PAFF Cancels 2025 ArtFest Due To Recent Fires - Film Festival Will Take Place

Los Angeles, CA—The Pan African Film & Arts Festival (PAFF), the nation’s largest and most prestigious celebration of Pan African culture, has announced the cancellation of its highly anticipated 2025 ArtFest for later this year.

The decision to cancel the ArtFest comes in response to unforeseen challenges caused by the recent fires, significantly impacting planning and logistics. “We are committed to delivering the highest quality experiences for our audience, and in light of these challenges, we felt it was necessary to take the time to ensure the ArtFest meets the exceptional standards our audience expects and deserves,” said Oduduwa Olatunji, Executive Director of PAFF.

Despite the postponement of the ArtFest, PAFF’s signature events will continue as planned, including:

International Black Film Festival featuring over 150 films

Children’s Fest - A free, fun-filled event showcasing kid-friendly films and activities designed to educate and entertain young audiences.

Student Fest - A curated program of films for students in grades 6-12, addressing today’s social issues and topics that matter most to young people.

Spokenword Fest - A powerful showcase of spoken word artists delivering electrifying performances that celebrate culture, identity, and expression.

LOL Comedy Show - An unforgettable night of laughter featuring top comedians from across the diaspora, bringing humor and heart to the stage.

A robust lineup of panel discussions that make up the PAFF Institute

The 2025 Pan African Film Festival remains a full-scale celebration of Pan African art and storytelling, featuring an extraordinary lineup of films, events, and cultural experiences. Attendees are invited to immerse themselves in the powerful and diverse stories showcased on screen while PAFF works behind the scenes to prepare an unforgettable ArtFest experience later this year.

The 2025 Pan African Film Festival will be held from February 4 to 17 in Los Angeles, CA. For tickets, schedules, and more information, visit paff.org.

The Pan African Film and Arts Festival is proud to be supported by an incredible lineup of sponsors who share .our commitment to celebrating Black art, culture, and storytelling. This year’s sponsors include Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, District 2, the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, Culver City, the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, District 8, Los Angeles City Councilmembers Curren D. Price Jr., District 9 and Heather Hutt, District 10. Additional support for PAFF comes from Stocker Street Creative, Gilead Sciences, SAGindie, Sony Pictures, DGA, US Bank, BeiGene, and the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI).

About Pan African Film & Arts Festival:

The Pan African Film & Arts Festival (PAFF) is one of the longest-running and most respected cultural events dedicated to showcasing the artistic achievements of the Black and African diaspora. Since its inception, PAFF has provided a dynamic platform for filmmakers, artists, and performers to share their stories, celebrate their heritage, and inspire audiences through powerful and thought-provoking works. More at paff.org.

 

PAFF Announces Jonathan Majors As 2025 PAFF Ambassador

Jonathan Majors

The Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) officials recently announced Jonathan Majors as one of their 2025 PAFF Ambassador, Celebrity host, and the star of the organization's highly anticipated opening night film, Magazine Dreams. 

This isn’t Majors’ first time at PAFF. He previously received the prestigious Canada Lee Award, presented by PAFF co-founder and legendary actor Danny Glover during the organization's 30th anniversary.

Magazine Dreams, directed by Elijah Bynum, delves into the life of an aspiring bodybuilder struggling with the pressures of his dreams, identity, and the pursuit of self-worth. Majors delivers a powerhouse performance that has earned widespread acclaim, bringing raw emotion and intensity to a character navigating the complexities of modern life. Bynum masterfully weaves a narrative that is both intimate and universally resonant.

Opening Night will take place on February 4, at The Culver Theater in Culver City.



Yellowstone Season 5 - Part 2 On DVD and Blu-Ray May 27

 

LOS ANGELES – January 27, 2025 – Following the series’ most-watched season finale with 11.4 million viewers, YELLOWSTONE SEASON 5 - PART 2 rides onto DVD and Blu-ray™on May 27 from Paramount Home Entertainment.  

