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HBO Max has released a trailer and key art for The Runaway Bunny, an animated special based on the classic children’s book by Margaret Wise Brown. Tracee Ellis Ross narrates and performs an original lullaby by Brown in the special which premieres March 25 on HBO Max. The special also includes songs performed by Grammy-winning artists Mariah Carey, Kelly Rowland, Rosanne Cash, Ziggy Marley and Kimya Dawson, as well as Grammy nominees Rufus Wainwright and Michael Kiwanuka.

Originally published in 1942 by HarperCollins Publishers, the book has sold over 12 million copies and continues to enchant generations of children. The Runaway Bunny, through the use of hand-drawn animation, brings the illustrations of Clement Hurd and the poetry of Brown to animated life for the first time. Featuring a restless little bunny who dreams of leaving home, the film is an exploration of love and childhood. Woven throughout the story are songs that...

Varèse Sarabande Records has announced the upcoming CD release of Dracula 2000 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Academy Award®-nominated Marco Beltrami. The limited edition soundtack will be released on July 24, as a standalone record for the first time ever—with only 1,000 copies available. With the announcement of this exciting upcoming release, pre-order is available now on varesesarabande.com.

Dracula 2000 made its official CD debut in Varèse Sarabande’s sold-out 2016 box set, “Little Box of Horrors.” The album was mastered by James Nelson from sources provided by Marco Beltrami. The CD booklet includes extensive liner notes by film music journalist Daniel Schweiger.

Marco Beltrami has received Academy Award®-nominations for his iconic scores to 3:10 to Yuma and The Hurt Locker. He has also lent his voice to such hit films as Live Free or Die Hard, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, I, Robot and the Scream series.

See...

The UK sales outfit will be introducing the project to buyers at the Cannes virtual Marche.

Bankside Films has taken worldwide sales to UK writer-director Stacey Gregg’s feature debut Here Before starring Andrea Riseborough.

The UK sales outfit will be introducing the project and showing a promo to buyers at the Cannes virtual Marche running June 22-26. It has released a first look image [see above].

Here Before is in post-production after shooting in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and stars Riseborough with Jonjo O’Neill, Martin McCann, Eileen O’Higgins, and newcomer Niamh Dornan.

Gregg’s previous work as a theatre and television writer-director...

The first international festival to have taken the virtual route amid the coronavirus crisis, Series Mania’s digital edition has been hailed as a success by organizers with 1,500 participants registered from 40 countries and the equivalent of 106 days of screenings. However, challenges securing some key titles for the platform point to enduring challenges for online fests in the months ahead.

All but one show in the French competition lineup and half of the international competition roster were not made available on the festival’s platform, which was accessible to industry professionals and journalists from March 25 to April 7.

Netflix’s “Unorthodox,” Fremantle’s “No Man’s Land,” WestEnd Films’ “Valley of Tears,” ITV Studios’ “Little Birds,” Amazon’s “El Presidente” and France Televisions Distribution’s “The Parliament” were among the anticipated shows that were not on the platform despite being in competition.

Laurence Herszberg, founder and head of Series Mania, acknowledges that these were hurdles for the event.

While European actors have long been mainstays on American television, recent years have seen American stars gaining traction as the leads in international productions. Sandra Oh’s award-winning turn in “Killing Eve,” Carrie Anne Moss in “Wisting,” Anna Paquin in “Flack” and Rob Lowe in “Wild Bill” are just a few examples of familiar Hollywood faces popping up on screens around Europe.

Their inclusion raises profile domestically, but crucially, it also helps to bolster the content internationally and secure the sales that help finance the shows.

This year, there is a new crop of well-known North American actors making an appearance in European projects: BBC series “World on Fire,” which stars Oscar winner Helen Hunt, premiered in the U.K. last September and will have its American debut on PBS this April. Meanwhile, Finnish fish-out-of-water comedy “Californian Commando,” starring American YouTube sensation Kian Lawley, is looking for its international home after premiering domestically in February,...

Coronavirus has claimed another victim in the TV industry events space after Series Mania was canceled on Wednesday.

The decision was made after the French government banned public gatherings with 1,000 people or more to stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus.

Series Mania was due to launch on March 20 and host world premieres of shows including Eva Green drama The Luminaries and Sky Atlantic’s Little Birds, while Breaking Bad star Giancarlo Esposito was jetting in as a gues to honor.

Series Mania president Rodolphe Belmer said: “Due to the recent restriction from the French government banning gatherings of more than 1,000 people, coupled with the travel restrictions for many of our international participants, we have made the difficult decision to cancel Series Mania.”

Founder and director general Laurence Herszberg added: “To our audiences, professionals, politicians, and industry leaders, we will be back stronger than ever in 2021 for a new edition that will be,...

‘Buffalo.’

Porchlight Films’ Buffalo, an espionage thriller set during the British nuclear tests in outback South Australia in the 1950s, will have its world premiere at Series Mania in France next month.

Commissioned by the ABC, the six-part series from writer-director Peter Duncan stars Ewen Leslie, Jessica de Gouw and James Cromwell.

Buffalo (formerly Fallout) and See-Saw Films’ The End, the assisted dying family drama created by Samantha Strauss for Foxtel and the UK’s Sky, will both screen in the International Panorma section.

In addition, Lingo Pictures’ Upright will play in the Midnight Comedies sidebar and Playmaker Media’s The Commons will screen in the International Showcase.

Blackfella Films’ Total Control will have its European premiere in special screenings, attended by Rachel Griffiths (who is serving on the international jury) and Darren Dale. Lingo Pictures’ Helen Bowden will sit on the international short films jury.

Set in 1956 at the...

UK projects are Channel 4’s Adult Material and Sky’s Little Birds.

The line-up for the 2020 edition of Series Mania, which runs March 20-28 in Lille, has been unveiled.

The competition features the world premieres of two UK series’; Channel 4’s Adult Material, created by Lucy Kirkwood and starring Haley Squires; and Sophia Al-Maria’s Little Birds, which is based on the short story by Anais Nin, broadcast on Sky and starring Juno Temple.

Other highlights in the competition include Israel’s biggest budget drama series Valley Of Tears starring Lior Ashkenazi; German Netflix series Unorthodox from Anna Winger,...

Paris — “Narcos” showrunner Chris Brancato and “Godfather of Harlem” star Giancarlo Esposito, actors Carole Bouquet and Zabou Breitman, and the cast and crew behind the Canal Plus series “The Bureau” will be among the many guest of honor at this year’s Series Mania, which will kick off its 11th edition on March 20.

Returning to the north-eastern French city of Lille, Series Mania will once again offer a broad cross-section of international scripted dramas, with a selection culled from 25 different countries including Chile, Peru, Niger, Senegal and South Korea, alongside high profile productions from the U.S., the U.K. and France.

Among the 38 productions world premiering in Lille, the BBC/Tvnz literary adaption “The Luminaries,” with Eva Green, will play as opening series while the closer remains unannounced.

Once again, Netflix makes a strong showing this year. Beyond bringing the cast and crew of their Paris-set drama “The Eddy,...

International TV event Series Mania has unveiled its 2020 lineup, which boasts world premieres for dramas including The Luminaries, Little Birds and Adult Material.

The event is staged in Lille, northern France, between March 20-28, and is becoming an increasingly prominent part of the international TV calendar, taking place in the week before Mip TV.

Tom Perrotta, creator of HBO’s The Leftovers, will serve as president of the International Competition jury, while guests of honor will include Breaking Bad star Giancarlo Esposito.

BBC Two’s The Luminaries will be screened as part of the opening and closing ceremonies. Based on Eleanor Catton’s 2013 novel of the same name, the six-part season stars Eva Green and is made by Working Title Television.

As part of the International Competition, Sky Atlantic’s Little Birds, a Warp Films adaptation of Anais Nin’s collection of erotic short stories starring Juno Temple, and Channel 4...

“Mayans M.C.” co-creator Elgin James has signed a multi-year overall deal with Fox 21 Television Studios that will have him develop, write, and direct projects for television and streaming services.

“I am deeply grateful for the endless support Dana Walden has shown me from the beginning, and the trust Bert Salke, Craig Hunegs, Jane Frances and everyone else at Fox 21 and Disney continue to show,” James said in a statement. “They took a shot on me a few years ago and have tirelessly championed me ever since. I’m honored and excited to be able to call Fox 21 Television Studios home and to continue this journey with these incredibly protective and creative partners.”

