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Twenty-four years ago, Stephanie Tavares-Rance and Floyd Rance had an idea to do a film festival focusing on Black stories and creatives in Barbados. They were in the middle of solidifying programming when the September 11th attacks happened, and Barbados backed out as host. But instead of letting the idea die, the Rances decided to shift the festival’s location to their personal happy place, Martha’s Vineyard. From there, the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (Mvaaff) was born. Since then, the festival has had countless sponsors, including HBO Max and Netflix, and has championed projects from creatives such as Issa Rae, Barack and Michelle Obama and numerous others.

“It’s been amazing to see the growth of this film festival,” Tavares-Rance tells Variety following the conclusion of the 23rd festival. “Never in a million years did Floyd and I think that we would be here 23 years later.

In front of a rapt Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival audience Aug. 9, Michelle Obama co-hosted with her brother a live taping of their podcast Imo With Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson, produced through their production company Higher Ground. The former First Lady returned to the fest, where she and former President Barack Obama made a surprise appearance in 2022 to support their Netflix documentary Descendant.

Pinch-hitting for advertised guest Teyana Taylor, who stars in the upcoming feature One Battle After Another with Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn and Benicio del Toro, and who canceled due to unexpected vocal surgery, was The White Lotus‘ Emmy-nominated Natasha Rothwell.

During the conversation, Obama shared a moment she particularly enjoyed about Rothwell’s twice Emmy-nominated role as Belinda. “Not only does Belinda get her groove thing on,” she said, “but one of my favorite scenes, because this is a luxury resort, [is] where you’re...

Former First Lady Michelle Obama took the stage with her brother and co-host Craig Robinson for a live-taping of their hit podcast, Higher Ground’s “Imo With Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson” at the 23rd annual Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (Mvaaff). The hosts sat down to chat with Emmy-nominated “The White Lotus” actress Natasha Rothwell in a wide-ranging interview that revolved around her expansive career, why people always confuse her for Michelle Buteau and when we’ll finally see “Who Tf Did I Marry?” on the small screen.

“I had no aspirations for Hollywood,” Rothwell told Obama after she was asked about her unique career path. “I thought I was going to be a Broadway theater actor. I thought that Audra McDonald and I would be best friends. I went to college for acting, but I would write my auditions. So writing was a huge part of my process as well.

Teyana Taylor has to undergo emergency surgery.

The 34-year-old singer confirmed on her Instagram Story on Wednesday (August 6) that she needs to take some time away to heal from a procedure.

“I’ve been quietly dealing with some vocal challenges for a while now. And after a lot of back and forth with my doctors, I’ve been told I need vocal surgery immediately,” she wrote.

“They found a noncancerous growth on one of my cords that’s been messing with my voice and causing real discomfort. Thankfully, we caught it & it’s treatable — but it does mean I need to pause and give myself time to fully heal.”

Keep reading to find out more…

She added that it “breaks my heart” that she has to step back from her upcoming activities, including an appearance on Michelle Obama’s podcast, especially because she “poured so much of myself into this next chapter.

The Toronto International Film Festival unveiled the full documentary slate for the 50th edition of the festival, which will take place from Sept. 4-14.

The TIFF 50 Docs program features new films from highly acclaimed filmmakers, including Academy Award winners Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Free Solo), Ben Proudfoot (The Last Repair Shop), and Laura Poitras (Citizenfour), and Academy Award nominee Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro).

The program will open with Proudfoot’s The Eyes of Ghana, which profiles influential Ghanian filmmaker Chris Hesse and is executive-produced by Barack and Michelle Obama. World premieres coming to TIFF as sales titles include: The Balloonists, directed by John Dower, capturing adventurers who set out to circle the globe in a balloon; A Life Illuminated, directed by Tasha Van Zandt, following marine biologist Dr. Edie Widder on a stunning journey to the ocean depths; Whistle, directed by Christopher Nelius, portraying a competition of champion whistlers; Nuns vs.

World premieres of Free Solo co-directors Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin’s profile of photojournalist Lynsey Addario in Love+War and Tasha Van Zandt’s feature A Life Illuminated about oceanographer Edith Widder are among the TIFF Docs line-up announced on Wednesday.

The programme brings first looks of John Dower’s The Balloonists about circumnavigating adventurers, Lorena Luciano’s account of Catholic Church abuse in Nuns vs. The Vatican with Mariska Hargitay on board as executive producer, and Canadian filmmaker Nicole Bazuin’s sex industry film Modern Whore.

TIFF Docs will open with Canadian director Ben Proudfoot’s The Eyes Of Ghana,...

Twenty-three documentaries, including new works from the Oscar-winning directors Ben Proudfoot, Laura Poitras and Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, have been added to the lineup of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, TIFF organizers announced on Wednesday.

