Tag: Entertainment-Variety

The chief legal counsel of Paramount Skydance, Makan Delrahim, has alleged that some opponents of the David Ellison-led company’s pending $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery are motivated by “antisemitic views.”

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Delrahim spoke about the backlash in the industry to the Paramount-WBD deal. To date, more than 5,500 filmmakers, actors and other Hollywood professionals have signed an open letter opposing the deal. House Democrats have urged California Attorney General Rob Bonta to “closely scrutinize” the deal.

“Politics is part of life. It’s part of the beautiful process of democracy,” Delrahim said. “Generally, we are very empathetic to the folks in Hollywood, but this transaction will actually create more and better and exciting jobs. David [Ellison] is an absolute lover of films; he’s a filmmaker himself. For the first time, you are getting an owner who comes from the creative side.”

The exec continued: “Let’s be honest. There’s a lot of fear-mongering, particularly from people in Washington, D.C. They are running a political campaign. Some of these people are trying to inflict harm on this transaction really because of their own antisemitic views. Regulators and law enforcement officials will see right through that.”

In the interview, published June 1, Delrahim was not quoted as explaining or identifying which opponents of the Paramount-WBD merger have “antisemitic views.” Variety has reached out to Paramount for clarification on his comments.

In September 2025, an organization called Film Workers for Palestine circulated a pledge not to “work with Israeli film institutions” that “are implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.” A few days later, Paramount released a statement condemning that pledge for “silencing individual creative artists based on their nationality.” (The Film Workers for Palestine emphasized that the pledge is intended to target companies and organizations, not individual Israelis.)

As previously reported by Variety, Larry Ellison — David’s multibillionaire father, who is a major financial backer of Paramount’s merger with Warner Bros. — is said to be a close friend of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and is a donor to the U.S.-based nonprofit organization Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Meanwhile, in the LA Times interview, Delrahim denied that Paramount Skydance has “a commitment” from Trump or his administration to have the WBD deal approved. “There are no deals with the president,” he said.

Asked if Paramount was prepared to defend an antitrust lawsuit from California AG Bonta, Delrahim responded: “Well, no matter what field you’re in, whether it’s antitrust or whether you’re preparing for a football game, you always prepare the best you can for the worst, and you hope it never gets there. So, we’re preparing for challenges from anybody and everybody. But I don’t think any serious antitrust enforcer who looks at the facts, the law, the economics of this transaction will see an antitrust violation.”

Last month, Delrahim sent a letter to Bonta, in which he “reiterate[d] our continued commitment and support to Californian movie theaters and audiences” coming “in response to certain misinformation about the marketplace expressed in recent public commentary.” He also noted Ellison’s repeated pledges that the merged company will release at least 30 films per year. In addition, he said that Paramount+ and HBO Max separately do not have the scale to “compete effectively” against bigger subscription streaming players Netflix, Disney+ and Hulu, and Amazon’s Prime Video.

Meanwhile, regarding Paramount’s potential absorption of CNN with the WBD deal, Delrahim commented, “Antitrust regulators are going to see that it’s going to create synergistic effects. You might be able to cross-program and more people will be exposed to the incredible programming of CBS News. They’ll benefit from each other’s independent strengths.”

Paramount, before it won the WBD deal, said its proposed WBD takeover had cleared a milestone at the Justice Department, after the expiration of the statutory waiting period following Paramount’s “certification of compliance” with the DOJ’s second request for information under the Hart-Scott-Rodino antitrust act. However, the DOJ has the latitude to challenge a merger even after the HSR waiting period expiration. Earlier this year, the acting head of the Justice Department’s antitrust division, Omeed Assefi, said the Paramount-WBD deal will “absolutely not” be on a fast-track for approval due to political reasons, in the context of the Ellison family’s friendly ties to Trump.

Delrahim joined as Paramount’s chief legal counsel in October 2025. Previously, as a partner at law firm Latham & Watkins, he had advised Skydance Media on the Paramount Global acquisition. Before that he served as an assistant attorney general overseeing the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division during President Trump’s first term. Delrahim, who is Iranian American, grew up in L.A.

PBS SoCal, KABC/ABC7 and KMEX led the tally on Tuesday as the TV Academy announced nominations for the 78th annual L.A. Area Emmy Awards.

The annual ceremony will take place on Saturday, July 25, at the Skirball Cultural Center. As for this year’s nominee totals, PBS SoCal landed 29 nominations; KABC/ABC7 received 21, Univision outlet KMEX received 20, Telemundo’s KVEA had 18, KNBC/NBC4 landed 15 and Spectrum News 1 had 10.

Per the TV Academy, the Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards “honor locally produced programs in the categories of Crime and Social Issues, Culture and History, the Arts, Human Interest, Sports, the Environment, and Live and Breaking News Coverage.”

For the station newscast awards, every TV station that submits is eligible. This year’s eligibility period was for the 2025 calendar year, which means many of the news categories were dominated by local coverage of the devastating wildfires that ripped through the region last January.

Last year, PBS SoCal (KOCE/KCET) led the 2025 L.A. Area Emmy awards with eight total, but the other big winner of the night was Telemundo’s KVEA-TV, which took home all three station awards for best newscasts — for daily morning (4 a.m. to 11 a.m.), daily daytime (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.) and daily evening (7 p.m. to 12 a.m.).

Here are this year’s nominees:

NEWS AND PROGRAMMING

L.A. Local Color

“Behind the Hollywood Sign (Locationland)” (PBS SoCal)
Harry Pallenberg, Director, Director of Photography, Editor, Executive Producer
Harry Medved, Executive Producer, Host

“Hispanic Heritage Month – Candelas Guitars” (Spectrum News 1)

“Pasión Fútbol: Día de Muertos” (KVEA)
Alejandro Navarro, Anchor

“The True Origins of Surf Culture (Coastal California)” (PBS SoCal)
Silvia Grav, Director of Photography
Michael Ray, Editor, Producer
Angela Boisvert, Executive Producer
Tamara Gould, Executive Producer
Kathy Kasaba, Supervising Producer

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Independent Programming

No nominations

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Education/Information

“Arctic Alchemy (Los Angeles Times)” (Los Angeles Times)
Zeppelin Zeerip, Director
Colin Arisman, Director

“The Cost of Fast Fashion (Earth Focus)” (PBS SoCal)
Daniel H. Birman, Director, Director of Photography, Executive Producer, Producer, Writer
Megan E. Chao, Editor, Executive Producer, Producer
Angela Boisvert, Executive Producer
Tamara Gould, Executive Producer
Clarissa Guy, Co-Producer
Jaime Morgan Muñoz, Co-Producer
Susy Garciasalas Barkley, Co-Producer
Jason Janocko, Director of Photography
Gayane Grajian, Editor
Robert McDonnell, Supervising Producer

