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“Summer of Violence“, Nicki Micheaux‘s well-received, award-winning directorial debut from Quiver Distribution, hits theaters in select cities throughout the US this coming Friday, September 27th. Tickets for showings in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, and Washington, DC, are now available for purchase at the following link on Fandango.

The digital release is set to follow later this year.

Credit – Summer Of Violence, LLC

Summer Of Violence stars Kasey Inez, Jahking Guillory, Pedro Correa, Madhulika Krishnan and Damon Gupton in the lead ensemble cast. Micheaux also produced Summer Of Violence with Efuru Flowers, Sean Riggs, Maureen Mottley, Brian Mitchell, and Stelio Savante. Executive Producers are Johnny Wimbrey, Brian Mitchell, Sonya Marchand, Crystal Wimbrey, Psalms Wimbrey, Hannah Wimbrey and Nicki Micheaux.

The poignant story of self discovery follows a young college grad and talented poet, Naomi (Kasey Inez), who turns...

“Summer of Violence” sets the stage for an enchanting initiation journey of a young girl named Noemi, who is filled with dreams and must also come to grips with the harsh realities of life. This film beautifully encapsulates Noemi’s voyage towards maturity which is stripped of her dreams and her struggle to harmoniously merge her fantasies with the rugged reality she faces.

In essence, “Summer of Violence” brilliantly portrays a journey into adulthood set in the backdrop of a memorable summer in the 90s, teeming with adventure.

The film, “Summer of Violence” is directed by the talented Nicki Micheaux, who marks her directorial debut. Despite being a novice director, her long-standing acting career reflects in her directorial style, skillfully allowing the characters to take center stage. Nicki Micheaux has crafted a character-driven film with a stirring screenplay, while keenly focusing on every aspect.

Summer of Violence

Taking the limelight...

Quiver Distribution has acquired North American rights for American filmmaker Nicki Micheaux’s coming-of-age love story about a young poet who uses her art to speak out in 1993 in Denver, during a period of violent crime in the city known as the Summer Of Violence. The film is set to be released in theaters in the US on August 23rd with VOD and Digital to follow in October..

Micheaux’s gritty directorial debut from her own script was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Austin Film Festival (2023), and was also warmly received at Heartland, Denver, Tallgrass International and Downtown LA Film festivals (all in 2023), the two latter festivals recognizing the film with ‘Best Picture’, ‘Audience Award’ and ‘Outstanding First Feature’ awards respectively. The film will next appear at the popular Black Girls Rock!Film Festival June 21-23 in Atlanta, Ga.

The lead cast includes Kasey Inez, Jahking Guillory,...

Exclusive: Quiver Distribution has acquired North American rights for filmmaker and actress Nicki Micheaux’s coming-of-age love story, Summer of Violence. The film stars Kasey Inez, Jahking Guillory, Madhulika Krishnan, Pedro Correa, and Damon Gupton, and will next appear at the Black Girls Rock! Film Festival June 21-23 in Atlanta, Ga.

The film follows a young poet who uses her art to speak out in 1993 Denver, during a period of violent crime in the city known as the summer of violence.

Micheaux says, “I’m thrilled to have found the film a home with Quiver. To have distributors who are passionate about the film and believe in its appeal to a wide audience is exciting. We can’t wait to get this film into the world and in front of audiences.”

“Nicki has created a poignant character study in her feature length directorial debut,” said Quiver Distribution Co-Presidents Berry Meyerowitz and Jeff Sackman.

The Chi's dynamic cast evolves with returning characters playing significant roles in the gripping season 5 plot. Emmett, Kevin, Jake, Papa, and Jada navigate love, growth, and survival in this coming-of-age drama set in Chicago. From star Emmett Washington to the menacing Otis "Douda" Perry, each character showcases raw talent and complex storylines.

The Chi season 5 cast members include many characters from previous seasons, comprising a talented and prolific cast. Created by Lena Waithe, the Showtime series premiered in January 2018 and is a coming-of-age drama that follows a group of individuals in the south side of Chicago who grow, love, and try to survive in a community that sees people and families intersect in unexpected ways. The show's fifth season premiered in June 2022 and, 10 episodes later, ended in September 2022. A sixth season of the series arrived in 2023, and The Chi was renewed for season 7.

The main characters in The Chi have changed across seasons,...

Nathan Zellner and David Zellner’s Sasquatch Sunset is stomping into circa 850 theaters this weekend after debuting in 9 with a solid opening for a film many could find weird. A tribe of Sasquatch, possibly the last of their kind, live and love in the woods of northern California, where it was shot.

“We are taking Bigfoot to America. We have high hopes that the broader market will embrace the movie,” says Kyle Davies of distributor Bleecker Street, calling it “a very different” kind of movie and “a bit of an unknown.”

“It’s a wildcard.”

