News

OWN announced that “David Makes Man” is returning for Season 2 on June 22.

The new 10-episode season finds David, played by Kwame Patterson, faced with a decision that will change him and his community forever. The series began filming again in October 2020 in Orlando, Fla.

This announcement comes with a slew of new recurring cast members, including Tony Plana, Brittany S. Hall, Erica Lutrell, Zsané Jhé, Bobbi Baker, Patrice Arenas, Trinity Cidel, Brandi Huzzie, Rodney Gardiner and Janmarco Santiago. Arlen Escarpeta, Akili McDowell, Alana Arenas, Travis Coles and Cayden K. Williams also return for Season 2.

Kiel Adrian Scott and Erica Watson will each direct half the season.

Watch the trailer below:

Also in today’s TV news roundup:

Dates

HBO Max announced that “The Big Shot With Bethenny,” a new original series hosted by business tycoon and Skinnygirl founder Bethenny Frankel, will premiere on April 29. The seven-episode series will feature the...

In today’s TV news roundup, CBS released the premiere date and teaser for its long-awaited drama “Clarice,” and OWN announced the recurring cast and directors for Season 2 of “David Makes Man.”

Casting

OWN announced Tony Plana, Brittany S. Hall, Erica Luttrell, Zsané Jhé, Bobbi Baker, Patrice Arenas, Trinity Cidel, Brandi Huzzie, Rodney Gardiner and Janmarco Santiago would recur on Season 2 of “David Makes Man.” They join the previously-announced series regulars Kwame Patterson as adult David and Arlen Escarpeta as adult Jg, alongside returning Season 1 regulars. Also, Kiel Adrian Scott and Erica Watson are tapped to direct five episodes each of the new season, which finds David in his 30s as a rising business man facing a potential opportunity that will change the course of his life. Filming commenced in October, with the season premiering in early summer 2021.

Dates

CBS’ highly-anticipated new drama “Clarice,” from executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet,...

As OWN ramps up for the second season of the Peabody Award-winning drama David Makes Man from Oscar winner Tarell Alvin McCraney and Warner Bros. Television, 10 actors are set to appear in recurring roles.

Tony Plana, Brittany S. Hall, Erica Luttrell, Zsané Jhé, Bobbi Baker, Patrice Arenas, Trinity Cidel, Brandi Huzzie, Rodney Gardiner and Janmarco Santiago have joined David Makes Man which returned to Orlando, Florida and continued production in October. On the directing side, Kiel Adrian Scott (The Bobby Brown Story) is set to return to direct five episodes of the new season while Erica Watson has been tapped to helm the remaining five episodes in the 10-episode sophomore season which is set to debut in the early summer of 2021.

McCraney serves as executive producer alongside showrunner Dee Harris-Lawrence who serves as showrunner. Mike Kelley and Melissa Loy also executive produce under their production banner Page Fright.

Own: Oprah Winfrey Network is rounding out the ensemble cast of its upcoming coming -of-age drama series David Makes Man, from Oscar-winning Moonlight co-writer Tarell Alvin McCraney, and has named the directors who will helm Season 1.

Joining the cast as a series regular is Alana Arenas,, while Gillian Williams (The Girlfriend Experience), Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Elvis Nolasco (American Crime) and Randy Gonzalez (Bloodline) are set for recurring roles. They join previously announced cast Phylicia Rashad, Akili McDowell, Nathaniel Logan McIntyre, Isaiah Johnson, Ade Chike Torbert, Jordan Bolger, Cayden K. Williams and Travis Coles.

Directors joining the hour-long drama include Michael Francis Williams, Kiel Adrian Scott, Daina Reid and Cheryl Dunye.

The series, currently in production in Orlando, Florida, is set for a 2019 premiere on Own.

David Makes Man centers on David (McDowell), a 14-year-old prodigy from the projects who is haunted by...

