HBO has dated several upcoming releases:
The hit political podcast POD SAVE AMERICA comes to HBO for a series of four specials, starting this FRIDAY, OCT. 12 (11:00 p.m.-midnight ET/ PT), with other specials debuting subsequent Fridays at the same time. Funny and informative, POD SAVE AMERICA will be taped the same day in front of live audiences in Miami (Oct. 12), Austin (Oct. 19), Philadelphia (Oct. 26) and Irvine, Cal. (Nov. 2). Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum will be a guest on this Friday’s show.
HBO is making the debut edition of POD SAVE AMERICA available to non-subscribers for free via the HBO YouTube page. Each week’s show will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and partners’ streaming platforms the Saturday morning after its Friday-night debut on HBO.
POD SAVE AMERICA is hosted by Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Dan Pfeiffer and Tommy Vietor, former aides to President Obama, who break down the week’s events and help Americans figure out what matters and how to make a difference in these turbulent political times. After a brief recap of up-to-the-moment political news, each edition features a pre-taped field piece highlighting a local issue, followed by a discussion with hosts, their co-host and guests, who include local and national politicians, journalists and activists.
The twice-weekly podcast “Pod Save America,” which is also hosted by Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Dan Pfeiffer and Tommy Vietor, has been downloaded more than 310 million times since launching in Jan. 2017.
The HBO specials are executive produced by Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Tommy Vietor, Ravi Nandan and Josh Lieb.
NEW YORK, Oct. 9, 2018 – AXIOS, a four-part limited documentary series of news-oriented specials from HBO Documentary Films and the groundbreaking new media company of the same name, debuts SUNDAY, NOV. 4 (6:30-7:00 p.m. ET/PT), two days before the midterm elections, followed by other editions subsequent Sundays at the same time.
The show will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and partners’ streaming platforms.
Directed and produced by Emmy® winner Matthew O’Neill (HBO’s “Baghdad ER”) and Perri Peltz (HBO’s “Remembering the Artist Robert De Niro, Sr.”), the show will highlight the week ahead in politics, business and technology – and the topics shaping the future. Each edition of AXIOS will feature coverage of a timely big issue, followed by documentary shorts, illuminating interviews with major newsmakers and trustworthy insights delivered with Axios’ signature “Smart Brevity” in a succinct, shareable format.
Co-founded in 2016 by Mike Allen, Jim VandeHei and Roy Schwartz, Axios takes its name from the Greek word for “worthy.”
AXIOS is a co-production of HBO Documentary Films and Axios; executive produced by Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, Roy Schwartz & Evan Ryan; co-produced and directed by Perri Peltz and Matthew O’Neill. For HBO: executive producers, Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller.
Inspired by director Sacha Gervasi’s own experiences, MY DINNER WITH HERVE is a struggling journalist’s story of his unlikely friendship with actor Hervé Villechaize, the world’s most famous knife-wielding French dwarf, as it unfolds over one wild night in LA – an encounter that will have life-changing consequences for both.
Peter Dinklage (Emmy® and Golden Globe winner for HBO’s “Game of Thrones”; “I Think We’re Alone Now”) stars as Villechaize, whose credits included a starring role in the hit series “Fantasy Island,” as well as the James Bond film “The Man with the Golden Gun,” and Jamie Dornan (the “Fifty Shades of Grey” films, the upcoming “A Private War” and “Robin Hood”) as journalist Danny Tate. Directed by Sacha Gervasi (News & Documentary Emmy® winner for “Anvil: The Story of Anvil”), from a screenplay by Gervasi and a story by Gervasi & Sean Macaulay, the HBO Films drama debuts SATURDAY, OCT. 20 at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.
Q: How much of the story in MY DINNER WITH HERVÉ is inspired by your own experiences?
