| Thursday 26 | Friday 27 | Saturday 28 | Sunday 29 |
Thursday, January 26 (Opening Films)
8:00pm
Joe Frazier (When the Smoke Clears): Feature Documentary, 72 mins., UK/USA, 2010;
Dir. Mike Todd. He was one of the most famous athletes in world. A look at the life of Joe Frazier, after Ali.
w/ Junior and The Saint: Drama, Short, 15 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Lamont Stephens. A champion prizefighter must divide his time between training for the biggest fight of his life and being a single parent.
8:00pm
Hopelessly In June: Comedy, Feature, 90 mins., USA, 2010; Dir. Vincent Brantley. A financial analyst from a staunch Baptist family falls hopelessly in love with June, a successful business woman whose parents are nontraditional.
w/ Bathroom Vanities: Comedy, Short, 8 mins., USA, 2010; Dir. Christopher Cherot. A don't judge a book by its cover comedy about one woman's unforgettable experience in a ladies bathroom.
8:00pm
Ties That Bind: Drama, Feature, 110 mins., Ghana, 2011; Dir. Leila Djansi. Three women, three lives, one hope. An African “Waiting to Exhale.”
8:00pm
Opening Shorts Package: (Total run time of 78 mins.)
(1) The Collegians: Drama, Short, 18 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Bryan Lewis. A swinging drama based on the story of trumpet legend Erskine Hawkins days in college during the great depression.
(2) Women in Hats: Drama, Short, 28 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Brandi Brown. A young woman fuses god and dance to bridge the generation.
(3) Our Rhineland: Drama, Short, 15 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Faren Humes. Under the Third Reich, Germans of mixed race and African blood were identified, located and rendered sterile. But, two sisters fought back.
(4) Brotherly Love: Drama, Short, 17 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Choice Skinner.
Three brothers are confronted with a horrible act committed by the youngest due to the pressure of bullying from a local gang.
Friday, January 27
5:00pm
Scary Shorts (42 mins.) featuring
The Killing Seed: Thriller/Horror, Short, 14 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Carl
Shackleton. A supernatural femme fetal is programmed by her master to be a killer.
The Testament of Karma: Drama, Short, 12 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Houston
Williams. Karman Hyde wakes up in a bathtub filled with water to find a stranger standing before her. She finds herself a prisoner in her own home and desperate to get out.
Disciple: Documentary, Short, 8 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Christopher Parker. Janette Foster returns to prison and regains her top spot.
Odessa: Sci-Fi, Short, 8 min., USA, 2011, Dirs. Brian Rolling, Al Thompson.
A man and his young daughter are on the run from the mysterious shadow program that bestowed them with psychokinetic abilities.
5:00pm
Much Drama, One (51 mins.) featuring
Letters To A Father: Drama, Short, 20 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Angi Bones.
Theresa and Anderson welcome the birth of their new baby girl, but is Anderson really happy.
Chocolate Ice Cream: Drama, Short, 17 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Howard Squires. A father discovers things about himself when he discovers things about his child's killer.
First Day Home: Drama, Short, 14 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Drew Louis.
On the first day Cory is released from prison, he visits those most important to him to make amends and settle old scores.
5:00pm
Much Drama, Two (63 mins.) featuring
A Part of Our Relationship: Drama, Short, 22 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Jhonson Simeon. Even through pain, love wins.
Finding Grace: Comedy, Short, 14 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Alton Glass. Chemistry meets conflict when Grace and Chris go on a blind date turned comedy of errors.
5:00pm
Much Drama, Three (58 mins) featuring
Swimmin’ Lesson: Drama, Short, 9 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Christine List, Shahari Moore. A young man is prepared to confront his demons.
Flat Tire: Drama, Short, 24 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Machua Koinange.
A stranded-woman with a flat tire in the middle of nowhere, can she trust anyone?
Out of Time: Drama, Short, 14 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Gary Carbo.
A cinematic exploration into the life of a young African-American teenager terrorized by a stranger while battling the ruthlessness of the streets.
Duty: Drama, Short, 11 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Harry B. Sando.
After committing a heinous crime against his best friend, Sergeant Derek Rogers devises an elaborate plan to beat the system.
6:00pm
Evening Diaspora (73 mins.) featuring
Keeper of the Flame: Drama, Short, 30, USA, 2011: Dir. Brian Nelson.
The enigmatic Mardi Gras Indian culture serves as a pillar in the community and symbol of strength. But when the Big Chief of a prominent Indian tribe dies unexpectedly, leadership challenges emerge.
