STARRING THE CHOSEN‘S YOSHI BARRIGAS & CATHERINE LIDSTONE,FAMILY FILM TO GIVE NEW SPIN ON THE EASTER STORY
Reel Big Studios, Pinnacle Peak Pictures (God’s Not Dead) and Fathom Events present the new inspirational drama Forty-Seven Days with Jesus starring The Chosen’s Yoshi Barrigas and Catherine Lidstone. The film will be distributed through Fathom Events and Pinnacle Peak Pictures and will be shown in more than 800 theaters across the country for three nights only: March 11, 12 and 14, getting audiences in the Easter spirit before the holiday weekend.
Forty-Seven Days with Jesus tells the heartwarming Easter tale centered on the Burdon family, led by Joseph (Yoshi Barrigas) and Juliana (Catherine Lidstone). When the Burdons attend a reunion at Poppa and Nonna’s ranch, they realize just how disconnected their family has become. Facing marital hiccups, teenaged angst and Poppa’s health hurdles, the adults decide to share Poppa’s enchanting ‘Forty-Seven Days’ story with the kids, transporting us back in time to see the miracles of Jesus’ final 47 days on Earth. When an unexpected business opportunity places Joseph at a crossroads, his commitment to his family is tested. Can the Burdons pull together in the face of uncertainty? With Poppa’s tale as their guide, they embark on a journey towards unity and rediscover the true essence of walking in faith.
Featuring an unforgettable original soundtrack, Forty-Seven Days with Jesus contains a powerful portrayal of Jesus’ life that reminds us all of The Gospel’s enduring impact.
Alongside Barrigas and Lidstone, Forty-Seven Days with Jesus also stars Cameron Arnett (Overcomer) and Joshua Triplett (Grey’s Anatomy). The film is directed by Emilio Palame and David M. Gutel who also wrote the film with the Executive Producer Rolland Jacks. Palame is producing alongside Donald Nguyen and Kristen Brancaccio for Reel Big Studios in conjunction with Vero Entertainment. Words and music written by Jacks, arrangements and orchestration by Palame (Nickelodeon’s Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide), vocal arrangements/production by Grammy Award-winner Darlene Koldenhoven (Sister Act 1 & 2) and underscore composed by Palame, Guy Moon and Michael O’Neill.
“This movie radiates hope. It’s about a modern-day family that is very relatable: they’re dealing with health challenges, they’re putting work first and they’re just so disconnected from one another,” shares Producer Kristen Brancaccio. “Forty-Seven Days with Jesus is a gentle, non-judgmental reminder to step back and reevaluate what really matters. Whether you’re someone who is seated in a pew every Sunday or knows absolutely nothing about the Easter story but wants to leave the theater feeling inspired—this movie has something for everyone.”
Tickets for the Forty-Seven Days with Jesus are available now for purchase HERE and can also be purchased via participating theater box offices. A complete list of theater locations (subject to change) can be found at Fathom Events.
For more information on Forty-Seven Days with Jesus, please visit FortySevenDaysFilm.com.
Reeling from the death of her beloved father and a difficult breakup, Monica (Raven Goodwin), is ready to move forward with her life as she tries to land the new hosting job for an afternoon talk show. When she hires a new assistant, Simone (Amber Riley),the two quickly become close friends as Simone moves in next door and completely immerses herself in Monica’s life.
But underneath her sweet exterior, Simone harbors a dark secret and as time goes on cracks in her façade begin to appear. Monica decides to sever ties once and for all with Simone, but Simone has other plans and is determined to take over Monica’s life for good. K. Michelle also stars.
“The original Aunt Viv” stars as the mother to Raven Goodwin’s Monica. The dynamic between mother and daughter is strained but the two call a truce in honor of their late husband and father. The film centers on the dynamic of Monica and Simone but also presents numerous relationships women balance every day. The work/life balance, the mother/daughter balance, best friend balance and even the frenemy battle that surfaces when elevation becomes imminent. Single Black Female presents a telling of how one woman struggles to keep people in place in their proper perspective as she takes back the reins of her life that fell apart soon after her father’s death.
Single Black Female is directed by Shari Carpenter and written by Tessa Evelyn Scott and Sa’Rah L. Jones. In addition to Single Black Female, K. Michelle hosts the new Lifetime unscripted series, My Killer Body with K. Michelle, premiering February 3, at 9/8c with a sneak peek airing on January 28th at 10/9c.
Filmmaker Samson Styles Uses Own Violent Past To Spark Dialogue On Growing Problem, In New Documentary Film “Killing Beef: Gun Violence In The Black Community”
Finally, someone has officially reported what filmmaker Samson Styles — and anyone living in an urban area — knows to be a fact, mass shootings in Black communities are being ignored! In a new documentary produced and directed by Styles, “Killing Beef: Gun Violence in The Black Community,” the award winning journalist uses his own violent past as a starting point for a conversation that is long, long overdue.
