by Fred Willis | Dec 29, 2016 | Film, Television
2016’s Winning Screenplay “Tale of a Script,” Written by N’zuri Za Austin, Set to Debut as a TV One Original Movie at Next Year’s Festival And Premiere On-Air in Summer 2017
TV One continues to encourage aspiring film writers with the announcement of its third annual American Black Film Festival (ABFF) sponsorship and screenplay competition. Created to promote the production of creative, contemporary, engaging and relatable screenplays, the 2017 TV One Screenplay Competition,which opens Friday, Dec. 16, will highlight three new writers who will vie for a $5000 cash prize and a chance to have their screenplay produced into an original, made-for-TV movie, which will debut in 2018 on TV One and at the 22nd American Black Film Festival.
“We’re thrilled to partner with the American Black Film Festival on our screenplay competition for the third year in-a-row,” said D’Angela Proctor, TV One’s SVP, Original Programming & Production. “Our ability to help spotlight up-and-coming talent is vital to the growth of our industry. This year, we want to encourage contestants to offer fresh perspectives on their stories. Whether a comedy, drama, family adventure or heart-warming holiday tome, the film entries should find ways to both connect with and entertain the Black community.”
The three 2017 TV One Screenplay Competition finalists will receive an all-expense paid trip to next year’s festival in Miami (June 14-18, 2017) and will observe a scene from their script being performed by professional actors at a Table Read. This Grand Prize winner will be announced at the “ABFF Filmmaker Ceremony” on Saturday, June 18. The competition opens on Friday, Dec. 16, 2016 and applicants have until Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017 to submit their screenplays for consideration. Official rules and submission information is available on TV One’s website and on ABFF’s website.
TV One’s 2016 ABFF Screenplay Competition winner N’zuri Za Austin will debut her original film Tale of a Script at next year’s festival tentatively set for Sunday, June 18. The film will then also premiere on TV One in summer 2017. In Tale of a Script, Brandon is a script reader who shares a collection of short stories he found in a pile of “unreads” that narrate the dangers of social networking. The stories, each telling of the dangers that await us behind the keystroke of our computer screens, are a puzzle piece that will lead us on a journey of deceit.
TV One began its sponsorship of the ABFF TV One Screenplay Competition in 2015 with the debut of Runaway Island (Lorraine Touissant, Aisha Hinds, Thomas Q. Jones, A. Russell Andrews, Erica Tazel), written by the 2014 winner Christopher Brandt. This year, the network premiered Bad Dad Rehab, an original film highlighting the ups and downs of parenthood by scriptwriter and 2015 winner Keronda “Kiki McKnight.” The film, which centers around four men in denial of their poor parenting skills features, featured a star-studded cast – Malik Yoba, Wesley Jonathan, Robert Ri’chard, Rob Riley, Rick Gonzalez and Kandi Burruss. Bad Dad Rehab, was also directed by Carl Seaton, and recently received a 2017 NAACP Image Awards nomination for Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Television).
For more information about TV One’s participation at the 22nd American Black Film Festival, visit the network’s website at www.tvone.tv/tvoneatabff. Budding writers may also submit their screenplays for consideration by logging onto www.tvone.tv/screenplay-competition-abff/. TV One viewers are encouraged to join the conversation by connecting via social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@tvonetv) using the hash tag #TVOneAtABFF. Fans can also visit TV One’s YouTube Channel for network clips and promos.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN BLACK FILM FESTIVAL:
The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) is an annual event dedicated to showcasing quality film and television content by and about people of African descent. Founded by Jeff Friday, it supports emerging artists to foster a wider range of images, stories and storytellers represented in the entertainment industry. The ABFF is committed to the belief that Black artists deserve the same opportunities as their mainstream counterparts, and is recognized as the preeminent pipeline to new Black talent, both in front of and behind the camera. ABFF is regarded as one of the leading film festivals in the world. Annually held during the month of June, the festival is comprised of five action-packed days of films, engaging panels, networking events and more…from the star-studded opening night screening to the inspirational closing filmmaker ceremony. The festival is produced by ABFF Ventures, a partnership between Film Life, Inc. and Black Enterprise. For more information, visit www.abff.com.
