BV Entertainment Newswire April 5: YaYa DaCosta, NAMIC, Snoop Dogg, Sleeper Cell

Rising To The Top

YaYa DaCosta may have lost out in the third installment of 'America's Next Top Model,' but she's the big winner after all. The 24 year-old Harlem native is the first contestant from Tyra Banks' wildly popular reality series to make her feature film bow, in music video director Liz Friedlander's directorial debut, 'Take The Lead,' in theaters April 7. As LaRhette, a student who comes into her own, the Brown University alum shines brightly alongside seasoned pros Antonio Banderas, and Alfre Woodard and experienced young actor Rob Brown ('Finding Forrester').

"It was nice doing this movie because it was a culmination of so many people's talent and passion," said DaCosta, "but it was also difficult, because I feel like I'm learning so much everyday and I just want to get better and better."

The film is inspired by the true story of Pierre Dulaine, a New York City dance teacher and competitor, who volunteers his time to teach ballroom dancing to a diverse group of inner-city students serving detention. DaCosta said that the casting team had no idea she was a runner-up on the UPN show. After three auditions, she got the part. "It was a really, really fast but organic process," she added.

Unlike some other contestants from 'ANTM' (who have done other popular reality shows, appeared on magazine covers, and popped up in music videos), DaCosta has stayed under the radar. Thus, she managed to garner lucrative commercial work for brands such as Radio Shack and Garnier. When asked if those were a result of the top rated show, she plays it down some, saying, "I don't ever bring it up, unless they do."

"It's not like American Idol. No one is knocking at my door with a script," she said. "Basically with that show, if you are the winner you have a lot of support and they set up a bunch of things for you, and if you're anybody else and you don’t win, they just say 'Thanks very much' and let you go."

When probed more about Banks or the prospect of appearing on the show, DaCosta diplomatically explained, "In general, I'm focusing on myself, my spiritual growth and the work that I'm doing now. And I don’t really think just being in the spotlight for the sake of it is not really for me. I think it works well for some people but I'm really interested in the art."

Santiago-Hudson, Turner Feted By NAMIC

The 12th Annual NAMIC Vision Awards will take place at the Regent Beverly Wilshire hotel in Los Angeles April 18. Priding itself as the only program honoring the cable industry's achievements in creating quality, original programming targeted to multi-ethnic audiences, this year's ceremony will be hosted by comedian D.L. Hughley. Of the 30 networks nominated for awards, in 11 programming categories, MTV Networks leads with eight nominations. BET, HBO and Zee TV each received four, while Showtime and TNT garnered three. Founded in 1980, NAMIC --National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications-- is a nonprofit association focusing on ethnic diversity in the communications industry. According to a rep Obba Babatunde, Ernie Hudson, Arthel Neville, Gina Ravera, Wendy Raquel Robinson and Kym Whitley are confirmed presenters. Emmy award winning casting director and producer, Robi Reed is this year's Honorary Chair. Ruben Santiago-Hudson is this year's North Star Award recipient. Santiago-Hudson is the writer-producer of the multiple award-winning HBO movie, 'Lackawanna Blues,' which is also up for the Best Drama award. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. will receive the Quasar Award, which is presented to entities working in the cable and telecommunications arena for their achievements in advancing the cause of diversity in the past year.

Doggy Dogg World

On June 27, Tha Dogg Pound's new album, "Cali Iz Active" will be released, featuring collaborations with B-Real, Busta Rhymes, David Banner, Paul Wall and production by Battlecat, Fredwreck, The Alchemist, Jazze Pha and Sean 'Diddy' Combs. A spokesperson confirms that Snoop Dogg will helm the project, re-teaming his protégés Daz Dillinger and Kurupt a.k.a. ,b>Young Gotti. "I'm like the quarterback," Snoop Dogg said, "putting the team together, gluing it together. I'm the one that puts everything in the proper perspective. Get everyone thinking alike, moving alike, loving alike. Let everybody know that it's built on love first. If we love each first, the music will kick right in." Tha Dogg Pound will open for Ice Cube on a national tour set to kick off April 20 in Anaheim, Calif. and run through June. "I'm letting everybody know that the West Coast is definitely making a strong comeback," said Snoop. "Tha Dogg Pound sound is fresh and fly. It's a beautiful thing for me to be able to work with them, and when we drop this album it's gonna shake the whole game up."

Another 'Sleeper' For Showtime

The Golden Globe Award nominated miniseries 'Sleeper Cell,' will get a second run on Showtime Networks. Yesterday, the premium cable network's President Robert Greenblatt, announced that an eight-hour television event based on the controversial and unconventional drama will go into production this summer in Los Angeles. Starring Michael Ealy and Oded Fehr, the frighteningly realistic drama delves into the harsh inner-workings of a Los Angeles-based Islamic terrorist cell headed by a charismatic and fanatical extremist and a Muslim undercover FBI agent who infiltrates it. "It's relevant, fearless and unlike anything else on television," Greenblatt said. "Unfortunately terrorism is a part of our daily lives and this show is one of the few things in our pop culture to grapple with this subject matter in a realistic way."