2021 Tribeca Film Festival: podcast programming announced

May 4, 2021

Roy Horn and Siegfried Fischbacher of Siegfried & Roy are the subect of an Apple TV+ podcast that will premiere at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival (Photo courtesy of Getty Images)

The following is a press release from the Tribeca Film Festival:

The 2021 Tribeca Festival, presented by AT&T, announced today that it will welcome podcasts for the first time in the Festival’s history. As the first major festival to premiere Official Selection podcasts, Tribeca has once again demonstrated why it is at the forefront of championing all forms of storytelling. The 20th anniversary celebration will take place city-wide June 9-20 and will be the first major film festival to host in person events. 

The first-ever Tribeca Podcasts lineup will feature world premieres of fiction and nonfiction stories from some of today’s most exciting emerging creators, as well as special events that include live recordings, discussions and more with the most influential names in audio including: Jad Abumard discusses his work on RadiolabMore PerfectDolly Parton’s America and more with Academy Award-nominated filmmaker, Jason ReitmanEar Hustle, co-founded by bay area artist, Nigel Poor alongside Earlonne Woods and Antwan Williams, is the first podcast created and produced in prison and features stories of the daily realities of life inside California’s San Quentin State Prison; and the new Apple TV+ podcast about Siegfried & Roy, produced by Will Manalti and Steven Leckart.

“The past few years have seen an explosion in the popularity of podcasts, making this the perfect time to introduce our inaugural Tribeca Podcast Program,” said Jane Rosenthal, Co-Founder and CEO of Tribeca Enterprises and the Tribeca Festival. “We look forward to welcoming the creative forces behind this year’s most anticipated new programs.”

“2020 saw so many people seek new forms of entertainment as theaters, sports arenas, and museums had to temporarily close their doors. For so many podcasts became not only a source of entertainment, but also a source of comfort,” said Paula Weinstein, Chief Content Officer of Tribeca Enterprises. “We’re thrilled to launch Tribeca Podcasts at this year’s Festival.”

“From Immersive in 2013, to TV in 2016, Tribeca has always been at the forefront of embracing new modes of cinematic storytelling, “ said Cara Cusumano, Festival Director and Vice President of Programming for the Tribeca Festival. “Now with Tribeca Podcasts, we are once again expanding the scope of our programming to spotlight the innovative creators and stories happening in the audio form.” 

Tribeca welcomes Audible, Inc. as the first-ever Exclusive Audio Entertainment sponsor of the Tribeca Festival. Audible, Inc. will celebrate the Tribeca creative community and showcase bold creators who are developing innovative, cinematic audio entertainment through Juneteenth programming and the premiere of queer action comedy Audible Original Hot White Heist, produced by Broadway Video and Club Cumming Productions, written, created, and produced by Adam Goldman, directed and produced by Alan Cumming, and starring an ensemble of queer performers including Bowen Yang, Cynthia Nixon, Jane Lynch, and Bianca del Rio.

The Tribeca Podcasts program is curated by Leah Sarbib, Manager, Audio Storytelling, along with the counsel of an advisory board whose members have greatly contributed to and influenced the podcast industry. They include:

  • Sarah Koenig: Host and co-creator of the groundbreaking Serial podcast, and Executive Producer of Serial Productions.
  • Jad Abumrad: Host and creator of  Radiolab,  More Perfect, and  Dolly Parton’s America (a collaboration with OSM Audio’s Shima Oliaee). He’s been called “master of the radio craft” for his unique ability to combine cutting edge sound-design, cinematic storytelling, and a personal approach to explaining complex topics—from the stochasticity of tumor cells to the legal underpinnings of the war on terror. He composes much of the music for Radiolab, and has composed music for film, theater and dance. He’s received three Peabody Awards, and the prestigious MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship.
  • Nikole Hannah-Jones: Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of The 1619 Project and a staff writer at The New York Times Magazine. She has spent her career investigating racial inequality and injustice, and her reporting has earned her the MacArthur Fellowship, known as the Genius grant, a Peabody Award, two George Polk Awards and the National Magazine Award three times. Hannah-Jones also earned the John Chancellor Award for Distinguished Journalism and was named Journalist of the Year by the National Association of Black Journalists and the Newswomen’s Club of New York. In 2020 she was inducted into the Society of American Historians and in 2021, into the North Carolina Media Hall of Fame. She also serves as the Knight Chair of Race and Investigative Reporting at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  • Alex Blumberg: Co-host of the Spotify podcast How to Save a Planet produced by Gimlet Media, the company behind hit podcasts like The JournalHomecomingStolen: The Search for Jermain and more. Prior to founding Gimlet, Blumberg worked for years in public radio. He is an award-winning radio journalist known for his work as a producer on the wildly popular podcasts This American Life and Planet Money, which he co-founded at NPR. In 2014, he hosted the first season of the Gimlet podcast StartUp, which was about the founding of the company. Blumberg’s work has won every major award in broadcast journalism, including the Polk, the duPont-Columbia, and the Peabody. His award-winning documentary on the housing crisis, The Giant Pool of Money, was named one of the last decade’s top ten works of journalism by the Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism and New York University. It’s also the first podcast ever put in the Smithsonian. Alex holds a BA in Political Science and Government from Oberlin College.
  • Connie Walker: Started her career at CBC in Canada, where she was an award-winning investigative reporter. In 2016, Walker created Missing & Murdered, a CBC podcast that captivated listeners around the world and was downloaded more than 30 million times. Missing & Murdered: Finding Cleo was featured in The New York TimesThe Rolling StoneThe Columbia Journalism Review and won the inaugural Best Serialized Story award at the Third Coast International Audio Festival in 2018. Walker is Cree from Okanese First Nation in Canada.
  • Conal Byrne: Chief Executive Officer of the iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group, which includes the company’s fast-growing and high-profile podcasting business and #1 podcast publisher globally according to Podtrac, as well as the industry-leading iHeartRadio digital service; the company’s digital sites, services, newsletters and programs; and its digital advertising technology companies, including Jelli, RadioJar, Unified, Voxnest and the recently-announced Triton Digital acquisition, upon its completion. 
  • Tanya Somanader: Chief Content Officer of Crooked Media, Tanya oversees political and content strategy for the progressive media company. In the last 4 years, she has led Crooked’s transformation from a niche political podcast company with a few flagship shows into a robust player with 15 podcasts and counting, digital initiatives like Vote Save America, as well as television and film projects.

The 2021 Tribeca Podcast Program:

Special Events:

Ear Hustle: Launched in 2017 from Radiotopia and PRX, this is the first podcast created and produced in prison. The show features stories of the daily realities of life inside California’s San Quentin State Prison, shared by those living it, as well as stories from the outside, post-incarceration. Ear Hustle was co-founded by Bay Area artist Nigel Poor alongside Earlonne Woods and Antwan Williams, who were incarcerated at the time. Rahsaan “New York” Thomas joined the team as a co-host inside San Quentin in 2019. Heard by listeners more than 50 million times across the globe, in 2020, Ear Hustle was named a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in audio reporting, the first time the category was recognized, for bringing audiences “a consistently surprising and beautifully crafted series on life behind bars.” Ear Hustle has also received recognition from the Peabody Awards, the duPont-Columbia awards, the Third Coast International Audio Festival, and more. Hosts Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor will sit down together to discuss their years of collaboration, share behind-the-scenes stories from their show, and speak about what’s next.

Preview: Hot White Heist: In this new scripted podcast from Audible a group of LGBTQIA+ contemporaries attempts to steal the U.S. government’s sperm-bank deposits from some of history’s most brilliant minds — in the hopes of selling the genetic material on the black market to buy an island for a new queer paradise. Tribeca’s premiere event will include an exclusive preview and a live performance.

Juneteenth Celebration: A special celebration featuring influential Black voices in audio entertainment. Programming will be announced next week.

Jad Abumrad with Jason Reitman: Since his early days composing film scores, award winning audio producer Jad Abumrad has always had an exceptional ear. He has been called “master of the radio craft” for his unique ability to combine cutting edge sound-design, cinematic storytelling, and a personal approach to explaining complex topics. He’ll discuss his work on RadiolabMore PerfectDolly Parton’s America and more with Academy Award nominated filmmaker, Jason Reitman. Reitman’s films include TullyJunoUp in the AirThank You for Smoking, and the highly anticipated upcoming Ghostbusters: Afterlife slated to release November 2021.

Preview: Red Frontier: In Red Frontier, a forthcoming Spotify Original fiction podcast from Gimlet, Commander Taylor Fullerton is haunted by the mysterious tragedy that killed her crew as she alone endures their one-way mission to colonize Mars against all odds. Tribeca will present an exclusive preview of this highly anticipated fiction podcast from Spotify and Gimlet Media, followed by a conversation with the cast and creators.

Live Recording: ResistanceResistance is a widely acclaimed narrative nonfiction podcast from Gimlet Media and Spotify. It was released last fall by a homegrown team inspired by the extraordinary movements for Black lives sweeping the country. Resistance takes listeners to the frontlines to hear stories from the generation fighting for change. Host Saidu Tejan-Thomas Jr. and guests are coming to Tribeca to do a special live recording of a Fuck Your Water Fountain Episode, a segment on the podcast that celebrates little known stories of historical resistance.

Preview: Apple TV+ Siegfried & Roy original podcast: The Siegfried & Roy original podcast from Apple TV+ presents the first, compelling in-depth podcast series about Siegfried & Roy, the most famous, controversial magicians in history, who were widely misunderstood, frequently satirized and feverishly criticized, hosted by veteran investigative journalist and Emmy-winning filmmaker Steven Leckart. The podcast goes behind the velvet curtain to examine the pop culture icons, lionized by a global fan base for more than 40 years, to deconstruct the illusions they created, the empire they constructed, and the story behind what really happened on the night that a tiger attack ended their reign. The podcast is executive produced by Will Malnati of award-winning podcast production company AT WILL MEDIA, and Leckart. Tribeca will present an exclusive preview of the podcast, followed by a conversation with the creative team.

Official Selections:
The following will be eligible for the inaugural juried Fiction Podcast Award and Narrative Nonfiction Podcast Award.

Anomaly, created by Heather Taylor, Hillary Nussbaum (United States) – World Premiere, Fiction
After an earth-changing event causes civil war along the east coast, 17-year-old Kory Hernandez is sent to live with a host family in a small Illinois town battling the impact of climate change. Unsure of her place in this new world, she wonders: what, and who, can one trust in a world turned upside down?

Black Santa, created by Jordan Crafton (United States) – World Premiere, Fiction
Slide and his friends are risking it all for a Christmas miracle, as they look for “Black Santa” of the Brooklyn projects. Slide’s love for sixteen-year-old Gianna has him and his friends willing to risk it all for a Christmas miracle. But first, they must receive a pardon from “Frosty the Snowman” to travel through “Jack Frost’s” Projects. This Christmas tale is like none else. It’s a holiday story with a modern twist.

Blind Guy Travels, created by Matthew Shifrin (United States) – World Premiere, Narrative Nonfiction
Blind Guy Travels invites you into life without sight. Join host Matthew Shifrin as he experiences a Marx Brothers comedy, crafts a TED Talk, and then a Hinge profile, collaborates with LEGO to develop instructions for blind builders, and prepares for college graduation. Blind Guy Travels is a production of Radiotopia from PRX.

Earth Eclipsed, created by Nicholas Prufer, AJ Churchill, Victor Lee (United States) – World Premiere, Fiction
A neuroscientist on the brink of a galaxy-changing discovery that will save millions of lives has her work interrupted when she’s kidnapped by a renegade miner. Set in the distant future, this immersive audio series explores what it means to live in a utopian society and the great lengths one must go to preserve humanity.

Guardians of the River, created by House of Pod and Wild Bird Trust (United States, Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa) – World Premiere, Narrative Nonfiction
This is the story of the guardians of the Okavango water system, a network of rivers spanning three countries in Africa, and home to some of the most endangered animals on the planet. These guardians have a monumental task: trying to protect a remote, near pristine environment facing threats from all sides. This podcast follows what happens when worlds connect, and at times collide, with the common goal of protecting a place.

I’ll Never Be Alone Anymore – The Story Of The Skala Eressos Lesbian Community, created by Cecile C. Simon, Anais Dupuis, Anais Carayon (France) – World Premiere, Narrative Nonfiction
The story of a lesbian community that is situated in a remote village in Lesbos, Greece. Created in the 70s, it welcomed thousands of women before declining in the 2000s. Nowadays, the community is formed by older lesbians. But they are not your typical 60 year old women. They party, they have sex and they speak their minds. What they say about themselves is a precious testimony of a vanishing community that once changed so many women’s lives.

The Imperfection, created by Alex Kemp (United States) – World Premiere, Fiction
Charlie and Amber both suffer from a rare condition that causes them to wildly hallucinate. When their psychiatrist suddenly goes missing, they rally together with the doctor’s other patients to search for him. Along the way, they encounter secret societies, half-human half- spider centaurs, and a hidden borough of New York under the East River. But how do you find the truth when you can’t tell what’s real?

Monster, created by Tommy Bertelsen (United States) – World Premiere, Narrative Nonfiction
A sonic memoir about confronting a real demon while making a horror movie in Latvia.

Mother of Maricopa, created by Leah Henoch, Katie Henoch, Sydney Fleischmann (United States) – World Premiere, Narrative Nonfiction
In 2011, police raided a Tantric temple in Phoenix, Arizona and arrested its founder, Tracy Elise, on 100 counts related to prostitution, money laundering, and more. What the state saw as a brothel, Elise saw as a house of worship. In Mother of Maricopa, sisters Leah and Katie Henoch explore the story of the Phoenix Goddess Temple and the compelling questions that lie beyond Elise’s guilt or innocence.

Something Strange Is Happening, created by Tessa Bartholomew, Christina Kingsleigh Licud (United States) – World Premiere, Fiction
This scripted horror anthology podcast is built around one terrifying premise: When immigrants came to America, we brought our languages and cultures, but there’s one thing we miscalculated: we brought our monsters, too. Set in LA’s Historic Filipino Town, Season One features monsters and evil spirits of Filipino folklore, back for vengeance in modern times. Each season travels to a different immigrant town for an American horror story like you’ve never heard.

Un(re)solved, created by FRONTLINE PBS (United States) – World Premiere, Narrative Nonfiction What prompted the FBI to reinvestigate over one hundred unsolved civil rights era murders? And what does justice look like for families whose loved ones were killed? Reporter James Edwards seeks answers to these questions, reflecting on his own family’s experiences along the way.

Vermont Ave., created by James Kim, Brooke Iskra (United States) – World Premiere, Fiction John walks down Vermont Ave. to clear his head before a big decision. This is an atmospheric and intimate portrait of a thirtysomething in LA during the end of 2020. The fiction piece highlights the things that are unsaid and how the silence between two people can be louder than words. Captured in one long take using 3D sound from Sennheiser Ambeo binaural in-ear microphones, it places the listener directly in the main character’s shoes.

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Passes and Tickets for the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival
Festival passes are on sale now. Tribeca at Home tickets go on sale Monday, May 3 @ 11:00am EST.  Tickets to attend the outdoor in-person screenings / events are available starting Monday, May 10 @11:00am EST. Visit: https://www.tribecafilm.com/festival/tickets

About the Tribeca Festival
The Tribeca Festival, presented by AT&T, brings artists and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, VR, gaming, music, and online work. With strong roots in independent film, Tribeca is a platform for creative expression and immersive entertainment. Tribeca champions emerging and established voices; discovers award-winning filmmakers and creators; curates innovative experiences; and introduces new technology and ideas through premieres, exhibitions, talks, and live performances.

The Festival was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan following the attacks on the World Trade Center. Tribeca will celebrate its 20th year June 9 – 20, 2021. www.tribecafilm.com/festival

In 2019, James Murdoch’s Lupa Systems, a private investment company with locations in New York and Mumbai, bought a majority stake in Tribeca Enterprises, bringing together Rosenthal, De Niro, and Murdoch to grow the enterprise.

About the 2021 Tribeca Festival Partners:
About the 2021 Tribeca Festival Partners The 2021 Tribeca Festival is presented by AT&T and with the support of our corporate partners: Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Audible, Bloomberg Philanthropies, CHANEL, City National Bank, CNN Films, Diageo, DoorDash, FreshDirect, Hudson Yards, Indeed, Montefiore-Einstein, NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, P&G, PwC, Roku, Spring Studios New York.

Review: ‘About Endlessness,’ starring Martin Serner, Jan-Eje Ferling and Bengt Bergius

Stefan Karlsson (with stick) and Martin Serner (with cross) in “About Endlessness” (Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures)

May 4, 2021

by Carla Hay

“About Endlessness”

Directed by Roy Andersson

Swedish with subtitles

Culture Representation: Taking place primarily in Sweden and briefly in Norway, the atmospheric dramedy “About Endlessness” features a predominantly white cast (with some people of Arabic heritage) representing mostly middle-class people from various walks of life.

Culture Clash: Various characters in the movie express angst about themselves or other people. 

Culture Audience: “About Endlessness” will appeal primarily to people who don’t mind watching slow-paced films that don’t have a plot but present various scenarios that are meant to reflect the human condition.

Jan-Eje Ferling (standing in front) in “About Endlessness” (Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures)

There’s a good chance that people who watch “About Endlessness” are already familiar with the work of the movie’s director, Roy Andersson, a Swedish filmmaker who’s made a name for himself with his brand of slow-paced, absurdist observations of life. But if people aren’t familiar with Andersson’s work, “About Endlessness” might be a curious and often-frustrating hodgepodge of vingnettes that range from provocative to mundane. “About Endlessness” isn’t for everyone, but if people are interested in watching an artsy, plot-less meditation on timeless human qualities, then the movie takes viewers on an unpredictable ride.

It’s clear from watching “About Endlessness” that the title of the movie comes from the movie’s concept that no matter what happens in the past, present or future, some things won’t change about humanity. “About Endlessness” presents a series of scenarios, where most of the characters do not have names. The scenarios are mostly “slice of life” and represent a broad range of emotions, which are usually expressed in a deadpan manner.

Ech scenario usually features long stretches of silence. A group of people could be gathered somewhere, such as in a food market or a restaurant, and it’s eerily silent, without the usual buzz of several people talking at once in different conversatons. This filmmaking technique works best if viewers aren’t expecting to see a movie with a typical story in three acts. Viewers also have to be in the mood for a movie that lingers on characters who don’t do much and seem deep in thought. In other words, “About Endlessness” is the opposite of an adrenaline-pumping action movie.

Guiding viewers through this series of short scenarios is a female voice providing narration. She will begin each sentence with the words “I saw,” as the scenario plays out on screen. For example, there’s a scene with a man in his bedroom, patting his mattress before he kneels down to pray and settles into his bed. The narrator says, “I saw a man who didn’t trust banks, so he kept his savings in his mattress.”

In another scene, a middle-aged man and woman are at a graveyard. The narrator says, “I saw two parents who lost their son in the war.” The mother talks to her son (whose name is Tommy) at the son’s grave, while the father waters the flowers that will be put on the grave.

At a train station, a women in her 30s disembarks from a train and looks around and appears annoyed. She sits down on a bench on the platform. The narrator says, “I saw a woman who thought no one was waiting for her.” Eventually, a man runs up the stairs to the platform, with the demeanor of someone who is late. He and the woman leave together without saying a word.

Another scene shows a young woman in her late teens or early 20s watering a plant outside of a beauty spa. She appears to work at the spa. Just as she goes inside, a young man who’s about the same age, comes out of a business next door, goes outside on the sidewalk, and stares wistfully at her. The narrator says, “I saw a young man who had not yet found love.”