Marketing was mainly through social activations. “I wouldn’t call it traditional marketing. It doesn’t really fit in that box,” Davies adds. The Sasquatch standees in theaters are fun. And Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar is displaying a baby Sasquatch sitting in a glass case with umbilical cord and placenta.

This is “a polarizing film.

A grueling two-pedal route to the Grand Canyon just might provide the course-correction male juvenile offenders need in “Hard Miles.” With Matthew Modine as their teacher-coach, this fact-inspired tale covers familiar redemptive sports drama terrain. But it’s traveled with affectingly understated assurance by director R.J. Daniel Hanna (“Miss Virginia”) and a strong cast, making for a satisfying scenic ride that picked up several festival audience awards last year.

In a film loosely based on the life and work of his character’s offscreen namesake, Modine plays avid cyclist Greg Townsend, welding instructor at a medium-security correctional residential school in Colorado. That job environment is no picnic, given volatile students who can go from bantering to insults to fistfights in a flash. Plus he’s got his own demons to wrestle with — there are flashbacks to an abused childhood, and phone calls from an incarcerated brother keep urging Greg to...

"Typical cyclist... Can't stay in your lane." Ha. Blue Fox Entertainment has revealed an official trailer for a movie titled Hard Miles, based on a true story. Opening in theaters this April for everyone to watch. A strong-willed social worker at a youth prison assembles a cycling team of teenage convicts and takes them on a transformative 1000-mile ride. Inspired by the life of Greg Townsend and the Ridgeview Academy (a medium-security correctional school in Colorado) cycling team. It's the story of how these troubled young men "found another gear." Their impressive ride took them from Denver all the way to the Grand Canyon. Starring Matthew Modine as the coach, Greg, plus Cynthia Kaye McWilliams, Leslie David Baker, Jahking Guillory, Jackson Kelly, Damien Diaz, Zachary T. Robbins, with Sean Astin. This played at a number of smaller regional US film festivals last year, including the Denver Film Festival in the fall.

CinemaBlind’s Review – 80%

Summer of Violence is a deeply personal and moving film that will surely break your heart by the end. Written and directed by Nicki Micheaux, the drama film’s title is inspired by real events that happened in Denver in the 1990s and that’s when the film is set where we meet our protagonist Naomi, who moves to Denver after graduating because her career choice was not of her father’s liking.

We meet Naomi on the day of her graduation from law school and she is all set to join a law firm, but her passion lies in poetry, and when she tells her father that he refuses to give her emotional and financial support. This forces Naomi to move to Denver with her friend Pam, soon after getting there she witnesses the fear and violence that is ever present in her neighborhood. To fight...

Exclusive: Blue Fox Entertainment announced on Monday that Hard Miles, its cycling drama starring Matthew Modine (Stranger Things), will hit theaters nationwide on April 19. They also unveiled a series of first look stills, which you can view above and below.

Directed by 2021 Academy Nicholl Fellow R.J. Daniel Hanna, Hard Miles tells the true story of the bicycling team at Rite of Passage’s RidgeView Academy, a medium-security correctional school in Colorado. The film follows beleaguered coach Greg Townsend (Modine) as he rounds up an unlikely crew of incarcerated students for a seemingly impossible bike ride from Denver to the Grand Canyon.

As the beginner bicyclists battle heatstroke, speed wobbles, and the greatest enemy of all cyclists — a chafed crotch — they must learn to stop fighting and ride together as a peloton. The bicycle serves not just as a means of transportation, but as a test; a way for each of...

Nicki Micheaux‘s directorial debut Summer of Silence, which was also written and produced by Micheaux has been selected to screen at the 31st Pan African Film Festival 2024. The film will be screening twice in 2024 at Cinemark Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Complex and Xd on February 12 at 5 Pm and then on the next day on Feb. 13 at 9 Pm.

Micheaux’s Summer of Violence recently won Best Picture and Audience Award at the Dtla Film Festival, earned the Outstanding First Feature Award at the Tallgrass Film Festival, and was nominated for the Narrative Jury Award at the Austin Film Festival.

Summer of Violence is a coming-of-age story love story and it is set during the turbulent summer of 1993 in Denver, Colorado. The film revolves around a young college grad who refuses to go to law school in order to pursue poetry. Cut off from her father’s money she must survive the...

A Great Divide, a anti-Asian racism drama that stars Ken Jeong, Jae Suh Park and Emerson Min, is set to open the competitive program for Geena Davis’ Bentonville Film Festival, running June 13-18.

The feature directorial debut of Emmy-winning commercial and short film director Jean Shim, which also star Miya Cech in a lead role, will get a world premiere during the ninth edition of the Bentonville, Arkansas festival. A Great Divide follows a Korean-American family that leaves the Bay Area for a fresh start in rural Wyoming after experiencing a devastating loss.

