The Frame

A powerful documentary about the aftermath of the 2012 school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut premiered at the Sundance Film Festival; Rihanna's new album had a surprise (or maybe not?) release this week; the L.A. Art Fair aims to be the nexus for art from the Pacific Rim.

Nate Parker spent seven years making "The Birth of a Nation," and his efforts paid off as the breakout hit at the Sundance Film Festival; prominent comedians take to the stage to benefit Bernie Sanders' campaign; Larry Klein's work with Joni Mitchell made him a go-to producer for a wide variety of singers.

The legendary R&B singer has a new album and an HBO documentary coming up, but don't expect this to be her swan song; a film about Nat Turner's slave rebellion has set a sales record at the Sundance Film Festival; actresses Alysia Reiner and Sarah Megan Thomas launched Broad Street to counter gender inequity in Hollywood.

With the top award from the Producers Guild, "The Big Short" is now frontrunner for the best picture Oscar. We chat with producers Jeremy Kleiner and Dede Gardner; a Motion Picture Academy officer admits that the organization has been too slow to change; the band Foals has gone from playing house parties to arenas.

Velvet Underground co-founder John Cale has re-imagined an album from his long solo career, "Music For a New Society"; as the "X-Files" returns, we get the story behind its iconic theme music; even at the Sundance Film Festival, the talk of the town is #OscarsSoWhite.

Actor Matthew Spencer, who plays the lead in a new adaptation of George Orwell's dystopian novel, says the story has new resonance today; TV networks are casting doubt about the popularity of original programming on streaming services; Andrew Ahn passed up med school for a film career, and now his directing debut is at Sundance.

Carrie Brownstein, "Portlandia" co-creator and Sleater-Kinney co-founder, pulls back the curtain on her creative process; members of the U.K. punk band Savages reveal how they remain unpredictable on stage and in the recording studio; what's in store at this year's Sundance Film Festival?

In the two years since Lupita Nyong'o won an Oscar for "12 Years a Slave," no actor of color has been nominated for an Academy Award. Academy member Stephanie Allain says the Oscars reflect bigger problems in the industry; James Lecesne continues his advocacy for LGBTQ youth with "The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey."

Alicia Vikander's breakout year now includes an Oscar nomination for "The Danish Girl"; singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett deconstructs her song, "Depreston"; and we find out which new TV shows are on the must-watch list for the new year.

John Horn and Kyle Buchanan of Vulture.com dig into the snubs and surprises in the Oscar nominations, and the return of #OscarsSoWhite. And we hear from the directors nominated for "Room" and "The Revenant."

Filmmaker Andrew Jarecki made a feature and now an HBO documentary series (pictured) about Robert Durst, an heir-turned-suspected murderer; the comedy trio Culture Clash revisits "Chavez Ravine," about a key moment in L.A. history; "Jupiter Ascending" and "Seventh Son" are big budget box office flops.

Beyoncé (pictured) is up for six Grammys, including album of the year. Who will win trophies and who should?; Pitchfork has established itself as the go-to music website for millennials; The zombie guru from "Walking Dead" tells all; "Jupiter Ascending" is earthbound, according to critics.

In the wake of the studio's embarrassing computer hack, the co-chair of Sony Pictures will become a producer; Dick Cavett plays himself in a stage play (pictured) that recounts a famous literary feud; "Wild Tales" director Damián Szifrón's film is Argentina's entry in the Academy Awards foreign language film category.

Was Jay-Z wise to plunk down $56 million for the Aspiro music streaming company? The Decemberists (pictured) return with their seventh studio album; Frank Gehry's home was the inspiration for music commissioned by the L.A. Chamber Orchestra; Lynn Shelton talks about directing the pilot for "Fresh Off the Boat."

Director Pawel Pawlikowski on his foreign film nominee, "Ida" (pictured); "Cartel Land" director Matthew Heineman on facing danger in Mexico; "High Maintenance" is a web series that's like “Cheers,” but with weed instead of whiskey; what might Hollywood do with the sequel to “To Kill a Mockingbird"?

Recapping this year's Sundance Film Festival, and a chat with the co-directors of "Meru," which won the Audience Award for U.S. Documentary; actor Randall Park goes from the fire ("The Interview") to the frying pan ("Fresh Off the Boat," pictured).

Anna Bass and Monica Bill Barnes (pictured) imbue their choreography with humor; how the creator of 'Doc McStuffins' made her hit show that counts Michelle Obama among its fans; and two Sundance documentaries show the power of movies to liberate people’s minds.

Rick Famuyiwa, the writer-director of the 2015 Sundance favorite, "Dope," describes being at the center of one of the buzziest films at the fest; “Dear White People” filmmaker Justin Simien looks back at Sundance a year after his breakout; composer Bear McCreary rocks out on his hurdy-gurdy.

Venues for Bill Cosby's live shows sometimes can't cancel a show on their own; Alfonso Gómez-Rejón, director of Sundance favorite "Me & Earl ..." (pictured), on why the film is so personal to him; can Pivot TV's $40 million series, "Fortitude," be a hit for the fledgling network?; "Schoolhouse Rock" creators explain its origins.

Noted documentary director Alex Gibney debuts his HBO film, “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief”; no sales record after all for Sundance darling “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl”; Jamie Cullum puts his stamp on jazz standards on his new album, "Interlude."

Awards from the Screen Actors and Producers guilds put "Birdman" (pictured) in the driver's seat for Oscars; watchdog group says "American Sniper" has inspired threats against Arab-Americans and Muslims; sex is a common theme at this year's Sundance festival; actor Tony Hale's children's book.

Karina Canellakis (pictured) is a conductor who does double duty as a violinist, often at the same time; The Frame host John Horn reports from the Sundance Film Festival, where filmmaker Benson Lee returns with a new movie, "Seoul Searching."