“Origin” Is An Important Piece Of Cinema & A Monumental One Exploring ‘Caste’

origin, unjanue Ellis-Taylor, film

When award-winning Filmmaker Ava DuVernay sets her mind to do something, she does it, with care and excellent execution. Her latest film, Origin, based on the intellectual writing of Isabel Wilkerson, once again shows her amazing talents in bringing this to life. Many productions play a crucial role in highlighting underrepresented individuals and narratives, but … Read more

Proud Boys Allegedly Threaten To Shut Down Colin Kaepernick & Ava DuVernay’s Netflix Series

Proud Boys Allegedly Threaten To Shut Down Colin Kaepernick & Ava DuVernay's Netflix Series

Proud Boys Allegedly Threaten To Shut Down Colin Kaepernick & Ava DuVernay’s Netflix Series Extra security measures are being taken as the Proud Boys have allegedly threatened to shut down Colin Kaepernick and Ava DuVernay‘s Netflix series, ‘Colin in Black and White.’ The 6-part series, likely due this year, will chronicle Kaep’s high school years and the … Read more

Colin Kaepernick & Ava DuVernay Partner For Netflix Series On Ex-NFL Player’s Life

Colin Kaepernick & Ava DuVernay Partner For Netflix Series On Ex-NFL Player's Life

Colin Kaepernick & Ava DuVernay Partner For Netflix Series On Ex-NFL Player’s Life Ex-NFL player Colin Kaepernick is partnering with director Ava DuVernay for a new original scripted Netflix series based on the young life of the football player turned activist. The original drama is titled, ‘Colin in Black & White,’ and its synopsis reads: … Read more

Ava DuVernay Elected To The Academy Board of Governors For The First Time, Whoopi Goldberg Returns For Third Term

Ava DuVernay Elected To The Academy Board of Governors For The First Time, Whoopi Goldberg Returns For Third Term

Ava DuVernay Elected To The Academy Board of Governors For The First Time, Whoopi Goldberg Returns For Third Term While Whoopi Goldberg returns for her third term, Ava DuVernay has been elected to the Academy Board of Governors for the first time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that DuVernay and Goldberg are … Read more

Former Prosecutor Linda Fairstein Sues Ava DuVernay Over Netflix Series ”When They See Us”

Former Prosecutor Linda Fairstein Sues Ava DuVernay Over Netflix Series ”When They See Us”

#Socialites, get into this! Just nearly a year after Ava DuVernay released “When They See Us,” the filmmaker is now being sued over the Netflix docuseries!

RELATED: Ava DuVernay & Netflix Score Most 2019 Emmy Nominations With ‘When They See Us’

As we previously reported, ”When They See Us” tackled the story about the investigation, prosecution, and exoneration of the “Central Park Five” — five black men who were wrongfully convicted of a 1989 sexual assault. Linda Fairstein, the prosecutor depicted in Ava DuVernay’ mini-series is now suing Netflix and the director over her portrayal in the project.

Ava
(Photo Credit: Jharrel Jerome and Vera Farmiga in Ava DuVernay’s Netflix series When They See Us. Atsushi Nishijima/Netflix)

According to Variety, Fairstein filed the federal suit on Wednesday, explaining that she was wrongfully portrayed as the racist mastermind behind the wrongful prosecution of five black and brown men. “In the film series, which Defendants have marketed and promoted as a true story, Defendants depict Ms. Fairstein — using her true name — as a racist, unethical villain who is determined to jail innocent children of color at any cost,” the suit alleges.

Fairstein, who was portrayed by actress Felicity Huffman, was in charge of the sex crimes unit at the Manhattan D.A.’s office at the time of the case, in 1989. The suit alleges that the script invented fictional dialogue in order to make her look like a “racist.”

“Throughout the film series, Ms. Fairstein is portrayed as making statements that she never said, taking actions that she did not take — many of them racist and unethical, if not unlawful — in places that she never was on the days and times depicted,” the suit states. “On a number of occasions, Ms. Fairstein is portrayed using inflammatory language, referring to young men of color as ‘thugs,’ ‘animals’ and ‘bastards,’ that she never used,” Variety quotes.

Meanwhile, Netflix has quickly responded to the suit, saying,

“Linda Fairstein’s frivolous lawsuit is without merit,” Netflix said in a statement to multiple outlets. “We intend to vigorously defend ‘When They See Us’ and Ava DuVernay and Attica Locke, the incredible team behind the series.”

Press Play Below To Watch Ava DuVernay Talk About The Award-Winning Series:

RELATED: ‘When They See Us’ Star Jharrel Jerome Reveals Role Affected His Mental Health

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Netflix Loses ‘Black Panther’ & ‘A Wrinkle In Time’ To Disney Plus

Disney Plus Netflix Black Panther & 'A Wrinkle In Time'

Netflix Loses ‘Black Panther’ & ‘A Wrinkle In Time’ To Disney Plus Welp, for viewers who want to watch Marvel’s blockbuster hit ‘Black Panther‘ and  Ava DuVernay’s ‘A Wrinkle In Time,’ from now on, they’ll have to  head on over to Disney Plus instead of Netflix. Due to the two platforms’ output deal for the … Read more

