Jonathan Demme News

From Friday, July 19 through Tuesday, July 23, BAM presentsIntimate Epics, a five-day, six-film series of intimately-focused works by master filmmakers—including Spike Lee, Edward Yang, Chantal Akerman—all with run times of over three hours.  

From Friday, June 28 through Thursday, July 4, BAM presents a 30th anniversary run of Brooklyn icon Spike Lee's culture-shifting masterpiece Do the Right Thing (1989). Screenings before 6pm will play in a newly restored 4K DCP; screenings after 6pm will play in a brand new 35mm print.

The American Film Institute (AFI) announced today the first wave of guest presenters who will celebrate Denzel Washington at the 47th AFI Life Achievement Award on June 6, 2019, at a Gala Tribute in Los Angeles. Chadwick Boseman, Jodie Foster, Jamie Foxx, Morgan Freeman (2011 honoree), Michael B. Jordan, Issa Rae, Julia Roberts and Cicely Tyson will all be in attendance to pay tribute to Washington's life and work. In addition, multitalented film, television and music video artist Melina Matsoukas (AFI Class of 2005) will receive the 2019 Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni Medal, recognizing her extraordinary creative talents.  

Yesterday, May 2, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced its 2019 FilmWatch and FilmCraft grant recipients, which included the Jacob Burns Film Center (Pleasantville, NY), a nonprofit five-screen cinema and education center and one of the most successful suburban art houses in the country. The $10,000 FilmCraft grant will support JBFC's inaugural REMIX Artist-in Residence.

Ben Platt stopped by TODAY to perform the song 'older' off of his solo album, 'Sing To Me Instead' which was released today! Before the performance, Platt talked with Hoda Kotb about how he warms up his vocals with hand warmers!

The 21st Annual Roger Ebert's Film Festival, co-founded and hosted by Chaz Ebert and also known as 'Ebertfest,” announced today the final slate of films for the 2019 event.  

The Cinema Audio Society Award for Outstanding Sound Mixing Motion Picture - Live Action was presented to the sound mixing team from “Bohemian Rhapsody” of John Casali, Paul Massey, Tim Cavagin, Niv Adiri, CAS, Mike Tehrani, Glen Gathard, Jemma Riley Tolch.

ADIR 26 FILMS announces the launch of its Kickstarter campaign for “Reefa” (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/reefathemovie/reefa) starringJeffrey Wahlberg, and the greenlight for production of its independent film starting in March 2019 with an expected launch date of Fall 2019.

He has a Tony, Grammy, Emmy and now a tour! Following his new album release, Ben Platt will take to the road performing a series of concerts.

Ben Platt has released the first single off his upcoming album, Sing To Me Instead. The song, titled Ease My Mind, can be heard in the video below!

Ben Platt took to Twitter to announce the release of his debut album! In the tweet, Platt said, 'With a full heart, I can finally say that my debut album 'Sing To Me Instead' will be out in the world on 3/29. The first two songs will be out THIS FRIDAY 2/1, as well as a pre-order of the whole album. Let the story begin.'

Raue Center For The Arts is excited to welcome a collective on nine musicians drawn to cerebral adventures, infectious rhythms and pioneering music known to the world as Talking Heads! Rock the Raue with BiG SUiT: A Tribute to Talking Heads at 8 p.m. on January 19, 2019! If you have come to experience Talking Heads… "This Must Be The Place."

Ben Platt took to Twitter yesterday to share his take on the Beatles' classic 'I Want to Hold Your Hand.'

Ben Platt took to Twitter to share a video of him performing the hit single 'Shallow' from the film A Star is Born. Check out Ben going off the deep end (in the best way possible) below!

Writers Theatre presents the limited engagement of An Evening with PigPen Theatre Co., a two-night only concert series featuring the stars of PigPen (The Hunter and the Bear, The Old Man and the Old Moon), with a few surprises for the holiday season. An Evening with PigPen Theatre Co. will be presented for two performances only, December 16 and 17, 2018 in the Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe.

Denzel Washington will receive the 47th AFI Life Achievement Award, America's highest honor for a career in film. The award will be presented to Washington at a Gala Tribute on Thursday, June 6, 2019, in Los Angeles, CA.

Multi-hyphenate Steven Spielberg will receive the Cinema Audio Society Filmmaker Award at the 55th Annual CAS Awards on February 16th, at the Intercontinental Los Angeles Downtown. 

Ben Platt took to Twitter to share a video of him performing 'She Used To Be Mine' from WAITRESS, and to express his sadness for not being able to see Nicolette Robison take on the role of Jenna. See the video below!

Little Elliott and his charming extraterrestrial friend hurry on a bike through a bleak forest at dusk. Time is their enemy but the boy has to stop because of the increasingly bumpy road. Suddenly, the bike rushes forward as if it was possessed by some magic force, and despite Elliott's vocal protests it rides fiercelly toward a cliff, then falls off it, only to ascend like a wingless bird a second later. In the background, we can hear the inspirational John Williams's theme while the little man and even smaller alien fly over the treetops, admiring the world that stretches beneath them. The boy's face is radiant with a mix of fascination and utter disbelief in what he sees. At the same time, the sequence's atmosphere, infused with a profundity of a child's limitless imagination, spreads to the viewer watching with admiration as the silhouettes of Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial's protagonists roam over the air against the backdrop of a gigantic moon. A few moments later Elliott's excitement is replaced by soreness of his limbs when the bike hits the ground, but those seconds of celluloid magic stay with the viewers for many years. This is but one of hundreds of examples of the imaginative work done by Carol Littleton, this year's recipient of Camerimage Award to Editor with Unique Visual Sensitivity.

Ben Platt originated the title role in 'Dear Evan Hansen' to critical acclaim (Obie Award, Outer Critics Circle and Drama League nominations) and won the 2017 Tony Award for his Broadway performance. Platt was the original Elder Cunningham in the Chicago production of 'The Book of Mormon' and reprised the role on Broadway (dir. Trey Parker and Casey Nicholaw).