The TIFF Docs program will include 16 world premieres, beginning with “The Eyes of Ghana,” directed by Proudfoot, who has won Oscars for his short docs “The Queen of Basketball” and “The Last Repair Shop.” The film is executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama. Other world premieres include “Love+War” from Vasarhelyi and Chin, who won the doc-feature Oscar for 2019’s “Free Solo”; “Nuns vs. the Vatican,” an examination of new abuse allegations inside the Catholic Church that was directed by Lorena Luciano and executive produced by Mariska Hargitay; “Canceled: The Paula Deen Story,” directed by Billy Corben; and “Whistle,” a Christopher Nelius film about a whistling competition.

“Cover-Up,” a film about investigative reporter...

Documentaries about journalists Seymour Hersh, Lynsey Addario, and the late Fatma Hassona are heading to the 50th edition of the Toronto Intl. Film Festival.

TIFF‘s Docs program gets underway Sept. 4 and will feature 23 feature docs from 18 countries. The program will open with the world premiere of two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Ben Proudfoot’s “The Eyes of Ghana,” about 93-year-old Chris Hesse, a cinematographer who served as the personal filmmaker for Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah. Barack and Michelle Obama-led shingle Higher Ground executive produced the doc.

“The film is a love letter to filmmaking and the efforts of Chris Hesse to not only document a chapter of history, but also his work to preserve that footage,” said Thom Powers, lead TIFF documentary programmer.

Oscar-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras and co-director Mark Obenhaus’s “Cover Up,” about investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, will make its Canadian premiere at TIFF after a...

This year’s slate of 23 documentaries from 18 countries at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival is a melange of newsy subjects, rising directors, and potential Oscar contenders covering explorers, journalists, sex workers, activists, soldiers, and champion whistlers.

The TIFF Documentary Selection will open with two-time short documentary Oscar-winner Ben Proudfoot’s “The Eyes of Ghana,” a sales title which profiles the Ghanaian filmmaker Chris Hesse and is backed by executive producers Barack and Michelle Obama. “It is a celebration of the power of cinema,” TIFF documentary programmer Thom Powers told IndieWire via Zoom. “For 60 years, Hesse, who’s still alive in his nineties and documented the early days of the Africa’s independence movement, has helped to maintain the archive of his footage from all that time.”

This year’s nonfiction lineup, culled from a record 1,000 submissions, includes 16 world premieres, many of which are sales titles. Two high-profile docs are...

Oscar-winning director Ben Proudfoot’s The Eyes of Ghana, executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama, is set to open the Toronto Film Festival’s Doc sidebar, organizers said Wednesday.

Nova Scotia-raised and L.A.-based Proudfoot won his two Academy Awards for his short documentary films The Queen of Basketball and The Last Repair Shop that impressed Oscar voters with their cinematic poetry and craft.

Now it has taken the Obamas’ Higher Ground Productions and Oscar-nominated documentary maker Moses Bwayo to convince Proudfoot to bring his emotional and immersive storytelling to the feature documentary with a portrait of Chris Hesse, the personal cinematographer for Kwame Nkrumah who reveals a vast library of lost films about the legendary African leader to modern audiences.

There’s no word on whether the Obamas will be in Toronto for the world premiere of The Eyes of Ghana, which also recounts the rise and fall of Nkrumah,...

Ding, dong! The Las Culturistas Culture Awards have made their grand debut on Bravo — but was it a moment in culture that made you say culture is for you? (The answer, obviously, is yes.) Let’s recap.

The evening kicked off with a culture-defining performance of Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra” by Las Culturistas podcast hosts Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang.

More from TVLineMurder in a Small Town Season 2 Trailer Reveals First Look at Marcia Gay Harden's Arrival (Exclusive)Kristen Johnston and Chuck Lorre Lament Mom Cancellation, Discuss How Leanne Is Thematically SimilarThe Terminal List: Dark Wolf Trailer: Taylor Kitsch...

Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù’ has been cast in the lead of Netflix’s All the Sinners adaptation, set to be based on the novel by the same name from author S.A. Cosby. No stranger to starring in a crime thriller series, thanks to his association with Gangs of London, the His House star will don the shoes of the lead Titus Crown, the first Black sheriff of a small southern town.

Although most details remain under wraps, Netflix announced that Joe Robert Cole, responsible for Ryan Coogler‘s Black Panther, will helm the show.

Everything We Know So Far About Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù’s All the Sinners Bleed

As of now, only Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù has been unveiled as the lone actor to star in the Netflix series, based on the southern noir novel from Cosby. The New York Times bestseller sees the sheriff tasked to lead the investigation of a serial killer preying...

