Recapping #INSECUREFEST for Season 3 of InsecurePosted by Erial Tompkins
July 25, 2018
This past weekend, HBO took over Los Angeles as the network took the annual Insecure Block Party series to the next level with the first-ever #INSECUREFEST for the third season of the hit comedy series “INSECURE”. The star-studded, red carpet premiere event converted LA’s new state-of-the-art soccer stadium (Banc of California Stadium) into carnival-themed festival grounds as stars Issa Rae, Yvonne Orji, Y’lan Noel and the rest of the show’s talented cast and crew attended.
The one-of-a-kind premiere event included an exclusive screening of INSECURE season 3 episode 1, as well as delicious food and drinks from stadium vendors, carnival games, bounce houses and FIVE special musical performances from today’s top R&B and Hip-hop artist. The cast and crew danced alongside fans of the show as DJ Jasmine Solano provided the soundtrack for the party and Gia Peppers hosted.
Blackfilm.com spoke with the show’s creator, lead writer and star Issa Rae about her advice for aspiring black filmmakers and more.
When it comes to creation as an aspiring filmmaker, Rae says it’s all about your tribe. “Work with other aspiring artists, but in a different lane. So… if you’re a writer, work with a cinematographer. Find other people and make stuff together. That’s what I did.”
Rae continues to collaborate with other talented people on projects, like the recently-announced YouTube series Giants with Empire’s Jussie Smollett.
Then, we got an important bit of information: Issa Rae’s favorite Michael Jackson video. She acknowledges the magic of “Thriller,” but a video from Jackson’s Dangerous has really grown on her. “‘Remember the Time’ [is] so starkly black and beautiful,” When she learned the video was directed by iconic filmmaker John Singleton, she said, “I had no idea! Now that’s my favorite one.”
When it comes to Season 3, it looks like we won’t be seeing much of Issa’s ex Lawrence, played by Jay Ellis (sorry, #LawrenceHive). As Issa told Vulture, “We want to stay as true to life as possible. They had a great conversation at the end of season two and it was just about like, hey, she’s moving on Daniel, sometimes we have those conversations You never see the exes again. And it’s okay! You gotta explore life without Lawrence.”
But the season opener is packed with Issa-Daniel and Molly-Dro action. In a recent interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Rae mentioned that the season will explore black masculinity as it pertains to women.
The performances for the evening included:
2 Chainz (Rapper) – Headlined the first-ever Insecure Fest with a 30-mintue set from the rapper’s extensive catalog of hit records and features….and debuted a new single off his new album!
Jorja Smith (Singer) – The soulful singer controlled the vibes performing four songs as the crowd sung along
Aminé (Rapper) – Performed his hit records “Spice Girl” and “Caroline”
Rico Nasty (Rapper) – The Atlantic Records Rapper performed an mix from her album Nasty
Saweetie (Rapper) – Performed her hit song “Icy Girl”
The red carpet included the show’s talent:
Issa Rae – Creator, Executive Producer, Star
Yvonne Orji – as Molly
Prentice Penny – Executive Producer
Y’lan Noel – as Daniel
Sarunas Jackson – as Alejandro “Dro”
Lisa Joyce – as Frieda
“Lil Rel” Howery – as Quentin
Catherine Curtin – as Joanne
Natasha Rothwell – as Kelli
Wade Allain – as Derek
Neil Brown Jr – as Chad
Kendrick Sampson – as Nathan
The half-hour comedy series INSECURE, starring Issa Rae and Yvonne Orji, looks at the friendship between two modern-day black women who deal with their own real-life flaws, as they attempt to navigate different worlds and cope with an endless series of uncomfortable everyday experiences. Created and executive produced by Issa Rae, the show is also executive produced by Prentice Penny, Melina Matsoukas, Michael Rotenberg, Dave Becky and Jonathan Berry, Larry Wilmore serves as co-creator.
“INSECURE” season three premieres exclusively on HBO on Sunday, August 12th at 10:30 PM ET/PT.
Extended Trailer
Official Trailer
Behind-The-Scenes of Season 3 with Issa Rae
