Latest in Melina Matsoukas

Claws star Niecy Nash served up some truth while accepting the Ford Vanguard Award at Essence’s 13th annual Black Women in Hollywood Awards luncheon. “My hope is to be of service in the world. So today I want to serve you with my truth,” said Nash, encouraging the crowd at The Beverly Wilshire Hotel to “think…

Bright and early Monday morning, John Cho and Issa Rae unveiled the nominees for the 92nd Academy Awards and when it came to Best Director, we all waited with bated breath to see if the Academy would follow this unfortunate trend of women being shut out of the category. One by one, Rae announced the nominees: “The Iris…

Grammy-winning music video director Melina Matsoukas is known for using her work not only to highlight African -American culture but also reflect pertinent issues in the community. That’s what made Queen & Slim the apt project for her feature directorial debut. “The script for me was everything,” Matsoukas said at…

On the surface Melina Matsoukas’ feature debut, about a black couple on the run after a fatal traffic stop by a white police officer goes terribly awry, sounds like pretty explosive stuff ripped from the headlines. And yes, there is that, but this film has much more on its mind than leaning into just one event. That…

The Oscar show this year will be led by two women with strong producing credentials, sending us this message: There's a new generation of self-styled “badass” women filmmakers out there, ready to leave their mark on the film culture. The arrival of awards season, however, may carry a different portent: The possibility…

Melina Matsoukas is known for directing some of the most compelling and visually striking music videos including Rihanna’s “We Found Love” and Beyonce’s game-changing “Formation” — both earned her an MTV Video Music Award. This year, she made her foray into the feature space with Queen and Slim. Written by Emmy winner…

Queen & Slim director Melina Matsoukas has signed a first-look deal with FX Productions. Under the pact, Matsoukas, whose TV credits include Insecure and Master of None, will develop new content for FX Networks. Matsoukas recently directed the pilot episode of FX's Y, on which she also serves as an executive producer…

Universal’s Queen & Slim doesn’t open in theaters until the week of Thanksgiving (November 27), but the film written by Lena Waithe and directed by Melina Matsoukas is already causing a buzz as part of a new wave, serving a Black narrative that is challenging the cinematic status quo. During the Vanity Fair Summit on…

Emmy winner Lena Waithe and director Melina Matsoukas were on hand at the 25th annual Essence Festival to present the first 13-minutes of the forthcoming feature, Queen and Slim.  The Universal Pictures and Makeready film stars Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie Turner-Smith as a couple whose first date goes awry after the two…

A first look trailer for Universal Pictures and Makeready’s Queen and Slim dropped during the BET Awards and the Bonnie and Clyde-esque feature teased the visual crime drama starring Get Out‘s Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie Turner-Smith written by Lena Waithe and directed by Melina Matsoukas. Known for her work with Beyonce…

The American Film Institute said that film, TV and music video artist Melina Matsoukas will be this year’s recipient of the Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni Medal, which honors creative talents of AFI Conservatory alumni who embody the qualities of the filmmaker for which it is named after. The medal, which recognizes…

BREAKING: Makeready has won an auction to finance Queen & Slim, with Oscar-nominated Get Out star Daniel Kaluuya starring and Melina Matsoukas making her feature directing debut. Emmy-winning scribe Lena Waithe wrote the script based on an original idea and treatment by A Million Little Pieces author James Frey. The…