[SOURCE: http://rodonline.typepad.com/rodonline/ ]

OUT magazine is slowly rolling out its honorees for the prestigious OUT 100. Filmmaker Lee Daniels, director of the critically-acclaimed Precious, makes this year's list:

"If Daniels wins best director at this year’s Oscars for the devastatingly beautiful Precious—as he almost certainly will—he will be the first gay African-American to take the honor. The producer of not-so-lightweight films like Monster’s Ball and The Woodsman, Daniels is on his way to collecting a trophy case full of awards (the film has already won top prizes at the Sundance and Toronto film festivals) and securing himself a spot alongside directors like Alexander Payne and Ang Lee as a distinctive voice of his generation."

On a related note, Lee Daniels talks to the Chicago Free Press about the challenge of being an openly gay black director in Hollywood.

For me, I think the gay part is not an issue. But more the black gay part is a bigger issue. As a gay man, gay men, there so many of them in Hollywood and (they’re) decision makers and it’s a cult, I think. I don’t have to worry about prejudices right now, anymore. I fought so long all my life—prejudices about being gay, about being victimized because I was gay, being victimized because I was black, being victimized because I was gay and black. I’m so happy at 50 years old, that I’m being embraced for my spirit and for me. And it’s so overwhelming. It’s just so beautiful that people can accept me for me and being open. I don’t have to lie.

Precious, which is executive produced by Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, opened Friday in limited release and earned some $1.8 million at the box office. The film is showing at only 18 theaters nationwide. Its $100,000 per screen average is an industry record.

History repeating. from Brook D'Leau on Vimeo.

chew on this...

So I'll start this entry off by saying; I'm not a huge huge huge Jay Z fan. Don't get me wrong I definitely grew up listening to Jay Z, I enjoy a lot of his songs, but not enough to ever want to see him live or anything like that. I think he's a great rapper but a lot of his stuff is either hit or miss with me. A lot of this stems from me not being a HUGE fan of Rap music in general. I listened to "Run This Town" a few times since it leaked online. I will say I like NO I.D. as a producer, he's definitely making his mark. The song itself is sort reminiscent of T.I.'s "Live Your Life"---maybe it's just me. Similar tempo & feel + plus Rihanna is featured on both tracks. It underwhelms me. The video I really like. Anthony Mandler directed it. This year he directed Robin Thicke's "Dreamworld" video, The Killers' "A Dustland Fairytale", and recently Maxwell - "Bad Habits". Let's not forget the visually stunning video he directed for Rihanna's "Rehab".

Personally, I'm a huge proponent for the post-apocalyptic aesthetic. I have an obsession of sorts with media related to the subject. This video is sort of a modern take on Tupac's "California Love which was a modern take on the eighties movie "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome" which was probably a modern take on something else. I like Mandler's use of fire and light. The colors are crisp and dark. The looks/wardrobe are befitting; stylish and contempo but still true to the theme. Overall I like the video way more than I like the song.

My DEAR DEAR FRIEND, MZB [twitter.com/quietasitskept FOLLOW HIM] is infamous for his taste in music and film. MZB knows what he likes and that's just how it is. NOT to say that he's close minded---because that's definitely not the case! Though our taste in music and film differ greatly, every now and then we find a common denominator. This weekend he mentioned that he purchased a film "A Good Day to be Black and Sexy"...I thought it would be something like "Nora's Hair Salon" or one of those BET type films. Not at all. I only caught the last three vignettes but I really enjoyed what I saw. Then upon further inspection of the DVD case I realized this movie went to Sundance in 2008! The movie is very tongue and cheek. It's Dennis Dortch's directorial debut! He really explored and dispelled common stereotypes while keeping everything authentic and in perspective. What I also liked was the fact that it was super sexy but not the least bit raunchy. The movie is awesome. THANKS MZB!

Synopsis of the Film:
Writer/director/editor Dennis Dortch explores the subject of sexuality and relationships within the black community in this collection of six vignettes set in Los Angeles and designed to shatter stereotypes about black sexuality. From the woman determined to get hers first to the curious teenager who finds herself in a questionable situation and the boy who becomes stifled by interracial taboos, Dortch's film doesn't shy away from the more controversial aspects of contemporary sexuality. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

BUY IT!

This is one of my favorite films. It was directed by Miranda July, it was actually her directorial
debut. It follows several subplots that all revolve around an intertwined cast of characters. It's
quirky and irreverent. I really loved it. The script is amazing and really inspired me. There is a
scene in the movie with these two characters that is so f*cking hilariously awkward and off kilter!
I definitely suggest you check it out and tell me what you think. Sundance & Cannes approved.

the trailer for the film.
a little bit more about the film.
purchase the film.

Chris Robinson is a film director working mostly with music videos and commercials. He has directed commercials for brands such as iPod, Coca Cola and Verizon and music videos for songs like "Fallin'" and "You Don't Know My Name" by Alicia Keys, "Roc Boys" by Jay Z, the grammy nominated video for "One Mic" by Nas, and "Bonnie & Clyde '03" by Jay-Z featuring Beyoncé.

He is also known for the creation of the concept "Boost Mobile" ad campaigns featuring rap superstars such as Kanye West, Ludacris, The Game, Eve, and others.

