Jada Smith News

Fifteen screenwriters will convene to advance their independent projects at Sundance Institute's January Screenwriters Lab, taking place at the Sundance Mountain Resort in Utah, from January 17-22, 2020. At the Lab, the screenwriters will immerse themselves in a rigorous and holistic creative process, working to further develop their scripts with the mentorship of accomplished Creative Advisors.

Sundance Institute announced today two support tracks for artists from underrepresented communities, continuing the Institute's commitment to fostering inclusive artistic visions. Announced today are the eight members of the second class of the Momentum Fellowship, a full-year program of deep, customized creative and professional support for writers, directors, and producers from underrepresented communities who are poised to take the next step in their careers, working across documentary and feature filmmaking, and episodic content. Sundance Institute also announced the four awardees of the inaugural Launch Grant Fund, a new opportunity for emerging filmmakers from underrepresented communities launching their first feature film.

Sundance Institute today announced Fellows and Advisors for the five-day 2019 Creative Producing Labs, as well as the three-day Creative Producing Summit which immediately follows; both take place at Utah's Sundance Mountain Resort. The Labs begins July 29, and the Summit August 2. These are the flagship convenings for the Institute's Creative Producing Program, which champions and develops current and rising generations of producers across fiction and nonfiction film.

Heartland Film's Indy Shorts Film Festival will present the Midwest premiere of award-winning writer and casting director Jen Rudin's short film Lucy in the Sky starring Whoopi Goldberg, Zoe Margaret Colletti, Catherine Curtin, Danny Burstein, Kelly Hu, Quinn McColgan, Isabella Russo, Madison Zamor, Lexi Gwynn and Adrian Raio. The festival runs July 25-28 in Indianapolis. 

She NYC Arts will present a limited engagement of Jen Rudin's BEAUTIFUL PASADENA, directed by Jamie Richards as part of the fourth annual She NYC Arts Summer Theater Festival at The Connelly Theater (220 East 4th Street, New York, NY 10009). Performances will be on Wednesday, June 26 at 7 pm and Saturday, June 29 at 3:30pm. Tickets ($20) are available for advance purchase at www.shenycarts.org.

Eleven screenwriters have been selected to participate in Sundance Institute's seventh annual Screenwriters Intensive in Los Angeles, to take place February 28 - March 1, 2019. Part of the Institute's commitment to introducing the industry to an inclusive pipeline of exciting new storytellers, the Intensive is a two-day workshop for writers or writer/directors from underrepresented communities developing their first fiction feature. Fellows at the Intensive will advance the art and craft of their work under the guidance of experienced filmmakers and in collaboration with Institute's Feature Film Program.

LUCY IN THE SKY, an exceptional 11-minute film, written by Jen Rudin and directed by Bertha Bay-Sa Pan, and featuring Zoe Margaret Colletti, Whoopi Goldberg and an outstanding cast, probes the experience of a 14-year-old girl on the autism spectrum as she enters a mainstream high school. One of the screenings at this year's Sedona International Film Festival.

TLC's SAY YES TO THE PROM initiative is back for the eighth consecutive year and kicking off the 2019 prom season alongside returning retail partner Macy's to help 1,000 underserved and deserving students across the country find the perfect prom look. Travelling to five different cities, SAY YES TO THE PROM will create the ultimate prom “shopping” experience, complete with one-on-one style sessions with Monte Durham of TLC's SAY YES TO THE DRESS: ATLANTA to help the students find the perfect dress, tuxedo and accessories.

FilmRise has acquired the exclusive U.S. rights to award-winning coming-of-age drama, SPRINTER. The film is to be released nationwide in the Spring of 2019, in conjunction with Theatrical-On-Demand Distributor, Gathr Films. The announcement was made today by Danny Fisher, CEO of FilmRise.

