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Marc Bernardin, a television writer/producer (Star Trek: Picard) who has also written multiple comic books and hosts the Fatman Beyond podcast with Kevin Smith, has teamed up with writer/producer/actress Tiffany Smith (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) to create a new anthology called Deepest, Darkest, which will “weave together stories of horror, suspense, dark comedy, and edgy science fiction” – and they have assembled quite an impressive cast for the project. That cast includes Smith herself, as well as Rosario Dawson (Ahsoka), Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters), Rahul Kohli (Midnight Mass), Phil Lamarr (Pulp Fiction), Raymond Lee (Top Gun: Maverick), Caitlin Bassett (Quantum Leap), Sujata Day (Definition Please), and Kevin Avery (The Great North).

Deepest, Darkest will consist of eight segments that are set to be directed by Bernardin, Latoya Morgan (The Walking Dead), Ubah Mohamed (The Handmaid’s Tale), Lamont Magee (Black Lightning), Deric A. Hughes and Benjamin Raab (Warehouse 13), Day,...

Rahul Kohli's upcoming project is also in the horror genre, this time, for Marc Bernardin's new anthology. The anthology, titled Deepest, Darkest, already boasts a star-studded lineup.

Rahul Kohli is a beloved actor from Mike Flanagan's Flanaverse, having starred in several productions so far. Kohli, also known for his role in the series iZombie, joined Flanagan in the limited series The Haunting of Bly Manor, reuniting again for Midnight Mass, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Midnight Club, and, most recently, The Life of Chuck. Now he's further exploring the horror genre with the upcoming horror and science fiction anthology Deepest Darkest, Variety confirmed.

Related The Front Room Directors Reveal Inspiration For The Psychological Horror Film

Directors Max and Sam Eggers cited their filmmaking sibling as a major source of inspiration.

"Deepest Darkest is an exciting project combining all my favorite genres and my favorite people.

The new horror and science fiction anthology, “Deepest, Darkest,” has added yet another cast mate to its already stellar lineup of genre heavyweights.

Rahul Kohli, a beloved member of Mike Flanagan’s Flanaverse and essential teammate in the crime-solving “iZombie” series, has officially joined the star-studded cast of “Deepest, Darkest,” a new horror anthology from writer and director Marc Bernardin and actor Tiffany Smith.

“‘Deepest Darkest’ is an exciting project combining all my favorite genres and my favorite people. Joining this project was a no-brainer for me,” says Kohli, expressing his enthusiasm early in the process to Variety.

Kohli joins the previously announced cast of Smith (“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”), Rosario Dawson, Ernie Hudson (“Ghostbusters”), Yetide Badaki (“American Gods”), Phil Lamarr and “Quantum Leap” stars Raymond Lee and Caitlin Bassett.

To top off that impressive lineup, the genre showcase is executive-produced by Akela Cooper and David Dastmalchian.

“Deepest,...

Talented actress Rosario Dawson (Ahsoka) has just joined the cast of the upcoming anthology film Deepest, Darkest, coming from Marc Bernardin and Tiffany Smith. Bernardin is reportedly crowdfunding this project via Kickstarter. We shared more about this new movie below.

Deepest Darkest is executive produced by Akela Cooper and David Dastmalchian. According to Deadline, the film will tell stories of horror, suspense, dark comedy, and science fiction. But while there will be stories of different genres, each one will center around "the keeping of secrets."

You might recognize some of the directors who will be helming the segments. Directors include Latoya Morgan, Deric A. Hughes & Benjamin Raab (Quantum Leap), Ubah Mohamed (The Handmaid’s Tale), Lamont Magee, Sujata Day (Insecure), and Kevin Avery (The Great North).

In addition, Rachel Walker, Carrie Finn, and Kyle Smithers are serving as producers on the film. Besides Dawson, the cast also includes Smith, Avery, Day,...

Marc Bernardin (Star Trek: Picard) and Tiffany Smith are the forces behind an upcoming horror anthology titled Deepest, Darkest, and Deadline brings us the scoop this week.

For starters, Rosario Dawson (“Ahsoka”) has signed on to star.

Deadline details, “Deepest, Darkest has invited myriad television writing all-stars behind the lens to tell stories of horror, suspense, dark comedy, and edgy science fiction, each revolving around that most human of impulses: the keeping of secrets.”

The lineup of segment directors includes…

Latoya Morgan (The Walking Dead) Deric A. Hughes & Benjamin Raab (Quantum Leap) Ubah Mohamed (The Handmaid’s Tale) Lamont Magee (Black Lightning) Sujata Day (Insecure) Kevin Avery (The Great North)

Akela Cooper (M3GAN) and David Dastmalchian (Late Night With the Devil) executive produce Deepest, Darkest, with the ensemble cast for the horror movie also including Ernie Hudson, Raymond Lee, Phil Lamarr, Yetide Badaki and Caitlin Bassett.

