Welcoming speech sample for the event

For LGBTQ people in Chechnya, life has become a nightmare. The Russian republic has never been very hospitable to gays, but in 2017 the Chechen government launched an outright purge against perceived members of the LGBTQ community. “People in Chechnya who are suspected of being lesbian, gay or bisexual, are facing a ‘new wave of persecution’ following a spate of killings involving torture, and other rights abuses,” a group of UN human rights experts wrote in 2019. Since then the situation has only worsened, as witnessed in the Oscar-shortlisted documentary Welcome to Chechnya , directed by David France . The film contains first-hand accounts from torture survivors who were spirited to safety through a clandestine “rainbow railroad” operated by the Russian LGBT Network. Related Story How VFX Supervisor Ryan Laney Developed Game-Changing Technology For 'Welcome to Chechnya,' Shielding Identities Of LGBT Refugees “We see irrefutable evidence that it is a … [Read more...] about “This Is A Government-Controlled Genocide”: ‘Welcome To Chechnya’ Director David France On Russian Republic’s Anti-LGBTQ Campaign

For all intents and purposes, Sunday’s Golden Globes ceremony was an imitation of life; stars dressed up for “red carpet” pictures from homes and hotel suites around the world, before logging onto a Zoom meeting to hear the results. Even the show’s hosts were in different cities, interacting awkwardly around broadcast delays. But after a barrage of negative attention on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in the days leading up to the show, it was the imitation of sincerity in addressing the criticism that rankled most. In a half-hearted attempt to answer perhaps the biggest challenge to the HFPA’s integrity in its history — and there have been plenty — the org’s president Ali Sar, vice president Helen Hoehne and former president Meher Tatna dedicated less than a minute , in only 100 words, to their vow to do better, and in so doing, rushed through their meas culpa faster than the any of the indulgent president’s speeches of years past. Instead, the show upped the … [Read more...] about The Golden Globes Is Beyond Fixing And The HFPA’s Time Is Up – Commentary

Sean “Diddy” Combs has a message for the Grammys bureaucrats: “They work for us.” Taking over the annual pre-Grammy party hosted by Clive Davis , Combs delivered a 50-minute speech that aired his grievances with the Recording Academy. His sentiments may be a prelude to other diatribes during tonight’s televised event, which are being held in the shadow of a legal battle with former CEO Deborah Dugan and the Recording Academy’s Board of Directors. Accusations of voting irregularities, sexism and cronyism have been floated in the dispute. Diddy was given an icon award at the Davis party, and spoke of his pain at past treatment by the Recording Academy. “I have to be honest. The last few days I’ve been conflicted. I’m being honored by this industry I love, this family that I love, but there’s an elephant in the room and it’s not just about the Grammys,” he said. “This is discrimination and injustice everywhere at an all-time high. But there’s something I need to say to the Grammys … [Read more...] about Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs: “Black Music Has Never Been Respected By The Grammys”

Lifetime and A&E are heading into the Rhythm Nation with a four-hour documentary about the life and music of Janet Jackson . The A+E Networks brands will simulcast Janet across two nights in 2022. It comes as Lifetime has struck a two-picture deal with Reba McEntire and A&E is launching documentary series Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution and Secret Origins of Hip Hop. Janet (w/t), coming on the back of the 40 th anniversary of Janet Jackson’s debut album, will follow take a look at her musical success as well as her tumultuous private life. Workerbee, the British production company owned by Banijay, has been filming with Jackson over three years and has been granted exclusive access to archival footage and Janet’s never before seen home videos. Related Story Gena McCarthy Exits As Lifetime's Head of Unscripted & fyi's Head of Programming It comes as her dad, Joe Jackson, a pivotal figure in the Jackson dynasty, died … [Read more...] about Janet Jackson Doc Series Lands At Lifetime, A&E; Reba McEntire Strikes Two Movie Deal With Female-Skewing Cable Net

EXCLUSIVE : Sky ’s buzzy series on British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has found its latest protagonists in the shape of Elementary actress Ophelia Lovibond and Brexit: The Uncivil War star Simon Paisley Day . Deadline can reveal that Lovibond will star next to Kenneth Branagh as Johnson’s fiancee, Carrie Symonds, in This Sceptred Isle . Paisley Day will play Dominic Cummings, the prime minister’s most senior adviser at the height of the coronavirus crisis, which provides the backdrop to the five-part series. Co-written and directed by The Trip helmer Michael Winterbottom, This Sceptred Isle is based on first-hand testimony from those close to Johnson. It will chart the events surrounding the PM, the government, and the country in the face of the first wave of the global coronavirus pandemic. Related Story Fremantle Among Swathe Of UK Producers Inserting Controversial Zero-Pay Covid Suspension Clauses Into Crew Contracts There is little doubt … [Read more...] about Ophelia Lovibond, Simon Paisley Day Join Sky’s UK Covid Crisis Series ‘This Sceptred Isle’ As Carrie Symonds & Dominic Cummings