Lil NAS X
#TIFF23: LIL NAS X DOCUMENTARY “LIL NAS X: LONG LIVE MONTERO” TO PREMIERE AT TIFF
Lil Nas X and TIFF are excited to announce the World Premiere of the groundbreaking, GRAMMY–winning rapper, singer, and songwriter’s documentary, Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero, which was shot during the course of his first ever global tour. A new addition to the Gala programme, the film was produced by RadicalMedia, in association with Sony Music Entertainment’s (SME) Premium Content Division, Columbia Records, and Museum & Crane. The diaristic film is a remarkably intimate portrait of an artist on tour navigating identity, family, expectations, and acceptance, all while reflecting on his place within the legacy of Black, queer performers.
Directed by Carlos López Estrada and Zac Manuel, Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero captures one of today’s most provocative pop stars at a transformational point in his life, both on and off stage. Shot over the course of 60 days with unparalleled access, the film follows Montero Hill, a.k.a. Lil Nas X, on an emotional odyssey through the creation and performance of the critically acclaimed “Long Live Montero” show.
“Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero is a triumphant ode to the extraordinary power of self-expression, music, and identity,” said Cameron Bailey, CEO, TIFF. “In this groundbreaking documentary, we witness Lil Nas X challenging boundaries and reshaping the artistic landscape. The film’s captivating journey underscores the profound impact of Lil Nas X, who fearlessly brings audiences together through the universal language of music. We are thrilled to host Lil Nas X at TIFF this year.”
López Estrada is an Academy Award–nominated filmmaker with credits including Blindspotting, for which he received a DGA nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement for a First-Time Feature Film. His additional films include Summertime and Raya and the Last Dragon, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. López Estrada began his career directing music videos for musicians such as Billie Eilish, Thundercat and Flying Lotus, Katy Perry, and Carly Rae Jepsen.
Manuel is an award-winning filmmaker focusing on documentary works that explore intimacy, Black masculinity, class, identity, and inheritance. His cinematography and directing credits include the Academy Award–nominated Time, Alone (Sundance Jury Award Winner, Best Non-Fiction Short Film), Buckjumping, The Earth is Humming, America (Sundance Jury Award Winner), The Cut, This Body, and Descendant.
Since his instant rise to fame in 2019 when he released “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X has upended the music industry. The single with Billy Ray Cyrus became the longest running No. 1 single in Billboard Hot 100 history after 19 weeks atop the chart. The 16-time platinum hit was recognized with numerous awards including two GRAMMYs. In March 2021, Lil Nas X released the culture-shifting, five-time platinum hit “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name).” The queer anthem debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained atop of the Spotify Global chart for over a month straight. After releasing his debut album Montero in September 2021, it went on to boast the five-time platinum hit “Industry Baby,” which became the No. 1 most streamed hip-hop song of the 2020s on Spotify. It’s this success that has propelled Lil Nas X to become one of only a few artists who have had three songs surpass more than one billion streams on Spotify. His bombastic performances have been hailed as – according to NME – “undoubtedly a watershed moment for queer pop.”
RadicalMedia is an award-winning premium creative production company recognized for their work on the Academy Award–winning Summer of Soul (… Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, the Emmy Award-winning Hamilton directed by Thomas Kail, and David Byrne’s American Utopia directed by Spike Lee.
The documentary was produced by RadicalMedia with Dave Sirulnick serving as producer as well as Caryn Capotosto for Museum & Crane, Saul Levitz for Sony Music, Adam Leber and Adriana Arce for Rebel, and Gee Roberson for BPG/Maverick. Meredith Bennett, Jon Kamen, and Frank Scherma serve as executive producers for RadicalMedia. Tom Mackay and Krista Wegener also serve as executive producers for Sony Music. Wegener will also lead global sales for the film.
#SPOTTED: LOS ANGELES 2020 – DAY ONE
While our trip to Los Angeles started off with some hitches – namely an extremely slow Customs check making us miss our flights – we cannot be stopped! Our first day in L.A. true to form has been amazing and in addition to taking-in some of the awesome bites, we saw tons of stars last night!
We interviewed Chef Giada De Laurentiis a few years back and she kept telling us it was mandatory to try Chef Roy Choi‘s Korean-inspired Tacos at KOGI TAQUERIA and while we’ve been back a few times, we never got around to it till now. Forget hotel check-in, we had Beef Short Rib Tacos and Carnitas Kimchi Fries on our mind! A joy finally getting to try this.
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Several pre-Oscars parties are taking place around town and among the top bashes to be at, were the William Morris Endeavor bash at a private residence in Beverly Hills and also the Tom Ford Fashion Show! Being an acclaimed Filmmaker himself, the timing was brilliant merging his worlds together at once Oscars weekend.
Tom Ford Fashion Show – this was attended by several A-Listers like Renée Zellweger, J-Lo, Jason Momoa, Kate Hudson, Lil Nas X and more. See who we got snaps with!
WME Bash – this party is situation at a private mansion and it seems everyone in town went to it. As it got a bit chaotic I only got to get a few snaps, including several Presenters and Nominees at Sunday’s Academy Awards.
Amidst the bustle we still managed to get a few Snaps. We’re so thrilled we got to meet rising star Julia Fox who rocked our world in UNCUT GEMS! While The Academy got it wrong, we’re glad to see it up for multiple FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS! Stream it now on Netflix.
A trip to L.A. is never complete without IN-N-OUT and it was a delight making it in just before they closed at 2 AM to get my burger and fries, Animal Style! The Police literally had to kick me and my friends out!
We need our coffee as we are up and it early, but don’t forget to follow us at @HollywoodSuite on Twitter and Instagram for our coverage of the FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS! The Awards air live 5 PM ET and then on-repeat on Hollywood Suite in Canada! We’re thrilled to be in attendance at the Awards and bringing you a bit of BTS (not the Boy Band)!
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
#NEWMUSIC: LIL NAS X FT. BILLY RAY CYRUS – “OLD TOWN ROAD” OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO
After sweeping the nation, we finally get a proper Video for Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus collabo Old Town Road. The breakout hit which has the distinction of being the shortest length #1 hit in Billboard history, gets a fittingly over-the-top treatment… and we admit we love it!
See the Video:
(Photo/video credit: Sony Music Entertainment)
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