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. James previously served as a writer on the films “Lowriders” and “Little Birds” and directed the latter. Amazon Prime Video announced James would partner with Stephen Merchant (“The Office”) to create “The Offenders,...

Elgin James, the co-creator of FX’s “Sons of Anarchy” spinoff “Mayans Mc,” has signed a multi-year overall deal with Fox 21 Television Studios.

Under the pact, James will work development, writing and directing for TV and streaming projects for the studio. James is now the sole showrunner on the upcoming third season of “Mayans Mc,” following the firing of Kurt Sutter.

“I am deeply grateful for the endless support Dana Walden has shown me from the beginning, and the trust Bert Salke, Craig Hunegs, Jane Francis and everyone else at Fox 21 and Disney continue to show,” James said in a statement. “They took a shot on me a few years ago and have tirelessly championed me ever since. I’m honored and excited to be able to call Fox 21 Television studios home and to continue this journey with these incredibly protective and creative partners.”

Also Read: Kurt...

Mayans M.C. co-creator and showrunner Elgin James is expanding his relationship with Fox 21 Television Studios, signing a multi-year overall deal with the studio behind the Sons of Anarchy spinoff. The pact covers development, writing and directing for television and streaming projects.

James took over as showrunner for season 3 of Mayans M.C. last November following the firing of series co-creator Kurt Sutter.

“I am deeply grateful for the endless support Dana Walden has shown me from the beginning, and the trust Bert Salke, Craig Hunegs, Jane Frances and everyone else at Fox 21 and Disney continue to show. They took a chance on me a few years ago and have tirelessly championed me ever since. I’m honored and excited to be able to call Fox 21 Television studios home and to continue this journey with these incredibly protective and creative partners.”

Sutter was let go at the end of season 2 of Mayans M.

Gregg’s feature debut will be in production for four weeks in and around Northern Ireland’s capital. Northern Irish filmmaker Stacey Gregg, best known for her work as a writer for the TV series Little Birds, Rivera and The Innocents, is finally working on her feature debut, a thriller entitled Here Before. Principal photography started last week and will continue for about a month in and around Belfast. The movie was provided with development funding by Northern Ireland Screen and the iFeatures scheme, run by Creative England with support from the BFI, BBC Films and ScreenSkills. It is the first film from the initiative’s fifth slate of funding to move to the production stage. The story, penned by the director herself, centres on a bereaved mother (played by Andrea Riseborough), who begins to question her life after new neighbours move in next door. The cast also features actors Jonjo O’Neill (The.

The film is writer-director Stacey Gregg’s feature debut.

Andrea Riseborough has signed to star in Stacey Gregg’s feature debut Here Before, which is now shooting in Belfast for four weeks.

The film is the first to head into production from the fifth run of Creative England’s low-budget feature scheme iFeatures, which took place in 2018. The BFI and BBC Films have again committed to producing at least three projects from the 12-strong slate.

Here Before is produced by Julia Godzinskaya and Sophie Vickers of the UK’s Rooks Nest Entertainment. Financing comes from BBC Films, Pia Pressure and Northern Ireland Screen.

Production is underway on Brit thriller Here Before, the feature debut of writer and director Stacey Gregg, starring Andrea Riseborough (Birdman).

Jonjo O’Neill (The Fall), Martin McCann (Calibre) and Eileen O’Higgins (Brooklyn) round out the cast on the production which will shoot in and around Belfast for four weeks.

After new neighbours move in next door, a bereaved mother, played by Riseborough, begins to question her reality in the psychological thriller written and directed by Belfast born and based Gregg.

Most recently, Gregg co-directed stage play Inside Bitch for the Royal Court Theatre and Clean Break. Her writing credits include Sophia Al-Maria’s series Little Birds currently shooting with Juno Temple and Riviera, both for Sky Atlantic; as well as The Innocents and on the new Charlie Covell series Kaos for Netflix.

Pic is produced by Julia Godzinskaya and Sophie Vickers of Rooks Nest Entertainment (The Witch), who recently wrapped...

Joseph Baxter Nov 5, 2019

FX is moving forward with a third season of Mayans Mc, having recently cut loose co-creator/showrunner Kurt Sutter.

Mayans Mc Season 3 is officially a go at FX, set to arrive in fall 2020!

FX’s third season renewal of Mayans Mc – a spinoff of 2008-2014’s Sons of Anarchy – arrives in the aftermath of the headline-making hullabaloo of behind-the-scenes tension that culminated in the firing of the maestro of the motorcycle gang mythology, Kurt Sutter, from his position as showrunner for what the now-contrite co-creator called “being an abrasive dick.” However, the show will go on, likely in the same spirit, since the network subsequently promoted Sutter’s spinoff collaborator in co-creator/executive producer Elgin James to showrunner, now set to tackle Mayans Mc Season 3.

As Nick Grad, President, Original Programming, FX Entertainment, expresses in a statement:

“We’re happy to continue telling the story of Mayans M.

Sky Studios is launching a new Innovation Hub in Leeds, the northern English city that is also set to become the new headquarters of British pubcaster Channel 4. Sky Studios, the production arm of pay-tv giant Sky, said Wednesday that the new regional hub would focus on talent development, scripted partnerships and new content experiences, creating new original drama, comedy and scripted ideas for Sky and its customers.

The hub will be headed by executive producer Vicky Wharton, who has worked as a development executive, script editor and drama producer on shows including “Murphy’s Law” and Hulu’s “Harlots.”

“Our aim at Sky Studios Innovation Hub is to support creative risk from ambitious, diverse talent through mentoring, and forging unconventional ways to allow the very best talent to rise to the top,” Wharton said.

Sky Studios’ move follows British pubcaster Channel 4’s announcement in April that its new headquarters would be based in Leeds.

Exclusive: Billions’ David Costabile, Transparent’s Amy Landecker and Parenthood’s Matt Lauria have joined the cast of Sky Atlantic period drama Little Birds alongside Juno Temple.

The Dirty John star is fronting the adaptation of Anais Nin’s infamous collection of erotic short stories, which is set in Tangier in 1955, in the famous international zone, one of the last outposts of colonial decadence and follows troubled Temple’s American debutante Lucy Savage as she faces a culture shock.

Costabile, who also starred in Breaking Bad, plays Lucy’s larger than life father, Grant Savage, an arms manufacturer who wants to control his daughter, while Landecker, who also starred in Doctor Strange, plays his loquacious wife Vanessa. Having set Lucy up with an English Lord, Hugo Cavendish-Smythe, played by Hugh Skinner, Grant thinks he has a malleable, potentially useful son-in-law but unbeknownst to the Savages, Hugo has already lost his heart to someone else.

Spain’s big shoot business is rocking, galvanized by more regional options and incentives that are highly competitive — at least in rates.

With a long tradition of hosting international productions, Spain earned larger global visibility after “Game of Thrones” filmed there from 2014 to 2018.

Production services has become one of the healthiest audiovisual sectors in Spain, driven by a golden age of local and international TV drama, as well as greater legal stability of its incentives. Spain’s mainland offers 20% tax rebates for international productions, capped at €3 million ($3.4 million); in the Canary Islands, the rate is 40%, with a €5.4 million ($6.1 million) ceiling.

“Tax advantages are attracting all kind of international productions,” says Nostromo’s Adrián Guerra, president of producers’ association Profilm.

“There are so many productions going on all over Spain that it’s becoming difficult to crew up on new productions,” he adds.

Challenges remain. The tax system is predominantly luring low-to-mid-range foreign projects.

Since making her promising directorial debut “Palo Alto” in 2014, Gia Coppola has been slow to release a follow-up. While her next feature is still in development, Coppola stepped back behind the camera for a simple yet stylish music video, debuting exclusively on IndieWire. A member of one of the royal families of cinema, Coppola went old school for the short film, shooting in black-and-white and working with one of her aunt Sofia’s favorite actresses: Elle Fanning.

The video is being released concurrently with Fanning’s latest film, “Teen Spirit,” directed by Max Minghella. The song, “Little Bird,” was written by Annie Lennox and sung by Fanning herself.

In “Teen Spirit,” Fanning plays Violet, “a shy teenager who dreams of escaping her small town and pursuing her passion to sing,” according to the film’s press release. “With the help of an unlikely mentor, she enters a local singing competition that will test her integrity,...

Fresh from the success of drama hits such as Patrick Melrose and A Discovery of Witches, Sky drama chief Cameron Roach is looking to take advantage of a confidence at the Comcast-owned pay-tv giant as it looks to expand its scripted pipeline.

