An Oscar ceremony with Beyoncé and Taylor Swift? What television producer wouldn’t want two of the biggest names in entertainment gracing the red carpet for the 96th Academy Awards? But despite two upcoming concert films from the megastars — “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” and “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé” — neither are eligible to submit or compete for an Academy Award nomination for documentary feature, or any technical category, under the current guidelines.
Per the Academy’s bylaws, the Documentary Branch defines a documentary film as “a theatrically released nonfiction motion picture dealing creatively with cultural, artistic, historical, social, scientific, economic or other subjects. It may be photographed in actual occurrence, or may employ partial reenactment, stock footage, stills, animation, stop-motion or other techniques, as long as the emphasis is on fact and not on fiction.”
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.
The Special Rules Section,...
Per the Academy’s bylaws, the Documentary Branch defines a documentary film as “a theatrically released nonfiction motion picture dealing creatively with cultural, artistic, historical, social, scientific, economic or other subjects. It may be photographed in actual occurrence, or may employ partial reenactment, stock footage, stills, animation, stop-motion or other techniques, as long as the emphasis is on fact and not on fiction.”
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.
The Special Rules Section,...
- 10/9/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
We understand — theoretically, at least — that movies have more oomph when it’s an immersive experience. But though we all have familiarity with the various director cuts of films floating around, we tend to think less of how films play differently thanks to specialized equipment. But Manhattan cinephiles are about to get a big lesson in just that with the launch of the Paris Theater’s “Big and Loud” series.
A hothouse combination of classic cinema and popcorn entertainment, the series hopes to marry a nostalgic, historic setting with Dolby Atmos to make even beloved films a new discovery. Dolby Atmos allows filmmakers and sound designers the opportunity to strategically position specific sounds to come from anywhere in a film auditorium; the newly renovated Paris Theater has accepted that challenge and created the largest Atmos cinema in Manhattan. The Netflix theater’s team spent four months working with Dolby, an acoustician,...
A hothouse combination of classic cinema and popcorn entertainment, the series hopes to marry a nostalgic, historic setting with Dolby Atmos to make even beloved films a new discovery. Dolby Atmos allows filmmakers and sound designers the opportunity to strategically position specific sounds to come from anywhere in a film auditorium; the newly renovated Paris Theater has accepted that challenge and created the largest Atmos cinema in Manhattan. The Netflix theater’s team spent four months working with Dolby, an acoustician,...
- 8/22/2023
- by Sarah Shachat
- Indiewire
With a Glut of Stand-up Comedy One-Offs, It May Be Time to Rethink Emmys’ Specials Category (Column)
It seems like every few years, the Television Academy reinvents the variety specials Emmy competition — and now, with an explosion in stand-up comedy on streaming platforms, it may have to rethink things once again.
This year’s field of contenders in the variety special (pre-recorded) category is a hodgepodge of music showcases like Amazon Prime Video’s “Happiness Continues: A Jonas Brothers Concert Film,” Netflix’s “Ben Platt: Live From Radio City Music Hall” and ABC’s “The Disney Family Singalong”; special editions of talk shows like CBS’ “Homefest: James Corden’s Late Late Show Special” and TBS’ “Conan Without Borders: Ghana”; and celebrations tied to events such as ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest,” Amazon’s “The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show” and NatGeo’s Earth Day entry “Born Wild: The Next Generation.”
There are also a few variety one-offs, like Netflix’s...
This year’s field of contenders in the variety special (pre-recorded) category is a hodgepodge of music showcases like Amazon Prime Video’s “Happiness Continues: A Jonas Brothers Concert Film,” Netflix’s “Ben Platt: Live From Radio City Music Hall” and ABC’s “The Disney Family Singalong”; special editions of talk shows like CBS’ “Homefest: James Corden’s Late Late Show Special” and TBS’ “Conan Without Borders: Ghana”; and celebrations tied to events such as ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest,” Amazon’s “The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show” and NatGeo’s Earth Day entry “Born Wild: The Next Generation.”
There are also a few variety one-offs, like Netflix’s...
- 7/9/2020
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Chris Brown and Roddy Ricch took home two trophies at Sunday’s BET Awards, while Beyoncé Knowles won the BET Her Award (along with daughter Blue Ivy) as well as the Humanitarian Award.
