Black Women Film Network, celebrating 25 years of preserving the stories of Black women, is proud to announce the annual BWFN Short Film Festival will take place Saturday, February 12, 2022 in partnership with Kweli TV, a Black woman-owned streaming platform featuring hundreds of curated independent films, documentaries, web series, kids programming and more.
 
For 24 hours, festival ticketholders can stream the 2022 film selections at Kweli.tv or through streaming devices and smart TVs. Tickets to access the virtual festival can be purchased HERE.
 
The following shorts have been selected for the 2022 festival:

Bravo’s newest series follows the heart and soul behind the Atlanta restaurant Old Lady Gang (“OLG”) when “Kandi & The Gang” premieres on Sunday, March 6 at 9:00pm ET/PT. In the heart of the city, Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker run an ever-evolving restaurant empire. Their Southern-eatery, OLG, named after the ‘Old Lady Gang’ consisting of Kandi’s mom, Mama Joyce, and Aunts Nora and Bertha, is busier than ever. The restaurant has been a fan-favorite with lines down the block and classic Southern dishes, but peeling back the curtains on this family-owned and operated restaurant reveals that mixing business and relatives can sometimes create a recipe for tension.

“Kandi & The Gang” chronicles Kandi, Todd, and OLG’s dynamic staff as they face a much-needed change at the restaurant while juggling their career ambitions, larger-than-life personalities and personal lives. After being hit with a myriad of obstacles, Kandi and Todd step in with a plan to turn the tide. With tensions rising as family members don’t perform up to standards, a little tough love and a lot of restructuring will shake things up with the staff, whether they’re ready for it or not.

“Kandi & The Gang” is produced by Truly Original, Kandi Koated Entertainment, T Tucker Productions with Kandi Burruss, Todd Tucker, Steven Weinstock, Glenda Hersh, Lauren Eskelin, Lorraine Haughton-Lawson, Julie "Bob" Lombardi, Camilo Valdes, and Ronica Wynder serving as executive producers. ​

About Bravo: 
Bravo is the premier lifestyle and entertainment brand that drives cultural conversation around its high-quality, interactive original content across all platforms. The network features a diverse slate of original programming, including Emmy Award-winning “Top Chef” and “Project Runway,” fan-favorites “Vanderpump Rules,” “Below Deck,” “Southern Charm,” and the highly popular “Million Dollar Listing” and “The Real Housewives” franchises. Bravo also boasts the only live late-night talk show on television with the critically acclaimed “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen,” which has become a nightly destination for A-list celebrities. Bravo is part of the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming portfolio, which includes NBCU’s broadcast, cable and streaming platforms: NBC, Bravo, E!, Oxygen, SYFY, Universal Kids, USA Network and Peacock.
​For more information, visit BravoTV.com.  

The HISTORY® Channel premieres its new one-hour documentary
“Black Patriots: Heroes of the Civil War” on Monday, February 21st at 11PM ET/PT. Executive
Produced and narrated by historian and social justice advocate Kareem Abul-Jabbar, and Deborah
Morales of Iconomy Multi-Media & Entertainment, the documentary takes a close look at one of the most studied, debated, and dissected periods in American history, the Civil War, and the heroic figures whose bravery and selfless contributions helped define and reshape the reality of a democracy. 

The end of the Revolutionary War in 1783 saw a new nation break free from the shackles of British tyranny, but for hundreds of thousands of African Americans, the struggle for freedom was far from over. When the Civil War first began, of the 4.3 million African Americans living in the U.S., 3.9 million of them were still enslaved. At its core, the Civil War was about African American’s fight for their freedom and the opportunity to create a better life for themselves in a country they helped nurture and build.

​Anchored by sit down interviews and personal narratives from Abdul-Jabbar, coupled with anecdotes from noteworthy historians and authors, “Black Patriots: Heroes of the Civil War” takes an in-depth look into the events and figures who laid the foundational blocks of freedom for African Americans in the U.S. such as lesser-known figures like former enslaved man turned war hero Robert Smalls and Union spy Mary Richards, to wellknown heroessuch as influential abolitionist Frederick Douglass and Underground Railroad pioneer Harriet Tubman.  The Civil War highlighted the gross racial inequalities that still existed in this country carried over from a pre-abolitionist era, but also brought forth crucial figures who stepped up to eradicate inequality, paved the way for various freedom movements to come and showed that true democracy can be achieved. 

​“Black Patriots: Heroes of the Civil War” marks the NBA Legend’s third documentary with the network, who received an Emmy nomination in 2020 for outstanding narrator in “Black Patriots: Heroes of the Revolution.” “Black Patriots: Heroes of the Civil War" is produced for The HISTORY® Channel by the Six West Media group. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Deborah Morales serve as executive producers for Iconomy Multi-Media & Entertainment. Steve Ascher, Kristy Sabat, Jessica Conway and Stephen Mintz are executive producers for the Six West Media group. Jennifer Wagman serves as executive producer for The HISTORY® Channel.

