Posts made in August 2022

Film Giant, Entertainment Legend!

“Sidney” will premiere in select theaters and globally on Apple TV+ on

September 23, 2022

Apple unveiled the trailer for the new documentary film “Sidney,” produced by Oprah Winfrey

From producer Oprah Winfrey and directed by Academy Award nominee Reginald Hudlin, this revealing documentary honors the legendary Sidney Poitier and his legacy as an iconic actor, filmmaker and activist at the center of Hollywood and the Civil Rights Movement. Featuring candid interviews with Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Robert Redford, Lenny Kravitz, Barbra Streisand, Spike Lee and many more, the film is also produced by Derik Murray, in close collaboration with the Poitier family.

Produced by Oprah Winfrey, and hailing from Harpo Productions and Network Entertainment, the documentary is directed by Reginald Hudlin and written by Jesse James Miller. Derik Murray also serves as producer. Terry Wood, Catherine Cyr, Brian Gersh, Paul Gertz, Reginald Hudlin, Joanna Shimkus Poitier, Anika Poitier and Barry Krost executive produce.

Apple TV+ offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all your favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 250 wins and 1,123 awards nominations.

Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $4.99 per month with a seven-day free trial.

Director: Reginald Hudlin

Writers: Jesse James Miller

Producers: Oprah Winfrey, Derik Murray

Executive Producers: Terry Wood, Catherine Cyr, Brian Gersh, Paul Gertz,

Reginald Hudlin, Joanna Shimkus Poitier, Anika Poitier, Barry Krost

Chance The Rapper and Vic Mensa Announce Major Festival in West Africa; Calls on Global Black Artists

‘Black Star Line Festival,’ inspired by Marcus Garvey, Set for January 6 in Accra, Ghana

Native Video of The Announcement provided by CTR LLC provided here: 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/biu63ugyaq6q1tl/Ghana%20FTY%20Announcement%20v6b.mp4?dl=0

Chance the Rapper and Vic Mensa announced over the weekend the “Black Star Line Festival” to take place in Accra, Ghana. The music & arts festival will be set in the historic Black Star Square on January 6, 2023 and aims to be a bridge between Black people and artists of the Diaspora and the globe with the continent. Chance and Vic made the announcement at Free The Youth’s flagship location. Click HERE to watch and to watch and download content for native posting.

Vic Mensa and Chance the Rapper spent the last week in Ghana with eight students from Chicago whom they brought to learn about their roots in an experiential environment. This is their second trip together this year after spending time in the country in January 2022.

During the announcement, Chance noted “When Vic and I started our careers and started touring, we did shows all over the US. Eventually we started touring in Europe, we did shows in Asia, South America, Central America, but we never had a chance to play our music for the people who support us the most. When we came here and touched down and felt the love that we received and the fans that we got to connect with, the understanding for the need for the connection became apparent to us. We need a music festival bringing major artists to Ghana. This is what we’re working to create.”

The historic Black Star Square is a monument to the political freedom that was fought for and won by Ghanaians in 1957. Ghana was the first Sub-Saharan African country to free itself from colonialism, under the leadership of its first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah –– many nations on the continent soon followed. Dr. Nkrumah was inspired by Jamaican-Born revolutionary Marcus Garvey, who believed in a free Africa and a global connection between the people of the continent and Black people globally. When Dr. Nkrumah developed Ghana’s flag and principles, he insisted that these principles were key to the forward mobility of its people. 

The festival title’s origins were inspired by civil rights leader Marcus Garvey’s iconic Black Star Line. Founded in 1919, and operated by Black people, the line would link America, the Caribbean, and Africa, to global shipping and tourism opportunities. The Black Star Line was a symbol of pride, not only for Africans, but also for Black people in all ports of call. After nearly 40 years, the Ghanian government launched their fleet with the same name, in homage to Garvey, and even added a black star to the country’s new flag.

Chance has spent 2022 collaborating with artists from The Continent and The Diaspora. His new works include “Child of God,” “A Bar About A Bar” and “The Highs & The Lows” which celebrate Black artists and intertwine the worlds of art, music and cinematography –– changing the game through forward-thinking ideas that are compelling conversations and meditations on Black life. 

Chance The Rapper’s highly anticipated new project, Star Line Gallery is due out later this year.

Celebrating 49-Years of Hip-Hop

Hip hop is and will always be more than a genre of music. It’s a lifestyle. It’s a presence. It’s our culture. It has defined a generation and birthed a community of leaders, trendsetters, and icons. For 49 years, this movement that began at a birthday party hosted by DJ Kool Herc and Cindy Campbell in the recreation room of an apartment building on Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx, NYC has been our space for joy, anger, sadness, solace, camaraderie, celebration, and we believe for healing. Hip hop is the story of us, all of us, and our lived experiences and has paved the way for the needs of the community, our community, to be seen and heard. Hip hop was born out of experiences of struggle and frustration and has become the meeting place for everyone with something to say about inequality and a desire to bring equity to the masses. Hip Hop Public Health was born out of love for the community that needed help, guidance, and support to build health equity – and a megaphone and platform for underserved communities of color.