You get the idea. Usually, once a scenario is shown, the people in that scenario are not seen again in the movie. There are a few exceptions. A recurring character throughout the movie (and the one who gets the most screen time) is an unnamed priest (played by Martin Serner), who’s going through a crisis of faith.

He’s first seen carrying a crucifix on a winding street and wearing a crown of thorns (like Jesus Christ), while various people physically assault him, by whipping him, hitting him, or beating him with a stick. Is this a re-enactment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ? No, it turns out it’s just a nightmare that the priest is having.

He wakes up next to his wife after having this nightmare. And he tells her, “They drove nails through his hands!” Later, the priest visits a psychiatrist named Dr. Lindh (played by Bengt Bergius), who tells the priest that it’s normal to have bad dreams. The priest tells the psychiatrist that he began having nightmares around the same time he began losing his faith in God. They agree to make an appoinment for the following week.

But before the next appointment can happen, the next time the movie shows the priest, he’s in a private chamber room at a church while his congregation is waiting in the next room for a chruch service. The priest takes a swig of wine from a bottle and gives the appearance of being drunk, because he is unsteady on his feet. He stumbles into the main church service area and serves communion to his parishioners.

At an unspecified time later, the priest shows up unannounced at the psychiatrist’s office, which is about to close for the day. The priest shouts several times, “What should I do now that I’ve lost my faith?” The psychiatrist’s secretary (played by Anja Broms) tells the priest that the office is about to close and that he needs to come back when he has his appointment. The priest doesn’t want to leave. Eventually, the psychiatrist and the secretary forcefully make the priest leave the office by literally shoving him out of the door.

There’s another character who is in more than one scenario in the movie. He’s a middle-aged man who first appears near the beginning of the movie. The man (played by Jan-Eje Ferlin) is standing at the top of the stairs outside of a train station. And he begins to talk about how he keeps seeing a former schoolmate named Sverker Olsson walking near him, but Sverker snubs him when he says hello.

Just then, another middle-agded man walks out of the train station. The first man says the second man is Sverker’s name, and he says hello to Sverker. But the man identified as Sverker keeps walking, as if he never heard this former schoolmate try to talk to him.

Later, the snubbed schoolmate is shown in his kitchen with his wife sitting at a nearby table. The ma then starts to rant about Sverker snumbbing him and then repeats that he can’t believe that Sverker has a Ph. D. This character is a satirically deapan embodiment on human insecurity that can lead to jealousy.

There are more scenarios, some more memorable than others. A man named Torbjörn has an uncomfortable visit with his dentist named Hasse (played by Thore Flygel). An army of men, identified by the narrator as prisoners of war, are shown marching silently in Siberia to their prison camp. A grandmother joyfully takes photos of her baby grandson outside of a building, while the baby’s father holds the child and the baby’s mother stands nearby. A man helps his daughter ties her shoelaces during a walk in the rain on her birthday.

“About Endlessness” does have some dark moments. One is showing a Middle-Eastern/Arabic man, crying and looking distressed while sitting down in a living room in disarray, as if a physical altercation had taken place there. The man is holding his dead teenage daughter, who has a large bloodstain on her chest.

The man’s wife and teenage son are standing nearby watching, as if they’re in shock and don’t know what to do. Viewers soon see that the father is holding a knife. And then, the narrator explains the horror of what happened: The father had murdered his daughter in an “honor killing” and changed his mind after it was too late.

In another scene, about four Nazi soldiers are in a bomb-shelter room, as bombs can be heard going of outside the building. Based on the soldiers’ demeanor, it’s the end of World War II, and they are experiencing defeat. One soldier is already drunk, while the others look like they’re in a daze.

The narrator says, “I saw a man who wanted to conquer the world and realized that he would fail.” And then, Adolf Hitler (played by Magnus Wallgren) walks into the room, and he also seems to be in shock over the defeat. And then, the drunk soldier gives a Nazi salute to Hitler and says, “Sieg Heil,” which is a victory salute in German. It’s a dark comedic way of showing that, even in defeat, Hitler and his brainwashed followers were clinging to a delusional sense of superiority.

Most of the characters in “About Endlessness” are rooted is some type of realistic scenario. The exceptions are fantastical characters (a man and a woman) who are seen floating through the air while they cling to each other. The movie’s narrator says, “I saw a couple, two lovers, floating above the city.” Because of its slow pace and snippets of life that aren’t tied to any big story, watching “About Endlessness” is a lot like that dream-like state of mind that can happen before someone goes to sleep. Knowing that before watching the movie will affect your expectations.

Magnolia Pictures released “About Endlessness” in select U.S. cinemas, on digital and VOD on April 30, 2021.

Review: ‘Cliff Walkers,’ starring Zhang Yi, Yu Hewei, Qin Hailu, Zhu Yawen, Liu Haocun, Ni Dahong

May 4, 2021

by Carla Hay

Zhang Yi in “Cliff Walkers” (Photo courtesy of CMC Pictures)

“Cliff Walkers”

Directed by Zhang Yimou 

Mandarin with subtitles

Culture Representation: Taking place in early 1930s China, the dramatic film “Cliff Walkers” features an all-Asian cast representing the middle-class, wealthy and government spies.

Culture Clash: Four Communist spies, who are on a mission to rescue a former prisoner who witnessed war crimes by Japanese invaders, are betrayed by a traitor and try to stay alive during various deadly threats.

Culture Audience: “Cliff Walkers” will appeal primarily to people who are interested in riveting spy thrillers told from a historical Chinese perspective.

Liu Haocun in “Cliff Walkers” (Photo courtesy of CMC Pictures)

“Cliff Walkers,” the first spy movie from celebrated Chinese director Zhang Yimou, tells a captivating and thrilling tale (inspired by real events) of four Communist spies in 1931 China. The spies face life-threatening obstacles not only from their own ranks but also from the Japanese who invaded China during this time period. Much more than the usual “cloak and dagger” story about spies, “Cliff Walkers” has plenty of emotional resonance by realistically showing the heart-wrenching toll on the family lives of spies when these espionage agents go into this line of work.

“Cliff Walkers” (formerly titled “Impasse”) is the first feature-film screenplay from Quan Yongxian. He was previously a writer for the 2021 Chinese drama TV series “Cliff,” which was about spy couple working in Harbin, China. “Cliff Walkers,” which also takes place primarily in Harbin, is an apt title for the movie, since the main characters are constantly on the precipice of danger.

The suspense in this thriller doesn’t let up and will also keep viewers on edge. And although there’s some raw violence in the movie, this isn’t an over-the-top “Mission: Impossible”-styled spy flick where the spies also happen to be stunt masters. These espionage agents have to use their wits more than physical tricks to help them get out of predicaments.

Taking place in 1931, “Cliff Walkers” has a brief written intro explaining the historical context of what is going on while the story is happening. Japan has invaded China, resulting in secret camps where Chinese people are tortured. The puppet state Manchuku in China was controlled by the Japanese during this time period.

In the midst of this political and human-rights turmoil, four Chinese Communist Party (CCP) spies have returned to Manchuku from the Soviet Union. These four espionage agents are doing a secret mission called Operation Utrennya. The operation’s purpose is to rescue a former prisoner named Wang Ziyang, who escaped from the Japanese-operated killing grounds Beiyinhe in China that was evenutally bombed by the Japanese. Because of what he experienced and witnessed, Wang Ziyang could expose war crimes (such as human experimentation) committed by the Imperial Japanese Army’s Unit 731.

The four spies happen to be two couples: quick-thinking and empathetic leader Zhang Xianchen (played by Zhang Yi), a former journalist; Wang Yu (played by Qin Hailu), who is Zhang’s even-tempered wife; Chu Liang (played by Qin Hailu), who is younger and more impulsive than Zhang; and Xiao Lan (played by Liu Haocun), who is Chu’s chameleon-like girlfriend. In the beginning of the story, the four comrades have split into two groups, as decided by Zhang. Group 1 consists of Zhang and Lan. Group 2 consists of Yu and Liang.

During freezing snowy weather, their caper begins. And, of course, there are immediate problems. A betrayal within the CCP spy ranks leads to the deaths of certain people early on in the story. And this traitorous ambush sends Zhang and Lan on a frantic quest to Harbin, in order to warn Yu and Liang about the betrayal while also trying to stay alive. Meanwhile, a fellow CCP agent named Zhou Yi (played by Yu Hewei) has his loyalties tested, since he is embedded with the enemy.

It wouldn’t be a spy story without a chief villain. And in this story, the villain is Gao Bin (played by Ni Dahong), a sadistic enforcer of the Japanese invasion. He represents the type of citizen who will be a traitor if it means he will be in a position of power. The Chinese spies willing to fight for their country have poison pills (kept in a mtachbox) that play a signficant role in the story.

Adding to the drama, Zhang and Yu are separated from their two kids who have become wayward street urchins. Their daughter is 8 years old, while their son is about 5 or 6 years old. At one point in the movie, Zhang is told that the children were last scene begging near the Modern Hotel. It just so happens that the Modern Hotel is where Lan goes with soem trusted allies to hide out.

What makes “Cliff Walkers” different from many other spy movies is the heartbreaking storyline of two spy parents (Zhang and Yu) who have been separated from the children and are trying to reunite with them, while the parents also having to fulfill their government responsibilities in their line of work. If they abandon their jobs, they are at risk of being punished and perhaps permanently separated from ther children. It’s a stressful and life-threatening tightrope that’s pulled in man different directions throughout the story.

Zhang’s portrayal of the spy whos shares his name is one of courage and humanity. It’s not an overly flashy role, but there are action sequences where Zhang the spy shows impressive combat skills. Lan is the other character who has many physically challenging action scenes. Frequently, she is the only woman with any power in the room. And she uses that power wisely.

While making “Cliff Walkers,” director Zhang Yimou went for as much realism as possible. According to some production information from the movie’s U.S. publicist: “Historical locations in Harbin were 100% rebuilt just for the film, such as the city’s central street, Asia Cinema and Martyr Hotel which were completely recreated in 1930s style. Lead actor Zhang Yi grew up in Harbin and in fact lived on a street that was one of the rebuilt filming locations. During filming, he was able to find his parents’ old house there and video chatted them to show them how accurately recreated it was.” And the freezing, snowy weather wasn’t faked for the movie.

The accurate production design and the striking cinematopgraphy make “Cliff Walkers” an visually intriguing movie to watch. But the movie wouldn’t work as well, if not for the success it has at maintaining a tone of urgency and suspense, thanks to the absorbing screenplay and well-paced direction. “Cliff Walkers” is not a movie for people who are negatively triggered by scenes of violence and torture. But for people who can handle on-screen depictions of the realistic cruel inhumanity that’s inflicted during political oppression, then “Cliff Walkers” offers a compelling look that is filled with despair and hope, just like real life.

CMC Pictures released “Cliff Walkers” in select U.S. cinemas on April 30, 2021, the same day that the movie was released in China.

Review: ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie: Mugen Train,’ an anime fantasy adventure from Japan

May 3, 2021

by Carla Hay

Tanjiro Kamado in “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no YaibaThe Movie: Mugen Train” (Image by Koyoharu Gotoge/SHUEISHA/Aniplex/Ufotable) 

“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie: Mugen Train”

Directed by Haruo Sotozaki

Available in the original Japanese version (with English subtitles) or in a dubbed English-language version.

Culture Representation: Taking place in early 1900s Japan, the animation film “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie: Mugen Train” features Japanese characters involved in adventures in demon slaying.

Culture Clash: During a train ride, a master demon slayer and four of his assistants fight a demon.

Culture Audience: Aside from the obvious target audience of people who are fans of the “Demon Slayer” TV series, “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie: Mugen Train” will appeal primarily to people who are interested in anime or any animated films that have engaging fantasy adventure stories with graphic fight scenes.

Enmu in “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie: Mugen Train” (Image by Koyoharu Gotoge/SHUEISHA/Aniplex/Ufotable)

The animated film “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie: Mugen Train” (based on the popular “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” anime TV series and comic book series) has broken records to become to highest-grossing movie of all time in Japan and the top-grossing movie worldwide of 2020. Since its release in Asia in October 2020, the movie has since become a chart-topping hit. And in 2021, “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie: Mugen Train” became a hit in several places outside of Asia, including the United States, several countries in Europe and in South America.

Is this movie worth all the hype? Mostly yes, but the movie is best enjoyed by people who are inclined to like anime that have more adult-oriented violence than a typical anime film. The movie (directed by Haruo Sotozaki) has some eye-popping visuals that deserve to be seen on the biggest screen possible. And the story is an immersive experience should please fans of animated stories that blend fantasy adventures with some horror elements.

Where the movie falls a little short is in how it introduces the characters. If people don’t know anything about these characters before seeing the movie, the backstories might be a little rushed for newcomers to process everything as easily as people who are already familiar with these characters. Anyone going into this movie with no knowledge of the “Demon Slayer” canon might find themselves at times lost and occasionally bored by the film.

However, that doesn’t mean that “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie: Mugen Train” is difficult to understand. Anime production company Ufotable is credited with writing the screenplay, based on a story by Koyoharu Gotoge. The movie’s plot continues with the central theme of the franchise: Red-haired and courageous teenage boy Tanjirō Kamado (the protagonist) and his two male friends: blonde and fearful Zenitsu Agatsuma and impulsive hothead Inosuke Hashibira (who wears a boar’s head mask to hide his delicate-looking face) have teamed up with a young adult Flame Hashira warrior named Kyōjurō Rengoku to slay demons.

Tanjirō, who is the franchise’s main protagonist, has a tragedy which is feuling his motivations to find and kill demons: His parents and three brothers were slaughtered by demons, while his younger sister Nezuko Kamado was turned into a demon. Tanjirō keeps Nezuko hidden, usually in a knapsack that he has with him. However, Nezuko has not turned into a completely evil demon, because she is known to help Tanjirō and his friends when they need it.

“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie: Mugen Train” begins with Tanjirō, Zenitsu and Hashibira boarding a train. The three pals meet up with Kyōjurō on the train, where he’s having a meal. During the beginning of the movie, there’s a running joke in that Kyōjurō keeps saying, “Tasty!” while he’s eating.

The main demon in the story is Enmu, Lower Rank One of the Twelve Kizuki, who finds four young passengers who have insomnia and orders them to enter the demon slayers’ dreams. The rest of the movie has a fever-dream quality where the demon slayers slip in and out of consciousness to fight Enmu and other demons.

“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie: Mugen Train” doesn’t hold back on blood and gore. The movie dosn’t really start to pick up steam until the haflway mark. And from there, it’s an adrenaline-pumping ride as Enmu literally takes over the train in a way that won’t be revealed in this review. The visuals can be stunning, but not anything extraordinary. However, there are some genuinely creepy images in the movie, such as Enmu’s hand, which has a mind of its own.

Most viewers of this movie are watching for the fight scenes. And the movie should meet or surpass expetations. It should come as no surprise that Tanjirō and Enmu have a big showdown (it’s one of the highlights of the film), some of which takes place on top of the train. Kyōjurō also has climactic scene that’s an epic battle.

Because this movie is dubbed in several different languages (and also available in Japanese with subtitles), several voice actors portray the same characters. In the Japanese-language version, the voice actors are Natsuki Hanae asTanjirō Kamado; Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Inosuke Hashibira; Satoshi Hino as Kyōjurō Rengoku; Akari Kitō as Nezuko Kamado; and Daisuke Hirakawa as Enmu/Lower Moon One. In the English-language version, the voice actors are Zach Aguilar asTanjirō Kamado; Bryce Papenbrook as Inosuke Hashibira; Aleks Le as Kyōjurō Rengoku; Abby Trott as Nezuko Kamado; and Landon McDonald as Enmu/Lower Moon One.

The acting and dialogue in “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie: Mugen Train” are what viewers might expect from an anime film. The biggest appeal that the movie has is how it hooks people into this world (there are flashbacks to give the characters backstories) and gives viewers many reasons to root for the heroic characters. These demon slayers are far from perfect, and that’s why people of all ages can relate them any or all of them in some way.

This movie also doesn’t gloss over the tragedy and trauma of murders. Tanjirō has flashback scenes with his family members when they were alive, and it gives emotional delpth to the tremendous loss that he has suffered. Tanjirō has solidarity and acceptance in his new family of demon slayers, but viewers will also sense that he will be forever haunted by the tragic murders of his biological family members. And just like any good story, “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie: Mugen Train” leaves audiences wanting more at the end.

Aniplex of America and Funimation released “Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train” in U.S. cinemas on April 23, 2021. The movie’s digital and VOD release date is June 22, 2021. The movie was released in Japan in 2020.

Review: ‘Hero Dog: The Journey Home,’ starring Natasha Henstridge and Steve Byers

May 2, 2021

by Carla Hay

Steve Byers in “Hero Dog: The Journey Home” (Photo courtesy of Lionsgate)

“Hero Dog: The Journey Home”

Directed by Richard Boddington

Culture Representation: Taking place in an unnamed Canadian city in Ontario, the family drama “Hero Dog: The Journey Home” features a nearly all-white cast (with one African American) representing the middle-class.

Culture Clash: A blind man who’s stranded on a boat with his sister’s dog decides the best way to get rescued is to walk through the woods with the hope that the dog will lead the way back home.

Culture Audience: “Hero Dog: The Journey Home” will appeal primarily to people who are interested in watching a silly rescue film with terrible acting and a very predictable plot.

Morgan DiPietrantonio, Zackary Arthur, John Tench and Natasha Henstridge in “Hero Dog: The Journey Home” (Photo courtesy of Lionsgate)

Let’s say you’re a blind person with an Alaskan Malamute dog on a boat that’s crashed near a wooded area because the boat’s captain had a heart attack. You, the dog and the unconscious captain are the only living beings on the boat. The crashed boat can be seen by a rescue helicopter that’s sure to be on its way when you’ve been reported missing on the boat. Instead of waiting for the rescue helicopter, you decide to take the dog and walk through the dense woods (where you won’t be seen by the rescue helicopter) because you think the dog will lead you back to your home.

That’s the plot of the mind-numblingly awful “Hero Dog: The Journey Home,” written and directed by Richard Boddington. The movie is so bad that the only heroic thing that the dog does is show some common sense when the humans in the movie make very dumb decisions. Meanwhile, viewers who sit through this junkpile film will either laugh or groan as one absurd thing after another keeps happening. This pseudo-adventure movie really is as corny and stupid and you might think it is.

In “Hero Dog: The Journey Home,” Royce Davis (played by Steve Byers) is the protagonist who makes blind people look bad because the filmmakers want viewers to think that someone who doesn’t have eyesight also doesn’t have common sense. In the beginning of the film, Royce gets on a small boat captained by Fred Boggs (played by Colin Fox), who will be taking widower Royce back to Royce’s family home in the woods, in an unnamed rural part of Ontario, Canada.

Royce has an Alaskan Malamute seeing-eye male dog named Chinook with him on this boat trip. For reasons that aren’t clearly explained in the movie, the dog doesn’t belong to Royce. Instead, the dog belongs to his married sister Susan Wade (played by Natasha Henstridge), who has been taking care of Royce’s two kids while Royce was away on a trip. Apparently, the best way to get to the Davis family’s isolated home is by boat and then by taking a long trek through the woods.

The movie doesn’t say when Royce’s wife died, but his two children are 13-year-old Max Davis (played by Zackary Arthur) and Erin Davis (played by Morgan DiPietrantonio), who’s about 11 or 12 years old. During his conversation with Captain Boggs, Royce mentions that he got a job offer in the city, so the family will be moving there soon. However, Max isn’t too happy about this impending move because he’s an outdoorsy boy who loves the rural area where they currently live. Royce also tells Captain Boggs that he lost his eyesight at age 19, when he was blinded by a roadside bomb when he served in the Afghanistan War.