You can help fund Deepest,...

Writer-producer Marc Bernardin is returning to directing with Deepest, Darkest. He is leading a geekfest of a creators of color making a horror anthology around the theme of keeping secrets.

Ghostbusters icon Ernie Hudson, Phil Lamarr (Futurama), American Gods’ Yetide Badaki, Quantum Leap star Raymond Lee and co-star Caitlin Bassett, among others, will star in the genre showcase, which is launching a crowdfunding campaign Aug. 27.

The WGA Award winner and Eisner-nominated Bernardin created the project with actress Tiffany Smith, who appeared in his directorial debut Splinter. That film also launched on Kickstarter and went on to become a hit on the festival circuit, gathering up several awards.

Akela Cooper, who co-wrote the horror hit M3GAN and worked on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds as well as Luke Cage, is executive producing Deepest Darkest.

“So many of my friends have shared the same experience that I have, being a person of...

The screenwriter of American Reunion teases a possible storyline for American Pie 5. The potential storyline would explore whether or not the romantic relationship between Jim's dad and Stifler's mom worked out. No American Pie 5 is currently in the works, though a sixth spinoff is in development.

A possible storyline for American Pie 5 has been teased by a screenwriter of American Reunion. The American Pie movies, which began in 1999, form a teen sex comedy franchise that follows the lives of best friends Jim (Jason Biggs), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas), and Oz (Chris Klein), as well as their crude, hard-partying acquaintance Stifler (Seann William Scott) and their various love interests. Although five direct-to-dvd spinoffs were also made, the main branch of the franchise includes just four movies: the original, 2001's American Pie 2, 2003's American Wedding, and 2012's American Reunion.

On Twitter, a fan asked Cobra...

Simu Liu has been announced as the host of the 21st Unforgettable Gala (Unfo), the annual awards show honoring the entertainment industry’s Asian Pacific Islander community. The “Barbie” and “Shang Chi” star returns as emcee after serving in the role in 2019.

The Unforgettable Gala, which will take place Dec. 16 at the Beverly Hilton, spotlights Api excellence and representation across entertainment, arts and culture. The black-tie gala will feature a performance from the band Common Kings and a Broadway musical medley celebrating Api Tony award winners performed by Broadway actors Jennifer Paz, Deedee Magno Hall and Joan Almedilla, and arranged by music director Troy Laureta.

“Unforgettable is one of my favorite events of the year, and I’m excited to return to emcee and celebrate with all the incredible talent in the room,” said Liu. “Despite a challenging year for the entertainment industry, Asian creatives in Hollywood are more resilient than ever,...

Heroes' Feast is a new cooking show for D&d fans on Dungeons & Dragons Adventures, featuring Chef Mike Haracz and Sujata Day as hosts, making dishes from the official D&d cookbook. Chef Mike Haracz is an experienced chef and D&d player, while Sujata Day is known in the D&d space for her work on Girls Guts Glory and is more of a beginner in the kitchen. The show focuses on the learning process of cooking and introduces viewers to the world of D&d lore through conversations with the authors of the cookbook.

Heroes' Feast is part of the new line-up of original content for the Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Fast channel on Amazon Freevee, and Plex. The series stars co-hosts Chef Mike Haracz and Sujata Day as they make a new dish from the official Dungeons & Dragons cookbook, Heroes' Feast, and a cocktail with the help of a special guest.

Heroes' Feast is a new cooking show on the Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures Fast channel featuring Chef Mike Haracz and Sujata Day whipping up recipes from the official Dungeons & Dragons cookbook, along with special guests. Encounter Party and Faster, Purple Worm! Kill! Kill! are two new actual-play series on the channel, offering exciting adventures and hilarious antics for Dungeons & Dragons fans. In a clip from Heroes' Feast, Matthew Lillard helps prepare a beer margarita called Tasha's Caustic Brew, with the hosts showcasing their cooking skills.

Screen Rant is thrilled to present an exclusive clip from the new series Heroes' Feast, debuting on the brand new Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures Fast channel, available on Amazon Freevee, and Plex. Dungeons & Dragons fans will have three new original programs to enjoy with Heroes' Feast, a cooking show that welcomes everyone to their table. In each episode, the hosts, Chef Mike Haracz and Sujata Day,...

It would be almost impossible to imagine comedy in the late '90s and early 2000s without "American Pie." For people of that generation, it was a defining film that went on to become a massive mainstream hit, spawning a long-running franchise that made Universal Pictures a lot of money. It also made stars of Jason Biggs, Sean William Scott, Natasha Lyonne, Tara Reid, and much of the rest of the cast. Now, 24 years later, it appears a fifth theatrically released "American Pie" movie is on the way.