The three-disc set includes the last six episodes of Season 5, plus 10 featurettes, including three exclusive to DVD and Blu-ray™ with never-before-seen bonus content and interviews, allowing fans to relive moments from YELLOWSTONE past and present to enjoy stunning imagery of the show from unit photographer Emerson Miller, and to take a tour of Chief Joseph Ranch, the real-life setting for the iconic Dutton family home. 

SPECIAL FEATURES

“Redemption: A Season of Change” featurette (Exclusive to DVD and Blu-ray™)

“Moments in Time with Photographer Emerson Miller” featurette (Exclusive to DVD and Blu-ray™)

“The Heartbeat of Yellowstone: Chief Joseph Ranch” featurette (Exclusive to DVD and Blu-ray™)

7 “Stories from the Bunkhouse” featurettes tied to each episode plus a Part 1 recap

A collectible set of prints by photographer Emerson Miller

SYNOPSIS

YELLOWSTONE chronicles the Dutton family, which controls the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the United States. Amid shifting alliances, unsolved murders, open wounds, and hard-earned respect, the ranch is in constant conflict with those it borders—an expanding town, an Indian reservation, and America’s first national park.

YELLOWSTONE is co-created by Taylor Sheridan and John Linson. Executive producers include John Linson, Art Linson, Taylor Sheridan, Kevin Costner, David C. Glasser, Bob Yari, Stephen Kay, Michael Friedman, Christina Voros and Keith Cox. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

SPECIFICATIONS

Blu-ray™ Format: 

Video: 1080p High Definition

Aspect Ratio: Widescreen

Audio: English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD

Subtitles: English SDH

DVD Format: 

Video: Standard Definition

Aspect Ratio: Widescreen

Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital AC3

Subtitles: English SDH

U.S. Rating: Not Rated

Canadian Rating: 14A - Violence, Mature Theme

"The Brutalist": A Review

  

Adrien Brody

The addition of Adrien Brody in a film doesn’t necessarily mean the film will be good, but it’s a sure bet that he will deliver a stellar performance. 

This time, Brody lends his talents to The Brutalist, a low-budget but high in acting-directing storyline film about a visionary architect who escapes postwar Europe and returns to America to rebuild his life, career, and marriage. On his own in a strange new country, he settles in Pennsylvania, where a wealthy and prominent industrialist recognizes his talent. 

The film, co-written by director Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold, traces the misery of Brody’s character, László Tóth, a fictional Hungarian Jew who is a stubborn yet genius architect who is also subject to perfectionism and rage. 

While in a Nazi concentration camp, Tóth’s captors were eager to deem his creations as “not Germanic in character.”

The film starts with lots of drama – as we watch Tóth, who is more than a little nervous, make his way to freedom.

Once he hits the States, he gets a job at his cousin Attila’s (Alessandro Nivola)

furniture shop.  He sleeps in a glorified closet and is happy to do so because he’s free. Working in the furniture shop is cool, but he needs and wants more. 

Tóth’s life changes when he gets hired by a wealthy person’s son to remodel his library while he’s away from home. The father, Harrison, is played by Guy Pearce. Unfortunately for Tóth, Harrison is unhappy with his home being renovated without permission. Harrison decides he’s not going to pay for the renovation. 

To make matters worse, Attila kicks Tóth out of his home. The result is dramatic for Tóth, who begins to have an unhealthy addiction.

To make ends meet, Tóth finds a meaningless job. One day, Harrison surprises him at the job and apologizes for his previous behavior regarding the renovations in the library. 

When Harrison learns that Tóth is actually an architect, he invites him into his world of wealth and introduces him to the upper crust. Eventually, Harrison tries to control Tóth, crossing many lines. 

The story, sometimes agonizingly painful to watch, is bursting with identity and ambition. 

At its core, The Brutalist is inspirational. The more than three-hour film allows room for the many subjects jammed into this drama. 

“The Brutalist” is a story about class, architecture, inequity, freedom, addiction, immigration, violence, Zionism, family, and more. Luckily for the moviegoer – not a frame is wasted. 

