More from Rebecca Sun
‘Shayda’ Star Zar Amir Ebrahimi First Met Her Agent Keya Khayatian at a Persian Dance Party at Sundance
My Rep and Me is a recurring Culture Shift feature in which reps and clients from the same historically marginalized background sit down to discuss the chemistry and business advantages of their special connection, in order to underscore the importance and benefits of diverse representation. UTA partner Keya Khayatian and actress-filmmaker Zar Amir Ebrahimi are […]
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Television Academy Members From Historically Marginalized Races Tick Upwards by 4 Percent
The Television Academy continues to make incremental progress in measuring the diversity and inclusiveness of its organization. The body behind the Emmy Awards has released a progress report on its membership demographics and attitudes toward its DEIA efforts, a year after publishing its 2023 Transparency Report establishing the state of the Academy. Relying on self-disclosed […]
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Spike Lee and Gersh’s HBCU Program Partners With Ralph Lauren to Dress Students for Success
As a director known for his sartorial flare, it’s only fitting that Spike Lee’s fellowship program would also ensure his participants are dressed for success. The Spike Fellows, a partnership with the filmmaker’s agency Gersh, has linked up with Ralph Lauren for an innovative initiative that will see the iconic American label providing a chic […]
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Sundance Institute, Disney Reveal First Muslim Artist Fellowship Cohort (Exclusive)
The Sundance Institute and Disney have selected the first cohort for their Muslim Artist Fellowship. Each of the four filmmakers will receive an unrestricted $15,000 grant as they participate in a year-round professional development program that will include personalized support, networking and community-building opportunities in service of their respective goals and projects. “Our partnership with […]
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Shane Gillis Hosts ‘SNL’ Not With a Bang But a Meh: Analysis
Shane Gillis acknowledged the elephant in the room right away – sort of. “Yeah, I’m here,” said the comedian, who seemed as bemused as anyone else that he was actually hosting Saturday Night Live. “Most of you probably have no idea who I am. I was actually fired from this show a while ago – […]
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Chatting With the Grandmas of Oscar-Nominated ‘Nai Nai & Wài Pó’: “How Could We Be Movie Stars?”
Sean Wang and his grandmas have had quite the month. On Jan. 19, the filmmaker’s debut feature, Dìdi (弟弟), had its world premiere in competition at the Sundance Film Festival, and then four days later he became an Oscar nominee for Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó. He shot the Disney+ documentary short in 2021 during […]
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In ‘Expats,’ Stalwart Actors of Color Finally Have the Opportunity to Show Their Range
There’s a very specific emotion I felt while watching Expats, Lulu Wang’s drama series about American expatriates in Hong Kong: frustration. There was also admiration, of course, and enjoyment and suspense, but at some point, while watching the performances of Sarayu Blue and Brian Tee, the indignation set in: We could have been seeing them do […]
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Anti-Defamation League Appoints Documentarian Deborah Camiel to Lead Media and Entertainment Institute (Exclusive)
Anti-Defamation League has tapped journalist and documentary producer Deborah Camiel to lead the Media & Entertainment Institute it launched in September. The Los Angeles-based institute will work with companies and organizations in the media and entertainment industries to combat antisemitism and advocate for more nuanced and authentic portrayals of Jewish people in film, television and […]
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Not Quite Year of the Woman: Just 30 Percent of 2023’s Movies Had Female Leads
Although Barbie won the box office last year, a demographic analysis of the rest of 2023’s releases indicates that Hollywood is still investing primarily in male-centered movies. Just 30 percent of the top 100 films of 2023 featured a female lead or co-lead, the lowest share in a decade, according to the latest research brief […]
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L.A. Latino International Film Festival to Open Film Market (Exclusive)
For nearly 25 years, the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival has been a showcase of Latino-focused cinema, and this summer, it will be a place where such films can find a distribution home as well. The LALIFF Film Market will make its debut with the festival’s 2024 edition, which will take place May 29 […]
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‘Expats’ Episode Puts the Spotlight on Hong Kong’s Domestic Underclass
[This story contains spoilers through the fifth episode of Expats, “Central.”] A show called Expats understandably focuses on the cosmopolitan lives of those privileged enough to make their fortunes abroad, and for most of the Amazon limited series’ six episodes, it does just that, following neighbors Margaret (Nicole Kidman) and Hilary (Sarayu Blue). The two […]
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IATSE, Low Budget Film Producers Form Working Group to Combat Harassment and Abuse on Set
Last month, Anita Hill’s Hollywood Commission released the sobering findings from its most recent survey into workplace abuse: Most of the 5,000-plus respondents said that they were now better informed on how to identify misconduct, but they had little faith in employers’ and the industry’s ability to address the behavior. At the time, Hill told […]
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