We learned last year that Sujata Day ("Insecure") has been tapped to write a "fresh take" on the franchise for Universal Pictures. It will be the first entry in the series to hit theaters since 2012's "American Reunion." It makes sense for the studio to revisit Jim, Stifler, and the gang, as the series has grossed nearly $1 billion at the global box office to date.

Hasbro’s Entertainment One (eOne) is rolling the D&d dice — betting that Dungeons & Dragons fans will flock to a new free, ad-supported streaming television (Fast) channel dedicated to the fantasy franchise it’s prepping for a summer launch.

The Dungeons & Dragons Adventures Fast channel is expected to be available on “a number” of platforms but eOne has not cut any distribution deals as yet, according to the company.

The channel will feature a slate of original celebrity-focused unscripted series, including “Encounter Party,” “Faster, Purple Worm! Kill! Kill!” and “Heroes’ Feast,” as well as catalog content including the 1980s “Dungeons & Dragons” animated series. In addition, the Fast channel is to feature third-party content from top internet creators and influencers with a focus on live gameplay.

“This is an amazing opportunity to create and highlight exciting, engaging Dungeons & Dragons content, to both serve our wide audience of existing fans...

The plans for American Pie 5 suggest that the long-awaited sequel will make radical changes to what made the original series so successful. Released in 1999, American Pie tells the coming-of-age story of five high school classmates who vow to lose their virginity before graduation. American Pie was a box office success upon release and has since become a cult classic thanks to its outrageous moments and quotable lines. As such, it's unsurprising that executives remain keen to revive the lucrative series. However, everything that has come so far after the original movies in the series has been straight-to-video at best.

The success of American Pie led to a whole franchise - with three sequels featuring the principal cast and several straight-to-video spinoff movies. In 2012, Universal secured the rights to produce American Pie 5, but the development of the film has been slow until now. The Hollywood Reporter broke the news...

A celebration of the achievements of South Asian women was held Saturday in downtown Los Angeles, galvanizing a community to move forward in entertainment and create “space for mainstream wins.”

Sponsored by the Product of Culture and South Asian Women in Entertainment, the luncheon aimed to raise awareness and provide networking opportunities. The South Asian community has particular struggles, including defying religious and societal norms and traditions, transphobia, and sometimes government interference in their native countries.

South Asian women comprise only 0.3% of screen time for television and film, according to event organizers.

“It’s important to build these spaces and celebrate the wins of the largest global diaspora,” said Archana Misra Jain, CEO, Product of Culture.. “What we’re cultivating today is influencing pop culture, empowering a critical mass, and creating the space for mainstream wins. Product of Culture’s cornerstone is to merge content, commerce and culture, while representing...

Jennifer Coolidge has revealed that she is willing to return in future American Pie movies in her own inimitable way. One of her early roles was an appearance in the original 1999 sex comedy American Pie, directed by Chris and Paul Weitz. She played the mother of Seann William Scott's rambunctious cad Steve Stifler, a woman whose appearance inspired the popularization of the term "Milf" and who eventually slept with her son's friend Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas). She would return to the role three times in each of the film's official sequels: 2001's American Pie 2, 2003's American Wedding, and 2012's American Reunion.

Last night, NBC aired The 80th Golden Globes, where Coolidge won a trophy for her supporting role on the HBO series The White Lotus.

During her acceptance speech, Coolidge thanked the people who kept her career alive with "cute little jobs" over the years, including Legally Blonde...

Exclusive: Ava DuVernay’s Array Releasing has acquired Ivan Herrera’s drama Bantú Mama for distribution in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. The company will be presenting the film — which has been named as the Dominican Republic’s 2023 entry for the Best International Feature Film Oscar — on select screens and on Netflix beginning November 17.

Bantú Mama follows a French woman of African descent who manages to escape after being arrested in the Dominican Republic. She finds shelter in the most dangerous district of Santo Domingo, where she is taken in by a group of children. By becoming their protégée and maternal figure, she then experiences an unimaginable change in her destiny.

“We are honored to distribute the Dominican Republic’s official Oscar submission,” said Array President Tilane Jones. “This deeply moving and vividly drawn drama, beautifully directed by Ivan Herrera and co-written with producer Clarisse Albrecht,...

One of the most successful sex comedies of all time will be getting the reboot treatment.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, a “new installment” of “American Pie” is in the works

Sujata Day, known for her onscreen role in HBO’s “Insecure” and her recent directorial debut, “Definition Please”, has been tapped to write the screenplay.

