Rosa Salazar to Star Opposite Michael Peña in Prime Video’s Film “A Million Miles Away”

Rosa Salazar is traveling a million miles…

The 37-year-old half-Peruvian Canadian actress has joined the cast of Prime Video’s Michael Peña starrer A Million Miles Away, which has entered production in Mexico City.

Rosa SalazarSalazar is among a list of new cast additions that includes Bobby Soto, Julio César Cedillo, Veronica Falcón, Sarayu Blue and Eric Johnson.

Others rounding out the ensemble of the Alejandra Márquez Abella-helmed film include Jordan Dean, Ashley Ciarra, Michelle Krusiec, Emma Fassler, Michael Adler, Carlos S. Sanchez and Isaac Arellanes.

A Million Miles Away is based on the inspiring true story of Jose Hernandez, who defied insurmountable odds to become the first migrant farmworker to travel to space. From six years old, he toiled in the fields between Michoacán and Stockton, California —dreaming of traveling the night skies on a rocket ship. Through his family’s support and his unrelenting determination, pushing through 11 rejections from NASA, Jose’s story is a tale of perseverance, community and sacrifice to accomplish an impossible dream.

Abella is directing from the script she wrote alongside Hernàn Jiménez and Bettina Gilois.

The Amazon Original Movie will ultimately stream on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

Salazar stars in Prime Video’s animated series Undone, and has also been part of such series as Big MouthBrand New Cherry FlavorB PositiveMan Seeking WomanParenthood and American Horror Story, among others.

She recently appeared in Dean Fleischer-Camp’s live-action-animated hybrid Marcel the Shell with Shoes On for A24, and has also been seen in multiple Maze Runner films, as well as such titles as Pink Skies AheadAlita: Battle AngelBird BoxThe Kindergarten Teacher and The Divergent Series: Insurgent.

The actress will next be seen in the Hulu series Wedding Season, launching in September.

Soto has been seen on series like Narcos: Mexico, and in such films as The Tax CollectorThe Quarry and A Better Life. He’ll next be seen in Chase Joliet’s drama Grapefruit, as well as Eva Longoria’s Flamin’ Hot for Searchlight and Michael Lozano’s Bridge to Somewhere.

Cedillo is perhaps best known for turns on such series as CoyoteNarcos: Mexico and Queen of the South. Notable film credits include The Harder They FallSicarioFronteraCowboys & Aliens, The Mist and Bordertown. The actor will next be seen in Jonás Cuarón’s feature Chupa, as well as Adrian Grunberg’s thriller The Black Demon, Lance Larson’s action-thriller Deadland and Mark Lambert Bristol’s dramedy Chocolate Lizards.

Falcón has previously appeared on series including Perry Mason, OzarkWhy Women Kill and Queen of the South, among many others. Notable film credits include The StarlingJungle Cruise, The Forever Purge and Voyagers. The actress will next be seen in Aitch Alberto’s film Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, based on the book by Benjamin Alire Sáenz.

Guillermo del Toro to Receive ‘Hall of Fame Award’ During Final Draft Awards

Guillermo del Toro has earned a spot in the Final (Draft)…

The 57-year-old Mexican Oscar-winning filmmaker will be among the honorees for screenwriting excellence at the 17th annual Final Draft Awards, which will be presented in a virtual ceremony on March 16.

Guillermo del Torodel Toro will be honored alongside Jane CampionNicole HolofcenerDanny Strong, Jeymes Samuel, and Ashley Lyle & Bart Nickerson.

del Toro, whose current film is Nightmare Alley, will be presented with the Hall of Fame Award, honoring a writer whose body of work has had a profound influence on the industry.

The inaugural Trailblazer Award will go to Oscar-winning filmmaker Campion who is currently winning much acclaim for her latest film The Power of the Dog; the honor recognizes a writer whose career exudes excellence and who consistently tells compelling and bold stories.

Two Storyteller Awards will be presented recognizing writers who consistently maintain a level of excellence and surpass expectations. Academy Award nominee Holofcener will receive the Storyteller Award (Film) for The Last Duelon which she collaborated with stars Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Two-time Emmy winner Strong will receive the Storyteller Award (TV) for the limited series Dopesick, currently streaming on Hulu. Additionally, Final Draft will present two New Voice Awards recognizing rising and vital talents in the industry: The New Voice Award (TV) to Lyle and Nickerson, the husband-and-wife writer-producer team behind Showtime’s Yellowjacketsand The New Voice Award (Film) to Samuel whose feature debut The Harder They Fall is currently streaming on Netflix.

“Storytellers have been revered throughout history for their ability to connect us,” Final Draft president Shelly Mellott said Wednesday. “This year’s honorees are using their considerable talents to tell brave, audacious stories in imaginative ways that entertain, provoke and enlighten audiences. We could not be more proud to honor them and their outstanding work and the impact their stories have on our culture.”

