Dee Rees News

The Sundance Film Festival expands to audiences across the country for one special night of film and dialogue, dispatching 10 filmmakers from Park City to nine cities across the country to screen and discuss their direct-from-Festival films with audiences. The Belcourt Theatre has been selected by the Sundance Film Festival as one of only 10 venues in America to screen a specially selected film on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013 as part of Sundance Film Festival USA. This year, the Belcourt will screen MOTHER OF GEORGE, directed by Andrew Dosunmu.

Sundance Institute today announced the appointment of Paul Federbush to International Director, Feature Film Program (FFP). Federbush will oversee the international activities of the Institute's Feature Film Program. Federbush will begin September 24, reporting to Michelle Satter, Founding Director, Feature Film Program.

Sundance Institute previously announced the participants for its annual Creative Producing Labs and Creative Producing Summit, both held in the same week at the Sundance Resort in Sundance, Utah.

The first trailer for Lifetime's all-African-American remake of STEEL MAGNOLIAS has just been released by the cable network. Golden Globe and Grammy Award winner and Academy Award nominee Queen Latifah has signed on to star in and executive produce the television adaptation of the iconic play and 1989 film. Get a first look below!

DVR ALERT: Talk Show Listings For Friday, June 15

DVR ALERT: Talk Show Listings For Friday, June 15

Golden Globe and Grammy Award winner and Academy Award nominee Queen Latifah has signed on to star in and executive produce the Lifetime Original Movie Event, Steel Magnolias, a television adaptation of the iconic play and 1989 film of the same name, reuniting her with her producing duo Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, from the Oscar and Golden Globe winning Chicago and Hairspray. (Zadan and Meron also produce Lifetime's Drop Dead Diva and Smash.) She will take on the role of 'M'Lynn' and star alongside an all-star cast that includes Tony Award winner Phylicia Rashad as 'Clairee,' Golden Globe and multiple Emmy winner Alfre Woodard as 'Ouiser,' Grammy winner Jill Scott as 'Truvy,' Adepero Oduye as 'Annelle,' and Condola Rashad as 'Shelby.' The announcement was made today by Nancy Dubuc, President and General Manager of Lifetime Networks.

The 2012 Film Independent Spirit Award nominees have been announced, and the complete list is as follows:

The 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards nominees have just been announced. Check out the full list below:

The entertainment industry turned out in full-force tonight in support of the Motion Picture & Television Fund's (MPTF) 'Reel Stories, Real Lives,' a unique evening of powerful readings which told the stories of industry members and their families who have benefitted from MPTF's services over the years. The event, held at Milk Studios, was hosted by Robert Downey Jr. and featured performances put together by renowned Hollywood actors, actresses, writers and directors who have been touched by the generosity the MPTF has been able to inspire within the industry. Hollywood's best and brightest were asked to support the organization's commitment to the entertainment industry and get involved.

The Kanbar Institute of Film, TV & New Media at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts has announced the three winners of the 2011 Chris Columbus/Richard Vague Film Production Fund awards.

Working Title Films has commenced production on Joe Wright's epic love story Anna Karenina, adapted from Leo Tolstoy's classic novel by Academy Award winner Tom Stoppard (Shakespeare in Love). The film will shoot in the U.K. and Russia. Focus Features will distribute the movie domestically, and Universal Pictures International (UPI) will distribute the movie internationally.

The espionage thriller The Debt will be distributed for Miramax by Focus Features and Universal Pictures International (UPI).

Viola Davis is reported to be circling the lead role in a new untitled HBO series. Dee Rees and writer-producer Margaret Nagle are in negotiations to write the story which Rees may also direct, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Focus Features and LAIKA, the two companies behind the Academy Award-nominated animated feature Coraline are reteaming for LAIKA's next two projects.

Production begins this week on Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, written and directed by Lorene Scafaria. The pre-apocalyptic comedy stars Golden Globe Award winner Steve Carell and Academy Award nominee Keira Knightley.

Focus Features will accept entries for its Africa First Program - entering its fourth year - beginning Monday, May 16th and continuing through Monday, August 22nd. Focus CEO James Schamus made the announcement today.

The Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center announced the full lineup today for the 40th edition of New Directors/New Films (March 23 - April 3).