Season two of the Apple TV+ series “Swagger”is underway, following the stories of young hoop stars. Inspired by NBA star Kevin Durant’s AAU experiences, “Swagger”explores the world of youth basketball as well as the daily realities of life in America. The season two premiere screened at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival.“Swagger” was created, executive produced and directed by Reggie Rock Bythewood, whose company Undisputed Cinema has extensive film and television credits. Nearly three decades ago, Bythewood was in a play that featured basketball. “You had to make your shots in front of a live audience,” he recalled.“We revisited so much of that in ‘Swagger.’ We did this one hour of the show where the basketball game is all in one shot. We never cut. So, I referenced that particular experience because you have to finish the game.You have to get to the end. If you miss, you had to work your way back into the narrative,” Bythewood said.The character of Jace Carson, played by Isaiah R. Hill, is a central figure in “Swagger.” The predominantly white prep school in the series did not have much success until the school’s athletic director brought in the Swagger players. In one scene, Jace makes 10 consecutive free throws while having a conversation.  The scene was shot without cuts, so if Hill missed a shot, he’d have to start from the top and make 10 free throws. A choreographer helped set game action that aligned with the script. Most importantly, the actors had to look authentic.

“There’s nothing more unsatisfying in a sports film than when the actors don’t look legit,” said Bythewood. “It was very important that you really see our players making baskets. … Some of the most fun parts of the sequences are when we would do free play sometimes as well. There would be a couple of unchoreographed sequences that we were able to use.”

Of course, actors must also give convincing performances. Bythewood said quite a number of young men auditioned to play Jace, some with more acting experience and some with the hoop skills.

“I watched Isaiah’s basketball footage, and when he dunked it had this flair and excitement,” Bythewood said. “In addition, I saw some talent, so we got him an acting coach.While some of my actors underwent three months of basketball training, Isaiah underwent three months of acting training. He was really able to deliver.”

The post TV drama “Swagger” centers on life and basketball appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

The Bahamas Consulate General and The Bahamian Diaspora celebrated 50 years of independence with a flag raising ceremony at River Bank State Park in Harlem, NYC Mayor Eric Adams presented a Proclamation from the City, alongside NYS Sen. Cordell Cleare, Bahamas Consu General Leroy Major, and the H.E. Hon. Wendall Jones. 

Major presented Mayor Adams with a proclamation of the 50th year. There was a performance by The National Youth Choir and Dancers, Junkanoo Parade, and the Royal Bahamas Police Band.

The post The Bahamian Diaspora Celebrates 50 years of Independence appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

First Corinthian Baptist Church Senior Pastor Rev. Michael A. Walrond, Jr.  held a book signing for his new tome, ‘Searching for Agabus,’ at Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network (NAN) in Harlem. Dozens waited to speak with the nationally popular cleric, affectionately known as Pastor Mike, as they purchased his work, which offers to help folk with “Embracing authenticity, and finding your way to you.”

The post Rev. Michael A. Walrond, Jr. appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

On Sunday, July 23, the Malcolm X Commemoration Committee (MXCC) will host a moving virtual teach-in on “The Faith of Malcolm X.” The forum starts at 2 p.m.

It will feature pioneering Islamic Women’s Rights champion and archivist Aisha Al-Adawiya and Schomburg Scholar- in- Residence Yannis Mahil.

Al-Adawiya, a pioneering champion of women’s rights in Islam, is the founder of Women in Islam, Inc. She is the recently -retired coordinator of Islamic input for the Preservation of the Black Religious Heritage Documentation Project at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, has appeared in numerous international forums, and has served on a number of boards,  including that of the Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center.

Yannis Mahil is winding down his stay at the Schomburg Center as its scholar-in-residence. He is a native of Morocco and is currently working on his own book on Malcolm X.

Beloved elder freedom fighter and cultural worker Bilal Sunni Ali will also be a special guest on behalf of  Imam Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, the gathering’s political prisoner spotlight. Coming from a Garveyite family, joining NY chapter of the Black Panther Party, surviving being targeted by the state, and performing with the late Gil Scott Heron —, what has Bilal Sunni Ali not done?

Al-Amin is fighting for his release after having been framed for killing a police officer in Georgia two decades ago. Best known as H. Rap Brown from his legendary presence in the Civil Rights Movement, Imam Jamil has endured and continues to face serious health issues, including cancer and a stroke. A full-fledged campaign to secure his freedom is in motion and is coordinated by the Imam Jamil Action Network (https://imamjamilactionnetwork.org/).

Please register for this moving talk at this Eventbrite link:

The post Virtual forum on the ‘Faith of Malcolm X’ appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

New York is far from the verdant, rolling hills of Hobbiton—the fictional village author J.R.R. Tolkien created for his fantasy novels The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. But not too far outside of New York City, fans can get a taste of the cozy, hillside home by staying at one particular Airbnb.

If you’re a fan of Tolkien’s rich universe like me and wish to live like a hobbit—the fictional race of food-loving, meade-drinking and pipe-smoking people that are only about half of the average height of humans—then you’re in luck because there’s a getaway less than two hours from NYC that will let you do just that. You don’t need to travel to New Zealand’s Hobbiton movie set!

RECOMMENDED: The best weekend getaways from NYC

If you live under a rock, Hobbits essentially live in underground “holes,” or homes underneath hills. As The Hobbit says, “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.”

An Airbnb in Pawling, New York offers a private getaway—a whole house built under the earth with a domed ceiling—for wannabe hobbits. For $500 a night, you can stay with five other guests in this two-bedroom home that has “Ring Quests upon request at time of booking.”

Pawling is actually located in the foothills of the Berkshires, so it’s not so far off from the rolling landscape of Middle Earth.

It’s not just aesthetically hobbit-y. It’s cozy with king-size beds, walk-in showers, three patios, an outdoor grill, a hot tub, two hammocks, two fire pits and an indoor fireplace to read (or write) your novel by. It’s also a passive house, which means it uses very little energy.

Those who have stayed at the hobbit hole say it’s peaceful with the sound of running water and birdsong. The details are impressive and full of film props to pose with. 

Up for the journey? Check it out here. 

* This article was originally published here