BlackFilmAndTV.com‘s Wilson Morales is reporting more than 50 film and television projects written, produced, directed and or starring Black talent in prominent roles are currently running or are launching between now and winter. Morales writes:
“When the pandemic hit back in March and theaters nationwide and internationally started to shut down, streaming platforms and VOD became the home for a boatload of films, namely independent films. Most of the big budgeted studio films have been shifted to 2021 in the hopes that a vaccine would come in time for theaters to be open at 50% capacity. It’s October now and while some theaters are open, with the exception of New York City and California, not enough folks are flocking to see films at a big screen with cushy seats and popcorn. With Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Apple TV+, Disney+, Peacock and HBO Max to name a few, a great deal of films have found homes for filmmakers and talent to be discovered and and some careers reignited.”
Check out a few of TBW’s favorites:
The 40 Year-Old Version
Release Date: October 9, 2020
Studio: Netflix
Producers: Lena Waithe, Jordan Fudge, Radha Blank, Inuka Bacote-Capiga, Jennifer Semler, and Rishi Rajani
Director: Radha Blank
Screenwriters: Radha Blank
Starring: Radha Blank, Peter Kim, Oswin Benjamin, Imani Lewis, Haskiri Velazquez, Antonio Ortiz, TJ Atoms, Reed Birney, and Jacob Ming-Trent
Radha, a down-on-her-luck NY playwright, is desperate for a breakthrough before 40. But when she foils what seems like her last shot at success, she’s left with no choice but to reinvent herself as rapper RadhaMUSPrime. The Forty-Year-Old Version follows Radha as she vacillates between the worlds of Hip Hop and theater on a quest to find her true voice.
Charm City Kings
Release Date: October 9, 2020
Distributor: HBO Max
Producer: Caleeb Pinkett, Clarence Hammond and Marc Bienstock
Director: Angel Manuel Soto
Screenwriters: Sherman Payne, with a story by Chris Boyd & Kirk Sullivan and Barry Jenkins
Starring: Jahi Di’Allo Winston, Meek Mill, Will Catlett, Donielle Hansley, Kezii Curtis, Chino, Lakeyria “Wheelie Queen” Doughty and Teyonah Parris.
Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith and James Lassiter executive produced through their company Overbrook Entertainment.
In the film, Mouse (Di’Allo Winston) desperately wants to join The Midnight Clique, an infamous group of Baltimore dirt bike riders who rule the summertime streets. When Midnight’s leader, Blax (Meek Mill), takes 14-year-old Mouse under his wing, Mouse soon finds himself torn between the straight-and-narrow and a road filled with fast money and violence.
Freedia Got a Gun
Release Date: October 15, 2020
Studio: Peacock & World of Wonder
Producers: Fenton Bailer & Randy Barbato (World of Wonder), Chris McKim
Director: Chris McKim
Starring: Big Freedia
FREEDIA GOT A GUN dives into this country’s centuries-long struggle with gun violence and its ties back to race and toxic masculinity. Devastated after learning her brother Adam was murdered, New Orleans bounce legend Big Freedia uses her platform to raise awareness about the complexities of gun violence. As Freedia shares her personal journey from growing up gay in the projects through Hurricane Katrina and chasing her musical dreams, she delves deep into the first-hand experiences she and the community have had with gun violence, seeking to uncover the causes behind it.
Check out the complete list here. What are your favorites on this list? Let us know on Twitter @TheBurtonWire.
This post was curated by Nsenga K. Burton, founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on Twitter @Ntellectual.