SACHA GERVASI: A large part of it. In the summer of 1993 I was a young journalist who was sent to LA to do several interviews for a British newspaper – the least important of which was a quick “Where are they now?” piece about Hervé Villechaize, who played Tattoo on the show “Fantasy Island.” After our interview, as I was packing my things away, he walked around the table and pulled a knife on me and said, “Now I’ve told you all ze bullshit stories, would you like to hear the real story of my life?” Things were never the same for me after that.
Q: Why did you choose to make the film now, 25 years later, instead of earlier?
SG: Peter [Dinklage] and I have been trying to make the film for the past 15 years, so waiting this long was certainly not the plan. Sometimes in life things happen in the way and at the time they are meant to. For me there is something special about the film coming out exactly 25 years after I said goodbye to Hervé for the last time at the Universal Sheraton.
Q: How much of yourself is reflected in the character of Danny Tate?
SG: It’s a very personal film. The basic facts are true. I was a young journalist, then recently sober, who was sent to LA by a British newspaper in the last week of August in 1993 to interview Hervé, amongst others. Only a few days after I came home, Hervé’s girlfriend, Kathy, called me to say Hervé had shot himself a few hours before. I was the last journalist to interview him. That said, the personal details about Danny Tate and the relationship with his ex-girlfriend have been dramatized to increase the stakes for the character. In real life, I didn’t have a girlfriend at the time.
Q: What was the biggest challenge in writing the screenplay? Did you have Peter Dinklage or Jamie Dornan in mind when you were writing it? Were you conscious of maintaining a certain tone from the beginning, or did that emerge in the writing process?
SG: I worked on the script for so long over so many years and through so many incarnations that it’s even hard to remember sometimes what I had in mind. I just wanted to honor Hervé and our time together. As soon as I got to know him I realized he was considerably more than the famous punchline from his show “Fantasy Island”: “The Plane, The Plane!”
I promised to tell his story and even though in the end, it took a quarter of a century to do it, I finally managed to get it done! The tone of the script and the film reflects the tone of our meeting – at times surreal and ridiculous, as well as emotional. Peter and I worked closely on it for about 15 years on and off. It was an incredible experience. Jamie [Dornan] came into it later, but his contributions were equally insightful, soulful and brilliant.
Q: Could this have been a novel or memoir, rather than a film?
SG: At one point it was going to be a stage play and I think it certainly could be. There’s a London theatre producer who wants to do it in the West End, but Peter has been with the character so long I think it is time for him to let it go. I doubt anyone else could play it, or even understand it in the same way Peter does.
Q: Did the story or script change in the process of shooting, or did it stay the same? Did Peter Dinklage or Jamie Dornan give you any feedback that inspired you to see the film differently?
SG: Absolutely. The script is only the blueprint. To make something feel alive and spontaneous you have to allow the actors to come to you with new ideas, to own their characters. Fortunately for me, Peter and Jamie’s ideas were typically excellent. Also, in many cases, they loved the scenes exactly as they were and so that’s what we shot. It was an intense and surreal but ultimately very gratifying creative process overall, and to be able to watch the words I had written, often many years before, come to life on set in such a vivid, vital way, was for me, at least, beyond joyous.
Q: What was the most satisfying thing about making the film? The most difficult?
SG: The most satisfying thing was to know that I had finally honored the promise I had made to Hervé to tell his story all those years ago. Even though I only knew him in the last week of his life I can really say we became friends. He was the most original, intriguing and hilarious person I had ever met. That’s still true to this day. Perhaps the most difficult thing was having to wait 25 years before being able to tell his story. I learnt the meaning of the word patience.
Q: Hervé Villechaize is sometimes treated as a punch line. Were you consciously trying to change that, and present him as a three-dimensional person?
SG: Yes. I just wanted to tell the truth about the person I had actually met, rather than the persona he had from the show. I went into the interview having pre-judged Hervé. I thought our encounter would be no more than a good dinner party story for my friends back in London – I mean, how could this surreal Fellini-esque creature be a real human being? But he was.