This comes after Roach was promoted to the top drama job, as revealed by Deadline this morning, following the departure of Anne Mensah to Netflix.

Roach, who worked under Mensah for over five years, admits that the next few years at Sky will be more of an “evolution” and a “continuation” of the strategy that the pair built together.

“I don’t think me stepping up means there’s going to be any kind of sea-change. Genuinely, we’re in a very confident place having built this over the last five years and I think now we have a good ecology of returning series and standalone event pieces.

Cameron Roach has been named Sky’s director of drama and head of Sky Studios. On Tuesday, the executive taking Anne Mensah’s old post unveiled his first two original commissions: “Little Birds” for Sky Atlantic and “Intergalactic” for Sky One.

Starring Juno Temple, “Little Birds” is a playful and intensely evocative adaptation of Anais Nin’s infamous collection of erotic short stories, per Sky, written by Sophia Al-Maria and directed by Stacie Passon.

“Intergalactic” is an action-packed sci-fi drama, set in the 23rd century. Written by Julie Gearey, it follows a crew of fierce female convicts who break free and go on the run, heading … intergalactic, Sky wrote in a media release.

Also Read: Anne Mensah Exits as Sky Drama Chief to Join Netflix

Roach has been Sky’s acting head of drama since November, when Mensah left for Netflix. The former teammates worked together on “Tin Star,” “Britannia,...

Exclusive: A period drama starring Dirty John star Juno Temple and a sci-fi drama set in the 23rd Century are the first two original commissions from recently promoted Sky drama chief Cameron Roach.

Temple, who also starred in films such as Antonement and Killer Joe, is fronting Little Birds, an adaptation of Anais Nin’s infamous collection of erotic short stories.

Written by The Girl Who Fell to Earth author Sophia Al-Maria and directed by Billions and House of Cards director Stacie Passon, Little Birds is produced by The Last Panthers and This Is England producer Warp Films. Set in Tangier in 1955, in the famous international zone, one of the last outposts of colonial decadence, it follows troubled American debutante Lucy Savage, played by Temple, as she faces a culture shock.

Thrilled to escape her controlling parents, Savage arrives full of anticipation for her marriage to her English fiancée, Lord Hugo Cavendish-Smythe,...

A former gang member, Elgin James spent a year in prison in 2011 for extortion, just after his film “Little Birds” premiered at Sundance to rave reviews. Here, he talks to Variety’s Debra Birnbaum about his journey out from behind bars to “Mayans M.C.,” the sequel to Kurt Sutter’s “Sons of Anarchy.” James serves as co-creator and an executive producer of “Mayans,” which debuts on FX on Sept. 4.

I’d been out of prison for a few years, and I said that I would never tell stories about violence and gangs in my past. I just wasn’t interested in it. Even the film that I made called “Little Birds,” which was about me and my best friend joining a street gang, I turned into a story about two 15-year-old girls running away. Then I heard that Kurt Sutter was meeting with writers to talk about an idea he...

Exclusive: Lionsgate has acquired Ryan Gattis’ Ya novel Air for Adaptive Studios (Coin Heist, Project Greenlight) and Get Lifted Film Co. (La La Land, Southside with You). The feature will be adapted and directed by Elgin James (Little Birds). The story follows a 17 year-old who witnesses the tragic death of his mother in Colorado and is sent to live with his aunt in inner-city Baltimore where he struggles to fit into a new school and community. A new friend introduces…...

FX’s upcoming spin-off to one of its most popular shows, Sons of Anarchy, is about to go through some serious changes. Kurt Sutter and Elgin James‘ (Little Birds) series, Mayans Mc, is going to recast some major roles and go through reshoots. The entire pilot, in fact, is going to be reshot. Below, get the latest news on the Sons of Anarchy spin-off. […]

The post ‘Sons of Anarchy’ Spin-off ‘Mayans Mc’ to Undergo Recasting and Reshoots appeared first on /Film.

Of the six artists who sang on Tuesday’s edition of “The Voice,” all but one advanced from this blind audition to the Battle Rounds. The lone non-survivor was Stephen Bores, who failed to impress with a rendition of Bob Marley‘s 1980 song “Three Little Birds.” We asked you if the coaches had made a mistake by not turning for him and […]...

Of the six artists who sang on Tuesday’s edition of “The Voice,” all but one advanced from this blind audition to the Battle Rounds. The lone non-survivor was Stephen Bores, who failed to impress with a rendition of Bob Marley‘s 1980 song “Three Little Birds.” But did the coaches make a mistake by not turning for him? Photo Gallery: ‘The […]...

Next month, Kurt Sutter will direct the pilot for the Sons of Anarchy spinoff, Mayans Mc (a working title). Sutter was interested in pursuing a prequel and a spinoff, but the latter became a reality first. Sutter’s latest FX drama, which Elgin James (Little Birds) is the showrunner of, follows the Samcro’s rival gang, Mayans. Edward James Olmos, known for Battlestar Galactica, Blade Runner, […]

The post Edward James Olmos to Co-Star in ‘Sons of Anarchy’ Spinoff appeared first on /Film.

FX and Kurt Sutter’s upcoming drama pilot Mayans MC, a Latino-centric spinoff set within the Sons of Anarchy universe, has located its first star: Edward James Olmos.

Per Deadline, James Olmos has come on board to play the part of Felipe Reyes, a former Mexican patriarch who is now a shadow of his former self. Aiming to keep his life – and more importantly, his son – on the straight and narrow, Mayans MC will chronicle Reyes’ day-to-day struggles as he tries to stay on the right side of the law. And if the core SOA saga is any indication, such an endeavor will be much more difficult than it seems.

Co-created by Sutter and writing partner Elgin James (Little Birds), Mayans MC will largely revolve around Ez Reyes, a young prospect of the Mayan Motorcycle Club, based on the border between California and Mexico. Plotting vengeance against the cartel, FX...

More than a year after the offshoot was first teased, FX has today handed out a pilot order to Mayans Mc, the Latino-centric spinoff rooted in the Sons of Anarchy universe.

Billed as an exciting new chapter in the Soa saga, Variety reports that plans are in place for the pilot to begin filming in March, when series stalwart Kurt Sutter will direct. An early advocate of the continuation, it’s understood Sutter will work from a script he himself penned with Elgin James, a scribe hand-picked for Mayans Mc not only because of his success with Little Birds, but also because Sutter wanted to locate a strong, Latino voice to properly capture the spirit and legacy of the Mayans Motorcycle Club.

It’ll also take place in a post-Jax Teller world, thereby ruling out any form of cameo from Charlie Hunnam, focusing instead on Ez Reyes, a “prospect in...

FX placed a pilot order for Kurt Sutter's Sons of Anarchy spin-off, Mayans Mc, Variety reports.

The show will take place after the events of the Sons of Anarchy finale and focus on the motorcycle club's rivals, the Mayans. In the original show, the California-based Mayans peddled heroin, and in Mayans Mc, one of the members, Ez Reyes will grapple with his desire for revenge against a drug cartel and his need for the women in his life to respect him.

Mayans Mc is scheduled to shoot its pilot in March,...

“Sons of Anarchy” lives on. FX has ordered the pilot “Mayans Mc,” a sequel series from Kurt Sutter and producing partner Elgin James.

Production will begin in March on the pilot, which Sutter co-wrote with James. Sutter will direct the pilot episode and serve as executive producer, while James will be co-executive producer.

Read More: ‘Sons of Anarchy’ Spinoff ‘Mayans Mc’ Gets Script Order, Inches Closer To Series At FX

According to FX, the new show “is set in a post Jax Teller world, where Ez Reyes, a prospect in the Mayan Mc charter on the Cali/Mexi border, struggles with his desire for vengeance against the cartel, and his need for respect from the women he loves.”

The Mayans club was a part of “Sons of Anarchy” and its seven seasons. (The show ended its run in 2014). “I wanted to find a strong, unique Latino voice,” Sutter said of...

Out today is the Blu-ray edition of Game of Thrones: The Complete Sixth Season from HBO Home Entertainment.

We previously reviewed the Digital HD version of the season here but there are new elements to consider with the box set.

The vast majority of Digital HD releases do not come with the bonus features, extra, and Easter Eggs we have come to know and love about the disc format. As a result, the Digital HD version is a nice add-on for on-the-go viewing, but the complete immersive experience, the special features add interviews, behind-the-scenes information, commentary, and deleted scenes to enhance your appreciation of the material. This season set, though, does come with some, but all, the extras found on the Blu-ray box set.