Also getting a first look at Bentonville is director R. J. Daniel Hanna’s Hard Miles, which dramatizes the true story of a youth prison social worker who took a cycling team comprising teenage inmates on a transformative 1,000-mile ride. The film, written by Hanna and Christian Sander, stars Matthew Modine, Cynthia Kaye McWilliams, Jahking Guillory, Jackson Kelly,...

Exclusive: Kasey Inez (The Sex Lives of College Girls), Jahking Guillory (Black Lightning), Pedro Correa (The Middle) and Damon Gupton (Babylon) will topline Summer of Violence — the first feature written and directed by actress Nicki Micheaux (Lincoln Heights), which has wrapped production.

Summer of Violence is a coming-of-age pic, emerging from Micheaux’s time with the Sundance Writing Collab, which was shot in Colorado. The film from Three60 Films follows a young college grad, Naomi (Inez), who turns down law school to pursue poetry, despite her father’s objections. She subsequently struggles to survive in 1993 Denver, after being cut off by her father during a period of violent crime in the city known as the Summer of Violence. Guillory plays Naomi’s artist friend, Frank, with Correa as her boyfriend Richie, and Gupton as her father, Thomas.

Micheaux is producing the pic with her production company partner, Johnny Wimbrey, as...

Exclusive: Oscar nominee Sean Astin has signed on to star alongside fellow Stranger Things alum Matthew Modine in the cycling drama Hard Miles, which 2021 Academy Nicholl Fellow R.J. Daniel Hanna is directing from his and Christian Sander’s script.

Additional cast set for the indie includes Cynthia Kaye McWilliams (The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey), Leslie David Baker (The Office), Jahking Guillory (On My Block), Jackson Kelly (Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion), Damien Diaz (Marvel’s Runaways) and Zachary T. Robbins (Bloodline).

The film is based on the true story of the cycling team at Colorado’s Ridge View Academy, which for decades has given at-risk youth a second chance through academic rigor, targeted treatment, competitive sports and leadership. Modine stars as Greg Townsend, who has led the team at Ridge View for the last 30 years, as previously announced. Astin will play benevolent local bike shop mechanic Speedy, with McWilliams as...

Spoiler Alert: Do not read if you have not yet watched the Season 4 premiere of “The Chi,” which aired May 23 on Showtime.

In several ways, the third season finale of Showtime’s “The Chi” ended on a hopeful note. Sure, the crooked Otis “Douda” Perry (Curtiss Cook) won the mayoral election and strongarmed Trig (Luke James) in running his mob operations. And yes, Ronnie (Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine) was shot in belated retaliation for Coogie’s (Jahking Guillory) murder. But there were so many forward-facing happy moments too, from Trig and Imani (Jasmine Davis) stepping up for Jake (Michael Epps), Emmett (Jacob Latimore) and Tiff (Hannaha Hall) getting married, and even Kiesha (Birgundi Baker) beginning to run again — a notable step in her healing after being kidnapped, imprisoned and impregnated via rape in earlier episodes.

But the fourth season premiere flipped a lot of that on its side.

Kicking things...

Black-ish star Marsai Martin is leading a scripted podcast remake of YA novel Free to Fall – the first project for fledgling podcast company Scripty.

Martin stars in and is exec producing the audio series in which she voices 16-year-old Rory Vaughn, who after her acceptance into an elite boarding school, uncovers a powerful secret society with mysterious connections to her late mother. It is based on the YA novel written by Lauren Miller

Rory begins questioning society’s reliance on the decision-making app Lux, voiced by You’s Tati Gabrielle, and instead, starts listening to the inner voice she’s been taught to ignore—a choice that leads her to uncover a truth neither she nor the world ever saw coming.

Queen & Slim’s Jahi Di’Allo Winston, Away’s Talitha Bateman and Black Lightning’s Jahking Guillory also star alongside Jason Genao (On My Block), Victoria Vida (Project MC2), McKinley Freeman...

Since season one of “The Chi” ended with Ronnie (Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine) confessing to murder, Mwine worried “that might be the end of me. You might not see this character again.” Luckily for the actor, the writers “gave me so much to do this year. It’s really been a blessing.” Watch our exclusive video interview with Mwine above.

In the first season of this Lena Waithe-created series for Showtime about life on the South Side of Chicago, Ronnie desperately tried to prove his love to Tracy (Tai Davis). When Tracy’s son was murdered he killed Coogie (Jahking Guillory), the young man he suspected committed the crime. But it turned out he went after the wrong guy, and Coogie’s older brother, Brandon (Jason Mitchell), vowed to bring his murderer to justice.

See Showtime has never won the Best Limited Series Emmy, but ‘Escape at Dannemora’ can...

Welcome back to The Windy City! Showtime just released season two premiere of Th Chi early.

