News

As of June 4th, a 2011 drama called The Help ranks as the most-watched film on Netflix. The popularity of the movie – doubtlessly connected to the ongoing nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd – doesn’t sit well with many activists though, as it presents a skewed perception of African American life that doesn’t match the reality in which we find ourselves today.

Like the 1989 dramedy Driving Ms. Daisy, The Help is a pic about African Americans who find satisfaction in their position of servitude to whites, rather than act on some revolutionary desire for freedom, autonomy and fraternity. Written and directed by a white filmmaker (Tate Taylor) and based on a book written by a white author, the story of The Help can neither be considered authentic nor educative.

The film’s racially-biased plot certainly didn’t prove a hindrance during awards season, though. On the contrary, one...

Tate Taylor’s 2011 drama “The Help” is the No. 1 most-watched movie on Netflix (per the streamer’s June 4 chart), which isn’t sitting right with a handful of critics and journalists as the movie’s popularity in streaming coincides with the nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd. “The Help,” based on Kathryn Stockett’s 2009 novel of the same name, has been criticized for its white savior narrative and for sidelining the perspective of black characters like the maids Aibileen (Viola Davis) and Minny (Octavia Spencer). The film was a box office hit ($216 million worldwide), an Oscar nominee for Best Picture, and an Oscar winner for Spencer’s supporting performance.

That “The Help” is pulling in such streaming numbers to top Netflix’s charts amid the George Floyd protests has prompted notable writers such as Ashly Perez, Rebecca Theodore-Vachon, and Ira Madison III to speak out against the film’s surge in viewership.

Joe and Anthony Russo sent the internet into a tailspin this week by revealing that not only will there soon be a gay superhero in the McU, but that it’ll be someone who we’re already familiar with. Of course, they wouldn’t say who exactly it’d be, but they strongly suggested that this mysterious individual is one of the already established heroes and that they’ll soon come out as gay.

Obviously, this has led to a whole bunch of fan theories and speculation about who the directors are referring to, and while a lot of people would assume it’s Valkyrie, a good portion of the internet actually thinks it might be Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel, and over at ScreenGeek, they’ve put together a pretty compelling case for why that is.

First up, they point our attention to comments from the actress herself, who...

The New York Television Festival has named its 2018 independent pilot competition selections to be screened for industry executives and fans at the 14th annual Nytvf running from July 14 to July 20. A total of 59 television and digital pilots were chosen spanning a range of themes and topics, from demons to beer.

This year, a record 72% of the selected projects include persons of color above the line, an increase from 56% at the 2016 festival. Additionally 70% of the pilots feature a woman in an executive creative role, with 53% created by women. This number marks the highest number of women in creator roles in the festival’s history, up from last year’s 50%.

The pilots will compete in multiple categories, including best comedy and best drama, judged by a mix of Nytvf screening committee members and Nytvf-hrts Next Generation committee members. The jury will crown the winners at a closing awards brunch on July 20.

Talent...

From the festival that’s highlighted such strong talents as Cathy Yan (who’s helming DC’s upcoming Margot Robbie-starring Harley Quinn movie) and Phil Matarese and Mike Luciano (who have a third season of HBO’s “Animals” hitting in August), comes the next generation of talent.

The New York Television Festival (Nytvf) has unveiled its lineup for the 2018 Independent Pilot competition, including 45 world festival premieres and a number of well-reviewed entries from this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

The 59 pilots come from a diverse group of creators from various international locations. A few highlights:

A record 72 percent of all selected pilots feature persons of color above the line, up from 56 percent in 2017 70 percent of these pilots include a woman in a core creative role, including 53 percent with a female creator (up from 50 percent in 2017 and the largest number in the festival’s history); 40 percent of Official Selections have...

The New York Television Festival, which this year has moved up to July from its traditional fall slot, has selected 59 independent TV and digital pilots for its competition slate.

Over the years, the festival has yielded several network deals for show creators. The 14th annual edition of the festival will be held July 14-20, a shift designed to align it more closely with the industry’s development timeline.

Festival organizers emphasized the diversity of this year’s creators, with a record 72% of pilots featuring people of color above the line, up from 56% in 2017, and 70% featuring women as creators, writers or directors. Geographic diversity is another feature of the lineup, with 30% of projects coming from beyond New York and La, and entries from the UK, Austria, Australia and Canada.

Most of the titles (45 out of 59) are world festival premieres, and 51% come to Nytf without any representation.

“Some of the most compelling...