“Crónica de un Infierno” (KMEX-TV)
William Negrón, Executive Producer
Julio Octavio Valdez, Anchor
Héctor Valera González, Editor
Cecilia Bográn, Reporter

“For Dear Life: Art, Medicine & Disability (PST ART)” (PBS SoCal)
Angela Boisvert, Producer
Nic Cha Kim, Executive Producer
Tamara Gould, Executive Producer
Matt Pappas, Director of Photography
Suzanne Méjean Pinney, Editor
Robert McDonnell, Supervising Producer

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Crime/Social Issues

“Aging in America: Survive or Thrive” (PBS SoCal)
Neil Steinberg, Director, Executive Producer
Mark Jonathan Harris, Producer
Steve Purcell, Co-Producer, Editor
Karin Hayes, Co-Producer
Martin Sheen, Host
Michelle Merker, Producer

“Counter Surveillance (PST ART)” (PBS SoCal)
Jaime Morgan Muñoz, Producer
Nic Cha Kim, Producer
Angela Boisvert, Executive Producer
Tamara Gould, Executive Producer
Matt Bass, Director of Photography
Matt Pappas, Director of Photography
Suzanne Méjean Pinney, Editor
Robert McDonnell, Supervising Producer

“LA Stories with Giselle Fernandez: Jane Goodall” (Spectrum News 1)

“LA Stories with Giselle Fernandez – ‘Father Greg Boyle’” (Spectrum News 1)

“Rewiring California: Outages & Innovation (Earth Focus)” (PBS SoCal)
Daniel H. Birman, Director, Director of Photography, Executive Producer, Producer, Writer
Megan E. Chao, Editor, Executive Producer, Producer
Angela Boisvert, Executive Producer
Tamara Gould, Executive Producer
Clarissa Guy, Co-Producer
Jaime Morgan Muñoz, Co-Producer
Susy Garciasalas Barkley, Co-Producer
Jason Janocko, Director of Photography
Matt Bass, Director of Photography
Ben Boyd, Editor
Robert McDonnell, Supervising Producer

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Arts

“Aretha! with Sheléa and the Pacific Symphony” (PBS SoCal)
Maura Daly Phinney, Executive Producer
Andy Trimlett, Producer
Steve Purcell, Director
Keena Levert, Associate Producer
Sheléa Melody McDonald, On-Camera Talent

“Art & Science Collide” (PBS SoCal)
Jessica Kingdon, Director
Serin Marshall, Producer
Justine Nagan, Executive Producer
Bonni Cohen, Executive Producer
Jon Shenk, Executive Producer
Tamara Gould, Executive Producer
Angela Boisvert, Executive Producer
Robert McDonnell, Supervising Producer
Kathy Kasaba, Supervising Producer
Shannon Kennedy, Editor
Alexandra Brown, Editor
Miranda Yousef ACE, Editor
Emily Topper, Director of Photography

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Culture/History

“George Washington Carver’s Legacy of Art, Science & Discovery (PST ART)” (PBS SoCal)
Clarissa Guy, Producer
Nic Cha Kim, Producer
Angela Boisvert, Executive Producer
Tamara Gould, Executive Producer
Matt Bass, Director of Photography
Gene Sung, Director of Photography
Suzanne Méjean Pinney, Editor
Robert McDonnell, Supervising Producer

“Keeping Tradition Alive (OC World)” (KLCS-PBS)
Scott Hays, Executive Producer

“Somos de Aquí” (KMEX-TV)
William Negrón, Executive Producer
Julio Octavio Valdez, Anchor
Carlos Leonardo Gonzalez, Camera
Juan Ramirez, Editor
Marco A. Flores, Executive Producer

“Tras la Huella del Futbol” (KVEA)

“Untold History of the Taa-laa-wa dee-ni’ – Tolowa People (Coastal California)” (PBS SoCal)
Michael Ray, Producer
Silvia Grav, Director of Photography, Editor
Angela Boisvert, Executive Producer
Tamara Gould, Executive Producer
Kathy Kasaba, Supervising Producer

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Informational Series (more than 50% remote)

“Rebel Kitchens Southern California” (PBS SoCal)
Antonio Diaz, Director, Editor, Executive Producer, Director of Photography
Angela Boisvert, Executive Producer
Tamara Gould, Executive Producer
Jaime Morgan Muñoz, Producer
Nic Cha Kim, Co-Producer
Kathy Kasaba, Supervising Producer
Robert McDonnell, Supervising Producer

“Reframing the Future (PST ART)” (PBS SoCal)
Clarissa Guy, Producer
Nic Cha Kim, Producer
Jaime Morgan Muñoz, Producer
Angela Boisvert, Executive Producer
Tamara Gould, Executive Producer
Matt Bass, Director of Photography
Matt Pappas, Director of Photography
Suzanne Méjean Pinney, Editor
Ben Boyd, Editor
Robert McDonnell, Supervising Producer

“Tu Voz LA” (KMEX-TV)

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Informational Series (more than 50% studio)

“Al Punto California” (KMEX-TV)

“Enfoque California” (KVEA—Noticias California)

“LA Times Today on Spectrum News 1” (Spectrum News 1)

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Entertainment

“2025 Media Access Awards with Easterseals” (PBS SoCal)
Deborah Calla, Executive Producer
Paul Miller, Director
Allen Rucker, Writer
Kali McIver, Producer
Amanda Hang, Producer
Lauren Selman, Producer
Ali Stroker, Host
Michelle Merker, Producer
Madeleine Ciano, Associate Producer
Kathy Kasaba, Supervising Producer
C. Drew Unser, Editor

“Animation (Lost LA)” (PBS SoCal)
Angela Boisvert, Producer
Matt Bass, Director, Director of Photography
Nathan Masters, Executive Producer, Host
Tamara Gould, Executive Producer
Bill Dotson, Co-Executive Producer
Melissa Just, Co-Executive Producer
Anne-Marie Maxwell, Co-Producer
Alicia Clark, Co-Producer
Rick Pratt, Editor
Kathy Kasaba, Supervising Producer
Micaela Rodgers, Associate Producer
Don Hahn, Co-Producer

“Color in Motion: Chromatic Explorations of Cinema (PST ART)” (PBS SoCal)
Jaime Morgan Muñoz, Producer
Nic Cha Kim, Producer
Angela Boisvert, Executive Producer
Tamara Gould, Executive Producer
Matt Bass, Director of Photography
Ben Boyd, Editor
Robert McDonnell, Supervising Producer

“Rosa de Guadalupe, Crónica de Milagros” (KMEX-TV)
Alvaro Corzo Virviescas, Editor
William Negrón, Executive Producer
Julio Octavio Valdez, Anchor
Carlos Leonardo Gonzalez, Camera
Dina Rodriguez, Coordinating Producer

