Hollywood Week: Tribeca Film Festival, Kevin Costner, Taylor Swift, AMA, Sean Combs Trial, Loretta Swit

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Category: Entertainment News

Published on Saturday, 31 May 2025 11:04

Written by Janet Walker

The annual Tribeca Film Festival opens this week offering more than one hundred films across eleven days, utilizing venues throughout the city to continue its original concept of revitalizing Manhattan after the 2001 World Trade Center attacks.

Tribeca Film Festival Opens

Fromm June 4, 2025, to June 15, 2025, the 24^th edition of the Tribeca Film Festival will premiere 118 films, 94 world premieres, presenting 36 countries. More than 13,000 submissions were received.

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"At Tribeca, we believe that storytelling is a force — one that connects us, challenges us, and inspires us to reimagine what's possible," Tribeca Festival director and senior VP, programming Cara Cusumano said in a statement. "This year's film lineup is a testament to that power, bursting with creative risk, iconic artists and new perspectives that spark vital conversations and drive culture forward. These films are a powerful reflection of the world we live in — and the world we want to shape," reported The Hollywood Reporter.

Billy Joel's documentary, "And so it Goes," has been announced as the festival's opening night gala screening.  Leonardo DiCaprio produced "Yanuni," directed by Richard Ladkani, described as a "tense thriller," will serve as the festival's closing night film.

The upcoming lineup includes a mix of documentary and narrative premieres, including "Garland Jeffreys: King of the In Between," a compelling story that examines the fifty year career of a bi-racial singer, jamming with the likes of Lou Reed, and Bruce Springsteen, and may be the most known/unknown singer, songwriter of his time. A captivating story of the man, ahead of his time, once predicted to be the next best artist in 1977 by Rolling Stone magazine, who was unable to break through the barriers in America, found elevated fame in Europe, and yet could walk down the street in Manhattan and not even get a second glance.

Tribeca also announced two new groundbreaking premieres in the 2025 lineup—joining the previously announced world premiere of Miley Cyrus' visual album Something Beautiful. The international premiere of Victory, a gripping new visual album from hip-hop legend Slick Rick, transports audiences to the vibrant streets of London and features appearances by Idris Elba, Nas and Giggs, with bold visuals directed by Meji Alabi. Slick Rick will join for a live conversation following the premiere.

Also debuting is Turnstile: Never Enough, a 50-minute audiovisual odyssey from Baltimore's genre-defying hardcore band Turnstile. Directed by frontman Brendan Yates and guitarist Pat McCrory, the film captures the band's raw energy through striking cinematography and sound. Their first full-length album in four years, Never Enough will be followed by a conversation with the band.

Tribeca also expands its lineup with a compelling mix of documentary and narrative premieres, including Raoul's, A New York Story, a richly personal documentary directed by Greg Olliver and Karim Raoul that explores the legacy of one of New York City's most iconic restaurants. Narrative highlights include Dead Language, a poignant, full-length adaptation of the Oscar-nominated short film Aya, from directors Mihal Brezis and Oded Binnun, starring Sarah Adler and Ulrich Thomsen.

This year's jury brings together a prolific collection of creative forces including Jennifer Beals, Matthew Broderick, Ilana Glazer, Art Linson, Kyle MacLachlan, and Mira Sorvino, alongside other visionaries tasked with discovering tomorrow's breakthrough talents. In addition, the Nora Ephron Award will honor an exceptional female filmmaker who represents the spirit and vision of the legendary filmmaker and writer.

The winning films, projects, filmmakers, storytellers, and actors in each category will be announced at the Tribeca Festival ceremony on June 12.

Tickets can be purchased here.

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Kevin Costner's Horizon Fallout

Kevin Costner is facing litigation from two separate incidences during the filming of his four part "Horizon: An American Saga, Chapter 2" epic, including failure to pay vendors for costumes, and forcing a stunt woman to engage in an unscripted rape scene without notice or authorizing an intimacy coordinator to supervise.

The performer, Devyn LaBella who acted as the lead stunt double had filmed one rape scene the previous day, without incident. She was notified that she would be required to film an additional scene when she received the day's call sheet.

"The lawsuit by Ms. LaBella, which was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, states that the added scene also violated her union contract, which prohibits last-minute requests for nudity or simulated sex. The union, SAG-AFTRA, requires producers to provide at least 48 hours' notice before call time to negotiate a written contract rider for simulated sex and obtain a performer's consent," reported The New York Times.

This is the second litigation Costner is facing stems from unpaid fees for use of costumes during the first installment of the saga and then breeching a good faith agreement to provide costumes for the second installment. The continued issues appear to give credence to the murmurings of poor planning, bloated budgets, low box office performance, and increasing budget shortfalls as vendors and financial backers are attempting to disentangle themselves from Costner's sinking ship.