His House and The Gorge actor Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù is set to take on an unholy serial killer in Netflix series “All the Sinners Bleed“, the streamer announced this weekend.

The series is an adaptation of S.A. Cosby’s New York Times bestselling southern noir novel from Joe Robert Cole.

Dìrísù, the only cast member announced so far, will lead the series as a small town’s first Black sheriff dealing with a faith-based serial killer.

In the series, “Haunted by his past in the FBI and his devout mother’s untimely death, the first Black sheriff in a small Bible Belt county is tasked with leading the hunt for a serial killer who has quietly been preying on Black communities in southern Virginia for years in the name of God.”

Cole will serve as showrunner, writer, and executive producer in addition to directing the first and select episodes. Author S.

Exclusive: Two-time Oscar winning filmmaker Ben Proudfoot has teamed with Oscar-nominated director Moses Bwayo and Barack and Michelle Obama for The Eyes of Ghana, a new documentary feature that spotlights Chris Hesse, the 93-year-old forgotten personal cinematographer of revolutionary African leader Kwame Nkrumah.

The film, which has already wrapped and is in the final stages of post-production, marks Proudfoot’s first feature-length documentary in a decade.

The Eyes of Ghana details the rise and fall of Nkrumah, a towering figure of African history who inspired the liberation of the continent in the 1950s and 1960s after rising to serve as Ghana’s first President. A political theorist and prominent African leader, Nkrumah was even featured on the cover of Time magazine in 1953.

He was later toppled by a military coup in 1966, which was allegedly backed by the CIA, after he was cast as a dictator. As a result, the films...

Michelle Obama is revealing her reality TV watching habits!

The 61-year-old former first lady got candid about her love of Bravo on the Wednesday (July 30) episode of Imo with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson.

During the episode, Michelle shared that she watches “all” of the Bravo shows and even named a few of her favorites!

Keep reading to find out more…

“The truth is that they razz me about my love of reality TV and the Real Housewives. I watch it all — all of it,” Michelle shared on the podcast, referencing the fact that her husband Barack Obama teases her reality TV obsession.

Michelle went on to compare watching shows like The Real Housewives of Atlanta to watching ESPN.

“There’s drama in sports. If I listen to ESPN for an hour, it’s like watching The Real Housewives of Atlanta. You know? It’s the same drama, and they’re yelling at each other,...

Former President Joe Biden has sold his memoir to Hachette Book Group for an advance of approximately $10 million.

On July 23, people familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal that Hachette Book Group paid almost $10 million for Biden’s memoir to be published by one of its divisions, Little, Brown & Company. The publisher has not set a publication date yet.

Last month, the former president stated that he had been “working like hell” to write his memoir.

Biden also hinted that the memoir will cover his four years as president.

He had been represented by Creative Artists Agency, a talent agency he signed with in February.

They also represented Biden for his 2017 memoir Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship and Purpose, which chronicled his final year with his oldest son, Beau, who died from brain cancer in 2015

Biden has struggled to secure speaking engagements that pay $300,000 to $500,000 each.

Michelle Obama is a smart, beautiful and sassy woman, and although she's known for her highfalutin education and successful law career, as well as her former stint as First Lady, she has many layers - right now, she's opening up about her passion for Next Gen NYC.

She loves watching the stars, including Next Gen NYC's Ava Dash. The first season featured a great case, including Ava, Riley Burruss, Arianna Biermann, and Gia Giudice. Gia actually recently announced a big relationship update - she is not engaged to her love interest Christian Carmichael, but she said they're both in it for the "long haul."

Michelle's not ashamed that she's an avid The Real Housewives fan - she loves the franchise, and she's letting the world know that there's nothing wrong with enjoying the antics of reality stars. In fact, Michelle's sharing the fact that watching these women live out their...

Michelle Obama is defending her status as a Bravo fanatic. The former first lady gushed over her love of the reality TV network on the Wednesday, July 30, episode of her Imo podcast, joking that her brother, Craig Robinson, and her husband, former President Barack Obama, “razz” her about her Bravo obsession, particular The Real Housewives franchise. “I watch it all. All of it,” she told Robinson and their podcast guests, Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers. She revealed that one of her current Bravo watches is the new series Next Gen NYC. The series, which premiered last month, follows the children of The Real Housewives stars as they navigate young adulthood. “I watched the first two episodes, and I’m just like, ‘Oh, they’re starting the babies off early,’” Michelle quipped, while Rogers added, “They’re really like the princes and princesses of Bravo, now seeing if they’re worth...