Read More: Tara Reid Says ‘Not One Of Us Hooked Up With Anyone’ On The Set Of ‘American Pie’

THR notes that plot details aren’t yet known, but the story will be based on Day’s “original pitch,” and “is being described as a fresh take” on the 1999 comedy hit, which spawned three sequels and the spinoff franchise “American Pie Presents”.

It remains to be seen whether Jason Biggs, Eugene Levy or any other members of the original cast will be involved.

A new addition to the sex-fueled rom-com franchise American Pie is currently in the works. The Universal film will be based on actor and director Sujata Day’s original pitch, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The new romantic comedy will be part of the famous franchise and will be developed for Universal 1440 Entertainment — a production arm of Universal Filmed Entertainment. Whilst there is no information yet in regards to the film’s plot, cast, or estimated release date, Day, will be on board as writer, using the original pitch she presented. Her script has already been described as a “fresh take.”...

The Hollywood Reporter has reported that a new film in the 1999 comedy franchise, American Pie, is now in the works over at Universal. The original film has already spawned three theatrical sequels with the original continuity as well as five direct-to-video spin-offs, which would include one released as recently as 2020. American Pie is a raunchy sex comedy about four high school friends entering a pact in their pursuit to lose their virginity before prom night.

The new film in the works will be coming from a concept pitched by Sujata Day, who is known for her role in the HBO raunchy comedy, Insecure, and as a writer and director of the film, Definition Please. There is currently nothing known about the plot of her concept, but her pitch has been described as “a fresh take.” Day will be writing the script, although it has not been announced if she will...

Just when you thought you'd sung the words, "Bye, bye, Miss American Pie," for the last time, Universal Pictures is ready to reheat the pie and kindly offer you some more. And you better like it because this is a multimillion-dollar film franchise and it's too expensive to pie you in the face with it. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a new "American Pie" movie is in the oven, based on an original pitch that is said to offer a "fresh take" on the 23-year-old sex comedy film series.

Sujata Day, known for her roles in Issa Rae and Larry Wilmore's HBO series, "Insecure," as well as Rae's web series "The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl," is the up-and-coming filmmaker behind this new "American Pie" pitch. There are no specific details available yet for what the plot or angle of the pitch is, but Day is known for her...

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Another American Pie is in the works, this one to be penned by Insecure actor and Definition Please filmmaker Sujata Day.

The multihyphenate is set to develop and write a new installment of the long-running sex comedy franchise for Universal 1440 Entertainment, a production arm of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group. Plot details have yet to be revealed, but the story is based on her original pitch and is being described as a fresh take.

The original 1999 film, written by Adam Herz and directed by Paul Weitz, grossed more than 235 million worldwide and spawned three sequels with the core cast, as well as spinoff franchise American Pie Presents (five films so far) from Universal’s home entertainment division.

Day’s career originated in front of the camera, and she is best known onscreen for her recurring role as We Got Y’all staffer Sarah...

“Definition Please” director-writer Sujata Day will develop and write the next installment of the “American Pie” franchise for Universal 1440 Entertainment.

Based on Day’s original pitch, the upcoming “American Pie” film will feature a new take on the sex comedy franchise, which originally starred Jason Biggs, Seann William Scott, Alyson Hannigan and Chris Klein, among others.

Day made her directorial debut with 2020’s “Definition Please,” which won several accolades including for narrative feature film at Next Generation Indie Film Awards. She is also known for her role as CeCe in Issa Rae’s “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl” and had a recurring role in HBO’s “Insecure.”

Day is repped by WME, Mosaic and Myman Greenspan. Plot details of the upcoming “American Pie” film are currently under wraps.

Napa Valley Film Festival Returns With Film, Food and Wine Showcase

The Napa Valley Film Festival is returning to an...

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Array Releasing has acquired director Iliana Sosa’s documentary What We Leave Behind.

The Peabody Award-winning distribution arm of Ava DuVernay’s narrative change collective has nabbed the U.S., Canadian, U.K., Australian and New Zealand rights to the film, which had its world premiere at this year’s SXSW Festival. The doc’s release will coincide with Mexican Independence Day and Hispanic Heritage Month, with a debut set for Sept. 16 on Netflix and select theatrical screens.

What We Leave Behind is an intimate and personal project for Sosa, who chronicles the final days of 89-year-old Julián Moreno after he decides to build a house in rural Mexico.

Tracing his decades back and forth on buses across the U.S.-Mexico border to visit his family, the documentary serves as a poetic love letter from Sosa to her grandfather Moreno. It’s...

“Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin” will premiere July 28, HBO Max has announced.

The release date was announced via a first look teaser for the series, which shows a mysterious figure cutting up and burning pictures of the five main characters: Imogen (Bailee Madison), Minnie (Malia Pyles), Noa (Maia Reficco), Tabby (Chandler Kinney) and Faran (Zaria).