The film is about how dangerous it can be to judge. Who is this person you are looking at, once you knock down the wall between you and see them as they really are, rather than just seeing the color of their skin, or how tall they are?
Q: What would you like audiences to take away from MY DINNER WITH HERVE?
SG: If the audience connects with the film and ends up caring about these two characters, who look so incredibly different but are ultimately so similar, I hope they are provoked into thinking about how we all sometimes rush to judgment without thinking, without knowing the full truth. Perhaps some will consider their own lives and ask, “Is there something in my life that I am not taking responsibility for?” That would certainly be wonderful.
But if the audience just ends up having a great time, Peter, Jamie and I would be more than thrilled with that, too!
MY DINNER WITH HERVE will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and partners’ streaming platforms.
MY DINNER WITH HERVE was directed by Sacha Gervasi; screenplay by Sacha Gervasi; story by Sacha Gervasi & Sean Macaulay; executive producers, Steven Zaillian, Richard Middleton, Ross Katz, Jessica de Rothschild, Sacha Gervasi, Peter Dinklage; co-executive producers, Garrett Basch and David Ginsberg; produced by Nathalie Tanner.
New York, N.Y., (October 9, 2018) – New on HBO Latino this October is an electrifying music special from Latin GRAMMY® winners Gente de Zona. In Gente de Zona: En Letra de Otro, the Cuban duo reinvent ten classic hits for new audiences. Shot entirely in Havana, Cuba, the music special features a stunning performance before a live – and dancing – audience along the picturesque Havana seaside promenade. Gente de Zona: En Letra de Otro premieres on Friday, October 26 at 8pm ET/PT and will be available on HBO GO®, HBO NOW®, HBO On Demand® and partners’ streaming platforms.
In addition to the show, the group’s lead singers, Alexander and Randy, recount memories, visit their old neighborhoods, and tell the stories that inspired their song selection. This dynamic mix of interviews and performances personalizes the special and makes for a more intimate evening. Hit songs covered include “El Rey,” “Cuando Calienta el Sol,” “Si Tú No Estás,” “Idilio,” “A Bailar el Toca Toca,” and more.
Gente de Zona’s career spans over a decade and a half, as they’ve explored and refined their sound, evolving from a grassroots rap collective to the chart-topping duo we know today. Their launch into the high-profile Latin music scene began with “Bailando,” a collaboration with Enrique Iglesias and Descemer Bueno, which became one of the biggest hits of 2014. In 2015, Gente de Zona released their own back-to-back critically-acclaimed “La Gozadera” and “Traidora,” in collaboration with Marc Anthony. “We are thrilled to be partnering with the amazing team at Sony Music Latin once again, to bring Gente de Zona’s new project, dedicated to bringing some of Latin music’s hit songs to life,” said Lucinda Martinez, SVP of Multicultural and International Marketing, HBO. “With this concert, we’re giving audiences an opportunity to reminisce in the nostalgia of the music and experience firsthand the beauty and history of Cuba.”
This is the second edition of the En Letra de Otro series. En Letra de Otro: Pedro Capo, the first edition, premiered in August 2017 and can be streamed now on HBO®. The special has been nominated for a Latin GRAMMY® in the Best Long Form Video category.
Stay in tune with HBO Latino’s latest news and updates, view compelling video content and get sneak peeks with behind-the-scenes footage on Facebook, YouTube, Instagramand Twitter.
The media frequently reports that Americans are more divided than ever. Public discussion around issues such as gun rights, jobs, immigration, climate change, abortion and race seem to have become increasingly polarized.
Intent on escaping her coastal bubble, Alexandra Pelosi (HBO’s Emmy®-winning “Journeys with George”) sets out on a cross-country trip to engage in conversations with fellow Americans in an effort to gain an unfiltered understanding of other perspectives. Directed, produced and filmed by Pelosi, OUTSIDE THE BUBBLE: ON THE ROAD WITH ALEXANDRA PELOSI visits hot spots in America’s political and culture wars for frank discussions when it debuts MONDAY, OCT. 29 (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.
