The eZWay Awards Golden Gala event celebrates Hollywood's excellence, and at the same time, it gives back to the community by donating proceeds. This year proceeds go to benefit the Better Vision for Children organization. Hosting alongside Brian Hooks is actress/model Nadia Dawn ("The Bold and the Beautiful"). The "eZWay Awards," launched in 2019, will honor Kate Linder with the Lifetime Achievement Award for 44 years acting on "The Young and the Restless."

The eZWay Awards Golden Gala will be televised live via eZWay IVOD on over 100 channels that include eZWay TV, Bill Duke TV, The Women's Channel, MARC TV, ROKU and others. In attendance will be Tony Award nominated actress Starletta DuPois ("The Mighty Gents"); Olympic Golden Medalist boxer Henry Tillman; the ABC's "Claim to Fame" actor Gabriel Cannon (Nick Cannon's brother); James Cannon (Nick Cannon's father); actor/producer Johnny Venokur ("Lord of Illusions"); rapper James Darius, who is also eZWay's Universal Peace Ambassador; actor Trae Ireland (ABC's "911"); host on Your America TV on ROKU Rick Amato; founder of MARC TV on ROKU Marc Beilin; Tina D. Lewis (Women Global Speakers); actor Al Whiting ("Jerry Maguire"); founder of eZWay Network, eZWay Awards, eZWay TV and Wealth XO Dr. Eric Zuley; president of Better Vision for Children Dr. James Zuley; actor Sean Riggs ("S.W.A.T."); actress Melissa Heathers (Pet Sematary); bestselling author Deb Drummond; scriptwriter Satie Gossett (Star Wars); creator of The Matrix and Terminator franchise; Harlem Globetrotter Harold ‘Lefty' Williams; Johnny Venokur (Paramount+); Kathey Kolla (Fox's "Arrested Development"); actor/director Bill Duke; fashion designer Charlie Fashion; Moon Miller, and singer/songwriter John Michael Ferrari.

"It's going to be an amazing event," said the Bakersfield, California native about the eZWay Awards Golden Gala event. "I co-host with...Nadia Dawn...so Orange County come out!"

Partnering with eZWay Awards Golden Gala are Dr. Dante Sears, Dee Drummond, Eva Patterson (BET's ‘Raw Uncut Experience'), and Steven Byron. Legendary publicist and public relations specialist Dr. Edna Sims (ESP PR) will host the red (gold) carpet arrivals.

"I just dropped a romantic comedy called ‘Second Time Around' (he directed) it's a family movie," Hooks told me when I asked about other work that he has going on. "One film is in the can...'Proposition' (he directed). It's a drama/thriller. I stay busy...always pushing forward. Independent films are my foundation. The industry is changing."

Brian Hooks, continued about independent films, "There is no gatekeepers. It has been a blessing. You can control how, where and when."

"I have been doing this for a while now," Brian pointed out as we continued talking about his career. "My buddy and I made a film for $30,000. It was absolutely horrible! A 90-minute film. But we found a niche and made $800,000."

Hooks credits are long; he has been at it since 1996. You have seen him in the comedy "3 Strikes;" UPN's "Eve" with DMX; the 2004 film Soul Plane with Kevin Hart, Snoop Dogg, Tom Arnold, and Method Man; the film Phat Beach with Coolio; the film Bulworth with Warren Beatty, and TV series "NYPD Blue", "ER," "Cold Cases" and "The Parkers."  www.eZWayAwards.com www.TheBrianHooks.com

The Huntsman is an Epic Pictures release that is currently in AMC Theatres and on video-on-demand (VOD). It is based on the Judith Sanders novel of the same name with Emmy Award winning Steven Jon Whritner (Repo Man) as script writer and co-producer. Frank J. Malinoski is executive producer. The Huntsman stars Shawn Ashmore (X-Men United), Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost, The Purge: Election Year), Jessy Schram (Man Men, Chicago Med) and Garret Dillahunt (Fear the Walking Dead, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles).