The new series is a sequel to the original series that focuses on a completely new set of teenagers in the blue-collar town of Millwood, Pa. The five main characters are tormented by someone operating under the identity of “A,” an alias assumed by villains from the original show, who knows the secrets of both the teenagers, and their parents. In addition to the five main characters, the series also stars Mallory Bechtel, Sharon Leal, Elena Goode, Lea Salonga, Eric Johnson, and Alex Aiono.

“Pretty Little Liars” was developed for HBO Max by “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina...

Exclusive: Utkarsh Ambudkar, who stars as Jay on CBS’ breakout comedy Ghosts, has boarded the Tribeca-bound indie Four Samosas as an executive producer, with Verve Ventures coming aboard to handle sales.

The comedy from writer-director Ravi Kapoor (Miss India America) centers on a wannabe rapper in L.A.’s Little India, who concocts a backwards plan to disrupt his ex-girlfriend’s wedding by stealing her wedding diamonds. It will be one of just 10 feature films in US Narrative Competition at Tribeca in June—premiering in New York on June 10th, with several other screenings to follow throughout the festival week. Venk Potula leads the cast, which also includes Karan Soni, Sonal Shah, Sharmita Bhattacharya, Nirvan Patnaik, Summer Bishil, Meera Simhan, Sujata Day, Samrat Chakrabarti and Tony Mirrcandani.

Kapoor produced Four Samosas alongside Potula for Khrisp Entertainment, and Rajiv Maikhuri and Craig Stovel for Creative Rebel Productions. Additional executive producers on...

My parents were born and raised in Kolkata, India, and experienced the golden age of Bengali cinema. They could see themselves in characters onscreen solving mysteries like Soumitra Chatterjee in “Feluda,” courting like legendary stars Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen, and living everyday village life as seen through the poignant lens of Satyajit Ray.

As a first generation Bengali-American girl, I grew up with two different cultures in a suburban, Irish-Catholic neighborhood. I went to Catholic school for six years, but I also went to Hindu temple camp and spent most of my summer vacations in Kolkata. I speak fluent Bengali and slayed my AP English exam. I danced Bharatnatyam for over 10 years while taking ballet and hip-hop.

I watched a handful of Bollywood films growing up, but I didn’t speak or understand Hindi and couldn’t really connect to the stories. Something clicked when I saw “Bend It Like Beckham,...

Landing the leading role in Netflix’s Never Have I Ever has changed Maitreyi Ramakrishnan‘s life forever and in turn, that of other South Asian teens who never felt represented on screen.

And although the fourth season of the coming-of-age dramedy will also be the show’s last, Ramakrishnan isn’t dwelling on that. She is celebrating the accomplishments of her community and how the series is helping to break down doors in Hollywood—and hopefully, opening up the path for other shows like it to be greenlit in its wake.

“This show changed my life in every way. I was just a regular 17-year-old high school girl, living her best life and Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Now I can say I was a part of something that’s groundbreaking, and history-changing. It’s been such an honor. There are no words to express how grateful I am for everything...

Exclusive: Dear Readers, it is our distinguished pleasure to officially confirm the Viscount and the Viscountess Bridgerton, Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) and Kate (Simone Ashley) will return for Season 3 of the hit series Bridgerton.

Ashley shared the news exclusively with Deadline at a dinner celebrating South Asian culture hosted by Netflix in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Other stars in attendance also included Kal Penn, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Poorna Jagannathan, Richa Moorjani, Sujata Day, Lilly Singh, Sophia Ali, and Anurima Bhargava.

“We’re going to be back! Kate and Anthony are just getting started,” she revealed. “We have the amazing Jess Brownell who is taking the lead as showrunner in Season 3. In Season 2, there was a lot of push and pull between Kate and Anthony, there were complications with the family, and then they find each other towards the end. I think everything is just starting. I’d like to see Kate just...

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.

Streaming platform HBO Max announced the official theme for its sixth annual Asian Pacific American (Apav) Visionaries Short Film Competition, harnessing the “Power of Love” for the 2022 launch.

Starting today, Jan. 18, emerging filmmakers of Asian and Pacific Islander descent may submit short films that involve the Aapi community. Formerly known as the HBO APA Visionaries Short Film Competition, the award ceremony was established in 2016 to spotlight diverse perspectives.

This year, the top three winners will receive cash prizes and the opportunity to premiere their shorts on HBO Max following a theatrical screening at the 2022 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.

“Going into the sixth annual APA Visionaries Short Film Competition, I’m proud to see the impact and growth the competition has had on the industry,” Jackie Gagne, senior VP of multicultural marketing at HBO Max and HBO said in a press statement. “At a time when the most personal...