In 2005, he directed the coming-of-age feature film ATL, starring T.I. and Big Boi.

Chris is also a founding partner of RockCorps, an organization that encourages volunteerism in young people, which launched the Boost Mobile RockCorps program in 2005 and Orange RockCorps in 2008.

---He has quite a body of work.

[source.]

Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an Emmy Award-winning and
Academy Award-nominated American film director, producer, writer, and actor, noted for
his films dealing with controversial social and political issues. He also teaches film at New York
University and Columbia University. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks,
has produced over 35 films since 1983.

Lee was born in Atlanta, Georgia, the son of Jacqueline Shelton, a teacher of arts and black
literature, and William James Edward Lee III, a jazz musician, and composer.^[1] Lee moved
with his family to Brooklyn, New York when he was a small child. The Fort Greene neighborhood
is home to Lee's production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, and other Lee-owned or
related businesses. As a child, his mother nicknamed him "Spike." In Brooklyn, he attended
John Dewey High School. Lee enrolled in Morehouse College where he made his first student
film, Last Hustle in Brooklyn. He took film courses at Clark Atlanta University and graduated
with a B.A. in Mass Communication from Morehouse College. He then enrolled in New York
University's Tisch School of the Arts. He graduated in 1978 with a Master of Fine Arts in Film & Television.
[more from the source]

Spike Jonze (born Adam Spiegel; October 22, 1969) is an American director of music
videos and commercials, and an Academy Award-nominated director and producer in
film and television, most notably the 1999 film Being John Malkovich and the 2002 film
Adaptation., both written by Charlie Kaufman. He is also credited as a co-creator of MTV's Jackass.

He also has a speaking part along with Dave Eggers in a Beck song entitled The Horrible
Fanfare / Landslide / Exoskeleton from his 2006 album, The Information.
He appears in the "Exoskeleton" bit.

Currently, Jonze is directing Where the Wild Things Are,
which is now in its post-production stages.

Music Video:

• "Blessed Evening" by Foetus (2005) (cinematographer only, directed by Karen O)
• "Flashing Lights" by Kanye West (2008) (co-directed with West)
• "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)" by Weezer (2008)

Alan Ferguson is a music video director currently signed to Anonymous Content.
He directed Janelle Monae's SPECTACULAR mini movie "Many Moons."
He's worked with Katy Perry, Gym Class Heroes, Chris Cornell, Cobra Starship
and a slew of others(oh yeah John Legend featuring Andre 3000 - Green Light).
Alan is rumored to be romantically linked to [chaseology.com] favorite Solange.
[check his Videography]

Little X, (born Julien Christian Lutz in 1975), is a Canadian music video director of Trinidadian heritage.
His mother, a Trinidadian and his father of Swiss descent.He has two

sisters and ten aunts on his mom's side. A protégé of Hype Williams, Little X has been noted
for his high-budget, visually distinctive videos for popular music singles, including Mystikal's
"Shake That Ass" and "Danger! (Been So Long)", "Georgy Porgy" by Eric Benét & Faith Evans,
No Sex in the Champagne Room by Chris Rock and Gerald Levert, and Usher's "U Got It Bad"
& "U Don't Have to Call", Mario Let Me Love You, among many others. One of his trademarks is
tweaking the letterbox format; instead of simply using black bars on the top and bottom of the
frame to frame the image, many videos by Little X feature the bars opening vertically to reveal
the video and closing vertically at the end. His private corporation is the simply referred to as
"The Sun God Collection".

Was to direct now defunct vampire feature "Razorwire". He was represented by HSI
Productions and is currently represented by DNA - David Naylor and Associates.

Also goes by the names Mr. X and Lil' X or just X.

He attended both Mayfield Secondary School and North Park Secondary School in Brampton, Ontario.

Perhaps his most successful work yet came as the director for the music video of Usher's global hit, Yeah!
[Click Here for Videography]

Robin Swicord (born 1952 in Columbia, South Carolina) is an American screenwriter
and film director. She wrote the screenplay for the film Memoirs of a Geisha, based on
the novel of the same name by Arthur Golden. Her other screenplay credits include
Little Women, Practical Magic, Matilda, The Perez Family, and Shag.

Her directorial debut was with the 1993 short film The Red Coat, for which she also wrote
the screenplay. Swicord wrote the screenplay for Karen Joy Fowler's 2004 novel The Jane
Austen Book Club and directed the film, which was released in the United States on
September 21, 2007. She also collaborated with Eric Roth on the screen adaptation of
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, based on the short story of the same name by
F. Scott Fitzgerald.

She is married to screenwriter Nicholas Kazan, son of director Elia Kazan.

[source]

Directed by Anthony Mandler

Other notable works by Mr. Mandler:

• OneRepublic - "Stop & Stare"
• Rihanna - "Take A Bow"
• OneRepublic - "Say (All I Need)"
• Bayje "Find A Way"
• Maroon 5 - "If I Never See Your Face Again" (feat. Rihanna)
• R. Kelly - "Skin"
• T.I. ft.Rihanna - "Live Your Life "
• Rihanna - "Rehab"
• Enrique Iglesias - "Away"