This season was a mixed bag with incredibly strong storytelling undercutting its strength by not surprising us. No one, except readers of the novel, expected...

You won’t be returning to Westeros for new adventures until summer 2017 but our friends at HBO are offering up a copy of the forthcoming Game of Thrones: The Complete Sixth Season. In order to win the prize, you need to tell us which of the many lands or Houses you would most want to live in and why.

Entries must be posted no later than 11:59 p.m. November 20. The contest is open to United States and Canadian readers only. The decision of ComicMix‘s judges will be final.

Digital HD Download

Bran’s Journey – A nine-minute feature delving into the shocking and revelatory journey Bran Stark took in Season 6. The Dothraki World – Behind-the-Scenes featurette bringing viewers up to speed on the Dothraki culture, not seen since Season 1. Inside Game of Thrones: Prosthetics – Behind-the-Scenes featurette detailing what goes into the show’s prosthetics creation. The Game Revealed...

Ubisoft released Rocksmith 2014 Edition back in 2013 to a positive reception, and has continued to release downloadable songs for the real guitar-based rhythm game on a consistent basis since. Now, almost three years after the game’s original release, the publisher has announced plans to add some welcome new features to it, and best of all, it won’t cost existing players a cent.

Rocksmith 2014 Edition – Remastered will launch at retail on October 4, and for those who already own the original version of the game, it will be incorporated for free as part of a software update. While it doesn’t sound like the core gameplay will receive notable changes, what Ubisoft has already announced for the update sounds like a wealth of subtle but welcome additions that will improve the overall experience.

The aim of Remastered seems to be in improving and expanding the capabilities of the core game’s menus and tools.

The life of Brandon Burlsworth stands as one of the most inspiring football stories in the history of the sport, a tale of unrelenting determination and powerful character. Directed by Drew Hunt, the new film “Greater” tells the story of Burlsworth, the greatest walk-on in the history of college football.

Read More: Michael Oher Says ‘The Blind Side’ Has Ruined His Football Career

Known for his distinctive black horn-rimmed glasses, Burlsworth (played by newcomer Christopher Severio) had always dreamed of playing for the Arkansas Razorbacks, but was considered too short and too fat to play Division I football. Undeterred, Brandon took a risk by walking on to the team in 1994. Despite criticism from teammates and coaches alike, Brandon succeeded in the face of staggering odds. By the end of his college career in 1999, Burlsworth was not only a star player in The SEC, but was also a 1st Team All-American.

New York, N.Y., July 18, 2016 – Last year’s Emmy® Award winner for Outstanding Drama Series and currently nominated for 23 2016 Emmy® Awards including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Writing, Outstanding Directing Outstanding Supporting Actress (Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Maisie Williams) and Outstanding Supporting Actor (Peter Dinklage, Kit Harrington), Game of Thrones is bigger than ever delivering “the power and pathos fans have come to expect” (Los Angeles Times). The HBO drama has consistently been the top selling TV on DVD/Bd for the past five years and now fans can get the most recent season earlier than ever when Game of Thrones: The Complete Sixth Season debuts from HBO Home Entertainment on Digital HD on August 1, 2016 and on Blu-ray™ with Digital HD and DVD November 15, 2016. The set features all 10 episodes, plus extensive bonus content:

Digital HD Download

Bran’s Journey – A nine-minute feature delving into the shocking and revelatory journey Bran...

HBO Home Entertainment will bring the “Battle of the Bastards” and much more to home media on August 1st with their Digital HD debut of Game of Thrones Season 6, followed by a November 15th Blu-ray (with Digital HD) and DVD release:

Press Release: Last year’s Emmy® Award winner for Outstanding Drama Series and currently nominated for 23 2016 Emmy® Awards including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Writing, Outstanding Directing Outstanding Supporting Actress (Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Maisie Williams) and Outstanding Supporting Actor (Peter Dinklage, Kit Harrington), Game of Thrones is bigger than ever delivering “the power and pathos fans have come to expect” (Los Angeles Times). The HBO drama has consistently been the top selling TV on DVD/Bd for the past five years and now fans can get the most recent season earlier than ever when Game of Thrones: The Complete Sixth Season debuts from HBO Home Entertainment on Digital...

Strange Little Birds is the title of alt-rock band Garbage’s most recent album after four years away from the music scene. Shirley Manson and co. cast a glance to their earlier work, making a conscious effort to bridge the band’s early sound on their self-titled debut, released 21 years ago, and their latest creation. ‘Strange Little Birds’ by […]

The post ‘Strange Little Birds’ By Garbage Album Review: Their Darkest and Most Meditative Album Yet appeared first on uInterview.

FX Networks has officially begun script development on the long-rumored "Sons of Anarchy" spinoff "Mayans Mc".

Kurt Sutter and "Little Birds" helmer Elgin James co-created and produce the project described as a "dark, visceral family drama that takes a new look at the most American of icons, the 1% outlaw, this time reflected through a Latino lens." James will pen the pilot script.

The Mayans were pivotal recurring players on 'Sons' over the course of seven seasons which still stands as the highest-rated drama series in FX Networks' history.

Source: Variety...

After seven gripping seasons on the small-screen, viewers bid farewell to the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club two years ago, as FX closed the book on its rip-roaring family drama with aplomb.

In those intervening years, mooted reports of a sequel or some form of spinoff began to gain serious traction, with fans chomping at the bit to learn any potential details regarding setting, characters and perhaps most important of all, which biker gang would anchor said continuation.

Answering most of those questions today, FX has officially nailed down plans for Mayans Mc, a Soa offshoot billed as a “dark, visceral family drama that takes a new look at the most American of icons, the 1% outlaw, this time, reflected through a Latino lens.”

Series creator Kurt Sutter, who nurtured Mayans Mc during its formative years in development, has also handpicked up-and-coming writer Elgin James, best known for 2012’s indie drama Little Birds.

FX Networks has begun formal script development on the long-rumored Mayans spinoff series from Kurt Sutter’s hit biker drama Sons of Anarchy. The offshoot, titled Mayans Mc, will be co-created by Sutter and Elgin James (Little Birds), with James writing the pilot script and both producing. Soa studios Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions are back for Mayans Mc. In the spirit of Sons of Anarchy, Mayans Mc will be a dark, visceral family drama that takes a new look…...

FX is revving up its Mayans-centric Sons of Anarchy spinoff.

The cabler announced Wednesday that Soa creator Kurt Sutter has handpicked up-and-coming writer Elgin James to pen the pilot for the potential series, which has been titled Mayans Mc. Sutter will be credited as a co-creator alongside James.

RelatedPost Mortem: Sons of Anarchy Ep on ‘Shakespearean’ Finale, Audience Satisfaction and That Crazy Car Chase

FX, meanwhile, calls Mayans Mc “a dark, visceral family drama that takes a new look at the most American of icons, the 1% outlaw, this time, reflected through a Latino lens.”

On his decision to hire James,...

Social media is dark and full of terrors spoilers. To avoid spoiling the fun for fans on the west coast and those who have to wait to beg, borrow, or steal an HBO Go password, this season I’m confining my stream-of-consciousness thoughts to this liveblog. Follow along or flee in fear. Here there be spoilers! Catch up on Episode Two, 'Home,' over here. ******************** [8:55 Pm Edt] - I should've gotten hazard pay for even having to watch the last five minutes of The Fantastic Four. [9:02 Pm Edt] - No one cares about anything but the Tower of Joy. Move it along, "Previously On." Wait. We're getting more Sam? Are we going to Oldtown too!?!? [9:06Pm Edt] - Jon Snow is confused, naked, full of bloody holes, and cold. That'd be enough to cause anyone to panic, without the "back from the dead" part. No no. No one cares if you remember that Olly is an asshole.

Glee alum Melissa Benoist is about to blow up. She earned strong reviews for a supporting turn in Whiplash, is leading CBS’ high-profile Supergirl series this fall and just locked down another promising project in Lowriders, from Universal Pictures, Blumhouse and Imagine Entertainment.

Reteaming with Blumhouse after the studio produced Whiplash, Benoist will play a key female role in the pic, which centers on a teen who is forced to pick between his traditional father and gangbanger brother, both of whom are competing in the annual lowrider “Supershow.” The movie is aiming to explore the re-emerging low-rider culture in Eastern Los Angeles’ Latino communities.

Demian Bichir, Eva Longoria, Tony Revolori, Gabriel Chavarria, Theo Rossi and Yvette Monreal are all already attached. Ricardo de Montreuil (Máncora) has come aboard to direct the pic, working from a script by Josh Bierne-Gordon and Justin Tipping (Nani, upcoming Kicks). Earlier versions of the script...

