News

NFL Hall of Famer Andre Reed and Buffalo-born actor Chad Michael Murray have signed on to executive produce the forthcoming docuseries, “Just One Before I Die,” about the Buffalo Bills fanbase.

“Just One Before I Die” tells the definitive story of the Bills Mafia and will chronicle the fans’ unwavering spirit as the Buffalo Bills contend for elusive championship. The docuseries is co-directed and produced by Buffalo natives Addison Henderson and Kevin Polowy and co-created by Clayton Polowy.

“As so many of us Buffalonians have experienced, I too was born into the Bills Mafia. It feels like a birth right for us,” says Murray, who was born and raised in the Buffalo suburb of Clarence, NY. “The passion and dedication that comes with being a Bills fan is second to none.”

About boarding the project, Murray adds: “To be part of a docuseries about the fans themselves, who are often the unsung heroes,...

Exclusive: Buffalo Bills fans will be the subject of the feature-length documentary Just One Before I Die from co-directors Addison Henderson and Kevin Polowy.

Production of the indie project, conceived by executive producer Clayton Polowy, is set to begin this fall. Stephen Gerard Kelly (Shadow of Beirut) will serve as director of photography.

Just One Before I Die follows Bills Mafia through the eyes of its most devout members, depicting the seemingly endless heartbreak, yet infinite hope, of a championship-starved city. A city that, like its team, has always been an underdog, be it its small market, heavily blue collar/working class population, or brutally unforgiving winter weather. The rabid fans are also known for their viral videos and for raising millions of dollars for countless charitable campaigns.

"You want peace, but you won't go get it." Buffalo 8 has revealed an official trailer for an indie sci-fi thriller titled Givers of Death, also known as G.O.D., from filmmaker Addison Henderson - his first narrative feature. Perhaps another pandemic-inspired pessimistic thriller? An incurable virus has wiped out one third of the world’s population (too close to home?). Many infected commit suicide to end their agony. Those who cannot bring themselves to end their own lives hire professionals (called G.O.D. of course). It is the journey of a man, a detective, and an entire city's quest for peace. The man seeks peace through atonement, the detective through revenge and the city through resolution. The film explores whether peace can be attained when one exists in constant chaos - in reality, or in the mind. "An apocalyptic tale of redemption." Starring Henderon with Louis Lombardi, JJ Alfieri,...

Buffalo 8 has acquired worldwide rights at the just-wrapped Cannes virtual market to Givers of Death, an apocalyptic sci-fi thriller written and directed by and starring Addison Henderson. The pic, which is coming off its world premiere at the American Black Film Festival, will hit U.S. theaters and Premium VOD sometime in 2022.

The film, which is set in a world obliterated by a deadly virus that has killed a third of the population, centers on a the quest for peace for a hitman (Henderson) in a post-apocalyptic world where those who are too afraid to end their own lives from the painful virus hire hitmen to do it for them. Jonathan Sterritt, Lou Lombardi, JJ Alfieri, Jason Delane Lee and Yvonne Huff Lee also star.

Henderson said his film “was born from my own personal tragedies and was inspired by the citizens of Otsuchi, Japan who lost loved ones to a horrific tsunami.

Exclusive: Sony Pictures Entertainment (Spe) is changing the game with its latest venture. The studio has revealed that they have inked a unique first-look deal with Jeff Friday Media (Jfm), the newly-formed production house launched by the company CEO Jeff Friday, founder of the annual American Black Film Festival (ABFF), which has become a leading festival and touchstone for Black content creators.

Under the multi-year deal, Sony will be offered first consideration for narrative feature films submitted to the Festival, and year-round access and introductions to emerging filmmakers discovered by Friday. In a time when Hollywood is actively seeking diverse and inclusive voices in front of and behind the camera, the deal will broaden Spe’s pipeline, ushering in the next generation of storytellers, and accelerating exposure and opportunity for filmmaking talent of color. Friday will serve as producer of the original films created by the talent he discovers.

“Diverse...

The world was shocked and saddened last week when it was announced that Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman had passed away from cancer. This would have been tragic news under any circumstances, but the impact was greater because he kept his diagnosis private to the end. Since then, we’ve learned that none of his co-stars and nobody at Marvel Studios knew he was ill, making this as much a shock to them as it was for us.