Not long after the boat sets sail, Captain Boggs has a heart attack, and the boat crashes near an embankment. The boat’s radio can only get static. Royce fumbles for his cell phone and can’t get a signal. Captain Boggs is still alive but unconscious, and Royce doesn’t know how much longer Captain Boggs has to live. Not knowing what to do, Royce waits in the boat until help can arrive. Food and bottled water are in the boat, so he and the dog have enough to survive for at least two days.

Meanwhile, Susan knows something is wrong when Royce doesn’t show up as scheduled, so she contacts the local authorites. Since it’s already night when she reports Royce missing, the police officer in charge, named Captain Walker (played by John Tench), tells Susan and the kids that the rescue operation can’t begin until the morning. Everyone in the family is naturally upset and panic-stricken.

Luckily for Royce, his boat is at an embankment that’s visible from the air. But the next morning, instead of waiting to be rescued, Royce says out loud that he needs to find his way back home so that Captain Boggs can get a chance to get medical help. Royce tells Chinook that they’re going to leave Captain Boggs in the boat and walk through the woods until they find their way back home. It’s at this point in the movie, viewers might be yelling at the screen at how moronic this decision is, but there would be no “Hero Dog: The Journey Home” if Royce acted sensibly in this story.

Before Royce leaves the safety of the boat, he leaves a note to say that he’s going back home. Instead of waiting to be rescued from a boat that can be seen by helicopter, Royce goes into the dense woods with Chinook where they can’t be seen by helicopter and where Royce could possibly fall down and hurt himself. And yes, that fall does happen in the movie. Viewers won’t have much sympathy for this dimwit when it happens.

Meanwhile, Max and Erin think they can do a better job than the adult professionals in finding Royce. And so, they both sneak off to go into the woods to find their father. At first, Erin is reluctant and thinks it’s a bad idea. But when she sees that Max is determined to go with or without her, she huffs, “I can’t let you get all the credit!” And so, off they go with just a backpack filled with the bare minumim of food and supplies.

When Susan finds out that Max and Erin have gone missing, she immediately knows that they’ve gone in the woods to look for their father. Susan wants to go in the woods too, so she can look for Max, Erin and Royce. But then, Captain Walker says the most sensible thing that anyone says in this asinine movie: “Mrs. Wade, I already have three members of your family lost in the wildnerness. I don’t need a fourth.”

Of course, because this movie has to pile on the drama, people who go in the woods encounter wild animals who attack. A mountain lion makes an appearance. In another scene, there’s a wolf. The kids encounter a skunk. This movie is so heavy-handed and unrealistic with the large wild animal encounters, why not bring out a whole managerie of wild animals at this point? Bears need representation too.

Royce and Chinook inevitably get lost. So much for a “hero dog.” One of the worst things about this movie is that during his foolish walk in the woods, Royce brings out a flare gun, which he could’ve easily used when he was on the boat. And then there’s the idiotic scene with Royce trying to start a fire, without any thought of what a disaster it would be to accidentally start a forest fire that Royce can’t put out quickly because he can’t see. It’s not as if Royce has access to any fire hoses or buckets of water.

The scenes with Max and Erin aren’t much better. Erin is a whiny brat, while Max is an insufferable know-it-all. And, of course, it starts to rain and something happens to their backpack of food and supplies. And what is the “hero dog” doing during all of this drama? Just trying to stay alive, while Royce makes one stupid decision after another.

One of these nonsensical decisions is to destroy his cell phone so he can use the mirror interior as some kind of glare signal in the woods, where a glare signal wouldn’t be seen anyway because there are too many trees. Royce is supposed to be someone with military training, but he seems to have no survival skills. The absurdity goes on and on. And so does the bad acting by most of the cast.

Henstridge and Tench are the only cast members whose acting approaches anything close to believable. Everyone else overacts and they sound like they’re reciting lines, not having natural-looking conversations. Everything about this film is done with such unrelenting, self-important ridiculousness, with no humor whatsoever. There isn’t much to like about this movie except the dog. And it’s too bad this innocent dog was forced to be in this embarrassing mess.

Lionsgate released “Hero Dog: The Journey Home” on digital, VOD and DVD on March 23, 2021.

Review: ‘Uprooting Addiction,’ starring Dr. Gabor Maté, Hope Payson, Daryl McGraw, Rob Funkauser, Kaytlin Coon, Mark Jenkins and Chuck Bascetta

May 2, 2021

by Carla Hay

Kaytlin Coon (center) and Pete Volkmann (far right) in “Uprooting Addiction” (Photo courtesy of First Run Features)

“Uprooting Addiction”

Directed by Tory Estern Jadow

Culture Representation: Taking place in Connecticut and New York state, the documentary “Uprooting Addiciton” features a predominantly white group of people (with some African Americans) discussing how childhood traumas are linked to addictions, specifically drug and alcohol addictions.

Culture Clash: The addiction experts and people in addiction recovery say that addiction treatments are not effective unless these addicts in recovery addresses these traumas.

Culture Audience: “Uprooting Addiction” will appeal primarily to people who are interested in documentaries that address addiction issues, but this documentary doesn’t reveal anything new and it’s too unfocused to leave much of an impact.

Mark Jenkins (third from left) and Greater Hartford Harm Reduction Center workers in “Uprooting Addiction” (Photo courtesy of First Run Features)

Even though it has good intentions, the documentary “Uprooting Addiction” takes a simple concept (treating substance addiction requires confronting childhood trauma) and squanders it by veering off-subject too many times. The movie is a little too limited in its scope, because it’s advertised as a documentary about the drug addicition epidemic in the U.S., but “Uprooting Addiction” only covers programs in Connecticut and New York state. “Uprooting Addiction” is only 64 minutes long, but viewers will learn more about addiction and recovery by watching any episode of “Intervention.” (The epilogue and end credits of “Uprooting Addiction” have a song from Darlingside called “Hold Your Head Up High,” which is the type of folksy acoustic guitar music with a male singer that’s very similar to The Davenports song “Five Steps,” which can be heard during the epiologue and end credits for “Intervention.”)

Directed by Tory Estern Jadow, “Uprooting Addiction” has the expected mix of interviews with licensed addiction experts and people in recovery. Some of the experts are also recovering addicts. Unfortunately, there’s nothing new that is said about addiction that hasn’t already been said in a docuseries such as “Intervention” or in other documentary films about people who get treatment for drug addiction.

“Uprooting Addiction” begins with Dr. Gabor Maté, a well-known addiction specialist, making this comment: “All addictions are rooted in trauma. I didn’t say that all traumatized persons will be addicted. But all addicted people are traumatized, whether they realize it or not.” You know what’s coming next: Footage of people in group therapy and in individual interviews telling their sob stories from their childhood.

And that’s expected, because it’s part of this movie’s theme: Addicts can’t fully recover unless they confront and treat any past trauma they’ve experienced in their lives. That trauma almost always goes all the way back to their childhoods. The problem with “Uprooting Addiction” is that it gets distracted from this theme and has footage that really didn’t need to be in the documentary if better editing choices were made.

For example, one of the people interviewed is Mark Jenkins, the founder of the Connecticut non-profit group Greater Hartford Harm Reduction Coaltion. Jenkins, who says he’s a recovering addict, describes his job this way: “It is my obligation to reduce the amount of harm [addicts] cause themselves and the community as the result of illicit drug use.” The documentary shows Jenkins and some of the coalition workers putting together Naloxone kits that include narcan (which counteracts the effects of narcotics) and candy.

Later, in the documentary, Jenkins says of Connecticut: “We’re in a state rich in services. But connecting people to those services?” His voice then trails off. This is where the documentary should have actually shown how Jenkins and other people in their group try to connect people with these services. Instead, all viewers get is footage of him and some people sitting at a table and stuffing plastic bags for Naloxone kits. The documentary doesn’t even show where these kits ended up.

A pharmacist named Joe Petricone of Torrington, Connecticut-based Petricone Pharmacy (which has been in his family for generations) says in a documentary interview: “We’re trying hard to get [narcan] into as many hands as possible.” What hands and how? The filmmakers of this documentary couldn’t grasp the concept of “show, don’t tell.”

There’s a lot of people in the documentary talking about what they do for community outreach in fighting addiction, but not enough footage showing them actually doing what they say they do, with real people who need the help. There’s a lot of talk in this documentary about how childhood trauma can lead to addiction. And yet, not once does this documentary show anyone reaching out to at-risk children to try to prevent them from becoming future addicts.

In another part of the documentary, Pete Volkmann, the police chief of Chatham, New York, is interviewed about how the city’s police department handles addiction in the community. Volkmann, who identifies himself as a recovering alcoholic, says the opioid epidemic is Chatham’s biggest problem. He also says that if drug addicts walk into the police station and ask for help, they are immediately treated as sick people, not criminals, and the best effort is made to get them into rehab as soon as possible.

Volkmann also says that he co-founded a Community Angels program of volunteers to help the police department with this responsibility. The volunteers interact with the addicts, who might be leery of dealing with cops, because the volunteers take away what Volkmann calls the “stigma” of being around cops. It’s a very rosy picture of how a police department treats a city’s drug problem.

But then, the documentary does something tacky and questionable by having Volkmann re-enact what it would be like if an addict walked into his office. The re-enactmant has a young man called “Joe” knock on Volkmann’s door, as if anyone can walk into this police chief’s office. The “addict” (who could be real addict or an actor; the documentary doesn’t say) sits down and talks to Volkmann, as if it’s just a friendly neighbor chat.

Kaytlin Coon, who’s identified in the documentary as a recovering addict and one of the city’s Angel volunteers, then simulates talking to this visitor. It’s all very stiff and awkward-looking. This is a documentary, not an acting workshop. And this re-enactment cheapens the movie’s message. Instead of re-eacting this scenario, the filmmakers should have shown a real scenario.

In fact, there’s hardly anything in the documentary that shows any real outreach to addicts who are still in the throes of addiction. Staged-looking group therapy meetings with self-identified “sober” people don’t count, because these are people who’ve already gotten help for their addictions. The documentary includes footage of an International Overdose Awareness Vigil in Torrington, Connecticut. But these types of vigils are more about being memorials to dead addicts and platforms to give speechs, rather than being community outreach events so addicts can get the help that they need.

A recovering addict named Daryl McGraw visits a halfway house/sober living place for men called Friendship House in New London, Connecticut. McGraw, who calls Friendship House his “brainchild,” is shown briefly (about two minutes) giving a friendly pep talk to some of the residents, including a new resident named Benji. The documentary never shows or mentions what happened to any of these residents after McGraw’s visit.

A recovering addict/alcoholic named Chuck Bascetta, who is a recovery sports specialist, is shown briefly interviewing another recovering addict at Community Mental Health Affiliates in New Britain, Connecticut. The interview footage is only about 30 seconds. And it’s not even an in-depth interview because all the questions have “yes” or “no” answers. The addict, who appears to be in his late 50s/early 60s, nods and says “yes” whenever Bascetta asks leading questions about if the addict has been able to stay clean and sober.

Any observant viewer can see that the addict, who is shifty-eyed and looks zonked out on something, isn’t entirely convincing in his claim that he’s clean and sober. And really, unless a drug test is done on the spot, addicts can’t really prove their sobriety when they’re in these counseling sessions. Drug tests aren’t even completely fool-proof, since the test results can be manipulated if someone else’s urine is used.

Maria Coutant Skinner, who is the executive director of the McCall Center for Behavioral Health (a rehab center in Torrington, Connecticut), says in an interview that she co-founded the Lichtfield County Opiate Task Force. But once again, the documentary just shows some people talking in a group, not going out in the community and actually doing the necessary work that a task force is supposed to do. As far as this documentary is concerned, you just mainly need to show people talking in meetings if you’re doing a documentary about treating drug addiction, even though any reasonable person knows that treating drug addiction is more than just talking about it.

Trauma and addiction specialist Hope Payson, who’s also a recovering addict, explains the need to address past trauma in addiction recovery: “If we understand the underlying reasons why someone would seek out dangerous substances to begin with, then we have a possible solution.” Payson mentions that her trauma includes having a brother who died from drug addiction.

The documentary then uses archival footage of Dr. Nadine Burke Harris giving a 2014 TEDMED talk in San Francisco. In the talk, Burke Harris explains the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Study, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Kaiser Permanente. It’s briefly mentioned that 17,000 people participated in the ACE Study “over time,” but the time period is not identified in the documentary. The purpose of the ACE Study is to determine if childhood abuse, neglect and trauma are directly linked to later-life outcomes such as addiction.

This ACE Study is the basis of a group therapy session, led by Payson, that’s shown in the documentary. An illustration of a tree is displayed in the room. At the roots of the tree, the group participants stick pieces of adhesive paper with words describing any childhood trauma they experienced and how it made them feel.

The ACE Study identifies 10 types of childhood trauma that are considered the roots of addiction:

  • emotional/mental abuse
  • physical abuse
  • sexual abuse
  • lack of emotional support from family members
  • physical neglect
  • a household member addicted to drugs or alcohol
  • a household member with mental illness
  • a household member who’s been incarcerated
  • parental divorce/separation
  • domestic violence against a parent/guardian

These 10 types of childhood trauma determine a person’s ACE Score. Each type of trauma is given a “1” score if someone experienced that trauma before reaching the age of 18. Those who endorse the ACE Study believe that the higher the ACE score, the more likely someone will become an addict. In the documentary, this unsourced statistic is shown: “Individuals with an ACE score of 4 or more are 10 times more likely to become IV drug users than someone with a score of zero.”

The problem with this statistic, because it’s unsourced, is that viewers have no idea what group of people were tested, how many were tested, and for how long, in order to come to this conclusion. In fact, all of the statistics in the documentary are unsourced, which lowers this documentary’s credibility. A lot of this documentary looks very amateurish in all aspects of production and post-production. The cinematography has some shaky camera work and random zooms in and out, as if someone is still fiddling around with the camera and figuring out how to use it.

And the editing is muddled with unnecessary and off-topic distractions. There’s a segment where McGraw, who’s an ex-con, is shown giving a speech to a group of people affiliated with the Bridgeport, Connecticut-based non-profit group Bridge House, which counsels adults with mental illnesses. In the speech, McGraw talks about a job interview experience he had after he got out of prison. It’s an interesting anecdote, but it doesn’t really belong in this documentary. If this documentary was about life after prison, then this segment would have worked better.

Coon is shown interviewed with her mother Donna, who talks about her bipolar son Jordan, who died of a drug overdose. Donna says, “He was a a sweet kid. He self-medicated … I feel guilty because I used to think life would be so much easier without him. It’s not.”

It’s a tragic family story, but it offers no reflection on what the family learned from this experience that could help other families going through the same things. Coon talks about how Jordan used to physically abuse her when they were kids, but that’s about the extent of what she reveals of any past trauma from her childhood.

Other recovering addicts interviewed in the documentary include Rob Funkhauser, an opioid addict who says that he was sexually abused as a child and had an alcoholic mother and an emotionally abusive father. Kelvin Young, an ex-con, talks about his childhood feeling like an inadequate misfit in a strict and religious household, where he says that his parents paid more attention to his older brothers who had more achievements.

McGraw, whose father abandoned the family, says that he witnessed and experienced a lot of violence inside and outside his single-parent household. Bascetta, who was the eighth of 10 kids in his family, says that his childhood was chaotic, and he experienced sexual abuse. Ryan Bailey, a recovering heroin addict, describes his childhood as bouncing around from relative to relative and having a mentally ill, drug-addicted mother who made him feel unloved because she gave him up to be raised by other people.

Epilogues at the end of “Uprooting Addiction” mention the ACE scores and therapy used by the documentary’s featured recovering addicts. On a scale of 1 to 10, Coon’s ACE score was 3; Bascetta and Funkhauser scored 4 on their ACE scores; Young and McGraw scored 5; and Bailey scored 9. All of the addicts have a recovery process that includes some type of group therapy.

The documentary mentions Eye Movement Desensitizaton and Reprocessing (EDMR) therapy, which uses eye movements to overcome trauma and anxiety. Bascetta is a big advocate of EDMR therapy, which he credits with getting rid of his cravings for drugs. Unfortunately for this documentary, the EDMR therapy is one of many examples of things that people talk about but the documentary doesn’t show. It wouldn’t have been that hard for the documentary to show actual EDMR therapy sessions and have willing volunteers track and report how the therapy worked for them.

“Uprooting Addiction” gives minimal mention of America’s racial disparities on which addicts get access to the best treatment and are less likely to be sentenced to prison for drug posesssion. That mention is literally reduced to a soundbite. Jenkins comments on the opioid epidemic: “This didn’t become an epidemic until white people started dying.”

A good documentary would have further explored those issues, but “Uprooting Addiction” doesn’t. However, observant viewers will notice that the two African American addicts from the group sessions who are interviewed (Young and McGraw) both spent time in prison, which they talk about in the documentary. Meanwhile, Funkhauser (who is white) practically brags that he never had a problem getting doctors to write any illegal prescriptions for him, as long has he looked like a businessman. The white drug addicts in the documentary do not talk about being in prison, because they give the impression they never went to prison as a result of their drug addiction.

The filmmakers obviously never bothered to ask Young and McGraw to comment on how their race might have affected how their drug addiction was treated by “the system.” While Chatham Police Chief Volkmann talks about being a police chief who’s willing to help drug addicts go to rehab instead of prison, what the “Uprooting Addiction” documentary doesn’t mention is that Chatham has a population that is 90% white, according to Data USA. Talk to any police chief in a U.S. city with a population that’s more than 30% black or Latino, and it’s highly unlkely that the police chiefs would be so accommodating and friendly to drug addicts in those cities. The statistics for drug arrests in those cities say a lot.

And that’s one of the biggest flaws of “Uprooting Addiction.” It’s a very superficial documentary that barely scratches the surface of the real problems of treating drug addiction. Talking about your childhood in group therapy sessions is one thing. But that doesn’t help all the addicts who can’t even get access to rehab or therapy in the first place, because they’re not in the right income bracket or because they’re a certain race and therefore are more likely to be incarcerated for having a drug addiction. And because “Uprooting Addiction” limits its focus to just two states to talk about a nationwide epidemic, this myopia is just one of many of this film’s credbility problems.

First Run Features released “Uprooting Addiction” on digital and VOD on April 6, 2021.

Review: ‘Held,’ starring Jill Awbrey and Bart Johnson

May 1, 2021

by Carla Hay

Jill Awbrey and Bart Johnson in “Held” (Photo courtesy of Magnet Releasing)

“Held”

Directed by Chris Lofing and Travis Cluff

Culture Representation: Taking place in an unnamed U.S. city, the horror flick “Held” features a predominantly white cast of characters (with one person of Middle Eastern heritage) representing the middle-class.

Culture Clash: A husband and a wife are held captive in their home by a mysterious intruder. 

Culture Audience: “Held” will appeal primarily to people who don’t mind watching horror movies where the acting is substandard and the mystery in the film is fairly easy to figure out.

Jill Awbrey in “Held” (Photo courtesy of Magnet Releasing)

“Held” is yet another horror movie about a couple with a crumbling relationship, they face unexpected terror, and the rest of the movie is about whether or not this couple (and their relationship) will survive the trauma. Unfortunately, the filmmakers of “Held” must think that viewers are as simple-minded as this movie’s mystery plot. The acting is often stiff, the pacing is frequently lackluster, and it’s not that hard to figure out who’s behind the terror that’s being inflicted.

One of the main reasons why it’s fairly easy to solve the mystery in this story is because there’s a very small number of people in the cast of “Held,” and only two people are on screen for almost the entire movie. Directed by Chris Lofing and Travis Cluff, “Held” has too many implausible things happening that are meant to bolster the flimsy plot. Once the “secret” behind the terror is revealed, it makes the movie look even more ridiculous.