[Editor's Note: This post is presented in partnership with Time Warner Cable Movies On Demand in support of Indie Film Month. Today's pick, "Spare Parts," is available now On Demand. Need help finding a movie to watch? Let TWC find the best fit for your mood here.] What do you get when you mix George Lopez, the dramatic true story of inner city kids inspired by their substitute teacher and an underwater robotics competition? "Spare Parts," the new film from director Sean McNamara ("Soul Surfer") that stars George Lopez ("Lopez Tonight," "Rio") Jamie Lee Curtis ("True Lies," "New Girl"), Carlos PenaVega ("Little Birds," "Big Time Rush") and Marisa Tomei ("Crazy, Stupid Love," "The Wrestler"). Here's the official synopsis: "When four wildly different high schoolers team up to enter a robotics competition against the nation's top tech colleges, no one believes they...

Despite the numerous opportunities out there, most aspiring filmmakers looking for support and mentorship know that the Sundance Institute’s January Screenwriters Lab and June Directing Lab have been two of the most important talent development initiatives in the independent film world for over 30 years. The great quality of the projects that have been workshopped and propelled through these programs have given us some of the most iconic films and filmmakers in recent memory.

But the institute’s commitment to provide opportunities for new voices that represent an eclectic array of background and experiences goes even further with other, lesser known, initiatives that have the potential to become turning points in the artists' careers. Of these, one of the most exciting programs is the Screenwriters Intensive, which is part the Sundance Institute's Diversity Initiative. This is of course a resource that is not only valuable, but crucial as we try to become a more inclusive society that is appreciative and welcoming of stories that exist beyond the mainstream, homogenous noise.

The Screenwriters Intensive is a 1 1/2 day workshop for writers whose work has been encountered by the institute as part of their outreach for the Labs and which they find especially promising. The writers of 10 projects take part in a program whose elements include a hands-on writing workshop led by creative advisor Joan Tewkesbury (“Nashville”), a screening of a recent Sundance film followed by a candid conversation with the filmmaker, a reception with Sundance staff and the extended Sundance community, and one-on-one meetings with two creative advisors to get feedback on their script. With the Intensive, the Sundance Institute aims to present participants with creative tools that they can take back to their own work, provide a space for dialogue and information sharing about the creative process of making a film (and all of the joys and challenges therein), and foster community among storytellers and an ongoing connection with Sundance.

This year the film screened was Rick Famuyiwa’s “Dope,” which premiered earlier this year in Park City and won a Special Jury Prize for Editing. Following the screening Famuyiwa shared anecdotes about the film’s production and the perseverance needed to stand by the core values of his project in spite of outside opposition. Later that evening, during a casual and highly interactive reception, the fellows had the chance to discuss their latest breakthroughs and newly found questions regarding their personal projects with the institute’s staff and other members of the independent film community. Chatting with them, and having witnessed some of the poignant exercises Ms. Tewkesbury uses in the past, there is not doubt in my mind that this was a groundbreaking experience for the entire group.

The following morning the fellows returned to the institute’s L.A offices to have on-on-one conversations with two advisors from a group of talented and achieved professionals that included Kyle Patrick Alvarez (“The Stanford Prison Expriemnt”), Patricia Cardoso (“Real Women Have Curves“),the aforementioned director Rick Famuyiwa (“Dope”), Deena Goldstone (“Identity Theft”), Tanya Hamilton (“Night Catches Us”), Felicia Henderson (“Gossip Girl”), Elgin James (“Little Birds”), Craig Johnson (“The Skeleton Twins”), Kyle Killen (“The Beaver”), Adam Bhala Lough (“Bomb the System”), Joan Tewkesbury herself, and Ligiah Villalobos (“Under the Same Moon”).

The Screenwriters Intensive fellows come from uniquely different backgrounds, and their projects bring original stories that are sure to showcase new and inventive perspectives on the world. Get to know them and their stories as they are on their way to giving us a great batch of new independent films.

To learn more about the Sundance Institute's programs visit Here

Tara Anaise

Project: "Bombay Stories"

Tara Anaïse is an award-winning writer/director whose first feature, "Dark Mountain," was released by Gravitas Ventures in August of 2014. Other recent work includes the upcoming thriller "Housekeeping," on which she’s a producer, and which is set to be released by Lions Gate in late March of 2015. Her short films have screened at festivals worldwide. Tara is currently developing several new projects, including a post-apocalyptic road movie with a female lead who drives a muscle car and kicks a**, and a romantic drama set in Mumbai in both 1968 and the present day that’s loosely based on her own family’s history. She holds an Mfa in film production from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts and a BA in English from the University of Pennsylvania. She can make a mean pumpkin mezcal cocktail and according to an Amazonian curandero, her spirit animal is the black jaguar. She lives and works in Los Angeles

Describe your project briefly and at what stage in the creative process it is.

"Bombay Stories" is a drama centered around an Indian man returning to the city of his birth after decades of living abroad. When tragedy strikes, he recalls the summer of 1968—at that time, he was twenty-one and having a heartbreaking affair with a married woman right before leaving Bombay, and his entire family, behind for his new home in New York. It’s a story about the complexities of familial relationships and the question of whether or not it’s possible to return home.

It’s very loosely inspired by my own family’s history—my father’s side fled Sindh during the Partition of India in 1947 and rebuilt their lives in Mumbai (which at the time was called Bombay). Then my father left Mumbai (of his own volition) for the U.S. And then I fled the east coast for Los Angeles. I like to say I come from a long line of fleers.

The project is in the development stage. Currently working on a rewrite of the script and I’m planning on directing.

Briefly tell us about the most important or rewarding lesson you took from the first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab. How will this impact the future development of your project?

Don’t take the easy way out. There are certain things I know about my characters and I can write them easily and I can write them well. But the most interesting aspects of a character come from the places we know the least. Don’t be afraid to go down the path that’s half in shadow, this is the kind of exploration that leads to the heart of the thing. I’ll definitely be using Joan’s writing exercises to further develop all of my characters. I’ve never done anything like what we did during her seminar. She had us make lists of things drawn from our own personal experiences – three times in your life you’ve known something was wrong but did it anyway, three places to which you never want to return, three times you’ve felt lost, and so on—and then take one item from each list, put the items on our protagonist, and quickly write a short story about the whole thing. It’s a concrete way to use instances from one’s own life to get to the root of the character.

Tell me about your experience during day two and your interaction with the advisors. How important was it for you to get feedback from a professional in the field that has gone through some of the same creative challenges as you?

Going into day two was exciting but nerve-wracking. I woke up at 5am wondering how my advisors were going to react to my script (I tend to expect the worst.) Luckily, no one ripped my script up into tiny pieces and threw it back at me. Adam and Tanya were both really great. They had good things to say about the script, along with insightful suggestions for improving it, which I’m going to explore in the next draft. We talked about the writing process. We talked about production. We talked about navigating the industry. Getting advice from two talented, experienced filmmakers who’d been through this many times before was incredibly helpful, not just for this project, but for my career as a filmmaker as well.

Now that you've gone through this learning experience, what are some of the next steps you will be taking as you continue to develop your project?

The first thing I’m going to do is take some time to really get at the heart of each and every character. Then I’ll tackle the rewrite and when the script is ready, I’ll reach out to producers.

Shelby Farrell

Project: "Deidra and Laney Rob A Train"

Shelby Farrell is a screenwriter from Memphis, Tennessee. She is a graduate of Emory University where she was awarded the Kikag screenwriter award and the American Film Institute Conservatory where she finished an Mfa in screenwriting. She was recently featured in the Tracking Board's 2014 Young and Hungry List. She currently writes interactive games for Pocket Gems and is in preproduction for her feature "Deidra and Laney Rob A Train." She is repped by Gersh and Principato-Young.

Describe your project briefly and at what stage in the creative process it is.

"Deidra and Laney Rob A Train" is a dramedy about two teenage sisters who start robbing freight trains to support their family after their mother goes to jail. This script was my thesis screenplay for AFI and was featured on the Tracking Board's 2014 Young and Hungry List. Sydney Freeland (Sundance Alumni, "Drunktown's Finest") is attached to direct. Currently our reps are approaching select producers with the project, and we are really excited to see where it goes from here.

Briefly tell us about the most important or rewarding lesson you took from the first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab. How will this impact the future development of your project?

