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Nesta Cooper has racked up more than 30 acting credits over the last decade, with roles in such projects as Kemba, Cold Copy, Bliss, Spy Kids: Mission Critical, Supergirl, and The Edge of Seventeen. She may be best known for playing Haniwa on 24 episodes of the TV series See, or Carly Shannon on 34 episodes of the series Travelers. Now The Hollywood Reporter has broken the news that she’s set to add another acting credit to her filmography, as she’ll be starring in the sci-fi thriller Mem – and with this movie, she’ll also be earning her first writing credit, as she’s currently writing the screenplay.

Based on the Bethany C. Morrow novel of the same name (you can pick up a copy Here), Mem will tell the story of a scientist in Montreal who discovers how to extract memories from people and turn them into zombie-like creatures known as Mems.

As rap lyrics have increasingly been introduced and weaponized in the courts as evidence against defendants, rap artist Kemba takes a look at rap music and the criminal justice system and how the two have kept colliding over the past few decades. Via conversations with fellow artists, academics, legal experts, and more, Kemba builds the case for Black artist protection and whether lyrics should be used for conviction. Following its world premiere screening at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, the new feature-length documentary “As We Speak Rap Music on Trial” premieres on Paramount+ on Tuesday, Feb. 27. You can watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of Paramount Plus.

How to Watch 'As We Speak: Rap Music on Trial' When: Tuesday, February 27, 2024 Where: Paramount Plus Stream: Watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of Paramount Plus. Get 30 Days Free$5.99+ / month paramountplus.com

For a Limited Time, Get a Month of Paramount+ With Code: HUJQ6R.

In the new BET+ original film “Kemba,’ a sheltered college student falls in love with a man, only to learn that he is not who she believes him to be. Instead of the loving man that she imagines, he is actually a drug kingpin. After being abused and manipulated, she finds herself at the center of the war on drugs. Based on the real-life story of Kemba Smith, the film premieres on the streaming service on Thursday, Feb. 22, before arriving on BET in the future. You can watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of BET+.

How to Watch 'Kemba' When: Thursday, February 22, 2024 Where: BET+ Stream: Watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of BET+. 7-Day Free Trial$9.99+ / month bet+ via amazon.com About 'Kemba'

Based on the true story of Kemba Smith, “Kemba” tells the story of a sheltered college student who falls in love with the wrong...

"We can criminalize rap all we want, but that's not going to resolve the issue." Paramount+ has revealed the official trailer for a fsacinating documentary film titled As We Speak: Rap Music on Trial, arriving for streaming in February. This just premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival to some great reviews, and P+ already has it set to launch in only a few more weeks. Directed by filmmaker J.M. Harper, As We Speak features Bronx rap artist Kemba who explores the growing weaponization of rap lyrics in the United States criminal justice system and abroad - revealing how law enforcement has quietly used artistic creation as evidence in criminal cases for decades. Journeying through meccas of hip-hop, building the case for rap lyrics & Black artist protection via intimate conversations with rappers, academics, politicians, legal experts, and industry execs. Sundance adds that, "Harper's sophisticated and immersive journey merges style and substance,...

With its academic interviewees and mini-histories, J.M. Harper’s directorial debut “As We Speak,” about the weaponizing of rap lyrics in the courts, has the trappings of rigor. But not unlike its subject, the documentary’s power, beauty and complexity lie in Harper’s use of rhetoric and lyricism. The film editor of the Emmy-nominated series “Jeen-Yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy” has made a willfully creative work that mimics the ways rap can be intimately observational, seemingly confessional even, but is also a feat of artistic expression.

The hip-hop artist and Bronx native Kemba acts as a guide and a character for “As We Speak,” which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival. Utilizing Erik Nielson and Andrea Dennis’s book “Rap on Trial: Race, Lyrics and Guilt in America,” the film follows Kemba as he crisscrosses the nation to speak with fellow artists and then leaps the Atlantic to the U.

Paramount+ will release J.M. Harper’s documentary “As We Speak: Rap Music on Trial,” which debuted at Sundance, on its streaming platform on Tuesday, February 27 in the U.S. and Canada, IndieWire exclusively shares.

“As We Speak” made its premiere on Monday, January 22 in Park City in the U.S. Documentary competition. As the film is a competition title, it will be available on Sundance’s online streaming platform beginning January 25 for the digital portion of the festival. The film will also be available on February 28 in the UK, Australia, Latin America, Brazil, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.