In “Held,” which takes place in an unnamed U.S. city, Emma Barrett (played by Jill Awbrey, who wrote the “Held” screenplay) is a writer who’s taking a rideshare drive to the vacation home that she shares with her husband. The house is in an isolated area (of course it is), which means that no neighbors can come to the rescue or hear what’s happening when the inevitable horror begins to happen in the house.

Emma has a journal-sized book of poetry that she’s writing in while in the back passenger seat. Her rideshare driver Joe (played by Rez Kempton) is talkative and a little too nosy. When he asks Emma the reason for her trip, she mentions that she’s meeting her husband at the house for a weekend getaway. Her husband won’t be arriving until the next day.

Joe then asks Emma if she isn’t worried about being all by herself in this isolated area. And then Joe quickly says, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.” But that doesn’t stop Joe from being a little more irritating when he gets to the house and he pressures Emma to give him an extra tip since the drive was out of his way.

The movie spends a little too much time in the first 20 minutes showing Emma doing mundane things, such as puttering around the kitchen or taking a shower. While she’s in the shower, she hears loud knocking on the front door. When she gets out of the shower and answers the door, no one is there, but she sees a vase of red roses on the front step, with a card that reads, “For Emma.” She assumes the flowers are from her husband.

While drinking some red wine in the kitchen, Emma accidentally spills some of the wine on the floor. When she crouches down to clean up the mess, she notices that that there’s something strange about the bottom of the kitchen counter. But before she can investigate, the phone rings.

Emma’s husband Henry (played by Bart Johnson) ends up arriving at the house shortly afterward, a day earlier than expected. He says something about how his business trip ended early. (The movie never reveals what Bart does for a living.) And it turns out that this weekend trip is for Emma and Henry (who are both in their 40s) to celebrate their ninth wedding anniversary.

Emma is Henry’s second wife. His first wife Emily died, and they have a son in his 20s named Graham (played by Jener Dasilva) from this first marriage. Not long after Henry arrives, Graham calls to tell Henry the good news that Graham has gotten engaged to his girlfriend Laura. Emma and Henry both congratulate Graham, but it’s clear that Graham isn’t very close to his stepmother Emma.

Henry and Emma’s marriage seems to have hit a rough patch, because they’re not really acting like this anniversary is something that they’ve been anticipating. The passion seems to have left their marriage. And when they sleep in the same bed together, they might as well be sleeping together like platonic roommates.

Whle Emma is asleep, she has a nightmare that there was an intruder in the house, and he was wearing all black, including a black rubber mask and black gloves. When Emma wakes up, she finds out that on her nightstand are two coffee cups, a rose and a card that reads, “To have and to hold, now and always. Happy Anniversary, Mr. and Mrs. Barrett.” The problem is that Emma doesn’t know how these items got there, and Henry says that he didn’t put them there.

Emma also sees that she’s wearing a white nightgown that she doesn’t own. And when Emma and Henry check their bedroom closets, they discover that their clothes have been replaced by clothes that they’ve never seen before. And then, Emma notices that her phone and car keys are missing.

Henry takes a rake and rushes into a nearby orchard to search for possible trespassers. And while he’s away, the landline phone in the house rings. Emma answers, and a man’s distorted, menacing voice shouts, “Obey us!” (“Held” co-director Cluff is the voice of the mystery man.) And now, Emma knows that someone is definitely targeting the house for some terror.

Panic sets in when Henry comes back to the house with blood on his head. He says that while he was searching in the orchard, someone ambushed him and attacked him, but Henry was able to get away. Emma tells Henry about the strange phone call. And what do you know, right at that moment, they get another phone call from the same mystery menacer.

This time, the voice on the other line has this demand: “You will not leave the house again. There are rules. You must obey us. Disobediences have consequences … We know everything you did.” And then, like a recording with a glitch, the voice repeats several times: “You must obey!”

Of course, bad horror movies like “Held” need the victim characters to acts as illogically as possible. Not once does Emma or Henry think that if someone is calling in on their landline phone, then the phone line hasn’t been cut, so they can use the phone to make outside calls. Emma and Henry don’t even try to use the landline phone to call for help.

The movie starts to go off the rails when not long after this second phone call, barriers are lowered on all windows in the house, like a garage door closing. The mystery menacer on the phone starts using the house’s intercom system to warn Emma and Henry that they are being watched at all times. When Henry touches a surveillance camera in the house to try to disconnect it, there’s a high-pitched ringing sound, and Henry gets electrocuted.

In fact, the house is so rigged with all these torture methods and gadgets to keep Emma and Henry in captivity, it will make viewers wonder who was able to get access to the house to easily set up this elaborate home invasion and kidnapping. Needless to say, if Emma or Henry try to touch any of the doors to leave, they get electrocuted and get a blast of that high-pitched ringing.

Because this is a horror movie, someone in the film is going to die. When the first person gets killed about halfway through the movie, it’s another clue about who’s behind this mayhem, because there’s really only one logical person who would have the motive to want this person killed. The movie tends to drag with repetition of the mystery menacer barking the same type of orders to Emma and Henry.

“Held” is so poorly written that there’s very little revealed about Emma’s and Henry’s backgrounds and personalities during this ordeal. Emma and Henry don’t even try to figure out who could be doing this to them and why. It’s eventually revealed in the movie who’s behind this terror, but once people figure out who would have the biggest motive to set up this elaborate crime, the suspense quickly evaporates.

The movie’s opening scene shows a young woman (played by Jana Claire Price) being kidnapped while she’s in the passenger seat of a car. And later in the story, viewers find out that this woman was Emma when she was younger. But this traumatic incident is barely explained in the movie. It just seems to be thrown into the story so viewers know that this isn’t the first time that Emma has been kidnapped.

“Held” would have been a more effective film if the acting and screenwriting weren’t of such low quality. Awbrey and Johnson are both very wooden in saying their dialogue. And then in other scenes, they overact in a way that seems very forced and unnatural. They’re supposed to be portraying a couple with a stale marriage, but they’re not very convincing. They just seem like two actors who are stuck reciting lines together instead of depicting spouses who have a bored familiarity with each other.

The movie’s direction isn’t that remarkable and uses a lot of the same tricks that have been done in a lot of other (better-made) horror movies that are about people trapped inside a house. The unfortunate dichtomy of “Held” is that its has a chief villain who meticulously thought out everything out for this kidnapping plot, but the movie’s screenplay was very poorly thought-out in how this scheme was implemented. It’s worth noting that there are no supernatural elements to this story to explain the many illogical things that happen in the movie. And ultimately, “Held” is not a description that applies to viewers’ interest when watching this shoddily made horror flick.

Magnet Releasing released “Held” in select U.S. cinemas, on digital and on demand on April 9, 2021.

Review: ‘Limbo’ (2021), starring Amir El-Masry, Vikash Bhai, Ola Orebiyi, Kwabena Ansah, Kenneth Collard, Sodienye Ojewuyi and Sidse Babett Knudsen

April 30, 2021

by Carla Hay

Vikash Bhai, Kwabena Ansah, Amir El-Masry and Ola Orebiyi in “Limbo” (Photo courtesy of Focus Features)

“Limbo” (2021)

Directed by Ben Sharrock

Some language in Arabic with subtitles

Culture Representation: Taking place in an unnamed part of Scotland, the dramedy film “Limbo” features a racially diverse cast of characters (Arabic, African and white British people) representing refugees, the working-class and middle-class.

Culture Clash: A Syrian refugee meets and befriends other refugees in a settlement in Scotland, as they wait to find out if they will be officially given asylum in the United Kingdom.

Culture Audience: “Limbo” will appeal primarily to people interested in quirky films about the refugee experience from the perspective of a Syrian character.

Vikash Bhai and Amir Al-Masry in “Limbo” (Photo courtesy of Focus Features)

Writer/director Ben Sharrock’s “Limbo” looks a lot like what Miranda July would do if she made a movie about a Syrian refugee in Scotland. It’s a movie that is best enjoyed by people who have tolerance for non-stop quirkiness with some angsty undertones. In other words, “Limbo” isn’t for everyone, but it’s unusual enough to make a lasting impression on people who see it.

Sharrock’s influences from filmmaker July are all over “Limbo,” beginning with the opening scene, which takes place in an adult-education classroom for refugees at a government-run refugee settlement area in an unnamed part of Scotland. The lesson for the day is written on the chalkboard: “Class Cultural Awareness 101: Sex: Is a Smile an Invitation?” The class’s two middle-aged instructors Helga (played by Sidse Babett Knudsen) and Boris (played by Kenneth Collard) are awkwardly dancing with each other to Hot Chocolate’s 1982 song “It Started With a Kiss,” as a way of demonstrating Western mating rituals.

Watching this spectacle is a group of about 20 Arabic and African men, some with their mouths open in a gawking “what the hell am I looking at” expression, as you do in quirky movies like this one. This “dance instruction” is supposed to teach the men about sexual harassment boundaries when approaching women. And so, when Boris reaches over to grab Helga’s rear end, she slaps him. And then she says, “Thank you, Boris. You can now take a seat.”

Helga then turns to the class and asks, “Can anyone tell me what Boris did wrong?” A Syrian refugee in his 40s named Farhad (played by Vikash Bhai) raises his hand tentatively. The answer he gives is never shown in the movie, because the scene is supposed to satirize the patronizing way that these refugees are being treated in this nation where they are racial and ethnic minorities. Of course, things such as dancing and etiquette exist in the countries where these men are originally from, but the class is a metaphor for the European colonial mentality that sees people of color from other countries as brutes in need of social training.

One of the students in the class is a Syrian refugee in his late 20s named Omar (played by Amir El-Masry), the story’s protagonist. Omar is a musician who seems like he could have come straight out of a film made by July: He’s morose, very introspective, and he (like many of the characters in “Limbo”) often speaks with longer-than-usual pauses in between sentences.

Before leaving war-torn Syria, Omar was making a name for himself in his local area as a talent oud player. The oud that Omar brought with him to Scotland was given to him by his grandfather, who was a semi-famous musician in Syria. But ever since Omar has been a refugee, he hasn’t been playing the oud. He doesn’t even really want a lot of people in Scotland to know that he’s a musician.

It’s implied that Omar’s passion for playing music has waned because of his traumatic refugee experiences. But in the beginning of the story, one of the main reasons why Omar doesn’t play his oud is because his right arm is in a cast. Eventually, the cast comes off, but he’s still reluctant to play his oud.

At this refugee settlement, Omar shares living quarters with Farhad and two immigrants from Africa: Wasef (played by Ola Orebiyi) and Abedi (played by Kwabena Ansah), who both identify themselves as brothers. Wasef is in his 20s and very cynical, while Abedi is 17 years old and more eager to please. All four of these refugees are waiting to hear if they will be officially granted asylum in the United Kingdom.

Their asylum status will determine if they can find legal employment in the U.K. or if they will possibly deported. Omar originally had plans to go to London to work, but he is stuck in Scotland until he finds out if he will be granted asylum. The refugees are told that the bureaucratic process could take weeks or months. In the meantime, Omar, Farhad, Wasef and Abedi find work at a fishery.

One of the recurring scenarios shown in “Limbo” is the phone calls that Omar makes to his parents, who are living as Syrian refugees in Istanbul, Turkey. Even though Omar and many of the refugees have their own mobile phones, “Limbo” shows the refugees using a single pay phone outside to make calls to their families. It’s never explained why they use this old-fashioned pay phone, but they gather and wait to take turns using this pay phone. Viewers can speculate that it’s supposed to conjures up images of people in prison waiting to use a phone.

During the phone calls to his family, Omar usually speaks to his mother (voiced by Darina Al Joundi), while Omar’s father (voiced by Nayef Rashed) can be heard occasionally joining in the conversation from the background. Omar’s parents, who don’t have names in the movie, are briefly seen in some video footage later in the movie. Shereen Sadiq portrays Omar’s mother, and Hayan Rich portrays his father in this footage.

The biggest insecurity that Omar has when it comes to his family is feeling inadequate compared to his older brother Hamad (played by Sodienye Ojewuyi), who is a soldier in the Syrian civil war. Hamad and Omar are estranged from each other. It’s implied that this estrangement is because Hamad thinks Omar is a coward for not being in the military.

When Omar speaks to his mother on the phone, she always asks Omar if he’s heard from Hamad. The answer is always no, and this type of questioning annoys Omar. It also irritates him when his mother suggests that Omar try to reach out to Hamad. Omar always has to remind his mother that he doesn’t know where Hamad is.

Abedi and Wasef get into some family squabbles too, but not to the extent where they stop talking to each other. Wasef tells Abedi what he thinks of the U.K. government: “You know they put us out here to break us.” Abedi is more willing to assimilate into this new environment than Wasef is. Meanwhile, when Wasef announces that he wants to be a soccer player/footballer, Abedi scoffs at the idea.

As for Farhad, he has a fascination with Fredde Mercury, the lead singer of Queen who died in 1991. Farhad tells Omar how he feels about Mercury: “He’s my hero. He taught me English. We have the same mustache. He’s Zoroastrian like me.” And when Farhad smuggles a chicken into the living quarters, he names the chicken Freddie Mercury.

Farhad and Omar become friends, and Farhad encourages Omar to start playing his oud. However, there’s an underlying understanding that they don’t want to get too close to each other because one person’s immigration status can change. And that could mean leaving the settlement area voluntarily or by government orders. While Omar thinks he might return to Syria one day, Farhad says he never wants to go back. “I can’t be myself there,” Farhad tells Omar, thereby implying that Farhad is gay or queer.

The refugee experiences in the story range from comedic depictions of their adjustments to Western culture to satirical depictions of the ugliness of racism. For example, the four housemates end up getting free DVDs of the sitcom “Friends” from the donation center where they receive supplies, because the DVDs were easier to get than highly coveted cots. The movie shows how they spend time watching the DVDs. In one scene, Abedi and Wasef have a heated argument about the breakup of “Friends” characters Rachel Greene and Ross Geller.

Omar experiences racism when he’s walking down a road and encounters four rude teenagers driving by in a car: Plug (played by Cameron Fulton), Stevie (Lewis Gribben), Cheryl (played by Silvie Furneaux) and Tia (played by Iona Elizabeth Thomson). Stevie says to Omar, “Don’t blow up shite and rape anyone, right?” But after a barrage of Islamaphobic and racist insults, the teens offer Omar a ride because it’s about to rain. And he accepts the ride.

Occasionally, Omar goes to a grocery store that sells sells ethnic food on shelves that are close to empty. At the grocery store, he encounters the Sikh owner Vikram (played by Sanjeev Kohli), who operates the cash register up front. Vikram is one of those movie characters who stares too long at people and talks in that slow cadence that oddball characters have in oddball movies like this one. However, Vikram teaches Omar a few valuable lessons about what are racial/ethnic slurs in Great Britain. These slurs aren’t allowed in Vikram’s store, and he has a list of “banned words” posted on the wall.

The first half of “Limbo” has a more consistent tone than the second half. The latter half of the film takes a significant detour from quirkiness into some heavy emotional family drama for Omar, before sliding back into the eccentric vibe that it had from the start. And there’s some predictable sentimentality in the film. It’s a transition that is a bit clumsy but apparently done to make Omar more of a relatable human being instead of just a two-dimensional “sad sack” character.

Nick Cooke’s cinematography in “Limbo” has some slow, sideways tracking shots that are reminiscent of Wes Anderson movies. And just like a movie from Anderson, “Limbo” has some whimsical production design that invokes the idea of adults in a children’s setting, with splashes of the fantastical. A children’s playground near the settlement area is used in scenes where the adults have conversations. And the promise of seeing northern lights plays a role in a pivotal scene in the movie.

Weirdo films like “Limbo” are an acquired taste. El-Masry does a good-enough job with his performance as the conflicted and somber Omar. However, Ojewuyi’s portrayal of Farhad is the real scene-stealer of the movie. Farhad’s optimism and kooky antics make him more endearing and entertaining to watch than Omar. “Limbo” isn’t a bad movie, but it would’ve been more interesting if Farhad had been the main character.

Focus Features released “Limbo” in select U.S. cinemas on April 30, 2021.

2021 Billboard Music Awards: The Weeknd is the top nominee, Nick Jonas is the host

April 30, 2021

(Photo courtesy of NBC)

The following is a combination of press releases from Dick Clark Productions and NBC:

Dick Clark Productions and NBC announced the finalists for the “2021 Billboard Music Awards” (BBMA), which honor the year’s most successful artists in 51 categories across all genres of music. The annual live broadcast showcases spectacular performances, unexpected collaborations, buzzworthy pop culture moments that keeps fans talking all year, and the prestigious ICON Award, which honors record-breaking artists and their impact on music. The BBMAs will broadcast live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, May 23 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on NBC. Multi-platinum recording artist, actor and current “Voice” coach Nick Jonas is set to host the “2021 Billboard Music Awards” (BBMA).

“The List Live” Finalist Announcement:

  • Finalists were revealed during the exclusive live stream “The List Live,” hosted by Access Hollywood’s Zuri Hall and comedian LaLa Milan, and aired on BBMAs, Billboard, E!, and NBC social media pages earlier this morning.
  • Some of the biggest names in music, pop culture, and fashion stopped by to announce this year’s finalists.
  • Presenters included: Anitta, FINNEAS, Luis Fonsi, Rob Gronkowski, Paris Hilton, Leslie Jordan, Tate McRae, and Jay Pharoah. Watch the replay HERE.

2021 BBMA Finalist Highlights:

  • The Weeknd leads the pack as a finalist in 16 categories, including Top Artist, Top Male Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Streaming Songs Artist, and Top Song Sales Artist. His 2020 album After Hours received multiple nods, including Top Billboard 200 Album and Top R&B Album, with the hit single “Blinding Lights” recognized in five categories.
  • DaBaby is the second-top finalist (11), including recognition for the Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Rap Artist, and Top Rap Album categories. He is also a multi-finalist in the Top Streaming Song category for “Rockstar” and “Whats Poppin,” and could take home his first BBMA trophy.
  • Late rappers Pop Smoke and Juice WRLD received multiple honors, marking the first time in a decade that two of the top ten finalists received posthumous recognition. Pop Smoke is a finalist in 10 categories, including Top Billboard 200 Album for his posthumously released debut album Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon; while Juice WRLD is a finalist in seven categories, including Top Rap Album for Legends Never Die.
  • “I Hope” singer Gabby Barrett is a first-time finalist and achieved nods in nine categories, including Top New Artist, becoming the female artist with the most nods this year.
  • Megan Thee Stallion is the female artist with the second-most nods this year with seven, including Top Female Artist and Top Rap Female Artist. She could receive her first ever BBMA at this year’s show.

This year’s awards are based on the chart period of March 21, 2020 through April 3, 2021. “Billboard Music Awards” finalists and winners are based on key fan interactions with music, including album and digital song sales, streaming, radio airplay, and social engagement, tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including MRC Data. Fan-voted categories include Top Social Artist and Top Collaboration.

For more than 30 years, the BBMAs has celebrated music’s greatest achievements, honoring the hottest names in music today. Unique among music awards shows, finalists are determined by performance on the Billboard Charts. Since 1940, the Billboard Charts have been the go-to guide for ranking the popularity of artists, songs and albums, and are the ultimate measure of success in music.

The “2021 Billboard Music Awards” is produced by dick clark productions. Barry Adelman and Robert Deaton are executive producers.

For the latest news on the Billboard Music Awards (BBMAs) visit billboardmusicawards.com and www.billboard.com/bbma. For exclusive content and more, be sure to follow the BBMAs on social media (TwitterFacebookInstagramSnapchatTikTokYouTube) and join the conversation by using the official hashtag for the show, #BBMAs.

