EssenceFest 2018: Exploring Essence Entertainment All AccessPosted by Wilson Morales
July 11, 2018
During the 2018 ESSENCE Festival, presented by Coca-Cola at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, a number of Hollywood studios and TV networks came down to New Orleans to showcase a great deal of upcoming films and TV projects as part of the Entertainment All Access. Some had booths set up such as Disney where one can get buttons of “Wakanda Forever” while others brought along either clips of their projects or showed an entire episode.
Although it was released in February, Disney wasn’t through promoting the box office hit Black Panther as well as Ant-Man and the Wasp. Black Panther costume designer Ruth Carter was on hand to discuss the film’s success and her fashion contribution.
Also, the studio promoted its Disney Dreamers Academy, where 100 select high school students, ages 13-19, from across the United States jump-start their life goals and pursue their dreams. It turns the entire magical setting of Walt Disney World into a vibrant classroom. Students participate in a series of sessions and workshops designed to help them imagine bright futures, make exciting discoveries and learn how to put their goals into action. Disney Dreamers engage in a wide variety of experiences at Walt Disney World while working side by side with celebrities, community and industry leaders and Disney cast members.
20th Century FOX came in with The Hate U Give, in theaters October 19th. Fans filled the Center Stage as Amandla Stenberg, Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby, Director George Tillman, Jr. and Author Angie Thomas gathered onstage for a special footage presentation.
Directed by George Tillman Jr. (Soul Food, Men of Honor, Notorious) from a screenplay by Tina Mabry and Audrey Wells, the film also stars Lamar Johnson, Algee Smith, Common, Issa Rae, Anthony Mackie, K.J. Apa and Sabrina Carpenter.
Based on the critically acclaimed New York Times bestseller by Angela Thomas, The Hate U Give is a timely, powerful and thought-provoking story of race and identity, told from the perspective of Starr Carter, played by Amandla Stenberg (The Hunger Games, As You Are). Starr is constantly switching between two worlds: the poor, mostly black, neighborhood where she lives and the rich, mostly white, prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. What Starr does-or does not-say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.
Showtime Networks brought out Lena Waithe, the creator of its hit series, The Chi, which was renewed for a second season.
Produced entirely in its namesake city, THE CHI is a timely coming-of-age story centering on a group of residents who become linked by coincidence but bonded by the need for connection and redemption. The ensemble cast for season one includes Jason Mitchell (Mudbound, Straight Outta Compton), Jacob Latimore (Sleight), Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine (Queen of Katwe), Alex Hibbert (Moonlight), Yolonda Ross (Treme, The Get Down), Armando Riesco (Bull) and Tiffany Boone (The Following). Kevin (Hibbert) is the pre-teen who must step past shattered illusions and embrace the normal rites of childhood, while Brandon (Mitchell) the dreamer makes his own nearly impossible leap of faith to succeed in life and love with girlfriend Jerrika (Boone).
BET Networks brought out Woody McClain and Gabrielle Dennis to talk about the two-part miniseries‘The Bobby Brown Story,’ which stars The New Edition Story’s McClain, who returns and stars as the adult Brown, Tyler Williams as young Bobby Brown & Sandi McCree as Bobby’s mother Carole Brown.
With a career that spans from founding the R&B super group New Edition to a successful solo run, Bobby Brown’s life truly epitomizes the meaning of sex, drugs, and rock & roll. Hailed as the King of R&B, Bobby Brown is undisputedly one of the genre’s original “bad boys.” His hits may have kept him at the top of the charts, but his antics kept him on the front page.
The cast on The Bobby Brown Story also includes Mekhi Phifer, Lil Rel Howery, T.K. Carter, Laz Alonso, Lance Gross, Alyssa Goss, Donshea Hopkins and Gabrielle Dennis as Whitney Houston. Algee Smith and Luke James will be reprising their New Edition roles as Ralph Tresvant and Johnny Gill respectively.
Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, the parents of Trayvon Martin, and Paramount Networks were at the convention to showcase the upcoming six-part docu-series, Rest In Power: The Trayvon Martin Story, which premieres Monday, July 30 at 10 PM, ET/PT.
Trayvon Martin was an unarmed 17-year old African American high school student shot and killed by a neighborhood watch member in the Sanford, Florida community on February 26, 2012 where he was visiting a friend with his father. George Zimmerman was acquitted of a second-degree murder charge utilizing Florida’s Stand Your Ground Law, claiming he shot Martin in self-defense.
The fatal encounter between Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman and the subsequent trial polarized the nation, sparking outrage and protests and shined an unforgiving light on issues including race, politics, power, money and, gun control.
Executive producers for the series include Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, Sybrina Fulton, Tracy Martin, Chachi Senior, Michael Gasparro, Jenner Furst, Julia Willoughby Nason and Nick Sandow. Furst and Nason serve as co-directors on the project.
And finally, fans were excited when TNT Networks came to the stage with the cast members Jenn Lyons and Niece Nash of their hit series Claws.
Claws follows the rise of five treacherous manicurists working at the Nail Artisans of Manatee County salon, where there is a lot more going on than silk wraps and pedicures. At the center of this diverse group is salon owner Desna (Niecy Nash), who works alongside her salon staff to launder money from Suncoast Rejuvenation, a barely legal pain clinic operated by the Dixie Mafia. While it has always been Desna’s mission to break free of the redneck syndicate and become her own boss, last season saw Desna trade one crime boss for another as the Russian mob took control of both the pain clinic and the salon. With new management comes new problems for the women to navigate.
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