One day over a cold-pressed juice while discussing the health issues of the local community in Harlem, NYC – like access to adequate health care and doctors who looked like their patients – our founders Dr. Olajide Williams and legendary MC Doug E. Fresh began their journey to create Hip Hop Public Health. Their mission: create memorable content wrapped in hip hop and powered by science to inspire, educate and engage people and ultimately save lives.

Hip Hop Public Health endeavored to establish a pathway to literally get people moving. Eradicating health disparity in all forms has remained the driving force for all we do. Dr. Williams and Doug E. have continued delivering positive and sustainable health behavior change through the transformative power of music, art, culture, and science. Hip hop is at the core of our pursuit to build health equity through increasing health literacy and amplifying the future leaders of both public health and hip hop.

We give thanks to hip hop pioneers like Doug E. Fresh, Chuck D, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Cheryl “Salt” James, Easy A.D. Harris and so many more who have helped us by writing rhymes to work through our hardships, awkward moments, and move our bodies in celebration of our community.

And today, August 11th, we pay tribute to 49 years of hip hop. We feel no shame in our game as we honor the complicated grandeur of the music that shaped us. We continue our quest to change and save lives through our leadership, messaging, and resources. Public health needs hip hop and hip hop needs public health and our role as an organization is to keep building the collective so we can support the community, our community, in using hip hop to heal. So, here we go, yo! Here we go, yo! The scenario is cheers to 49 years of hip hop!

Meet the #RemixingPublicHealth Gala Special Guests

Join us on October 25th at the Harvard Club of New York City to celebrate with our special guests, Ashanti, Chuck D, Cheryl “Salt” James, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels and host Doug E. Fresh — hip hop icons who have demonstrated their commitment to our mission of health equity for all!

Buy Your Tickets and Table Today!

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Hip Hop Public Health is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering positive health behavior change among youth and their families through the transformative power of music, art and science. 
Learn more at www.hhph.org

QUANTUM LEAP

We are currently working on the exciting action adventure “QUANTUM LEAP,” a reboot of the popular Classic 1990s sci-fi drama which will debut later this fall in September on NBC, starring Raymond Lee, Ernie Hudson, Caitlin Bassett, Nanrisa Lee, and Mason Alexander Park.

ERNIE HUDSON

The Legendary Ernie Hudson stars as Hebert “Magic” Williams, the head of the Quantum Leap project who has to juggle taking care of his team while also answering to the Pentagon. 

Hudson recently reprised his signature character Winston Zeddemore in the new Jason Reitman movie ”Ghostbusters: Afterlife” for SONY and wrapped the Bobby Farrelly-directed ”Champions” opposite Woody Harrelson. He executive produces and stars in the BET series ”The Family Business” and will next be seen in the upcoming third season of Showtime’s ”City on a Hill” and in the Catherine Hardwicke film ”Prisoner’s Daughter” opposite Brian Cox and Kate Beckinsale. 

MORE ABOUT QUANTUM LEAP

It’s been nearly 30 years since Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished. Now, a new team, led by their physicist Ben Song (Raymond Lee), has been assembled to restart the project in the hopes of understanding the mysteries behind the machine and the man who created it. 

But everything changes when Ben makes an unauthorized leap into the past, leaving our team behind to solve the mystery of why he did it. At Ben’s side throughout his leaps is Addison (Caitlin Bassett), who appears in the form of a hologram only Ben can see and hear. She’s a decorated Army veteran who brings level-headed precision to her job.

At the helm of the highly confidential operation is Herbert “Magic” Williams (Ernie Hudson), a no-nonsense, career military man, who has to answer to his military bosses who will not be happy once they learn about the breach of protocol. The rest of the team at the headquarters includes Ian Wright (Mason Alexander Park), who runs the Artificial Intelligence unit “Ziggy,” and Jenn Chou (Nanrisa Lee) who heads up digital security for the project.

As Ben leaps from life to life, putting right what once went wrong, it becomes clear that he and the team are on a thrilling journey. However, Addison, Magic, Ian, and Jenn know that if they are going to solve the mystery of Ben’s leap and bring him home, they must act fast or lose him forever.

Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt will write and executive produce. Don Bellisario, Deborah Pratt, and Martin Gero executive produce. 

Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, will produce in association with I Have an Idea! Entertainment, Belisarius Productions and Quinn’s House Productions.

HBO Sports®, NFL Films And The Detroit Lions Join Forces For HARD KNOCKS: TRAINING CAMP WITH THE DETROIT LIONS, A New Season Of The Groundbreaking Sports Reality Series, Debuting August 9.