The drama series follows a group of Chicagoans who, at first, are connected by circumstance, but begin to develop a bond, due to their loneliness, thirst for atonement, and hunger for a more meaningful life. The cast includes Jason Mitchell, Tiffany Boone, Jacob Latimore, Yolonda Ross, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Alex R. Hibbert, Armando Riesco, Sonja Sohn, Jahking Guillory, and Steven Williams.

Read More…...

[Editor’s note: The following contains minor spoilers for “On My Block” Season 2.]

The stealth Netflix favorite “On My Block” returned for a second season last Friday, and according to its creators, they have many more years’ worth of story to tell. Which is good news for the loyal fanbase of the young adult dramedy’s central cast — Cesar (Diego Tinoco), Monse (Sierra Capri), Ruby (Jason Genao), and Jamal (Brett Gray) — as they grow up faster than they might like in a rough Los Angeles neighborhood.

The origins of “On My Block” began when long-time writing partners Eddie Gonzalez and Jeremy Haft met their co-creator Lauren Iungerich on the picket lines of the 2007 WGA Writer’s Strike. A few years later, after Iungerich had created the popular MTV series “Awkward,” she and Haft were having lunch. “She said to me, ‘You know, “Awkward” had so many fans that were kids of color. I want to do a show with kids of color.

Vulture Watch

What's next for the residents on the South Side of Chicago? Has The Chi TV show been cancelled or renewed for a second season on Showtime? The television vulture is watching all the latest cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of The Chi, season two. Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you?  

What's This TV Show About?

A Showtime Chicago drama from Lena Waithe, The Chi stars Jason Mitchell, Tiffany Boone, Jacob Latimore, Yolonda Ross, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Alex R. Hibbert, Armando Riesco, Sonja Sohn, Jahking Guillory, and Steven Williams. The story explores life on the city's South Side. True to its name, the drama is shot entirely in Chi-Town. It follows a group of Chicagoans who, at first,...

Showtime is heading back to the Windy City. Today, the network announced season two of The Chi will debut in April.

From executive producer Lena Waithe, the drama follows a group of Chicagoans who, at first, are connected by circumstance, but begin to develop a bond, due to their loneliness, thirst for atonement, and hunger for a more meaningful life. The cast includes Jason Mitchell, Tiffany Boone, Jacob Latimore, Yolonda Ross, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Alex R. Hibbert, Armando Riesco, Sonja Sohn, Jahking Guillory, and Steven Williams.

Read More…...

Some familiar characters are returning to The Chi. Recently, Showtime announced stars Shamon Brown Jr., Barton Fitzpatrick, and Michael Epps have been promoted to series regulars for the TV show's second season.

The drama follows a group of Chicagoans who, at first, are connected by circumstance, but begin to develop a bond due to their loneliness, thirst for atonement, and hunger for a more meaningful life. The cast includes Jason Mitchell, Tiffany Boone, Jacob Latimore, Yolonda Ross, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Alex R. Hibbert, Armando Riesco, Sonja Sohn, Jahking Guillory, and Steven Williams.

Read More…...

“We really wanted to put faces to some of these tragedies,” reveals Jason Mitchell about “The Chi.” Created by Lena Waithe, this Showtime ensemble drama examines life on the South Side of Chicago, which is notorious for its high homicide rate. “So many people are losing family members,” he explains. “We really wanted to show how not only does it strip a family of something, but it also strips a neighborhood of something.” Watch our exclusive video interview with Mitchell above.

See Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine (‘The Chi’): Why he was ‘terrified’ of playing a man from the South Side of Chicago [Exclusive Video Interview]

Mitchell plays Brandon Johnson, an aspiring chef hoping to open his own restaurant. He’s the kind of character everyone roots for, “a guy who’s just working as hard as he can to catch a break. He wants to be everything except a product of his environment,...

Here, Variety selects some stand-out small-screen segments from the Emmy-eligible 2017-18 TV season.

“The Americans”

“The Great Patriotic War”

Season 6, Episode 5 (FX)

A father and daughter fight isn’t the kind of thing that should be celebrated but, especially in this climate, it is one that leaves a mark. No pun intended. Philip (Matthew Rhys) told Paige (Holly Taylor) he was training her, but as the subsequent fight proved, he was also taking out his frustrations and trying to assert the authority he felt he lost on her.

“Atlanta”

“North of the Border”

Season 2, Episode 9 (FX)

The Teddy Perkins episode of Donald Glover’s comedy stirred a lot of chatter. But in a season full of big swings and standalone character moments, actually seeing the core guys sharing scenes was memorable in and of itself. After a surreal frat house party, Alfred (Brian Tyree Henry) fired Earn (Glover), delivering a...

