” because the state of the country is “too dire” and “politics are killing people.”

When she speaks out about politics, the No Hard Feelings star explained that online trolls often like to point out that she didn’t finish school, so they allege...

Prince Harry spoke out about the dangers of social media and its harmful impact on children Tuesday, calling on shareholders of social media companies and parents to demand change.

Speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative in Manhattan, the Duke of Sussex said young people were being “disproportionately affected” by negative experiences online, calling it an “epidemic” in which the bad experiences are also met with the spread of unreliable information. Harry claimed that social networks are not doing enough to solve the problem, which said can lead to children feeling “isolated, confused and scared” or worse.

“Some say kids will be kids and that may well be true. Kids may get into trouble. I know a thing or two about that,” he said. “But our kids are being targeted. The harmful effects of social media are made by design. While we involve both youth and parents, we must also hold digital platforms accountable,...