The Orisha Suite: Drama, Short, 43 mins., Canada, 2011; Dir. Nicole Brooks.
A little boy experiences the history and spirit of his ancestors through song, dance and rhythm of the Caribbean Orisha culture.
6:00pm
Serious Shorts (97 mins.) featuring
Mikel’s Faith: Drama, Short, 30 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Alexander Etseyatse.
Golden glove boxing champ Mikel Hill was sentenced to 25 years in prison for murder. Released on appeal after serving 4 years, he tries to restore his former life and confronts his past.
Moving Forward: Drama, Short, 20 mins., USA, 2011: Dir. Joshua Weber.
After years of playing by the rules and getting nowhere, Thomas Adder is about to make a name for himself as a young ambitious strategist in the forefront of winning a New York gubernatorial campaign.
Feel This: Music Video, 5 mins., USA, 2011: Dir. Rob Lambert. The story of
two brothers raised by a single mother against the harsh realities of decisions made for fast money.
C.I.G.A.R.: Drama, Short, 20 min., USA, 2011; Dir. Yahya McClain.
Four people from different walks of life get all too close as their lives intertwine at a local cigar shop.
Serious Shorts (97 mins.)
Chrysalis: Drama, Short, 22 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Nia Malika Dixon.
A young man struggles with his choice to be a drug dealer as it clashes with his religious beliefs.
Hearts Gamble: Drama, Short, 19 mins., USA, 2011; Dir., Jerry Digby.
The friendship of four men; questioning relationships, fidelity, and love.
6:00pm
Hallelujah Shorts (63 mins.) featuring
Church Business: Comedy, Short 14 mins., USA, 2010; Dir. Omnahr Sha Kari.
Reverend Jones, Sr., is holding a conference with church officials, one of them being his son, who’s gotten the daughter of one of his fellow church officials pregnant.
Genesis (Adam & Eve): Drama, Short, 30 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Gwen McGee.
An angel rebels in this story of a classic biblical tale.
High Card Trumps: Drama, Short, 6 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Geoffrey Quon.
A woman and soon-to-be grandmother is anxious to share her good news with the volunteers of her monthly Support-Our-Troops bake sale, until an Arab mother joins them.
Can’t Do It Alone: Music Video, 5 mins., USA, 2010; Dir. Eric
Richardson-Hagans. Three individuals try to find their way while staying true to their beliefs and ethics.
Sunday’s Best: Documentary, Short, 8 mins., USA, 2009; Dirs. Marlon Johnson, Dennis Scholl, Chad Tingle. A look at the cherished African American tradition of wearing fancy hats to church service.
7:30pm
Bad Friday (Rastafari After Coral Gardens): Documentary, Feature, 69 mins.,
Jamaica/USA, 2011; Dir. Deborah Thomas. Despite ubiquitous media images of Jamaica as a sun filled-paradise, its local population is actively grappling with legacy of the Coral Garden incident and political nationalism.
w/ Kenya Boys: Documentary, Short, 14 mins., Kenya, 2011; Dir. Alvin Shen.
Five Kenyan boys living in the second largest slum in the city, band together as a hip hop dance crew, to audition for Kenya's version of “America's Best Dance Crew.”
7:30pm
Operation Get Rid of Pinky: Comedy, Feature, 94 mins., USA, 2011; Dir.
Matthew Merz. As cops begin to clean the streets of Pink Powder, Pinky must find another way to distribute it. It’s a hilarious situation.
w/ Interception: Drama, Short, 10 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Jason Neudecker.
A man obsessed with sports has very little time for anything else. So it seems.
7:30pm
Unspoken Word: Drama, Feature, 152 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Henderson
Maddox. Born an orphan, the odd are against Donte Jordan. But eventually he’s on his own discovering the meaning of love, acceptance and faith.
w/ White Space: Drama, Short, 9 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Maya Washington.
Los Angeles spoken word poets take the stage as an aspiring performance poet makes his open-mic debut.
7:30pm
Locked In A Room: Drama, Feature, 90 mins., USA, 2010; Dir. Larry Simmons.
Three people are kidnapped and locked in separate rooms. Not sure why this has occurred, each begins to fear the worst.
w/ 5ive Thirty One: Drama, Short, 14 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Donnell Riley.
A serial killer strongly believes that people need to take responsibility for their actions.