Final Draft, the screenwriting software company, has previously honored the likes of Quentin Tarantino, Nancy Meyers, Aaron Sorkin, Lawrence Kasdan, Paul Schrader, Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski, Callie Khouri, Steven Zaillian, Robert Towne, Oliver Stone and Sydney Pollack, among others.

The Storyteller Award was introduced in 2021 and was presented to Steve McQueen and Sofia Coppola. The New Voice Award was introduced in 2017 with recipients including Ramy Yousef, Steven Canals, Lulu Wang, Liz Hannah, Issa Rae, Boots Riley, Radha Blank and Tanya Saracho.

Kid Cudi Honored by African American Film Critics Association for “The Harder They Fall” Music

Kid Cudi is a critics choice

The 37-year-old half-Mexican American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor has picked up his first-ever award from the African American Film Critics Association.

Kid CudiKid Cudi, whose real name is Scott  Mescudi, won the Best Music prize during the 13th annual African American Film Critics Association Awards announcement.

Kid Cudi picked up the award for co-writing “Guns Go Bang” alongside Jeymes Samuel and Jay-Z for Netflix’s The Harder They Fall.

Winners will be feted on March 2 in Los Angeles.

“It’s been a fantastic year for film,” said AAFCA president and co-founder Gil Robertson. “Just having passed the two-year mark of a global pandemic, great entertainment means more to all of us than ever before. This year’s AAFCA winners not only entertained us but educated and inspired us and we’re looking forward to celebrating them at the AAFCA Awards.”

Here’s the full list of winners:

Best Picture: The Harder They Fall
Best Director: Jeymes Samuel (The Harder They Fall)
Best Screenplay: Don’t Look Up (Adam McKay)
Best Actor: Will Smith (King Richard)
Best Actress: Jennifer Hudson (Respect)
Best Supporting Actor: Corey Hawkins (The Tragedy of Macbeth)
Best Supporting Actress: Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard)
Breakout Actor: Saniyya Sidney (King Richard)
Best Ensemble: The Harder They Fall
Emerging Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richard)
Best Music: The Harder They Fall (Jeymes Samuel, Kid Cudi, Jay-Z)
Best Independent Feature: Who We Are
Best Documentary: Summer of Soul

Kid Cudi Earns Two SCL Awards Nominations from Society of Composers & Lyricists

Kid Cudi is doubling his chances…

The 37-year-old half-Mexican American apper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, has earned two SCL Awards nominations from the Society of Composers & Lyricists , his first-ever nods from the organization.

Kid CudiKid Cudi earned one nod in the Song Drama/Documentary category for co-writing “Guns Go Bang,” alongside Jay-Z and Jeymes Samuel for the Netflix film The Harder They Fall.

He’s also nominated in the Song Musical/Comedy category for co-penning “Just Look Up,” with Nicholas Britell, Ariana Grande and Taura Stinson, for Netflix’s Don’t Look Up.

Germaine Franco is also a two-time nominee…

The 34-year-old Latina film composer is nominated in the Studio Film category for her work on Walt Disney Pictures Encanto.

She’s also nominated in the Interactive category for her work on Kung Fu Panda: Land of Awesomeness.

Lin-Manuel Miranda has earned a nod in the Song Musical/Comedy category.

The 41-year-old Puerto Rican multi-hyphenate is nominated for penning the track “Home All Summer” for In The Heights, the film adaptation of his Tony Award-winning Broadway musical of the same name.

Alberto Iglesias is competing in the Independent category.

The 66-year-old Spanish award-winning composer is nominated for his acclaimed work on Pedro Almodovar’s Spanish-language film Parallel Mothers, which stars Penelope Cruz.

Cristobal Tapia de Veer is a nominee in the Television category.

The 48-year-old Chilean film and television score composer, arranger, producer and multi-instrumentalist is nominated for his work on Apple TV’s The White Lotus.

The annual SCL Awards, now in their year, honor music in visual media — film, television, streaming, interactive — spanning seven categories plus the David Raksin Award for Emerging Talent.

The in-person trophy show — COVID-19-permitting — will be hosted by Darren Criss on Tuesday, February 1, at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.

Composer Carter Burwell and filmmakers Joel Coen & Ethan Coen will receive the Spirit of Collaboration Award for their 17-film team-up along with a musical tribute performance. The live lineup includes Abigail Barlow, Emily Bear and Judith Hill.

The 76-year-old Society of Composers & Lyricists is the primary organization for professional film, TV, video game, and musical theater composers and lyricists.