It would take way too long to talk about every crevice of this movie. Each is the magical ingredient needed to make it one of the best movies of 2024. 

Brody boldly brings ‘The Brutalist’ to life.  His performance is worthy of all the accolades he’s receiving. 

While it’s a big story – the story feels intimate. 

The film is called “The Brutalist” because any builder who works in the imposing minimalist school of post-World War 11 architecture is known as brutalism.

Don’t sleep on ‘The Brutalist.’

“The Brutalist, directed by Brady Corbet,” stars Adrien Brody (Laszlo Toth), Felicity Jones (Erzsebet Toth), Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn, Rafey Cassidy, Emma Laird, Natalie Shinnick, Jonathan Hyde, Stacy Martin, Vanessa Kirby, Alessandro Nivola, Isaach de Bankole, Michael Epp, Ariane Labed, Matt Devere, Jeremy Wheeler, Peter Linka, Jaymes Butler, Peter Polycarpou, Nick Wittman, Stephen Saracco, and Mark Rylance.

On the DONLOE SCALE: D (don’t bother), O (oh, no), N (needs work), L (likable), O (oh, yeah), and E (excellent); The Brutalist gets an E (excellent). 

In English, Italian, and Polish, with English subtitles

Rated: R for strong sexual content, graphic nudity, rape, drug use, and some language

Running time: 3 hours, 35 minutes

Universal Language: A Review

By Darlene Donloe 

A lot is happening in Universal Language, Canada’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards®, which will be held on March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. 

The Twentieth Century film opens on February 12, 2025, and is directed by Matthew Rankin.

This quirky movie, set in Canada, opens with the camera in a stagnant shot as children and faculty arrive to start the school day. 

When one of the teachers arrives and begins the day’s lesson, it’s clear that some of the children have not studied, to his dismay. Unforgiving, the teacher makes all students crowd into a closet as punishment.

Thus, this unique and original film starts with several vignettes featuring sharply developed characters. The first act introduces all of the characters, some in all of their dysfunction. 

One of the funniest vignettes features a tour guide named Massoud, who leads a group of increasingly befuddled tourists through the monuments, historic sites, and primarily obscure sites of Winnipeg, Canada.

Two schoolchildren, Negin and Nazgol, also find money frozen in the winter ice and try to claim it. The problem is that they don’t have the tools to free it from its icy grave. They decide to come back later after enlisting help and trying to find the tools to free the money. 

The character, Matthew, quits his meaningless job in a Québecois government office and decides to visit his mother. He just ups and leaves.

The film, which highlights Canada and Iran, is primarily grayish in tone to create an icy, wintery feel.

It’s interesting how the two distinct cultures merge into an unforgettable story. The locations and all of the characters reinforce the drabness of both Winnipeg, juxtaposed with their drab lives.  

Eventually, these characters’ lives intersect in the most unlikely ways. It’s masterful how the stories of these ordinary people all come together in a surreal comedy of malfeasance.

The stories are simple yet layered.

Rankin’s direction is masterful, but sometimes the story gets confusing.  Still, the film is appealing and heartfelt.

The Universal Language is love in all its multi-faceted forms.

Although it’s billed as a comedy, Universal Language is also very much a drama—the merging of the two results in an oddly satisfying film.

Kudos to everyone involved.

Universal Language is directed by Rankin, written by Matthew Rankin, Pirouz Nemati, Ila Firouzabadi, and produced by Sylvain Corbeil. 

Release date: February 14, 2025; Canada, 89 minutes, comedy. 

On the DONLOE SCALE, (D) don’t bother, (O) Oh, no, N (needs work), L (likable), O (oh, yeah), and E (excellent); Universal Language gets an O (oh, yeah).

 

'Fake It Until You Make It' Announces Cast

LOS ANGELES, CA (January 15, 2025)— Casting has been announced for Center Theatre Group’s world premiere of Fake It Until You Make It by Larissa FastHorse, the first Native American playwright to be featured at the Mark Taper Forum. Fake It Until You Make It will be directed by Michael John Garcés. It is a co-production with Arena Stage, Washington D.C.