About Dick Clark Productions:
Dick Clark Productions (DCP) is the world’s largest producer and proprietor of televised live event entertainment programming with the “Academy of Country Music Awards,” “American Music Awards,” “Billboard Music Awards,” “Golden Globe Awards,” “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest” and the “Streamy Awards.” Weekly television programming includes “So You Think You Can Dance” from 19 Entertainment and dcp. dcp also owns one of the world’s most extensive and unique entertainment archive libraries with more than 60 years of award-winning shows, historic programs, specials, performances and legendary programming. dcp is part of MRC Live & Alternative, a division of diversified global entertainment company MRC. For additional information, visit www.mrcentertainment.com.

THE “2021 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS” FINALISTS:

FINALISTS BY CATEGORY

ARTIST AWARDS

Top Artist
Drake
Juice WRLD
Pop Smoke
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd

Top New Artist
Gabby Barrett
Doja Cat
Jack Harlow
Pop Smoke
Rod Wave

Top Male Artist
Drake
Juice WRLD
Lil Baby
Pop Smoke
The Weeknd

Top Female Artist
Billie Eilish
Ariana Grande
Dua Lipa
Megan Thee Stallion
Taylor Swift

Top Duo/Group
AC/DC
AJR
BTS
Dan + Shay
Maroon 5

Top Billboard 200 Artist
Drake
Juice WRLD
Pop Smoke
Post Malone
Taylor Swift

Top Hot 100 Artist
DaBaby
Drake
Dua Lipa
Pop Smoke
The Weeknd

Top Streaming Songs Artist
DaBaby
Drake
Lil Baby
Pop Smoke
The Weeknd

Top Song Sales Artist
Justin Bieber
BTS
Megan Thee Stallion
*Morgan Wallen
The Weeknd

Top Radio Songs Artist
Justin Bieber
Lewis Capaldi
Dua Lipa
Harry Styles
The Weeknd

Top Social Artist (Fan Voted)
BLACKPINK
BTS
Ariana Grande
SB19
Seventeen

Top R&B Artist
Jhené Aiko
Justin Bieber
Chris Brown
Doja Cat
The Weeknd

Top R&B Male Artist
Justin Bieber
Chris Brown
The Weeknd

Top R&B Female Artist
Jhené Aiko
Doja Cat
SZA

Top Rap Artist
DaBaby
Drake
Juice WRLD
Lil Baby
Pop Smoke

Top Rap Male Artist
Juice WRLD
Lil Baby
Pop Smoke

Top Rap Female Artist
Cardi B
Megan Thee Stallion
Saweetie

Top Country Artist
Gabby Barrett
Kane Brown
Luke Combs
Chris Stapleton
*Morgan Wallen

Top Country Male Artist
Luke Combs
Chris Stapleton
*Morgan Wallen

Top Country Female Artist
Gabby Barrett
Maren Morris
Carrie Underwood

Top Country Duo/Group
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Maddie & Tae

Top Rock Artist
AC/DC
AJR
Five Finger Death Punch
Machine Gun Kelly
twenty one pilots

Top Latin Artist
Anuel AA
Bad Bunny
J Balvin
Maluma
Ozuna

Top Latin Male Artist
Bad Bunny
J Balvin
Ozuna

Top Latin Female Artist
Becky G
Karol G
Rosalía

Top Latin Duo/Group
Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga
Eslabón Armado
Los Dos Carnales

Top Dance/Electronic Artist
The Chainsmokers
Kygo
Lady Gaga
Marshmello
Surf Mesa

Top Christian Artist
Casting Crowns
Elevation Worship
for KING & COUNTRY
Carrie Underwood
Zach Williams

Top Gospel Artist
Kirk Franklin
Koryn Hawthorne
Tasha Cobbs Leonard
Maverick City Music
Kanye West


ALBUM AWARDS

Top Billboard 200 Album
Juice WRLD “Legends Never Die”
Lil Baby “My Turn”
Pop Smoke “Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon”
Taylor Swift “folklore”
The Weeknd “After Hours”

Top R&B Album
Jhené Aiko “Chilombo”
Chris Brown & Young Thug “Slime & B”
Doja Cat “Hot Pink”
Kehlani “It Was Good Until It Wasn’t”
The Weeknd “After Hours”

Top Rap Album
DaBaby “BLAME IT ON BABY”
Juice WRLD “Legends Never Die”
Lil Baby “My Turn”
Lil Uzi Vert “Eternal Atake”
Pop Smoke “Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon”

Top Country Album
Gabby Barrett “Goldmine”
Sam Hunt “SOUTHSIDE”
Chris Stapleton “Starting Over”
Carrie Underwood “My Gift”
*Morgan Wallen “Dangerous: The Double Album”

Top Rock Album
AC/DC “Power Up”
Miley Cyrus “Plastic Hearts”
Glass Animals “Dreamland”
Machine Gun Kelly “Tickets to My Downfall”
Bruce Springsteen “Letter to You”

Top Latin Album
Anuel AA “Emmanuel”
Bad Bunny “El Último Tour Del Mundo”
Bad Bunny “Las que no iban a salir”
Bad Bunny “YHLQMDLG”
J Balvin “Colores”

Top Dance/Electronic Album
DJ Snake “Carte Blanche”
Gryffin “Gravity”
Kygo “Golden Hour”
Lady Gaga “Chromatica”
Kylie Minogue “Disco”

Top Christian Album
Bethel Music “Peace”
Elevation Worship “Grave Into Gardens”
Carrie Underwood “My Gift”
We The Kingdom “Holy Water”
Zach Williams “Rescue Story”

Top Gospel Album
Koryn Hawthorne “I AM”
Tasha Cobbs Leonard “Royalty: Live at the Ryman”
Maverick City Music “Maverick City Vol. 3 Part 1”
Maverick City Music “Maverick City Vol. 3 Part 2”
Kierra Sheard “Kierra”

SONG AWARDS

Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar
24kGoldn ft. iann dior “Mood”
Gabby Barrett ft. Charlie Puth “I Hope”
Chris Brown & Young Thug “Go Crazy”
DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch “ROCKSTAR”
The Weeknd “Blinding Lights”

Top Streaming Song
Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion “WAP”
DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch “ROCKSTAR”
Future ft. Drake “Life Is Good”
Jack Harlow ft. DaBaby, Tory Lanez, & Lil Wayne “WHATS POPPIN”
The Weeknd “Blinding Lights”

Top Selling Song
Gabby Barrett ft. Charlie Puth “I Hope”
BTS “Dynamite”
Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion “WAP”
Megan Thee Stallion “Savage”
The Weeknd “Blinding Lights”

Top Radio Song
Gabby Barrett ft. Charlie Puth “I Hope”
Chris Brown & Young Thug “Go Crazy”
Dua Lipa “Don’t Start Now”
Harry Styles “Adore You”
The Weeknd “Blinding Lights”

Top Collaboration (Fan Voted)
24kGoldn ft. iann dior “Mood”
Gabby Barrett ft. Charlie Puth “I Hope”
Chris Brown & Young Thug “Go Crazy”
DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch “ROCKSTAR”
Jack Harlow ft. DaBaby, Tory Lanez, & Lil Wayne “WHATS POPPIN”

Top R&B Song
Jhené Aiko ft. H.E.R. “B.S.”
Justin Bieber ft. Quavo “Intentions”
Chris Brown & Young Thug “Go Crazy”
Doja Cat “Say So”
The Weeknd “Blinding Lights”

Top Rap Song
24kGoldn ft. iann dior “Mood”
Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion “WAP”
DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch “ROCKSTAR”
Jack Harlow ft. DaBaby, Tory Lanez, & Lil Wayne “WHATS POPPIN”
Megan Thee Stallion “Savage”

Top Country Song
Jason Aldean “Got What I Got”
Gabby Barrett “I Hope”
Lee Brice “One of Them Girls”
*Morgan Wallen “Chasin’ You”
*Morgan Wallen “More Than My Hometown”

Top Rock Song
AJR “Bang!”
All Time Low ft. blackbear “Monsters”
Glass Animals “Heat Waves”
Machine Gun Kelly ft. blackbear “my ex’s best friend”
twenty one pilots “Level of Concern”

Top Latin Song
Bad Bunny “Yo Perreo Sola”
Bad Bunny & Jhay Cortez “Dákiti”
Black Eyed Peas & J Balvin “RITMO (Bad Boys For Life)”
Maluma & The Weeknd “Hawái”
Ozuna x Karol G x Myke Towers “Caramelo”

Top Dance/Electronic Song
Lady Gaga “Stupid Love”
Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande “Rain on Me”
SAINt JHN “Roses (Imanbek Remix)”
Surf Mesa ft. Emilee “ily (i love you baby)”
Topic & A7S “Breaking Me”

Top Christian Song
Elevation Worship ft. Brandon Lake “Graves Into Gardens”
for KING & COUNTRY, Kirk Franklin & Tori Kelly “TOGETHER”
Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes, & Elevation Worship “The Blessing (Live)”
Tauren Wells ft. Jenn Johnson “Famous For (I Believe)”
Zach Williams & Dolly Parton “There Was Jesus”

Top Gospel Song
Koryn Hawthorne “Speak To Me”
Jonathan McReynolds & Mali Music “Movin’ On”
Marvin Sapp “Thank You For It All”
Tye Tribbett “We Gon’ Be Alright”
Kanye West ft. Travis Scott “Wash Us In The Blood”

FINALISTS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER (BY FIRST NAME):

24kGoldn (3): Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top Rap Song
A7S (1): Top Dance/Electronic Song
AC/DC (3): Top Duo/Group; Top Rock Artist; Top Rock Album
AJR (3): Top Duo/Group; Top Rock Artist; Top Rock Song
All Time Low (1): Top Rock Song
Anuel AA (2): Top Latin Artist; Top Latin Album
Ariana Grande (3): Top Female Artist; Top Social Artist (Fan Voted); Top Dance/Electronic Song
Bad Bunny (7): Top Latin Artist; Top Latin Male Artist; Top Latin Album (x3); Top Latin Song (x2)
Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga (1): Top Latin Duo/Group
Becky G (1): Top Latin Female Artist
Bethel Music (1): Top Christian Album
Billie Eilish (1): Top Female Artist
Black Eyed Peas (1): Top Latin Song
blackbear (2): Top Rock Song (x2)
BLACKPINK (1): Top Social Artist (Fan Voted)
Brandon Lake (1): Top Christian Song
Bruce Springsteen (1): Top Rock Album
BTS (4): Top Duo/Group; Top Song Sales Artist; Top Social Artist (Fan Voted); Top Selling Song
Cardi B (4): Top Rap Female Artist; Top Streaming Song; Top Selling Song; Top Rap Song
Carrie Underwood (4): Top Country Female Artist; Top Country Album; Top Christian Album; Top Christian Artist
Casting Crowns (1): Top Christian Artist
Charlie Puth (4): Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Selling Song; Top Radio Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted)
Chris Brown (7): Top R&B Artist; Top R&B Male Artist; Top R&B Album; Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Radio Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top R&B Song
Chris Stapleton (3): Top Country Artist; Top Country Male Artist; Top Country Album
Cody Carnes (1): Top Christian Song
DaBaby (11): Top Hot 100 Artist; Top Streaming Songs Artist; Top Rap Artist; Top Rap Album; Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Streaming Song (x2); Top Collaboration (Fan Voted) (x2); Top Rap Song; Top R&B Song
Dan + Shay (2): Top Duo/Group; Top Country Duo/Group
DJ Snake (1): Top Dance/Electronic Album        
Doja Cat (5): Top New Artist; Top R&B Artist; Top R&B Female Artist; Top R&B Album; Top R&B Song
Dolly Parton (1): Top Christian Song
Drake (7): Top Radio Song; Top Male Artist; Top Billboard 200 Artist; Top Hot 100 Artist; Top Streaming Songs Artist; Top Rap Artist; Top Streaming Song
Dua Lipa (4): Top Female Artist; Top Hot 100 Artist; Top Radio Songs Artist; Top Radio Song
Elevation Worship (4): Top Christian Artist; Top Christian Album; Top Christian Song (x2)
Emilee (1): Top Dance/Electronic Song
Eslabón Armado (1): Top Latin Duo/Group
Five Finger Death Punch (1): Top Rock Artist
Florida Georgia Line (1): Top Country Duo/Group
for KING & COUNTRY (2): Top Christian Artist; Top Christian Song
Future (1): Top Streaming Song
Gabby Barrett (9): Top New Artist; Top Country Artist; Top Country Female Artist; Top Country Album; Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Selling Song; Top Radio Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top Country Song
Glass Animals (2): Top Rock Album; Top Rock Song
Gryffin (1): Top Dance/Electronic Album
H.E.R. (1): Top R&B Song
Harry Styles (2): Top Radio Songs Artist; Top Radio Song
iann dior (3): Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top Rap Song
J Balvin (4): Top Latin Artist; Top Latin Male Artist; Top Latin Album; Top Latin Song
Jack Harlow (4): Top New Artist; Top Streaming Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top Rap Song
Jason Aldean (1): Top Country Song
Jenn Johnson (1): Top Christian Song
Jhay Cortez (1): Top Latin Song
Jhené Aiko (4): Top R&B Artist; Top R&B Female Artist; Top R&B Album; Top R&B Song
Jonathan McReynolds (1): Top Gospel Song
Juice WRLD (7): Top Artist; Top Male Artist; Top Billboard 200 Artist; Top Rap Artist; Top Rap Male Artist; Top Billboard 200 Album; Top Rap Album
Justin Bieber (5): Top Song Sales Artist; Top Radio Songs Artist; Top R&B Artist; Top R&B Male Artist; Top R&B Song
Kane Brown (1): Top Country Artist
Kanye West (2): Top Gospel Artist; Top Gospel Song
Kari Jobe (1): Top Christian Song
Karol G (2): Top Latin Female Artist; Top Latin Song
Kehlani (1): Top R&B Album
Kierra Sheard (1): Top Gospel Album
Kirk Franklin (1): Top Gospel Artist
Koryn Hawthorne (3): Top Gospel Artist; Top Gospel Album; Top Gospel Song
Kygo (2): Top Dance/Electronic Artist; Top Dance/Electronic Album
Kylie Minogue (1): Top Dance/Electronic Album
Lady Gaga (4): Top Dance/Electronic Artist; Top Dance/Electronic Album; Top Dance/Electronic Song (x2)
Lee Brice (1): Top Country Song
Lewis Capaldi (1): Top Radio Songs Artist
Lil Baby (6): Top Male Artist; Top Streaming Songs Artist; Top Rap Artist; Top Rap Male Artist; Top Billboard 200 Album; Top Rap Album
Lil Uzi Vert (1): Top Rap Album
Lil Wayne (3): Top Streaming Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top Rap Song
Los Dos Carnales (1): Top Latin Duo/Group
Luke Combs (2): Top Country Artist; Top Country Male Artist
Machine Gun Kelly (3): Top Rock Artist; Top Rock Album; Top Rock Song
Maddie & Tae (1): Top Country Duo/Group
Mali Music (1): Top Gospel Song
Maluma (2): Top Latin Artist; Top Latin Song
Maren Morris (1): Top Country Female Artist
Maroon 5 (1): Top Duo/Group
Marshmello (1): Top Dance/Electronic Artist
Marvin Sapp (1): Top Gospel Song
Maverick City Music (3): Top Gospel Artist; Top Gospel Album (x2)
Megan Thee Stallion (7): Top Female Artist; Top Song Sales Artist; Top Rap Female Artist; Top Streaming Song; Top Selling Song; Top Rap Song (x2)
Miley Cyrus (1): Top Rock Album
*Morgan Wallen (6): Top Song Sales Artist; Top Country Artist; Top Country Male Artist; Top Country Album; Top Country Song (x2)
Myke Towers (1): Top Latin Song
Ozuna (3): Top Latin Artist; Top Latin Male Artist; Top Latin Song
Pop Smoke (10): Top Artist; Top New Artist; Top Male Artist; Top Billboard 200 Artist; Top Hot 100 Artist; Top Streaming Songs Artist; Top Rap Artist; Top Rap Male Artist; Top Billboard 200 Album; Top Rap Album
Post Malone (1): Top Billboard 200 Artist
Quavo (1): Top R&B Song
Rod Wave (1): Top New Artist
Roddy Ricch (4): Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Streaming Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top Rap Song
Rosalía (1): Top Latin Female Artist
SAINt JHN (1): Top Dance/Electronic Song
Sam Hunt (1): Top Country Album
Saweetie (1): Top Rap Female Artist
SB19 (1): Top Social Artist (Fan Voted)
Seventeen (1): Top Social Artist (Fan Voted)
Surf Mesa (2): Top Dance/Electronic Artist; Top Dance/Electronic Song
SZA (1): Top R&B Female Artist
Tasha Cobbs Leonard (2): Top Gospel Artist; Top Gospel Album
Tauren Wells (1): Top Christian Song
Taylor Swift (4): Top Artist; Top Female Artist; Top Billboard 200 Artist; Top Billboard 200 Album
The Chainsmokers (1): Top Dance/Electronic Artist
The Weeknd (16): Top Artist; Top Male Artist; Top Hot 100 Artist; Top Streaming Songs Artist; Top Song Sales Artist; Top Radio Songs Artist; Top R&B Artist; Top R&B Male Artist; Top Billboard 200 Album; Top R&B Album; Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Streaming Song; Top Selling Song; Top Radio Song; Top R&B Song; Top Latin Song
Topic (1): Top Dance/Electronic Song
Tori Kelly (1): Top Christian Song
Tory Lanez (3): Top Streaming Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top Rap Song
Travis Scott (1): Top Gospel Song
twenty one pilots (2): Top Rock Artist; Top Rock Song
Tye Tribbett (1): Top Gospel Song
We The Kingdom (1): Top Christian Album
Young Thug (4): Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Radio Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top R&B Song
Zach Williams (3): Top Christian Artist; Top Christian Album; Top Christian Song

FINALISTS BY NUMERICAL ORDER:

The Weeknd (16): Top Artist; Top Male Artist; Top Hot 100 Artist; Top Streaming Songs Artist; Top Song Sales Artist; Top Radio Songs Artist; Top R&B Artist; Top R&B Male Artist; Top Billboard 200 Album; Top R&B Album; Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Streaming Song; Top Selling Song; Top Radio Song; Top R&B Song; Top Latin Song
DaBaby (11): Top Hot 100 Artist; Top Streaming Songs Artist; Top Rap Artist; Top Rap Album; Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Streaming Song (x2); Top Collaboration (Fan Voted) (x2); Top Rap Song; Top R&B Song
Pop Smoke (10): Top Artist; Top New Artist; Top Male Artist; Top Billboard 200 Artist; Top Hot 100 Artist; Top Streaming Songs Artist; Top Rap Artist; Top Rap Male Artist; Top Billboard 200 Album; Top Rap Album
Gabby Barrett (9): Top New Artist; Top Country Artist; Top Country Female Artist; Top Country Album; Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Selling Song; Top Radio Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top Country Song
Bad Bunny (7): Top Latin Artist; Top Latin Male Artist; Top Latin Album (x3); Top Latin Song (x2)
Chris Brown (7): Top R&B Artist; Top R&B Male Artist; Top R&B Album; Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Radio Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top R&B Song
Drake (7): Top Radio Song; Top Male Artist; Top Billboard 200 Artist; Top Hot 100 Artist; Top Streaming Songs Artist; Top Rap Artist; Top Streaming Song
Juice WRLD (7): Top Artist; Top Male Artist; Top Billboard 200 Artist; Top Rap Artist; Top Rap Male Artist; Top Billboard 200 Album; Top Rap Album
Megan Thee Stallion (7): Top Female Artist; Top Song Sales Artist; Top Rap Female Artist; Top Streaming Song; Top Selling Song; Top Rap Song (x2)
Lil Baby (6): Top Male Artist; Top Streaming Songs Artist; Top Rap Artist; Top Rap Male Artist; Top Billboard 200 Album; Top Rap Album
*Morgan Wallen (6): Top Song Sales Artist; Top Country Artist; Top Country Male Artist; Top Country Album; Top Country Song (x2)
Doja Cat (5): Top New Artist; Top R&B Artist; Top R&B Female Artist; Top R&B Album; Top R&B Song
Justin Bieber (5): Top Song Sales Artist; Top Radio Songs Artist; Top R&B Artist; Top R&B Male Artist; Top R&B Song
BTS (4): Top Duo/Group; Top Song Sales Artist; Top Social Artist (Fan Voted); Top Selling Song
Cardi B (4): Top Rap Female Artist; Top Streaming Song; Top Selling Song; Top Rap Song
Carrie Underwood (4): Top Country Female Artist; Top Country Album; Top Christian Album; Top Christian Artist
Charlie Puth (4): Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Selling Song; Top Radio Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted)
Dua Lipa (4): Top Female Artist; Top Hot 100 Artist; Top Radio Songs Artist; Top Radio Song
Elevation Worship (4): Top Christian Artist; Top Christian Album; Top Christian Song (x2)
J Balvin (4): Top Latin Artist; Top Latin Male Artist; Top Latin Album; Top Latin Song
Jack Harlow (4): Top New Artist; Top Streaming Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top Rap Song
Jhené Aiko (4): Top R&B Artist; Top R&B Female Artist; Top R&B Album; Top R&B Song
Lady Gaga (4): Top Dance/Electronic Artist; Top Dance/Electronic Album; Top Dance/Electronic Song (x2)
Roddy Ricch (4): Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Streaming Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top Rap Song
Taylor Swift (4): Top Artist; Top Female Artist; Top Billboard 200 Artist; Top Billboard 200 Album
Young Thug (4): Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Radio Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top R&B Song
24kGoldn (3): Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top Rap Song
AC/DC (3): Top Duo/Group; Top Rock Artist; Top Rock Album
AJR (3): Top Duo/Group; Top Rock Artist; Top Rock Song
Ariana Grande (3): Top Female Artist; Top Social Artist (Fan Voted); Top Dance/Electronic Song
Chris Stapleton (3): Top Country Artist; Top Country Male Artist; Top Country Album
iann dior (3): Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top Rap Song
Koryn Hawthorne (3): Top Gospel Artist; Top Gospel Album; Top Gospel Song
Lil Wayne (3): Top Streaming Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top Rap Song
Machine Gun Kelly (3): Top Rock Artist; Top Rock Album; Top Rock Song
Maverick City Music (3): Top Gospel Artist; Top Gospel Album (x2)
Ozuna (3): Top Latin Artist; Top Latin Male Artist; Top Latin Song
Tory Lanez (3): Top Streaming Song; Top Collaboration (Fan Voted); Top Rap Song
Zach Williams (3): Top Christian Artist; Top Christian Album; Top Christian Song
Anuel AA (2): Top Latin Artist; Top Latin Album
blackbear (2): Top Rock Song (x2)
Dan + Shay (2): Top Duo/Group; Top Country Duo/Group
for KING & COUNTRY (2): Top Christian Artist; Top Christian Song
Glass Animals (2): Top Rock Album; Top Rock Song
Harry Styles (2): Top Radio Songs Artist; Top Radio Song
Kanye West (2): Top Gospel Artist; Top Gospel Song
Karol G (2): Top Latin Female Artist; Top Latin Song
Kygo (2): Top Dance/Electronic Artist; Top Dance/Electronic Album
Luke Combs (2): Top Country Artist; Top Country Male Artist
Maluma (2): Top Latin Artist; Top Latin Song
Surf Mesa (2): Top Dance/Electronic Artist; Top Dance/Electronic Song
Tasha Cobbs Leonard (2): Top Gospel Artist; Top Gospel Album
twenty one pilots (2): Top Rock Artist; Top Rock Song
A7S (1): Top Dance/Electronic Song
All Time Low (1): Top Rock Song
Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga (1): Top Latin Duo/Group
Becky G (1): Top Latin Female Artist
Bethel Music (1): Top Christian Album
Billie Eilish (1): Top Female Artist
Black Eyed Peas (1): Top Latin Song
BLACKPINK (1): Top Social Artist (Fan Voted)
Brandon Lake (1): Top Christian Song
Bruce Springsteen (1): Top Rock Album
Casting Crowns (1): Top Christian Artist
Cody Carnes (1): Top Christian Song
DJ Snake (1): Top Dance/Electronic Album        
Dolly Parton (1): Top Christian Song
Emilee (1): Top Dance/Electronic Song
Eslabón Armado (1): Top Latin Duo/Group
Five Finger Death Punch (1): Top Rock Artist
Florida Georgia Line (1): Top Country Duo/Group
Future (1): Top Streaming Song
Gryffin (1): Top Dance/Electronic Album
H.E.R. (1): Top R&B Song
Jason Aldean (1): Top Country Song
Jenn Johnson (1): Top Christian Song
Jhay Cortez (1): Top Latin Song
Jonathan McReynolds (1): Top Gospel Song
Kane Brown (1): Top Country Artist
Kari Jobe (1): Top Christian Song
Kehlani (1): Top R&B Album
Kierra Sheard (1): Top Gospel Album
Kirk Franklin (1): Top Gospel Artist
Kylie Minogue (1): Top Dance/Electronic Album
Lee Brice (1): Top Country Song
Lewis Capaldi (1): Top Radio Songs Artist
Lil Uzi Vert (1): Top Rap Album
Los Dos Carnales (1): Top Latin Duo/Group
Maddie & Tae (1): Top Country Duo/Group
Mali Music (1): Top Gospel Song
Maren Morris (1): Top Country Female Artist
Maroon 5 (1): Top Duo/Group
Marshmello (1): Top Dance/Electronic Artist
Marvin Sapp (1): Top Gospel Song
Miley Cyrus (1): Top Rock Album
Myke Towers (1): Top Latin Song
Post Malone (1): Top Billboard 200 Artist
Quavo (1): Top R&B Song
Rod Wave (1): Top New Artist
Rosalía (1): Top Latin Female Artist
SAINt JHN (1): Top Dance/Electronic Song
Sam Hunt (1): Top Country Album
Saweetie (1): Top Rap Female Artist
SB19 (1): Top Social Artist (Fan Voted)
Seventeen (1): Top Social Artist (Fan Voted)
SZA (1): Top R&B Female Artist
Tauren Wells (1): Top Christian Song
The Chainsmokers (1): Top Dance/Electronic Artist
Topic (1): Top Dance/Electronic Song
Tori Kelly (1): Top Christian Song
Travis Scott (1): Top Gospel Song
Tye Tribbett (1): Top Gospel Song
We The Kingdom (1): Top Christian Album                                


*Statement on behalf of dick clark productions

Unique among awards shows, Billboard Music Awards (BBMA) finalists are determined by performance on the Billboard Charts, and are not chosen by a voting committee or membership organization. BBMA finalists and winners are based on key fan interactions with music (including album and digital song sales, streaming, radio airplay, social engagement), tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including MRC Data. 

With our content reaching millions of viewers, dcp and MRC have the privilege and responsibility to effect change by creating a more inclusive dialogue in our productions and across the industry. 

Morgan Wallen is a finalist this year based on charting. As his recent conduct does not align with our core values, we will not be including him on the show in any capacity (performing, presenting, accepting).

It is heartening and encouraging to hear that Morgan is taking steps in his anti-racist journey and starting to do some meaningful work. We plan to evaluate his progress and will consider his participation in future shows.

Billboard.com – Morgan Wallen Is a Billboard Music Awards Finalist But Won’t Be Included on the Show
###



2021 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS FINALIST STATISTICS

 • 2021 FINALIST FAST FACTS
• ALL-TIME RECORD HOLDERS BY CATEGORY
• TOP BBMA WINNERS OF ALL TIME (1990–2020)


2021 FINALIST FAST FACTS“THE WEEKND LEADS AS FINALIST IN 16 CATEGORIES, THE MOST OF ANY ARTIST THIS YEAR”

  • In addition to receiving the most nods (16), singer/songwriter The Weeknd is also a finalist in more categories than any other artist this year, including Top Artist, Top Male Artist and Top Hot 100 Artist.

“AS A FINALIST IN SEVEN CATEGORIES THIS YEAR, DRAKE COULD BREAK HIS OWN RECORD FOR MOST WINS OF ALL TIME (27)”

  • After achieving 12 wins in 2019, including the coveted Top Artist category, rap superstar Drake could break his own record for most wins of all time, keeping his title and staying ahead of Taylor Swift (23), Justin Bieber (21) and Garth Brooks (20).

“TAYLOR SWIFT COULD TIE WITH DRAKE FOR MOST WINS OF ALL TIME (27) SHOULD SHE WIN IN ALL HER CATEGORIES”

  • Taylor Swift is a finalist in 4 categories this year, including Top Artist, Top Female Artist and Top Billboard 200 Artist. If she takes home awards in all of her categories, she would tie with Drake in the #1 spot for most wins of all time.

“IF THE WEEKND OR JUSTIN BIEBER SWEEP IN ALL OF THEIR CATEGORIES, THEY COULD SURPASS TAYLOR SWIFT AND TAKE THE #2 SPOT FOR MOST WINS OF ALL TIME”

  • The Weeknd, 2019 BBMA winner for Top R&B Artist, could beat Taylor Swift’s record and take the #2 spot for most wins of all time if he takes home the trophies in all his categories this year. Drake still holds the record for most wins of all time (27).

“FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A DECADE, TWO OF THE TOP 10 FINALISTS RECEIVED POSTHUMOUS HONORS – POP SMOKE (10) AND JUICE WRLD (7)”

  • Rappers Pop Smoke and Juice WRLD, who both passed away in 2020, received multiple honors this year. Pop Smoke is a finalist in 10 categories, including Top Billboard 200 Album for his posthumously released debut album “Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon,” while Juice WRLD is a finalist in 7 categories, including Top Rap Album for “Legends Never Die.”

“THE WEEKND COULD BREAK DRAKE’S RECORD FOR MOST WINS IN A SINGLE NIGHT”

  • The Weeknd leads the list this year as a finalist in 16 categories. He has the chance to surpass or tie Drake’s 2017 record (13) for the artist with the most wins in a single night.

“GABBY BARRETT IS A FIRST-TIME FINALIST AND THE FEMALE ARTIST WITH THE MOST NODS THIS YEAR (9)”

  • The “I Hope” singer is a first-time BBMA finalist and contender in 9 categories, including Top New Artist, becoming the female artist with the most nods this year.

“DABABY, MEGAN THEE STALLION, LIL BABY, DOJA CAT and DUA LIPA COULD ALL WIN THEIR FIRST-EVER BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARD”

  • DaBaby is the second-top finalist this year (11), including nods in the Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Rap Artist and Top Rap Album categories. He is also a multi-finalist in the Top Streaming Song category for “ROCKSTAR” and “WHATS POPPIN.”
  • Megan Thee Stallion is the female artist with the second-most nods this year (7), including Top Female Artist and Top Rap Female Artist. She could receive her first ever BBMA at this year’s show.
  • Lil Baby is a contender in 6 categories this year, including Top Male Artist, Top Rap Artist and Top Rap Album.
  • Doja Cat – The “Say So” singer is a finalist in 5 categories this year including Top New Artist, and could finally take home her first BBMA trophy. 
  • Dua Lipa could ‘levitate’ her way to her first-ever BBMA trophy this year should she win in any of the 4 categories she’s competing in: Top Female Artist; Top Hot 100 Artist; Top Radio Songs Artist; Top Radio Song.

“BAD BUNNY IS THE FIRST LATIN ARTIST TO BECOME A FINALIST THREE TIMES IN THE SAME CATEGORY”

  • Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny is a finalist in seven categories this year. He received three honors in the same category (Top Latin Album) for “El Último Tour Del Mundo,” “Las que no iban a salir” and “YHLQMDLG.”

“BTS COULD WIN THEIR 5TH CONSECUTIVE AWARD IN THE TOP SOCIAL ARTIST CATEGORY”

  • BTS previously won in this category in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. The K-Pop group could achieve their 5th win should they take home the award this year. Justin Bieber currently holds the record for most wins in this category (2011-2016).

ALL-TIME RECORD HOLDERS BY CATEGORY:

TOP ARTIST
50 CentAdele, Drake, Garth BrooksDestiny’s ChildTaylor Swift and Usher are tied for the most wins in this category with 2 wins. Both Drake and Taylor Swift are finalists in this category again this year, giving them both the chance to have the most wins in this category should either of them take home the trophy.

TOP MALE ARTIST
Justin Bieber and Drake are tied for most wins (2) in this category after Drake took home his second trophy in 2019. He is a finalist again this year, giving him the chance to surpass Bieber.

TOP FEMALE ARTIST
Taylor Swift leads with 3 wins in this category. Taylor is up for the award again this year and will become the most decorated Top Female Artist with 4 wins in this category should she take home the trophy. Ariana Grande took home her first Top Female Artist trophy in 2019 and is a finalist again this year, along with Billie Eilish, who took home the trophy in 2020. If either of them win, they would tie with Adele with 2 awards in this category.

TOP DUO OR GROUP
One Direction holds the record for most wins in this category (3), followed by Imagine Dragons (2). BTS won this category for the first time in 2019 and they are finalists again this year. They would tie with Imagine Dragons with 2 wins for Top Duo or Group should they win. Dan + Shay, Maroon 5, AC/DC and AJR are also finalists this year and could be first-time winners in this category should any take home the trophy. 

TOP R&B ARTIST
R. Kelly has the most wins (4) for Top R&B Artist. He won the category in 1994, 1996, 1999 and 2001. Usher follows with 3 wins in 1998, 2004 and most recently in 2011. This year, Jhené Aiko, Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, Doja Cat and The Weeknd are finalists in this category.

TOP RAP ARTIST
Drake took home this award in 2016, 2017, and leads for most wins in this category with 3, after his 2019 win. Eminem and protégé 50 Cent are tied in this category with 2 wins each. Eminem won Top Rap Artist in 2011 and 2014, while 50 Cent won the award twice, years before his mentor, in 2003 and 2005. This year, Drake is up for the award again and could take home his 4th trophy in this category should he win. It could be the first win in this category for finalists DaBaby, Juice WRLD, Lil Baby and Pop Smoke.

TOP COUNTRY ARTIST
Garth Brooks has won this award three times in 1991, 1993 and 1998. Luke Combs became a first time Top Country Artist winner after taking home the trophy in 2019, and then again in 2020. He is a finalist again this year, giving him the chance to tie with Brooks for most wins in this category.

TOP ROCK ARTIST
twenty one pilots and Imagine Dragons were tied for the most wins with 2 each, but the latter became the record holder for most wins in this category after their 2019 win. This year, twenty one pilots have the chance to tie again should they win. AC/DC, AJR, Five Finger Death Punch and Machine Gun Kelly are also up for the award this year.

TOP LATIN ARTIST
Ozuna and Romeo Santos are currently tied with 2 wins each. Romeo Santos previously won Top Latin Artist back-to-back in 2015 and 2016. Ozuna took home the award for Top Latin Artist in 2018 and again in 2019. He is a finalist again this year, after having lost to Bad Bunny in 2020, and could claim the record for most wins in this category should he win.

TOP CHRISTIAN ARTIST
LaurenDaigle is currently the Top Christian Artist with the most wins of all time with 3 in this category after taking home the trophy in 2020. Up for the award this year are Casting Crowns, Elevation Worship, for KING & COUNTRY, Carrie Underwood and Zach Williams.

TOP GOSPEL ARTIST
Kirk Franklin and Tasha Cobbs Leonard are tied with 2 wins each in this category. Franklin won in 2016 and 2017, while Cobbs Leonard won in 2018 and 2019. Kanye West became a first time winner in this category in 2020. Franklin, Cobbs Leonard and West are all finalists again this year, giving West the chance to tie for most wins of all time. They are up against Koryn Hawthorne and Maverick City Music.

TOP DANCE/ELECTRONIC ARTIST
The Chainsmokers held on to their record for most wins in this category. The duo took home their fourth award and broke their own record after their 2020 win. They are finalists again this year and could win a fifth trophy. Other finalists in this category are Kygo, Lady Gaga, Marshmello and Surf Mesa.


TOP BBMA WINNERS OF ALL TIME (1990–2020):

1. Drake – 27 wins total; Top Rap Artist (2016); Top Artist (2017); Top Billboard 200 Artist (2017); Top Billboard 200 Album (2017); Top Rap Artist (2017); Top Male Artist (2017); Top Rap Album (2017); Top Hot 100 Artist (2017); Top Song Sales Artist (2017); Top Streaming Songs Artist (2017); Top Rap Tour (2017); Top Streaming Song [Audio] (2017); Top R&B Song (2017), Top R&B Collaboration (2017); Top Billboard 200 Artist (2018), Top Artist (2019), Top Male Artist (2019), Top Billboard 200 Artist (2019), Top Hot 100 Artist (2019), Top Streaming Songs Artist (2019), Top Song Sales Artist (2019), Top Radio Songs Artist (2019), Top Rap Artist (2019), Top Rap Male Artist (2019), Top Billboard 200 Album (2019), Top Rap Album (2019), Top Streaming Song (Video) (2019)

2. Taylor Swift – 23 wins total; Top Billboard 200 Artist (2011); Top Country Artist (2011); Top Country Album (2011); Woman of the Year (2012); Top Artist (2013); Top Female Artist (2013); Top Billboard 200 Artist (2013); Top Digital Songs Artist (2013); Top Country Artist (2013); Top Billboard 200 Album (2013); Top Country Album (2013); Top Country Song (2013); Top Artist (2015); Top Female Artist (2015); Top Billboard 200 Artist (2015); Top Hot 100 Artist (2015); Top Digital Songs Artist (2015); Top Billboard 200 Album (2015); Top Streaming Song [Video] (2015); Billboard Chart Achievement Award (2015); Top Touring Artist (2016); Top Female Artist (2018); Top Selling Album (2018)

3. Justin Bieber – 21 wins total; Top New Artist (2011); Top Social Artist (2011); Top Streaming Artist (2011); Top Digital Artist (2011); Top Pop Album (2011); Top Streaming Song, [Video] (2011); Billboard.com Fan Favorite Award (2011); Top Social Artist (2012); Milestone Award (2013); Top Male Artist (2013); Top Social Artist (2013); Top Social Artist (2014); Top Social Artist (2015); Top Male Artist (2016); Top Social Media Artist (2016); Top Hot 100 Song (2018); Top Streaming Song [Video] (2018); Top Selling Song (2018); Top Collaboration (2018); Top Latin Song (2018); Top Country Song (2020)

4. Garth Brooks – 20 wins total; #1 Albums Artist (1991); #1 Country Album (1991); #1 Country Singles Artists (1991); #1 Country Artist (1991); #1 Country Albums Artist (1991); # 1 Pop Artist (1992); #1 Country Artist (1993); #1 Pop Artist (1993); #1 Country Singles Artist (1993); #1 Country Albums Artist (1993); Country Album of the Year (1995); Artist Achievement Award (1997); Country Artist of the Year (1998); Country Album of the Year (1998); Male Album of the Year (1998); Male Albums Artist of the Year (1998); Country Singles Artist of the Year (1998); Country Albums Artist of the Year (1998); Male Artist of the Decade (1999); ICON Award (2020)