Maybe it's because of the vast land in North America, how far you can drive without leaving a nation, but the open road has called to many a person. Jack Kerouac's famous novel On the Road certainly inspired many a road trip, and it's no wonder that it still resonates today. A new documentary explores just how much a legacy his story has left, and we've got an exclusive clip. From filmmaker Ebs Burnough (the former White House deputy social secretary and senior advisor to First Lady Michelle Obama), the new documentary Kerouac’s Road: The Beat of a Nation features actors Matt Dillon, Josh Brolin, Michael Imperioli, and W. Kamau Bell, among others, discuss their personal connection to Kerouac’s On The Road novel and how it formed their relationship...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

On this week's episode of Survival Jobs, a Podcast, hosts Jason A. Coombs and Samantha Tuozzolo, welcome the inspiring playwright, actor and Tony Award winning producer Paul Oakley Stovall, the author of Immediate Family, which is currently playing at Charlotte’s Booth Playhouse through August 31, 2025. The episode begins with Paul recounting his most memorable survival job; working for First Lady Michelle Obama! He shares candid behind-the-scenes stories and spills as much tea as he can about serving one of the most beloved First Ladies in American history. Later, Paul opens up about the creative journey behind Immediate Family, a powerful and funny play directed by the iconic Phylicia Rashad. He talks about their years-long collaboration and shares insights from his time performing...

If it’s one thing Jennifer Aydin has, it’s high self-esteem. The Real Housewives of New Jersey star has been accused of being flashy and brash, and not being able to read a room. She made headlines months back when she complained about an airport fast food employee and the customers not allowing her to cut in line because of her reality television star status. Since then, she’s apologized and promised to do better, but it doesn’t seem like she’s learned her lesson. The Chanel-lover recently addressed divorce rumors from Bill Aydin, while comparing herself to two of the most beloved occupants of the White House.

The Aydins Compare Themselves to Barack and Michelle Obama Image via Bravo

Jennifer Aydin has been open about her marital woes, feeling like her plastic surgeon husband puts his career first. She also admitted to previous infidelity, revealing he...

Tracee Ellis Ross is getting candid about her love life.

The 52-year-old actress spoke out in the latest issue of Self, out now.

During the discussion, she spoke about Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross for the Roku Channel, beauty and wellness, self-care, being a happily single Black woman, and much more.

Keep reading to find out more…

On becoming the face of Gen X and millennial single women:

“I’m not interested in [being the poster child for] singledom, because I am looking to meet a partner. What I don’t mind is being a poster child for living your life on your own terms, for not waiting for partnership to find joy and happiness, for curating and cultivating one’s own sense of self.”

On what self-care looks like when you love the life you’re living:

“Knowing how to care for yourself is also how you teach someone how you want to be cared for.

Dean Cain is about to pull off a lightning-fast costume change that would impress even Superman. Standing in front of an infinity pool overlooking a golf course and the Las Vegas Strip in the distance, the actor is wearing a faded gray T-shirt, gym shorts and no shoes. A Greek Orthodox cross and a military dog tag hang from a chain around his neck. The man who played the Man of Steel and his alter ego, Clark Kent, on the trailblazing series “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” needs to morph into something camera ready.

“I’m gonna have to go put on a jacket and a shirt and leave my shorts behind,” he says as he pops a tangerine-flavored nicotine lozenge in his mouth and heads upstairs for a Zoom appearance on “Piers Morgan Uncensored” to discuss the latest “Superman,” two days before it unspools in theaters.

Michael Wolff’s Donald Trump biography, Fire and Fury, has made some damning allegations against First Lady, Melania Trump. The book claimed that she was “very involved” in Trump’s friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. The author shared that she was introduced to Trump by a model agent, who was acquainted with both Trump and Epstein.

The author shared, “She’s introduced by a model agent, both of whom Trump and Epstein are involved with. She’s introduced to Trump that way. Epstein [knew] her well” (via RadarOnline). He also went on to make the claim that Trump and Melania had their first s*x on Epstein’s airplane. The author wrote:

Epstein said the first time Donald Trump and Melania had s*x was on his airplane, so this is another complicated dimension in this.

He also went on to reiterate these claims in an Instagram video on Monday. He claimed...

The White House — which was apparently watching The View in real time on Wednesday — fired off a statement attacking co-host Joy Behar and suggesting the long-running daytime talker could be “the next to be pulled off air.”

While President Donald Trump obviously does not have the power to directly dictate a network’s schedule, this veiled threat came on the heels of CBS announcing that The Late Show is entering its farewell season — soon after host Stephen Colbert said on-air that parent company Paramount’s recent $16 million settlement with President Trump was tantamount to “a bribe.” (Paramount Global is waiting...

Disgraced comedy icon Bill Cosby is mourning his late Cosby Show co-star Malcolm-Jamal Warner, whom he considered to be a son both on and off the screen.

