Various sets of cameras, far different from the national-news ones obsessed only with Black homicide rates, have been rolling in Chicago over the last few years. Prominent efforts include “16 Shots” (2019), about the police murder of Laquan McDonald, and the NatGeo documentary miniseries “City So Real” (2020), which exposed the widespread opposition to Mayor Rahm Emanuel that contrasted with his esteemed national image. These, however, are far from the only attempts to put a present-day spotlight on the race and class issues still at play in the inner workings of one of the nation’s most iconic and notorious cities.
Just as “Unapologetic” (2020) put a lens on the rarely covered Movement for Black Lives in Chicago, protesting institutional complicity in racialized state violence with a focus on two female queer activists at the forefront, Chicago native Kevin Shaw’s “Let the Little Light Shine” amplifies another footnoted protest in the city.
Shaw...
Just as “Unapologetic” (2020) put a lens on the rarely covered Movement for Black Lives in Chicago, protesting institutional complicity in racialized state violence with a focus on two female queer activists at the forefront, Chicago native Kevin Shaw’s “Let the Little Light Shine” amplifies another footnoted protest in the city.
Shaw...
- 12/9/2022
- by Ronda Racha Penrice
- The Wrap
61st Street is not an easy watch — and that’s the point.
The AMC drama, which will debut with two episodes this Sunday at 10/9c, centers on Moses Johnson (played by Doctor Who’s Tosin Cole), a promising Black teen who is wrongfully swept up into Chicago’s infamously corrupt criminal justice system. Courtney B. Vance stars as Franklin Roberts, the defense attorney who takes on Moses’ case, and whose push for change intensifies over the course of the show.
More from TVLineThe Walking Dead Season 11B Finale Recap: Who Didn't Survive the Hour to Do Battle in the Series' Last-Ever Arc?...
The AMC drama, which will debut with two episodes this Sunday at 10/9c, centers on Moses Johnson (played by Doctor Who’s Tosin Cole), a promising Black teen who is wrongfully swept up into Chicago’s infamously corrupt criminal justice system. Courtney B. Vance stars as Franklin Roberts, the defense attorney who takes on Moses’ case, and whose push for change intensifies over the course of the show.
More from TVLineThe Walking Dead Season 11B Finale Recap: Who Didn't Survive the Hour to Do Battle in the Series' Last-Ever Arc?...
- 4/9/2022
- by Keisha Hatchett
- TVLine.com
CNN+ is diving into the Jussie Smollett case in a new documentary that will explore the events leading up to the actor’s conviction for lying to police about a 2019 attack.
“Chicago vs. Jussie Smollett” will be the first of the platform’s new FLASHDoc series, a documentary unit exploring timely and topical pop culture stories. Each documentary will be a standalone. Along with the announcement of project, CNN+ also released a trailer, which you can watch above.
Smollett, who is Black and gay, claimed he was assaulted on the streets of Chicago after making a Subway sandwich run in the early morning hours of Jan. 29, 2019. Earlier this month, he was convicted of lying to police about the attack. However, Smollett has maintained his innocence throughout the three-year ordeal. Though he was sentenced to five months in jail for the conviction, he has already been released pending his appeal.
The...
“Chicago vs. Jussie Smollett” will be the first of the platform’s new FLASHDoc series, a documentary unit exploring timely and topical pop culture stories. Each documentary will be a standalone. Along with the announcement of project, CNN+ also released a trailer, which you can watch above.
Smollett, who is Black and gay, claimed he was assaulted on the streets of Chicago after making a Subway sandwich run in the early morning hours of Jan. 29, 2019. Earlier this month, he was convicted of lying to police about the attack. However, Smollett has maintained his innocence throughout the three-year ordeal. Though he was sentenced to five months in jail for the conviction, he has already been released pending his appeal.
The...
- 3/31/2022
- by Katie Campione
- The Wrap
The act of making an observational documentary is built on hope. Or at least, on the slightly reckless faith that once the cameras are rolling, patterns and arcs will duly emerge, coalescing into insightful, manageable storylines that can with luck be shaped to deliver an uptick of optimism. Joshua Altman and Bing Liu’s “All These Sons” certainly starts off in that vein, introducing us to its cast of characters — all men from Chicago’s South and West sides, involved in one of two programs addressing the scourge of gun and gang violence in the city — with the familiar energy of the urban social issues doc, promising illumination, hard-won wisdom, maybe even inspiration. Then the ambivalence of real life starts to tarnish that shiny promise, and “All These Sons” becomes a far more interesting, far less simple film.
The two programs targeting local at-risk youth are both loosely faith-based: the...