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Music Composition

“Art & Science Collide” (PBS SoCal)
Dan Deacon, Composer

“Lost LA: Animation” (PBS SoCal)
Tyler Sabbag, Composer
Steve Gernes, Composer

“Lost LA: Cold War Secrecy” (PBS SoCal)
Tyler Sabbag, Composer
Steve Gernes, Composer

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News Series

“7 On Your Side Investigates: Wildfire Insurance Issues” (ABC7)

“Black Heritage: Altadena Roots And Resilience” (NBC4)

“Pizarrón 52” (KVEA)

“Sanando California” (KVEA)
Enrique Chiabra, Anchor

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Sports Special

“竜巻 – The Story of Nomomania” (Spectrum SportsNet LA)
Aaron Minderhout, Producer
Greg Taylor, Executive Producer
Erick Vazquez, Producer
Cary Osborne, Associate Producer
Logan Montane, Camera
Matthew Blum, Camera
Joseph Forquer, Camera
Brandon Cervantes, Camera
Margie Carson, Camera

“Backstage Dodgers: Japan (Backstage Dodgers)” (Spectrum SportsNet LA)

“The History of the CIF Southern Section” (CIF Southern Section)

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Sports Series – Programming

“Access Sportsnet: Dodgers” (Spectrum SportsNet LA)

“Backstage: Lakers” (Spectrum SportsNet)

“Beyond the Sport on Spectrum News 1” (Spectrum News 1)

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Live Sports Coverage

“Dodgers Kershaw 3000th Strikeout” (Spectrum SportsNet LA)

“Nuestra Copa, Nuestra Pasión” (KVEA)

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Sports Feature

“After the Fire (Backstage Dodgers)” (Spectrum SportsNet)

“Limitless Lanes (CIF-SS This Week)” (CIF Southern Section)

“Wildfires Impact Local Sports Broadcasters (SportsCentral LA)” (CBS LA)
Jill Painter Lopez, Reporter

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Sports Tease

“Dodgers Home Opener” (Spectrum SportsNet LA)

“Shohei Ohtani: Baseball’s Solar Eclipse” (Spectrum News 1)
Taylor Schaub, Producer

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Live Special Events – Programming

“66th Annual LA County Holiday Celebration” (PBS SoCal)
Taylor Comen, Executive Producer
Letitia Fernandez Ivins, Executive Producer
Michelle Merker, Producer
Jennifer Chang, Writer
Cristina Lucio, Associate Producer
Patrick Traylor, Associate Producer
Madeleine Ciano, Associate Producer
Aloe Blacc, Host
Maya Jupiter, Host

“Desfile de Campeones” (KVEA)

“Nuestra Herencia, Nuestra Voz” (KVEA)
Jose Garcia, Director
Amaya Pinto Fernandez, Executive Producer
Luis Miron, Line Producer
Claudia Uballez, Associate Producer
Alejandro Chipana, Camera
Elva Saray, Host
Silvana E􀆯io, Host
Carlos Munive, Editor

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Live Special Events – News

“2025 Dodgers World Championship Parade” (NBC4)

“ABC7 Presents the 40th Annual Kingdom Day Parade” (ABC7)

“ABC7 Presents the 55th Annual LA Pride Parade” (ABC7)

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Feature Segment

“93-Year-Old Disney Imagineer (LA Times Today)” (Spectrum News 1)
Andy Schlachtenhaufen, Camera, Editor, Producer

“Dancing Warriors (Acceso Total)” (KVEA)
Amaya Pinto Fernandez, Executive Producer
Elva Saray, Host
Mario Marval, Editor

“Indispensables, Pero Invisibles: Manos que Reconstruyen (Al Punto California)” (KMEX-TV)
Arturo Quezada, Camera, Editor, Producer
Dina Rodriguez, Producer

“Mastermind (Acceso Total)” (KVEA)
Amaya Pinto Fernandez, Executive Producer
Silvana E􀆯io, Host
Mario Marval, Editor
Claudia Uballez, Associate Producer
Alejandro Chipana, Camera

“Reframing Dioramas: The Art of Preserving Wilderness (PST ART)” (PBS SoCal)
Nic Cha Kim, Producer
Angela Boisvert, Executive Producer
Tamara Gould, Executive Producer
Gene Sung, Director of Photography
Ben Boyd, Editor
Robert McDonnell, Senior Supervising Producer

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Information Segment

“California Live: Mychal’s Café (California Live)” (NBC4)
Amber Pfister, On-Camera Talent
Matthew Arias, Editor
John Sandoval, Camera

“Combating Climate Change with Trees (Earth Focus)” (PBS SoCal)
Daniel H. Birman, Director of Photography, Executive Producer, Producer, Writer, Director
Megan E. Chao, Editor, Executive Producer, Producer
Angela Boisvert, Executive Producer
Tamara Gould, Executive Producer
Clarissa Guy, Producer
Jaime Morgan Muñoz, Producer
Susy Garciasalas Barkley, Producer
Jason Janocko, Director of Photography
Erik C. Andersen, Editor
Robert McDonnell, Senior Supervising Producer

“How This Contraption at UCLA Sent the First DM (Lost LA)” (PBS SoCal)
Angela Boisvert, Producer
Matt Bass, Director of Photography, Director
Nathan Masters, Executive Producer, Host
Tamara Gould, Executive Producer
Bill Dotson, Executive Producer
Melissa Just, Executive Producer
Anne-Marie Maxwell, Producer
Alicia Clark, Producer
Collin Davis, Editor
Kathy Kasaba, Senior Supervising Producer
Micaela Rodgers, Associate Producer

“Seeing the Unseeable (PST ART)” (PBS SoCal)
Clarissa Guy, Producer
Nic Cha Kim, Producer
Angela Boisvert, Executive Producer
Tamara Gould, Executive Producer
Matt Bass, Director of Photography
Suzanne Méjean Pinney, Editor
Robert McDonnell, Senior Supervising Producer

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Live Coverage of an Unscheduled News Event

“Breaking News: SoCal Firestorms” (ABC7)

“Incendios Palisades y Eaton” (KVEA)

“L.A. Wildfires” (KTLA5)

“SoCal on Edge: Federal Immigration Raids” (ABC7)

“Southern California’s Fire Disaster” (NBC4)

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Entertainment News Story

“Bob’s Brush with Fame” (NBC4 News at 5) (NBC4)
Michael Brownlee, Producer, Reporter, Writer

“Diane Keaton’s Movie Legacy” (Eyewitness News at 8pm) (ABC7)
George Pennacchio, Producer, Reporter
Cheryl Diano, Editor, Producer

