HBO Releases First Teaser for Issa Rae's "Insecure"
by JD Walker
Los Angeles, CA -- HBO released the first teaser for Issa Rae's "Insecure," an 8-episode comedy series premiering this Fall. Co-written by Rae and Larry Wilmore, the series explores the friendship, experiences and tribulations of two black women. It also chronicles a Black elementary school teacher played by Rae struggling to balance life and love.
Cast members include Yvonne Orji, Jay Ellis, and Lisa Joyce. Rae executive produces and Melina Matsoukas, who previously has directed music videos for Beyonce and Rihanna, directs. Prentice Penny (Scrubs/Happy Endings) is showrunner. Rae is most known for her online web series Misadventures of An Awkward Black Girl, which garnered over over 20 million views and boasts approximately 200,000 YouTube subscribers.
On switching from an online to a television series, Rae confides, "The internet I will always love. I will always produce confident for the internet but there's just the little girl in me that wants to make that mark on television too."
Rae explains further: "Television is still very broad. It still reaches the masses. There's still something about television impacting the culture. Having grown up in the 90s and having been influenced by great storytellers of color -- women of color --- there's just something that's full circle to me about being on television because it still represents a lot. I want to affect the culture and I want that stamp of validity."
Rae claims her experience working for HBO has been extremely positive. "To me, HBO has always been about taking risks and really changing television for the better. And I wanted to be a part of that."
Rae talks more about her inspiration for "Insecure" in an interview with Kimberly Foster, Editor-in-Chief of For Harriet here.
Amma Asante Announces Shadowing Program for Female Directors
by JD Walker
Los Angeles, CA - BAFTA award winning Writer/Director Amma Asante (Belle/A Way of Life) recently announced that she is creating a shadowing program to empower aspiring female directors who are often marginalized in a male dominated film industry. Two aspiring female directors who respond to three intriguing questions on Asante's website will be granted the opportunity to shadow her on her next feature, which will film in London.
Much like the advocacy work being done by The Geena Davis Institute or The Media, Diversity, and Social Change Initiative pioneered by USC's Annenberg School of Journalism, which not only chronicles gender inequality in film but also strives for parity, Amma believes in lifting as she climbs. Asante, who "understands the need for opportunities [for female filmmakers]," is the first Black director to open the London Film Festival with her third feature, A United Kingdom, starring David Oyelowo (Selma) and Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl).
The film is about the true story of Seretse Khama, King of Bechuanaland (modern Botswana), and Ruth Williams, the London office worker he married in 1947 in the face of fierce opposition from their families and the British and South African governments. Rick McCallum (Star Wars), David Oyelowo, Justin Moore-Lewy, Brunson Green (The Help) and Charlie Mason serve as producers.
Asante notes, "Despite the inequalities in our industry, the goal of "bringing [women's] voices to the screen" is one of her central concerns and she plans to amplify those voices through her own program.
The application will close after the first 200 submissions have been received or on July 31st. Access the application here.
Queen Sugar Set to Debut on OWN Features All Women Directorial Team
by JD Walker
Los Angeles, CA - "Queen Sugar," the new 13-episode series based on the novel by Natalie Baszile, is set to debut on OWN. Produced by Warner Horizon Television, the series "chronicles the lives and loves of the estranged Bordelon siblings – Nova (Rutina Wesley), Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner) and Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe) – who come together after a family tragedy to run an ailing sugarcane farm in the Deep South."
DuVernay (Selma/A Wrinkle in Time) is set to write, direct and executive produce the project, marking her first television drama series. Winfrey will executive produce and appear in multiple episodes in a recurring role. P
erhaps what is especially unique about the series is that each episode was directed by a woman director, including but certainly not limited to: Ava DuVernay (Selma/A Wrinkle in Time), Tina Mabry (Mississippi Damned), Victoria Mahoney (Yelling to the Sky), Tanya Hamilton (Night Catches Us), and more.
A trailer for the series was recently released and chronicled on Shadow & Act. Watch it here.