Monica Chowdry (Sujata Day) was everything her Indian immigrant parents could have hoped from a child. Not only did she win the national Scribbs Spelling Bee, but she also became somewhat of a young intellectual celebrity courtesy of the victory tour with photographic keepsakes alongside Oprah Winfrey and fellow Pittsburgh-area native M. Night Shyamalan as well as an episode of television with host LeVar Burton that her mother (Anna Khaja’s Jaya) still watches to this day almost twenty years later. The sky was the limit and expectations were astronomical, yet here she is still living at home and working as a tutor for new, hopeful spelling champions. Not even confirmation of a research job in Cleveland can light a fire. Maybe this quiet life is all she wanted.

It’s a relatable and familiar dynamic wherein unwanted attention and external pressures have just as much of a chance to...

Ava DuVernay’s Array Releasing has acquired award-winning feature films “Definition Please” and “Donkeyhead” and will debut them on Netflix.

Array has acquired distribution rights to both films in the U.S., U.K., Australia and New Zealand, with the additional territory of Canada for “Definition Please,” and will debut them on Jan. 21 on Netflix.

Both films are by South Asian origin female actor-filmmakers making their feature directorial debuts and who also star in them. “Definition Please” is by Sujata Day, whose acting credits include HBO’s “Insecure” and she directed and starred in short “Cowboy and Indian,” which is now being developed as a series.

The film 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. The film also features Ritesh Rajan (“Russian Doll”), Anna Khaja (“The Walking Dead: World Beyond...

Exclusive: Array Releasing has acquired two new feature films from emerging South Asian female directors: Agam Darshi’s Donkeyhead, and Sujata Day’s Definition Please. The company has acquired distribution rights to both films in the U.S., UK, Australia and New Zealand, with the additional territory of Canada for Definition Please. Both films will debut January 21 on Netflix.

“Array Releasing is proud to distribute the work of Sujata Day and Agam Darshi, two promising South Asian women filmmakers who both wrote, directed and star in their directorial debuts,” Array president Tilane Jones said. “Definition Please and Donkeyhead beautifully showcase the dynamic talent of their creators while sharing the oftentimes humorous dynamics of tradition and culture that film lovers of all kinds can relate to, appreciate and celebrate.”

Definition Please follows Monica (Day), a former Scripps spelling bee champion who must reconcile with her estranged brother when he returns home...

Spoiler Alert: This story includes spoilers from “Everything Gonna Be, Okay?”, the series finale of HBO’s “Insecure.” Find Variety’s review of the episode here.

With one final time-traveling episode, Issa Rae’s journey with “Insecure,” the hit HBO comedy that vaulted Rae onto Hollywood’s A-list, has come to a close after five seasons.

“Hopefully this finale is a late Christmas gift, an early Kwanzaa gift,” Rae told Variety in a lengthy interview about the 41-minute episode, “Everything Gonna Be, Okay?” “I know people will have a lot to say, but I’m looking forward to not reading it.”

It’s been an emotional roller-coaster of a season — and a series — and Rae has been surprised by some of the audience’s responses. Asked what shocked her most about the reaction to Season 5, she says with a laugh, “The fans rejecting Nathan immediately. Kendrick [Sampson] is the best, and I love Nathan so much,...

Exclusive: The Lamorne Morris and Jackie Earle Haley movie Death of a Telemarketer has landed at Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions.

The comedy-drama, which also stars Alisha Wainwright, Haley Joel Osment and Woody McClain, won the Fan Favorite Film Award at the American Black Film Festival last year.

Written and directed by recent University of Southern California Cinematic Arts graduate Khaled Ridgeway, Death of a Telemarketer follows a smooth-talking telemarketer (Morris) who finds himself at the mercy of the man he tried to swindle (Earle Haley) and must pass a twisted test on ethics if he wants to live to sell another day.

Matt McGorry, Gil Ozeri, Sujata Day, David So, Ian Verdun, Gwen Gottlieb, and Starletta DuPois round out the cast.

Datari Turner produced the film for Datari Turner Productions along with James J. Yi., and Meagan Good.

EPs are Jeff Friday, Phil Thornton, Leah Daniels-Butler, H.M. Coakley, Seth Gottlieb,...

Just 24 hours ahead of the fifth and final season premiere of “Insecure,” creator and star Issa Rae welcomed hundreds of fans gathered at the parking-lot-turned-venue of Hilltop’s Coffee and Kitchen in L.A. for Insecure Fest — a five-hour live musical celebration of the show.

“I gotta shout out Hilltop for hosting this in the parking lot, make sure to go there and get you some lavender lattes because that’s my favorite,” Rae quipped, before giving a final thanks to HBO for giving her and the show this platform.

