Rudy Valdez to Serve on Sundance Film Festival’s Competition Jury

Rudy Valdez is headed to Sundance for an important role…

Sundance Film Festival organizers have set 16 alums from past editions to serve on its Competition Jury, with the Latino Emmy-winning filmmaker among those making the list.

Rudy ValdezValdez is known for his commitment to telling powerful, diverse and dynamic stories through an unparalleled and self-taught cinematic lens.

From documenting the rise of one of the world’s best-known musicians to delving into the devastating impact mandatory minimum prison sentences can have on a family, Valdez’s commitment to uplifting unheard voices while shining a light on cultural, social, and political moments not only reveals suppressed stories but also sparks meaningful conversations.

His ability to capture the essence of human emotion and experience has earned him critical acclaim and has firmly established Valdez as a transformative and influential figure in the world of filmmaking.

His credits include The Sentence, Carlos, The Last Patrol and Prison Dogs.

In addition to Valdez, in the U.S. Documentary Competition, the list includes Debra Granik, Adrian Tomine and Lena Waithe in U.S. Dramatic Competition; Shane Boris and Nicole Newnham in U.S. Documentary Competition; Jennifer Kent, Mira Nair and Rui Poças in World Cinema Dramatic Competition; Mandy Chang, Monica Hellström and Shaunak Sen in World Cinema Documentary Competition; Christina Oh, Danny Pudi and Charlotte Regan in Short Film Program Competition; and Zal Batmanglij in the NEXT competition section

“The Sundance Film Festival is known for discovering and platforming visionary emerging artists. We cannot do this without our jury, who so thoughtfully help us recognize and amplify the next generation of independent storytellers,” said Festival Director Eugene Hernandez. “We are thrilled to announce the talented, accomplished artists who comprise this year’s jury.”

Commenting on the fact of jurors’ participation in past festivals, Director of Programming Kim Yutani said that “they know what it is to introduce new work to the Sundance community and we are so pleased to be able to welcome them back to Sundance to take in the films our programming team has curated. We can’t wait to see what resonates with them.”

Feature award winners at the 40th edition of the Utah festival will be announced at a ceremony at The Ray Theatre in Park City on Friday, January 26th, with short film jury winners to be announced at the Shorts Awards & Party on Tuesday, January 23rd. In addition to meting out prizes, members of the Competition Jury will participate in celebratory programming, ranging from talks and panels, to a special 40th edition trivia night, and a party for artist alumni.

The 2024 festival is taking place in person in both Park City and Salt Lake City from January 18-28, with a selection of films to be made available online across the country from the 25th to the 28th. Films in competition categories awarded by the jury will be screened in person and via the online festival platform from January 27-28.

Olga Merediz Starring in Dave Franco-Directed Amazon Original Film “Somebody I Used to Know”

Olga Merediz is in the Know

The 65-year-old Cuban actress/singer, who originated the role of Abuela Claudia in the Broadway musical In the Heights, has been cast in Somebody I Used to Know, the Amazon original film being directed by Dave Franco and starring Alison Brie, Jay Ellis and Kiersey Clemons.

Olga Merediz

Merediz is among a list of cast newcomers that includes Julie HagertyHaley Joel OsmentAmy Sedaris, Danny Pudi, Zoe Chao, Evan Jonigkeit, Ayden Mayeri and Kelvin Yu.

With the cast filled out, production is underway in Oregon on the romantic comedy co-penned by Franco and Brie.

The film hails from Temple Hill Entertainment and Black Bear Pictures and marks a reteam of Franco, Brie and Black Bear after last year’s horror pic The Rentaldirected by Franco and starring Brie.

Somebody I Used to Know centers on Ally (Brie), a workaholic who on a trip to her hometown spends a night reminiscing with her ex-boyfriend Sean (Ellis), which makes her start to question everything about the choices she’s made and the person she’s become. And things only get more confusing when she meets Cassidy (Clemons), a younger woman who reminds her of the person she used to be.

The film is expected to debut exclusively on Prime Video worldwide next year.

Merediz’s other credits include appearances on Shades of Blue and Netflix‘s Orange Is the New Black.