The documentary will also be available on HBO On Demand, HBO NOW, HBO GO and partners’ streaming platforms.
In Sutherland Springs, Texas, site of the 2017 First Baptist Church mass shooting, which resulted in 26 deaths, Pelosi meets survivors and relatives of the deceased to discuss the intersection of guns, tragedy and religion. On her next stop, in rural Alabama, she meets women who voted for President Trump, who share their thoughts about abortion rights and the #MeToo movement.
Driving north to Pennsylvania, Pelosi talks to blue-collar workers who feel ignored and disrespected by the “coastal elites.” She journeys inside a coal mine to meet miners who cast their votes for President Trump because they felt he gave them a voice and would work to ensure their job security.
Next, Pelosi ventures to Port Arthur, Texas, which was devastated by Hurricane Harvey, one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history. In the heart of America’s petrochemical industry, she speaks with Derrick Freeman, the town’s mayor, about global warming and Harvey’s catastrophic impact. Freeman observes that his city’s residents are more concerned about jobs than anything else, and can’t think about the environment while they are unemployed and worrying about paying the bills. Pelosi also speaks to Judy Nichols, who disputes the notion that oil refineries cause climate change, and believes the planet is able to absorb the chemicals released by the refineries.
Pelosi then travels to Charlottesville, Va., the quaint college town where a march by neo-Nazis turned violent. Her conversations with residents revolve around race and history, as symbolized by the Confederate markers that are prevalent in the South and have become a focal point in the debate on race in America today.
Pelosi’s final stop is San Diego, where she visits the border wall to discuss immigration with activists and agents on the front line, including President Trump supporters who back his push for increased border security. Border Patrol agent Chris Harris emphasizes the importance of the wall in protecting the country he loves, explaining the need for improved infrastructure to identify and arrest smugglers and cartel members. He accompanies Pelosi to a location along the border where he points to the lack of effective infrastructure, as they witness a man cross into the United States unimpeded.
Reflecting on her journey, Pelosi emphasizes the importance of getting outside our bubbles and listening to others, in the process learning to accommodate different narratives and viewpoints.
This documentary marks Pelosi’s 12th collaboration with HBO, following such documentaries as “The Words That Built America,” “Meet the Donors: Does Money Talk?,” “Diary of a Political Tourist,” “Citizen U.S.A.: A 50 State Road Trip” and the Emmy®-winning “Journeys with George.”
OUTSIDE THE BUBBLE: ON THE ROAD WITH ALEXANDRA PELOSI is directed, produced and filmed by Alexandra Pelosi; edited by Bob Eisenhardt; executive producer, Sheila Nevins; senior producer, Lisa Heller; original music, Joel Goodman.
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 11, 2018 – The comedy series SALLY4EVER will begin its seven-episode season SUNDAY, NOV. 11 (10:30-11:00 p.m. ET/PT), it was announced today by Amy Gravitt, executive vice president, HBO Programming. Produced for HBO and Sky Atlantic by Hush Ho and Various Artists Ltd., the show was created by Julia Davis (creator of the original British series “Camping”), who also executive produces, stars in, and wrote and directed every episode.
“We’ve been in comedy awe of Julia for many, many years,” said Gravitt. “We’re thrilled to be a part of her latest stroke of genius, and to be working alongside Sky One, Hush Ho and Various Artists in the process.”
In SALLY4EVER, Sally (Catherine Shepherd) is about to marry David (Alex Macqueen), her nebbish boyfriend of ten years, when she encounters the charismatic Emma (Julia Davis). The two fall into a romantic relationship, but what starts out as an exciting and sexy fling takes an unexpected turn when Emma reveals herself to be a nightmare.
The story of a love affair that quickly spirals out of control, SALLY4EVER’s fearless exploration of love, sex and obsession could only come from the outrageous mind of Julia Davis.