The Trace Reports: In 2020, mass shootings disproportionately occurred in majority-Black neighborhoods. But even the highest-casualty incidents received limited national media attention.“There was the shooting in Charlotte, North Carolina, in June of last year, where gunmen fired more than 200 rounds into a crowded block party, killing four and injuring five others. Two months later in Washington, D.C., multiple shooters fired into another neighborhood block party, killing one and injuring 21. In January of this year, gunfire erupted during a basketball game at a public park in Miami, injuring eight. None of these shootings prompted multi-day news cycles or condolences from former presidents. But they were just as devastating to local communities as the shootings in Boulder or Atlanta, doing the same kind of damage to residents’ sense of safety in public spaces.”
A reformed criminal and victim of violent crime, award winning journalist and documentary filmmaker Samson Styles searches for life’s meaning in the biographical-documentary feature “Killing Beef: Gun Violence In The Black Community” streaming now on Apple, Amazon, FandangoNow, GooglePlay, PlayStation, Vudu, and Xbox. Written and directed by Styles, the film is an unflinching look at Black-on-Black crime, and the forces that drive young Black men to commit acts of gun violence. A first-person account of criminality, Styles takes a conversational approach to “Killing Beef,” by telling his cautionary tale to a youth (Chris) dealing with his own violent trauma. After the murder of his older brother, Chris seeks advice from Styles, who uses the opportunity to discourage the him from seeking vengeance. More than a true-crime documentary, the film is a thought-provoking look at a Black man as he finds a purpose for his life: saving Black boys and preventing gun violence. How do we end the cycle of gun violence raging in America’s urban centers? How do we start Killing Beef (brokering peace) before things escalate to shots being fired? Styles sets out on a journey to find solutions.
At the heart of this documentary is the conversation between Styles and an impressionable youth, during a critical time in his development, that gives “Killing Beef” a hopefulness and a sense of meaning rarely found in urban crime docs. However, the most poignant moment in the film is when Styles reunites with the shooter who wounded him and left him for dead years earlier.
WATCH LIFETIME’S ENVY: A SEVEN DEADLY SINS STORY STARRING SERAYAH, KANDI BURRUSS, ROSE ROLLINS, DA BRAT, DC YOUNG FLY + MORE THIS SATURDAY, APRIL 17TH AT 8/7C
T.D. JAKES EXECUTIVE PRODUCES WITH DERRICK WILLIAMS AND SHAUN ROBINSON
Lifetime has reteamed with executive producer Bishop T.D. Jakes for two new cautionary tales— Lust: A Seven Deadly Sins Story, which premiered on Saturday, April 10th and Envy: A Seven Deadly Sins Story, premiering on Saturday, April 17th at 8pm ET/PT. Both new movies are based on books from the Seven Deadly Sins anthology by Victoria Christopher Murray.
Gabrielle Flores (Rose Rollins) has it all – a devoted husband, a beautiful daughter, and one of the best PR firms in the country. When Gabrielle’s father suddenly reveals she has a half-sister, Keisha (Serayah), as a result of a brief affair, only-child Gabrielle is delighted to welcome her into her life. But Keisha, who grew up with nothing, wants more than a sisterly bond from Gabrielle—she wants her life, and is willing to do whatever it takes to get it. Envy: A Deadly Sins Story also stars Kandi Burruss, Donovan Christie Jr., Gregory Alan Williams, Da Brat, DC Young Fly, Clifton Powell and Hosea Chanchez and is produced by TD Jakes Enterprises and Big Dreams Entertainment. T.D. Jakes, Derrick Williams, Leslie Greif and Shaun Robinson serve as executive producers, and Damon Lee directs from a script written by Nneka Gerstle.
American Wisperis the true story of the unsolved murders of an African American family. In the summer of 2016, a mother and her three children were found shot to death in their suburban New Jersey home. They were discovered by father and husband Josiah Wisper — a brash businessman who owned bars, restaurants, stores, and real estate in Harlem, New York. Wisper quickly became an outcast in the Harlem community — and was viewed with suspicion by friends, relatives, and people he had known for nearly half his life.
The original case remains unsolved after more than 30 years. Although the film has exceeded one million views since its release in May, prosecutors remain silent on producers’ numerous requests to reopen the case.
Prosecutors, however, are still silent on reopening the once-famous case
“One million ‘plus’ views for a 90 minute, self-distributed indie film is amazing. From the beginning, we wanted this case reopened. It was our primary motivation for producing the film. With the forensic tools now available, there’s simply no excuse for remaining silent for so long. It’s imperative that prosecutors reopen this case, so that remaining family members can finally have closure.”
Producer and co-writer Howard Nash.
Despite the film’s rising views and strong public interest, the Bergen County Cold Case Division still disregards Nash’s pleas to reopen the case. Says Nash: “The cold case office has solved numerous cases, some going back to the 1950s. Why won’t they reopen this one?”