Rosario Dawson to Star in Apple TV+’s Genre-Bending Auditory Adaptation of Canal+’s “Calls”

Rosario Dawson is placing some calls

Apple TV+ announced the cast, which includes the 41-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actress and activist, and set the premiere date for its genre-bending auditory adaptation of Canal PlusCalls.

Rosario Dawson

In addition to Dawson, the stars featured in the first season of the nine-part drama, include Nick JonasPedro Pascal, Lily Collins, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Aubrey Plaza are among the stars featuring in the first season of the nine-part drama.

Launching on Friday, March 19, the show uses audio and minimal abstract visuals to tell nine short-form stories. Each episode follows a dark mystery that unfolds through a series of seemingly average, unconnected phone calls that quickly become surreal as the characters face growingly unsettling experiences.

Based on a French series created by Timothée Hochet, it is directed by Fede Álvarez, who directed 2013’s Evil Dead feature and 2016’s horror film Don’t Breathe.

Nicholas Braun, Clancy Brown, Mark Duplass, Karen Gillan, Judy Greer, Paul Walter Hauser, Danny Huston, Riley Keough, Joey King, Stephen Lang, Jaeden Martell, Paola Nuñez, Edi Patterson, Danny Pudi, Ben Schwartz and Jennifer Tilly also appear in the first season.

Calls was the streamer’s first international series order back in June 2018 and it also marks its first global co-production – a tie up with French pay-TV broadcaster Canal+. Apple will launch the series, which is produced with Studiocanal and Bad Hombre, in 100 countries, while Canal+ will premiere a French-language version in a number of markets.

Apple will launch the series in a number of Spanish-speaking Latin America markets as Llamadas with Spanish-language custom graphics.

Lin-Manuel Miranda to Lend Voice to Season Finale of “DuckTales,” “The Last Adventure”

Lin-Manuel Miranda is going on a last adventure

The 41-year-old Puerto Rican actor, singer, songwriter, rapper, composer, director, producer, author and playwright will take part in the 90-minute DuckTales series finale, which will air on Monday, March 15 at 7:00 pm ET/PT.

Lin-Manuel Miranda

In the finale, titled “The Last Adventure!,” the future of adventuring hangs in the balance as the Duck family uncovers earth-shattering secrets in a final standoff with the Fiendish Organization for World Larceny (F.O.W.L.).

In addition to Miranda, returning guest voices include Giancarlo Esposito, Julie Bowen, Jaime CamilJameela Jamil, Catherine Tate, Stephanie Beatriz, Paul F. Tompkins, Jim Rash, Margo Martindale.

Jason Mantzoukas, John Hodgman, Retta, Kimiko Glenn, Libe Barer, Jaleel White and Amy Sedaris also return.

Noël Wells and Riki Lindhome guest star as sisters, June and May, respectively.

“It has been an absolute honor to adventure along with the Duck Family for three seasons of derring-do bad and good luck tales. Ever since Carl Barks took a silly squawking duck from a funny animal cartoon and sent him looking for pirate gold, these characters have been part of a constantly evolving legacy of invention and reinvention,” executive producer Matt Youngberg and co-executive producer Francisco Angones said. “We set out to honor all those things that we’ve loved about ‘DuckTales’ since we were kids and introduce new parts of that legacy for families around the globe. Along the way, our stellar crew, unbelievable cast and endlessly supportive fans have become a bit of a family ourselves. And it has been a great joy to solve mysteries and rewrite history alongside them.”

Disney also added that new DuckTales episodes will debut every Monday starting February 22, leading up to the series finale.

In addition to bringing the stories the Duck Family adventures to an end, the series finale will also feature a dramatic reading of the DuckTales main title song.

Cast members David Tennant, Danny Pudi, Ben Schwartz, Bobby Moynihan, Kate Micucci, Beck Bennett, Toks Olagundoye and Paget Brewster come together to read the lyrics of the iconic musical number.

Ortiz to Guest Star on TBS’ “The Guest Book”

John Ortiz has signed in…

The 48-year-old Puerto Rican actor will guest star on TBSThe Guest Book, the new 10-episode comedy series from My Name Is Earl’s Greg Garcia.

John Ortiz

The Guest Book emerged from Garcia’s habit of writing fictitious stories in the guest books of various rental cabins in an effort to freak out the next renters. Now he is bringing some of those stories to life on screen centering on the vacation home Froggy Cottage and its visitors. While the house and cast of characters living in this small mountain town remain the same, each episode will feature a different set of vacationing guests.

