3m mentoring program

Actors’ Equity said today that it’s making its Open Access membership policy permanent, allowing any non-union theater worker to join who can demonstrate that they have worked professionally as an actor or stage manager within Equity’s geographical jurisdiction. The 51,000-member union had launched the Open Access policy in July of 2021, but it had a sunset date of May 1, 2023. The union will now begin a three-year phase-out of its Equity Membership Candidate (EMC) Program, under which eligibility for union membership had been limited to those working for an Equity employer or to members of a sibling union such as SAG-AFTRA, the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) or the American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA). “Open Access is doing exactly what it’s supposed to do,” said Actors’ Equity President Kate Shindle. “Of course, strength in numbers is a cornerstone principle for any union. But this was never a simple numbers game. Every worker who wants a union deserves a … [Read more...] about Actors’ Equity Is Expanding Its Membership; Makes Open Access Program Permanent

The BFI today announced that it will hand out $16m (£14m) of National Lottery ‘good cause’ funding over three years to enhance film education for 5-18 year-olds across the UK. The cash award will be given to two UK-wide partners to deliver three targeted initiatives: BFI National Lottery Teaching with Film, BFI National Lottery Young Creatives, and BFI National Lottery Careers and Progression. Into Film, receiving $15m (£12.4m) over three years will work across all three programs, and National Saturday Club will receive $1.8 (£1.5m) for the same period to collaborate with Into Film to deliver Young Creatives. The BFI has said the $6m (£5m) award for Teaching with Film will result in a change of strategic focus for Into Film, the film education charity, seeing it prioritize introducing film education as a learning tool to be utilized across the entire school curriculum. Meanwhile, the $7m (£6m) Careers and Progression program will aim to provide and bolster the access … [Read more...] about BFI Sets $16m Cash Award To Fund New UK-Wide Film Education Strategy

EXCLUSIVE : Arthouse streamer and distributor Mubi has traditionally been shy about revealing performance numbers for its movies, but today we can reveal that BAFTA and Oscar hopeful Aftersun has become the company’s most streamed release globally. We’re told the Paul Mescal -starrer has now far surpassed Mubi’s previous best-performers including Portrait Of A Lady On Fire , The Worst Person In The World , Drive My Car , Decision To Leave , Shiva Baby and Titane , some of which were released during the pandemic, a boom time for streamer engagement. The film started streaming in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Latin America and a handful of other markets on January 6, 2023, and has also become the top-viewed film all time in these individual territories. It will join the platform in Germany, Austria and Spain in March, and later in France. Writer-director Charlotte Wells’ acclaimed debut has also blazed a trail for Mubi at the theatrical box office, becoming … [Read more...] about ‘Aftersun’ Becomes Mubi’s Most Streamed Movie Ever & Crosses Box Office Milestones

Hugh Laurie is headed to Tehran as the espionage drama has been renewed for a third season by Apple TV+ . The Night Manager and House, M.D. star has joined the cast of the Israeli spy thriller. He’ll play a South African nuclear inspector and will join an ensemble cast that includes newcomers Sasson Gabai, Bahar Pars and Phoenix Raei. Returning stars include Niv Sultan , who plays Mossad agent Tamar Rabinyan, along with Sahun Toub and Shila Ommi. The show follows Sultan as a hacker agent who infiltrates Iran’s capital Tehran under a false identity. Apple TV+ has greenlit production on Season 3, which has now begun and will follow Tamar as she tries to find a way to reinvent herself and win back Mossad’s support. Moshe Zonder, Dana Eden and Maor Kohn are co-creators and Daniel Syrkin the director. Exec producers are Eden and Shula Spiegel for Donna and Shula Productions, Alon Aranya for Paper Plane Productions, Julien Leroux for Paper Entertainment, Peter … [Read more...] about ‘Tehran’ Renewed For Season 3 At Apple TV+ As Hugh Laurie Joins Espionage Drama

EXCLUSIVE : Lance Bass , a member of pop group NSYNC and a trained Russian cosmonaut, is hosting a new podcast series about space. Bass will host The Last Soviet , which tells the story of Russian astronaut Sergei Krikalev’s 313 days in space during the collapse of the USSR. The eight-part series, which comes from iHeartPodcasts and Kaleidoscope, will launch on February 15. In 2002, Bass underwent training in Star City, Russia and became a certified cosmonaut. He was certified both by the Russian Space Program and by NASA for a mission on the Soyuz TMA-1 spacecraft to the International Space Station but after his financial sponsors backed out, Bass was denied a seat on the mission. Krikalev was stranded on board Mir during the dissolution of the Soviet Union and his return was delayed for twice as long as the mission was planned originally. “I fell in love with space when my grandfather took me to see my first rocket launch as a kid. I even came close to … [Read more...] about Lance Bass To Host Space History Podcast Series ‘The Last Soviet’ For iHeartPodcasts & Kaleidoscope