In addition to Julia Davis, Catherine Shepherd (“Paddington”) and Alex Macqueen (“Peaky Blinders”), SALLY4EVER stars Julian Barratt (“The Mighty Boosh”), Joanna Scanlan (“Getting On”), Mark Gatiss (“Sherlock”) and Felicity Montagu (“I’m Alan Partridge”).
November’s episodes:
Episode #1
Debut: SUNDAY, NOV. 11 (10:30-11:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Sally (Catherine Shepherd), a mid-level marketing executive, is bored witless after a ten-year relationship with her fawning, milquetoast partner David (Alex Macqueen), who is desperate to get married. Although she reluctantly agrees to the union after a tearful plea, a chance encounter with Emma (Julia Davis), a Bohemian singer and actress, propels Sally into unchartered sexual and emotional terrain that spells the end of her engagement, and the beginning of what could be an even more challenging affair.
Written and directed by Julia Davis.
Episode #2
Debut: SUNDAY, NOV. 18 (10:30-11:00 p.m.)
It’s Sally’s (Catherine Shepherd) birthday. After a subdued celebration with co-workers Nigel (Julian Barratt), Eleanor (Felicity Montagu) and Mick (Steve Oram), Sally heads home for a surprise dinner with her stodgy parents (David Cann, Georgie Glen), who are shocked when Emma (Julia Davis) shares details of her lesbian relationship with their daughter. Following a distressing phone call, David (Alex Macqueen), Sally and Emma take the long trip to his parents’ house, where Emma begs Sally to join her in the guest room.
Written and directed by Julia Davis.
Episode #3
Debut: SUNDAY, NOV. 25 (10:30-11:00 p.m.)
As cracks in her relationship with the cloying Emma (Julia Davis) emerge, Sally (Catherine Shepherd) agrees to visit a therapist, Belinda (Vicki Pepperdine), where she’s forced to share uncomfortable realities about the couple’s private life. After a chance encounter with Sally’s longtime friend Kate (Robin Weaver) and her husband, Dan (Seb Cardinal), Sally and Emma are invited to dinner, where Emma presses Dan, a well-known director, for a role in one of his films. Meanwhile, Nigel (Julian Barratt) finds it increasingly difficult to fend off the advances of an overbearing Eleanor (Felicity Montagu).
Written and directed by Julia Davis.
Julia Davis created and starred in the comedy series “Nighty Night,” “Hunderby” and “Camping,” on which the upcoming HBO series of the same name, starring Jennifer Garner, is based. Davis’ other acting credits include “Phantom Thread,” “Black Mirror” and “Little Britain.”
SALLY4EVER is produced for HBO and Sky Atlantic by Hush Ho and Various Artists Ltd.; created by Julia Davis; executive produced by Julia Davis, Sam Bain, Jesse Armstrong and Phil Clarke.
TRUE DETECTIVE will return for its eight-episode third season SUNDAY, JAN. 13 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO, followed by other episodes subsequent Sundays at the same time.
The new season tells the story of a macabre crime in the heart of the Ozarks, and a mystery that deepens over decades and plays out in three separate time periods. Mahershala Ali stars as Wayne Hays, a state police detective from Northwest Arkansas. Carmen Ejogo and Stephen Dorff also star. Created by Nic Pizzolatto.
Los Angeles, CA (October 15, 2018) – The 23rd annual American Black Film Festival (ABFF) returns to Miami from June 12-16, 2019 and continues to showcase quality film and television content by and about people of African descent. Film submissions are now open, with over $50,000 in cash and prizes being awarded at the festival’s Best of ABFF Awards presentation.
HBO® is the founding sponsor of the festival and is launching its 22nd consecutive short film competition today. Past winning directors of this competition include Ryan Coogler, Steven Caple, Jr., Solvan Naim, Kiel Adrian Scott, and Rashaad Ernesto Green, all of whom have gone on to direct studio films and network television episodes.
