Diverse Film Alert: “Miles Ahead,” “Race,” “Sleight” + More

Diverse film alert time, friends! With Sundance happening as we speak, there’s a lot of news about films right now; some I hope we get to see in the theaters very soon. There’s also a short created by a friend to the site that you have to see if you want something funny to alleviate your Snowstorm Jonas misery. Here you go:

Comedy short Password Deals, written and directed by Blind Date Rules‘ Brie Eley. Starring Eley, fellow 4Play Comedy LA members Larisa Peters and Amy Rose Schumacher, and Winston A. Marshall. Sketch about a world in which passwords to streaming content, not drugs, are the hot commodity in the streets.

Comedy short film Darby Forever, starring and created by Saturday Night Live‘s Aidy Bryant. Short released as part of Vimeo’s new initiative Share the Screen, which will give voice to female filmmakers lacking a space in Hollywood. Vimeo states of the initiative, “When diverse voices are given equal consideration and weight, more informed artistic decisions are made, better stories are told.”

“Pioneers of African American Cinema” to show rare “race films” of the 1930s and 1040s during February and March. Event is flagship of Kickstarter’s Film Preservation and Restoration Initiative (in conjunction with Kino Lorber).

Films from Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY, Ayanda and Out of My Hand come to Netflix

“Out of My Hand” Official Trailer from TELEVISION on Vimeo.

Race

Heartbeats:

Myriad Pictures, Das Films and Bowery Hills Entertainment announced today that professional dancer Krystal Ellsworth who has danced in films Fame & Iron Man 2, rising South Indian star Amitash Pradhan(Vella Illa Pattathari), Paul McGillion (TOMORROWLAND, “Stargate Atlantis”) and Daphne Zuniga (“One Tree Hill”) headline the cast of the dance film HEARTBEATS, which is written and directed by Duane Adler [creator of Step Up].  Justin Chon (“Twilight” franchise) and Indian familiars Salman Yussuf Khan (of #1 Indian dance franchise ABCD), Kishori Shahane and Mohan Kapur round out the cast.  “Inside Edition’s” Megan Alexander makes a cameo appearance. The film has just commenced production in Mumbai, India.

HEARTBEATS tells the story of Kelli (Ellsworth), a feisty female American hip hop dancer who travels to India with her parents (McGillion and Zuniga) for a week long Indian wedding and falls in love — both with a new style of dance and with a determined young man who introduces it to her (Pradhan).

The theme of the film is about two worlds colliding and will be Adler’s second movie with a bi-racial romance since SAVE THE LAST DANCE which starred Julia Stiles. Adler also wrote and created the worldwide box office smash hit dance movies STEP UP, STEP UP 2, and most recently wrote and directed the dance movie MAKE YOUR MOVE for Lionsgate.

HEARTBEATS is being produced by Sriram Das (NOVEMBER MAN), Andrea Chung (SEOUL SEARCHING), and Karine Martin (MAINA). Myriad Pictures is selling international rights to the project in Berlin, with Myriad’s Kirk D’Amico executive producing.

The film is being co-financed by Dance Network, whose founder Julie Stadler and CEO Brian Williams will serve as Executive Producers.  Recently, Dance Network acquired and launched Skyway Studios in Nashville.

Jay-Z’s Roc Nation is producing the original songs alongside composer Gingger Shankar (Academy Award® nominee for THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST); the soundtrack will feature traditional and current Indian music and American hip-hop and R&B.  2015 Emmy Winning choreographer for “Dancing With the Stars,” Tessandra Chavez, is the supervising choreographer and two-time Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa winner Shampa Gopikrishna is the choreographer for the Indian dancing.

Miles Ahead

.@IamDonCheadle's @MilesAheadFilm plays tonite at @sundancefest. Watch previous pics & clips https://t.co/Hnvjj35kn7 pic.twitter.com/56wuiny6Xq

— Wilson – BFTV (@WMorales_BFTV) January 22, 2016

Sleight

Seychelle and @jacoblatimore as Bo and Holly once again ruining a perfect picture of a tree. https://t.co/9InDPKuloW pic.twitter.com/u6xbcCZg1w

— SleightTheMovie (@SleightTheMovie) July 26, 2015

Sleight! 6:30 Monday thru Friday on TBS: Vaguely Funny. Like this post. https://t.co/5sgdTorKij pic.twitter.com/tGu1WTXWUL

— SleightTheMovie (@SleightTheMovie) July 26, 2015

Here’s @jacoblatimore as Bo. Hired for his acting skills/because he’s a for real warlock. https://t.co/lAD22PUX9a pic.twitter.com/cJaMNCBqFr

— SleightTheMovie (@SleightTheMovie) July 26, 2015

Morris From America

Morris From America is an understated, generous film. @BilgeEbiri reviews from #Sundance: https://t.co/Izj3PHAOcF pic.twitter.com/etofqKSsbl

— Vulture (@vulture) January 23, 2016

Embrace the Serpent

‘Embrace the Serpent’ Is a Violent, Psychedelic Film about the Colonization of the Amazon

Are you going to give any of these films a shot? Write your thoughts below!

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