On Sunday, Warner, who played the Huxtable Family’s only son Theodore on The Cosby Show, died at the age of 54 in a drowning accident while on a family vacation at Playa Cocles in Limón Province, Costa Rica. Warner’s sudden passing sent shockwaves through the TV comedy industry, as fans and co-stars alike have spent the beginning of this week grieving the late actor and celebrating his contributions to the craft. Among the many mourners of the TV icon is Cosby, who claims that, despite his own public fall from grace due to a 2018 conviction for sexual assault that was later overturned, he and Warner maintained a close relationship and talked regularly.

In an interview with ABC News, Cosby said, “Malcolm calls here regularly,...

Bill Cosby, Questlove, Tracee Ellis Ross, Angela Bassett, Whoopi Goldberg, Adam Sandler, Magic Johnson, Sherri Shepherd and Niecy Nash-Betts are among the Hollywood stars mourning Malcolm-Jamal Warner after news broke Monday that he died.

Warner, best known for his role as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, died from an accidental drowning off the coast of Costa Rica on Sunday, the Costa Rican National Police told multiple media outlets, including ABC News. He was 54.

In an interview with ABC News, Bill Cosby recalled his TV son as someone who was “very professional.”

“He always knew his part… He always knew his lines, and he always knew where to go,” Cosby said, earlier sharing how Warner was “a great studier, and I enjoyed working with him very much.”

Cosby indicated that he and Warner had remained close, with Cosby serving as a mentor and noting that Warner called him “regularly.”

Fellow...

Former First Lady Michelle Obama will make a special appearance at the 23rd edition of the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (Mvaaff) next month.

On Aug. 9 at 4 p.m., Obama will take the stage with her brother and co-host Craig Robinson as they interview multi-hyphenate star Teyana Taylor in a live taping of their hit podcast “Imo With Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson.”

“We’re beyond honored to welcome back to our stage Michelle Obama and, for the first time, her brother Craig Robinson,” said Mvaaff founders Floyd & Stephanie Rance in a statement. “Their voices have inspired millions, and this intimate conversation will be a moment to remember.”

In 2022, Obama and her husband, former president Barack Obama, made a surprise appearance at the festival to support the Netflix documentary “Descendant,” which was produced by their Higher Ground company and served as that year’s opening night screening. “Imo...

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, an all-time great sitcom kid actor from his days on The Cosby Show, has passed away at the age of 54. TMZ is reporting that the cause of death was an accidental drowning.

Though Warner starred in several TV shows, such as Malcom and Eddie, Sons of Anarchy and a memorable guest-starring turn as Shirley’s on-again/off-again partner on Community, he’ll be remembered for his Emmy-nominated role as Theo, only son of Cliff and Claire Huxtable on The Cosby Show.

Play

In light of its namesake star’s scandals and the show’s subsequent disappearance from reruns and streaming, it’s difficult to recall the seismic impact The Cosby Show had on popular culture in the 1980s. “What made it so groundbreaking was its universality,” Warner told People in 2023. “NBC initially saw it as a show about an upper-middle-class Black family. Mr. Cosby diligently impressed upon them...

Barack Obama and Michelle Obama addressed the ongoing rumors of their divorce in a new episode of her podcast, “Imo with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson.”

The episode featured the former president speaking about a variety of topics, including the fact that people began to speculate that the couple had split up after Michelle didn’t join Barack at Donald Trump’s inauguration in January.

“She took me back!” Barack joked on the podcast. “It was touch and go for a while.”

“It’s so nice to have you both in the same room together,...

Jinkx Monsoon‘s Oh, Mary! co-stars have been announced!

Back in June, it was announced that the 37-year-old RuPaul’s Drag Race two-time winner will take over for Cole Escola in the role of Mary Todd Lincoln in the hit Broadway show.

Then on Wednesday (July 16), it was announced that Kumail Nanjiani, Michael Urie, and Jenn Harris will be sharing the stage with Jinkx.

Keep reading to find out more…Kumail will be taking over Conrad Ricamora‘s role as Mary’s Husband, Michael will be taking over for James Scully as Mary’s teacher, and Jenn will be taking over the role of Mary’s Chaperone from Bianca Leigh, Playbill announced.

Jinkx, Kumail, Michael, and Jenn‘s roles in Oh, Mary! are all starting on August 4. The play marks Kumail and Jenn‘s Broadway debuts.

Conrad, James, and Bianca along with Tituss Burgess, who is the show’s current Mary Todd,...

Former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama addressed divorce rumors that have been spiraling on the latest episode of Michelle and her brother Craig Robinson’s podcast, Imo.

On Wednesday, Michelle teased that a very special guest would be on the podcast before Barack appeared on the show.

“Wait, you guys like each other?” Robinson joked in reference to the divorce rumors.