“Insecure” actress Amanda Seales hosted the BET Awards, celebrating “the best and most beautiful aspects of the Black experience.” This year’s virtual show paid tribute to two superstars from the worlds of sports and entertainment: Grammy Award-winning global icon Lil Wayne honored Kobe Bryant, and Wayne Brady lead the tribute to Little Richard.
Brown won for Best Male R&b/Pop Artist as well as Best Collaboration for “No Guidance” featuring Drake. Ricch, who performed two numbers during the virtual show, took home prizes for Best New Artist and for his album “Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial.”
Beyonce not only won the BET Her Award (along with her daughter Blue Ivy), which recognizes neo soul...
“Insecure” actress Amanda Seales hosted the BET Awards, celebrating “the best and most beautiful aspects of the Black experience.” This year’s virtual show paid tribute to two superstars from the worlds of sports and entertainment: Grammy Award-winning global icon Lil Wayne honored Kobe Bryant, and Wayne Brady lead the tribute to Little Richard.
Brown won for Best Male R&b/Pop Artist as well as Best Collaboration for “No Guidance” featuring Drake. Ricch, who performed two numbers during the virtual show, took home prizes for Best New Artist and for his album “Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial.”
Beyonce not only won the BET Her Award (along with her daughter Blue Ivy), which recognizes neo soul...
- 6/29/2020
- by Rosemary Rossi
- The Wrap
Queen Bey is coming to Disney+. The streamer has dropped a powerful first trailer for a surprise new visual album written and directed by Beyoncé, titled “Black Is King.” Beyoncé’s first directorial effort since the 2019 Netflix documentary film “Homecoming,” “Black Is King” will premiere globally on Disney+ on July 31, 2020, and will arrive on the heels of the one-year anniversary of the release of Disney’s “The Lion King.” Watch the trailer below.
This visual album, Beyoncé’s first since the groundbreaking “Lemonade” shook up the world in 2016, reimagines the themes of “The Lion King” for young kids today, and features diverse cast and crew. According to Disney, the film was in production for a year.
Here’s the story, according to the film’s official synopsis: “The voyages of Black families, throughout time, are honored in a tale about a young king’s transcendent journey through betrayal, love and self-identity.
This visual album, Beyoncé’s first since the groundbreaking “Lemonade” shook up the world in 2016, reimagines the themes of “The Lion King” for young kids today, and features diverse cast and crew. According to Disney, the film was in production for a year.
Here’s the story, according to the film’s official synopsis: “The voyages of Black families, throughout time, are honored in a tale about a young king’s transcendent journey through betrayal, love and self-identity.
- 6/28/2020
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter will be honored with the Humanitarian Award at Sunday’s 20th Annual BET Awards, the network said today. The show also will pay tribute to NBC star Kobe Bryant and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Little Richard. Lil’ Wayne will pay tribute to Bryant and Wayne Brady will honor Little Richard. The BET Awards airs Sunday from 8-11 p.m. Et/Pt on BET and CBS.
Beyoncé will be honored for her 2017 BeyGOOD initiative’ Formation Scholars scholarship program for young women “who are unafraid to think outside the box.” That year, she partnered with Unicef to create ‘BeyGood4Burundi, a multi-year partnership to bring safe water and sanitation to the small, landlocked East African country of Burundi. In 2018 she created the Homecoming Scholars Award Program, following her historic performance at Coachella, which benefited students at eight Hbcu colleges and universities.
In response to the pandemic, Beyoncé teamed up with her mother,...
Beyoncé will be honored for her 2017 BeyGOOD initiative’ Formation Scholars scholarship program for young women “who are unafraid to think outside the box.” That year, she partnered with Unicef to create ‘BeyGood4Burundi, a multi-year partnership to bring safe water and sanitation to the small, landlocked East African country of Burundi. In 2018 she created the Homecoming Scholars Award Program, following her historic performance at Coachella, which benefited students at eight Hbcu colleges and universities.
In response to the pandemic, Beyoncé teamed up with her mother,...