All of the writers and I were pushed to find inspiration from our own past experiences during writing exercises. Through this process, I think we all realized that our screenplays are more autobiographical than we perhaps wanted to believe. Not that I've ever robbed a train, but I could.

Tell me about your experience during day two and your interaction with the advisors. How important was it for you to get feedback from a professional in the field that has gone through some of the same creative challenges as you?

Having professional advisors is always a blessing. Their feedback was especially useful in this stage because so many people I work with have read multiple drafts. Having fresh eyes on the script really gave me a new perspective. Also since the advisors are independent filmmakers and Sundance alums they really know what we are going through at this stage of development. I also got great advice on what's coming in the next few months as we get this story off the page.

Now that you've gone through this learning experience, what are some of the next steps you will be taking as you continue to develop your project?

As far as this project goes, I feel like the script is in a really good place, but I also know that rewrites never end, and I'm excited to use the notes I received for future drafts. I'm also planning on using the writing exercises we learned in Joan Tewkesbury's workshop as I develop my newer projects. Joan taught us some character development tools that can be applied to any project in any stage.

Jared Frieder

Project: "Three Months"

Jared Frieder is a graduate of the Columbia University fiction writing program and his stories can be found in The Collective Press and The Newer York. His screenplay, "Three Months," has taken the top screenwriting prizes at the Austin Film Festival, the Screencraft Comedy Screenplay Contest, and the Big Bear International Film Festival Screenplay Contest. "Three Months" was also chosen for the 2014 Outfest Screenwriting Lab and was the featured script on The Black List online last November. He is currently developing his animated half-hour pilot, "Marathoners," with Bento Box Entertainment. He was accepted to USC’s Screenwriting Mfa on the Edward Volpe Endowed Scholarship before leaving to work on the ABC Family drama, "Chasing Life."

Describe your project briefly and at what stage in the creative process it is.

My project, "Three Months," tells the coming-of-age story of Caleb Kahn, a queer Ziggy Stardust-loving teenager from Miami who is exposed to HIV the weekend of his high school graduation and has to wait three months to be tested for the disease. It's a comedy, it's a love story, it's a tale of resilience, and it's a deconstruction of how people in crisis sludge through great periods of waiting. The screenplay has been a passion project of mine and I am very grateful to the Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition, the Screencraft Comedy Screenplay Contest, and the Big Bear International Film Festival Screenplay Contest for awarding "Three Months" their respective grand prizes. I've also been spoiled by the Outfest Screenwriting Lab and the Sundance Intensive for allowing the script to be workshopped with their brilliant advisors (and some of my all-time heroes.)

After Austin, one of the festival judges (screenwriting phenom, producing master, and all around baller, Oren Uziel) came on board to help bring the script to the screen, along with my management company, Haven Entertainment. We're in the beginning stages of seeing this story come alive and it's pretty much the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me.

Briefly tell us about the most important or rewarding lesson you took from the first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab. How will this impact the future development of your project?

The most important lesson I learned from the Intensive's first day is that Joan Tewkesbury is my spirit animal. The second most important lesson I learned from Ms. Tewkesbury (sweetly nicknamed Tewks by the generous souls of Sundance) is that I tend to use jokes as a means of concealing truth and authenticity (something my protagonist does as well. Let's just say I was channeling.) She helped me crack the comedy facade and delve deeper into character, getting in touch with Caleb's fears, insecurities, and dreams. I'm confident that Tewk's direction will not only take Caleb and "Three Months" to the next level, but also elevate my storytelling in the future. And for that, I will forever be in Ms. Tewkesbury's debt.

Tell me about your experience during day two and your interaction with the advisors. How important was it for you to get feedback from a professional in the field that has gone through some of the same creative challenges as you?

Sitting down with Kyle Killen was intimidating at first (he's a certifiable story genius who wrote "The Beaver" and created shows like "Lone Star.") But Kyle tapped into my protagonist in ways that previous advisors couldn't. He helped me dissect Caleb, bringing out deeper layers of his character. We then discussed and determined the most effective way of braiding these emotional undercurrents into the narrative. It's safe to say that my mind was blown.

Kyle Alvarez (esteemed director and fast friend) took a different approach and guided me through "Three Months" from a director's perspective, helping me think about casting, locations, and how aspects of the script would translate on screen. Having mentors come at the project from different angles was really enlightening. Again, I feel incredibly spoiled and grateful.

Now that you've gone through this learning experience, what are some of the next steps you will be taking as you continue to develop your project?

Post-Intensive, I'm taking another pass at "Three Months" (because apparently you're never done writing, or that's what they keep telling me.) I'm stoked to take my Sundance notes and weave them through the script where I see fit. Then it's off to the producers for feedback and hopefully the hunt for a director and cast will commence. Also, there will be thank you notes. Lots and lots of thank you notes: to Sundance, to Tewks, to the Kyles, and to the universe for giving me this opportunity.

David J. Lee

Project: "Found"

David J. Lee spent years as an It professional who dreamed of becoming a performer. He finally made the leap and began working as a professional actor who curiously kept getting offers to direct. Finally he gave in, dropped it all, and proceeded to pursue his Mfa in Film Production at USC where, of course, everyone became more interested in his writing. Dave received USC’s First Film Screenwriting Award in 2013, and his thesis script, "Found," was a top 50 Academy Nicholl semi-finalist. His university-produced short, "Paulie," directed by Andrew Nackman, went on to win the Best Film, Audience Award, and Best Writer prizes at the 2014 NBC Universal Short Cuts Festival. Dave was a 2014 Cape New Writers Fellow; he is working on the feature version of "Paulie" while making eyes at the TV world.

Describe your project briefly and at what stage in the creative process it is.

My feature film script is a crime thriller called “Found”. It’s the story of a night worker at a storage facility whose odd, illicit habit of breaking into storage lockers – and her talent for understanding people's lives through their belongings – force her into action when she discovers evidence of a child abduction in one of the units.

“Found" was my thesis script at USC and was a top-50 Nicholl semi-finalist in 2013. Prior to being accepted into the 2015 Sundance Intensive, it had been selected for the 2014 Cape New Writers Fellowship.

Briefly tell us about the most important or rewarding lesson you took from the first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab. How will this impact the future development of your project?

Obviously, at this point I'm many drafts into my script, which means that I'm in a much different mindset than I was when I was originally coming up with the story. It’s a very analytical, left-brain process. Joan Tewkesbury led us through a series of writing exercises which brought me back to that original creative place, which helped me get a new perspective on my characters.

I guess if you’re looking for a specific lesson, it would be, “If you need a fresh perspective, don’t be afraid to put your characters in seemingly irrelevant situations, just to see how they play out, because you’ll be surprised at the relevant places you end up. At the very least, you often end up learning something new about your characters."

Tell me about your experience during day two and your interaction with the advisors. How important was it for you to get feedback from a professional in the field that has gone through some of the same creative challenges as you?

I was amazed and honored at how much time each advisor had put into their notes. Time is gold for these folks, and they gave us so much of it. It seemed that most of them had received tremendous support from the Sundance Labs or from programs similar to them when they were younger, so they were all there that day out of a desire to give back.

It’s valuable to receive notes from professionals in that these are folks who have more experience than you and a valuable perspective from having worked within the system, and I received some fantastic, insightful feedback that day. At the same time, they’re only perspectives. A note from a working professional may warrant extra consideration, but ultimately, if it doesn’t resonate with you, then it just doesn’t. In the end you weigh those comments against all the other feedback you’ve received over time.

Now that you've gone through this learning experience, what are some of the next steps you will be taking as you continue to develop your project?

Keep writing. I’m encouraged by the attention this script has received. When I get it to a place where I’m happy with, then I’ll start looking into getting it made.

Channing Godfrey Peoples

Project: "Miss Juneteenth"

Channing Godfrey Peoples received her Mfa from USC's School of Cinematic Arts. Originally from Texas, she spent her childhood in community theater and has been storytelling ever since. Her films are character driven stories that focus on the resilience of the human spirit, often featuring African-American women at a turning point in their lives. At USC, Channing was awarded funding to direct her documentary, “Carry Me Home”, about the celebratory aspects of African-American Funeral Traditions.