Michelle noted that when she and the former president aren’t in the same room constantly, people believe they’ve been divorced.

The rumors started after Barack attended multiple public events without Michelle, but the two chalked up the issue to age.

“We’re 60, y’all,” Michelle said. “You just are not gonna know what we’re doing every minute of the day.”

Barack, 63, addressed the rumors on the show in a playful manner, making light of the divorce rumors.

“She took me back!” Barack yelled. “It was...

Former President Barack Obama won the presidency twice, but the 22nd Amendment prevented him from going for the hat trick. The same rules don't apply to the Emmy race, where the 42nd commander in chief is closing in on his third individual Primetime Emmy. Obama's name was included among the Best Narrator nominees when nominations were announced on Tuesday for lending his voice to the Netflix docuseries Our Oceans, made in collaboration with Higher Ground, the production company run by the former Potus and his Flotus, Michelle Obama.

Obama is no stranger to this particular category having been nominated — and won — twice before. He received his first Best Narrator statuette in 2022 for narrating the Netflix-Higher Ground collab Our Great National Parks, and repeated the following year for another joint effort, Working: What We Do All Day. He and Michelle also won two Daytime Emmys in 2022 for producing animated children's shows.

Nova Entertainment announced today an exclusive Australian partnership with FlightStory, home to the fastest growing podcast brand in the world, The Diary of a CEO.

Founded by one of the world’s most influential voices, Steven Bartlett, FlightStory has selected Nova Entertainment as its exclusive Australian brand partner, with all podcasts and presenters within the FlightStory portfolio now accessible to Australian advertisers through Nova.

The Diary of a CEO is the world’s second-biggest interview podcast, with 25 million followers, over 11 million YouTube subscribers, and achieving over one billion streams and 60 million monthly listens globally. It is the flagship podcast of FlightStory, the media and investment company dedicated to elevating stories, building communities, and supporting creators that inspire a happier, healthier humanity.

Hosted by Bartlett, an entrepreneur, speaker, investor and best-selling author whose influence transcends genres, The Diary of a CEO features groundbreaking, unfiltered conversations with some of the world’s...

Larry David is stepping back into the spotlight with a fresh comedy project and some presidential backup as he teams with Barack Obama and Michelle Obama for a new HBO sketch series that blends satire with American history.

The six-episode limited series, greenlit by HBO, will be co-written by the Curb Your Enthusiasm creator and longtime collaborator Jeff Schaffer, who will also direct.

The Obamas are producing the project through their Higher Ground banner, marking another creative venture since their recent work on Leave the World Behind and Court of Gold.

The show’s concept was originally pitched as a tribute to the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States.

But, according to the official logline, things took a turn when David entered the chat: “President and Mrs. Obama wanted to honour America’s 250th anniversary and celebrate the unique history of our nation on this special occasion… But then Larry David called.

Larry David is returning to television, and he's bringing a former U.S. president with him.

HBO has ordered an untitled half-hour sketch comedy limited series from David, who starred in, wrote, and produced Curb Your Enthusiasm for the premium cable network between 1999 and 2024. Barack Obama's Higher Ground production company is executive producing the new project, which is being billed as an American history sketch comedy.

Details are still emerging about David and Obama's HBO collaboration, so read on for everything we know so far.

What's it about?

The sketch series will focus on U.S. history, which is where the 44th president's expertise comes in. "President and Mrs. Obama wanted to honor America's 250th anniversary and celebrate the unique history of our nation on this special occasion," HBO teases. "But then Larry David called."

Who's in the cast?

HBO has revealed that cast members and noteworthy guest...

He's back! If you enjoyed Larry David playing a fictionalized version of himself in Curb Your Enthusiasm, his next project might blow you away. David and all of his enthusiasm are making an HBO return, but not in the way you think. This time, he's working with a former president on a special limited series. According to a press release, HBO ordered an untitled American history sketch comedy, which will star Larry, who will also executive produce. Higher Ground, Barack and Michelle Obama's production company founded in 2018, will also executive produce.

The half-hour sketch comedy, according to its logline, will honor America's 250th anniversary, but with a twist. It reads, "President and Mrs. Obama wanted to honor America's 250th anniversary and celebrate the unique history of our nation on this special occasion...But then Larry David called." Curb Your Enthusiasm fans will be in for a treat as the limited series,...

Just in time for the United States’ Semiquincentennial — yes, that’s actually the official title for a 250th anniversary — Larry David is giving his own bent — curb, if you will — on the old U.S. of A. The comedy legend will produce for HBO a limited yet-untitled half-hour sketch comedy series alongside producer Jeff Schaffer — who will also direct — and one of the country’s former leaders, President Barack Obama, through his and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground production company. Vinnie Malhotra and Ethan Lewis will also serve as executive producers.