Vulture will return to Park City, Utah, with its exclusive media studio the Vulture Spot for a third year in a row from January 25–28, where editors will interview and photograph top talent from Sundance's most anticipated films. The video and photo content produced inside the studio will be showcased on vulture.com and Vulture's Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter accounts over the course of the festival and beyond. Sponsors for the Vulture Spot include Autograph Collection Hotels, Roku, and Woolrich. In addition, Autograph Collection Hotels and the Cut will co-host a “How I Get It Done” at Sundance Film Festival panel, the Cut's recurring event series about work/life balance, ambition, and success. Autograph Collection Hotels and Vulture will reunite that evening for an intimate celebration championing the philanthropic efforts of the Art of Elysium together with David Arquette and Shanola Hampton. Wrapping up the weekend, Vulture will host a brunch celebrating Girls Weekend, as well as IFC's Documentary Now! after-party, co-hosted with IFC.

Fifteen screenwriters from countries including the U.S., Lebanon, South Africa, Turkey, and the United Kingdom will bring twelve projects to the Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab, taking place January 18-23, 2019 at the Sundance Mountain Resort in Utah. The Lab provides an immersive environment that encourages all participants to embrace a spirit of creative risk-taking and collaboration, and imparts vital lessons in the art and craft of screenwriting while building a robust creative community. Through one-on-one story sessions with Creative Advisors, Fellows take part in an artistically rigorous process that facilitates the deep exploration needed to fully realize their material. The Lab is the first step in a year-round continuum of customized creative and tactical support for each project and team.

Sundance Institute announced today the eight members of the inaugural class of the Momentum Fellowship, a full-year program of deep, customized creative and professional support for writers, directors, and producers from underrepresented communities working across documentary and feature filmmaking, episodic content, and virtual reality, who are poised to take the next step in their careers.

On September 25, for his 50th birthday,  global superstar Will Smith bungee jumped out of a helicopter over the Grand Canyon as part of the YouTube Original special Will Smith: The Jump. Top YouTubers Yes Theory (2.4 M subscribers) who challenged Will to the jump this past March, were also on-site to take part in this experience with Will.

Global superstar Will Smith will bungee jump out of a helicopter over the Grand Canyon as part of the YouTube Original special Will Smith: The Jump. Top YouTubers Yes Theory (2.4 M subscribers) who challenged Will to the jump this past March, will be onsite to take part in this epic experience. Watch as friends like Alfonso Ribeiro, family and special guests wish Will well as he conquers his fears on his 50th birthday. This will take place LIVE on Will's YouTube channel today at 3 PM PT / 6 PM ET. Watch live below!

The D.C.-area premiere of Turn Me Loose, Gretchen Law's intimate, no-holds-barred drama about the extraordinary and explosive life of Dick Gregory, will receive an additional six performances during its run at Arena Stage. Under the direction of John Gould Rubin, Turn Me Loose now plays through October 21, 2018 in the Kreeger Theater.

Arena Stage announces the D.C.-area premiere of Turn Me Loose, Gretchen Law's intimate, no-holds-barred drama about the extraordinary and explosive life of Dick Gregory, who spent his later years in the nation's capital.

Arena Stage announces the D.C.-area premiere of Turn Me Loose, Gretchen Law's intimate, no-holds-barred drama about the extraordinary and explosive life of Dick Gregory, who spent his later years in the nation's capital.

Arena Stage Artistic Director Molly Smith and Executive Director Edgar Dobie announce the 2018/19 season lineup for the company's 69th season. The season reflects Arena Stage's commitment to championing diverse voices and producing work that is politically and socially relevant.

Beginning today, fans can enter to win a once-in-a-lifetime chance to witness -- in person -- Will Smith bungee jump out of a helicopter over the Grand Canyon as part of the special Will Smith: The Jump. Check out Will's announcement here. All fans will be able to watch the special LIVE on Will's YouTube channel on his 50th birthday this September 25th -- all to raise awareness and donations for international advocacy organization Global Citizen's education campaigns.

Arena Stage announces the D.C.-area premiere of Turn Me Loose, Gretchen Law's intimate, no-holds-barred drama about the extraordinary and explosive life of Dick Gregory, who spent his later years in the nation's capital.