Register

    “Sing 2” added to AFI Fest lineup

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1830 Views
    A scene from "Sing 2" (Illumination Entertainment & Universal Pictures)
    LOS ANGELES --

    The American Film Institute (AFI) announced that the world premiere of Illumination’s Sing 2–the animated feature film written and directed by Garth Jennings and produced by Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and by Janet Healy–will join AFI Fest 2021 as a Red Carpet Premiere. The film, in theaters December 22, will screen in-person at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre on Sunday, November 14.

    About the film
    In the new chapter from Illumination’s film franchise, ever-optimistic Buster Moon and his all-star cast of performers prepare to launch their most dazzling stage show yet …all in the glamorous entertainment capital of the world, Redshore City. There’s just one hitch: They first have to persuade the world’s most reclusive rock star—played by global music icon and Academy Award® nominee Bono—to join them.

    With more than 40 contemporary and classic hit songs, electrifying performances and breathtaking artistry, Sing 2 serves as an emotional reminder about the importance of dreaming big and the power of music to heal.

    Sing 2  features all of the characters audiences fell in love with in the first film (voiced by Academy Award®  winners Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon, Academy Award®  nominee Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelly, Nick Kroll and Garth Jennings), plus new characters played by music superstars Academy Award®  nominee Pharrell Williams and Halsey, actors Bobby Cannavale and Letitia Wright, and comedians Eric André and Chelsea Peretti.

    As previously announced
    AFI Fest 2021 takes place from November 10– 14 in Los Angeles. The world premiere of tick, tick…BOOM! directed by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award® winner Lin-Manuel Miranda will open the festival and King Richard directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green will close the festival.  Additional Red Carpet Premieres include the world premieres of Academy Award® winner Halle Berry’s directorial debut Bruised and Academy Award®  winner Benjamin Cleary’s feature directorial debut Swan Song, Parallel Mothers, directed by Academy Award® winner Pedro Almodóvar, and The Power of the Dog, directed by Academy Award® winner Jane Campion. 

    This year’s hybrid festival will feature both in-person screenings and events, as well as virtual screenings, showcasing transformative stories from groundbreaking artists.

    With health and safety being top priority, AFI FEST 2021 will require all festival-goers who attend in-person events and/or screenings to be fully vaccinated.

    Tags:AFI FestSing 2



    Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died

    Saturday, December 21, 2024
    Suchir Balaji poses for a photo in Hawaii in 2018. Balaji was a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who died in November 2024. (Balaji Ramamurthy via AP)

    Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26.

    Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products.

    "We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir's loved ones during this difficult time," said a statement from OpenAI.

    Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said "appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation." The city's chief medical examiner's office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide.

    His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a "happy, smart and brave young man" who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends.

    Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT.

    "Suchir's contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn't have succeeded without him," said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what... Read More

    MySHOOT Profiles


    Add A Comment