​Huge thanks to VoyageATL for featuring Jermaine Sain and When We Speak TV!!!!  Thank you so much for the love and support!!!! 

Go to naacpimageawards.net for a full list of nominees.

Voting is open to the public and closes on February 5, 2022.  Winners will be announced during the 2 hour live special hosted by Anthony Anderson on Saturday, Feb. 26th at 8PM ET on BET.

​BET and the NAACP place the health and safety of attendees, staff, vendors, and partners first. Due to the ever-changing developments with COVID-19 and variants, the powerful night in Black excellence will continue to move forward without an in-person audience in a not-to-be-missed event.
 
Netflix leads nominations across motion picture and television + streaming categories. Insecure received the most nominations in the television + streaming categories. H.E.R. received the most nominations in the music recording categories. RCA Records received the most nominations across record labels. Amistad leads nominations across literary categories.

​Recognized as the nation's preeminent multicultural awards show from an African-American perspective, the “53rd NAACP Image Awards” celebrates the outstanding achievements and performances of people of color across more than 80 competitive categories spanning film, television + streaming, music, literature, and podcasts. The “53rd NAACP Image Awards” will also include four new podcast categories:  Outstanding News and Information Podcast; Outstanding Lifestyle / Self-Help Podcast; Outstanding Society and Culture Podcast; and Outstanding Arts and Entertainment Podcast. The “53rd NAACP Image Awards” are presented by Wells Fargo and sponsored by AT&T, Google, T-Mobile, Bank of America, General Mills, FedEx, and Airbnb.

​Internationally, the show will air on BET Africa at 20:00 CAT on February 27, followed by BET France on March 2 at 8:45 pm CEST. The show will also be available to watch on My5 and Sky On-Demand in the UK beginning March 1.

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​In Season 4, Andi played by KJ Smith finally focuses on her own wants and needs when it comes to her personal life. While continuing to be a top-notch lawyer, Andi tests the waters with the possibility of a new relationship on the horizon. Gary played by Chido Nwokocha, however, goes above and beyond in an attempt to get Andi to commit to him, and only him.


Danni played by Mignon, opens the season showing Preston how she really feels about their relationship now that El Fuego is in the picture. Eventually, things get complicated when Preston played by Trinity Whiteside, begins exhibiting uncharacteristic like behavior to win Danni’s attention.


Karen played by Ebony Obsidian, finds herself consumed with Zac’s personal life this season. Karen’s emotions overtake her as she tries to reconcile her feelings between Zac played by DeVale Ellis, and Aaron played by Kevin A. Walton.


Sabrina played by Novi Brown, is the listening ear to her girlfriends and their drama, but she makes sure she doesn’t forget about Maurice played by Brian Jordan Jr. While still dating Calvin played by Anthony Dalton II, Sabrina embarks on a new journey that could lead to newfound love.


Fatima played by Crystal Renee’ Hayslett, basks in her love for Zac and makes it known to anyone who questions their relationship. Although Fatima finds herself facing new challenges in her relationship with Zac, her feet are firmly planted. Now that things are looking up for Zac, he and Fatima shift their focus to themselves and their future together.

​Tyler Perry Studios is a state-of-the-art film and television production facility founded in 2006 by actor, producer, filmmaker, playwright, and philanthropist Tyler Perry. Located in Atlanta, Georgia on the historic grounds of the former Fort McPherson army base, the new 330-acre campus is one of the largest production studios in the country. It boasts a variety of shooting locations including 40 buildings on the national register of historic places, 12 purpose-built sound stages, 200 acres of green space and an expansive backlot.

​Additional stars appearing throughout the Deadly Resolutions, Vicious Valentines, Wicked Revenge and Spring Breakdown slates include Scout Taylor-Compton who portrays sinister triplets, Eric Roberts, Lou Ferrigno Jr., and Tracy Nelson.

DEADLY DANCE COMPETITION
Thursday, January 6 at 8pm ET/PT
Starring Natasha Wilson, Emma Jessop, Matthew Pohlkamp
Beth (Natasha Wilson) couldn’t be prouder of her daughter Regan (Brooke Maroon) who is hard at work putting the final touches on the video for the online dance contest that she entered.  But Beth begins to fear for Regan’s safety after she is attacked by an unknown assailant in the parking lot of her high school. When Regan suddenly goes missing, Beth must turn to her best friend Lina (Emma Jessop) for help and the two launch a desperate search to find Regan before it’s too late.
​
KILLER STEPMOM
Friday, January 7 at 8pm ET/PT
Starring Julia Terranova, Jillian Murray, Alison Robertson, Jon Briddell
Brianna (Julia Terranova) has gained a reputation for telling lies and creating trouble for her parents Annie (Alison Robertson) and Daniel (Jon Briddell), who attribute her behavior as a way of lashing out at them for their divorce.  So when Brianna witnesses her new stepmom Susanna (Jillian Murray) commit a murder, she can’t get anyone to believe her.  Brianna turns to her mom Annie for help, who becomes increasingly convinced that she must protect her daughter from Susanna before she can enact her devious plan to destroy their family.