9:00pm
The Late Show featuring
The Last Laugh: Drama, Feature, 95 mins., USA, 2010; Kenny Young.
Chronicles the rise and fall of a stand up comedian as portrayed by Tony Rock.
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Saturday January 28
11:00am
Mama & Me: Documentary, Feature, 83 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Lamont
Coleman. A man travels across country in search of his family's history and discovers his mother’s illness.
w/ Harriet Returns: Drama, Short, 9 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Marquis Smalls.
Harriet Tubman comes back to life to free young black men from mental slavery.
1:30pm
Deforce: Documentary, Feature, 86 mins., USA, 2010; Dir. Daniel Falconer.
For decades Detroit has been an emblem of urban decay. This film delves into the largely untold story of how the city has come to this.
w/ A History Forgotten: Drama, Short, 11 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Benjamin Michel.
Exploring the loosely chronological history of people of African descent who have been forgotten or excluded.
3:30pm
Camp Kickitoo: Comedy, Feature, 96 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Ric Sternberg, Mike
Sullivan. A fast paced hip-hop comedy centering on the unlikely romance between an unemployed banker, and a beautiful rapper.
w/ Working Late: Comedy, Short, 13 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Floyd Reeves.
An ambitious female executive fed up with her boss' frequent advances toward female clients and employees decides to do something about it.
5:30pm
Battle Buddy: Drama, Feature, 90 mins, USA, 2010; Dir. Gerard MCMurry.
Two women not particularly fond of each other are forced to work together to get through basic training. Will they make it?
w/ Finding Soil: Drama, Short, 8 mins., USA, 2010; Dir. Torch Eberhart.
Thomas’ criminal record has held him back from work and forced him into homelessness. However, he has a daughter and is desperate to give her more than love.
11:00am
Hubble’s Diverse Universe: Documentary, Feature, 38 mins., USA, 2010;
Dir. Dean Tapia. The scientific research and experiences of six African American and other astronomers and astrophysicists, with the Hubble Space Telescope.
w/ The Other Side of the Track: Documentary, Short, 28 mins., USA, 2010; Dir.
Luca Morazzano. Is segregation still an issue as towns like Commerce, Texas continue to show signs of discrimination?
1:00pm
White Wash: Documentary, Feature, 78 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Ted Woods.
A look at the struggles and triumphs of black surfers in America. Narrated by Ben Harper.
2:00pm
A Mother’s Love: Drama, Feature, 100 mins., USA, 2010; Dir. Tim Alexander. Regina Reynolds is a strong black woman but her taste for the good life doesn’t necessarily include her husband or daughter.
w/ Whip My Mane: Music Video, 5 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Michele Ervin.
A music video performed by students of the Compton Jr. Posse Youth Equestrian Program. Their mission is keeping kids on horses and off the streets.
4:00pm
The Contradictions of Fair Hope: Documentary, Feature, 66 mins., USA, 2011;
Dir. S. Epatha Merkerson, Rockell C. Metcalf. In July of 1865, over 4 million slaves were freed. Ill prepared to cope with the realities of their newfound freedom many formed Benevolent Societies” throughout the South. Narrated by Whoopi Goldberg.
w/ Ubuntu: Documentary, Drama, 7 mins., 7 min., USA, 2011: Dir. Jasmine Allen.
A young woman is visited by the spirit of an American slave and learns the value of her culture and relationships.
6:00pm
Salay: Drama, Feature, 44 mins., Sierra Leone, 2011; Dir. Ali Kamanda.
Desperate to escape her circumstances, eighteen-year-old Salay is intent on getting an education and carving out her own path in life. And she’s willing to risk leaving behind everything she knows in her father's Sierra Leone village to accomplish her goals.
w/ A Love Supreme: Drama, Short, 9 mins., USA, 2010; Dir. Evan Houston.
Saul is hopeful to meet his daughter for the first time, but soon learns the truth.
11:00am
First Generation: Documentary, Feature, 95 mins., USA, 2011; Dirs. Jaye
Fenderson, Adam Fenderson. Narrated by Blair Underwood, the story of low-income students who set out to break the cycle of poverty by pursuing a college education.
12:30pm
Judge Lynch: Drama, Short, 19 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. James Redwine.
Seven African American men were murdered by a white mob during October of 1878. The judge, prosecuting attorney and a future governor are all involved.