Showtime’s expansive 2018 Emmy Fyc mailer will soon be arriving on the doorsteps of the TV academy membership. While the premium network previously shipped three series-specific mailers back in April for drama series “The Chi,” comedy series “Smilf” and limited series “Twin Peaks,” they’ve now sent out a fourth mailer featuring all of their eligible Emmy submissions. See photos above and below.

See Emmys 2018 exclusive: Showtime categories for ‘Patrick Melrose,’ ‘Smilf,’ ‘Twin Peaks’ and more

Included is recent Emmy winner “Shameless,” two-time champ for Best Comedy Stunts and four-time nominee for William H. Macy as Best Comedy Actor. Former Best Drama Series winner “Homeland” (2012) is also back in action after concluding its seventh season last month. Look for Emmy favorite Claire Danes and repeat nominee Mandy Patinkin to be major players again in the acting categories, along with Lesli Linka Glatter for directing the drama series.

More shows to...

In a Gold Derby exclusive, we have learned the category placements of the key Emmy Awards contenders for Showtime. For this season, the premium network has newcomers “The Chi” (Jason Mitchell) and “Smilf” (Frankie Shaw), returning Emmy contenders “Homeland” (Claire Danes) and “Shameless” (William H. Macy) and limited series “Patrick Melrose” (Benedict Cumberbatch) and “Twin Peaks” (Kyle MacLachlan) as part of their 2018 campaign.

Below, the list of Showtime lead, supporting and guest submissions for their comedy, drama and limited series. More names might be added by the network on the final Emmy ballot. Also note that performers not included on this list may well be submitted by their personal reps.

See‘Twin Peaks: The Return’ Emmy Fyc event: Kyle MacLachlan and Laura Dern ‘don’t know the answers to David Lynch’s worlds’ [Red Carpet Interviews]

“Billions”

Drama Series

Drama Actor – Paul Giamatti, Damian Lewis

Drama Supporting Actress – Malin Akerman, Condola Rashad, Maggie Siff...

“On My Block” viewers, prepare yourself for quite the roller coaster. The 10-episode first season focuses on Netflix’s new favorite demographic, young teens, but the stakes go far beyond the typical high school drama. And also it’s quite often very funny, in a way that leaves you disoriented, unsure if what you’re watching is a comedy or a drama, kid-appropriate or all too adult. It’s “Sixteen Candles” meets “The Goonies” meets “Boyz in the Hood,” sometimes all at once, and it is chock full of feels.

[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for the “On My Block” Season 1, including the finale, follow.]

“On My Block,” according to Netflix, “may be unsuitable for children ages 14 and under,” which means that the characters it tracks are barely old enough to watch it. At the beginning of the season, best friends Monse (Sierra Capri), Ruby (Jason Genao), Cesar (Diego Tinoco), and Jamal (Brett Gray) are all about...

Showtime kicked off Emmy season with an event celebrating the cast and crew of their new series “The Chi” on Friday night. Gold Derby was on the red carpet at the Directors Guild of America Theater in Hollywood, CA, and snagged interviews with star Jason Mitchell, creator Lena Waithe, director Rick Famuyiwa, and Lil Rel Howery, who moderated a Q&A that also featured executive producer Common.

The ensemble drama examines life on the Southside of Chicago – like “The Wire” for the midwest. Mitchell plays Brandon Johnson, an aspiring chef whose younger brother (Jahking Guillory) is killed by a man (Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine) avenging the death of his surrogate son. Famuyiwa helmed the pilot episode and served as an executive producer throughout the first season.

See Emmys Best Drama Series Gallery: Every Winner in Emmy Awards History

Waithe made Emmy history last year by becoming the first black woman...

Is the first season of The Chi TV show on Showtime more of a fresh breeze or an ill wind? As we all know, the Nielsen ratings typically play a big role in determining whether the TV show The Chi is cancelled or renewed for season two. Unfortunately, most of us do not live in Nielsen households. Because many viewers feel frustration when their viewing habits and opinions aren't considered, we'd like to offer you the chance to rate all of The Chi season one episodes below. A Showtime drama from Lena Waithe, The Chi stars Jason Mitchell, Tiffany Boone, Jacob Latimore, Yolonda Ross, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Alex R. Hibbert, Armando Riesco, Sonja Sohn, Jahking Guillory, and Steven Williams. The story explores life on Chicago's South Side. True to its name, the drama is shot entirely in Chi-Town. It follows...

With some of its top TV series growing long in the tooth, Showtime could use a new hit. Set in the Windy City, will The Chi TV show prove a breath of fresh air for the premium cable network? Will The Chi be cancelled or renewed for season two? Stay tuned. A Chicago drama from Lena Waithe (rather than Dick Wolf), The Chi stars Jason Mitchell, Tiffany Boone, Jacob Latimore, Yolonda Ross, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Alex R. Hibbert, Armando Riesco, Sonja Sohn, Jahking Guillory, and Steven Williams. The Showtime TV series explores life on the South Side of Chicago. True to its name, the drama is shot entirely in Chi-Town. It follows a group of Chicagoans who, at first, are connected by circumstance, but begin to develop a bond, due to their loneliness, thirst for atonement, and hunger for a more meaningful life.