The production will run January 29 to March 9, 2025 (press opening February 5) at the Mark Taper Forum, as the third offering of Center Theatre Group’s One CTG. One LA. Season, previously announced by Artistic Director Snehal Desai, Managing Director/CEO Meghan Pressman, and Producing Director Douglas C. Baker.

The cast at the Mark Taper Forum will be Noah Bean (David Mamet’s Romance), Eric Stanton Betts (Holiday Down Under), Julie Bowen (Modern Family) Tonantzin Carmelo (NBC La Brea), Brandon Delsid (Amazon Prime This is Me … Now), and Dakota Ray Hebert (Marvel’s Echo).

The production then transfers to the Kreeger Theater at Arena Stage, Washington D.C. April 3 to May 4, 2025 where the cast will be Noah Bean (David Mamet’s Romance), Eric Stanton Betts (Holiday Down Under), Amy Brenneman (NYPD Blue, Judging Amy, Private Practice, The Leftovers), Tonantzin Carmelo (NBC La Brea), Brandon Delsid (Amazon Prime This is Me … Now), and Dakota Ray Hebert (Marvel’s Echo).

A bold world premiere comedy from Los Angeles-based playwright, Larissa FastHorse, about being whoever you want to be, even when it’s not who you are. In her uproarious new comedy, a collision of friends and foes within the non-profit sector sets the stage for a whirlwind of competition, chaos, and comedic revelation.

Meet Wynona, the Native American proprietor of N.O.B.U.S.H., and River, her white counterpart at Indigenous Nations Soaring. Their escalating rivalry ensnares colleagues and bystanders, leading to the unraveling of secrets that highlight the absurdities of ambition and authenticity. Amidst the laughter, genuine connections form, emphasizing the value of unexpected paths to success. Fake It Until You Make It  takes an absurd look at what defines who we are, and the lengths some people will go through to change it.

“After re-opening the Mark Taper Forum in the fall, we are excited to partner with our friends at Arena Stage and get back to what the Taper has been celebrated for over the course of its history—and that’s by continuing to be the home for bold world premiere productions,” said Snehal Desai, CTG’s Artistic Director. “I am particularly thrilled that LA's own Larissa FastHorse and her new comedy, Fake It Until You Make It, will be making its premiere at CTG this season. We are already laughing out loud in the rehearsal room with this incredible cast as they bring this fantastic and hilarious play to life and we can’t wait to share it with all of you.”

"Arena Stage is delighted to collaborate with Center Theatre Group on this hijinks-filled world-premiere comedy, featuring a fierce and funny ensemble that will rollick audiences from coast to coast," said Arena Stage Artistic Director Hana S. Sharif. "Larissa FastHorse's writing exposes the fragile yet ruthless underbelly of the nonprofit sector, where coworking and culture clash. In a town that runs on identity politics, Larissa dares to unmask us all."

Fake It Until You Make It is an Edgerton Foundation Commission that was awarded to Center Theatre Group. The play was originally commissioned by Center Theatre Group.

2024/25 Season programming at the Mark Taper Forum is made possible through the generous support of the S. Mark Taper Foundation. Additional season support is provided by Perenchio Foundation.

Tickets for Fake It Until You Make It are available through CenterTheatreGroup.org, Audience Services at 213.972.4400 or in person at the Center Theatre Group Box Offices at The Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown LA 90012. 