“Hollywood Tragedy: Remembering Rob and Michele Reiner” (KTLA 5 News at 7) (KTLA5)

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Business/Consumer News Story

“Ausentismo en los Campos de Cultivo” (Noticiero Telemundo 52 a las 6pm) (KVEA)
Enrique Chiabra, Producer, Reporter
Luis Enrique Rivera, Producer
Manuel Pineda, Camera
Yolimar Aquino, Editor
Yansily Reyes, Editor

“Fighting the Fair Plan” (CBS LA Mornings at 8am) (CBS LA on KCAL9)
Kristine Lazar, Producer, Reporter
Arie Thanasoulis, Camera, Editor

“Jack’s RVs” (NBC4 News at 6pm) (NBC4)
Alex Rozier, Reporter

“Little Tokyo Businesses Struggling to Survive” (NBC4 at 6pm) (NBC4)
Tracey Leong, Reporter, Writer
Louis Ramirez, Camera, Editor

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Crime/Social Issues News Story

“7 On Your Side Investigates: AI Romance Scam” (Eyewitness News at 5pm) (ABC7)

“Eaton Fire Victim Begs For Help” (Fox 11 News at 2pm) (KTTV-TV)
Hailey B. Winslow, Reporter

“Get Him, He is Mexican!” (NBC4 News at 7pm) (NBC4)
Mekahlo Medina, Editor, Reporter, Writer, Photographer

“I Can’t Fight Back, I’m Pregnant” (NBC4 News at 4pm) (NBC4)
Mekahlo Medina, Reporter

“Infierno en Adelanto” (Noticias 34 6pm) (KMEX-TV)
Candela Martinez, Reporter, Writer

“Mama Osa” (Noticias 34 6pm) (KMEX-TV)
Gabriela Teissier, Reporter, Writer

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Art/Cultural/Historical News Story

“El Cónclave La Elección del Nuevo Papa” (Noticiero Telemundo 52 A las 11pm) (KVEA)
Enrique Chiabra, Anchor, Co-Producer, Reporter, Writer

“FACEism: 9066” (Eyewitness News at 5pm) (ABC7)
David Ono, Producer, Reporter, Writer

“L.A. Cumbia” (Noticias 34 6pm) (KMEX-TV)
Arturo Quezada, Camera, Editor, Producer
Dina Rodriguez, Producer
Alvaro Corzo Virviescas, Co-Producer

“La Historia de Los Angeles, una Perspectiva Mexicana” (Noticias 34 11pm) (KMEX-TV)
Andres Fernando Pruna, Camera, Editor, Producer
J. Octavio Valdez, Reporter, Writer

“Mes de la Herencia Hispana: Mercado La Paloma” (Noticiero Telemundo 52 A las 5:30pm) (KVEA)
Luis Treto, Reporter

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Environment News Story

“Cryo-Rescue: Race to Preserve Life” (NBC4 News at 5pm) (NBC4)
Enrique Roman, Camera
Annette Arreola, Reporter

“Firestorm: Moment by Moment” (Eyewitness News at 4pm) (ABC7)
David Ono, Producer, Reporter, Writer

“Saving Our Seas: Compounding Catastrophe Part 1: Plastic Problems” (KTLA5 Weekend Morning News at 10am) (KTLA5)
Jacob Burch, Executive Producer

“Unprecedented Winds: Devastating Consequences” (Eyewitness News at 9pm) (ABC7)
Leanne Suter, Reporter
Duncan Kallas, Camera

“We Should Have Known” (Eyewitness News at 4pm) (ABC7)
David Ono, Producer, Reporter, Writer

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Health/Science News Story

“The Changing Face of Cancer” (Eyewitness News at 4pm) (ABC7)

“Inteligencia Artificial y la Ciencia Del Cambio Climático” (Noticias 34 6pm) (KMEX-TV)
Gabriela Teissier, Producer, Reporter, Writer
Andres Fernando Pruna, Camera, Editor, Producer

“You Have Cancer: A Journey of Diagnosis, Prognosis and Hope” (CBS LA at 11pm) (CBS LA)
Joseph Schuster, Camera
John Schreiber, Camera
Rudabeh Shahbazi, Anchor, Producer, Reporter

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Human Interest News Story

“A Diez Años de Descubrir al Famoso Puma P22” (Noticias 34 11pm) (KMEX-TV)
Gabriela Teissier, Producer, Reporter
Ulysses Covarrubias, Camera

“Healing Roses After Palisades Fire” (Spectrum Noticias Los Ángeles at 4pm) (Spectrum Noticias Los Ángeles)

“KVEA Repartidor de fresas detenido” (Noticias Telemundo 52 A las 6pm) (KVEA)
Enrique Chiabra, Anchor

“Reencuentros que Sanan” (Noticias 34 6pm) (KMEX-TV)
Juan Ramirez, Camera, Editor
Sandra Cervantes, Producer, Reporter, Writer
Dina Rodriguez, Producer
Arturo Quezada, Camera, Editor

“Rescatado de Entre las Llamas” (Edición Digital California 12:30pm) (KMEX-TV)
Francisco Ivan Vasquez, Camera, Editor

“Vigilantes De Ice” (Noticias 34 6pm) (KMEX-TV)
Claudia Carrera, Producer, Reporter, Writer
Juan Ramirez, Camera, Editor

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Investigative News Story

“7 On Your Side Investigates: Navigating Insurance” (Eyewitness News at 5pm) (ABC7)

“Cazadores De Recompensas” (Noticias 34 6pm) (KMEX-TV)
Oswaldo Borraez, Producer, Reporter
Andres Fernando Pruna, Editor

“SoCal Firestorms 6 months later: Palisades Fire Investigation” (Eyewitness News at 5pm) (ABC7)

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Sports News Story

“FACEism: The Lantern” (Eyewitness News at 5pm) (ABC7)
David Ono, Producer, Reporter, Writer

“La Huella Del Fútbol” (Noticiero Telemundo 52 A las 5:30pm) (KVEA)
Alejandro Navarro, Anchor

“Los Nuestros” (Edición Digital Los Angeles) (KMEX-TV)
Diana Alvarado, Producer, Reporter, Writer

“Wrexham’s Incredible Journey From Fifth-Tier To One Step From EPL” (NBC4 News at 6pm) (NBC4)
Michael J. Duarte, Editor, Producer, Reporter, Writer

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Short Promo – Sports

“ABC7 Rams Preseason” (ABC7)

“War Time” (USC Football)
Eric Michael, Camera, Director, Executive Producer
Sanay Saboo, Director, Editor, Producer
Luke Cuellar, Graphic Designer
Mic Ferrante, Editor
Michael Malara, Editor
Geo Robinson, Editor
Ezekiel Wagner, Editor
Zahir Martin, Editor
Douson Yuan, Editor
George Tyler He􀆯ley, Editor
Radmen Niven, Associate Producer
Cody Worsham, Associate Producer