While “As We Speak” was not a sales title at the fest, Paramount+’s involvement was kept quiet to the general public until its premiere on Monday, January 22. IndieWire, along with the release date, shares new stills from the film, its official key art, and the first trailer, all of which you can see below.

The double standard is almost as old as hip-hop itself. A decorated filmmaker gets laurels for his or her latest bullet-laden gangster movie. A rock or country star is proclaimed a songwriting genius for violent tales of man’s inhumanity to man. But rappers are held to a different standard, their every line held up as some kind of documentary evidence of an artist’s criminal intent. Sometimes, those lyrics are even used in courtrooms by prosecutors eager to take advantage of the public’s built-in prejudices and ignorance of...

Born and raised in the Bronx, rapper Kemba guides viewers through some of the largest issues involving rap lyrics, freedom of speech and the First Amendment in As We Speak, the directorial debut of J.M. Harper. Looking at cases both in the U.S. and internationally, Harper’s documentary poses insightful questions about who is protected, or perhaps left vulnerable, by these legislative battles. Emma Backman, who previously collaborated with Harper on a series of commercials, discusses her experience cutting the film, which served as one of her first major feature-length projects as an editor. See all responses to our annual Sundance […]

The post “The Ending Was Always Clear for Us”: Editor Emma Backman on As We Speak first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Born and raised in the Bronx, rapper Kemba guides viewers through some of the largest issues involving rap lyrics, freedom of speech and the First Amendment in As We Speak, the directorial debut of J.M. Harper. Looking at cases both in the U.S. and internationally, Harper’s documentary poses insightful questions about who is protected, or perhaps left vulnerable, by these legislative battles. Emma Backman, who previously collaborated with Harper on a series of commercials, discusses her experience cutting the film, which served as one of her first major feature-length projects as an editor. See all responses to our annual Sundance […]

The post “The Ending Was Always Clear for Us”: Editor Emma Backman on As We Speak first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Issues concerning freedom of speech and the First Amendment intersect with the world of rap music in As We Speak, the directorial debut from J.M. Harper. The documentary follows Bronx-based rapper Kemba as he unpacks how legal battles involving rap lyrics, both in the U.S. and abroad, might shape the the future of his craft. Married cinematographer duo Logan Triplett and Allison Anderson Triplett discuss the challenges and rewards of collaborating on this project as a unit—the first time they’ve done so on a feature film—with Logan penning answers for both parties. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer […]

The post “A Balance Between Look and Ergonomics”: Cinematographers Logan Triplett and Allison Anderson Triplett on As We Speak first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Issues concerning freedom of speech and the First Amendment intersect with the world of rap music in As We Speak, the directorial debut from J.M. Harper. The documentary follows Bronx-based rapper Kemba as he unpacks how legal battles involving rap lyrics, both in the U.S. and abroad, might shape the the future of his craft. Married cinematographer duo Logan Triplett and Allison Anderson Triplett discuss the challenges and rewards of collaborating on this project as a unit—the first time they’ve done so on a feature film—with Logan penning answers for both parties. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer […]

The post “A Balance Between Look and Ergonomics”: Cinematographers Logan Triplett and Allison Anderson Triplett on As We Speak first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

As We Speak, the directorial debut from J.M. Harper, follows the growing phenomenon of rap lyrics being used during legal battles both in the U.S. and abroad. Rapper Kemba acts as a guide through the murky waters of the First Amendment, investigating who it protects—or doesn’t—when musicians and their art stand trial. First-time producer Sam Widdoes, who currently works as an attorney and was formerly a journalist, chronicles how he came aboard As We Speak and the myriad ways that his career background acted as a boon during the development of this documentary. See all responses to our questionnaire for […]

The post “A Level of Determination That Can Border On Insane”: Producer Sam Widdoes on As We Speak first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

As We Speak, the directorial debut from J.M. Harper, follows the growing phenomenon of rap lyrics being used during legal battles both in the U.S. and abroad. Rapper Kemba acts as a guide through the murky waters of the First Amendment, investigating who it protects—or doesn’t—when musicians and their art stand trial. First-time producer Sam Widdoes, who currently works as an attorney and was formerly a journalist, chronicles how he came aboard As We Speak and the myriad ways that his career background acted as a boon during the development of this documentary. See all responses to our questionnaire for […]