ABOUT TV ONE:
Launched in January 2004, TV One serves more than 60 million households, offering a broad range of real-life and entertainment-focused original programming, classic series, movies and music designed to entertain and inform a diverse audience of adult black viewers. The network represents the best in black culture and entertainment with fan favorite shows Unsung, Rickey Smiley For Real, Fatal Attraction, Hollywood Divas and The NAACP Image Awards. In addition,TV One is the cable home of blockbuster drama Empire, and NewsOne Now, the only live daily news program dedicated to black viewers. In December 2008, the company launched TV One High Def, which now serves 14 million households. TV One is solely owned by Radio One [NASDAQ: ROIA and ROIAK, www.radio-one.com], the largest radio company that primarily targets Black and urban listeners.
by Fred Willis | Jun 15, 2016 | Television
The SoulProsper Media Group has enjoyed a robust relationship with Tosha Whitten-Griggs and the Front Page Firm and congratulate her on the new post and success. From Megafest in Dallas to the Stellar Gospel Music Awards in Las Vegas, Whitten-Griggs and her staff and her staff have extended every professional courtesy with warmness and fondness that makes this line of work palatable in the midst of even the most rigorous circumstances. We cheerfully extend our congratulations and well wishes to Tosha and
TV One.
–Fred Willis President/CEO SoulProsper Media Group®
TV One President Brad Siegel formally announced today Tosha Whitten-Griggs as the network’s SVP, Public Relations. Whitten-Griggs joined earlier this year and oversees the full scope of TV One’s communications and public relations strategies, including corporate communications, media relations, public affairs, and program publicity. Based in Los Angeles, she serves as TV One’s primary spokesperson and chief press contact, and reports directly to Siegel.
“Tosha joins TV One as an award-winning and accomplished communications executive with more than 20 years of experience in her field,” said Siegel. “Her background, which includes major awards shows, television and film publicity, as well as extensive relationships inside the most sought-after national consumer and trade media outlets, makes her best suited to increase the profile and perception of TV One within the media, industry, and public.”
Along with extensive knowledge in corporate, TV/Film, entertainment, award shows, industry events and technology publicity, Whitten-Griggs’ portfolio includes major feature placements in high-profile, national outlets, such as Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, USA TODAY, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Entertainment Weekly, The Hollywood Reporter, Essence, Variety, Black Enterpriseand Ebony, to name a few.
Most recently, Whitten-Griggs served as the President/CEO of The FrontPage Firm, a boutique publicity firm with notable clients and projects that include OWN, Sony Pictures Television, USA Network/Characters Unite, Netflix, TV Land, Bounce TV, The SAG Foundation, Interscope Records, Vivendi Entertainment, TD Jakes Enterprises, Central City Productions/The Stellar Gospel Music Awards, Entertainment Tonight host Kevin Frazier, singers Lalah Hathaway and Faith Evans, film executive and author DeVon Franklin, television personality and celebrity stylist Kimberly Kimble, veteran television producer Ralph Farquhar, and TV One’s News One Now host and managing editor Roland S. Martin among others.
Whitten-Griggs served in positions of increasing responsibility at the Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards for eight years where she was most recently publicity director (2009-2016). She has also offered expertise to other major television and entertainment industry events, serving as executive-in-charge of publicity for The Stellar Gospel Music Awards (2010 – 2016), as well as contributing to publicity efforts on The American Music Awards, The ASCAP Pop Awards, The ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Awards and The Trumpet Awards.
She has led client visibility programs at major industry conferences including Television Critics Association, NATPE, The National Cable Show, Pan African Film Festival, National Association of Black Journalists, UNITY, American Black Film Festival and the Hollywood Black Film Festival.
Formerly BET’s senior director of corporate communications, Whitten-Griggs spent eight years directing public relations strategies and execution for the network’s original entertainment programming, series and specials, including the Annual BET Awards, Hip Hop Awards, Celebration of Gospel, Walk of Fame, BET Comedy Awards and BET’s 25th Anniversary Celebration. She was responsible for launch and/or ongoing publicity efforts for series such as American Gangster, the College Hill franchise, Baldwin Hills, and Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is, among others. She was also responsible for developing the network’s West Coast PR team, orchestrating the launch of BET.com and ran communications for the site in its first year.
Whitten-Griggs is a member of numerous professional organizations, including the Television Academy, Television Publicity Executives Committee (TPEC), Black Public Relations Society (BPRS) and serves on the board of the non-profit Abundant Life Foundation.
For more information about TV One’s upcoming programming, visit the network’s companion website at www.tvone.tv. TV One viewers can also join the conversation by connecting via social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@tvonetv) using the hash tag #Represent and catch clips and promos onTV One’s YouTube Channel.
ABOUT TV ONE:
Launched in January 2004, TV One (www.tvone.tv) serves 57 million households, offering a broad range of real-life and entertainment-focused original programming, classic series, movies and music designed to entertain and inform a diverse audience of adult Black viewers. The network is the exclusive home of News One Now, the only live daily news program targeting Black viewers. In December 2008, the company launched TV One High Def, which now serves 14 million households. TV One is solely owned by Radio One [NASDAQ: ROIA and ROIAK, www.radio-one.com], the largest radio company that primarily targets Black and urban listeners.