- 6/25/2020
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
It turns out that many members of the Television Academy are not part of the Beyhive. On a night when many expected Beyoncé to take home the Emmy in the Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) category, James Corden won instead for “Carpool Karaoke: When Corden Met McCartney Live from Liverpool” on Saturday.
Beyoncé was nominated for her Netflix concert film and documentary hybrid “Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé” and also had nods for directing and writing the special. She lost the directing category to “Springsteen on Broadway” and the writing category to Hannah Gadsby’s “Nannette.” She was previously nominated for her visual album “Lemonade” in 2016 and for her HBO special “On the Run Tour: Beyoncé and Jay-Z” in 2015.
Beyoncé is now zero for eight at the Emmy Awards.
“Homecoming” combines footage from her April 2018 concert at Coachella — in which Beyoncé led more than 100 singers, dancers, steppers, and brass band members through...
Beyoncé was nominated for her Netflix concert film and documentary hybrid “Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé” and also had nods for directing and writing the special. She lost the directing category to “Springsteen on Broadway” and the writing category to Hannah Gadsby’s “Nannette.” She was previously nominated for her visual album “Lemonade” in 2016 and for her HBO special “On the Run Tour: Beyoncé and Jay-Z” in 2015.
Beyoncé is now zero for eight at the Emmy Awards.
“Homecoming” combines footage from her April 2018 concert at Coachella — in which Beyoncé led more than 100 singers, dancers, steppers, and brass band members through...
- 9/15/2019
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
A version of this story about Bruce Springsteen and “Springsteen on Broadway” first appeared in the Down to the Wire issue of TheWrap’s Emmy magazine.
The Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) category is often the province of comedy specials, from stand-up to politics to icons.
But this year it has a different look — or, perhaps, a different sound, because three of the five nominees are specials featuring huge music stars. There’s Beyoncé’s “Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé,” James Corden’s “Carpool Karaoke: When Corden Met McCartney Live From Liverpool” and director Thom Zimny’s “Springsteen on Broadway,” a concert film from the Tony-winning show.
Zimny has been working with Springsteen for nearly 20 years on documentaries, videos and concert films — and in that time, he said, he’s learned one big lesson from Springsteen and his manager, Jon Landau: “Come fully prepared, but be ready for changes.”
Also...
The Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) category is often the province of comedy specials, from stand-up to politics to icons.
But this year it has a different look — or, perhaps, a different sound, because three of the five nominees are specials featuring huge music stars. There’s Beyoncé’s “Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé,” James Corden’s “Carpool Karaoke: When Corden Met McCartney Live From Liverpool” and director Thom Zimny’s “Springsteen on Broadway,” a concert film from the Tony-winning show.
Zimny has been working with Springsteen for nearly 20 years on documentaries, videos and concert films — and in that time, he said, he’s learned one big lesson from Springsteen and his manager, Jon Landau: “Come fully prepared, but be ready for changes.”
Also...
- 8/12/2019
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
If there was ever any doubt, it's become increasingly clear that Beyoncé will attain Egot status in her lifetime. Nominations for the 2019 Emmy Awards were just announced, and the 37-year-old pop culture force earned six nominations for Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé, which chronicled her history-making 2018 Coachella performance. With several Grammys already in her possession - 23, to be exact - Beyoncé is now closer to joining the 13 esteemed individuals who've won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony. Let's break down why.
With so many nominations, it's pretty likely Homecoming will score Beyoncé her Emmy. The Netflix concert film is nominated for outstanding prerecorded variety special, outstanding music direction, outstanding directing for a variety special, outstanding writing for a variety special, outstanding production design for a variety special, and outstanding costumes for variety, nonfiction, or reality programming. However, this isn't the first time Beyoncé has been nominated at the award show.
With so many nominations, it's pretty likely Homecoming will score Beyoncé her Emmy. The Netflix concert film is nominated for outstanding prerecorded variety special, outstanding music direction, outstanding directing for a variety special, outstanding writing for a variety special, outstanding production design for a variety special, and outstanding costumes for variety, nonfiction, or reality programming. However, this isn't the first time Beyoncé has been nominated at the award show.