Showtime's putting down roots in Chi-Town. The Chi TV show has been renewed for a second season on Showtime. The season two pickup was confirmed on the show's official Twitter account. Check it out, below. Ayanna Floyd Davis will serve as showrunner in season two. A Showtime drama from Lena Waithe, The Chi stars Jason Mitchell, Tiffany Boone, Jacob Latimore, Yolonda Ross, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Alex R. Hibbert, Armando Riesco, Sonja Sohn, Jahking Guillory, and Steven Williams. Filmed on location, the story explores life on the city’s South Side. It follows residents who at first are only connected by circumstance, but soon begin to develop a bond in their longing for a more meaningful life. Read More…...

Network: Showtime. Episodes: Ongoing (hour). Seasons: Ongoing. TV show dates: January 5, 2018 — present. Series status: Has not been cancelled. Performers include: Jason Mitchell, Tiffany Boone, Jacob Latimore, Yolonda Ross, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Alex R. Hibbert, Armando Riesco, Sonja Sohn, Jahking Guillory, and Steven Williams. TV show description: Created by Lena Waithe, who executive produces with Common and Elwood Reid, The Chi TV show delves into life on the South Side of Chicago. True to its name, the drama is shot entirely in the Windy City. It follows a group of Chicagoans who, at first, are connected by circumstance, but begin to develop a bond, due to their loneliness and quest for atonement. Brandon...

Welcome to the South Side of Chicago, where Showtime’s new drama series The Chi paints a vividly colorful portrait of life on the streets.

PHOTOSWinter TV Preview: The Chi Made Our List of New Shows to Get Excited About

Sunday’s series premiere — written by Emmy winner Lena Waithe (Master of None) and directed by Dope helmer Rick Famuyima — lays out a wide range of narrative strands for us to follow, all intersecting with each other, so let’s take a closer look at the five main characters we’re introduced to:

* Coogie (Jahking Guillory), a street-smart teen who...

There are so much to discuss within “The Chi,” one could almost be forgiven for neglecting to mention its stellar soundtrack. The opening scene, for instance, is filled with key moments in the story and context about its city, but it’s also set to Chicago-local Chance the Rapper’s “All We Got” — a meaningful choice both in the rapper’s home and the song’s tone. It’s hopeful, rhythmic, and quickly gets its hooks into you, just like the show implementing it. There’s more going on than appears on-screen, which quickly becomes a common trait in Lena Waithe’s elegantly told and compellingly watchable Showtime drama.

Ostensibly a beautiful montage capturing the city’s South Side from morning to night, the first scene follows teenager Coogie (Jahking Guillory) as he rides his bike through the streets, stopping to shoot hoops, race a motorcyclist, and haggle for a...

Lena Waithe is following up her historic Emmy win with an ambitious new venture: After winning a trophy for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series, Waithe is tackling a drama series set in her sweet home, Chicago.

“The Chi,” created and produced by Waithe, “explores the humanity behind the headlines sensationalizing the South Side of Chicago.” The first season was shot entirely in the Windy City and will track the lives of children growing up in the city, teens looking for love, and adults dealing with very adult issues, including police corruption, excessive force, and gang violence.

Read More:‘The Chi’ Trailer: Lena Waithe Explores the South Side of Chicago With the Help of a ‘Moonlight’ Star — Watch

As indicated in the first full trailer below, the series isn’t all doom and gloom. Despite the prominent stories coming out of Chicago, like the much-publicized homicide level, characters inhabited by the likes of Jason Mitchell,...

Showtime has released the teaser trailer for “The Chi,” a new drama series from recent Emmy winner Lena Waithe (“Master of None”) and Common. Waithe wrote, produced, and stars in the show, which takes place in (you guessed it) Chicago. Watch the trailer below.

Read More:‘Master of None’: Lena Waithe on How Her Revolutionary Episode Represents Lesbians on TV

Here’s the synopsis: “On Chicago’s south side, an average day finds kids prepping for school as their parents head off to work, young adults trying to make a living, and the elders keeping an eye on things from their front porches. But in this tough neighborhood, real dangers threaten daily to squelch dreams, and the simplest decisions can have life or death consequences.”

Read More:Aisha Hinds, Tequan Richmond, Alex Henderson, More Cast in Lena Waithe-Created Showtime Pilot

Waithe, Jacob Latimore, Yolonda Ross, Jason Mitchell, Sonja Sohn,...