First held as a block party in Brooklyn celebrating “Insecure’s” first season, the festival has grown to mimic Rae’s character Issa Dee’s block party featured in Season 4 of the HBO comedy. As another real-life connection, hosting the event at Hilltop also represented Rae’s growing business empire, as she’s a partner with the coffee shop.

This...

The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (Laapff), presented annually by Visual Communications (Vc), today announced the first set of films that will screen as part of the 37th edition of the Festival, which will be a hybrid event taking place virtually and in person at select cinemas in the Los Angeles area from September 23 to October 2, 2021.

The Festival will open on Thursday, September 23 at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center’s Aratani Theatre in Little Tokyo, Downtown Los Angeles with the Los Angeles premiere of Ann Kaneko’s Manzanar, Diverted: When Water Becomes Dust, a poetic look at the unexpected alliance formed by Native Americans, Japanese American WWII incarcerees, and environmentalists to defend their land and water from Los Angeles.

“Visual Communications looks forward to sharing the stories that intersect and converge movements such as Manzanar, Diverted,” says Francis Cullado, Executive Director of Visual Communications. “From emerging to established filmmakers,...

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 ...

HBO Max is rounding out cast for its comedy pilot Ok Boomer. Will Sasso and Tim Chiou are set as series regulars, along with Zoe Manarel and Carter Chee in the multi-camera comedy pilot from creator Todd Linden, the late Jamie Tarses’ Fanfare and Sony Pictures TV. They join previously announced series regulars Patti Lupone, Erinn Hayes and Devere Rogers.

Written by Linden and to be directed by Victor Gonzalez, Ok Boomer centers on Barbara (LuPone), a self-centered boomer who shows up at her estranged daughter Sarah’s (Hayes) house hoping to live off the family’s money, but forms an unexpected bond with her progressive granddaughter who’s quick to challenge her on their differing views — of which there are plenty.

Sasso will play Nick,...

Geena Davis’s BFFoundation (Bff) has set dates for the 2021 Bentonville Film Festival and have officially opened submissions. The 7th annual fest that amplifies the voices of diverse storytellers will take place on August 3-8 in Bentonville, Arkansas.

This year’s Bentonville Film Festival will be a hybrid festival, featuring digital and in-person events as well as drive-in screenings. The full program will be unveiled in July.

“During this last year of uncertainty across all sectors of the entertainment industry, and throughout our organization’s history, Bff has remained unwavering in its commitment to support groups and people historically underrepresented in the media,” said Wendy Guerrero, President of BFFoundation and Bentonville Film Festival. “As we move further into 2021, we continue to learn and to hone our focus on creating positive social change, an increased support base, and more measurable impact. With all of this in mind, our 7th annual film...

The Sundance Film Festival is just around the corner and from the look of things, it’s going to be a little different this year.

The Sundance Institute released a teaser trailer on Tuesday to hype people up for the 2021 iteration Park City-based fest which has been the destination for some of Hollywood’s most critically acclaimed and iconic films. The trailer also serves as the launch of the dedicated online home for the fest. Sundance is set to run from January 28 to February 3, 2021.

“Welcome to the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. A new chapter filled with possibilities. Despite the challenges this year has brought, nothing could stop us from celebrating independent film, visionary artists, unique perspectives, and you, our adventurous audiences. So, for the first time ever, we are bringing the festival to you—both online and in the real world across the US and beyond,” said Festival Director Tabitha Jackson...

2020 certainly presents a year of firsts, –including the first mostly online presentation (save for select drive-in screenings!) for the world’s largest showcase of Asian American film, Caamfest Forward. This has also been our first time visiting the festival, albeit virtually. After seeing the festival wrap up in the last week, we have listed below the awards alongside their jury statements.

Narrative Award

Jury Members: Hanna Huang, Melanie Elvena, Valerie Soe

Winner: Defnition Please, Dir. Sujata Day

Jury Statement: Sujata Day’s Definition Please is a captivating story of family, friendship, vocabulary, expectations, and not allowing oneself to be defined by a singular moment. With standout performances by Day, Lalaine, Ritesh Rajan, Anna Khaja, and Maya Kapoor, each brings depth and humor to their well-written, fully unfolding characters.

Jury Mention: Chosen Fam, Dirs. Natalie Tsui and Lindsay Sunada

Jury Statement: Lindsay Sunada Natalie Tsui’s web series Chosen Fam is a kicky,...

Lovecraft Country actress Jamie Chung has been set at the next ambassador and spokesperson for HBO’s fifth annual Asian Pacific American Visionaries (Apav) short film competition. Previous ambassadors have included Executive Producer of Cinemax’s Warrior Shannon Lee, Insecure’s Sujata Day, Westworld’s Leonardo Nam and Silicon Valley’s Jimmy O. Yang. Submissions will open on January 1, 2021, at 9Am Pst and will close April 1 at 11:59Pm Pst.