According to the official logline, “President and Mrs. Obama wanted to honor America’s 250th anniversary and celebrate the unique history of our nation on this special occasion… but then Larry David called.”

“I’ve sat across the table from some of the world’s most difficult leaders and wrestled with some of our most intractable problems,” Obama said in a statement.

Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm creator Larry David and former President Barack Obama are answering the call to comedy with a new project at HBO! While the newly announced project is not Curb Your Enthusiasm, it features cast members from David’s long-running, incredibly cringeworthy comedy series. The new half-hour limited series focuses on American history in a way only Larry David can interpret.

Here’s the logline for Larry David and Barack Obama’s untitled limited comedy series: President and Mrs. Obama wanted to honor America’s 250th anniversary and celebrate the unique history of our nation on this special occasion…But then Larry David called.

Larry David will write the new series with his creative partner, Jeff Schaffer, who will also direct. The comedy series will feature “noteworthy” guest stars, and Obama’s Higher Ground will produce. Executive producers include Larry David, Jeff Schaffer, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama,...

Larry David is gearing up for yet another return to HBO, and for a pretty good reason. Pretty, pretty good. The Curb Your Enthusiasm mastermind and Seinfeld co-creator is teaming up with the cable and streaming giant once again, this time for a sketch comedy series that takes on American history and all its absurdities. Variety first broke the story on July 10. David will star in and write the six-episode, half-hour comedy series. He’ll share writing duties with Jeff Schaffer, Curb‘s showrunner, executive producer, and occasional director. Both will also serve as executive producers, alongside Barack and Michelle Obama, who are producing through their Higher Ground banner, along with Vinnie Malhotra and Ethan Lewis. The official logline on the still-untitled comedy show states: “President and Mrs. Obama wanted to honor America’s 250th anniversary and celebrate the unique history of our nation on this special occasion…But then Larry David called.

Exclusive: Tonia Davis, Will Graham and Max Linsky are opening the doors to Invitation Media, a new multiplatform production company.

The group starts with a first-look TV deal at Amazon MGM Studios and an upcoming film – the Vietnam War thriller Trust the Man with Daniel Radcliffe and Lucas Hedges — as well as an audio partnership with the Washington Post. Graham is directing Trust the Man and also producing with Davis and Linsky.

Under the Invitation Media banner, the partners also are executive producing the series Spy Coast, which is in development with Amazon MGM Studios and based on Tess Gerritsen’s novel.

Invitation Media will operate from Los Angeles and New York and is repped by UTA and Kaplan Perrone.

More projects and partnerships will be announced this summer.

“At an uncertain time for our industry, we wanted to team up and send a message of optimism,” said the founders of Invitation Media.

Larry David is angling for yet another return to HBO after the final season of Curb Your Enthusiasm wrapped up last year. The studio has confirmed that David, who created the 92% Rotten Tomatoes series, is working on a comedy sketch limited series about American history. David is writing the show with Jeff Schaffer, who also worked with David on Curb as showrunner, executive producer, and director. David will follow the Curb model for his new series and also star in the show in addition to creating it. Each episode of the new series will be a half-hour, and former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama will also executive produce under their Higher Ground production banner. Obama told HBO that, despite his former trials and tribulations as President, “nothing” prepared him for “working with Larry David.”

In addition to starring as Boris in Whatever Works, the 2009 romantic comedy starring...

This sounds pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty good: Fifteen months after the series finale of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David is returning to HBO to create and star in an as-yet-untitled sketch-comedy series whose executive producers include Barack and Michelle Obama.

The limited series, which will consist of six episodes, reunites David with Curb EP Jeff Schaffer, and will feature “a mix of some Curb actors and noteworthy guest stars,” per HBO. Schaffer will also serve as director. The official logline reads as follows:

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A year after Curb Your Enthusiasm aired its series finale, Larry David is returning to HBO, and he’s bringing a former president along with him.

David will star in, co-write and executive produce a sketch comedy series about American history. Higher Ground, the company headed by Barack and Michelle Obama, is producing the series, with the former president and first lady serving as executive producers.

The logline: “President and Mrs. Obama wanted to honor America’s 250th anniversary and celebrate the unique history of our nation on this special occasion. … But then Larry David called.”

“I’ve sat across the table from some of the world’s most difficult leaders and wrestled with some of our most intractable problems. Nothing has prepared me for working with Larry David,” the former president said in a statement.

Curb Your Enthusiasm writer/executive producer Jeff Schaffer and David will write the series,...

Larry David will star in and executive produce a new half-hour sketch comedy series centered on American history at HBO.