The highest grossing movie of 2022 at the domestic B.O. in pure calendar days and second highest grossing worldwide, Paramount’s Top Gun: Maverick ($718.3M U.S., $1.488 billion) has been named the best movie of last year by Rotten Tomatoes . The news comes in the wake of Top Gun: Maverick scoring six Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Editing, Sound, VFX, Adapted Screenplay (from Ehren Kruger, Christopher McQuarrie, Eric Warren Singer, Peter Craig and Justin Marks) as well as Lady Gaga and BloodPop’s original song “Hold My Hand”. The pic landed a 96% certified fresh grade from critics off 464 reviews and a 99% fresh on their audience meter. The Tom Cruise starring, Joseph Kosinski directed sequel which was held through the pandemic for a big screen release, notched a rare A+ CinemaScore, too. Rotten Tomatoes’ top pics of 2022 was ranked by the media site. Other movies in the top ten include Searchlight’s The Banshees of Inisherin (97% certified fresh), … [Read more...] about ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Named Best Film Of 2022 By Rotten Tomatoes

EXCLUSIVE: Academy Award-winner Alexander Dinelaris ( Birdman , The Revenant ) is teaming up with multihyphenate René Pérez Joglar, known professionally as Residente , to co-write the new film Porto Rico . Porto Rico is a historical drama based on the life of Puerto Rican revolutionary, José Maldonado Román, known as Águila Blanca (White Eagle), set on the island in the late 19th century. Maldonado Román fought against colonialism by leading a gang of ex-convicts to vindicate Puerto Rico as it sought its identity as a country. “It has been amazing to work with Alex,” said Residente in a statement about the screenwriter he was introduced to by Alejandro Gonzalez-Iñarritu. “It took me a while to find a great writer because I was looking for someone who not only is talented but also connects with the subject matter. I found both in Alex, an amazing writer who is highly skilled at dialogues as was evident in Birdman ,” he added. Residente and Dinelaris … [Read more...] about ‘Birdman’s Alexander Dinelaris & Residente Scripting New Film ‘Porto Rico’

President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address drew a total of 23.4 million viewers across major broadcasters and cable news network, a decline from last year, according to early Nielsen data. Last year, the SOTU viewership across Fox News, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox Broadcasting and MSNBC averaged about 32.3 million. Viewership was down across the networks. The total viewership figure is likely to increase as additional news outlets are factored in later today. Fox News drew the largest audience, with 4.57 million total viewers, followed by ABC with 4.27 million, NBC with 3.68 million, CBS with 3.52 million, MSNBC with 3.46 million, CNN at 2.13 million and Fox Broadcasting with 1.6 million. ABC was first in the 25-54 demo, drawing 1.03 million, followed by NBC with 978,000, Fox News with 793,000, CBS with 675,000, CNN with 617,000, Fox Broadcasting at 482,000 and MSNBC with 479,000. The later part of the speech did have to compete with some counter programming: … [Read more...] about State Of The Union Viewership Down Across Major Broadcasters And Cable News Networks, According To Early Nielsen Data

SPOILER ALERT! This post contains details from the Season 9 premiere of The Flash on The CW . The Flash is nearly done fighting crime in Central City — but not before one final villain comes to town. The CW series’ ninth and final season kicked off Wednesday night with the introduction of some new hurdles for Barry Allen and Team Flash to overcome. The episode begins with Barry and Iris (Candice Patton) getting stuck in a time loop, which exacerbates some of their fears about the passing of time and the lack of control they have over what may or may not happen to them. In order to get out of it, the couple must decide to take on life head on, together — rather than avoiding the problem and each other. But just when things seem to be settling down again, Barry is faced with yet another bump in the road. Viewers will remember that, at the end of Season 8, Caitlin is on a mission to bring back Frost after she sacrificed herself by turning into Hellfrost to … [Read more...] about ‘The Flash’ Boss Eric Wallace Teases Season 9’s Big Bad & Explains What’s In Store For Final Episodes

In both a noble gesture toward exhibition after the studio’s Project Popcorn, and in a means to monetize downstream revenues, Warner Bros is taking what was a HBO Max movie, Steven Soderbergh’s Magic Mike’s Last Dance , and putting into 1,500 theatrical locations this weekend. That’s with a thrifty marketing spend. It’s the second movie after New Line’s House Party ($8.8M) for which Warners has reverse-engineered a streaming release for the big screen. Meanwhile, Paramount is building off the heat of James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water with a 25th anniversary 3D reissue of the filmmaker’s Oscar-winning 1997 smash Titanic . There are arguments to be made that either could notch No. 1: Titanic apparently is tracking better than the fall re-issue of Avatar ($10.5M opening) with a shot at double-digit millions in 2,400 theaters and the Channing Tatum-Salma Hayek Pinault threequel also having a potential $10M debut with the chance for more heading into … [Read more...] about ‘Magic Mike’s Last Dance’ & ‘Titanic’ Reissue Having Super Bowl Dance-Off At Box Office – Preview