Center Theatre Group, one of the nation’s preeminent arts and cultural organizations, is Los Angeles’ leading not-for-profit theatre company, which, under the leadership of Artistic Director Snehal Desai, Managing Director / CEO Meghan Pressman, and Producing Director Douglas C. Baker, programs the Mark Taper Forum and the Ahmanson Theatre at The Music Center in Downtown Los Angeles, and the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. Center Theatre Group is one of the country’s leading producers of ambitious new works through commissions and world premiere productions and a leader in interactive community engagement and education programs that reach across generations, demographics, and circumstances to serve Los Angeles. Founded in 1967,  Center Theatre Group has produced more than 700 productions across its three stages, including such iconic shows as Zoot Suit; Angels in America; The Kentucky Cycle; Biloxi Blues; Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992; Children of a Lesser God; Curtains; The Drowsy Chaperone; 9 to 5: The Musical; and Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. CenterTheatreGroup.org

Arena Stage. The first racially integrated theater in our nation’s capital and a pioneer of the regional theater movement, Arena Stage was founded in 1950 in Washington D.C. Today under the leadership of Artistic Director Hana S. Sharif and Executive Producer Edgar Dobie, Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theatre is a national center dedicated to American voices and artists.  Arena Stage produces plays of all that is passionate, profound, deep and dangerous in the American spirit, and present diverse and groundbreaking work from some of the best artists around the country. Consistently contributing to the American theatrical lexicon by commissioning and developing new plays, Arena Stage impacts the lives of over 10,000 students annually through its work in community engagement and serves a diverse annual audience more than 300,000.

CALENDAR LISTING FOR FAKE IT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT

Venue: Mark Taper Forum, 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90012

Dates: Wednesday, January 29 to Sunday, March 9, 2025; Press opening is Wednesday, February 5.

Schedule: Tuesday through Friday evenings at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sundays at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m

Tickets:

Prices — begin at $35

Website — CenterTheatreGroup.org

Phone — Audience Services at 213.628.2772 

In-person — Center Theatre Group Box Office (at the Mark Taper Forum) at The Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown L.A. 90012

Groups —CenterTheatreGroup.org/Tickets/Groups-and-Corporate-Offers

Access — Center Theatre Group offers services to accommodate persons requiring mobility, vision, and hearing access. 

For more information, please visit CenterTheatreGroup.org/Access. 

Chromolume Theatre Announces 2025 Season of Musicals

The Chromolume Theatre at The Zephyr on Melrose in Los Angeles has announced a season of musicals for 2025, kicking off in February with the off-Broadway hit I Love You Because by Joshua Salzman and Ryan Cunningham followed in June (in the Hollywood Fringe Festival) by Marry Me A Little (music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, conceived by Craig Lucas and Norman René), The Bridges of Madison County (music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, book by Marsha Norman) in July, and concluding with Passion (music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by James Lapine) in November. 

I Love You Because is set in modern-day New York and is based on Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice. The show premiered off-Broadway in New York in 2006 and subsequently had productions in the UK, Australia, and Canada. It will open on February 28 and run through March 16.

Marry Me A Little uses songs cut from Sondheim's better-known musicals to create a dialogue-free plot about the relationship between two lonely New York single people who are in emotional conflict during an evening in their separate one-room apartments. Despite knowing of the other's existence, they never get up the courage to talk to each other, though they imagine what such an encounter might be like. Marry Me A Little is part of the 2025 Hollywood Fringe Festival in June. 

The Bridges of Madison County is based on the 1992 novel by James Waller, about a forbidden love affair between a photographer and a housewife that changes them forever. The show premiered at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in 2013. With music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown and book by Marsha Norman, it ran on Broadway in 2014, garnering four Tony Award nominations and winning two for Best Original Score and Best Orchestrations. The Bridges of Madison County will run from July 18–August 3.

Passion is a one act musical adapted from Ettore Scola’s film Passione d’Amore, itself adapted from the novel Fosca by Iginio Ugo Tarchetti. Set in Risorgimento-era Italy, the plot concerns a young soldier and the changes in him brought about by his obsessive love of Fosca, his Colonel's homely, ailing cousin. Passion is notable for being one of the few projects that Stephen Sondheim himself conceived (along with Sweeney Todd and Road Show). After opening on Broadway in 1994, it was nominated for 10 Tony Awards, winning four, including Best Musical. Passion is set to run November 14–30.

Season tickets are $90 for three shows and $105, including the Hollywood Fringe production. Single tickets are $40 each ($20 for Marry Me A Little). They are on sale now and may be purchased online at www.chrtheatre.com. The Zephyr Theatre is located at 7456 Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, 90046.