- 7/18/2019
- by Kelsey Garcia
- Popsugar.com
After a year in which just four women received Emmy nominations in directing categories — a measly 8.7% — the Television Academy bounced back by recognizing nine female directors this year, or just over 18% of the nominees in all six directing categories, according to an analysis by TheWrap.
Meanwhile, women held steady in the writing categories with 34 nominations, out of a total of 165, or 20.6%. Last year, there were 33 female writers nominated, representing 21.9% of the 151 recognized.
This year’s female directing nominees include Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, co-director of “Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé” and the lone female nominee for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special, and Amy Sherman-Palladino, who won last year for directing the pilot of the Amazon Prime comedy series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and was nominated this year for the second-season finale “All Alone.”
Also Read: Emmy Nominations Analysis: Expect a Golden Sendoff for 'Game of Thrones,' Despite the Naysayers...
Meanwhile, women held steady in the writing categories with 34 nominations, out of a total of 165, or 20.6%. Last year, there were 33 female writers nominated, representing 21.9% of the 151 recognized.
This year’s female directing nominees include Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, co-director of “Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé” and the lone female nominee for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special, and Amy Sherman-Palladino, who won last year for directing the pilot of the Amazon Prime comedy series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and was nominated this year for the second-season finale “All Alone.”
Also Read: Emmy Nominations Analysis: Expect a Golden Sendoff for 'Game of Thrones,' Despite the Naysayers...
- 7/16/2019
- by Thom Geier
- The Wrap
It’s going to be a busy awards season for Beyonce. She could be up for Grammys or Oscars in the next six months, but she’s already made a splash with the fresh crop of Emmy nominations. Her documentary/concert movie “Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé” has been nominated for six Emmys, and a win in most of those categories would go to her personally.
The Netflix film is up for outstanding variety special (pre-recorded), directing, writing, music direction, production design and costumes. Beyoncé would share in the award for any of those categories except the last two, being credited as co-director, writer and co-musical director as well as a producer.
Beyoncé had previously been nominated for four Emmys but has not yet won one. Her prior noms were for variety special and variety special directing, both for her visual album “Lemonade” in 2016, plus best short form entertainment for...
The Netflix film is up for outstanding variety special (pre-recorded), directing, writing, music direction, production design and costumes. Beyoncé would share in the award for any of those categories except the last two, being credited as co-director, writer and co-musical director as well as a producer.
Beyoncé had previously been nominated for four Emmys but has not yet won one. Her prior noms were for variety special and variety special directing, both for her visual album “Lemonade” in 2016, plus best short form entertainment for...
- 7/16/2019
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix is famously tight-lipped when it comes to revealing how many people are tuning in to its endless supply of movies and TV series, though the streaming giant does occasionally toot its own horn when one of its titles does especially well. Now the company is experimenting with a weekly list of its most-watched offerings in the UK, with nature docuseries “Our Planet” topping the first edition.
In a Twitter thread, the company announced that it will be releasing such lists on a weekly basis from here on out. To compile them, “we look at the most-watched individual season of a show, film or special (regardless of when it launched). ‘Watched’ means members finished at least 70% of one episode.”
“It’s a test as we want to make sure this information is useful for you,” Netflix added. “So we may tweak it in the weeks ahead. eg. we’re not including kids right now.
In a Twitter thread, the company announced that it will be releasing such lists on a weekly basis from here on out. To compile them, “we look at the most-watched individual season of a show, film or special (regardless of when it launched). ‘Watched’ means members finished at least 70% of one episode.”
“It’s a test as we want to make sure this information is useful for you,” Netflix added. “So we may tweak it in the weeks ahead. eg. we’re not including kids right now.
- 5/9/2019
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Netflix has released Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé, which presents an intimate look at her historic 2018 Coachella performance that paid homage to America’s historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Interspersed with candid footage and interviews detailing the preparation and powerful intent behind her vision, Homecoming gives a peek into the process and emotional physical sacrifices it took to conceptualize and execute a performance of that magnitude that became a cultural movement. This stand-alone Netflix original is now available globally on Netflix.
