Currently Browsing: Stephanie A. Taylor
The Gene Siskel Film Center held the 89th Academy Awards Nominations Panel on January 24, 2017 in Chicago. The hour-long event included J.R. Jones of the Chicago Reader, Pamela Powell of The Daily Journal, Sergio Mims of Shadow & Act, Ray Pride of New City and Dean Richards of WGN-Radio. Moderator Alison Cuddy began the panel with a warning, “If you’re coming for a civilized conversation on the joys of film that’s not what’s on deck.”… read more.
The Allstate Corporation has given the Gene Siskel Film Center a $10,000 grant for their annual Black Harvest Film Festival, a $5,000 increase from last year. This is the third year that Allstate has given the film center and 2017 marks the BHFF’s 23rd year. The grant will focus on the festival’s Youth Filmmaker Program, which allows students from middle and high school who are passionate about film to be connected with professional filmmakers.… read more.
By Senior Contributor Stephanie A. Taylor
Bassist/songwriter Gabriel Roth discovered Sharon Jones sound in 1996, a sound that oozed with the gooey goodness of vintage soul, blues and funk of the 1970s. With musical influences ranging from James Brown and Tina Turner to Aretha Franklin and Motown, Sharon Jones recorded a solo track “Switchblade,” a song that had originally been intended for a man to record, and the Dap-Kings were formed.… read more.
FF2 Senior Contributor Stephanie Taylor asks you to consider these six films by women writers &/or directors (from the full list of films released in NYC theaters in 2016). Note that this list was created in November & will be updated after December 31, 2016.
My Favorite Feature Films of 2016
- Queen of Katwe (Director Mira Nair)
My Favorite Documentary Films of 2016 (2)
- Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise (Director Rita Coburn Whack)
- Spirits of Rebellion (Zeinabu Irene Davis)
Photo: Madina Nalwanga in Queen of Katwe
Photo Credits: Disney… read more.
Contributor Lesley Coffin is Editor-in-Chief of the online film journal Movies, Film, Cinema and host of the Chicago Industry Podcast From Lakeshore Drive to Hollywood. A writer with a masters degree from NYU’s Gallatin School in biographical studies and star theory. She wrote the biography on Lew Ayres (Lew Ayres: Hollywood’s Conscientious Objector) and Hitchcock’s Casting (Hitchcock’s Stars).… read more.