5. Adele – 18 wins total; Top Billboard 200 Album (2012); Top Pop Album (2012); Top Artist (2012); Top Female Artist (2012); Top Billboard 200 Artist (2012); Top Hot 100 Artist (2012); Top Digital Songs Artist (2012); Top Radio Songs Artist (2012); Top Digital Media Artist (2012); Top Pop Artist (2012); Top Streaming Song [Audio] (2012); Top Alternative Song (2012); Top Pop Album (2013); Top Artist (2016); Top Female Artist (2016); Top Billboard 200 Artist (2016); Top Billboard 200 Album (2016); Top Selling Song (2016)

Usher – 18 wins total; Artist of the Year (1998); R&B Artist of the Year (1998); Hot 100 Singles Artist of the Year (1998); Artist of the Year (2004); R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year (2004); Hot 100 Artist of the Year (2004); Hot 100 Single of the Year (2004); Mainstream Top 40 Artist of the Year (2004); Mainstream Top 40 Single of the Year (2004); Billboard 200 Album of the Year (2004); R&B/Hip-Hop Album of the Year (2004); R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Artist of the Year (2004); Billboard 200 Artist of the Year (2004); Hot 100 Airplay Single of the Year (2004); Rap Song of the Year (2005); Top R&B Artist (2011); Top R&B Song (2011); Top R&B Album (2011)

6. Whitney Houston – 16 wins total; #1 R&B Singles Artist (1991); #1 R&B Albums Artist (1991); #1 R&B Artist (1991); #1 R&B Album (1991); #1 Hot 100 Singles Artist (1993); #1 Hot 100 Single (1993); Single With Most Weeks at #1 (1993); #1 R&B Single (1993); #1 R&B Singles Artist (1993); #1 R&B Album (1993); #1 World Artist (1993); #1 World Single (1993); #1 Album (1993); #1 Soundtrack Album (1993); #1 Album With Most Weeks at No. 1 (1993); Billboard Millennium Award (2012)

7. Mariah Carey – 15 wins total; #1 Hot 100 Singles Artist (1991); #1 Album (1991); #1 Adult Contemporary Artist (1991); #1 Pop Artist (1991); #1 Female Artist (1994); Special Hot 100 Singles Award – Most Weeks at No. 1 on The Billboard Hot 100 (1996); Hot 100 Singles Artist of the Year (1996); Special Billboard Hot 100 Award for the most No.1s ever by a female artist (1998); Female Artist of the Decade (1999); Hot 100 Song of the Year (2005); Hot 100 Airplay of the Year (2005); Female R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year (2005); Female Billboard 200 Album Artist of the Year (2005); Rhythmic Top 40 Title of the Year (2005), ICON Award (2019)

8. Beyoncé – 13 wins total; Hot 100 Female Artist of the Year (2003); New R&B Artist of the Year (2003); New Female Artist of the Year (2003); Special Hot 100 Award for Most Weeks at No. 1 (2003); Billboard Millennium Award (2011); Top R&B Album (2012); Top Female Artist (2017); Top Touring Artist (2017); Top R&B Artist (2017); Top R&B Tour (2017); Top R&B Album (2017), Top R&B Tour (2019), Top Rap Tour (2019)

9. R. Kelly – 12 wins total; #1 R&B Artist (1994); R&B Artist of the Year (1996); R&B Artist of the Year (1999); R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year (2001); R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Artist of the Year (2001); R&B/Hip-Hop Album of the Year (2001); R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Artist of the Year (2001); R&B/Hip-Hop Single of the Year (2001); Hot 100 Producer of the Year (2003); R&B Producer of the Year (2003); Hot 100 Songwriter of the Year (2003); R&B Songwriter of the Year (2003)

Rihanna – 12 wins total; Female Artist of the Year (2006); Female Hot 100 Artist of the Year (2006); Pop 100 Artist of the Year (2006); Top Female Artist (2011); Top Radio Songs Artist (2011); Top Rap Song (2011); Top Streaming Artist (2012); Top Radio Songs Artist (2013); Top R&B Artist (2013); Top R&B Album (2013); Top R&B Song (2013); Billboard Chart Achievement Award (2016)

10. Janet Jackson – 11 wins total; #1 Hot 100 Singles Artist (1990); #1 R&B Artist (1990); #1 R&B Singles Artist (1990); #1 R&B Albums Artist (1990); #1 Dance Club Play Artist (1990); #1 Hot Dance 12-inch Singles Sales Artist (1990); #1 R&B Album (1990); #1 Pop Album (1990); Artist Achievement Award (1995); Artist Achievement Award (2001); ICON Award (2018)

Carrie Underwood – 11 wins total; Country Single Sales Artist of the Year (2005), Top-Selling Country Single of the Year (2005), Top-Selling Hot 100 Song of the Year (2005), Album of the Year (2006), Country Album of the Year (2006), Female Billboard 200 Albums Artist of the Year (2006), Female Country Artist of the Year (2006), New Country Artist of the Year (2006), Milestone Award (2014), Top Christian Song (2015), Top Country Female Artist (2019)

11. 50 Cent – 10 wins total; Artist of the Year (2003); R&B Artist of the Year (2003); Rap Artist of the Year (2003); Ringtone of the Year (2004); Album of the Year (2005); Artist of the Year (2005); Hot 100 Artist of the Year (2005); R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year (2005), Rap Artist of the Year (2005); Ringtone of the Year (2005);

Destiny’s Child – 10 wins total; Artist of the Year (2000); Duo/Group of the Year (2000); Hot 100 Singles Artist of the Year (2000); Hot 100 Singles Duo or Group of the Year (2000); Artist of the Year (2001); Artist of the Year – Duo/Group (2001); Hot 100 Singles Artist of the Year (2001); Soundtrack Single of the Year (2001); Artist Achievement Award (2004); R&B/Hip-Hop Group of the Year (2005)

Eminem – 10 wins total; Album of the Year (2002); R&B/Hip-Hop Album of the Year (2002); Top Artist (2011); Top Billboard 200 Album (2011); Top Male Artist (2011); Top Rap Album (2011); Top Rap Artist (2011); Top Rap Song (2011); Top Rap Album (2014); Top Rap Artist (2014)

Mary J. Blige – 10 wins total; R&B Album of the Year (1995); Female R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year (2006); Hot 100 Airplay Song of the Year (2006); R&B Albums Artist of the Year (2006); R&B/Hip-Hop Album of the Year (2006); R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year (2006); R&B/Hip-Hop Song Airplay of the Year (2006); R&B/Hip-Hop Song of the Year (2006); R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Artist of the Year (2006); Videoclip of the Year (2006)

May 4, 2021 UPDATE: P!nk will receive the distinguished ICON Award at the “2021 Billboard Music Awards” (BBMAs). The three-time BBMA winner, who joins only nine other artists to ever receive the honor, will also take the stage for a spectacular performance.

May 11, 2011 UPDATE: Drake will receive the prestigious Artist of the Decade Award at the “2021 Billboard Music Awards” (BBMAs). 

2021 Tribeca Film Festival: TV and Now programming announced

April 29, 2021

Tribeca Film Festival - white logo
 

The following is a press release from the Tribeca Film Festival:

The 2021 Tribeca Festival, presented by AT&T, will debut a robust lineup of exciting new and returning TV series, new indie episodic storytelling, and an industry-facing Creators Market. The 20th anniversary celebration will take place city-wide June 9-20 and will be the first major film festival to host in person events.

After a year of couchsurfing, the Tribeca Festival will be an opportunity for people to toss their comfy sweatpants to the side and experience television programming on the big screen with their friends. The Tribeca TV lineup will include nine shows made up of six series premieres, one season premiere, two docuseries, and panel appearances including Christian Slater, Joshua Jackson, Jasmine Cephas Jones, and Helen Hunt.

The Tribeca Festival will feature, for the first time ever, a historic performance by rock icons, KISS. The event will open the Tribeca TV section with a special larger-than-life concert following the screening of A&E Biography: KISStory.

“When we launched Tribeca TV five years ago, we created space within the film festival to recognize the incredible, boundary-pushing work being done by filmmakers in the episodic format as official festival selections,” said Cara Cusumano, Festival Director and VP of Programming. “In a year defined by at-home entertainment, we are proud to continue that tradition with an exciting Tribeca TV lineup of new series from today’s top storytellers and unique new voices.”

“We are thrilled to be back in person and presenting a specially curated selection of indie series at this year’s Festival,” said Liza Domnitz, Senior Programmer. “Eclectic, funny and wistful, these never-before-seen stories offer a peek at life throughout the decades of adulthood—from the flush of newfound independence in your 20s, all the way to the well-earned confidence that comes with living in your 80s. We can’t wait to introduce these one of a kind characters to the world.”

The Tribeca TV lineup includes an exciting array of world premieres including the highly anticipated Annie Murphy-led AMC series, Kevin Can F**K Himself, Peacock’s Dr. Death, and STARZ’s Blindspotting. Tina Fey leads a conversation with longtime partners, Robert Carlock, Meredith Scardino and Jeff Richmond, digging into the intricacies of consistently creating hilarious, poignant and whip-smart storytelling. In addition, Tribeca, which was founded in the aftermath of September 11th, is proud to announce the world premiere screening of National Geographic TV’s documentary series, 9/11, executive produced by Academy Award®-winning filmmakers, Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin, and in partnership with the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

Tribeca NOW discovers and celebrates independent episodic work, including short and long form pilots and series. The NOW section will showcase four indie pilots from creators telling original, smart, and contemporary stories. Since 2014, Tribeca has led the way in the festival world in recognizing the most exciting, emerging creators working in the episodic space, premiering ground-breaking projects such as High Maintenance (Katja Blichfeld and Ben Sinclair), Hello Cupid (Lena Waithe, Ashley Blaine Featherson, Numa Perrier, Dennis Dortch), The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo (Brian Jordan Alvarez), Dinette (Shaina Feinberg) and Kiss of the Rabbit God (Andrew Thomas Huang), among many others.

The Tribeca Creators Market is a one-of-a-kind, private industry pitch market for select emerging creators within the feature, episodic, immersive, games and podcast space to discuss their newest projects with a diverse array of companies and influential industry leaders. The Creators Market exists as another pillar of Tribeca’s commitment to supporting filmmakers in all stages of their careers, providing a curated group of intriguing talent and projects for industry to discover. The Creators Market will take place virtually, June 15th and 16th, 2021.

The 2020 Tribeca Pilot Season Program and NOW selections will be screened at the 2021 Festival and include 5 pilots and 10 NOW projects.

2021 Tribeca TV Selections:

Helen Hunt and Jasmine Cephas Jones in “Blindspotting” (Photo courtesy of Starz Entertainment)

9/11: One Day in America (National Geographic) – World Premiere
Executive Producer: David Glover
Emmy®-winning 72 Films (Inside North Korea’s Dynasty) and Academy Award®-winning executive producers Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin (Undefeated and LA 92) came together to produce a documentary series marking 20 years since the attacks of 9/11. Made in official collaboration with the 9/11 Memorial & Museum..

Blindspotting (Starz) – World Premiere
Executive Producers: Rafael Casal, Daveed Diggs, Jess Wu Calder, Keith Calder, Ken Lee, Emily Gerson Saines, Tim Palen, Seith Mann
Cast: Jasmine Cephas Jones, Benjamin Turner, Candace Nicholas-Lippman, Atticus Woodward, Jaylen Barron, Helen Hunt, Rafael Casal
As Ashley (Jasmine Cephas Jones) is ready to ring in the new year with Miles (Rafael Casal), she finds him being dragged out of their apartment and into the back of a squad car.
 

After the Screening: A conversation with cast members Rafael CasalJasmine Cephas Jones and Helen Hunt

Biography: KISStory (A&E Network) – World Premiere 
Executive Producers: Leslie Greif, Jenny Daly, Elaine Frontain Bryant, Brad Abramson
Cast: Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, Peter Criss, Dave Grohl, Tom Morello, Doc McGhee, Eddie Kramer, Bob Ezrin, Matt Pinfield, Tommy Thayer, Eric Singer
After 50 years, the No. 1 Gold Record-selling band of all time, KISS, is sharing their story of success in this definitive documentary. Founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons tell the wild story of the band’s iconic rise to superstardom before smashing their last guitar and extinguishing the fire-breathing demon

After the Screening: A special performance by KISS.

David Makes Man (Oprah Winfrey Network) – Season 2 World Premiere 
Executive Producers: Dee Harris-Lawrence, Tarell McCraney, Michael B. Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, John Strauss
Cast: Kwame Patterson, Arlen Escarpeta, Akili McDowell, Cayden Williams, Alana Arenas, Travis Coles
David (Kwame Patterson and Akili McDowell) is in his 30s, a rising businessman facing an opportunity that will change him and his community forever.

After the Screening: A conversation with series creator and executive producer, Tarell McCraney, and showrunner, Dee Harris-Lawrence.

Dr. Death (Peacock) – World Premiere 
Executive Producer: Patrick Macmanus
Cast: Joshua Jackson, Grace Gummer, AnnaSophia Robb, Christian Slater, Alec Baldwin 
Dr. Death is based on Wondery’s hit podcast detailing the terrifying true story of Dr. Christopher Duntsch (Joshua Jackson), a rising star in the Dallas medical community. Young, charismatic and ostensibly brilliant, Dr. Duntsch was building a flourishing neurosurgery practice when everything suddenly changed. As victims piled up, two fellow physicians, neurosurgeon Robert Henderson (Alec Baldwin) and vascular surgeon Randall Kirby (Christian Slater), as well as Dallas prosecutor Michelle Shughart (AnnaSophia Robb), set out to stop him.

After the Screening: A conversation with cast members Joshua JacksonChristian Slater and Grace Gummer, executive producer/writer/showrunner Patrick Macmanus and director Maggie Kiley.

Kevin Can F**K Himself (AMC) – World Premiere 
Executive Producers: Valerie Armstrong, Craig DiGregorio, Rashida Jones, Will McCormack
Cast: Annie Murphy, Mary Hollis Inboden, Eric Petersen, Alex Bonifer, Brian Howe, Raymond Lee 
Kevin Can F**K Himself probes the secret life of the sitcom wife (Annie Murphy). Alternating between single-camera realism and multi-camera comedy, the formats inform one another as the audience imagines what happens when she escapes her confines and takes the lead in her own life.

Monsters At Work & The Mysterious Benedict Society (Disney +) // Family Double Feature Screening

Monsters At Work – World Premiere
Executive Producer: Roberts “Bobs” Gannaway
Cast: Ben Feldman, Mindy Kaling, Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Henry Winkler, Lucas Neff, Alanna Ubach
Monsters At Work tells the story of Tylor Tuskmon (Ben Feldman) and his dream to become a Jokester, as well as his misadventures with MIFT, the crew that keeps Monsters, Inc. running.

The Mysterious Benedict Society – World Premiere
Executive Producers: Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi, Todd Slavkin, Darren Swimmer, Jaime Tarses, Karen Kehela Sherwood, Deepak Nayar, James Bobin 
Cast: Tony Hale, Kristen Schaal, MaameYaa Boafo, Ryan Hurst , Gia Sandhu, Mystic Inscho, Seth B. Carr, Emmy DeOliveira, Marta Kessler

Placed undercover at a boarding school, a group of orphans must foil a nefarious plot with global ramifications while creating a new sort of family along the way.

Reservation Dogs (FX) – World Premiere 
Executive Producer: Sterlin Harjo, Taika Waititi, Garrett Basch
Cast: D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Devery Jacobs, Paulina Alexis, Lane Factor
One year after the death of their friend, four Native teens commit crimes to fund their efforts to leave their home in rural Oklahoma.

After the Screening: A conversation with Executive Producer Sterlin Harjo and select cast members

A Conversation with Tina Fey, Robert Carlock, Meredith Scardino and Jeff Richmond
Woven within the framework of such massively popular series like Unbreakable Kimmy SchmidtMr. Mayor and the soon to debut, Girls5eva, exists a writing, composing, producing and directing collaboration that has proven itself to be consistently brilliant. Join us for a conversation with longtime collaborators Tina Fey, Robert Carlock, Meredith Scardino and Jeff Richmond as they dig into the intricacies of creating year after year of hilarious, poignant and whip-smart storytelling replete with some of the most memorable TV characters of the past 2 decades.

2021 NOW Showcase

Steve Zahn and Rick Gomez in “An Uncandid Portrait” (Photo by Jennifer Tuell)

An Uncandid Portrait, created by Rick Gomez, Steve Zahn (United States) – Episodes 1 & 2 (World Premiere)
An Uncandid Portrait is a series of fabricated documentaries that follow the lives of fictional artists.  Just because it’s made up doesn’t mean there isn’t some truth to it. With Steve Zahn and Rosemarie Dewitt.

Rick Gomez is an actor, writer, and director. He portrayed George Luz in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. He co-wrote, produced, and starred in The Week, and is currently in production on his feature directorial debut, Hot Fruit, starring Steve Zahn and Judy Greer.

Steve Zahn has spent over thirty years working as an actor in Theatre, Film and Television. He was nominated twice for an Independent Spirit Award and won for best supporting actor in Happy Texas

In the Cards, created by Colin Kane Healey (United States) – Episode 1 (World Premiere)
A dark comedy series that follows a notorious psychic scammer on the dirty road she takes to riches—and a spot on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. With Eleanore Pienta, Sherilyn Fenn, Michael Drayer and Catherine Curtin.

Colin Kane Healey is a writer, director, and copywriter. The New York Times called his award-winning feature film Homemakers “a raggedy ode to the DIY ethos.”

if i’m alive next week…, created by Jennifer Morris, Robbie Sublett (United States) – Episodes 1, 2, & 3 (World Premiere)
When a foul-mouthed, 80-year-old grandma gets dumped and booted from her boyfriend’s brownstone, she’s forced to return to the rent-stabilized apartment housing of her broke, ungrateful kids. WIth Joyce Van Patten, Peter Friedman, Jennifer Morris and Robbie Sublett.

Jennifer R. Morris and Robbie Collier Sublett are a writing and directing team based in New York. Their play You Better Sit Down premiered at The Flea Theater. As actors, they’ve appeared both on and off Broadway and in numerous films and TV shows. if i’m alive next week… is their directorial debut.

VIRAL, created by Miles Blim, Camille Casmie, Chloe Howard (United States) –Episodes 1 & 2 (World Premiere)
VIRAL is a nonlinear comedy about memory, identity, and the insidious effects of the algorithm. With Miles Blim and Chloe Howard.

Miles Blim is a Chicago-born, New York-based artist. He recently graduated from Northwestern where he studied theatre. He’s performed in several professional productions and is eager to explore the full range of his artistic interests beginning with VIRAL, his first foray into writing, directing, and screen acting.

Camille Casmier is a director who lives in Brooklyn, NY. Since graduating from Northwestern University’s directing program, she has directed theatre, music videos, promo videos, and shorts. She also works in development at Tiny Reparations.

Chloe Howard is a New York-based actor and artist originally from the California Bay Area. She is a graduate of Northwestern University where she studied theatre, musical theatre, and acting for screen. 

2021 NOW Special Screening

“Incarceration Nations: Global Docuseries”

Incarceration Nations: A Global Docuseries, created by Dr. Baz Dreisinger (World Premiere)
Mass incarceration is a global calamity. From England to El Salvador, Argentina to the USA, Brazil and Lebanon to South Africa and Sierra Leone, its harms and horrors look strikingly similar. INN-TV is the first docuseries to tell this border-crossing story. Narrated entirely by those who have lived incarceration around the world, the ten episodes expose an international crisis while also spotlighting solutions, showcasing the work of the justice partners in the Incarceration Nations Network, from one continent to another.