THE WRONG BLIND DATE
Friday, January 14 at 8pm ET/PT
Starring Vivica A. Fox, Meredith Thomas, Matthew Pohlkamp,
Sofia Masson, Clark Moore, Rainer Dawn
View Promo Here
After her recent divorce, Laura (Meredith Thomas) is encouraged by her therapist Beth (Vivica A. Fox) and daughter Hannah (Sofia Masson) to move on with life and registers for an online dating service. Unhappy with the process, Laura decides to delete her account, but soon she receives a message from Kevin (Matthew Pohlkamp) who catches her attention. Kevin appears to be Laura’s perfect match, having many of the same interests and is nothing like her ex-husband. But Hannah grows suspicious of her mother’s new suitor and is determined to discover the truth about Kevin’s real motives before it’s too late.

THE WRONG HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEART
Friday, February 4 at 8pm ET/PT
Starring Vivica A. Fox, Jeremy Meeks, Mea Wilkerson, Ryan Shoos,
Doug Rogers, Alex Trumble, Eric Roberts, Helene Udy, Tracy Nelson
When Danielle (Mea Wilkerson) reunites with her high school sweetheart Danny (Alex Trumble), she’s shocked to learn how far he’s willing to go to keep their high school memories, and their relationship, alive.

OLD FLAMES NEVER DIE
Friday, February 11 at 8pm ET/PT
Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe, Lou Ferrigno Jr., Rich Paul
When successful novelist Kira Young (Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe) returns to her hometown to escape bad press after her cheating fiancé Tyson (Rich Paul) is accused of murder, she rekindles a romantic one-night stand with her high school sweetheart Weston Wade (Lou Ferrigno Jr.), who soon develops an unhealthy obsession with her.

FRAMED BY MY SISTER
Friday, February 25 at 8pm ET/PT
Starring Scout Taylor Compton, T K Richardson, Tracy Nelson
Twins Reina and Alex (Scout Taylor-Compton) find their lives upended by their mysterious triplet Trinity (Scout Taylor-Compton), who was separated from them at birth and who has devised a plan to frame one for murder and assume the identity of the other.

PSYCHO SWEET SIXTEEN (w.t.)
Thursday, March 17 at 8pm ET/PT
Starring Bailey Bass, Heather McComb, Kate Orsini,
Courtney Lauren Cummings, Kassidy Slaughter
When Dylan (Bailey Bass) is forced to transfer to a new school after her mom Cindy (Kate Orsini) is admitted to rehab, she quickly rubs reigning mean girl Tiffany (Courtney Lauren Cummings) the wrong way.  Dylan’s aunt and uncle offer to throw a sweet sixteen party to help her adjust, but Tiffany will stop at nothing to destroy Dylan’s plans, including murder.

​ABOUT LMN
LMN is a top entertainment destination for women, featuring a diverse mix of original movies and themed programming inspired by sister network Lifetime’s iconic movie heritage. LMN’s unique brand of storytelling serves a passionate and loyal audience with a continuous slate of movie genres they’ve grown to love. Lifetime Movies®, Lifetime Television®, Lifetime Real Women® and Lifetime Digital™ are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, LLC, a subsidiary of A+E Networks. A+E Networks is a joint venture of the Disney-ABC Television Group and Hearst Corporation.

The new Janet Jackson documentary has been in the making for 3 years and is said to feature never seen before footage with some of Janet's closest friends, like Mariah Carey, Paula Abdul, and Missy Elliott. ​

​The 30th Anniversary Bounce Trumpet Awards has been rescheduled for April 23, 2022, at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood and will air on Juneteenth, Sunday, June 19, at 7 p.m. ET.

Produced by Magic Lemonade Production Company, the gala event will be televised on Bounce, the nation’s popular entertainment television network serving African Americans.
The event was rescheduled from January because of COVID-19 concerns.

​On January 17, the Bounce Trumpet Awards returns for its 30th anniversary, celebrating the best in African American excellence and achievement. A beacon to inspire, enlighten and raise the human spirit to its highest potential, the Bounce Trumpet Awards recognizes Black humanitarians who have succeeded against immense odds and augment the richness of our society by striving for the justice and equality of all.

The gala event will take place at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood on Saturday, Jan. 15.