Here are the nominees for the third annual SCL Awards:

STUDIO FILM

Nicholas Britell
DON’T LOOK UP
Netflix

Hans Zimmer
DUNE
Warner Bros.

Germaine Franco
ENCANTO
Walt Disney Pictures

Alexandre Desplat
THE FRENCH DISPATCH
Searchlight Pictures

Jonny Greenwood
THE POWER OF THE DOG
Netflix

INDEPENDENT FILM

Kubilay Uner
AMERICAN TRAITOR: THE TRIAL OF AXIS SALLY
Vertical Entertainment

Daniel Hart
THE GREEN KNIGHT
A24

Rachel Portman
JULIA
Storyville Films/CNN

Alberto Iglesias
PARALLEL MOTHERS
Sony Pictures Classics

Jonny Greenwood
SPENCER
Neon/Topic Studios

SONG MUSICAL/COMEDY

Nicholas Britell, Ariana Grande, Scott Mescudi, Taura Stinson
“Just Look Up” from DON’T LOOK UP
Netflix

Jamie Hartman, Jennifer Hudson, Carole King
“Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)” from RESPECT
MGM/United Artists

Amie Doherty
“Fearless” from SPIRIT UNTAMED
DreamWorks Animation

Kris Bowers, Siedah Garrett
“Together All the Way” from DEAR WHITE PEOPLE
Netflix

Lin-Manuel Miranda
“Home All Summer” from IN THE HEIGHTS
Warner Bros.

SONG DRAMA/DOCUMENTARY

Billie Eilish & Finneas O’Connell
“No Time To Die” from NO TIME TO DIE
MGM/United Artists

Diane Warren
“Somehow You Do” from FOUR GOOD DAYS
Vertical Entertainment

Rufus Wainwright
“Secret Sister” from REBEL HEARTS
Discovery+

Diane Warren
“(Never Gonna) Tame You” from THE MUSTANGS: AMERICA’S WILD HORSES
Virgil Films

Shawn Carter, Scott Mescudi, Jeymes Samuel
“Guns Go Bang” from THE HARDER THEY FALL
Netflix

TELEVISION

Natalie Holt
LOKI
Disney+

Jung Jae-il
SQUID GAME
Netflix

Nicholas Britell
SUCCESSION
HBO

Christophe Beck
WANDAVISION
Disney+

Cristobel Tapia de Veer
THE WHITE LOTUS
Apple TV+

INTERACTIVE

Austin Wintory
ALIEN FIRETEAM ELITE
Cold Iron

Hildur Guđnadóttir & Sam Slater
BATTLEFIELD 2042
Digital Illusions CE & Electronic Arts

Germaine Franco
KUNG FU PANDA: LAND OF AWESOMENESS
Universal Beijing Resort & Dreamworks Animation

DAVID RAKSIN AWARD

Joy Ngiaw
BLUSH
Apple TV+

Anne-Kathrin Dern
THE CLAUS FAMILY
Netflix

Stephanie Economou
JUPITER’S LEGACY
Netflix

Kid Cudi Makes Oscar’s Short List in Best Original Song Category for “Just Look Up” & “Guns Go Bang”

Kid Cudi is thisclose to earning an Oscar nomination (or two)…

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has cut its Original Song Oscar category list to 15 songs that made the shortlist, with the 37-year-old half-Mexican American Grammy-winning singer/actor having two songs still in the running.

Kid Cudi x Ariana GrandeKid Cudi’s collaboration with Ariana GrandeJust Look Up,” co-written by the singers, from the film Don’t Look Up is still under consideration.

Meanwhile, Kid Cudi’s song “Guns Go Bang,” co-written with Jay-Z for the film The Harder They Fall is also still in the running for a nomination.

Lin-Manuel Miranda could also pick up another Oscar nod.

The 41-year-old Puerto Rican multi-hyphentate, who earned a nomination in the Best Original Song category in 2016 for his Moana single “How Far I’ll Go,” is still in the running for his single “Dos Oruguitas” from Disney’s Encanto.

A total of 84 songs were eligible in the category this year.

Here’s the full shortlist, with final nominations to be announced February 8 ahead of the ceremony March 27 at the Dolby Theatre.

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)

“So May We Start?” from Annette
“Down To Joy” from Belfast
“Right Where I Belong” from Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road
“Automatic Woman” from Bruised
“Dream Girl” from Cinderella
“Beyond The Shore” from CODA
“The Anonymous Ones” from Dear Evan Hansen
“Just Look Up” from Don’t Look Up
“Dos Oruguitas” from Encanto
“Somehow You Do” from Four Good Days
“Guns Go Bang” from The Harder They Fall
“Be Alive” from King Richard
“No Time To Die” from No Time to Die
“Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)” from Respect
“Your Song Saved My Life” from Sing 2