“As a founding sponsor, HBO has shared the American Black Film Festival’s mission to elevate the world of black film and to introduce and connect talented newcomers to the industry. Now more than ever, we want to continue elevating unique, bold and emerging talent,” said Dennis Williams, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Corporate Social Responsibility, HBO.
Festival attendees will have their choice of over seventy programs and events, including celebrity conversations, panels, master classes, spotlight screenings and hospitality lounges, in addition to screenings in four competitive categories: Narrative Features, Documentary Features, Web Series and Short Films. A distinguished panel of jurors, who will be announced at a later date, will determine the winners.
“The American Black Film Festival is thrilled to be partnered with HBO for the past 22 years. Together, we have identified many of today’s most prolific storytellers who have been instrumental in ushering a new generation of artists to the film and television industry. Our goal is to remain the most prominent pipeline of undiscovered talent in front of and behind the camera,” said Jeff Friday, CEO and Founder, ABFF Ventures.
Below is a brief description for each category. For complete submission criteria and eligibility visit www.abff.com/submissions.
COMPETITIVE CATEGORIES
– HBO® Short Film Competition: Regarded as one of the most prestigious short film showcases in the country, five filmmakers are selected as finalists and receive a trip to the festival in Miami Beach, Fla. (including airfare and hotel accommodations) for an opportunity to screen their short film at the American Black Film Festival in Miami. Films must have a maximum runtime of 20 minutes, inclusive of credits.
– Narrative Features: Films that tell a fictional story, event or narrative.
– Documentaries: Nonfiction films intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education, or creating and maintaining a historical record.
– Web Series: Short form narrative or documentary episodic television series.
NON-COMPETITIVE SHOWCASE CATEGORIES
– World Showcase: A non-competitive section for narrative and documentary feature films made by persons of African descent or depicting a multicultural experience.
– Emerging Directors: Narratives, documentaries, message-related videos and other content from directors of African descent.
– Social Impact Screenings: A showcase for films based on cause-related topics affecting communities of color. The 2019 Social Impact Screenings topic will beFatherhood: The Foundation of the Black Family.
Festival passes are on sale now at www.abff.com, and offer five (5) different levels of access to festival events. Questions regarding registration may be directed toinfo@abffventures.com.
ABFF SOCIAL MEDIA:
- Twitter: @ABFF
- Facebook: American Black Film Festival
- Instagram: @AmericanBlackFilmFestival
- YouTube: American Black Film Festival
- Hashtags: #ABFF19, #WeAreABFF
Sponsors of the 2019 American Black Film Festival are HBO® (Founding and Presenting Sponsor); Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (Host and Presenting Sponsor); and Turner (Premier Sponsor).
“Glow up” with the latest season of HBO’s Emmy®– and Golden Globe®-nominated comedy seriesInsecure, available to own on Digital Download October 29th. Insecure: The Complete Third Season follows creator, writer and star Issa Rae as Issa, and her best friend Molly (Yvonne Orji), who are on their quest to “have it all.” From work woes, to relationship escapades and awkward moments,Insecure: The Complete Third Season “juggles these complications marvelously, blending swoony-sexy swagger with laugh-out-loud comedy” (Entertainment Weekly).
In the third season, Issa attempts to navigate complicated relationships and on the work front, she begins to question her role at the nonprofit “We Got Y’all.” Meanwhile, Molly (Yvonne Orji) sets boundaries in order to concentrate on her dream job at a black-owned law firm, which she risks sabotaging with her insecurities and hang-ups. Jay Ellis (Lawrence), Y’lan Noel (Daniel), Natasha Rothwell (Kelli), Amanda Seales (Tiffany) and Lisa Joyce (Frieda) also return.
Insecure: The Complete Third Season was created by Issa Rae and Larry Wilmore. The series is executive produced by Rae, Prentice Penny, Melina Matsoukas, Michael Rotenberg, Dave Becky, Jonathan Berry, Jim Kleverweis and Danya Lynne North.
