The 49th Chicago International Film Festival (October 10-24, 2013) will honor writer, director and producer George Tillman, Jr. with a Career Achievement Award at the17th Annual Black Perspectives Tribute Friday, October 11. The red carpet event starts at 6:00 pm at the AMC River East 21 (322 E. Illinois St.) and will be followed by a special presentation of Tillman’s latest film The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete. Codeblack Films, a Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) company, will release the film in select theaters on October 11. Academy Award® and Grammy Award®-winning actress and singer Jennifer Hudson, who stars in the film, is scheduled to join Tillman on the red carpet and at the Tribute. An After-party at Altitude at the W Chicago Lake Shore Hotel will immediately follow the tribute and film presentation.
“As a producer, George Tillman, Jr. has played an important role in opening the doors of Hollywood to a new generation of African-American filmmakers and artists,” said Founder and Artistic Director of the Chicago International Film Festival Michael Kutza. “As a writer and director, Tillman has told funny, inspiring and heartbreaking stories that capture the energy and complexity of the African-American experience. We are pleased and honored to present him with this award and we are also delighted to welcome back past Black Perspectives honoree Jennifer Hudson to the Festival. Hudson shares Tillman’s deep love for this city. I am quite sure this evening will be special for both of them.”
Directed by Tillman and written by Michael Starrbury, The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete stars Skylan Brooks, Ethan Dizon, Jennifer Hudson, Jordin Sparks, Anthony Mackie and Jeffrey Wright. Jana Edelbaum, Rachel Cohen, and Bob Teitel produced the film with Alicia Keys, Susan Lewis, Clay Floren, Aimee Shieh, Julio Depietro, Keith Kjarval, Mary Vernieu, and Amy Nauiokas executive producing. Wright, Hudson and Mackie are previous Black Perspectives honorees.
The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete is a beautifully observed and tremendously moving film about salvation through friendship and the way transformation sometimes can happen just by holding on long enough. During a sweltering summer in New York City, 13-year-old Mister’s (Skylan Brooks) hard-living mother (Jennifer Hudson) is apprehended by the police, leaving the boy and nine-year-old Pete (Ethan Dizon) alone to forage for food while dodging child protective services and the destructive scenarios of the Brooklyn projects. Faced with more than any child can be expected to bear, the resourceful Mister nevertheless feels he is an unstoppable force against seemingly unmovable obstacles. But what really keeps the pair in the survival game is much more Mister’s vulnerability than his larger-than-life attitude.
Columbia College Chicago graduate George Tillman, Jr. became inspired to make films on his own after seeing Cooley High and Taxi Driver. In 1994, Tillman wrote and directed his first feature film,Scenes for the Soul. Shot entirely in Chicago using local talent and resources, the film caught the attention of Doug McHenry and George Jackson who acquired it for Savoy Pictures for $1M. Following on the momentum of this success, Tillman began to write a script, loosely based on his own life – Soul Food. Soul Food’s cast included Vanessa Williams, Vivica A. Fox, Nia Long, Mekhi Phifer, Michael Beach, Irma P. Hall, and Brandon Hammond. Modestly budgeted at $7M, Soul Food opened to critical and financial success, grossing over $43M domestically. George's next directorial effort was Men of Honor, an epic story inspired by the life of Carl Brashear, a man who battled the obstacles of racism, a lack of education, and the loss of his leg to become the United States Navy's first African-American Master deep sea diver. The film grossed $85M worldwide.
With partner Bob Teitel, Tillman co-produced the MGM film, Barbershop. Starring Ice Cube, Anthony Anderson, Sean Patrick Thomas, Eve and Cedric the Entertainer, Barbershop opened to record-breaking box office success, spawning the sequel Barbershop 2: Back in Business and Beauty Shop starring Queen Latifah. Tillman returned to the director’s chair with Notorious – about the life and death story of the Notorious B.I.G. (a.k.a. Christopher Wallace), which was released by Fox Searchlight and grossed over $43M worldwide. Most recently, Tillman directed Faster, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Tillman resides with his family in Los Angeles.
An Academy Award®-winning actress, Grammy Award®-winning recording artist and best-selling author,Jennifer Hudson most recently finished production on Black Nativity, where she stars alongside Forrest Whitaker, Angela Bassett and Mary J. Blige. The film, directed by Kasi Lemmons, is based on Langston Hughes’ gospel musical re-telling of the Bible's nativity story and will be released by Fox Searchlight Pictures in November 2013. This fall will also see Hudson starring alongside Terrence Howard in Darrell Roodt’s Winnie Mandela, in which she plays the titular role of activist, politician and ex-wife to South African President and revolutionary Nelson Mandela. The film will be released by Image this September. In 2007, Hudson won an Academy Award® for her role as “Effie” in the smash hitDreamgirls. Her breakout film performance also garnered a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a BAFTA and an NAACP Image Award.
Hudson has made the same kind of impact in the world of music that she has made in film with the successful release of both of her Arista Records albums. Her sophomore album, I Remember Me, debuted at No. 2 on Billboard’s Top 200 and R&B Albums charts and has since been certified RIAA Gold in the U.S. She went on to receive a 2012 Billboard Music Award nomination for Top R&B Album as well as taking home two 2012 NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Music Video and Outstanding Album. Hudson’s 2008 debut self-titled album won a Grammy® Award for “Best R & B Album,” which was presented by one of Hudson’s idols, Whitney Houston. The album then went on to win three awards at the 2009 NAACP Image Awards including “Best Album.”
Visit www.MisterandPeteMovie.com for film information & updates. Follow the social conversation at #MisterAndPete
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| John Legend |
Nine-time Grammy Award winning artist John Legend has announced his upcoming “Made To Love” tour, including a Sunday, November 10 performance at The Chicago Theatre. Award-winning singer, reality star and talk show host Tamar Braxton, whose album Love and War was just released, has been confirmed as the special guest.
Legend recently released “Made to Love,” the second single from his recently released fourth solo studio album, Love in the Future. The single - a follow up to the critically acclaimed “Who Do We Think We Are,” featuring Rick Ross - was produced by Dave Tozer, Nana Kwabena, Kanye West and Da Internz and is available digitally at http://smarturl.it/madetolove.
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| Tamar Braxton |
Don’t miss this chance to see one of contemporary music’s most charismatic performers, live on stage at the historic Chicago Theatre on November 10. Showtime is 7:30pm.
Tickets On Sale Saturday, September 14 at 10am. Reserved tickets ($49.50/$59.50/$79.50) can be purchased at The Chicago Theatre box office, all Ticketmaster outlets or by phone at 800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.Ticketmaster.com.
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