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Short Promo – News

“ABC7 Eyewitness News” (ABC7)

“ABC7 Weather Dallas Raines” (ABC7)

“NBC4: Picking Up the Pieces” (NBC4)

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Short Promo – Programming

“Arts & Culture (PBS SoCal)” (PBS SoCal)
Olivia Cox, Editor, Producer

“Climate & Environment (PBS SoCal)” (PBS SoCal)
Olivia Cox, Editor, Producer

“Earth Focus” (PBS SoCal)
Olivia Cox, Editor, Producer

“Joe Weston’s Piggy Bank: Every Donation Counts” (PBS SoCal)
Kathleen Abing, Editor, Producer

“Lost LA” (PBS SoCal)
Olivia Cox, Editor, Producer

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Public Service Announcement

“Emergency Lights? Pull to the Right” (LA36)
Vance Kotrla, Director, Producer, Writer

“Respira” (LA County Channel)
Judith Green, Executive Producer
John Vande Wege, Camera, Editor, Writer
Mayra Vasquez, Camera
Andrew Veis, Producer

“You Matter” (LA36)
Vance Kotrla, Director, Producer, Writer

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STATION AWARDS

Station awards do not have nominations; rather, all entrants are candidates for the Emmy statuette.

Regularly Scheduled Daily Morning Newscast: 4:00am-11:00am

“CBS LA Mornings at 6am” (CBS LA)
Jessika Ming-Yonekawa, Executive Producer
Matt Kallinger, Executive Producer
Grazielle Chua, Producer
Stepan Sarkisian, Associate Producer
Justin Jaquays, Director

“Eyewitness News at 6am” (ABC7)

“Good Day LA” (KTTV-TV)

“KTLA 5 Morning News at 7am” (KTLA5)

“Noticias 34 6am” (KMEX-TV)

“Noticiero Telemundo 52 A las 6am” (KVEA)

“Today in LA at 6am” (NBC4)

“Your Morning on Spectrum News 1” (Spectrum News 1)

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Regularly Scheduled Daily Daytime Newscast: 11:00am-4:00pm

“GDLA+” (KTTV-TV)

“Edicion Digital Los Angeles” (KMEX-TV)

“Eyewitness News at 3pm” (ABC7)

“KTLA 5 News at 1pm” (KTLA5)

“NBC4 News 4 at 3pm” (NBC4)

“Noticiero Telemundo 52 Al Mediodía” (KVEA)

“Your Afternoon on Spectrum News” (Spectrum News 1)

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Regularly Scheduled Daily Evening Newscast: 4:00pm-12:00am

“CBS LA at 10pm on KCAL9” (CBS LA on KCAL9)
Courtney Ellinger, Producer
Kyndall Wilson, Associate Producer
Rick Brown, Executive Producer
Mika Edwards, Executive Producer
Vincent Drabik, Director

“Eyewitness News at 5pm” (ABC7)

“FOX 11 News at 10pm” (KTTV-TV)

“KTLA 5 News at 10pm” (KTLA5)

“NBC4 News 4 at 5pm” (NBC4)

“Noticias 34 6pm” (KMEX-TV)

“Noticiero Telemundo 52 A las 11pm” (KVEA)

“The Rush Hour on Spectrum News 1” (Spectrum News 1)

MUBI Fest Chicago is returning July 10-12, headlined by a special screening of Jane Schoenbrun’s Cannes-winning “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma.”

With screenings held at the Music Box Theatre, the Salt Shed and the Gene Siskel Film Center, this year’s theme is centered around “Better Together.”

Additional screenings include a preview of “Rosebush Pruning” starring Elle Fanning, Riley Keough and Pamela Anderson, a live score performance of Kelly Reichardt’s “The Mastermind” with composer Rob Mazurek, and a scented screening of the acclaimed body horror hit “The Substance,” along with anniversary screenings of “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping” and “Ocean’s Eleven.”

The MUBI Market will also return to the Salt Shed, bringing new and returning local businesses and an exclusive MUBI merch pop-up.

Watch the official festival teaser below.

Monday, June 1

The Academy Launches Global Award Recognizing Exceptional Movie Theaters Worldwide

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced a new global award to celebrate moviegoing and the traditional theatrical experience. The Academy Marquee Theater List is designed to recognize the most remarkable movie theaters around the world and honor the best in exhibition, celebrating theaters that provide “exceptional audience experiences, preserve cinematic history and serve as cultural anchors in their communities.”

50 theaters will be selected for the first Marquee Theater List in the spring of 2027, including 25 theaters from the United States and 25 international theaters. A committee of Academy members across all branches will select the movie theaters, which will be approved by the Academy’s Board of Governors.

Eligible movie theaters must be brick-and-mortar theaters that operate year-round. A maximum of 10 theaters operated by the same theater chain or owner may be submitted in a single submission cycle.

The evaluation criteria for the movie theaters is as follows: community engagement; visual and audio presentation; programming; diversity, inclusion and accessibility; historic significance and preservation; theater design, lighting and conditions; and concessions.

The application is available now. For more information, visit Oscars.org.

James Cameron’s Lightstorm Vision Acquires 3D Camera Manufacturer Stereotec

Stereotec, a manufacturer of precision 3D camera rigs, has been acquired by James Cameron’s Lightstorm Vision, the world’s leading developer of integrated 3D production technology. Stereotec creates the equipment “used on some of the most ambitious stereoscopic productions of the past decade,” per the company. 

Stereotec’s rigs captured “Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D),” Ang Lee’s “Gemini Man,” “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk,” the IR-3D rig on “Dune: Part Two” and other Immersive titles for Meta Quest and Apple Vision Pro. For its work in stereoscopic 3D, Stereotec has been awarded twelve Lumiere Awards from the Advanced Imaging Society. 

“Florian (Dr Maier) and I share a vision for the 3D future, like brothers from another mother. We intend to manifest that vision together through rapid advancement in technology over the next few years. We are both innovators at heart, and take joy in pushing the tech to create beautiful, transformative 3D experiences. As stereoscopic 3D expands in all entertainment media, including sports, music, streaming, and movies, we will remain at the cutting edge and hold the lead as the go-to brand for highest quality and efficient production,” said Cameron in a statement.

Six decades ago, David Lean ventured to the sprawling sandstone mountains of Wadi Rum to film the world’s most interesting canvas: the human face. This credo is not dissimilar from that of Winnipeg-shot “A. Rimbaud,” the latest micro-budget feature from American indie virtuoso Patrick Wang (“A Bread Factory”), whose contained, stripped-bare, three-hour biopic of French poet Arthur Rimbaud plays like a black box “Lawrence of Arabia.” It’s wonderful and fascinating.

