‘Unapologetic’ is an Unflinching Exploration of Activism

“What is this helping?” is one of the first sentences uttered by a white restaurant patron unsettled in Unapologetic’s first scene, where protestors express the reality of the recent deaths of Black residents in their community to unsuspecting people eating brunch at restaurants. The scene perfectly encompasses the themes and motives of this documentary: a large and triumphant call to arms to make a more honest and equal world while people sit quietly trying to ignore not only the performance, but the actual knowledge of those who are destroyed and subjugated by these injustices.

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Matthew A. Cherry and Chaz Bottoms Bring Us New Animated Series ‘Battu’

Cartoon Network Studios is teaming up with award-winning filmmaker Matthew Cherry (Hair Love) and award-winning director Chaz Bottoms (Dear John: Legendary Love Letters) to bring us a beautiful new animated series that celebrates the creative arts culture of Chicago, set to a sonic landscape inspired by hip-hop beats and classical broadway melodies.

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‘Fightin’ Words’ Episode One: Gaming Icon Tanya DePass

Tanya DePass is the founder and Director of I Need Diverse Games, a not-for-profit organization based in Chicago, which is dedicated to better diversification of all aspects of gaming. She’s also a gaming icon, having been named one of the “Gamers of the Year” for 2020 by Kotaku, as well as a 2020 Annenberg Innovation Lab Civic Media Fellow at USC.

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NOC Interview: Kara Killmer on NBC’s ‘Chicago Fire’

Kara Killmer portrays Sylvie Brett in Chicago Fire. The series, from renowned Emmy Award-winning executive producer Dick Wolf and co-creator Derek Haas, is a look into the lives of everyday heroes dedicated to one of the most noblest professions. The series is now on season 9 with new episodes airing Wednesdays on NBC at 9 PM ET.

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NOC Interview: Torrey DeVitto on NBC’s ‘Chicago Med’

Torrey DeVitto stars as Dr. Natalie Manning, an emergency pediatrics specialist, in NBC’s Chicago Med. The series, from Emmy Award-winning executive producer Dick Wolf, is currently on season 6 and airs Wednesdays at 8 PM ET.

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NOC Sundance Review: ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’

While the details of Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Jesus Christ are debated, Judas goes down in history as one of the most infamous traitors — all over 30 pieces of silver. Maybe Judas didn’t like the fact that the people hailed Christ as a “Messiah” — a title the FBI used as code names for Black radical liberators in the 1960s to the late 1970s. One such “Messiah” is the young Black Panther activist and Chicago native Fred Hampton, mercilessly killed thanks to Black a panther Party (BPP) infiltrator and informant William O’Neal, FBI Agent Roy Mitchell, and J. Edgar Hoover.

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NOC Interview: Adriyan Rae and Daniel Kyri of NBC’s ‘Chicago Fire’

From renowned Emmy Award-winning executive producer Dick Wolf (Law & Order series) and co-creator Derek Haas, the writer behind 3:10 to Yuma, comes season nine of the high-octane drama Chicago Fire, an edge-of-your-seat view look at the lives of everyday folks committed to some of America’s most demanding professions. The firefighters, rescue squad and paramedics of Chicago Firehouse 51 risk their lives week in and week out to save and protect the communities they’re connected to.

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NOC Interview: Chris Redd of ‘Saturday Night Live’

Chris Redd is humbled by the company he shares, being only one of 20 other Black players in SNL’s storied history. What he hopes to leave behind at the end of his career, though, is beyond comedy. The Chicago native has been deeply involved in giving back to the Chicago community, helping raise millions for charities like the The Anthony Rizzo Laugh Off For Cancer, The Chris Redd & Friends Charity Concert, and also through the Covid-19 Protestor’s relief fund that he founded. Chris also serves on the board of directors of Poverty Alleviation Chicago.

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