John Sayles News

Over the last three decades, the celebrated East Village-based Canadian poet/performer Adeena Karasick and Grammy Award-winning composer/trumpeter Frank London have each transformed the worlds of poetry and music with work that is sensual and political, steeped in Jewish mysticism, exploding notions of high and low culture.

Swashbuckling sword fights and romance lie at the center of this thrilling take on Alexandre Dumas' The Three Musketeers by Catherine Bush, produced by Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF, runs from February 5 - March 22, 2020. This bold production will run in repertory with William Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1. Tickets (starting at $30) are available now by phone (407) 447-1700 ext. 1, online at orlandoshakes.org, or in person at the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center (812 East Rollins Street).

Shout! Factory TV, the digital entertainment streaming service, is set to launch its first original digital docuseries CULT-TASTIC: TALES FROM THE TRENCHES WITH ROGER AND JULIE CORMAN. Created, written and co-produced by Ashley Sidaway and Robert Sidaway, the 13-part series about the life and work of Roger and Julie Corman, provides viewers an extraordinary look inside the Cormans' cinematic universe and features extensive in-depth interviews. The series will premiere November 15th on Shout! Factory TV's Amazon Prime Video Channel and via Roku Channel's Premium Subscription.

Today's conversation is with Emmy Award and multiple NAACP Image Award-winning film, television and stage veteran Joe Morton. Morton is perhaps best known for his role as Rowan Pope in the television series 'Scandal.' Morton's television credits include a recurring role as lawyer Daniel Golden on 'The Good Wife,' on the Network; five seasons as scientist Henry Deacon in the Emmy-nominated series 'Eureka'; 'The Cosby Show' spinoff 'A Different World'; the Kyra Sedgwick-produced 'Proof'; and 'Grace & Frankie.' In 2016 he portrayed the role of Roy Wilkins alongside Bryan Cranston in the Emmy-nominated biopic 'All the Way,' adapted from the Tony Award-winning Robert Schenkkan play.

Kids of all ages can explore the underwater kingdom of Atlantis during the WST for Kids' production of Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID, JR. Based on and adapted from the Academy Award-winning 1989 Disney movie and Broadway production, this hour-long musical will appear on the Walnut Mainstage beginning September 21 and now extended through October 6, 2019.

BendFilm announced today that legendary writer and director Ron Shelton will screen his 1988 directorial debut, Bull Durham, and moderate the 'First Features' panel as part of his role as First Features Honoree at the 16th annual BendFilm Festival. Shelton's illustrious career also includes films such as Blaze, White Men Can't Jump, Cobb, Tin Cup, and Hollywood Homicide. Shelton's work spans four decades with more than ten screenwriting and writer/director credits to his name. First Features honorees from past Festivals include John Sayles & Maggie Renzi (2016), Peter Gilbert (2017) and Debra Granik (2018).

On this day, we're celebrating the birthday of the great Edie Falco!

The fifth annual Mammoth Lakes Film Festival (MLFF), taking place May 22 through 26, is pleased to announce this year's Sierra Spirit Award honoree and Closing Night film.

Off-Broadway's The New Group will honor Edie Falco and Serge Nivelle at the company's Annual Gala on Monday, March 11 at Tribeca Rooftop (2 Desbrosses Street between Hudson & Greenwich).  The event will feature a performance by Brandon Victor Dixon and appearances by Peter Dinklage, Warren Leight, Erica Schmidt and Tarik Trotter. The evening, 6:00-10:00pm, includes cocktails, dinner and live auctions.

MCC Theater announced today the complete cast and creative team for the first show at their new 52nd Street home: the New York Premiere production of The Light, written by Loy A. Webb, and directed by Logan Vaughn.

MCC Theater announced today the complete cast and creative team for the first show at their new 52nd Street home: the New York Premiere production of The Light, written by Loy A. Webb, and directed by Logan Vaughn.