As the first black woman to headline Coachella, Homecoming recognizes the African American visionaries who inspired Beyoncé, including Hbcu alums Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, activist Marian Wright Edelman, and scholar W.E.B. Du Bois, in addition to cultural luminaries such as Nina Simone, Maya Angelou, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Audre Lorde. Beyoncé’s personal knowledge of the relevance and celebration of HBCUs started with her father, Mathew Knowles, an alumnus of Fisk University.
As the first black woman to headline Coachella, Homecoming recognizes the African American visionaries who inspired Beyoncé, including Hbcu alums Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, activist Marian Wright Edelman, and scholar W.E.B. Du Bois, in addition to cultural luminaries such as Nina Simone, Maya Angelou, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Audre Lorde. Beyoncé’s personal knowledge of the relevance and celebration of HBCUs started with her father, Mathew Knowles, an alumnus of Fisk University.
- 4/18/2019
- by Kristyn Clarke
- Age of the Nerd
Last April, Beyoncé marched onto a stage in the Coachella Valley and led more than 100 singers, dancers, and steppers through the greatest performance in the modern history of music festivals. Beychella — as it was destined to be known — was live-streamed by 458,000 people, watched by 43 million more on YouTube over the months that followed, and almost immediately dubbed as the definitive pop culture event of the year. This April, Beyoncé managed to fit the whole spectacle into a euphoric, triumphant, and exhaustingly fierce documentary that should help see Beychella enshrined as one of the definitive pop culture events of the century. Call it history in the making, part two.
Even at a time when everything Beyoncé does feels like history in the making, Beychella stands out as a uniquely special event — it remains an epoch unto itself. Of course, most people on this planet don’t need to be told as much.
Even at a time when everything Beyoncé does feels like history in the making, Beychella stands out as a uniquely special event — it remains an epoch unto itself. Of course, most people on this planet don’t need to be told as much.
- 4/17/2019
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Nobody throws a 3 a.m. weeknight party like Beyoncé, who thrilled a pretty substantial portion of the streaming Western world with the Netflix premiere of “Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé” very early Wednesday morning. Bosses and teachers might actually have been shot-term beneficiaries of this sleep-depriver of a premiere: If you didn’t show up at school or work feeling buzzed enough to run the world — girl, woman or man — you must’ve dozed off holding the remote.
There surely hasn’t been this big a national No-Doze night since last Black Friday, only the occasion here was Black Wednesday. Beyoncé hasn’t exactly made it a secret that her 2018 Coachella shows— and now the streaming film that documents them — were designed to bring a specifically African American feel and experience to the world, basing the whole show in her love for the culture of historically black colleges and universities.
There surely hasn’t been this big a national No-Doze night since last Black Friday, only the occasion here was Black Wednesday. Beyoncé hasn’t exactly made it a secret that her 2018 Coachella shows— and now the streaming film that documents them — were designed to bring a specifically African American feel and experience to the world, basing the whole show in her love for the culture of historically black colleges and universities.
- 4/17/2019
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
Beyonce fans rejoice! On Sunday, Netflix revealed the release date of the star’s upcoming concert documentary “Homecoming,” which will follow her acclaimed performance at Coachella 2018 and will be released on April 17.
The yellow teaser poster, which contains Greek letters in the film’s title, is a nod to one of the outfits Beyonce wore during a performance that made her the first black woman to headline Coachella. The outfit was a tribute to historically black colleges and universities, for which Beyonce launched the Homecoming Scholars Awards Program the night of the event.
At last week’s GLAAD Media Awards, Beyonce her husband Jay-z received the organization’s Vanguard Award, presented to people who “have made a significant difference promoting acceptance of LGBTQ people.” She is also set to star this summer in Disney’s remake of “The Lion King,” which hits theaters in July.
The yellow teaser poster, which contains Greek letters in the film’s title, is a nod to one of the outfits Beyonce wore during a performance that made her the first black woman to headline Coachella. The outfit was a tribute to historically black colleges and universities, for which Beyonce launched the Homecoming Scholars Awards Program the night of the event.
At last week’s GLAAD Media Awards, Beyonce her husband Jay-z received the organization’s Vanguard Award, presented to people who “have made a significant difference promoting acceptance of LGBTQ people.” She is also set to star this summer in Disney’s remake of “The Lion King,” which hits theaters in July.
- 4/7/2019
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
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