Ava DuVernay-Directed Nipsey Hussle Doc Heads To Netflix

Ava DuVernay & Nipsey Hussle

Ava DuVernay-Directed Nipsey Hussle Doc Heads To Netflix Last April, following the tragic murder of Nipsey Hussle, Ava DuVernay expressed her feeling “motivated” by the “respectful” coverage of his death, and now its spawned a new documentary, headed straight to Netflix. DuVernay will produce and direct a feature-length doc on the late rapper and serial-entrepreneur, … Read more

Ava DuVernay’s “When They See Us,” Sheds Light On Donald Trump’s Involvement With The ‘Central Park Five’

Ava DuVernay’s “When They See Us,” Sheds Light On Donald Trump’s Involvement With The ‘Central Park Five’

RELATED: Beyonces Homecoming Is Part Of 3-Project Deal With Netflix Worth $60M

Ava DuVernay’s four-part Netflix series “When They See Us,”sheds light on the injustices brought against the Central Park Five.

The series brings to life the horrors these young black boys faced and how the system disgustingly failed them.

Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana Jr., Antron McCray and Korey Wise who ranged from ages 14 to 16 were accused of raping and beating a white jogger identified as Trisha Meili.

DuVernay emphasizes the youth of the boys, which makes the entire experience more horrifying. Especially, when she touches on the interrogation that the boys went through. They go from being completely unaware of the crime, to confessing to a rape they did not commit under false hope that they would be released from grueling hours of interrogation.

The case gained national attention and the media immediately turned the boys into criminals. Ava highlights the presumed guilt, not innocence, of black and colored boys, including the efforts of Donald Trump in regards to the case. A young Trump, who was in real-estate at the time, paid $85,000 to place ads in newspapers headlined in capital letters: “BRING BACK THE DEATH PENALTY. BRING BACK OUR POLICE!” His ad played a key part in shaping public opinion and poisoning the minds of those outside the case. The young boys were not given a chance despite the prosecutions lack of evidence or proving beyond a reasonable doubt that these boys raped this woman.

The series also depicts an NBC interview with Trump which is being watched by one of the mothers. She refers to him as the “devil” for trying to kill her son. This is a particularly heavy moment for viewers because that same “devil” would be in charge of the country years later.

Ava also heavily highlights the prosecutions case and Linda Fairstein’s determination to prosecute these boys despite the lack of evidence. Fairsten was the head of the Manhattan District sex crimes unit at the time.

She pushed for the coercion of the boys and intimidating them into confessing to a crime they did not commit. The series also touches on the numerous mistakes and inconsistencies within the testimonies of the officers and the fact that the DNA evidence collected from the scene did NOT match any of the boys. However, this doesn’t matter because a white woman had been brutalized, and America demanded someone be punished.

The series touches on the conviction and the lives of the boys in jail until 2002, where they are 20 years older. The convictions against the Central Park Five were vacated after DNA evidence showed that serial rapist Matias Reyes had committed the crime. Reyes met Korey Wise in prison (depicted in the fourth episode) and he felt bad so he confessed to the rape in Central Park, as a lone assailant.

The five men were finally cleared and they sued the city of New York for $40 million.

DuVernay’s series intentionally compares the past to the present, and makes us think about how we see others. It emphasizes that when future generations see what happened in the past they will be shocked to learn that little has changed.

The four-part series is available on Netflix.


RELATED: Felicity Huffman’s Netflix Movie Pulled From Release Following Guilty Plea

HU Exclusive: BET Highlights Black Excellence At The 2018 ABFF Honors

BET hosts 2018 ABFF Honors Black

On the heels of the insurmountable success of Marvel’s box office hit ‘Black Panther,’ BET Networks along with creator Jeff Friday hosted the 2018 American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Honors to highlight Hollywood’s African-descending trailblazers and overall, its multicultural camaraderie.

In addition to its creator, hitting the carpet with Hollywood Unlocked were the show’s host Cedric The Entertainer; and honorees: Ava DuVernayTiffany HaddishOmari Hardwick and Billy Dee Williams; along with classic TV tribute honorees of ‘Martin:’ Martin LawrenceCarl Anthony PayneTichina Arnold and Tisha Campbell-Martin.


RELATED: HU Exclusive: Giving You The Keys To The 2017 ‘Black Girls Rock’ Red Carpet


Furthermore, Black Excellence showed up and showed out so much that host Cedric The Entertainer entered the stage with the introduction as “actor, comedian and original King of Wakanda;” and followed it up with:

“I am your host, Chadwick Boseman….It looks like the Nigerian Oscars up in here.”

Additionally, at the honors DuVernay received the Industry Visionary Award, Williams with the Hollywood Legacy Award, Hardwick with Distinguished ABFF Alumni Award and Haddish with the Rising Star Award.


RELATED: HU Exclusive: Giving You The Keys to 49th NAACP Image Awards


Also, the American Black Film Festival stemming Honors show also gave away awards for Movie of the Year and  Television Show of the Year, in both Comedy and Drama genres.

For more than two decades the ABFF has illuminated and beared excellence in independent Black cinema; in premiering and supporting the work and many careers of today’s much successful artists.


RELATED: #Diddycrop Strikes Again And Photoshop’s Black Excellence Into A Grammy Pic


So, to catch more behind the scenes from the extravagant event…

#PressPlay above to view exclusive footage of the carpet at the 2018 ABFF Honors hosted by BET and #PressNext below to view more images