Her narrative Thesis Film, “Red”, is a King Family Foundation Recipient, Jury Award Winner for Directing at the Directors Guild of America Student Film Awards, Panavision New Filmmakers Grant Recipient and nominated for Best Short at Pan African Film Festival and the Africa Movie Academy Awards. Channing won “Best Director” at the Nevada International Film Festival and was honored at the Lois Weber Film Festival in Texas. She wrote, directed and starred in “Red”, which is currently on the festival circuit, most recently screening at Champs-Élysées Film Festival in Paris, France. Channing served as a Time Warner Artist-in-Residence at Howard University in Washington DC. She believes in community involvement and mentors children interested in the arts. Channing is developing her first feature film, “Miss Juneteenth."

Describe your project briefly and at what stage in the creative process it is.

In Texas, slaves were informed they were free, two long years after 1863's Emancipation Proclamation declared American slaves free. That day was June 19 th, 1865, also known as “Juneteenth”. Today, many communities celebrate the Juneteenth holiday with beauty pageants acknowledging young African-American women who are the descendants of slaves. My story, "Miss Juneteenth," is about one of these women.

Turquoise Jones is a former beauty queen, “Miss Juneteenth 1999”, who lost her pageant's top prize of a college scholarship when an unplanned pregnancy lands her back home tending bar at an aging juke joint. Today, she is a single mother to a teenage girl, who she struggles to keep from going down the same wrong path that she took. She has enrolled her disinterested daughter in this year’s Miss Juneteenth pageant and is fighting to keep her in it.

The project is in development and is based in my hometown of Fort Worth, Texas. Neil Creque Williams ("David’s Reverie") is attached as Producer.

Briefly tell us about the most important or rewarding lesson you took from the first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab. How will this impact the future development of your project?

On our first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab, Joan Tewkesbury lead an incredible writing workshop that challenged me to look deeper into the emotional journey of my story. I was seeking a way to take my script to a deeper emotional level and the workshop certainly aided that endeavor. The lesson for me was to connect to my characters through personal experience and emotion and not be resistant to other possibilities for my story.

Tell me about your experience during day two and your interaction with the advisors. How important was it for you to get feedback from a professional in the field that has gone through some of the same creative challenges as you?

The advisors were incredible and I am in awe of their insight and accomplishments. I was delighted to receive feedback from professionals whose work I have long admired. They provided constructive feedback and challenged me to think of the script in new ways. I also enjoyed exchanging ideas with the other fellows at the Intensive and I was delighted to be surrounded by such diverse talent.

Now that you've gone through this learning experience, what are some of the next steps you will be taking as you continue to develop your project?

I am now revisiting the script with a renewed intensity. I will be directing my film, "Miss Juneteenth," so my producer, Neil Creque Williams and I have identified our locations and begun preliminary casting. Our next step is crowdfunding and to continue to apply for support.

Maya Perez

Project: "Umwana"

Maya Perez is a screenwriter and fiction writer. She is a consulting producer for the Emmy Award- winning television series "On Story: Presented by Austin Film Festival," now entering its fifth season on PBS, and co-editor of the book On Story: Screenwriters and Their Craft (University of Texas Press, October 2013). She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Vassar College and is a Michener fellow at the University of Texas at Austin. She grew up in Kenya, Zambia, and the United States and lives in Austin, Texas.

Describe your project briefly and at what stage in the creative process it is.

My project is a feature script, "Umwana," a domestic drama about an American teen who goes to rural Zambia to meet and live with her father and his family. More foreign to her than the cultural differences is the experience of being a member of a family.

Briefly tell us about the most important or rewarding lesson you took from the first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab. How will this impact the future development of your project?

It was great to be reminded of the importance of specificity when depicting characters, and also, how to pull from personal experience without making your characters reflections of yourself. In the workshop we were assigned numerous writing exercises and, though initially intimidating, it was stimulating to be assured there's no limit to the new stories we can quickly craft from scratch. We often think of time as the enemy, in that we don't have enough of it in which to do the work. But sometimes I think I give myself too much time. Some of my better, more visceral writing has been generated under the gun, so to speak.

Tell me about your experience during day two and your interaction with the advisors. How important was it for you to get feedback from a professional in the field that has gone through some of the same creative challenges as you?

One of my advisors hit me with a barrage of questions as soon as I sat down - What is Cassie feeling here? What does Joseph look like? Is it what she expected? What if this happened? What if that happened? So many questions that I started doubting the story's weight altogether. But she kept on and wouldn't let up, so I just wrote them all down until I finally had an answer and then another and eventually realized I know exactly what this story and these characters are about. I had to be sort of beaten down and thrown off balance in order to find the railing. It was terrific. Another advisor - who fortunately came right after - grabbed my shoulders and said he would stalk me until I made this film. He offered to make introductions to agents, managers, producers, and to be there for every draft and question I might have along the way. It was an invaluable experience, to sit down with these talented, professional writers who had read my script so closely and had such constructive questions and encouragement. It felt as though they were as invested in its success as I am.

Now that you've gone through this learning experience, what are some of the next steps you will be taking as you continue to develop your project?

My proposed new opening to the script was met with enthusiasm, so I'll make that change, do another revision on the script, and then submit it for the Screenwriters Lab. It was a finalist last year, so hopefully it will go through this year and I'll be able to take advantage of a full week at the Lab to prepare it for production. One of my advisors generously sent me the look book he's using for his current project, and I'm making one of those for "Umwana" as well as researching what shooting on location in Zambia will entail.

Rodrigo Reyes

Project: "Charlie"

Rodrigo Reyes was born in Mexico City in 1983. Supported by the Mexican Ministry of Film, his acclaimed 2012 feature documentary "Purgatorio" featured visceral and intimate portraits of the Us- Mexico border. The film premiered in competition at the 2013 Los Angeles Film Festival and Guadalajara International Film Festival, touring more than 40 festivals including MoMA’s Documentary Fortnight, and winning several jury prizes including the Michael Moore Award for Best Documentary at the Ann Arbor Film Festival. "Purgatorio" has been released theatrically on over 100 screens throughout Mexico, touring Latin America, Spain, and over 30 American cities. In 2013 Filmmaker Magazine named Rodrigo one of 25 New Faces of Independent Film, and in 2014 he was awarded the Tribeca Film Institute Heineken Voices Grant for his upcoming documentary "Sanson And Me," as well as the Canon Filmmaker Award for his hybrid peach picker portrait "Lupe Under The Sun," currently in post-production. Rodrigo attended Uc San Diego, as well as colleges in Madrid and Mexico City, earning a degree in International Studies. He currently lives in California’s Central Valley where he works as an interpreter in the California Superior Court.

Describe your project briefly and at what stage in the creative process it is.

"Charlie" is a story about a mother and son living in the heartland of America, who hide a dark secret that is tearing them apart, threatening them with destruction. It’s a twisted, existential fairy-tale that tackles estrangement, loneliness and violence in a unique way. Aside from Sundance, the film has received the support of Nalip’s Latino Media Market.

Briefly tell us about the most important or rewarding lesson you took from the first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab. How will this impact the future development of your project?

I was surprised by some of the tools used in the labs. There was an element of tapping into the subconscious using semi-dada techniques that really clicked with me. The key was coming in with an open mind.

Before the Labs, I felt the project was close to a final draft. That has since been atomized and torn apart at the hinges, which is fantastic, actually. The Intensive helped me pull away from the rut I didn’t know I was in and look at my script with a naked, honest perspective.

Tell me about your experience during day two and your interaction with the advisors. How important was it for you to get feedback from a professional in the field that has gone through some of the same creative challenges as you?

Often as independent filmmakers we feel threatened by the industry, their perspectives are senses as criticisms instead of critiques. The Lab did a great job of inviting you to a conversation, not a lecture or a dictate. I felt I could take the advice that honestly connected with me and integrate it with my script, while also fielding key questions to the advisors in a safe space.

Now that you've gone through this learning experience, what are some of the next steps you will be taking as you continue to develop your project?

It’s all in my hands now. I have to integrate the conversations, critiques and perspectives gleaned from this process into a new draft.

Luke Uriah Slendebroek

Project: “Sophia/Gordita”

Luke Uriah Slendebroek is a graduate of the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television Mfa directing program. While at UCLA, Luke's films have been awarded The Hollywood Foreign Press Award, The Four Sister’s Award, The Carroll Sax Award in Motion Picture and Television Production, the Edie and Lew Wasserman Film Production Fellowship, and two Motion Picture Association of America Awards. Luke has directed a short documentary for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and he has directed a short film for the Oscar-winning producer and director Robert "Bobby" Moresco as part of an interdisciplinary collaboration at UCLA. He has also directed a number of industrial films for Fortune 500 companies. Luke's films favor the underdogs, involve fantastical worlds, and tend to explore that brief period between childhood and adulthood.