Author: Scott Davis

In amongst all of the big summer blockbusters being released in the next few weeks (Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge, Baywatch, Wonder Woman, The Mummy), there are a few hidden gems that deserve your attention outside of the whizz-bang of the summer season and one such film is Kicks.

Co-written and directed by Justin Tipping, Kicks tells the story of Brandon (Jahking Guillory), a teenager who dreams of owning a new pair of Air Jordans trainers. However, whilst walking through a rough neighbourhood, he is mugged for his trainers leading to him and his two friends (Christopher Jordan Wallace and Christopher Meyer) on a dangerous mission through the streets of Oakland to reclaim them.

The genesis of the idea came from a very sad but powerful moment in Tipping’s own adolescence when he was mugged. but Tipping says it’s an event he wanted...

The “Jumpman” might not mean much to you if you aren’t a fan of Michael Jordan. The greatest to ever do it on a basketball court, G.O.A.T. for short. He played for the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s, picking up six NBA championship rings, and has a phone book-like list of other sporting achievements, including two olympic gold medals. But perhaps, maybe his most iconic sporting moment came when he laced up in the early eighties in a pair of Nike basketball shoes; created especially for him, branded with his surname in a red and black colourway: The Air Jordan 1. They heralded in the era of the sneakerhead, which still continues to this day, spanning generations young and old.

So, we meet Jordan-obsessed teen, Brandon (Jahking Guillory) and his knockabout buddies, Albert (Christopher Jordan Wallace), and Rico (Christopher Meyer), kicking it in the East Bay, Richmond,...

Author: Zehra Phelan

The Tribeca Film Festival Official selection Kicks, which stars Moonlight’s very own Mahershala Ali, has a trailer ahead of its digital-only release on May 22, it’s unique that’s for sure.

Related: Mahersala Ali Moonlight Interview

The production which is inspired by a real-life incident is fused with hip-hop influences on the streets of an angry United States. A coming of age story with a gritty edge, the trailer quite surprisingly features absolutely no dialogue accept the lone lyrics of a track towards the end. Accompanied by a gentle yet menacing musical tone throughout as the events of the young Brandon’s troubled life unfold and his fight back begins despite the danger it places himself and his friends in.

Kicks is the feature debut of director Justin Tipping and Featuring stellar performances from breakout and rising stars including Jahking Guillory, Christopher Jordan Wallace (Notorious) and...

Not to make you panic, but there are only a few weeks left in 2016, and it can be daunting if you’re trying to catch up on the year in film. The good news is we’re going to make that job a bit easier for some lucky readers, but giving some copies of Justin Tipping‘s indie sensation “Kicks” on Blu-ray.

Starring Jahking Guillory, Christopher Meyer, Christopher Jordan Wallace, Kofi Siriboe, and Mahershala Ali, the film follows 15-year-old Brandon who longs for a pair of the freshest sneakers that money can buy – to help him escape the reality of being poor and picked on by everyone.

Continue reading Contest: Win Indie Sensation ‘Kicks’ On Blu-ray at The Playlist.

The coming-of-age movie is a tired and true staple of independent film, but every once in awhile a movie comes along to shatter genre conventions and make you experience something familiar in a brand new way. Justin Tipping’s directorial debut “Kicks” is one of those movies. The film hits DVD today, and IndieWire is celebrating by giving five readers the chance to win a copy of the film, plus a $25.00 gift certificate to Foot Locker.

Read More: Review: Jahking Guillory is a Major Discovery in ‘Kicks’

“Kicks” stars the breakout Jahking Guillory as Brandon, a bullied 15-year-old street kid who dreams about a fresh pair of sneakers. Working hard to get them, his kicks are soon stolen, prompting Brandon on a coming-of-age odyssey to get them back. It’s a simple story rendered with infectious creativity and some serious human spirit.

In his review, IndieWire Chief Film Critic Eric...

The coming-of-age movie is a tired and true staple of independent film, but every once in awhile a movie comes along to shatter genre conventions and make you experience something familiar in a brand new way. Justin Tipping’s directorial debut “Kicks” is one of those movies.

Read More: Review: Jahking Guillory is a Major Discovery in ‘Kicks’

One of the best films to come out of the Tribeca Film Festival this year, “Kicks” stars the breakout Jahking Guillory as Brandon, a bullied 15-year-old street kid who dreams about a fresh pair of sneakers. Working hard to get them, his kicks are soon stolen, prompting Brandon on a coming-of-age odyssey to get them back.

In his positive review out of Tribeca, IndieWire Chief Film Critic Eric Kohn praised Guillory as a major discovery. As for Tipping’s filmmaking: “He constructs a lyrical atmosphere that suggests Terrence Malick for the hip-hop set,...