"I got to see it in a couple theatres," Harris told me when I asked. "Both were with the actors and cast. We also invited our people."

The Huntsman follows an ICU (intensive care unit) nurse, played by Shawn Ashmore, who volunteers to help a coma patient, played by Garre Dillahunt who is accused of murdering six women. The suspect's wife, played by Elizabeth Mitchell, refuses to believe he is a murderer. The ICU nurse gets drawn into webs of lies, obsession and secrets all while a detective, played by Jessy Schram, is focused on stopping the killer by any means necessary. The film touches on the gray areas of morality, the limits of justice and the nature of truth.

I asked Kyle Harris to confirm that something I told someone was true, that after the film is made, there is still lots of work that happens and the Navy veteran (like me) said, "Absolutely, it's called postproduction. I like all aspects (of film production). That's the fun part. I'm there the whole time. The editor does his thing. I come into the room and we talk...I'm open. So many things change in the editing room. It still has to be hand-held every day until it gets to the big screen. Pre-production is tedious. I used to have long hair; it made me pull my hair out!!"

Harris is a native of Hawaii, but lives in Los Angeles and Oklahoma City. He has directed 17 films and produced 16. Some of those credits include Reverence and the Emmy Award winning documentary I Stand: The Guardians of the Water and Anywhere (2026). He also is known for his short films, such as Charlie Mike, Los Americanos, Prey, and Heel'D.

"Yes, the shorts were first...2013...to the summer of 2023," Kyle told me when I asked about his long list of shorts. "I use them now as proof of concept....to let them know we can pull it off. It (shorts) first started off for building my craft. Now I use shorts as proof of concept for features."

I asked Kyle Harris about the challenges of making The Huntsman and he said, "Every movie is challenging. Everyday there is a new obstacle. The Huntsman was surprisingly smooth. Most challenges were environmental. The heat and lightning shut us down. I've spent my career making low budget films (and know how to get around challenges)."

The Huntsman, aside from AMC theatres, can be seen on Fandango, Amazon Video, Google Play, Verizon TV, Comcast, Dish Net, Cox, DirecTV, Spectrum, YouTube, Sling TV and Apple TV. The Huntsman is a Plymouth Rock Entertainment, SafeHouse Films production.  www.Epic-Pictures.com www.AMCTheatres.com www.TheHuntsmanFilm.com

SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: Dr. Eunice Moseley has an estimated weekly readership of over one million for her column The Pulse of Entertainment. She is the publisher of the digital magazine www.ThePulseofEntertainment.com, which has an estimated 160,000 visitors a month. An entrepreneur, Dr. Moseley’s company, Freelance Associates, is a business management/public relations strategic planning and consulting firm that is celebrating 32 years in 2025. Dr. Eunice also serves as professor for the School of Business at Stanton University in Anaheim, California and serves as promotions director (at-large)/journalist and business consultant for The Baltimore Times. Dr. Moseley founded the Uplifting Minds II Foundation (www.UpliftingMinds.com) in 2023, a 501 C3 with a mission to empower the underserved through three major programs – One Stop Business Shop, the ULMII Professional Conference and the ULMII Academy (business management and public relations). EVENTS: "Uplifting Minds II" Entertainment Conference (ULMII), was launched by Dr. Eunice in 1999, to educate aspiring artists/musicians about the business of entertainment – www.UpliftingMinds2.com. Next ULMII Entertainment Conferences for Baltimore on Saturday April 18, 2026, presented by Security Square Mall and The Baltimore Times, and for Los Angeles on Saturday, November 7, 2026, presented by The Pulse of Entertainment and the ULMII Foundation. The ULMII conferences are free with virtual access via Zoom. ULMII entertainment conference offers a Professional Panel Q&A Session, a Professional Talent Showcase and International Talent Competition where the top three scored acts receive the ULMII Best Act Award and over $20,000 valued in prizes/product/services and cash!