Wang’s Peter O’Toole is a young man by the name of Blake Draper, who you probably haven’t heard of, but who delivers a towering performance spanning several decades. The director’s Alec Guiness and Omar Sharif, however, are musical instruments, for “A. Rimbaud” is also a remarkably esoteric one-man show rendered in impossibly cinematic hues, yielding an appropriately sui generis rollout (a months-long engagement of only one weekly showing at New York’s Roxy Cinema).

Mere minutes into its gargantuan runtime, Draper’s Rimbaud adjusts the camera to make himself look diminutive, in order to recall a story from when he was a child. It’s about the only time the fourth wall is broken so brazenly, but it speaks to Wang’s postmodern approach to the big screen — which is notably anti-Lean, who believed tools should be invisible — and to the manner in which “A. Rimbaud” embodies the spontaneous mischief of the French surrealist’s work.

Set throughout the late 19^th century, the movie follows Rimbaud’s burgeoning youth through one-sided dialogue which, although it accommodates invisible responses (à la Han Solo responding to Chewbacca) can only do so much to overcome this self-imposed restraint. Yet it’s utterly captivating to watch, in no small part because Draper balances theatrical expressiveness with nuance for the movie camera. He makes each scant, minimalist set feel fully alive, with an ambitious glimmer in his eye. However, this gradually fades as Rimbaud goes from an adventurous youth in London and Paris to a forward-thinking colonial envoy in Algeria decades later — a passage of time marked by theatrical lighting cues — and Draper’s performance turns inward, becoming meaningfully introspective.

Where most conversations are half-silent, important figures in Rimbaud’s life are embodied by musical instruments, ranging from overbearing tubas to melodic strings, depending on who’s speaking and their place in the story. However, each of their shapes, conjured like the adults around Charlie Brown, is completely distinct. It’s an oddity that, at on the surface, gels with Wang’s bare-bones approach born of financial necessity — shooting in a confined room with stage flats is a lot less expensive than hiring a thousand of extras — but this formal inventiveness proves apt, and eventually, necessary to tell this particular story. Wang digs into Rimbaud as a deeply lonely figure, and ensures that the isolation of this stage-like setting becomes a palpable formal boundary.

There are always people in Rimbaud’s vicinity (chairs move independently of him, and objects are passed his way through sleight-of-hand) but rarely is he able to fully connect with them. The other side of this coin, however, is that Wang and cinematographer Frank Barrera tether us so closely to Rimbaud that we have no choice but to empathize with the brash ingenu — even though, in his constant desire to escape and explore, he always seems to leave loved ones behind, setting himself up for inevitable regret.

Draper, who speaks in a pronounced English accent (except for French words and names), brings an appropriately poetic mood to the verbose dialogue, ensuring that the words written by Wang seldom feel different from those penned by Rimbaud himself. Many of his poems are spoken at length, practically turning “A. Rimbaud” into a bizarre version of a modern, estate-controlled music biopic about a pop star, where half the reason one might buy a ticket is to see earworm hits recreated from the ground up.

However, even for the Rimbaud-faithful in the crowd, Wang never seems satisfied with rote presentation, and warps the confines of his form with magnificent imagination. Some of the poet’s most hallucinatory imagery seeps through the corners of the screen. Poems like “The Drunken Boat” become as much about the words themselves as they do Rimbaud’s impassioned telling, which conjures sounds and even natural elements from outside the frame, as the camera remains transfixed by Draper’s impassioned delivery. Few filmmakers have so understood that poetry is as much performance as it is writing.

Other works, like “Vowels,” see Rimbaud’s synesthetic framework adapted to the texture of film itself, as a medium that can freely rotate about a visual axis, if its director so chooses. In effect, “A. Rimbaud” starts out as the kind of movie Rimbaud himself might have made, had the technology been invented; Wang even blends the boundaries between other visual mediums by turning motion blur into painterly brush strokes. It’s quite a joy to look at.

Granted, at nearly three hours in length, the film is also incredibly demanding — especially its initial half, which, by its nature, becomes a recursive cycle of directionless youth that Rimbaud struggles to break. Intentionally or not, it’s a challenge to sit through, but it also has a secondary effect. By the time it slows down, and becomes more tonally and formally serious during Rimbaud’s travels as an adult (when he also speaks fluent Arabic), the film pulls a remarkable switch. Not only does it gradually accustom viewers to its aural idiosyncrasies — we become entirely used to dialogue manifesting as music and silence — but it also takes a distinct turn towards a more traditional, more classical visual staging, in a way that ought not to be possible for a film like this one. This happens by way of Draper’s closeups, which are so unyielding, so tactile and so thoughtfully layered by Barrera’s conscientious lighting and warm, visceral 35mm photography, that they’re indecipherable from closeups in a traditional studio picture — not to mention, just as effective, as though Wang had found some secret avenue to the soul.

“Any language can be yours,” Rimbaud advises his younger sister at one point, referencing the rigorous study that led him to become both a polyglot and a well-liked diplomat. However, this message feels initiated by Wang himself, as though he were spelling out a filmic manifesto on his uncanny wielding of cinematic form. The maddening emotional impact of “A. Rimbaud,” in its final act, is no different from that of even the most lavish Hollywood epics, but its most intimate transmissions are born of the kind of maverick indie spirit that demands a complete re-orientation of audiovisual language in a way few modern experimentalists would attempt with traditional technology. It’s a look back at the old, established forms of storytelling that breaks them open from within, practically forcing the box of cinema to take new shape as Wang transmutes what’s expected, and what’s possible, with a camera, an actor and imagination.   

“Songs of U.S.,” a video series devoted to exploring the American songbook on the nation’s 250th birthday, will feature artists such as Amy Grant, Linda Perry, Grace Potter, Mickey Guyton, Samara Joy and Old Crow Medicine Show in both song and conversation about what these American tunes have meant to the country.

Other participants in the “Songs of U.S.” program include Joy Oladokun, Brittney Spencer, Matt Quinn of Mt. Joy, Corook, Tiny Habits, Trousdale, Chance Emerson and Raye Zaragoza. More are to be announced in the coming weeks. The artists involved are doing a mixture of classic covers and original songs along with interviews about how music affects the national character.

The video series, announced Tuesday, will be seen on Salt Lick Sessions’ YouTube channel and social platforms, with a launch featuring Amy Grant’s segments set for June 8. See a trailer for “Songs of U.S.,” below.

The series is an initiative of Salt Lick Incubator, a nonprofit artist support organization that emerged out of a grant from Amplify 250, which is part of the Hearthland Foundation’s projects centered around the United States’ 250th anniversary. The Salt Lick Artist Advisory Board includes Jon Batiste, Harvey Mason Jr., T Bone Burnett, Patrice Rushen, Alison Brown, Susan Tedeschi and Charlie Puth,.The Hearthland Foundation was formed by Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw.

