Actress Octavia Spencer walked away with the Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role at the 84th annual Academy Awards Show Sunday. Spencer’s character Minny Jackson in “The Help” aptly displayed her comedic as well as dramatic abilities and demonstrated how grounded an actress she is. Her grace and beauty warmed the audience and her sincere words touched the hearts of many. Spencer is the fifth Black actress to win in the Best Supporting Actress category.

Hats off to the recently departed 2012 Pan African Film Festival. 

To the community’s delight, the film festival and art show returned to our own backyard at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, and the adjoining theater now known as The Rave Cinemas. 

The festival, often referred to simply as PAFF, continues to showcase great feature-length films, such as Steve Harvey’s “Think Like a Man,” scripted from his best-selling book, which kicked off the festival. 

The Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) celebrates its 20th anniversary starting this evening with the opening-night gala and screening of the Los Angeles premiere of “Think Like a Man.”
Based on the New York Times best-selling book by television-and-radio host and comic, Steve Harvey. The ensemble cast includes Michael Ealy, Jerry Ferrara, Meagan Good, Regina Hall, Kevin Hart, Taraji P. Henson, Terrence J, Jenifer Lewis, Romany Malco, Gary Owen, Gabrielle Union and Chris Brown.

Cymphonique might not be a household name right now, but give her time; she’s got the makings of a superstar.

Sixteen-year-old Cymphonique Miller is the daughter of businessman, music mogul and philanthropist Percy Miller and sister of Romeo Miller. But she didn’t use her connections to get the starring role on Nickelodeon’s new live-action comedy series “How to Rock.”

She decided not to tell the producers during her audition who she was related to, opting to trust in her own skills as a singer, dancer and actress.