Dr. Baz Dreisinger is a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, the Executive Director of Incarceration Nations Network (INN) and founder of the Prison-to-College Pipeline program. A Global Fulbright Scholar and Fulbright Specialist, she is the author of Incarceration Nations: A Journey to Justice in Prisons Around the World and Near Black: White-to-Black Passing in American Culture.

Tribeca Creators Market

Kendra Arimoto & Justin Michael Jeffers (Feature Narrative)

Kendra Arimoto is a writer, performer, and mother on a mission to tell powerful stories thematically focused on Japanese American ancestral memory and intergenerational trauma, queer identity, and Otherness. Current projects include feature screenplays “Starshine and Clay” and “Before I Disappear”; and short “Pachuke”.

Justin Michael Jeffers is a multimedia visual artist from Seattle currently paving his own lane as a freelance Director/DP. Drawing inspiration from 90’s street art, hip hop, and social activism, Justin brings his visions to reality by growing, learning, and gaining new experiences. 

Sabrina Barca (Narrative Series)

Finding the absurdity in everyday life, Sabrina Barca created a web series inspired by highly relatable situations that highlight the tragic comedy behind a typical day. She is an Argentinian, NY-based multidisciplinary content creator, and has worked in media for 10 years. She engages audiences through honest, innovative storytelling.

Tessa Bartholomew & Christina Kinsleigh Licud (Fiction Podcast)

Tessa Bartholomew is a Filipino-American Producer, Writer, Actor, and Horror Film Fanatic living in her hometown of LA. Currently appearing in commercials for Sony and Disney+, she’s ecstatic to be a part of projects that highlight Women and People of Color, from behind and in front of the camera.

Christina Kingsleigh Licud is a Filipino-American filmmaker. She earned her MFA in Screenwriting from American Film Institute and won its Writers’ Room Ready and William J. Fadiman Awards. An alum of the PGA Power of Diversity Master Workshop, she uses horror and dramedy to explore issues like cultural identity.

Heidi Burkey & Julie Hook (Documentary Feature)

Based in Los Angeles, Heidi Burkey is a documentary filmmaker committed to elevating stories that explore social, political and environmental issues through the lens of the human experience. Her work has been distributed on Netflix, Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, Fusion TV, and DirectTV.

Julie Hook began her career in Austin, TX working on notable feature films such as Jeff Nichols’ Midnight Special and Oscar-nominated, Loving, as well as Terrence Malick’s IMAX documentary Voyage of Time. Julie recently produced My Love, a Netflix documentary series on love & companionship in six different countries.

Jordan Crafton (Fiction Podcast)

Jordan Crafton is a 33-year-old award winning filmmaker. His work has been featured in: Huffington Post, CNN, USA Today, and Billboard Magazine. He has also performed multiple production roles for movies and television shows such as Kevin Hart’s What Now?, MTV’s WildNOut, Nickelodeon’s TeenNick Top 10, and many more.

Anaïs Dupuis, Cécile C. Simon & Anaïs Carayon (Nonfiction Podcast)

Anaïs Dupuis loves telling stories on both a social and a professional level. She started her career in the movie industry in France and Germany where she had the opportunity to work on fictions and documentaries. She also has been selected at the Berlin Festival Talent Campus, and was a recipient of the Nipkow Programm grant.

Cécile C. Simon is a photographer and a director based in Paris. Her work has been exhibited and published in various books and magazines. She’s been running a creative studio with Céline Barrère for 10 years now. They commit to a large scope of commissioned work : portraits, music videos, editorials, fashion films and advertisement.

Anaïs Carayon started her career as a journalist in a Parisian hip hop magazine. A few years later, she founded her own magazine, Brain. She also wrote several books (La Chose revue pop-porn, Lolchats, Nos commerçants ont du talent), produced close to 10 podcasts and more than a hundred episodes, and organized many events in Paris.

Alton Glass & Donovan de Boer (Immersive Project)

Alton Glass is a visionary entrepreneur who leads a team of new media gurus who are – tackling contemporary issues through immersive storytelling. Glass is the Co-Creator of TIME’s The March executive produced by Viola Davis. The March is an immersive installation on the 1963 March on Washington in virtual reality.

Donovan de Boer is an award-winning producer, visual artist, an accomplished writer/director, and responsible for the creative development and successful launch of a wide variety of multi-million dollar entertainment, hospitality, film and television marketing campaigns. He holds over 20 years of experience in project development, creative direction, film marketing, branding, and high performance visual communications.

Steye Hallema (Immersive Project)

As the son of a magician, Steye Hallema too tries to create magic and wonder. He loves to use immersive technologies for their ability to make the audience part of the magic. Like for example with The Smartphone Orchestra: A platform for group experiences using the smartphones of the audience members themselves.

Vanna James (Narrative Series)

Vanna James graduated from Clark Atlanta University where her talents took her to Los Angeles. In a pursuit to change the culture through storytelling, Vanna invested in her creativity and began producing original content. Vanna vows to create media that illuminates all facets of black culture.

Yuqi Kang, Dana Kalmey & Ina Fichman (Documentary Feature)

Yuqi Kang was born in Inner Mongolia, China. Growing up as an ethnic minority in China, art became the medium through which Yuqi began to confront and begin to articulate her lived experience. She is an alumnus of Tribeca institute, Hotdocs Crosscurrent, and TIFF Talents.

Dana Kalmey is a filmmaker, Impact Partners Producing Fellow, and former architect and college soccer coach. Her films include the award-winning Trapped (2016), Well Groomed (2019), (Dis)Honesty: The Truth About Lies (2015), and E-Team (2014). She currently directs sports documentaries, while producing 7 Beats Per Minute.

Ina Fichman has been producing award-winning documentary and fiction films, and interactive projects. In 2018, Ina was the recipient of the Don Haig Award from Hotdocs. She is currently chair of the national board of the Documentary Association of Canada and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Sergio Karmy & Jaime Villarreal (Documentary Series)

Sergio Karmy (MBA) is an executive producer of original content at Blackstar. Developing TV and films from Chile with a worldwide perspective, Sergio is focused on projects that have a strong social impact and can position Chile as a hub for amazing stories that can change the world.

Jaime Villarreal is a Chilean journalist and filmmaker. He is the CEO of Blackstar, a production company that specializes in producing entertainment content throughout Latin America. Blackstar is based in Santiago, Ciudad de Mexico and Los Angeles, producing a catalogue of more than 15 projects, in different stages of development for different platforms.

Jalena Keane-Lee & Amber Espinosa-Jones (Documentary Feature)

Jalena Keane-Lee is a filmmaker who explores intergenerational trauma and healing through an intersectional lens. Jalena is the director of Standing Above the Clouds which follows Native Hawaiian mother daughter activists and has been supported by Pacific Islanders in Communication, Nia Tero, CNN Films, and Points North Institute.

Amber Espinosa-Jones is an independent producer and racial equity strategist from Oakland, CA. She currently serves as Manager of the Outreach & Inclusion Department at Sundance Institute where she supports artists from underrepresented communities through intersectional fellowships, community programs and network building.

James Kim & Brooke Iskra (Fiction Podcast)

James Kim is a Los Angeles based podcast creator. Previously, he worked on Radiotopia’s StrangersMarketplaceDeadly MannersThe Dinner Party DownloadKPCC, and Gimlet Media. Most recently, he made the fiction show MOONFACE, which landed on the “Best of 2019” lists from Vulture, Spotify, Time Magazine, and The A.V. Club. 

Brooke Iskra is a UCLA grad and Film Industry Professional. With a background in Film Sales, Distribution and Festivals, she has spent the past decade championing Independent Storytelling.

Mari Kussman & Mitchell Hart (Documentary Series)

Mari Kussman(真理) is Japanese/American, by way of Tokyo and the Pacific Northwest. As a designer she has worked in leadership roles for various tech startups, and designed collections shown at NY Fashion Week. Her passion lies in sustainability, and she is currently producing a docuseries, Cycles.

Mitchell Hart has been producing creative work across film, technology and design in a variety of mediums for 15 years. He holds a degree in journalism and when not at work he enjoys the outdoors and composing music.

Alessandra Lacorazza & Daniel Tantalean (Narrative Feature)

Alessandra Lacorazza is a queer Colombian-American writer-director and editor based in Brooklyn. Her work deals with personal and cultural memory, and incorporates themes of migration, alienation, community, and resilience. In 2020 she became a screenwriting fellow with WGA-east and FilmNation, with their support she wrote her next second feature SOLA. 

Daniel Tantalean is a 2020 NALIP Latino Media Market Fellow and Award-Winning Latinx Producer based in Los Angeles. As a producer, he focuses on Latinx and Indigenous filmmakers in narrative and documentary. He has had films shown at Aspen ShortsFest, SFFilm, Hot Docs, and Big Sky Documentary Film Festival.

Olivia Luengas & Odín Acosta Ascencio (Documentary Feature)

Olivia Luengas has worked as DOP in projects such as Maripepa and La Hora de la Siesta. Her debut feature Away from Meaning, which she directed and shot, won the TFI Latin American fund, the support of the Grodman Foundation UDG USA and the Star Prize in the Havana Film Festival in NY.

Odín Acosta Ascencio has collaborated on more than 100 projects as a sound designer, sound editor and mixer. He makes his debut as producer of the documentary film Away from Meaning by Olivia Luengas Magaña, is co-producer of The Blue Years by Sofía Gómez Córdova and co-producer of Tío Yim by Luna Maran.

Veena Rao & Dara Kell (Documentary Series)

Veena Rao is a New York-based filmmaker whose work has screened at festivals worldwide,  been featured in The New York Times Op-Docs, The Atlantic, and Vimeo Staff Picks, and supported by Independent Television Service, NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, and the New York State Council on the Arts. 

Dara Kell  is an award-winning filmmaker and fiction writer. Her documentaries have been broadcast on PBS, TVFrance and Netflix, and screened at film festivals worldwide. She has made films in South Africa, Brazil, Azerbaijan, Egypt, and China, and is currently making a film about Reverend William Barber and poverty in America.

Tisha Robinson-Daly & Jonathan Mason (Narrative Feature)

Tisha Robinson-Daly is an African American filmmaker based in Philadelphia. She is a Sundance and Knight foundation fellow whose work has been supported by the Sundance Institute, Stowe Story Labs, SAGindie and the National Endowment for the Arts. She is also an advocate for telecommunication and broadcast tower climbers.

Jonathan Mason is a French/American filmmaker based in Philadelphia. His work has been supported by the Sundance Institute, IFP, Cinephilia, and Stowe Story Labs. He co-wrote the upcoming Untitled Heist Movie with Braulio Mantovani (City of God), and co-created the series The Order, currently in development at MGM/OrionTV.

Annie Saunders (Immersive Project)

Annie Saunders is a multidisciplinary creator and director of site-specific experiences, and has created award-winning multi-platform projects for major arts institutions including the Public Theater, The Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Broad Stage and Summerhall, as well as site-specific projects in disused spaces set for demolition and experiential campaigns for multinational brands. 

Desiree Staples & Nate Trinrud (Narrative Series)

Desiree Staples is a producer, filmmaker, and actress. Circus Person, produced by Staples, was a Tribeca NOW 2020 showcase selection. Staples’ dramedy pilot It’s What She Would Have Wanted, and comedy pilot The Influencers, that she co-created and produced have together screened at over 25 festivals in the US and Internationally.

Nate Trinrud is a graduate of Northwestern University and USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. His work has been recognized at festivals internationally, including nominations for Berlinale’s Teddy Award and Crystal Bear. Nate most recently worked with Cate Shortland on Black Widow and is currently writing a graphic novel for HMHCo.

Michèle Stephenson, Joe Brewster & Yasmin Elayat (Immersive Project)

Michèle Stephenson pulls from her Panamanian and Haitian roots and international experience as a human rights attorney. She tells compelling, deeply personal stories that are recreated by, for and about communities of color and resonate beyond the margins. Her most recent film, American Promise, was nominated for three Emmys and won the Jury Prize at Sundance.

Joe Brewster is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist who uses his psychological training as the foundation in approaching the social issues he tackles as an artist and filmmaker. Brewster has created stories using installation, narrative, documentary and print mediums that have garnered support from critics and audiences internationally. He is a 2016 Guggenheim Fellow.

Yasmin Elayat is an Emmy-award winning immersive director and Co-Founder at Scatter, an immersive company pioneering Volumetric Filmmaking. Yasmin directed Scatter’s Zero Days VR (Sundance 2017) and is the co-creator of 18DaysInEgypt. Her work has been exhibited at various festivals including Sundance, Tribeca, SIGGRAPH, Festival de Cannes, and the World Economic Forum.

Larin Sullivan, Isabel Marden & Kim Bailey (Narrative Feature)

Larin Sullivan is an LGBT+ filmmaker and founder of Trinket Films. She has written and directed documentaries for Showtime, ABC Australia, campaigns for Samsung and Lexus, and several scripted festival shorts. She graduated from Columbia University with an MFA in Directing. The Young King is her first narrative feature.

Kim Bailey started her career at Paradigm Talent Agency, then as a Creative Executive at e2b Capital, working on films such as Dallas Buyers Club and The Butler. She worked at Fortitude International as Director of Acquisitions and at Tang Media Partners before leaving to form Corporate Witchcraft.

Isabel Marden began her career in Beijing, as a production executive at Bona Film Group. She worked in development at Sony/Columbia before leaving to found Corporate Witchcraft. Corporate Witchcraft’s first feature Clementine premiered at Tribeca and was picked up for distribution by Oscilloscope Laboratories. She is a graduate of USC’s Peter Stark Producing Program.

Denzel Whitaker & John Trefry (Narrative Series)

Since age 10, Denzel Whitaker has widely been known for his on-screen talents, with titles including: The Great DebatersBlack PantherCut Throat CityTraining Day and many more. In 2011, Denzel stepped behind the lens to direct films and music videos; he’s been developing both sides of the camera since.

John Trefry is a filmmaker with extensive narrative and documentary credits and his films have competed at festivals including SXSW, Tribeca, DOC NYC, and dozens more. John has a proven track record marketing and distributing his work, generating tens of millions of views to engage with audiences around the world.

Also participating in the Creators Market are 2021 NOW Showcase indie episodic creators Rick Gomez & Steve Zahn, Jennifer Morris & Robbie Sublett, Miles Blim, Camille Casmie & Chloe Howard, and Colin Kane Healey. Additional participants to be announced.

2020 NOW & Pilot Season Selections

NOW SHOWCASE A: Soul Connection
A collection of sweet and surprising intimacies that culminate in an examination of faith, love, and human connection. (4 Narrative Short/Episodic Projects) 

The Letter Room
Created by Elvira Lind
The Letter Room is a dark prison comedy about the secret life of a correctional officer who gets transferred to a job in the letter room, where a new world suddenly opens to him.

Home
Created by Héctor Silva Núñez & Lu Urdaneta
Home is a drama series spoken in Spanglish, following two young Latina immigrants (Lu Urdaneta, Camila Rodríguez) in a journey of self-discovery as they try to make a new home together in Miami.

Backsliders
Created by Keylee Koop-Sudduth & Micah Sudduth (USA) – Episodes 1, 3 & 6
Blurring the lines between narrative and documentary, Texas filmmakers Keylee Koop-Sudduth (grew up in a megachurch) and Micah Sudduth (born into a Christian cult) deconstruct their evolving beliefs for everyone to see.  

Circus Person
Created by Britt Lower & Alex Knell
Using live action, circus arts, and animated body paint, Circus Person brings whimsy to the drama of building a family when you feel you have none.

NOW SHOWCASE B: Lost & Found

An exploration highlighting human adaptation and nostalgia beside the changing aesthetics of technology. (6 Documentary Short/Episodic Projects) 

Dying Business
Created by Alden Nusser & Ben Fries
Dying Business is a character-driven documentary series about people working in the death industry that sheds light on the working stiffs making a living among the dead.

Awkward Family Photos
Created by Mike Bender & Doug Chernack
The families behind some of the most viral photos from AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com tell their unique stories and recreate their original photos in a hilarious, odd, and heartfelt exploration of the imperfect family experience.

Museum of Fleeting Wonders
Created by Tomas Gomez Bustillo
The Museum of Fleeting Wonders is a curated collection of small moments of magic, from the perspective of the people who witnessed them.

Bobbie Blood
Created by Ava Warbrick
Bobbie Blood is a short documentary series shot on 16mm film chronicling the love life of a newlywed octogenarian couple and the story that brought them together. 

Allumuah
Created by Curtis Essel
Allumuah explores the way the internet enables a lineage of aesthetics passed between African diaspora artists.

The Seeker
Created by Lance Edmands
The Seeker explores a crisis of faith within Maine’s Amish community, the pain and anguish of separating from loved ones, and ways to find solace and spirituality afterwards.

2020 Pilot Season

Unemployable
Executive Producer: Mike Ott, Gregory Dylan Harris
31-year-old Cory lives with his mom. Despite a set of serious life choices facing him, Cory’s main priority is to get a new tattoo sleeve, which he can hardly afford, so he sets out to get a job with the support of his only friend, his tattoo artist Louie.

Magic Hour
Executive Producer: Che Grayson
Bella is a peculiar woman labeled a monster by the man who created her. Trapped in a hotel room, she braves the outside world where she meets Eiko. Will Bella successfully break free from her creator and find her humanity? Or will she fall prey to his deadly prophecy? 

Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps: But What About The Children
Executive Producer: Scott Turner Schofield
While transgender men are rarely visible in the cultural imagination, amid tropes of transition and turmoil, the filmed interpretation of Scott Turner Schofield’s live work of the same name generated 127 pieces of short content (Steps) that deeply explore themes such as childhood, masculinity, love, sex, death, and survival.

Pretty People
Executive Producer: Shelby Blake Bartelstein
Best friends Rachel and Greg have undeniable chemistry, but it’s been simmering and unspoken for the last three years. When Rachel’s casual and unexpected hook-up sparks Greg’s feelings of jealousy, they’ll be forced to say what’s on their minds—the whole FAT truth of it. 

Deceased Ones
Executive Producer: Emily Kron, Kate Hopkins
When two friends, Max and Fiona, get involved in the niche service of role playing the dead, they’re forced to help heal grieving strangers through a surreal game of make believe, while confronting deeply buried emotional traumas arising within themselves.
 

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Passes and Tickets for the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival
Festival passes are on sale now. Tribeca At Home tickets go on sale Monday, May 3 @ 11:00am EST.  Tickets to attend the outdoor in-person screenings / events are available starting Monday, May 10 @11:00am EST. Visit: https://www.tribecafilm.com/festival/tickets

About the Tribeca Festival
The Tribeca Festival, presented by AT&T, brings artists and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, VR, gaming, music, and online work. With strong roots in independent film, Tribeca is a platform for creative expression and immersive entertainment. Tribeca champions emerging and established voices; discovers award-winning filmmakers and creators; curates innovative experiences; and introduces new technology and ideas through premieres, exhibitions, talks, and live performances.

The Festival was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan following the attacks on the World Trade Center. Tribeca will celebrate its 20th year June 9 – 20, 2021. www.tribecafilm.com/festival

In 2019, James Murdoch’s Lupa Systems, a private investment company with locations in New York and Mumbai, bought a majority stake in Tribeca Enterprises, bringing together Rosenthal, De Niro, and Murdoch to grow the enterprise.

About the 2021 Tribeca Festival Partners:
The 2021 Tribeca Festival is presented by AT&T and with the support of our corporate partners: Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Audible, Bloomberg Philanthropies, CHANEL, City National Bank, CNN Films, Diageo, DoorDash, FreshDirect, Hudson Yards, Indeed, Montefiore-Einstein, NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, P&G, PwC, Roku, Spring Studios New York.

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