The music-and-conversation series is described as “bringing together artists from across the American musical landscape to reinterpret songs that have shaped the country’s cultural identity — and to ask what belongs in the American songbook today.” It will pair “exclusive live performances with artist conversations exploring identity, protest, belonging, history and the evolving story of America through music. Across each artist rollout, participating musicians perform a traditional American song alongside a contemporary work they believe deserves within its evolving future.”

The announcement ironically comes right at a time when the nexus of national pride and music is in national headlines, with artists pulling out of the Trump-backed Freedom 250 concert series in Washington, D.C. that was intended to celebrate the nation’s birthday. Clearly, the artist list for Salt Lick’s video series suggests a more thoughtful and perhaps meaningfully patriotic approach.

“Music is one of our country’s most profound contributions to world culture. So as we close the chapter on the last 250 years of American history in this period of enormous discord and debate about who we are are want to be, we asked musicians from all walks of life to reinterpret a song from the canon of great American music,” said Roger Brown, founder of Salt Lick Incubator and former president of Berklee College of Music, in a statement.

“‘And the dreams that we dare to dream really do come true.’ Great American songs tell us so much about what we believe and what we want to believe about our country and ourselves,” said Roger Brown, the founder of Salt Lick Incubator in a statement. Brown is the former president of Berklee College of Music. “Hear a fresh take on who we are at this inflection point in American history as offered up by some of our most talented and thoughtful musicians — what dreams do they dare us to dream?”

An example of what to expect will come with Grant’s video segments premiering on June 8-9. On the first of those days, she’ll be seen singing James Taylor’s “Carolina in My Mind” and in conversation, followed the next day by her doing a recent single, “The 6th of January (Yasgur’s Farm),” a song bringing up different eras of American history — from slavery to Woodstock to the modern Capitol insurgency — that Variety described as one of 2026’s best protest songs.

On June 15-17, Potter will be seen in conversation around her cover of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land,” followed by her interpretation of a more contemporary American classic, Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy,” with a third and final segment having Potter perform her own “Main Street USA,” from the 2025 album “Trespasser.”

Brittney Spencer will be seen in segments unveiled June 22-24, singing her versions of “Killing Me Softly With His Song” and “The House That Built Me” along with her original “Bigger Than the Song.”

Samara Joy will raise her voice on video June 29-July 1, with renditions of “Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most,” Duke Eillington’s “Le Sucrier Velours” and the Miles Davis Quintet-popularized “Stablemates.”

The series is obviously saving some big firepower for the Independence Day holiday, and that will come with Guyton doing John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” as well as her own anthem of nuanced patriotism, “All American,” in segments premiering July 2-4.

Other upcoming segments include Oldokun singing “Ain’t No Sunshine,” Tiny Habits performing “Blowin’ in the Wind,” Nia/Léa/Jordyn Trio doing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and Corook singing Nina Simone’s “Mississippi Goddam.”

Gene Simmons of KISS and Otis Williams will also have interview segments as part of the series.

Added Brown, the founder, in an additional statement: “‘And the dreams that we dare to dream really do come true.’ Great American songs tell us so much about what we believe and what we want to believe about our country and ourselves,” said Roger Brown, the founder of Salt Lick Incubator in a statement. Brown is the former president of Berklee College of Music. “Hear a fresh take on who we are at this inflection point in American history as offered up by some of our most talented and thoughtful musicians — what dreams do they dare us to dream?”

Paramount Skydance’s BET has formed its first board of advisers, saying the group of six “cultural icons, business leaders and industry visionaries” will help guide the brand’s “continued evolution as a force at the intersection of media, community and culture.”

The six members on the inaugural BET board of advisers are: BET founder Bob Johnson; Queen Latifah, Grammy-winning artist, actress, producer and entrepreneur; LL Cool J, artist, actor and entrepreneur and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee; Troy Vincent, the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations; Raymond J. McGuire, president of financial advisory and asset management firm Lazard; and George Cheeks, chair of TV Media at Paramount Skydance.

The advisory board will serve as “a strategic and cultural sounding board, offering insight, perspective, and accountability as BET expands its reach and continues to champion the voices and stories that move culture forward,” according to BET’s announcement.

The move comes under big changes recently at BET under Paramount Skydance. Next month, BET is shutting down BET+, whereupon the streaming service’s content will merge with the parent company’s flagship Paramount+. In addition, Paramount acquired Tyler Perry‘s 25% ownership stake in BET+.

Last December, longtime BET exec Scott Mills announced his exit after 23 years with the company, coming a few months after David Ellison’s Skydance Media completed its takeover of Paramount Global. Louis Carr, previously BET‘s president of media sales, took over as president, reporting to Cheeks.

Johnson’s appointment to the new BET advisory board formally brings him back into the company’s fold two decades after he departed as CEO. Johnson sold Black Entertainment Television to Viacom (a predecessor company to Paramount Skydance) in a stock deal worth $3 billion that closed in 2001, making the media mogul a billionaire. He remained CEO of BET until 2006. Johnson subsequently formed RLJ Entertainment, which operated British TV and film streamer Acorn TV and UMC (Urban Movie Channel); AMC Global Media bought out RLJ Entertainment in 2018.

Carr, in a statement about the new advisory board, said, “BET has always been more than a platform. It is a cultural institution with a responsibility to serve, reflect and advance our community. As we enter this next chapter, this board brings together leaders whose influence, perspective and integrity will help ensure we continue to honor that responsibility while building what comes next.”

Prime Video’s “Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat” is heading to Westfield Fashion Square this Friday for fans to experience a work outing with the Rockin’ Grandma’s Hot Sauce crew.

As one of several “Jury Duty” FYC events taking place over the next week, the “ultimate company retreat” will feature a themed food truck with walking tacos, a “PJ’s Snack Attack” station, card games and more. Giveaways will include captain’s hats, chili necklaces, and bottles of Rockin’ Grandma’s Hot Sauce.

The event, which will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in front of Macy’s at Westfield Fashion Square (14006 Riverside Dr, Sherman Oaks, 91423), will also include series hero/non-actor Anthony Norman, executive producers and cast members. The special guests will be there for lunch, photos and more from noon to 1:30 p.m.

On Sunday, “Hot Ones” host Sean Evans will throw a “Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat” event at NYA West (1520 Wilcox Ave, Los Angeles, 90028), at 11 a.m. The screening will include episodes 207 and 208, followed by a Q&A and reception.

Evans will be joined by creator/EP Lee Eisenberg, EP Todd Schulman, EP Nicholas Hatton, director/EP Jake Szymanski and Norman.