HBO Visionaries provides a platform for emerging filmmakers to share their unique and diverse perspectives of the community. Apav looks to showcase storytellers of Asian and Pacific Islander descent and awards the top three winners cash prizes and the opportunity to have their projects premiere on HBO and available to stream on HBO Max following their theatrical screening at the 2021 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.

Filmmakers and storytellers interested in participating to the competition will submit projects revolving around...

For Lilan Bowden, portraying Bex in Disney Channel’s “Andi Mack” was the first time she played a culturally relevant role. The Taiwanese American actress quickly learned how much it meant for her community to see a multi-generational Asian American family on prime-time television, tackling everything from teenage pregnancy to feminism.

Since the show ended last year, the actor-turned-director has continued to push for opportunities to put Asian American families on the screen, most recently signing on to helm Korean American writer Ed Lee’s autobiographical film, “Becoming Eddie.” The film, which debuted at last week’s Bentonville Film Festival, is Bowden’s directorial debut, and the festival itself has become a mini-showcase of sorts for many Asian American filmmakers.

“Here was another chance for me to keep the conversation going, to keep telling stories that were really personal to me,” she told Variety. “I connected deeply to a little...

When Sujata Day set out to write her first feature film, Definition Please, her idea was to explore the life of an Indian-American woman who once won a national spelling bee. Rather than have her lead Monica, of whom Day plays in the film, follow a traditionally expected trajectory of becoming a doctor, lawyer, engineer or business executive, she opted for her life to take a different route.

Instead, Monica is the line-in caretaker of her sick mother, and the sparring partner for her estranged brother. What follows for Monica, her brother Sonny (Russian Doll's Ritesh Rajan) and their mother ...

When Sujata Day set out to write her first feature film, Definition Please, her idea was to explore the life of an Indian-American woman who once won a national spelling bee. Rather than have her lead Monica, of whom Day plays in the film, follow a traditionally expected trajectory of becoming a doctor, lawyer, engineer or business executive, she opted for her life to take a different route.

Instead, Monica is the line-in caretaker of her sick mother, and the sparring partner for her estranged brother. What follows for Monica, her brother Sonny (Russian Doll's Ritesh Rajan) and their mother ...

Exclusive: After unveiling its lineup for the sixth edition of the Bentonville Film Festival (Bff), the Bentonville Film Foundation has set panels, events and jury for the hybrid virtual/in-person event. The fest will take place August 10-16.

The panels for this year’s fest include “If She Can See It, She Can Be It” with Geena Davis, Oge Egbuonuvisible Portraits) and Katori Hall (P-Valley creator). The panel spotlights the best practices for executives and creators who have successfully created or worked with female-driven content.

Isabella Gomez (One Day At A Time), Sonay Hoffman (For Life), Marie Jacobson (Spt’s Gemstone Studios), Mary Molina (Party of Five) and Esta Spalding (On Becoming a God in Central Florida) will be panelists for “What’s Your Story? And Why We Need It Now More Than Ever”, which will feature a conversation of the importance of fresh, distinctive voices on TV.

The Bentonville Film Festival set the lineup for its sixth edition Tuesday, with the festival co-founded by Geena Davis unveiling its spotlight and competition program of indie feature films, shorts and episodic titles.

The fest is set to run August 10-16 in the Arkansas city and is being engineered as a hybrid event because of coronavirus concerns, with digital screenings, panels and events to run alongside some on-the-ground premieres and conversations.

This year’s lineup includes four Spotlight pics including the U.S. premiere of Misbehaviour, starring Keira Knightley and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, which tells the true story of protest and controversy at 1970 Miss World contest, and Parkland Rising, a documentary that looks at the students of Parkland, Fl, who started an international movement to call attention to the need for better gun laws.

As per usual, this year’s lineup focuses on underrepresented voices in film. Of the 68 titles, more...

Sometimes, a film’s name can be part of its undoing. Despite the suggestions of its title, aTypical Wednesday follows a mostly typical route in telling its story. A vehicle for actor and now writer/director J. Lee, this movie feels like something we used to see all the time at the Sundance Film Festival. An uneven and somewhat generic dramedy, the flick has a few quirks, but mostly follows a path we’ve been down many times before. Lee himself is a compelling figure, one with a future behind the camera, but this is only a hint of what he has to offer. The movie is a dramedy, centered largely on one particular Wednesday in the life of personal trainer Gabe (Lee). Each and every single Wednesday, Gabe sees his therapist (Michael Ealy) for an intense session. Though he wants to think otherwise, therapy isn’t quite having the intended effect on him.