1:00pm
No Great Pain: Documentary, Short, 34 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Desiree
Holm; Matthew Marencik. Mother's in Charge, is a Philadelphia organization that assists women who have lost children due to violence and raises awareness related to violence and justice.
w/ The Meeting: Documentary, Feature, 35 mins., Greenland, 2010; Dir. Ruth
Montgomery-Andersen. In many societies women are forgotten, hidden or invisible within the history of their countries.
3:00pm
The Custom Mary: Drama, Feature, 81 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Matt
Dunnerstick. Two preachers and a scientist obtain a relic of Christ's blood in efforts to a make a clone for the second coming of Jesus Christ.
w/ Transformation: Music Video, 11 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Eric
Richardson-Hagans. A cop feels conflicted with doing his job and following his faith.
5:00pm
Lesson Before Love: Drama, Feature, 102 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Dui
Jarrod. Four unfulfilled singles journey towards love, while trying to find their way.
w/ Keyed: Drama, Short, 22 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Howard Bell, IV.
A young, naive newlywed attends a New Years Eve party and is coerced into an open relationship by her star athlete husband.
11:00am
Fambul Tok: Documentary, Feature, 72 mins., Sierra Leone, 2011; Dir. Sara
Terry. Victims and perpetrators of Sierra Leone's brutal civil war come together for the first time in a truth telling and forgiveness ceremony.
w/ Letters From Prison: Drama, Short, 29 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Lawrence
Lee Wallace. She was expecting marriage until the love of her life is locked up for a lengthy sentence.
1:00pm
Woke Up Black: Documentary, Feature, 59 mins., USA, 2010; Dir. Mary Morten. The ideas, attitudes, and opinions of the black youth.
w/ Save Me: Drama, Short, 13 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Lena Waithe.
A nine-year-old boy goes on a journey to find the man that saved his life.
2:30pm
The GLBT Meet-Up (2.5 hrs) featuring
Glitterboys & Ganglands: Documentary, Feature, 64 mins., South Africa, 2011;
Dir. Lauren Beukes. 14 contestants battle it out for the title of Miss Gay Western Cape in South Africa's biggest female impersonator pageant.
Government: Comedy, Short, 16 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Cindy E. Vaughn.
Pokes fun at dysfunctional workers at the Bureau for Minority and Overweight White Women led by Miss Kitty, who hasn't let being a man stop “her” from telling women what they really want.
Carmen’s Place: Documentary, Short, 19 mins., USA, 2009; Dir. Anna Wilking. An intimate portrayal of life at a transgender-shelter for teenagers.
Where Truth Lies: Drama, Short, 15 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Dane Joseph. A man on the “down-low” grapples with the lies he tells himself and others.
Slate: Drama, Short, 17 mins., USA, 2012; Dirs. Eric La Barr, Efrem
Towns. A manipulative hustler befriends an unsuspecting subject to help execute a plot to kill his domineering pimp.
Excuses For Jeff: Drama, Short, 30 mins., Jamaica/USA, 2011; Dir. Gibrey Allen. A journeys into the fragmented mind of a New York native as he tries to make sense of the brutal death of his gay best friend back in Jamaica.
5:30pm
The Therapist: Drama, Feature, 84 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Louis Brooks.
Dr. Knight occasionally takes home more than just her work.
w/ The Save: Drama, Short, 8 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Jean-Marc Le Doux.
A distraught young pitcher is alone on the mound facing a dire situation as he stares at one empty seat.
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Sunday January 29 (Closing Films)
11:00am
Forever No More: Drama, Short, 30 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Earnest Rhea. An
elite squad of female mercenaries find themselves caught in the middle of a heist gone bad.
w/ Burned: Drama, Short, 20 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Phyllis Bancroft.
The story of a female Fire Fighter and Air Force veteran who returns from the Iraq war suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
12:30pm
Lessons From A Black Collage: Comedy, Feature, 50 mins., USA, 2011; Dir.
Kimberly Singleton. Features stand-up comedian Thelma Ramsey who gives her comedic perspective on historically black colleges and Universities (HBCU).
w/ Wolf Call: Drama, Short, 12 mins., USA, 2010; Dir. Bob Underhill.
14-year old Emmett Till from Chicago had gone missing in Money, Mississippi. Later, the boy's mutilated body was found in a river. A reporter sits down with the two men acquitted of the boy's murder. But this time, things are reversed.
2:30pm
These Are Our Children: Documentary, Feature, 55 mins., Kenya/USA, 2010;
Dir. Joanne Hershfield. A revealing film about the devastating effects of poverty
HIV/AIDs and violence in Kenya.
w/ The Other Side of the Track: Documentary, Short, 28 mins., USA, 2010; Dir.