The two programs targeting local at-risk youth are both loosely faith-based: the...
- 3/29/2022
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
Even though Jackson James had worked on some of his father’s documentaries in the past, getting to serve as co-director of photography with him on “City So Real,” became a really special experience. “It was really the first time where it felt like it was more of like a collaboration and we were kind of able to bounce ideas back and forth and I was kind of involved from the beginning,” James tells us in our recent webchat (watch the video above). James found that the biggest lesson he learned from the experience was what was most important in chronicling a film’s subjects. “The biggest thing that I took away from working with him was how much his films and a lot of documentaries are just about relationships; really strong relationships with your subjects.”
“City So Real,” which is currently available to stream on Hulu, is the latest...
“City So Real,” which is currently available to stream on Hulu, is the latest...
- 8/23/2021
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
When the filming of “City So Real” was completed, Steve James had a lot of material to sort through to construct the eventual docuseries. “All together, we probably shot for about a year and we certainly shot over 400 hours of material,” James tells Gold Derby in our Meet the Experts: Documentary and Nonfiction panel (watch the exclusive video interview above). Other than focusing on the mayoral race in Chicago and the trial for the police officer who murdered Laquan McDonald, James didn’t want to have too firm idea of what the project would be. The point, he says, “was really to embrace the uncertainty and the serendipitousness of capturing the city at this time.”
“City So Real” premiered on National Geographic Channel back in October and can now be streamed on Hulu. It chronicles the chaotic race for mayor of Chicago in 2019, which saw 14 candidates attempt to succeed outgoing...
“City So Real” premiered on National Geographic Channel back in October and can now be streamed on Hulu. It chronicles the chaotic race for mayor of Chicago in 2019, which saw 14 candidates attempt to succeed outgoing...
- 8/10/2021
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
A top contender for the Primetime Emmy for Best Documentary or Nonfiction Series this year is “City So Real,” “Hoop Dreams” and “Abacus: Small Enough to Jail” filmmaker Steve James’ exploration of the 2019 mayoral race in Chicago. Below and exclusive to IndieWire, check out a conversation with Steve James as moderated by filmmaker Judd Apatow, who’s currently putting the finishing touches on his upcoming Netflix comedy film “The Bubble.”
In the five-part documentary series “City So Real,” Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Steve James delivers a complex portrait of Chicago, America’s third-largest metropolis and his longtime hometown. The series begins in the middle of summer 2018, as Mayor Rahm Emanuel, caught up in accusations of a cover-up related to the police shooting of a Black teenager, Laquan McDonald, stuns the city by announcing he won’t be seeking reelection.
Following the announcement, an unprecedented 21 candidates crowd the field, engaging in a...
In the five-part documentary series “City So Real,” Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Steve James delivers a complex portrait of Chicago, America’s third-largest metropolis and his longtime hometown. The series begins in the middle of summer 2018, as Mayor Rahm Emanuel, caught up in accusations of a cover-up related to the police shooting of a Black teenager, Laquan McDonald, stuns the city by announcing he won’t be seeking reelection.
Following the announcement, an unprecedented 21 candidates crowd the field, engaging in a...
- 6/27/2021
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
The president of the United States has nominated an old friend with a track record of cruelty to an ambassadorship. Unfortunately, we’re no longer talking about Trump.
President Biden will announce later this month that he is nominating Rahm Emanuel to be the new U.S. ambassador to Japan, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. The news isn’t surprising. It became clear soon after Biden took office that he was gearing up to give the former Obama chief of staff a marquee ambassadorship. It now looks like he...
President Biden will announce later this month that he is nominating Rahm Emanuel to be the new U.S. ambassador to Japan, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. The news isn’t surprising. It became clear soon after Biden took office that he was gearing up to give the former Obama chief of staff a marquee ambassadorship. It now looks like he...
- 5/11/2021
- by Ryan Bort
- Rollingstone.com
The city of Chicago does not lack for challenges — among them, an alarmingly high murder rate, longstanding racial divisions and a fractious relationship between police and minorities. That didn’t stop a record number of candidates from running for mayor in 2019, including, for a time, incumbent Rahm Emanuel.
The National Geographic documentary series City So Real, directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Steve James, explores that pivotal race, which came in the wake of the police shooting of Black teenager Laquan McDonald in 2014. Facing intense criticism over his handling of the McDonald case, Emanuel suddenly bailed on seeking a third term, and more than 20 contenders competed to succeed him.
“While we were following the mayoral election and the candidates, like Amara [Enyia],” James said during Deadline’s Contenders Television: Documentary + Unscripted event. “We were also just trying to put our finger on the pulse of the people that live in the city as well.