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Taylor Swift Buys Back Her Master's

Taylor Swift, whose phenomenal success of her ERAS tour and subsequent albums, has paved the way for the singer/songwriter to buy back her master tapes from Scooter Braun, who purchased the masters of Swift's first six albums from Big Machine Records, where she recorded her first six albums, which meant that he controlled her catalogue.  

"Swift announced in an emotional letter on her website Friday, May 30, that every aspect of her career – including videos, concert films, art, photography and unreleased materials – is now under her control. "To say this is my greatest dream come true is actually being pretty reserved about it," Swift wrote, in the apparently handwritten note that eagle-eyed fans have already begun using as evidence of a new project," USAToday reported.

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American Music Awards

The American Music Awards should have been renamed the Billie Eilish Awards show, as the Irish-American singer had a big night with seven awards, including artist of the year, album of the year, song of the year, favorite touring artist, favorite female pop artists, favorite pop album and favorite pop song.)

In addition to Eilish, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars also took home trophies in multiple categories including collaboration of the year and favorite music video for "Die with a Smile," and favorite music video.  Bruno Mars took home favorite male pop artist and Lady Gaga also won for favorite dance/Electronic artist.

And in a surprising/not surprising twist Beyonce took home two trophies for Best Country Artist and Best Country Album, for her Cowboy Carter album.

New Artist of the year went to Gracie Abrams, Doechii won social song of the year for "Anxiety." Favorite male country Artist and favorite country song went to Post Malone; Dan + Shay took the trophy for favorite country duo or group. Eminem won for favorite male hip-hop artist and favorite hip-hop album, and Megan Thee Stallion won for favorite female hip-hop artist. Favorite Hip-Hop song went to Kendrick Lemar; The Weeknd took favorite male R&B artist and favorite R&B album, and SZA took favorite female R&B artist and favorite R&B song.

Bad Bunny took the trophy for favorite male Latin Artist and favorite Latin album, while favorite female Latin Artist went to Becky G. Favorite Latin duo or group went to Julion Alvarez. Shakira won for favorite Latin song.

Favorite rock artist and favorite rock album went to Twenty One Pilots. Favorite rock song went to Linkin Park. Favorite Afrobeats went to Tyla, and favorite K-Pop artist went to RM. Favorite soundtrack went to "Arcane League of Legends: Season 2."

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Sean Combs Trial

The Sean Combs trial continued this week with more damaging testimony for the former mogul who even had keys to the city, as prosecutors questions his former assistant who, in a repeated pattern of each of the females who have testified, presented histories of rape, abuse, violence, and Combs' inability to control his rage.

Loretta Swit, Star of Stage and Screen, Dies

Loretta Swit, the Emmy winning star of stage and screen, who played in the long running series, "M.A.S.H.," died this week in New York City. She was 87.

Swit, whose career spanned fifty-five years, was most well known for her role as Major Margaret 'Hot Lips' Houlihan in the long running television series, "M.A.S.H," which ran from 1972 through 1983. Swit appeared in all 251 episodes. Nominated for ten Emmy, across the eleven seasons, she won two.

Alan Alda, who starred on the hit war drama, along with Swit said, "More than acting her part, she created it," Alda, now 89, wrote. Alda praised how Swit brought life into the Houlihan character. "She worked hard in showing the writing staff how they could turn the character from a one-joke sexist stereotype into a real person – with real feelings and ambitions. "We celebrated the day the script came out listing her character, not as Hot Lips, but as Margaret," wrote Alda. "Loretta made the most of her time here," reported USAToday.

Born November 4, 1937, in Passaic, New Jersey, after honing her craft in New York's theater scene, Swit made the rounds in many of the most popular television shows of the 1970s appearing in several episodes of "Mannix," "Gunsmoke," "Hawaii Five-O," "Love, American Style," and also appeared in "Mission: Impossible," and made the pilot for the detective show, "Cagney & Lacey." She had wanted to be released from her "M.A.S.H." contract to jump to "Cagney & Lacey," but Fox Television refused.

Swit passed away in her home in New York City.

Janet Walker is the publisher, founder, and sole owner of Haute-Lifestyle.com. A graduate of New York University, she has been covering international news through the Beltway Insider, a weekly review of the nation's top stories, for more than a decade.  A general beat writer/reporter and entertainment/film critic, she is also an accomplished news/investigative news/crime reporter and submitted for Pulitzer Prize consideration "Cops Conspire to Deep Six Sex Assaults" in the Breaking News Category and was persuaded to withdraw the submission. Ms. Walker has completed five screenplays, "The Six Sides of Truth," "The Assassins of Fifth Avenue," "The Wednesday Killer," "The Manhattan Project," and the sci-fi thriller "Project 13: The Last Day." She is a member of the Los Angeles Press Club, the National Writers Union, and a former member of the International Federation of Journalists.