Melina Matsoukas | Entertainment News, Photos, and Videos

Melina Matsoukas, the director of the critically acclaimed new movie Queen & Slim, is speaking out in response to the film being snubbed by the Golden Globes.

In a statement provided to Variety, Melina claimed that members of the HFPA refused to watch her movie, which stars Oscar nominee Daniel Kaluuya and newcomer Jodie Turner-Smith.

“We held three screenings for the HFPA and almost no members attended,” Melina said. “For me, it’s reflective of their voting body. It’s not reflective of the society in which we live in or the industry as it stands today. They don’t value the stories that represent all of us, and those stories are so often disregarded and discredited, as are their filmmakers.”

“It’s extremely discouraging. It’s extremely infuriating. And it just represents an archaic system that is full of people who don’t value us,” she added.

If you didn’t know, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association is comprised of about 90 journalists from around the world. The organization claims members received screeners and could have watch the film at home. A rep said, “The HFPA maintains that Queen & Slim was in the conversation amongst the membership.”

Queen & Slim has surpassed box office expectations and the film has grossed nearly $30 million so far.

Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie Turner-Smith hit the red carpet for the premiere of Queen & Slim on Thursday night (November 14) at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Calif.

The 30-year-old Oscar-nominated actor looked handsome in a white suit while the 33-year-old actress wowed in a periwinkle-colored gown for the premiere held during the 2019 AFI Fest.

Also in attendance at the premiere was director Melina Matsoukas and screenplay writer Lena Waithe.

Queen & Slim will be out in theaters on November 27 – check out the trailer here!

FYI: Daniel is wearing Dior.

15+ pictures insides of the stars at the premiere…More Here! »

Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie Turner-Smith appear together on the red carpet at the 2019 Governors Awards on Sunday night (October 27) at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood.

The Queen & Slim co-stars were joined at the event by the film’s writer Lena Waithe and director Melina Matsoukas.

The Governors Awards, which is organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, is the official start of awards season.

Also in attendance were stars from the movie Waves – Taylor Russell, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Renee Elise Golsdsberry.

FYI: Jodie is wearing Malone Souliers shoes. Daniel is wearing Dior Men. Taylor is wearing a Miu Miu dress and shoes with Ana Khouri jewels. Renee is wearing a Carolina Herrera dress and Chopard jewelry.

Natalie Portman joined a talented group of women being honored at Ellen’s Women in Hollywood Celebration!

The 38-year-old actress hit the carpet at the annual event, presented by Ralph Lauren and Lexus, on Monday night (October 14) at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles in Beverly Hills, Calif.

PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Natalie Portman

Natalie was also joined by fellow honorees Nicole Kidman, Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mindy Kaling, Lena Waithe and Melina Matsoukas.

The 2019 Women in Hollywood honorees are being recognized for paving their own way and plotting a path into the unknown in the current state of Hollywood.

Congratulations!

FYI: Natalie is wearing Dior dress and sandals with Beladora earrings. Scarlett is wearing a Tom Ford dress with Stuart Weitzman shoes and Anabela Chan earrings. Nicole is wearing Ralph Lauren with a Yvan Tufenkjian choker, earrings, and rings, as well as Kallati and Le Vian rings. Gwyneth is wearing a Bottega Veneta dress, Jimmy Choo shoes, and Nikos Koulis jewelry. Mindy is wearing Oscar de la Renta.

Zendaya and the Queen & Slim creatives, writer Lena Waithe, director Melina Matsoukas and star Jodie Turner-Smith, stun in these new images from Elle‘s Women in Hollywood issue, on newsstands on October 22nd.

Here’s what the entertainers had to share in the issue:

Zendaya on how before Euphoria, she didn’t have any work that pushed her or allowed her to be creative: “I was looking for something to prove I can do it. Euphoria served as that, in the healthiest way. I never want to plateau as an actress – I always want to be able to explore and push myself. [Being an actress] brings me to places and makes me do things I’d probably never do because I’m such an introverted person. I know, I’m super hard on myself. People actually saying I did a good job at my craft…it’s like, ‘D***, I did work hard. I’m glad you see that.’ I should finally own that; it’s liberating. I feel lucky.”

Lena Waithe on writing Queen & Slim: “I didn’t truly experience what it means to feel like a second-class citizen until I sold my first TV show. Because out of five people, I was the fifth most important person in the room. During the first season [of The Chi], I didn’t have any real agency, so that’s when I started working on the script. It was almost my way of rebelling and reminding myself I do have a gift. They can’t appreciate it now, but they will.”

Jodie Turner-Smith on the message behind Queen & Slim: “The act of committing that type of violence is not something that is glorified, but it’s really a comment on how black people are put in this kind of life-or-death situation way too often. These people make the radical choice to survive, even when it means doing something so horrible that there’s no coming back from it. Even thinking about the concept raises the hairs on my arms, because it really is a film about black survival at all costs.”

For more from the stars, visit Elle.com.

Natalie Portman and Rashida Jones are all smiles as they pose for a photograph backstage at The 2018 MAKERS Conference at NeueHouse Hollywood on Monday (February 5) in Los Angeles.

The ladies were in attendance to represent Time’s Up.

Joining Natalie and Rashida at the panel were filmmaker Ava DuVernay, CAA motion picture agent Maha Dakhil, Katie McGrath, Grammy-winning music video director Melina Matsoukas, entertainment lawyer Nina Shaw and writer-producer Jill Soloway.

“Usually we’re the only woman at work. Like many other industries, we walk onto a nearly all male set and we’re usually alone and we rarely get to interact with each other,” Natalie said (via THR) about the movement bringing together women. “If you’re the only woman in the room it isolates you and prevents you from sharing stories so if there are predators you don’t talk to each other. It’s empowering to be in a room, on the same team, and refuse to be pitted against each other. There’s not only one spot–we’re going to make room for all of us. It’s really powerful. And we have all these new friends.”

Natalie and the ladies also announced that, since the January 1st launch of Time’s Up, the organization has raised $20 million and received requests for legal aid from those who lack the means to defend themselves from workplace abuses — farm workers, hotel workers, steelworkers, and others.

Also pictured: Gabourey Sidibe, Karlie Kloss, Kathy Najimy, Amber Tamblyn and Mary McCormack hitting the stage to give Real.Life.Stories. monologues at The 2018 MAKERS Conference at NeueHouse Hollywood that same day.