The DGA's 21st annual Student Film Awards has selected 16 winners from its diverse pool of talented filmmakers — with eastern and western region finalists representing Columbia, Nyu, UCLA, USC, Chapman and Florida State University. The 2015 winners, selected by blue ribbon DGA member panels, are: Best African American Student Filmmakers: West Region Award Winner: Meja Shoba of UCLA for "Dear Pearl" Jury Award: Dehanza Rogers of UCLA for "The Youth" East Region Award Winner: Kiel Adrian Scott of Nyu for "Samaria" Jury Award: Alcee H. Walker of School of Visual Arts for "Inferno" Best Asian American Student Filmmakers: West Region Award Winner: Xi Guan of USC for "Mandala" Jury Award: Thy Riedel of Chapman University for "Long Lost" East Region Award Winner: Saad Nawab of Florida State University for "Frankenstein’s Light" Jury Award: Yingxiang Huang of Florida State University for "Isa and the Frog...

On the heels of last Wednesday’s announcement in The Hollywood Reporter’s annual film school rankings that Chapman University (where I am currently teaching) remains steady at #7, the Academy announced the finalists for the Student Academy Awards.

Chapman has three films that were selected.

Typically nominees in the Animation category are from the top animation schools such as Cal Arts and this year’s success suggests Chapman is joining those ranks.

2015 Student Academy Awards Finalists

Keep checking back to Oscars.org to find out the winners and get more information about Chapman’s awards ceremony on September 17, 2015.

Alternative

Daniel Drummond, “Chiaroscuro,” Chapman University

M. Louis Gordon, “Girl in the Chair,” Nyu Tisch School of the Arts

ChiHyun Lee, “Zoe,” School of Visual Arts

Balbinka Korzeniowska, “Awaken,” UCLA

David Karp, “Disconnected,” Cornell University

Animation

Jack Anderson, “Wire Cutters,” Chapman University

Lynn Tomlinson, “The Ballad of Holland Island House,” Towson University

Alyce Tzue, “Soar,” Academy of Art University

Nicholas Manfredi, Elizabeth Ku-Herrero, “Taking the Plunge,” The School of Visual Arts

Seth Boyden, “An Object At Rest,” California Institute of the Arts

Tom Teller, “Hum,” Chapman University

Jenna Hamzawi, “Ram's Horn,” Brigham Young University

Documentary

Emily Kassie, “I Married My Family's Killer,” Brown University

Alexandre Peralta, “Looking at the Stars,” University of Southern California

Dan Kerrigan, “Rise and Shine,” Villanova University

Elinore Wright, “In Transition: Tony Chennault,” Villanova University

Eddie Roqueta, “Silencing the Thunder,” Montana State University

Meg Smaker, “Boxeadora,” Stanford University

Matthew Spaull, “Spiritus,” Rochester Institute of Technology

Foreign

Arthur Lecouturier, “Do You Even Know...,” Iad (Belgium)

Dustin Loose, “The Last Will,” Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg (Germany)

Fernanda Valadez, “400 Bags,” Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica (Mexico)

Nick Rowland, “Group B,” Nfts (United Kingdom)

Patrick Vollrath, “Everything Will Be Okay,” Filmacademy Vienna / Filmakademie Wien (Austria)

Ilker Çatak, “Fidelity,” Hamburg Media School (Germany)

Ahmed Abdullahi, “Francis,” Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Arts (Sweden)

Narrative

Henry Hughes, “Day One,” American Film Institute

Bennett Lasseter, ”Stealth,” American Film Institute Conservatory

Stefan Kubicki, “Against Night,” AFI Conservatory

Jeremy Cloe, “This Way Up,” American Film Institute

Jesse Gustafson, “Day 39,” Columbia University

Justin S. Lee, “Drone, “USC School of Cinematic Arts

Kiel Adrian Scott, “Samaria,” New York University...

The New Orleans Film Festival came to a close this week with over 33,000 attendees turning out for two weeks of screenings, panel discussions and special events. This year, the festival launched an initiative funded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences to spotlight black film, with filmmakers flying in from across the country to screen their work, speak at festival events, and participate in a mentorship program bringing local filmmakers together with industry leaders. Five up-and-coming New Orleans filmmakers – Brian Nelson, Jonathan Jackson, Kiel Adrian Scott, Lizzie Ford-Madrid, and Cj Hunt – were chosen to participate in the Emerging Voices mentorship...