The National Geographic documentary series City So Real, directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Steve James, explores that pivotal race, which came in the wake of the police shooting of Black teenager Laquan McDonald in 2014. Facing intense criticism over his handling of the McDonald case, Emanuel suddenly bailed on seeking a third term, and more than 20 contenders competed to succeed him.
“While we were following the mayoral election and the candidates, like Amara [Enyia],” James said during Deadline’s Contenders Television: Documentary + Unscripted event. “We were also just trying to put our finger on the pulse of the people that live in the city as well.
- 5/1/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
The killings of two young Black people in Chicago unleashed a wave of fury captured by film-maker Ashley O’Shay, whose stirring documentary Unapologetic follows two women as they rise to the challenge of leading protest
In the month that both Judas and the Black Messiah and The Trial of the Chicago 7 have racked up multiple Oscar nominations, it’s another film, one well outside the Hollywood awards circuit, that’s bringing us up to date on the struggle for Black liberation. Unapologetic is an independently made documentary, following two young activists during four of the most tumultuous years in recent Chicago politics, as community anger mounted over the fatal police shootings of 22-year-old Rekia Boyd and 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. Director Ashley O’Shay was herself just 22 and fresh out of film school when she moved to the city and began filming: “Like, if you were in Chicago in the...
In the month that both Judas and the Black Messiah and The Trial of the Chicago 7 have racked up multiple Oscar nominations, it’s another film, one well outside the Hollywood awards circuit, that’s bringing us up to date on the struggle for Black liberation. Unapologetic is an independently made documentary, following two young activists during four of the most tumultuous years in recent Chicago politics, as community anger mounted over the fatal police shootings of 22-year-old Rekia Boyd and 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. Director Ashley O’Shay was herself just 22 and fresh out of film school when she moved to the city and began filming: “Like, if you were in Chicago in the...
- 3/24/2021
- by Ellen E Jones
- The Guardian - Film News
On the day of the 2019 Chicago mayoral election, candidate Neal Sáles-Griffin went to a polling place first thing in the morning to cast a vote for himself, a celebratory moment he’d worked towards for months. Instead, the digital machine immediately failed. He had to wait as the harried volunteers rebooted it, called tech support, and assured him that any minute now, surely, he’d be able to successfully vote.
As portrayed in NatGeo’s new docuseries “City So Real,” from lauded “Hoop Dreams” documentarian Steve James, this is a small moment in the grand scheme of things. The series is comprised of just five episodes, but follows the entire Chicago mayoral election from the early days following Rahm Emanuel’s resignation, through the protests over a police officer shooting and killing 17 year-old Laquan McDonald, to Lori Lightfoot’s victory, and to the Black Lives Matter protests and coronavirus pandemic unfolding in the present.
As portrayed in NatGeo’s new docuseries “City So Real,” from lauded “Hoop Dreams” documentarian Steve James, this is a small moment in the grand scheme of things. The series is comprised of just five episodes, but follows the entire Chicago mayoral election from the early days following Rahm Emanuel’s resignation, through the protests over a police officer shooting and killing 17 year-old Laquan McDonald, to Lori Lightfoot’s victory, and to the Black Lives Matter protests and coronavirus pandemic unfolding in the present.
- 11/13/2020
- by Caroline Framke
- Variety Film + TV
Long before Kanye West tardily disrupted the 2020 presidential election, the pioneering force in American hip-hop put himself smack in the middle of Chicago’s crowded 2019 mayoral race. West endorsed candidate Amara Enyia at a “pop-up” rally, standing quietly next to fellow supporter Chance the Rapper and behind their progressive candidate as she spoke to a small crowd from the sidewalk. These celebrity endorsements were meant to help boost awareness, but even then, questions were asked if West’s support of Donald Trump would negatively effect the young, Black candidate’s attempts to court Black voters.
And Steve James was there.
Before the GOP’s attack on voting, including inflated claims of voter fraud and the outright theft of people’s ballots, delegates for Chicago mayoral candidates sat around a computer and made knowingly false claims to try to boot their opponents from the ballot entirely. Lawyers cited mistakes on pages that didn’t exist,...
And Steve James was there.
Before the GOP’s attack on voting, including inflated claims of voter fraud and the outright theft of people’s ballots, delegates for Chicago mayoral candidates sat around a computer and made knowingly false claims to try to boot their opponents from the ballot entirely. Lawyers cited mistakes on pages that didn’t exist,...