The post “A Level of Determination That Can Border On Insane”: Producer Sam Widdoes on As We Speak first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Filmmaker Tomson Tee is no stranger to a dark satirical exploration of some of the more imbalanced aspects of society these days as we saw with his take on entrenched racism in Kemba’s Nobody I Can Trust music video. His most recent film click, click, Boom! shines a light on the ridiculous disparities in wealth in modern day America through a darkly comedic lens. click, click, Boom! takes place in a dystopian world where, for no apparent reason, your head can suddenly be at risk of exploding. For one young woman at the height of her Wall Street career, this impeding demise leads to an understandable desire to tick off a destination on her luxurious bucket list but her boujee lifestyle hasn’t left much in the way of savings. Tee’s short pits two women in very different economic circumstances against each other with wit, nuance and a...

Exhibiting Forgiveness.The Sundance Institute has announced the films selected for their 2024 Festival, which will take place January 18-28, 2024, in person in Utah. A selection of the films are available online across the U.S. from January 25-28.U.S. Dramatic COMPETITIONBetween the Temples (Nathan Silver): A cantor in a crisis of faith finds his world turned upside down when his grade school music teacher reenters his life as his new adult bat mitzvah student. World Premiere. DìDi (弟弟) (Sean Wang): In 2008, during the last month of summer before high school begins, an impressionable 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy learns what his family can’t teach him: how to skate, how to flirt, and how to love your mom. World Premiere. Exhibiting Forgiveness (Titus Kaphar): Utilizing his paintings to find freedom from his past, a Black artist on the path to success is derailed by an unexpected visit from his estranged father,...

It’ll be highly likely that we’ll be talking about these docu films by the end of 2024 – as the cream of the crop easily rises to the top. We find the likes of docu helmers we like in Michael Dweck, Jeff Zimbalist, Stephen Maing & Brett Story returning to the fest with their latest films. Here is the batch of ten!

As We Speak / U.S.A. — Bronx rap artist Kemba explores the growing weaponization of rap lyrics in the United States criminal justice system and abroad — revealing how law enforcement has quietly used artistic creation as evidence in criminal cases for decades.…...

The Sundance Film Festival has announced its 2024 lineup, featuring 91 total projects across feature film and episodic program categories. Among the world premieres during the festival — which returns to Park City and Salt Lake City from January 18th through 28th — are documentaries about Brian Eno, Devo, and the history of Lollapalooza.

Directed by Gary Hustwit, the simply titled Eno will premiere as part of the New Frontier section. The first authorized documentary about the pioneering ambient musician features hundreds of hours of never-before-seen footage, unreleased music from Eno’s archive, and visual art.

Meanwhile, Devo was directed by Chris Smith and utilizes “a mixture of archival footage, interviews from other characters in their orbit, and a range of storytelling techniques” to tell the band’s story starting from their origins in response to the Kent State massacre through their rise to fame with the 1980 hit “Whip It.”

Announced earlier this year,...

The Sundance Film Festival has announced its 2024 lineup, featuring 91 total projects across feature film and episodic program categories. Among the world premieres during the festival — which returns to Park City and Salt Lake City from January 18th through 28th — are documentaries about Brian Eno, Devo, and the history of Lollapalooza.

Directed by Gary Hustwit, the simply titled Eno will premiere as part of the New Frontier section. The first authorized documentary about the pioneering ambient musician features hundreds of hours of never-before-seen footage, unreleased music from Eno’s archive, and visual art.

Meanwhile, Devo was directed by Chris Smith and utilizes “a mixture of archival footage, interviews from other characters in their orbit, and a range of storytelling techniques” to tell the band’s story starting from their origins in response to the Kent State massacre through their rise to fame with the 1980 hit “Whip It.”

Announced earlier this year,...

Exclusive: Nesta Cooper (See) has signed on to star in the feature-length drama Kemba, inspired by the life of criminal justice reform advocate Kemba Smith, which Kelley Kali (I’m Fine (Thanks for Asking)) is directing for MPI Original Films and BET.

Kemba picks up with its title character (played by Cooper) as a college student, as she falls in love with a man, only to learn he is a drug kingpin who leads her down a path of abuse and manipulation, placing her in the middle of the government’s “war on drugs,” and ultimately landing her in federal prison. The film will focus on themes paramount in today’s national conversations, including institutional racism, racial inequality and the vital need for criminal justice and prison reform — having its television premiere on BET, with additional launch and distribution plans to be announced at a later date.

MPI’s Stacey Parks,...