EXCLUSIVE: Music industry icons turned feature filmmakers, Bryan “Birdman” Williams of Cash Money Films and Benny Boom of Groundwurk Studios are partnering as EPs on Solomon Onita, Jr.’s Nigerian immigrant drama, Tazmanian Devil. Boom’s Groundwurk Studios and Williams’ Cash Money Films are providing the necessary…

EXCLUSIVE: Spirit Award-winner Abraham Attah, whose credits include Netflix film Beasts of No Nation and Sony’s Spider-Man: Homecoming, will star in Tasmanian Devil, a feature debut from writer/director Solomon Onita, Jr. Adepero Oduye (Central Park Five and Pariah), Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine (The Chi, Queen of Katwe)…

EXCLUSIVE: There is a tremendous real-life tragedy and injustice at the heart of Central Park Five but there is also an extremely deep bench of talent for the Ava Duvernay directed Netflix limited series with Joshua Jackson, Christopher Jackson and 12 Years A Slave's Adepero Oduye now onboard. The Affair star, Hamilto…

EXCLUSIVE: While talent agencies comb Sundance to find and sign new talent, ICM has signed Adepero Oduye, who turned in one of 2011 Sundance’s breakout performance as the star of the Dee Rees-directed Pariah. The Cornell University grad is nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead for her…

EXCLUSIVE: Focus Features has closed an acquisition deal for worldwide rights for Pariah, the Dee Rees-directed coming of age story of a 17-year old African American teen from Brooklyn trying to find her place in the world, and coming to terms with her identity as a lesbian. Besides the acquisition, Focus has also…

(Sharon Swart is assisting Deadline's Sundance coverage) Sundance has a reputation for putting new acting talent in the spotlight. Recent years have yielded more break-outs on the distaff side, such as Carey Mulligan (2009’s An Education and The Greatest) and Jennifer Lawrence (2010's Winter's Bone). Both went on to…