Unspool Hollywood

Lost Women of Highway 20,’ narrated by Octavia Spencer, premieres Sunday, Nov. 5, at 9/8c on the ID Network

It took the disappearance of 13-year-old Rachanda Pickle, from her home in Santiam Playground, Ore., in 1990, to bring to light the all of the missing women and girls, who were raped, murdered, or vanished without a trace on a stretch of United States Highway 20, starting in the late 70s to the early 90s

As people began looking into the disappearance of Rachanda, they became aware of Melissa Sanders and Kay Turner, to just name a few of the missing women and girls, and who could be responsible for the senseless acts of violence.

In 2018, The Oregonian spotlighted the victims of Highway 20 and the abject failure of the criminal justice system to do anything about the violence against women and girls.

This three-part docuseries, Lost Women of Highway 20, is premiering on Sunday, Nov. 5 at 9/8c on ID (Investigation Discovery).

ABOUT OCTAVIA SPENCER
Octavia Lenora Spencer an American actress and producer. She is the recipient of an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award, and is the first black actress to receive two consecutive Oscar nominations

Spencer made her film debut in the 1996 drama A Time to Kill. Her breakthrough came in 2011 with the 1960s America in the drama film The Help, for which she won several awards including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. For her performance in Ryan Coogler's biopic Fruitvale Station in 2013, she won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress.

As an author, Spencer created the children's book series Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective. She has published two books in the series, titled The Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit in 2013 and The Sweetest Heist in History in 2015.

ABOUT ID
Investigation Discovery (ID) was established in 1996 and is an American multinational pay television network dedicated to true crime documentaries that is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Approximately 86 million American households get Investigation Discovery.

John Singleton Short Film Competitions Get Red Carpet

On the third anniversary of acclaimed filmmaker John Singleton’s death, three young filmmakers will premiere their films paying homage to the first Black filmmaker — and youngest person ever — to get an Oscar nomination for Best Director. The winners of the John Singleton Short Film Competition will premiere their films as a part of the Centerpiece for the 30th Annual Pan African Film & Arts Festival (PAFF) on Wed., Apr. 28 at the Cinemark Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza 15 and XD. Singleton’s mother, children, and friends including Mario Van Peebles, Vivica Fox, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Kym Whitley, Joe Tory, and Antwone Fisher. Councilmember Herb Wesson, who sponsored the competition will also attend. The red carpet is at 6 p.m and the screening is at 7 p.m.

Inspired by the legacy of the late Los Angeles-born legendary African American filmmaker, John Singleton, the John Singleton Short Film Competition is the result of a partnership between the City of Los Angeles and the Pan African Film Festival under former L.A. City Council President Herb Wesson’s embRACE L.A. initiative and is designed to honor Singleton’s cinematic legacy while simultaneously celebrating his unapologetic approach to filmmaking. Filmmakers were invited to submit their live-action short narrative scripts and three winners were awarded $20,000 each for the production and completion of a live-action narrative short film.

Who: Pan African Film & Arts Festival and the winners of the John Singleton Short Film Competition, the family of John Singleton, Mario Van Peebles, Vivica Fox, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Kym Whitley, Joe Tory, Antwone Fisher, and Councilmember Herb Wesson.

What: The 30th Pan African Film & Arts Festival

When: Wednesday, April 27, 2022, Red Carpet at 6 p.m., Screening at 7 p.m., Q&A to follow screening

Where: Cinemark Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza 15 and XD, 4020 Marlton Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90008

PAFF30 is taking place in-person through May 1, 2022, at the Cinemark Baldwin Hills and the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza. The Festival will showcase nearly 200 films, as well as a slew of accompanying filmmaker Q&As and audience engagement opportunities. In addition, PAFF’s renowned Black art show will take place at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza.

For additional information about PAFF visit paff.org.o shared south central’s story.

Lights, Camera, Action! Hollywood Productions Resume June 12, 2020

TCL Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Photo: Yevette Renee

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Order of the Health Officer has released the REOPENING SAFER AT WORK AND IN THE COMMUNITY FOR CONTROL OF COVID-19.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has announced that the Music, film and television production can reopen during Stage 3 on Friday, June 12, 2020. All productions prior to resuming must prepare, implement and post the required Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Reopening Protocol for Music, Film and Television Production.

There are five areas that all productions must address prior to reopening: Workplace policies and practices to protect employee health, Measures to ensure physical distancing, measures to ensure infection control, communication with employees and the public, measures to ensure equitable access to critical service.

Physical Distancing

They suggest any employee that can work from home, should do so. The workplace must provide all personal protective equipment (PPE), all visitors and employees must wear face covering.

All productions and recording sessions are required to have a written protocol before they can start work to ensure six (6) feet or more between people. With only essential cast and crew on or near the set at any time. If cast and musicians are unable to wear face coverings must be a minimum of 8 feet of social distancing. Whenever possible, workspaces are to have one directional traffic. When riding the elevator, the capacity limit is based on the ability to maintain six (6) feet distance. They also suggest easing elevator traffic by opening stairwells for up and down traffic.

All shops shall be by appointment only to prevent lines forming.

Television and film productions are required to give periodic testing to cast and crew, especially those in high-rick scenes requiring close contact without masks.

Infection Control

Ventilation must be increased in all spaces. All contracts, music sheet, scripts and other documents must be distributed digitally or printed and given to everyone. Before and after filming and other sessions, all commonly touched areas must be disinfected at least three times a day. The entire facility must be cleaned daily i.e. sets, production spaces. Minor child actors can be accompanied by up to two adults. Payment portals, props, costumes, set materials, trucks and other vehicles must be disinfected after each use.

All Productions must provide a copy of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health protocol to every person that come on-set or enters the production facility.

The movie extra industry will suffer a major impact with productions being told to avoid large crowd scenes.

Craft services: people will only be able to eat and drink in a designated area. The cast and crew must eat and drink in production set area in staggered schedules.

Food buffets are not allowed as well as no communal food or drink services (no coffee pots). Food must be single serve only. People who bring in their own food cannot share their food.

The date, time and name of the crew currently in session must be recorded to assist in contact tracing when necessary.

Production locations must be completely secure from the public with enough space for everyone stay six (6) to social distance.