Pasadena Playhouse Cancels 'Anything Goes' and 'Follies In Concert' Due To Eaton Fire

PASADENA, CA (January 10, 2025) –  Anything Goes in Concert and Follies in Concert, which Pasadena Playhouse was to have presented over two consecutive weekends at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium (January 24-25 and January 31-February 1, 2025), have been canceled due to the ongoing situation with the Eaton Fire affecting Pasadena, Altadena, and surrounding areas. 

Danny Feldman, Producing Artistic Director of Pasadena Playhouse, the State Theater of California and recipient of the 2023 Regional Theatre Tony Award, says, “Pasadena Playhouse is heartbroken by the devastation that this week’s fires have inflicted on so many within our community, and we continue to be grateful for the outpouring of concern and support. We are fortunate that our historic building has not sustained any significant damage.  

Given the extensive impact of the fires on Playhouse staff, artists, and audiences, we have decided to cancel the upcoming In Concert productions of Anything Goes and Follies at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. 

This was not an easy decision, but our theater-makers and staff cannot unite to continue creating these monumental productions. We remain committed to the safety and support of all the artists, crew, and staff who have been deeply impacted. 

If you are a current ticket holder for one or both of these productions, please hang tight. We will contact you soon regarding your ticket options. If you have immediate questions, you can email boxoffice@pasadenaplayhouse.org, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Please be patient with us, as our Box Office is currently closed, and our team will work hard to answer all of your questions.  

Most importantly, our thoughts are with everyone in our community. Please know that we are thinking of you and that Pasadena Playhouse is committed to doing all we can to support the people of Pasadena, Altadena, and Los Angeles, who have done so much to support us. For those needing assistance or updates, please visit lacounty.gov/emergency for more information.”

'Plain Jayne,' A Memoir By Jayne Kennedy Set For Release

 

"Plain Jayne” is the latest tome from actress and sportscaster Jayne Kennedy.  

Kennedy’s life and career include her groundbreaking and dynamic work on the Emmy Award-winning CBS show The NFL Today, becoming the first Black woman to win Miss Ohio USA and the only woman to host the long-running syndicated show Greatest Sports Legends. Plain Jayne is a compelling, inspirational, and honest must-read memoir. 

It is currently available for pre-order from retailers at www.penguinradomhouse.com. 

Actress Jane Fonda Hosts 'Sing Sing' Screening

Colman Domingo and Jane Fonda

Hosted by Jane Fonda



From the film: Writer-director-producer Greg Kwedar and cast Colman Domingo and Clarence Maclin, and musician Abraham Alexander ("Like a Bird," Sing Sing Original Soundtrack)

Additional guests: Ariana DeBose, Rosario Dawson, Ron Perlman, Eric Roberts, Saffron Burrows, Cheri Oteri and others

WINNER - NATIONAL SOCIETY OF FILM CRITICS

Best Actor - Colman Domingo

WINNER - GOTHAM AWARDS

Outstanding Lead Performance - Colman Domingo

Outstanding Supporting Performance - Clarence Maclin

2024 Gotham Social Justice Tribute

NOMINEE - GOLDEN GLOBES

Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama - Colman Domingo

NOMINEE - 5 CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS

Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Ensemble, Best Adapted Screenplay

Synopsis:

Divine G (Colman Domingo), imprisoned at Sing Sing for a crime he didn’t commit, finds purpose by acting in a theatre group alongside other incarcerated men, including a wary newcomer (Clarence Maclin), in this stirring true story of resilience, humanity, and the transformative power of art, starring an unforgettable ensemble cast of formerly incarcerated actors. 

Directed by Greg Kwedar

Written by Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar

Based on “The Sing Sing Follies” by John H. Richardson and “Breakin’ the Mummy’s Code” by Brent Buell 

Produced by Monique Walton, Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar

Starring Colman Domingo, Clarence Maclin, Sean San Jose, Paul Raci, Sean "Dino" Johnson