Now, members of his inner circle who knew the closely guarded secret have begun to speak out. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Boseman’s producing partner Logan Coles, his agent Michael Greene and personal trainer Addison Henderson have revealed why he kept his illness a secret.

According to Greene, Boseman was inspired to keep his cancer battle private by his mother Carolyn, with his agent saying:

“[She] always taught him not...

Fans, colleagues and friends alike are all still in a state of shock after the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman, who died at the age of just 43 after a four-year battle with colon cancer. Even while fighting the illness, the actor continued his ascent up the Hollywood ladder, becoming one of the industry’s fastest-rising talents and leaving behind an enduring legacy.

Of course, most will know Boseman best for his association with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, given that his role as Black Panther‘s T’Challa resulted in a film that was less of a typical comic book blockbuster and more of a cultural event. And with a sequel already pencilled in and confirmed, many are now wondering how much Marvel and Disney knew about his cancer battle and what he shared with them.

As it turns out, Boseman chose to keep it entirely private from both studios. Or...

New details have emerged on Chadwick Boseman’s tragic death from colon cancer. The acclaimed actor passed away last week at the age of 43, and his death came as a shock to many who weren’t even aware that he was even sick. THR reports that this privacy was by design as “Only a handful of non-family members knew that Boseman was sick, including producing partner Logan Coles, longtime agent Michael Greene, trainer Addison Henderson and 42 director Brian Helgeland — with varying degrees of knowledge about the severity of the actor’s condition.” No one involved with Black …...

American Black Film Festival (ABFF) wrapped its 24th annual celebration with The Best Of The ABFF Awards. Taking place virtually and via the newly launched ABFF Play platform, the award ceremony was hosted by Boris Kodjoe and Nicole Ari Parker with a simulcast on IMDb.

Presenters included Oscar nominated director Lee Daniels, Laz Alonso (The Boys), Bevy Smith (Bevelations), Logan Browning (Dear White People), Sinqua Walls (American Soul), La La Anthony (Power) and Spike Lee (Da 5 Bloods).

The jury award for Best U.S. Feature went to Curtis, directed and written by Chris Bailey, while Hisonni Johnson was named Best Director for Take Out Girl, and Best Ccreenplay went to Addison Henderson for G.O.D – Givers of Death.

The first annual John Singleton Director Award for Best First Feature for a director of African descent went to Solomon Onita, Jr for Tazmanian Devil, while the Khaled Ridgeway-helmed comedy...

The Producers Guild of America (PGA) has revealed the 14 participants for its 16th annual Power of Diversity Master Workshop.

The 14 producers selected for the annual workshop represent 10 projects in TV, film, unscripted and documentary. The eight-week workshop offers twice-weekly master classes on pitching, premise development, film finance, line producing, demystifying the writers’ room, agent & manager representation, distribution, deal-making and the world of virtual & augmented reality, headlined by some of the top producers & executives in the industry.

The participants were chosen from hundreds of applications reviewed by a PGA-member led selection committee. n addition to twice-weekly masterclasses, each project will be assigned two PGA member mentors who will provide in-depth feedback, make referrals and become champions for their projects to the industry.

“The impact of the coronavirus pandemic is profound and widespread. However, our industry is still a business built on relationships,” said Master Workshop Co-Chairs Sasheen Artis and Matt Johnson.

In today’s film news roundup, Geraldine Viswanathan and Cedric the Entertainer get gigs, shooting starts on apocalyptic thriller “G.O.D.,” and immigrant story “Footprints of the Dragon” is in the works.

Castings

Geraldine Viswanathan, Dacre Montgomery and Utkarsh Ambudkar are set to star in romantic comedy “The Broken Heart Gallery.”

Viswanathan will portray an art collector who suffers a bad break up with her boyfriend, played by Ambudkar, who is also her boss at the Whitney Museum. She decides to curate The Broken Heart Gallery in the lobby of a hotel, operated by Montgomery’s character, and learns to love by letting go.

Natalie Krinsky is making her feature directorial debut and helming from her own script. Producers are No Trace Camping’s David Gross, Jesse Shapira and Jeff Arkuss along with Mason Novick and Michelle Knudsen. Selena Gomez, Mandy Teefey and Josh Clay Phillips of No Trace Camping are executive producing.