Later that day, also on June 7, “Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat” will hit Film Independent for a screening and Q&A at the Landmark Sunset (8000 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, 90046). Eisenberg, Schulman, Szymanski and Norman will be in attendance.

Per the logline, “‘Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat’ captures a corporate offsite event at a family-owned hot sauce company from the perspective of Anthony, a recently hired temporary worker. Unbeknownst to Anthony, the entire experience is staged, every colleague around him is performing a role, and each moment – whether in conference rooms or during downtime – has been meticulously orchestrated. As the founder prepares to step down, the getaway transforms into a clash between big corporate ambitions and small business values, with control of the company hanging in the balance.”

Besides Norman, the series stars Alex Bonifer, Blair Beeken, Emily Pendergast, Erica Hernandez, Jerry Hauck, Jim A. Woods, LaNisa Renee Frederick, Marc-Sully Saint-Fleur, Rachel Kaly, Rob Lathan, Ryan Perez, Stephanie Hodge, Warren Burke and Wendy Braun.

Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky created the series, which is executive produced by David Bernad, Lee Eisenberg, Gene Stupnitsky, Todd Schulman, Nicholas Hatton, director Jake Szymanski, Anthony King, Chris Kula and James Marsden.

“We’re so excited to bring a taste of ‘Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat’ to the people of Los Angeles,” Schulman said in a statement. “When we set out to create the new season, we wanted to tell a story centered on a company retreat that would bring people together and forge unexpected connections. That spirit of community, camaraderie, and shared experiences is at the heart of the show, and we want Friday to capture that same feeling. We hope fans and newcomers alike can come together, enjoy a fun meal complete with Rockin’ Grandmas Hot Sauce, and experience a little of the warmth, spice and connection that makes this season so special.”

Tribeca Film Festival co-founder Jane Rosenthal is defending the fest’s decision to premiere “Dreams of Violets,” a fully AI-generated film about the Iranian civilian resistance.

“I think people need to read the director’s [Ash Koosha’s] statement,” Rosenthal told Variety at the festival’s 25th anniversary cocktail reception in lower Manhattan Monday night. “The director is Iranian — his family, relatives and friends are there and it’s the only way in a two month period he could tell his story, his way.”

The film, which will premiere June 10, marks the first full-length, live-action film generated by AI to be accepted by a major film festival, a decision that has sparked some backlash online.

But Rosenthal doubled down on its premiere. “If somebody wrote a song about it, you wouldn’t say anything, if somebody wrote a poem about it, you wouldn’t say anything, if somebody wanted to dance about it, you wouldn’t say anything,” she said. “So [Koosha] did it his way, so I think you have to look at it in that context.”

The 75-minute docudrama is inspired by the protests that swept Tehran in January, highlighting five Iranians who meet in a Tehran alley before they’re executed, all witnessed from a window by Amir, a 10-year-old boy with cerebral palsy. The clashes reflect the real-world protests between Iranian authorities and civilians, which left at least 7,000 people dead and more than 50,000 people arrested, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency.

“If it were about WWII, if it were about the Civil War, about any other story, you wouldn’t do it,” Rosenthal continued. “These stories have not gotten out. Is it perfect? No. But it’s something that should be seen right now at this time.”

Alongside Robert De Niro, Rosenthal hosted Monday night’s opening reception at the Perelman Performing Arts Center, located on the same block as the World Trade Center — a purposeful nod to Tribeca’s history. The festival was launched by the duo in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks as part of an effort to help revitalize Lower Manhattan.

After opening remarks from Whoopi Goldberg, De Niro and Rosenthal took the stage to reflect on the festival’s founding 25 years ago. Much of their joint speech was devoted to former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who also spoke about his role in helping reshape New York City after 9/11.

Also in attendance were Katie Holmes, Ayo Edebiri, Graydon Carter, Diane von Furstenberg, Bette Midler, James Murdoch, Cynthia Rowley, Kara Swisher, Katie Couric and others. Check out photos of the evening below:

Syeda Irtizaali, Netflix’s recently appointed U.K. director of unscripted, told an audience at SXSW London on Tuesday she doesn’t want to use AI in unscripted television.

Describing Netflix as a “tech-forward company,” she said that she was “very relaxed about people using AI as a tool to bring ideas in,” describing AI as a “really brilliant tool,” adding “we should be using it.”

However, she sounded a note of caution. “I think where we have to be careful is where we use it on camera and in show. I’ll never say never, but I don’t really want to use AI in unscripted television.”

She continued, “There’s one particularly interesting thing I think about the landscape now as AI becomes a bigger and bigger deal, which is it’s hard now to tell what is fake and what is real, and it will become harder. I therefore think that unscripted television, which is all about real people in real situations going through real journeys, suddenly becomes even more important, because this is content that you can trust is real, and these are real people going through these real reactions, or whatever the journeys are. I think that makes us more potent in an AI world than less.

“I think being real has always been our watchword, and those real people in your stories become really, really interesting when you’re in a sort of a mishmash of a multimedia world where you can’t tell what’s going on, and perhaps there is less rigor in other platforms, where things are happening and you don’t know what is real and what isn’t.”

Irtizaali, who was speaking at Deadline’s Reality TV Summit U.K., said she’s been “very busy” since she joined the streamer three months ago, having previously worked at the BBC as interim director of unscripted, where she shepherded the British version of “The Traitors.”

“I can’t talk about the stuff that’s coming, but there is some really big, exciting, audacious stuff coming, and I’m genuinely excited for you to go there, but I want more,” she said.

Speaking about her priorities, she said, “I think that the important thing is to ensure that you are continuing to surprise and delight series by series.”

Acknowledging the achievements of Netflix scripted shows like “Adolescence” and “Baby Reindeer,” she said, “I think my job is to make unscripted that feels as compelling as scripted.” She added, “When I look at what’s working on Netflix and look at how well scripted and documentary is working, it’s all about people and stories.

“If you think about what scripted is, in scripted you create a world, you realize a world, you pack it full of actors who are characters who are going through some sort of obstacles or transformation, or some sort of storyline. There’s a big, irresistible [plot] that pulls you in. You’re implicated in the narrative. You’re following the story beats, and you watch that and get emotionally fulfilled by it.

“That’s what scripted is. What’s unscripted for me is exactly the same, but instead of actors trying to be real, you have real people, and I think that is our big creative magic lever in unscripted. So I want prestige reality formats that feel like scripted drama. So you build the world, you really realize that world. The world requires a lot of producing, the structure of that world requires a lot of producing, you put real people at the heart of it, you ensure that you’ve got a really good, hooky sort of starting point, you let the narrative evolve, and you let the vagaries and varieties of human nature take you to places that you didn’t know you wanted to go. That’s what I’m looking for.”