The Frame

On today's show: jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard's interest in social issues comes through in his choice of projects, such as his score for “BlacKkKlansman,” the forthcoming film by Spike Lee; documentary films are having a renaissance, evidenced by the success of "RBG" and "Won't You Be My Neighbor."

On today's show: filmmaker Debra Granik says if studios are the equivalent of big agriculture, she is the organic farmer; off the court, LeBron James has a big Hollywood presence; singer-songwriter Sam Buck contrasts '90s pop country with personal anecdotes of queer identity.

On today's show: Sarah Silverman is ramping up for the second season of her Hulu series, in which she travels the country to examine the causes of America’s polarization through a comedic lens.

On today's show: "Woman Walks Ahead" tells the story of Catherine Weldon, a real-life activist and artist who traveled from Brooklyn to the Standing Rock Reservation in the 1880s to paint a portrait of Sitting Bull. Jessica Chastain plays Weldon and is also an activist herself — for equal pay and equal opportunities for women in Hollywood.

On today's show: filmmaker Tim Wardle tells the unreal story of three men who discovered siblings they never knew existed; the mixed messages of the Motion Picture Academy's latest membership push; two exhibitions bring street art inside Chinatown galleries.

On today's show: the lead singer of Imagine Dragons is a practicing Mormon, but he questions the church's stance on LGTBQ issues in the HBO documentary, "Believer."

On today's show: The actress produced and narrates the documentary, which is based on the book of the same name by Jonathan Safran Foer. She wants you to think twice about being a meat-eater; filmmaker Eugene Jarecki goes in search of the America that produced Elvis Presley.

Steven Canals, co-creator of the FX series about the underground club culture, talks about re-creating those elaborate scenes; why is the Pasadena Museum of California Art shutting its doors?; Ben Lewin's film, "The Catcher Was a Spy," is about a major league baseball player who lived a double life during World War II.

Writer/director Shana Feste's father was a troubled but charismatic man who inspired her new film; in the Vice series, "Minority Reports," Lee Adams explores racial angles of fish-out-of-water stories; Rosie & the Riveters play folk music with a feminist bent.

On today's show: After going dark for five years, LALIFF has been revived by its co-founder, Edward James Olmos; Disney makes a counteroffer for properties being sold by Fox; The documentary, "Half the Picture," looks at the long history of systemic discrimination against women filmmakers.

Filmmaker Danny Boyle has reunited with the original cast of his 1996 movie "Trainspotting" to find out where those drug-addled young adults are now that they're in full-blown adulthood; Cuban Singer Daymé Arocena releases a new album with a little help from friends in LA; The Writers Guild of America starts contract talks, could it lead to a strike?

Walt Disney’s creative genius and his personal dark side are explored in the Philip Glass opera, “The Perfect American”; religious scholar Reza Aslan talks about his new CNN series, “Believer,” in which he focuses on fringe elements of certain religions; Mohsen Namjoo revives the pre-revolution rock music of his native Iran.

When the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performs in downtown LA this weekend the consistent theme throughout the nine pieces is social justice. One dance making its West Coast debut is inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. speeches. And the SXSW confab of music, movies, TV and tech turns 30 years old this weekend. The CEO joins us to discuss its evolution and the controversial contract clause that have some artists upset over perceived threats of deportation.

ReFrame is a new initiative by Women in Film/Sundance Institute that comes after years of research into why Hollywood is dominated by men. Oscar-winning producer Cathy Schulman and Keri Putnam of the Sundance Institute discuss how ReFrame plans to create systematic change in the industry; The National Museum for Women in the Arts in Washington DC is nearly 30 years old, and its mission is as timely as ever.

Writer-director Luis Valdez, Center Theater Group artistic director Michael Ritchie, actress Rose Portillo and historian Tomás Summers Sandoval discuss the revival of "Zoot Suit" and the play's modern-day resonance; the documentary 'Cries from Syria' will air just as the U.S.' new ban on refugees takes effect.

Timothy Olyphant has had a string of memorable TV roles – from “Deadwood” to his starring role in “Justified” and now “Santa Clarita Diet.” Not bad for an art major from Modesto, Calif.; Donald Trump’s presidency has been a boon for late night talk show hosts, especially for Stephen Colbert. But every late night host faces a quandary: how political should they be?

Alison Bechdel says she thought the idea of having her graphic novel memoir turned into a musical was "insane"; composer John Adams says his landmark opera, "Nixon in China," is as timely as ever; NBC has invested $500 million in Snapchat with big plans for using the social media platform.

Bruna Papandrea has produced hit films such as "Wild" and "Gone Girl," and now she's part of the team behind HBO's "Big Little Lies"; Netflix has a new reality competition series that's being produced for six global markets simultaneously.

C-SPAN anchor Steve Scully (aka "the most patient man on television") talks with The Frame about C-SPAN's origin story, its mission and the role it fills in today's media landscape; Then, actress Jane Kaczmarek explains why she's spending her post "Malcolm In the Middle" years doing theater like Eugene O'Neill's "Long Day's Journey Into Night."

When Asghar Farhadi won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, he did not pick up his statue in person. But he was in L.A. last year following our election and he spoke with us about his movie, "The Salesman," and then-President elect Trump; R&B producer and musician Raphael Saadiq has branched out to scoring movies and TV shows.

Award-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black created the ABC miniseries, "When We Rise," to bring the history of the gay rights movement into America's living rooms in the hopes of bridging a divided nation and inspiring activism in a new generation; The Oscars are finally over. What must Hollywood do to become more inclusive?

On this year's Frame Oscar preview, get to know some nominees ahead of the big night. Among the guests are the writer/directors of "La La Land" and "Moonlight," actors Ruth Negga, Emma Stone, Dev Patel, and Andrew Garfield; Documentary filmmakers Ava Duvernay and Ezra Edelman; the screenwriters for "Hidden Figures" and "The Lobster," and songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda. Plus, John Horn and his co-host in The Awards Show Show podcast, Kyle Buchanan, make predictions.