- 10/29/2020
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
Dickens had the teeming streets of Victorian-era London, Balzac had Paris during the Bourbon Restoration period, and Steve James has 21st century Chicago. A key part of the team behind the groundbreaking Hoop Dreams, this veteran documentarian has dabbled over the years in everything from biopics (Prefontaine) to bigger-picture looks at social ills (Abacus: Small Enough to Jail). It’s the City of Broad Shoulders, however, that’s provided him with a creative home base via Kartemquin Films and a subject rich enough to examine in depth. Every U.S.
- 10/29/2020
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
Chicago – The 2018-19 mayoral campaign in Chicago was a historic moment for the city, as the first woman of color (Lori Lightfoot) was elected. Director Steve James, of the legendary “Hoop Dreams,” takes on the events leading up to this history and beyond, in “City So Real.”
The documentary is actually a five-part miniseries, which will make its debut on the NatGeo channel on Thursday, October 29th. The remarkable journey focuses on the candidates, but also on the divide in Chicago … between neighborhoods, black&white and socioeconomic classes. As the campaign wears on, in the background is the police killing of Laquan McDonald – a black teenager – and the subsequent backlash for the governmental and law enforcement authorities in the city. It’s all captured through the lens and perspective of Steve James, and his longtime producer Zak Piper.
‘City So Real,’ Directed by Steve James
Photo credit: NatGeo Channel
After...
The documentary is actually a five-part miniseries, which will make its debut on the NatGeo channel on Thursday, October 29th. The remarkable journey focuses on the candidates, but also on the divide in Chicago … between neighborhoods, black&white and socioeconomic classes. As the campaign wears on, in the background is the police killing of Laquan McDonald – a black teenager – and the subsequent backlash for the governmental and law enforcement authorities in the city. It’s all captured through the lens and perspective of Steve James, and his longtime producer Zak Piper.
‘City So Real,’ Directed by Steve James
Photo credit: NatGeo Channel
After...
- 10/28/2020
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago is the subject of “City So Real,” a sweeping epic five-part documentary series by Oscar nominee Steve James premiering commercial free on NatGeo on Oct. 29.
Chicago is the third biggest city in the U.S. with its rich cultural diversity divided into 77 distinct neighborhoods including Bucktown, Pilsen, Lincoln Park, Goose Island, River West and South Loop. And its pizza is considered the best or one of the best in the country. But the Windy City has been marred by corruption for the years-its politics are often referred to as a “blood sport.” And the city has been gripped by so much gun violence that the it’s been labeled the “murder capital” of America.
The metropolis is at the crossroads when “City So Real” opens in the summer of 2018. Mayor Rahm Emanuel finds himself increasingly unpopular due his handling and perceived cover-up of the shocking killing of a young African American teenager,...
Chicago is the third biggest city in the U.S. with its rich cultural diversity divided into 77 distinct neighborhoods including Bucktown, Pilsen, Lincoln Park, Goose Island, River West and South Loop. And its pizza is considered the best or one of the best in the country. But the Windy City has been marred by corruption for the years-its politics are often referred to as a “blood sport.” And the city has been gripped by so much gun violence that the it’s been labeled the “murder capital” of America.
The metropolis is at the crossroads when “City So Real” opens in the summer of 2018. Mayor Rahm Emanuel finds himself increasingly unpopular due his handling and perceived cover-up of the shocking killing of a young African American teenager,...
- 10/26/2020
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Director Steve James has cast his camera on different facets of America, lifting the veil onto lives that aren’t often given added nuance. His latest venture, the five-part documentary “City So Real,” looks to be his rawest and timeliest feature to date.
The documentary, airing on National Geographic, looks at the city of Chicago throughout 2019 and part of 2020 as the city deals with a contentious mayoral election, claims of corruption, and the deputy-involved shooting and death of Laquan McDonald.
The first trailer for “City So Real” will almost make you believe you’re watching tonight’s news, as images of protesters are shown. Mayoral candidate Lori Lightfoot is one of many Black women running for government office in Chicago and we hear about the corruption that will eventually explode onto the national stage.
This footage comes just one day after the world, including numerous Black celebrities, voiced their disgust...
The documentary, airing on National Geographic, looks at the city of Chicago throughout 2019 and part of 2020 as the city deals with a contentious mayoral election, claims of corruption, and the deputy-involved shooting and death of Laquan McDonald.
The first trailer for “City So Real” will almost make you believe you’re watching tonight’s news, as images of protesters are shown. Mayoral candidate Lori Lightfoot is one of many Black women running for government office in Chicago and we hear about the corruption that will eventually explode onto the national stage.
This footage comes just one day after the world, including numerous Black celebrities, voiced their disgust...
