ESSENCE STUDIOS

Gina Prince-Bythewood & Kiki Layne

Host Gia Peppers in conversation with Director Gina Prince- Bythewood (Love Basketball, Beyond The Lights) and KiKi Layne (If Beale Street Could Talk) about breaking boundaries, representation in Hollywood, and Black Girl Magic in Action.

Farewell Madea: Celebrating the legend and legacynklin

Join David and Tamela Mann in conversation for an exclusive first look at Madea’s Farewell Play premeiring on BET+.

HAMILTON: In Conversation

Join us for an exclusive conversation with “Hamilton’s” original Schuyler sisters, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jasmine Cephas Jones and Phillipa Soo, about the upcoming debut of the filmed version of the original Broadway production of “Hamilton” on Disney+ July 3.

The 40-Year-Old Version

In her feature directorial debut The 40-Year-Old Version, Radha Blank also plays a deeply personal lead role. Radha delves into juggling personas, finding your voice, and creating a film that is a fresh addition to the New York City slice-of-life canon. The film is produced by Lena Waithe and will debut on Netflix later this year.

Exclusive Conversation with Katori Hall

Katori Hall, Olivier Award winning playwright and the showrunner of the new STARZ drama P-VALLEY, discusses authenticity, representation, adapting her play Pussy Valley for television and being a black female showrunner.

The Queen Collective

Acclaimed Grammy, Emmy and Golden Globe award winning musician Queen Latifah + Filmmaker Samantha Knowles, director, Tangled Roots; Filmmaker Nadine Natour, co-director, Gloves Off; Filmmaker Ugonna Okpalaoka, co-director, Gloves Off, will talk about what it means to be creatives during this time.

Finding "Soul"

The team behind Disney & Pixar’s upcoming film, “Soul” – director Pete Docter, producer Dana Murray, and co-director Kemp Powers – are joined by Dr. Johnnetta Cole and Jon Batiste to offer an exclusive sneak peek at the film.