Clip It: Each day, Jon Davis looks at the world of trailers, featurettes, and clips and puts it all in perspective. I love movies like this because they are such great examples of idea that seems small can really be quite big. Moreover, and this is not sarcasm: this is screenwriting 101. The protagonist has a clear physical goal. His sneakers were stolen and he wants them back. He also has a clear thematic goal. He wants respect. Kicks makes creating a solid hook look easy.  Don't believe it!  Crafting a story that appears to be simple is one of the hardest parts of screenwriting.   I also love the touches of the surreal in this urban setting. The recurring motif of the astronaut, representing the lead's need for escape but evolving into a kind of spirit animal; it adds a dash of whimsy to a story that has some violent elements.

“Kicks,” an indie film directed by Justin Tipping about a teen who sets out to get back Air Jordans that were stolen from him, received positive reviews after premiering at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. The film currently has a 78 percent fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes, but on IMDb it has a score of 4.7 out of 10, based on 1,143 votes.

A new Wired article, titled “IMDb Voters Are Tanking Indies Before They’re Even Released,” investigates why indie films such as “Kicks” have been receiving a slew of negative reviews days before their opening night.

“The bulk of these scores came from voters who provided the site with no biographical data, making them essentially anonymous—and, to the filmmakers, very suspect,” wrote Brian Raftery of Wired.

“Not to be conspiracy theorists,” added “Kicks” producer David Kaplan. “But when you see something like this, you want to know what’s going on.

“Sometimes I just wish I had a spaceship,” young protagonist Brandon (Jahking Guillory) says in the opening dreamy moments of the new urban drama, “Kicks.” “Where it’s quiet. And no one would fuck with me.” Brandon is pining for all types of escape: from difficult life, impoverished circumstances and in many regards, his own small […]

The post ‘Kicks’ Is An Astonishing Directorial Debut By Justin Tipping About Manhood, Violence & Dreams [Review] appeared first on The Playlist.

How grim can a movie get before it starts to feel like a slog? Justin Tipping’s Kicks doesn’t seem designed to provoke or answer that question. It’s well made, compelling, and no more of a miserablist wallow than any number of film-festival refugees. Yet the movie’s persistent grimness keeps compounding in a way that starts to feel like an end unto itself. Here is a film that manages to be observant without being especially insightful—without deepening thematically beyond the observation that inner city life can still be really, really lousy for everyone involved.

The lousiness does shift as the movie proceeds, offering additional perspective on how much worse things can get. At first, Brandon (Jahking Guillory), a shrimpy teenager living in Oakland, laments his mother’s inability to pony up for a new pair of sneakers—specifically, a new retro line of Air Jordans. When...

Kicks, a film about a hapless teenager who finds himself launched into the Bay Area's violent underbelly after being jumped for his new sneakers, bristles with immediacy, excitement and urgency. It's a remarkably assured, confident movie for a debut feature -- though director Justin Tipping has already experienced some success with his short films -- and has already generated well-deserved buzz. Jahking Guillory plays Brandon, a diminutive 14-year-old boy who feels his small size, poverty, and all-around lack of cool are ruining his life. One of those problems can be solved, he thinks, by having some shiny new sneakers (original Air Jordans purchased from the trunk of someone's car). Unfortunately, not long after the titular kicks start working their magic on his social status, he's...

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

One of the themes explored in “Kicks” is the lethality of material possessions, and for stars Christopher Jordan Wallace, Christopher Meyer and Jahking Guillory, the movie hits a little too close to home. “This is happening every day, people are getting beat up, killed over materialistic things,” Guillory said in a recent interview with TheWrap. “My friend got stabbed 17 times over his backpack. This is happening every day, so I hope this movie opens up a lot of eyes. It’s not just over kicks, it’s about so much more.” “Kicks” is about 15-year-old Brandon (Guillory), whose dream it...

“Kicks” director Justin Tipping was inspired to make his new film after his own personal run-in as a teenager with a gang of violent kids who were trying to steal his prized sneakers. “I was jumped, beaten and stomped out by like 10 kids,” Tipping told TheWrap’s Stuart Brazell of his directorial debut. “I was singled out in a parking lot because I was wearing a pair of Nikes.” “Kicks” tells the story of 15-year-old Brandon (Jahking Guillory), whose dream it is to own a pair of Air Jordans. But when he gets them, they are stolen by a local thug,...

One of the themes explored in “Kicks” is the lethality of material possessions, and for stars Christopher Jordan Wallace, Christopher Meyer and Jahking Guillory, the movie hits a little too close to home. “This is happening every day, people are getting beat up, killed over materialistic things,” Guillory said in a recent interview with TheWrap. “My friend got stabbed 17 times over his backpack. This is happening every day, so I hope this movie opens up a lot of eyes. It’s not just over kicks, it’s about so much more.” “Kicks” is about 15-year-old Brandon (Guillory), whose dream it...