- 9/24/2020
- by Kristen Lopez
- Indiewire
News & Documentary Emmys: PBS & ‘Pov’ Lead On Night 2; Pubcaster Tops CNN For Overall Count – Update
Updated, 7:11 Pm: PBS and its veteran series Pov were the big winners on Night 2 of the first multi-ceremony News and Documentary Emmy Awards on Tuesday, which spotlight the documentarties. The pubcaster took five trophies including four for Pov. See the full list of Night 2 winners here.
HBO was second with three wins on Tuesday night, followed by National Geographic and Netflix with two apiece (see chart at left). The 41st awards were presented by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
Combined with its five wins on Monday, PBS led all networks and platforms with 10 Emmys overall (see chart below).
Perennial News & Doc Emmy favorite Pov took two of the top-tier categories for separate episodes. Its “Midnight Traveler,” which follows Afghan director Hassan Fazili and his family as they flee a Taliban bounty on his head, won for Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary. Episode “The Silence of Others,” about struggle...
HBO was second with three wins on Tuesday night, followed by National Geographic and Netflix with two apiece (see chart at left). The 41st awards were presented by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
Combined with its five wins on Monday, PBS led all networks and platforms with 10 Emmys overall (see chart below).
Perennial News & Doc Emmy favorite Pov took two of the top-tier categories for separate episodes. Its “Midnight Traveler,” which follows Afghan director Hassan Fazili and his family as they flee a Taliban bounty on his head, won for Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary. Episode “The Silence of Others,” about struggle...
- 9/23/2020
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Updated with date, time of ceremony: The 13th Television Academy Honors will be hosted by Jameela Jamil as a virtual event and will stream live Tuesday, September 8 at 9 p.m. Et/6 p.m. Pt on the Television Academy’s website.
Winners of the honors, which recognize TV shows that shed light on complex issues and challenges facing our society, were announced in April, but the annual in-person ceremony was scrapped because of the coronavirus pandemic.
This year’s winners: documentary specials At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal (HBO) and 16 Shots (Showtime), limited series Watchmen (HBO) and Unbelievable (Netflix), drama series Queen Sugar (OWN) and comedy commentary program Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj (Netflix).
The TV Academy said Wednesday the ceremony will stream on TelevisionAcademy.com and that Erin Lee Carr (At the Heart of Gold), Susannah Grant (Unbelievable), Regina King (Watchmen), Damon Lindelof (Watchmen), Hasan Minhaj...
Winners of the honors, which recognize TV shows that shed light on complex issues and challenges facing our society, were announced in April, but the annual in-person ceremony was scrapped because of the coronavirus pandemic.
This year’s winners: documentary specials At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal (HBO) and 16 Shots (Showtime), limited series Watchmen (HBO) and Unbelievable (Netflix), drama series Queen Sugar (OWN) and comedy commentary program Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj (Netflix).
The TV Academy said Wednesday the ceremony will stream on TelevisionAcademy.com and that Erin Lee Carr (At the Heart of Gold), Susannah Grant (Unbelievable), Regina King (Watchmen), Damon Lindelof (Watchmen), Hasan Minhaj...
- 9/2/2020
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
“The source material is ample, to say the least, unfortunately,” says actor Stephan James about how he prepared for “#FreeRayshawn” on the new Quibi streaming app. He continues in his exclusive interview with Gold Derby (watch the video above), “Even though these characters are fictitious characters, they’re representative of real people and very real circumstances. We’re seeing that all too often in the headlines.” James likens his eponymous character to Jacob Blake, Philando Castile, George Floyd and Laquan McDonald — real-life Black victims of police shootings and racially-charged brutality.
“I don’t think that we could have anticipated the timeliness of this piece, but again, as an artist, this is what you do it for — you do art that really speaks to life and speaks to society and you hope that it raises awareness and sparks discussion and challenges perspectives,” explains James about how the short-form drama reflects the Black Lives Matter movement.
“I don’t think that we could have anticipated the timeliness of this piece, but again, as an artist, this is what you do it for — you do art that really speaks to life and speaks to society and you hope that it raises awareness and sparks discussion and challenges perspectives,” explains James about how the short-form drama reflects the Black Lives Matter movement.
- 8/25/2020
- by Riley Chow
- Gold Derby
National Geographic has acquired the docuseries City So Real directed by two-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker Steve James and his longtime producing partner Zak Piper. The series paints a portrait of contemporary Chicago as it gives a multifaceted look into the soul the American city, set against the backdrop of its history-making 2019 mayoral election. The news was unveiled Monday morning by National Geographic Global Television Networks President Courteney Monroe during the network’s TCA press tour. The docuseries is slated to debut on the network later this fall.