The anthology-style show, written by Garcia and executive produced by him and Alix Jaffe, will premiere in August.

It will star Kellie Martin (Army Wives), Charlie Robinson (Hart of Dixie), Aloma Wright (Suits), Carly Jibson (Broadway’s Hairspray), Lou Wilson (Tween Fest), Garret Dillahunt (The Mindy Project), Laura Bell Bundy (Scream Queens) and Eddie Steeples (My Name Is Earl).

Martin will play Officer Kimberly Leahy, who serves on the police force in the small mountain town of Mount Trace. Robinson is Wilfrid, an easygoing, friendly gentleman who manages a group of mountain rental cottages with his wife, Emma, played by recurring guest star Wright. Jibson is Vivian, a tough, strong-willed woman who runs a bikini bar called Chubbys with her stepson Frank, played by Wilson.

In addition to Ortiz, other guest stars include Danny Pudi (Community), Jenna Fischer (The Office), Tommy Dewey (The Mindy Project), Lauren Lapkus (Orange Is the new Black), Michaela Watkins (Casual), Mary Lynn Rajskub (24), Michael Rapaport (Sully), Kate Micucci (Raising Hope), Jaime Pressly (My Name Is Earl), Stockard Channing (The Good Wife), Andrew J. West (The Walking Dead), David Zayas (Gotham), Shannon Woodward (Westworld), Margo Martindale (The Good Wife) and Stephnie Weir (The Comedians).

Sony Pictures Releases First Full-Length Trailer for Lovato’s “Smurfs: The Lost Village”

Demi Lovato is ready to get her Smurfette on…

The first full-length trailer for Smurfs: The Lost Village, featuring the 24-year-old part-Mexican American singer as Smurfette, was released Monday by Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Demi Lovato Smurfs: The Lost Village

Based on the beloved Belgian cartoon series, the voice cast of the latest project in the Smurfs franchise, includes Lovato, Mandy Patinkin, Jack McBrayer, Danny Pudi, Joe Manganiello and Rainn Wilson.

When Smurfette stumbles upon a familiar-looking creature who leaves behind a map in the Enchanted Forest, the trailer asks the question: “What if they were never alone?” Along with her friends Brainy (Pudi), Clumsy (McBrayer), and Hefty (Manganiello), the Smurfs embark on a mission to find the mysterious lost village.

The quartet soon encounters perilous and insane adventures along the way, trying to discover the forgotten town before the evil Gargamel (Wilson).

Wilson replaces Hank Azaria, who voiced the evil wizard in the first two film reboots.

The project is directed by Kelly Asbury from a script penned by Stacey Harmon, Karey Kirkpatrick, Chris Poche, Pamela Ribon, David Ronn, and Jay Scherick.

Smurfs: The Lost Village will be released in the U.S. on April 7, 2017.

New Trailer Released for Lovato’s “Smurfs: The Lost Village”

Demi Lovato’s world is turning blue

Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation have released a new trailer for Smurfs: The Lost Village, starring the 24-year-old part-Mexican American singer/actress.

Demi Lovato

The new clip for the Kelly Asbury-directed, fully animated film, which features Lovato voicing the character of Smurfette, seems designed to erase memories of the franchise’s latter-day live-action/animated hybrids entries.

The reboot, written by Stacey Harman and Pamela Ribon, has been touted as a return in tone to the blue gang’s original comic book adventures.

Sony describes the new movie’s plot thusly: “a mysterious map sets Smurfette and her best friends Brainy, Clumsy and Hefty on an exciting and thrilling race through the Forbidden Forest filled with magical creatures to find a mysterious lost village before the evil wizard Gargamel does. Embarking on a rollercoaster journey full of action and danger, the Smurfs are on a course that leads to the discovery of the biggest secret in Smurf history!”

In addition to Lovato, the cast includes Rainn Wilson (Gargamel), Joe Manganiello (Hefty), Jack McBrayer (Clumsy), Danny Pudi (Brainy) and Mandy Patinkin (Papa Smurf).

Smurfs: The Lost Village opens in theaters on April 7, 2017.