The limited series, which doesn’t yet have an official name, hails from the Obamas’ Higher Ground as well as EPs David and Jeff Schaffer, who write the series. David will star in the new series a mix of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” actors and noteworthy guest stars.

The official logline is as follows: “President and Mrs. Obama wanted to honor America’s 250th anniversary and celebrate the unique history of our nation on this special occasion … But then Larry David called.”

“Once ‘Curb’ ended, I celebrated with a three-day foam party,” David said jokingly in statement. “After a violent allergic reaction to the suds, I yearned to return to my simple life as a beekeeper, harvesting organic honey from the wildflowers in my meadow. Alas, one day my bees mysteriously vanished.

At long last, Larry David is returning to HBO…again.

Variety has learned exclusively that the “Curb Your Enthusiasm” creator and star has re-teamed with the premium cabler on a sketch comedy limited series about American history. David is writing the series with Jeff Schaffer, who was the showrunner, executive producer, and frequent director on “Curb.” David will also star in the six-episode series.

Both David and Schaffer will executive produce the half-hour show, with Schaffer also set to direct. Barack and Michelle Obama are executive producing under their Higher Ground Productions banner along with Vinnie Malhotra and Ethan Lewis.

“I’ve sat across the table from some of the world’s most difficult leaders and wrestled with some of our most intractable problems. Nothing has prepared me for working with Larry David,” said former President Obama.

Along with David, the sketch series will feature a mix of some “Curb Your Enthusiasm...

Why Did Megyn Kelly Question Charlize Theron’s Sexuality? ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Megyn Kelly, a star journalist with a preponderance of credibility, has now established herself as a satirical force, shooting multiple parodies that target the unhealthy sense of entitlement found in powerful women. From Meghan Markle and Katy Perry to Michelle Obama, Kelly has not shied away from capitalizing on celebrities’ unquenchable thirst for attention.

On Thursday’s appearance on The Megyn Kelly Show, the namesake host implied Charlize Theron could be her next parody. Ironically, the last time the South African actress received an Oscar nomination was for portraying Kelly herself in Bombshell. Now, Kelly has dropped a pointed one-liner: “She played me in a movie, and I can play her in one, too.”

Megyn Kelly’s Overcompensation Theory Regarding Charlize Theron’s Sexuality

The controversy stems from Theron’s recent appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast,...

Idris Elba has opened up about the iconic Stringer Bell scene from The Wire that he had “reservations” about. Elba was the latest A-list guest on Amy Poehler’s new podcast, Good Hang, following in the footsteps of Paul Rudd, Jack Black, and Michelle Obama. Elba was there to promote his new Amazon action comedy, Heads of State, co-starring John Cena.

As an avid fan of The Wire, Poehler was eager to discuss the show, but Elba said he’d never seen it, because he doesn’t want to become too aware of his own performance style. However, he was happy to discuss it — particularly his “reservations” about Stringer’s demise, one of The Wire’s most shocking deaths. Read Elba’s full comments below:

I had reservations about how Stringer was dying. There was various ways that [series creator] David Simon wanted to depict that, and I was a little bit against some of that.

If “Barbie” was supposed to be the Year of the Girl, then what do you call the three-month stretch of 2024 that gave us “Love Lies Bleeding,” “Drive-Away Dolls,” and a musical “Mean Girls” with lesbian intern Reneé Rapp? Hot Sapphic… Spring?

Actually, that’s not half-bad. It’s just a shame Kamala Harris lost the election, Charli Xcx steered the girlies wrong, and Brat Summer turned out to be a launch party for the modern Republicans’ debut EP, “Now That’s What I Call Fascism!” Fall.

To paraphrase a bi-coded owl from an almost exclusively heterosexual TV show, “When you look at something through rose-colored glasses, all the red flags just look like flags.” It’s a painful thing to yearn for pop culture controversies that would’ve exhausted us a year ago. Where is the annual railing against consumer culture? How can we get back to No Kink at Pride discourse?...

In an effort to cut costs during a production downturn, Los Angeles studio soundstage giant Hudson Pacific is trimming its board of directors by two members. Executives Ebs Burnough and Christy Haubegger have resigned from their roles, bringing the current board count from 10 members to eight members, the company said on Monday.

“This more efficient board structure maintains the experience needed to guide our management team while contributing to our ongoing focus on corporate costs to drive value creation for shareholders,” Hudson Pacific CEO Victor Coleman stated. “With our high-quality portfolio located in the primary markets benefiting from AI investment and now California’s substantially increased film and TV production incentives, I am excited about what the future holds for Hudson Pacific.”

Burnough, currently the board chair of the Sundance Institute, has held marketing and communications roles that have included serving as senior adviser to Michelle Obama. Haubegger’s résumé...