City So Real comes from Participant and Kartemquin Films bowed at Sundance in January and initially included four one-hour episodes, but National Geographic will exclusively feature a timely fifth episode that follows the Covid-19 pandemic and social uprising following George Floyd’s death.
The docuseries starts in mid-summer 2018 when Mayor Rahm Emanuel was tangled in...
City So Real comes from Participant and Kartemquin Films bowed at Sundance in January and initially included four one-hour episodes, but National Geographic will exclusively feature a timely fifth episode that follows the Covid-19 pandemic and social uprising following George Floyd’s death.
The docuseries starts in mid-summer 2018 when Mayor Rahm Emanuel was tangled in...
- 8/3/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Peabody Award-nominated and Television Academy Honors documentary 16 Shots and director Sacha Jenkins’s Burn Motherf*cker, Burn! are being offered for free viewing on multiple platforms by Showtime.
16 Shots examines the 2014 shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke and the cover-up that ensued. Burn Motherf*cker, Burn! explores the complicated relationship between the Los Angeles Police Department and the city’s Black and minority communities.
Showtime said it was making the documentaries available in an effort to provide resources and raise awareness around the ongoing struggle against systemic racism in America.
Both are now streaming on YouTube and Sho.com, and are available to Showtime subscribers on demand. The two films will also be available across multiple television and streaming providers’ devices, websites, applications and authenticated online services and their free On Demand channels.
16 Shots is a joint production from Midnight Productions, Topic Studios, Impact Partners and Chicago Media Project.
16 Shots examines the 2014 shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke and the cover-up that ensued. Burn Motherf*cker, Burn! explores the complicated relationship between the Los Angeles Police Department and the city’s Black and minority communities.
Showtime said it was making the documentaries available in an effort to provide resources and raise awareness around the ongoing struggle against systemic racism in America.
Both are now streaming on YouTube and Sho.com, and are available to Showtime subscribers on demand. The two films will also be available across multiple television and streaming providers’ devices, websites, applications and authenticated online services and their free On Demand channels.
16 Shots is a joint production from Midnight Productions, Topic Studios, Impact Partners and Chicago Media Project.
- 6/6/2020
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
In today’s TV news roundup, MTV has announced a new reality special, “True Life Presents: First-Time First Responders,” and Showtime has made two of their documentaries about racial injustice free to watch.
Dates
MTV will premiere a new reality special, “True Life Presents: First-Time First Responders” on June 9 at 9 p.m. The self-shot show will follow two millennial volunteer first responders in New York City as they risk their lives to help others amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. Rhanell is a trauma nurse and Alex is a Fdny Emt who have both volunteered to serve Throggs Neck Volunteer Ambulance Corp in the Bronx. Through first-hand accounts and deep confessionals, Rhanell and Alex show the world what it’s like to be a hero. “True Life Presents: First-Time First Responders” is produced by Hot Snakes Media. Eric Evangelista, Shannon Evangelista and MTV’s Dane Joseph serve as executive producers; MTV’s Laurie Sharpe is co-executive producer.
Dates
MTV will premiere a new reality special, “True Life Presents: First-Time First Responders” on June 9 at 9 p.m. The self-shot show will follow two millennial volunteer first responders in New York City as they risk their lives to help others amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. Rhanell is a trauma nurse and Alex is a Fdny Emt who have both volunteered to serve Throggs Neck Volunteer Ambulance Corp in the Bronx. Through first-hand accounts and deep confessionals, Rhanell and Alex show the world what it’s like to be a hero. “True Life Presents: First-Time First Responders” is produced by Hot Snakes Media. Eric Evangelista, Shannon Evangelista and MTV’s Dane Joseph serve as executive producers; MTV’s Laurie Sharpe is co-executive producer.
- 6/5/2020
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Several of the most prominent stars in the National Football League posted a video demanding the league condemn racism and admit it was wrong to silence protesting players.
The video comes after the death of George Floyd, who died after a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes, after Floyd repeatedly said he couldn’t breathe. Organizations around the country, including the NFL, shared statements of support after Floyd’s death.
However, some people viewed the NFL’s statement as insincere, after quarterback Colin Kaepernick faced backlash for kneeling during football games to protest police brutality and the oppression of Black rights.
“It’s been 10 days since George Floyd was brutally murdered. How many times do we need to ask you to listen to your players? What will it take? For one of us to be murdered by police brutality? What if I was George Floyd?” the players ask in the video.
The video comes after the death of George Floyd, who died after a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes, after Floyd repeatedly said he couldn’t breathe. Organizations around the country, including the NFL, shared statements of support after Floyd’s death.