Describe your project briefly and at what stage in the creative process it is.

“Sophia/Gordita” is a coming of age western based on the incredible true story of teenage madam that served the migrant farming communities of the midwest.

Aleksandar Marinovich has stepped on board to help produce the film. Currently we are raising money to finance the film with a goal of shooting in September, 2016.

Briefly tell us about the most important or rewarding lesson you took from the first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab. How will this impact the future development of your project?

The Sundance Intensive was an amazing and immersive experience. The writing techniques I learned during the two days will be crucial as I dive into the next draft of my screenplay entitled “Sophia/Gordita”. Through this workshop, I feel confident to tackle the issues of my screenplay and to dig deeper into motivations that drive my lead character, Sophia.

Tell me about your experience during day two and your interaction with the advisors. How important was it for you to get feedback from a professional in the field that has gone through some of the same creative challenges as you?

Patricia Cardoso and Ligiah Villalobos were incredibly generous to offer their guidence and direction on my screenplay “Sophia/Gordita”. Their feedback, although at times challenging, pushed me to dig deeper into the character of Sophia. What really drives her to make the choices in act one that sends her life into a downward spiral during the subsequent acts? As I work through these issues, the outcome will hopefully be a character that no one has ever seen before on the screen, an anti-hero for a new generation.

Now that you've gone through this learning experience, what are some of the next steps you will be taking as you continue to develop your project?

I plan on doing another rewrite utilizing the tools and techniques I learned from the Intensive. After the next draft, I will get more feedback from my producer and my film collective, Vices of Reason. Once I get a draft that I’m comfortable with, I’m going to get the script in the hands of anyone that’s willing to read it as well as continue to raise money to finance the film.

Vivian Tse

Project: "These Animals"

Vivian Tse is a filmmaker making both narrative and documentary films. She was a Colonist at the 2013 Nantucket Screenwriting Colony with her feature script "Joe Boy," which was also selected for the 2014 Ifp Transatlantic Partners Program. Tse participated in the 2014 Pov Hackathon with the transmedia documentary film "The Angola Project." Originally from San Francisco, she graduated from the University of Southern California.

Describe your project briefly and at what stage in the creative process it is.

"These Animals" is the story of an astronaut's last year on Earth after she agrees to crew a one-way mission to Mars. It's about what the last year of someone's life would be like if she made a decision with stakes that high, what happens to her family and the people around her, the people she loves and who love her.

We're currently in the development stage, trying to put the financing together. Sundance and the A3 foundation was kind enough to give us a grant. And we're in post on a short version of the project which we shot late last year.

Briefly tell us about the most important or rewarding lesson you took from the first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab. How will this impact the future development of your project?

It took a bit of processing but the most rewarding lesson, or at least the one that stuck with me most, was using yourself to dig deeper into your character's journey. Which sounds obvious and certainly its something you're already doing as a writer with everything you write, but you can always go deeper. learning that there is always more to dig up, more of you to add, which is horrifying and invigorating at the same time.

Tell me about your experience during day two and your interaction with the advisors. How important was it for you to get feedback from a professional in the field that has gone through some of the same creative challenges as you?

The advisors were amazing. They're very passionate - it's great. i found it invaluable, even when I didn't agree with the notes. it lets you know how people are reading, understanding and thinking about your story. their perspective was so helpful and it helps to look at my characters and my story in a new way. writing can be very isolating so it's always great to talk to someone who is doing what you're doing. and they share their war stories, telling you to reimagine a scene because they did something similar and it went to shit so don't forget to think about this or that, or that space ships are expensive so maybe try to stay out of a ship as a location. i don't have any space ships in the film but you get my point.

Now that you've gone through this learning experience, what are some of the next steps you will be taking as you continue to develop your project?

A re-write for one, casting, financing the rest of the film. Keep pushing forward, hustling, like everyone does, until you make your film.

Diego Velasco & Carolina Paiz

Project: "Los Invadidos"

Diego Velasco and Carolina Paiz, a husband and wife writing team, are currently working on "Los Invadidos," a thriller which Velasco will also direct.

Writer/director Diego Velasco was born in the Us and raised in Caracas, Venezuela. Diego’s short, "Cédula Ciudadano," got him invited into the Fox Searchlab program after winning the Los Angeles Latino Film Festival. In 2003, Diego moved to Los Angeles and formed Open Studios with his wife, a production company meant to make the films they wanted to see in the world. In 2010, Diego made his feature debut with "La Hora Cero" (The Zero Hour). Set in Caracas during the 24-hours of a controversial medical strike, the film followed La Parca, a tattooed hit-man, as he takes an elite hospital hostage in an attempt to save his wounded girlfriend and her child. The film became the highest grossing Venezuelan film of its time. It has won over 35 awards at International festivals and secured distribution in five continents. Currently it has been optioned for an English language remake. In November of 2011, Diego was featured as one the Ten Mover and Reshapers of Latin American Cinema by Variety Magazine.

Growing up in Guatemala during the civil war, Carolina Paiz spent much of her time indoors, reading and watching television, escapes which later provided the foundation for her career as a writer for film and TV. At 15, she left Guatemala for Kent, a boarding school in Connecticut, where she was the first non- native English speaker to be awarded the Robert S. Hillyard award for her achievements in creative writing. Carolina went on to study English and Latin American Studies at Tulane University. The short stories she wrote there were later published by the Caribbean Writer. One of these, Sleep Comes Suddenly, was honored with the Canute A. Brodhurst Award. In 2006, she landed a position as a staff writer on ABC’s "Grey’s Anatomy." She later went on to write on NBC’s "Lipstick Jungle," CBS’s "The Defenders," Fox’s "Gang Related" and currently, Fox’s "Runner." She also developed a series for Fox, "Queen Of the South," based on the hugely successful Spanish novel. Between television projects, Carolina co- wrote and produced the Venezuelan feature "La Hora Cero," the highest grossing Venezuelan film in history.

Describe your project briefly and at what stage in the creative process it is.

The film follows a couple that has just lost their only child and now find themselves on different sides of the spiritual debate. They’re forced to face their problems when they inherit a remote farm in the Venezuelan plains. Hoping for a new start, they soon learn the farm has been invaded by squatters and that there’s more to reality than what you can see…

Briefly tell us about the most important or rewarding lesson you took from the first day of the Screenwriters Intensive Lab. How will this impact the future development of your project?

The first day was revelatory. By doing exhaustive and highly personal writing exercises that we then shared with the entire class, we both realized that we hadn't fully tapped into our own fears and desires in writing the characters in our feature. We realized there was far more of us in these characters than we'd anticipated and that embracing that would actually deepen them. Rewriting the script now, the characters have come to life by simply putting ourselves in their shoes.

Tell me about your experience during day two and your interaction with the advisors. How important was it for you to get feedback from a professional in the field that has gone through some of the same creative challenges as you?

Our advisors were completely different and had very different points of view on the script, yet both sets of notes complimented each other quite well at the end of the day. Their points of view were enlightening. We had exhausted our resources by asking for notes from every trusted friend and colleague that we knew, and we'd gotten to the point we were afraid they'd stop taking our calls for fear that we'd make them read the script again. We were desperate for fresh eyes from people that didn't know us, didn't know the project, and had no emotional stake in any of it. But what made it truly amazing was the fact that we got to dive in with such skilled writers, and such generous people, and that they truly took the time to give us deep and insightful notes.

Now that you've gone through this learning experience, what are some of the next steps you will be taking as you continue to develop your project?

We are currently rewriting the script as per what we've learned and hope to begin our search for financing soon!

Origin has acquired rights to Blanc/Biehn Productions’ dark thriller starring Michael Biehn and Jennifer Blanc Biehn.

Travis Romero wrote and directed Treachery, which explores the life of a man who is stranded with his estranged son at a remote wedding as dark truths rise to the surface.

The film also stars Sarah Butler, Chris Meyer, Caitlin Keats, Matthew Ziff, Lorraine Ziff, Christian Meoli and Tanya Newbould.

“Origin Releasing is very excited to have this film its release slate for fourth quarter of 2015,” said Origin CEO Niko Foster. “Michael Biehn is an incredible actor with an incredible fan base and this project will find a great home on VOD and DVD.”

Javelina 98 and Three Little Birds also produced the thriller. Blanc/Biehn Productions brokered the deal with Origin.

“I always love playing humanitarian-type characters and characters that are the real good guys,” said Biehn.

“With an incredible cast, Michael and I were excited to take this story...