Luca Morazzano. Is segregation still an issue as towns like Commerce, Texas continue to show signs of discrimination?
11:00am
A Swingin’ Trio: Drama, Feature, 80 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Kelvin Phillips.
A frustrated unpublished science fiction writer living off the success of his wife, allows suspicions and insecurities to create a darkly comic night of truth unveiling.
w/ Lonely: Comedy, Short, 9 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Dexter Stallworth.
In a big City, one man will do almost anything to prevent loneliness.
12:30pm
Julia & Joyce (Two Stories of Two Dance Pioneers): Documentary, Feature, 60
mins., Trinadad and Tabago, 2010; Dir. Sonja Dumas. The fascinating histories of two Trinidad and Tobago dance pioneers.
w/ White Sugar In A Black Pot: Drama, Short, 18 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Rachel I.
Johnson. What appears to be a good opportunity for a mother and her family forces her to make one of the toughest decisions of her life.
2:00pm
Welcome to Harlem: Musical Comedy, Feature, 102 mins., USA, 2011; Dir.
Mark Blackman. A white guy moves to Harlem. Once there, he finds a sea of love, adventure and comedy.
w/Thicker Than Water: Drama, Short, 14 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Anissa
Folley. A blue-collared single parent struggles to make ends meet and hold his family together while keeping a deep secret from the person he loves most.
11:00am
The Scam: Drama, Feature, 82 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Perdell
Richardson. Basing his scam on the program “To Catch A Predator,” a young con man and his crew find themselves in danger and facing tragic consequences when they go after the wrong target.
w/ 14085: Drama, Short, USA, 2010, 14 min, Dir. Olli Koivula. 14,085 are the number of people killed by guns each year in America. Several characters are connected to one handgun though a sequence of events.
12:30pm
Silver Case: Comedy, Feature, 86 mins., Italy, 2011; Dir. Christian
Filippella. In Tinseltown, the world of scheming reaches a nasty low when a powerful producer known as the “Senator” hatches a plan to undermine the future success of the “Master,” his shady arch rival.
2:00pm
From The Outside Looking In: Documentary, Feature, 57 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Connie Messina. Millions of illiterate people must get their news from listening
to TV commentators and their friends. They face numerous other obstacles too.
w/ There’s No Grass In The Ghetto: Documentary, Short, 37 mins., USA, 2011;
Dir. Phil Messerer. The story of a scholarship summer camp for underprivileged kids from New York's Alphabet City Projects.
11:00am
Nuttin’ Bafflin: Documentary, Feature, 68 mins., Anguilla/USA, 2011;
Dir. Allison Wilmarth. Descendants of slaves on a tiny island in the Caribbean, develop a unique brand of boat racing practiced nowhere else on earth.
w/ Polar Reversal: Drama, Short, 4 mins., Canada, 2011; Dir. Alistair Johnson.
Based on a scene from the 1934 film Imitation Of Life, this film illustrates the central absurdity of racism.
w/ The Great Incarcerator Pt. I. (Dark Little Secret): Documentary, Feature, 35 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. D. Jones. An examination of the United States prison system and its unprecedented explosion in population and exploitation of dark, poor faces.
12:30pm
Reason To Hope: Documentary, Feature, 45 mins., Haiti, 2011; Dir. Regge Life.
The earthquake that struck Haiti brought tragedy to an island that has seen more than its share of sorrow. World media descended on Haiti and quickly departed. However, several CBS journalists remained and witnessed horrific events.
w/ The Good Boy: Drama, Short, 11 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Ryan Frank.
African refugees and African-American teenaged actors, tell the timeless story of the lure fast cash in the city streets.
w/ 300 Miles to Freedom: Documentary, Feature, 40 mins., USA, 2011; Dir. Richard Breyer. The story of John W Jones a fugitive slave who traveled the Underground Railroad from Leesburg, Virginia to Elmira, New York and becomes a wealthy and respected member of the community.
2:00pm
De corpo e alma (Body & Soul): Documentary, Feature, 54 mins., Mozambique, 2010;
Dir. Matthieu Bron. Three physically disabled Mozambicans overcome adversities and the misperceptions of their handicap.
Cultures of Resistance: Documentary, Feature, 73 mins., USA, 2010; Dir. Iara Lee.
A journey into the causes of contemporary war and conflict around the world.
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