However, some people viewed the NFL’s statement as insincere, after quarterback Colin Kaepernick faced backlash for kneeling during football games to protest police brutality and the oppression of Black rights.
“It’s been 10 days since George Floyd was brutally murdered. How many times do we need to ask you to listen to your players? What will it take? For one of us to be murdered by police brutality? What if I was George Floyd?” the players ask in the video.
- 6/5/2020
- by Jordan Moreau
- Variety Film + TV
The Television Academy announced the recipients of the 13th Television Academy Honors on Thursday, recognizing six TV shows that tackled difficult social issues with innovation and insight, including matters of mental health, sexual abuse, addiction, and race relations.
Among the honorees were two HBO projects, Damon Lindelof’s gripping “Watchmen,” which grappled with America’s brutal history of racism, and documentary “At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal,” which exposed the culture of abuse within the country’s women’s Olympic gymnastics team.
More from IndieWireTV Academy Compresses Emmy Schedule, Cancels FYCs, but Keeps September Ceremony DatesIndustry Leaders Press TV Academy for Fyc Calendar Clarity
Netflix also featured two honorees in “Unbelievable,” a limited series inspired by real life incidents that deals with sexual assault and victims of trauma within the criminal justice system, and “Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj,” a weekly comedy commentary series which features...
Among the honorees were two HBO projects, Damon Lindelof’s gripping “Watchmen,” which grappled with America’s brutal history of racism, and documentary “At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal,” which exposed the culture of abuse within the country’s women’s Olympic gymnastics team.
More from IndieWireTV Academy Compresses Emmy Schedule, Cancels FYCs, but Keeps September Ceremony DatesIndustry Leaders Press TV Academy for Fyc Calendar Clarity
Netflix also featured two honorees in “Unbelievable,” a limited series inspired by real life incidents that deals with sexual assault and victims of trauma within the criminal justice system, and “Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj,” a weekly comedy commentary series which features...
- 4/2/2020
- by Libby Hill
- Indiewire
The HBO miniseries “Watchmen,” Ava DuVernay’s drama series “Queen Sugar” and the Netflix comedy series “Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj” are among the shows that have been chosen to receive the 13th annual Television Academy Honors, which were announced by the Academy on Thursday morning.
The other recipients of the award will be the Netflix miniseries “Unbelievable” and a pair of documentary specials, “16 Shots” and “At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal.”
The recipients were chosen for “impacting society through thoughtful, powerful and innovative storytelling,” according to a Television Academy release.
Also Read: Television Academy Delays Emmy Voting, Bans Campaign Events
The Television Academy Honors ceremony, which was to have taken place in April, has been postponed indefinitely because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Last week, it delayed nomination voting for the Primetime Emmy Awards for the same reason.
The winning programs were chosen by a jury...
The other recipients of the award will be the Netflix miniseries “Unbelievable” and a pair of documentary specials, “16 Shots” and “At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal.”
The recipients were chosen for “impacting society through thoughtful, powerful and innovative storytelling,” according to a Television Academy release.
Also Read: Television Academy Delays Emmy Voting, Bans Campaign Events
The Television Academy Honors ceremony, which was to have taken place in April, has been postponed indefinitely because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Last week, it delayed nomination voting for the Primetime Emmy Awards for the same reason.
The winning programs were chosen by a jury...
- 4/2/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
The 13th annual Television Academy Honors awards ceremony, originally scheduled for April, has been “postponed indefinitely,” due to the ongoing coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. But the TV Academy has gone ahead and announced this year’s honorees.
The six programs set to be honored by the Television Academy this year are “16 Shots” (Showtime), “At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal” (HBO), “Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj” (Netflix), “Queen Sugar” (Own), “Unbelievable” (Netflix) and “Watchmen” (HBO).
Per the TV Academy, the roster recognizes programs that were “meaningful and impactful” television in 2019 that “shed light on complex issues and challenges facing our society.” The two documentary specials, one drama series, two limited series and one talk series were chosen for tackling issues such as women’s rights, mental health, substance abuse and addiction, sexual abuse, race relations and gender discrimination.
“We are so pleased to recognize these extraordinary programs and...
The six programs set to be honored by the Television Academy this year are “16 Shots” (Showtime), “At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal” (HBO), “Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj” (Netflix), “Queen Sugar” (Own), “Unbelievable” (Netflix) and “Watchmen” (HBO).
Per the TV Academy, the roster recognizes programs that were “meaningful and impactful” television in 2019 that “shed light on complex issues and challenges facing our society.” The two documentary specials, one drama series, two limited series and one talk series were chosen for tackling issues such as women’s rights, mental health, substance abuse and addiction, sexual abuse, race relations and gender discrimination.
