ASU names film school for Poitier
In 1963, Sidney Poitier made a film in Arizona, “Lilies of the Field.” The performance led to a huge milestone: He became the first Black winner of a lead-acting Oscar.
Now, Arizona is the site of another milestone for the legendary actor and filmmaker. Arizona State University has named its new film school after him. It was set to unveil the Sidney Poitier New American Film School at a ceremony Monday.
The decision to name the school after Poitier, 93, is about much more than an emphasis on diversity, said Michael M. Crow, president of the university, ahead of the unveiling.
“You’re looking for an icon, a person that embodies everything you stand for,” Crow said. “With Sidney Poitier, it’s his creative energy, his dynamism, his drive, his ambition, the kinds of projects he worked on, the ways in which he advanced his life.”
Poitier’s daughter Beverly Poitier-Henderson said her father, who has been out of the public eye for some time, was “doing well and enjoying his family,” and considered it an honor to be the namesake of the film school.
‘Soul,’‘Ma Rainey’ among AFI’s top films:
The American Film Institute on Monday announced its top 10 films of the year, including Pixar’s “Soul” and two of Chadwick Boseman’s final films: the August Wilson adaptation “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and Spike Lee’s Vietnam drama “Da 5 Bloods,” both of which are Netflix films.
Netflix featured heavily in the list with four slots, including “Mank” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7.” Amazon got two spots with “Sound of Metal” and “One Night in Miami.”
The AFI also named
its top 10 television shows, including Netflix’s “The Queen’s Gambit,” Apple TV+’s “Ted Lasso” and Disney+’s “The Mandalorian.”
Cyrus to perform at Super Bowl:
Miley Cyrus is joining the all-star roster of artists set to perform on Super Bowl Sunday.
Cyrus will perform at the “TikTok Tailgate” on Feb. 7, hours before the big game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicks off in Tampa.
“I can’t wait to put on a show for the NFL’s honored guests before the game. Health care workers from Tampa and around the country!” Cyrus wrote Sunday on Instagram.
The tailgate event will air on CBS and TikTok.
2021 Billboard awards to air in May:
NBC and Dick Clark Productions have announced that the 2021
Billboard Music Awards will take place May 23.
The show will air live on NBC and will serve to celebrate the hottest names in music today. The honorees are determined by their performance on the Billboard charts.
Additional details regarding the production of the show will be announced at a later date.
The 2020 Billboard Music Awards aired Oct. 14 after its original spring date was delayed due to the pandemic.
Jan. 26 birthdays:
Sports announcer-actor Bob Uecker is 87. Singer Jean Knight is 78. Actor Richard Portnow is 74. Comedian Ellen DeGeneres is 63. Keyboardist Charlie Gillingham is 61. Guitarist Andrew Ridgeley is 58. Singer Kirk Franklin is 51. Actor Jennifer Crystal is 48. Actor Gilles Marini is 45. Actor Sara Rue is 42.