Valerie Complex

Orion has acquired 'If I Had Your Face,' a 2023 Black List horror script by Ran Ran Wang. The film is in the vein of Jordan Peele’s 2017 debut 'Get Out.'

Tioleja Films has optioned four of author Gabriel Souleyka‘s novels: Solitude, My Soul is a Witness, Akoni Yoruba, and Toya for cinematic adaptation.

The Native American Media Alliance (NAMA) has revealed the four selected fellows for the 7th Annual Native American Feature Film Writers Lab.

5 Point Film, in collaboration with Fat Tire and Mountains of Color Film Festival, has revealed the recipients of the second annual Wading for Change BIPOC Filmmakers Grant. This grant, established by Sofia Jaramillo and Jr Rodriguez, aims to center BIPOC voices within the adventure film industry. The $20,000 grant has been split between two […]

Stowe Story Labs announced the 2024 Stowe Launch Fellows and Selected Projects, with the support of the National Endowment of the Arts.

EXCLUSIVE: Marketing executive and entrepreneur Akbar Hamid in collaboration with indie film distribution executive Evan Schwartz are set to launch F.L.U.I.D., a production company, film fund and community resource dedicated to centering LGBTQIA+ filmmakers, storytellers and artists. F.L.U.I.D. will formally launch Friday with an event following the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures‘ 25th anniversary screening […]

EXCLUSIVE: The Pasifika Entertainment Advancement Komiti has revealed its inaugural PEAK Writers Fellowship class. Supported by Netflix, the new fellowship discovers and nurtures six emerging Pasifika writers who are looking to launch their careers in television. Founded by PEAK co-founder, director, screenwriter and showrunner Dana Ledoux Miller, this is the only writing program in Hollywood […]

Dolly de Leon received her long-overdue international breakout role in Ruben Östlund’s 2022 feature Triangle Of Sadness.

EXCLUSIVE: The 48th San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival aka Frameline48 wrapped over the weekend and presented it awards after a slate of 120 in-person screenings and programs featuring international LGBTQ+ filmmakers and Bay Area artists. Frameline48 highlights included a 30th anniversary screening of the 4K restoration of Go Fish; the “queer premiere” of Anthony […]

The nominations for the eighth annual Black Reel Television Awards are out. Topping the list is Genius: MLK/X, Season 4 of National Geographic’s biographical series, and Abbott Elementary is next with 12. Amazon’s Prime Video leads all networks with 19 noms, fueled Gen V, I’m a Virgo, Them: The Scare and Mr. and Mrs. Smith. […]

Rosario Dawson and Jesse Williams are among eight recipients of Tribeca Festival’s fourth annual Harry Belafonte Voices for Social Justice Award.

In Marissa Maltz’s Jazzy, the enchanting sequel to The Unknown Country, audiences are treated to a heartfelt exploration of childhood in the picturesque landscapes of South Dakota. This delightful film, which premiered at Tribeca, follows the titular character through the various seasons of her life from ages 8 to 12, capturing the essence of what […]

Hello, and welcome to the Scene 2 Seen Podcast! I am your host Valerie Complex, an associate editor and film writer at Deadline. Today, I’m chatting with Prentice Penny, an Emmy nominated, Peabody, and Golden Globe winning writer-director-producer who has brought his unique voice and sensibilities to some of today’s most beloved film and TV […]

The WIF Help Line will now become the Entertainment Industry Helpline, and its operations will be transferred to the Hollywood Commission.

EXCLUSIVE: Donni Davy, co-founder of beauty brand Half Magic Beauty and lead makeup designer for HBO’s Euphoria, has signed with CAA. Beyond her work on Euphoria, the two-time Emmy-winning makeup artist’s endeavors include co-designing looks for Christian Cowan’s runway show at NYFW 2024, and working with CAA clients Kate Hudson for the cover of InStyle and […]

EXCLUSIVE: Quiver Distribution has acquired North American rights for filmmaker and actress Nicki Micheaux’s coming-of-age love story, Summer of Violence. The film stars Kasey Inez, Jahking Guillory, Madhulika Krishnan, Pedro Correa, and Damon Gupton, and will next appear at the Black Girls Rock! Film Festival June 21-23 in Atlanta, GA. The film follows a young […]

EXCLUSIVE: Mike Gauyo (Insecure, Ginny & Georgia, Send Help) and screenwriter talent-discovery platform Coverfly has partnered with the Black Boy Writes Media banner for the fourth year of the Black Boy Writes & Black Girl Writes Mentorship Initiative. The initiative, which launched at the start of 2021, is dedicated to supplying industry access and resources […]

We’re finally getting a glimpse of Tyler Perry’s latest film Divorce In the Black with the release of a new trailer.

EXCLUSIVE: Lilly Wachowski has joined the untitled Chicago-based queer documentary as executive producer under her Anarchists United Studios banner. The documentary, which is in production and seeking donations and private investment, comes from directors Shelley Gustavson and Curtis Matzke and highlights Leslie Anderson, a conservator who studies a generation of Leathermen and Leatherwomen lost to […]

EXCLUSIVE: On the heels of her directorial and writing debut with Fresh Kills, SAG Award-winning actress, director and producer Jennifer Esposito has signed to direct Shake, which is written by Ryan Binaco (To Leslie). The synopsis: Shake was nobody when she made her name in Philly. That name was the mob boss’ lady. It brought money, power […]