“We are so pleased to recognize these extraordinary programs and...
- 4/2/2020
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
The unofficial subtitle of “City So Real” — Steve James’ long-gestating and utterly gripping portrait of Chicago — is “The American City at a Crossroads.” Flashing onto the screen over a map of the city broken into neighborhoods, the subtitle isn’t used in each of the four episodes, yet its initial inclusion emphasizes the docuseries’ striking duality. First and foremost, there’s the crisis facing Chicago. Police shootings and gang violence have led to racial and economical divides. Citizens are fleeing for other metropolitan locales in the hopes of finding safer, more affordable homes and better jobs. The city has long been ravaged by political corruption, but the 2019 mayoral election marks voters’ best opportunity to upend the status quo.
That election, and its unprecedented 21 candidates, serve as the ostensible focus of James’ four-hour series. But if it’s not already evident from the topical descriptions above, “City So Real” encapsulates more...
That election, and its unprecedented 21 candidates, serve as the ostensible focus of James’ four-hour series. But if it’s not already evident from the topical descriptions above, “City So Real” encapsulates more...
- 1/28/2020
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
This year’s Sundance Film Festival is mere days from unspooling in snowy Park City, Utah and, with it comes a brand new year of indie filmmaking to get excited about. As ever, the annual festival is playing home to dozens of feature films, short offerings, and technologically-influenced experiences, and while there’s plenty to anticipate seeing, we’ve waded through the lineup to pick out the ones we’re most looking forward to checking out.
From returning filmmakers like Dee Rees, Sean Durkin, David France, Janicza Bravo, and Miranda July, to new-to-the-fest names like Radha Blank, Ekwa Msangi, and Florian Zeller, this year’s festival promises a bevy of big treats and perhaps even bigger surprises. Here’s what we can’t wait to see.
This year’s festival runs from January 23 – February 2 in Park City, Utah. Check out all of our coverage of the festival right here.
“Bloody Nose,...
From returning filmmakers like Dee Rees, Sean Durkin, David France, Janicza Bravo, and Miranda July, to new-to-the-fest names like Radha Blank, Ekwa Msangi, and Florian Zeller, this year’s festival promises a bevy of big treats and perhaps even bigger surprises. Here’s what we can’t wait to see.
This year’s festival runs from January 23 – February 2 in Park City, Utah. Check out all of our coverage of the festival right here.
“Bloody Nose,...
- 1/16/2020
- by Kate Erbland, Eric Kohn, Ben Travers, Anne Thompson, Chris O'Falt, David Ehrlich, Jude Dry, Ryan Lattanzio, Tambay Obenson and Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
Policing in the United States has evolved throughout the centuries, but killing black people with impunity has been a common theme for what seems like actual forever. It feels as though the institution could use its own 1619 Project at times, sourcing policing’s Southern roots, at least, to some of the slave patrols that went from chasing down escaped captive Africans and their descendants to enforcing Jim Crow segregation. Nowadays, about one in 1,000 black men and boys in America can expect to die at the hands of police, according to a recent academic study.
- 10/2/2019
- by Jamil Smith
- Rollingstone.com
Democrats need an antiracist nominee against a racist like Donald Trump. The third debate confirmed that the former vice president isn’t up to the task.
Rahm Emanuel helped Chicago police cover up Laquan McDonald’s murder for more than a year, but ABC viewers Thursday night had to listen to him say he thought Julián Castro had been too unkind to Joe Biden. Since it requires the least analysis and garners the most eyeballs, the punditry after presidential debates tends to be focused primarily upon the most tense moments,...
Rahm Emanuel helped Chicago police cover up Laquan McDonald’s murder for more than a year, but ABC viewers Thursday night had to listen to him say he thought Julián Castro had been too unkind to Joe Biden. Since it requires the least analysis and garners the most eyeballs, the punditry after presidential debates tends to be focused primarily upon the most tense moments,...
- 9/13/2019
- by Jamil Smith
- Rollingstone.com
The 2020 Democratic primary debate season is officially underway. The first batch of 10 candidates hashed it out onstage in Miami Wednesday night, and though the back-and-forths may not have been as contentious as those from some of the similarly large Republican primary debates in 2016, the night still provided plenty of opportunities for candidates to prove their mettle. Here’s our take on who won, who lost, and who treaded water during the first of many debates to come in this marathon election season.
Winners Julián Castro
The former housing secretary strode...
Winners Julián Castro
The former housing secretary strode...
- 6/27/2019
- by Ryan Bort and Tessa Stuart
- Rollingstone.com
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