Among the special guests paying tribute to this year’s honorees are Wendell Pierce, Sanaa Lathan, JB Smoove, and Tamron Hall.
​Musical performers and more presenters will be announced soon. 

About the Trumpet Awards
The Bounce Trumpet Awards were conceived to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of African Americans and those who have succeeded against great odds and inspired success in others. Founded in 1992 by American Civil Rights leader Xernona Clayton, The Trumpet Awards were acquired by Bounce in 2016. The list of prestigious honorees includes Muhammad Ali, Beyoncé, Jamie Foxx, Halle Berry, Stevie Wonder, The African American Women of the U.S. Congress, Steve Harvey, Martin Luther King, III, Janelle Monáe and Spike Lee. For more information about past honorees, presenters, performers and information about The Bounce Trumpet Awards visit here. 

​The talented ensemble cast includes Karrueche Tran, Lauren London in a limited role, Sarunas J. Jackson, Karen Obilom, Parker McKenna Posey, Jackie Long, and Kendall Kyndall and Brandi Denise. In addition, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Vanessa Simmons, Shaun Robinson, Kevin Jackson, Barry Brewer, and Monti Washington reprise their recurring roles, with Cynthia Bailey, Nazanin Mandi, Ro Parrish, Hitman Holla, Leon, and Calvin Seabrooks to guest star in the ten-episode drama. #GamesPeoplePlay.

​EPISODE 2 SYNOPSIS
Adding to Marques’s downward spiral after devastating news, the Vipers introduce their new head of marketing Eden. And Eden comes along with new ideas, including some new teammates who pose a clash of egos. Thankfully, Marques’ father arrives with moral support; Meanwhile, Nia and Eric begin to dive deeper down a dangerous rabbit hole.
 
“GAMES PEOPLE PLAY” is executive produced by Tracey Edmonds of Edmonds Entertainment, Angela Burt-Murray and Vanessa Middleton. Middleton also serves as the showrunner on the series. 
 
For more information, viewers can log on to BET.com and join the conversation by following @BET on all social platforms.

Beginning Sunday, Nov. 21, five new original holiday movies will premiere on ION and Bounce.
ION ranked No. 1 among all networks airing original holiday programming, last year.

​Eve Simmons (Paige Hurd, Power Book II: Ghost, Hawaii Five-O) was abandoned as an infant on the steps of a church 30 years ago on Christmas Eve. Now, struggling to move forward with her life, she embarks on a search to uncover the mystery of her birth with the help of her boyfriend Curtis (Romeo Miller, Romeo!, Empire) and famed investigative genealogist Pam Slaton (Juliana Harkavy, Arrow). The movie is inspired by actual events from Slaton’s real-life cases, and she serves as a producer. 

​After a fight with her husband (Paul O’Brien, Home & Away, Neighbors), a tightly wound wife (Justine Kacir, Home & Away) follows him to his hometown of Sydney, Australia, in hopes of saving their marriage. Tracking him down proves complicated, and she must rely on an Aboriginal tour guide and a social media influencer ride-share driver to help - all just days before Christmas.

​A no-nonsense federal marshal (Arielle Kebbel, Ballers, The Vampire Diaries) is tasked with protecting a low-level, charming mobster (Colin Egglesfield, Rizzoli & Isles, All My Children) until he testifies against his mafia boss two days after Christmas. 

​Lana Lawton (Michelle Borth, Hawaii Five-O), a fledgling private eye home for the holidays, realizes the only way to save her career is by solving a string of local burglaries where the main suspect is Santa Claus. With little evidence and having to contend with a local detective with an investigative style that clashes with hers, the season may prove to be anything but holly and jolly. Vivica A. Fox co-stars as the head of a local detective agency.

​A single real estate agent (Clair Coffee, Grimm, Lincoln Rhymes - Hunt for the Bone Collector) falls for a handsome coffee shop owner (George Stults, 7th Heaven) - only to discover that the job she just took requires her to evict him from his shop. 

We just watched the official trailer for Being The Ricardos and I must admit.....We are hooked.

Being the Ricardos is definitely added to the When We Speak TV watch list.  
Check out the official trailer for Being The Ricardos and let us know what you think....
​
WILL YOU BE WATCHING?

​Written and Directed by Aaron Sorkin

Starring Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, Jake Lacy, J.K. Simmons, Nina Arianda, Tony Hale, and Alia Shawkat


Lucille Ball (Nicole Kidman) and Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem) are threatened by shocking personal accusations, a political smear and cultural taboos in Academy Award®-winning writer and director Aaron Sorkin’s behind-the-scenes drama Being the Ricardos. A revealing glimpse of the couple’s complex romantic and professional relationship, the film takes audiences into the writers’ room, onto the soundstage and behind closed doors with Ball and Arnaz during one critical production week of their groundbreaking sitcom “I Love Lucy.”