HBO

Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Detroit Lions
HBO Sports and NFL Films are partnering with the Detroit Lions for an unfiltered all-access look at what it takes to make it in the National Football League with HARD KNOCKS: TRAINING CAMP WITH THE DETROIT LIONS.

The five-episode season debuts TUESDAY, AUGUST 9 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET) with additional hour-long episodes debuting subsequent Tuesdays at the same time, culminating in the September 6 season finale.

The first sports-based reality series, and one of the fastest-turnaround programs on TV, will debut on HBO and be available to stream on HBO Max.
HARD KNOCKS: TRAINING CAMP WITH THE DETROIT LIONS will mark the 17th edition of the 18-time Sports Emmy®-winning series and the most acclaimed serialized sports series on television. HBO has aired 82 memorable episodes and one anniversary special in its first 16 seasons.

“We are excited about the opportunity to showcase the City of Detroit and the amazing culture we are building at the Lions,” said Detroit Lions Team President and CEO, Rod Wood. “HBO Sports and NFL Films are the best of the best and we know they will be excellent partners in sharing our story with football fans around the world.”

Camera crews will head to the Lions’ training camp in Allen Park, Michigan in the next few months to begin filming. The action will heat up in August when the cinema verité show focuses on the daily lives and routines of players and coaches.

HARD KNOCKS: TRAINING CAMP WITH THE DETROIT LIONS will chronicle head coach Dan Campbell entering his second season leading the team and an intriguing mix of young emerging stars, established veterans, free agent additions and highly regarded rookie hopefuls throughout training camp and the preseason.

HARD KNOCKS: TRAINING CAMP WITH THE DETROIT LIONS will be narrated by Liev Schreiber, marking his 16th season with the show.
“As Hard Knocks enters its third decade inside NFL training camps, we are both thrilled and thankful for the opportunity to feature a historic franchise like the Lions,” said NFL Films Vice President and Senior Coordinating Producer, Ken Rodgers. “The city, the culture and the coaching staff in Detroit all have an exciting energy that will make the show must-watch television this summer.”

A 30-person NFL Films crew will be at Lions’ training camp in Allen Park, shooting more than 1,750 hours of footage over the course of the series. Camera and sound crews will have unencumbered access to players’ and coaches’ meeting rooms, training rooms, living quarters and practice fields.

Winner of 18 Sports Emmy® Awards to date, HARD KNOCKS launched with the Baltimore Ravens in 2001, followed by the Dallas Cowboys in 2002, and resumed in 2007 with the Kansas City Chiefs, subsequently spotlighting the Cowboys (2008), Cincinnati Bengals (2009), New York Jets (2010), Miami Dolphins (2012), Bengals (2013), Atlanta Falcons (2014), Houston Texans (2015) and Los Angeles Rams (2016). The 2017 edition chronicled the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and captured the Sports Emmy® for Outstanding Serialized Documentary.

The widely acclaimed 2018 series with the Cleveland Browns earned two Sports Emmy® Awards for production excellence. The 2019 series spotlighted the Oakland Raiders as they played their final season in the Bay area before moving the franchise to Las Vegas. In an unprecedented programming move, the 2020 edition of the venerable series spotlighted both Los Angeles NFL teams: The Los Angeles Chargers and the Los Angeles Rams. Last year featured “America’s Team”, the Dallas Cowboys, marking their third appearance on the series.

Eleven of the last thirteen teams featured on HARD KNOCKS have equaled or improved their win-loss record in the regular season. The Cleveland Browns launched the transformation of their organization

on HBO and went from a winless 2017 season to coming within half a game (7-8-1) of a .500 campaign. The 2019 season saw the Raiders improve their record to 7-9 from the previous year’s 4-12 mark. Both Los Angeles’ teams, Rams and Chargers, improved their records in 2020 with two more wins from the previous year, with the Rams making the playoffs. Last year the Cowboys won their division going 12-5 from the previous year’s 6-10 mark.

The Washington Post wrote, “Turning football players into people is what HBO’s HARD KNOCKS series does so well. The massive scope, meticulous editing and time-hopping special effects that highlight a production under massive time constraints are all impressive, but it’s the film crew’s access to NFL players that makes the program special.” NFL.com stated, “There are myriad reasons why HARD KNOCKS remains one of the best shows on television; it’s ability to show us the human side of cutdown weekend is near the top,” while USA Today wrote, “Players’ lives and their hopes and dreams play out each NFL preseason on HARD KNOCKS. It’s that month-long human drama that makes the show so profoundly compelling.”
Winner of 133 Sports Emmy® Awards, NFL Films remains a gold standard in sports television, providing unprecedented access to and legendary storytelling about the sport of professional football.

NFL Films is a part of NFL Media, the owned and operated media division of the National Football League, which is comprised of NFL Network, NFL Films, the NFL App, NFL.com and NFL RedZone.