Most know her as Rachel Robinson in “42,” opposite the late, great Chadwick Boseman, and Abbie Mills on “Sleepy Hollow,” but Nicole Beharie is ready to take center stage with her turn as Turquoise Jones in Channing Godfrey People‘s “Miss Juneteenth.” Thanks to this film, Beharie, a graduate of Julliard, gets a chance to inject some life into a career that faced some hurdles after she spoke out about her working conditions during “Sleepy Hollow.” In “Miss Juneteenth,” Beharie plays Turquoise Jones.

Continue reading Nicole Behaire Talks ‘Miss Juneteenth,’ Blending Into Communities & More [Interview] at The Playlist.

The newly rebranded Gotham Film and Media Institute announced the winners of the 30th Annual Gotham Awards on Monday night and it was a bit of a bumpy zoom ride. While some presenters were on hand at the award show’s traditional locale, Cipriani’s New York, the nominees were entirely live on zoom. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it was, for lack of a better word, unique. Despite the technical confusion, “Nomadland” was the big winner taking Best Feature and the Audience Award.

Continue reading ‘Nomadland’ Wins Best Feature & Audience Award At 30th Gotham Awards at The Playlist.

Though certain segments of social media might disagree, it’s always a good thing when there are more inclusivity and diversity in the film industry. This is just a fact. More perspectives mean more stories and more interesting films. And thankfully, as a new study points out, in terms of female representation behind the camera, the film industry continues to gain more inclusivity.

READ MORE: The 25 Best Films Of 2020

A new study from San Diego State University claims that the total number of female directors and female filmmakers (in general) grew in 2020 from previous highs in 2019.

Continue reading Female Directors Helmed More Major Films Than Ever Before In 2020 at The Playlist.

I will spare you the introduction that I am sure you knew would begin this piece. You know it all already, because we lived it together. This year just wouldn’t end. The real world was literally nightmarish for millions of people. If any movies gave you solace, I’m glad to hear it. Here are the top 10 that found their way into my heart. 

READ MORE: The 25 Best Films Of 2020

Click here to follow along with our various Best of 2020 lists.

Continue reading Roxana Hadadi’s Best Films Of 2020 at The Playlist.

What’s most notable about 2020’s slate of great performances is the element of surprise. Sure, most anybody betting on Frances McDormand being heaped with praise at year-end will likely win their bets. But 2020’s best films range so far in terms of their “stuff”—themes, style, genre, atmosphere—that it stands to reason the best performances should range, too, in terms of gravity and veterancy. The Playlist’s picks for 2020’s best performances oscillate from bubbly to brooding, effervescent to angry, calm to utterly petrified; the actors responsible for these performances range from newcomers to old stalwarts, talents developing their careers and legends at the peak of theirs. 

Continue reading The 20 Best Performances Of 2020 at The Playlist.

The new film “Miss Juneteenth” was released on the 155th anniversary of the first Juneteenth, a holiday celebrating the delayed freedom of enslaved Black people in 1865. This film not only arrived on this anniversary, but at a time during which there’s a worldwide reckoning and realization that, while enslaved Black folks may have been freed in 1865, systemic racism perpetuates grave injustices, and in some cases different forms of enslavement (as in the 13th Amendment within the United States’ Constitution), for Black people across the globe.  

Continue reading Nicole Beharie Talks ‘Miss Juneteenth,’ The Importance Of Community & More [Interview] at The Playlist.

Juneteenth first became recognized as a national holiday in 1980. But it’s been a part of the fabric of Texas culture well before that. Also known as Freedom Day, Juneteenth is the celebration of the announced and enforced freedom of enslaved people in 1865—more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. The enforced aspect is critical – many slave owners chose to not follow the executive order to keep what they viewed as “their property.” Generations later, Juneteenth is being celebrated by many Black Americans in lieu of the Fourth of July.

Continue reading ‘Miss Juneteenth’ Is A Quiet, Beautiful Story Of Independence & Growth [Review] at The Playlist.

June isn’t off to a particularly great start, following the already awful events of the rest of the year so far, but if there’s anything to look forward to it’s some terrific films scheduled for release this month.

From the latest films by Spike Lee and Josephine Decker to festival favorites that built buzz in the last year, there’s plenty to engage in. Things are far from “back to normal” as it pertains to theater-going (and likely won’t be getting there anytime soon,) but if we’re looking to seek out comfort in art, it’s comforting to know that the quality of the films being released isn’t diminishing – far from it.

Continue reading 8 Films To See In June: ‘Staten Island,’ ‘Artemis Fowl’ & More at The Playlist.

It’s not a shocking revelation to find out that a parent wants their child to have more than they ever did. No matter if you’re someone struggling to pay your bills, living paycheck to paycheck, or if you have incredible wealth, a parent’s goal is to make sure their child doesn’t face hardship that could be prevented. And that love between a parent and child is the focus of the new drama, “Miss Juneteenth.”

READ MORE: ‘Antebellum’ Trailer: Lionsgate’s Delayed Thriller Gets A New Theatrical Date In August

As seen in the trailer for the film, “Miss Juneteenth” follows the story of a former beauty pageant winner that is barely getting by years after winning the prestigious event.

Continue reading ‘Miss Juneteenth’ Trailer: A Mother Wants A Better Future For Her Daughter In This Sundance Standout at The Playlist.

Academy snubs be damned, 2019 was a spectacular end to a decade of outstanding films directed by women. Joanna Hogg reinvented visual memoir with “The Souvenir,” Lulu Wang challenged American conceptions of family and death in “The Farewell,” and Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women” adaptation upended one of the most iconic American novels by and about a woman.

Continue reading 52 Films Directed By Women To Watch In 2020 at The Playlist.