“American Wisper — a very tight thriller — thanks to a tight directorial effort, a tense script and strong performances by all involved. It’s a genre movie that shouldn’t be missed.” — Mike Haberfelner / SMT News & Reviews
I knew I wanted to watch “Uncorked”, but I didn’t know why. Last week, my wife and I binged a few black films and during the week, I went looking for others to add to our trove of “like us” entertainment. Somewhere during the middle of the week, I got a notification about “Uncorked” and even thought I thought it was interesting, I passed on it. Call it FOMO, call it intrigue, call it whatever you’d like to, but once I saw Niecy Nash and Courtney B. Vance were in the film, I knew I had give it a shot on Friday.
The poster for “Uncorked” (written and directed by Prentice Penny) says “some dreams can’t stay bottled up” but presents life lessons for when life’s plans become ‘uncorked’. The brilliance of the starring trio comprised of Nash, Vance and Mamoudou Athie is refreshing and helps deliver one of the most poignant messages I’ve derived from a movie in a short while. I asked myself why it wasn’t in theaters, it’s so good. With much of the country under quarantine, this film is perfect on Netflix because we’re at least a few weeks away from theaters reopening.
The film opens by contrasting ribs to wine. I’m a brother and I’m cultured…wine and ribs aren’t an unlikely pairing for me, at all. Still, I had no idea where this movie was going to take me. After a few scenes, it became clear that the lead (Elijah) was juxtaposed between family and the future he wanted. If all else failed, he could fall in line and take the helm of his family BBQ restaurant. He wasn’t focused on “failure” though, he had big dreams. Eiljah’s were the type that seldom find young black men in Memphis. His dream? To become a master sommelier. Yeah, read that again. He wanted to become a master sommelier, not a smokesman like his father and grandfather. This caused obvious friction in the family and drove a wedge between the father and son, but thank God for mama!
Without his mother’s unwavering support, Elijah may have never mustered up the courage to pursue his dream. Shout out to all the ultra amazing mothers, especially mine! This movie is not saccharin sweet and won’t leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling at its end. Instead, life’s bitterness is as palpable as select wine only a master sommelier can identify on sight. Death and disappointment dissuade the young dreamer and even as the movie ends, if he has nothing else, Elijah has determination. His dreams were bigger than what he’d seen so he went where the dream could be fulfilled; first in a winery, then all the way to Paris (thanks again to his mother’s support).
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. -Eleanor Roosevelt
I don’t think Elijah was fighting to escape Memphis. I think he was fighting to separate himself from everything and anyone who wouldn’t let him pursue his dream of becoming a master sommelier. His mother believed he could even though she couldn’t pronounce what he aspired to do. His father however could never see his son doing anything outside of the restaurant business. Louis (his father) meant well but like many parents, he never imagined that his son’s dream would be any different than his. This is not unique and young black men everywhere need to be empowered with the hope that they can pursue greatness beyond what they’ve seen, so far.
Choosing to become a master sommelier bore its own risks for Elijah. He would be the only black man in the classes and one of few in the field. But he weighed that against the familiarity of not only the family business, but the demographic of black BBQ entrepreneurs. He chose the road less-traveled and, don’t we get to do that? Do we ever get to dream, or have we settled into the mundanity of a life that will safely secure a paycheck at the end of the week? In a twist of fate, the head of the class must return home from Paris because his father landed a huge corporate for him at home.
“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” –Frederick Douglass
Elijah would never be satisfied as a smokesman…never. He loved his father and his family so much. He wanted to make them proud, but he also wanted them to be genuinely proud of him. I know that feeling all too well! This film presents a great opportunity for us to give our young black men space to be who they are. Not who we are, not who we think they could or should be, but who they are. We should also work to ensure that we are doing all we can to help them become who they were created to be.
Wealth is generational and as Elijah’s father wanted him to understand, so is entrepreneurship. The reality this movie proffers is that not following your dreams can also become generational.
In the process of Elijah following his dream, his father confessed that he didn’t truly follow his. As an owner of two restaurants, his father was clearly a successful man and role model. His resistance was also Elijah’s greatest hindrance. I was Elijah, and I am now a father. I know the pain of pursuing purpose when those you love want you to do something else, even temporarily. As a father, I am also facing the reality that while my sons want to emulate me right now, their minds may change one day, and I have to be alright with that.
One last note I want to share about this film is the dynamic of the women in Elijah’s life. His mother was so supportive, but so was his girlfriend. From what I gathered; she was even faithful while he was in Paris! When he returned home to broken dreams, she was there for him and her support never wavered. In fact, his dream of one day becoming a master sommelier was matched by hers of becoming a nurse. They were both in pursuit of a coveted pin and at the close of the film, they seem determined to get them!
There’s so much more to the film and but I don’t want to spoil its richness for you, here’s a review that should pique your interest. While the whole world is on a sabbatical, let’s take time to pause, reflect and reset. That young black man in your life may be destined to be so much more than what he currently sees, and it’s up to the village surrounding him to ensure that if he’s dreaming about it, he can achieve it.