RLJE Films (NASDAQ: RLJE), has acquired all North American rights to the upcoming adventure film The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot.  Written by Robert D. Krzykowski , who makes his directorial debut, the film stars Sam Elliott (A Star is Born, The Hero), Aidan Turner (“Poldark”), Ron Livingston (Office Space, Tully), Caitlin FitzGerald (“Masters of Sex”), Larry Miller (Pretty Woman) and Ellar Coltrane (Boyhood). RLJE Films plans to release the film nationally in theaters, VOD and Digital HD in the first quarter of 2019. 

imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival is proud to announce that Nehiyaw actor, choreographer, director and educator Michael Greyeyes will receive the 2018 August Schellenberg Award of Excellence.

Peak Performances kicks off its 2018-19 season with the world premiere of Hatuey: Memory of Fire, a rousing Afro-Cuban-Yiddish opera performed in English, Yiddish and Spanish, with music by Frank London, libretto by Elise Thoron, direction by Mary Birnbaum, and choreography by Maija Garcia.

Acclaimed singer/actress Gina Gershon makes her Cafe Carlyle debut with Wild Women Don't Get the Blues, June 5-16. Gina Gershon has enjoyed a successful and diverse career in entertainment, earning acclaim as a film, television and stage actor, as a singer/songwriter/musician and most recently as an author. Gershon's prolific film career began when she landed her first speaking role with a memorable turn in John Hughes' box office hit Pretty in Pink. Some of her previous roles in film include Paul Verhoeven's Showgirls, the Wachowskis' Bound, Red Heat opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger, Cocktail opposite Tom Cruise, John Sayles's City of Hope, Robert Altman's The Player, the John Woo blockbuster Face/Off opposite John Travolta and Nicolas Cage, and Michael Mann's Oscar-nominated The Insider opposite Al Pacino and Christopher Plummer. Gershon was also in Richard LaGravenese's P.S. I Love You and Taylor Hackford's Love Ranch opposite Helen Mirren. At the Cafe, she'll be joined by an all-star band including Steven Bernstein (trumpet), Eli Brueggemann (piano), Brad Jones (bass), and Jerome Jennings (drums).

Trinity Repertory Company announced today that actress Mary McDonnell will be honored with the 2018 Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts at the theater's 22nd annual Pell Awards Gala on Monday, May 21, 2018. A two-time Oscar nominee for Dances with Wolves and Passion Fish, McDonnell's theater, film and television career has spanned more than four decades with dynamic character portrayals in period and present-day roles, including TNT's The Closer and Major Crimes, Syfy's Battlestar Galactica, Donnie Darko, and Sneakers.

Acclaimed singer/actress Gina Gershon makes her Cafe Carlyle debut with Wild Women Don't Get the Blues, June 5-16. Gina Gershon has enjoyed a successful and diverse career in entertainment, earning acclaim as a film, television and stage actor, as a singer/songwriter/musician and most recently as an author.

Ronen Sharabani, an international, multidisciplinary, prominent Israeli artist, has been selected as a featured artist for this year's SXSW Art Program presented by Meural. His 2017 project titled, 'Conductors and Resistance,' will be showcased this week during SXSW at the Austin Convention Center in Meeting Room 3 and is open to all SXSW official badge holders. The installation, which will be open to view to SXSW attendees until Saturday, March 17, is supported by United studios Israel, The-Artery, BARCO and NIIO. For information, please see here. For information on the artist, please see here.

FEST Training Ground is an annual film conference education event that takes place alongside FEST - New Directors | New Films Festival, and hosts more than 30 masterclasses and workshops where the public, upcoming filmmakers and film students from all over the world, attend deluxe training, lectured by some of the film industry's top experts with highly acknowledged achievements - our audience has come to expect the best. Every year the program covers as many filmmaking subjects as possible, including scriptwriting, cinematography, editing, sound design, photography, production design, acting, directing, casting, non-fiction filmmaking, make up, pitching, distribution, financing, and many more, providing the broadest and most complete view of the 7th art today.

Alfre Woodard will have a recurring guest-star role on EMPIRE, playing “Renee,” Cookie's mother, who comes back into her life with a turbulent reunion. EMPIRE Returns with All-New Episodes beginning Wednesday, March 28 @ 8/7c on FOX