2013 Urbanworld Begins Today
The 17th Annual Urbanworld Film Festival (www.urbanworld.org), presented by BET Networks, starts its 2013 slate today. The nation’s largest competitive multicultural film festival, Urbanworld will take place September 18-22, 2013 at midtown Manhattan’s AMC 34th Street and will screen 60 films, including 4 world premieres and 2 U.S. premieres.
“Baggage Claim,” the David E. Talbert movie based on Talbert’s best-selling debut novel about a flight attendant with thirty days and thirty thousand miles to find a husband, will open the 2013 Urbanworld Film Festival in New York.
Cast includes Paula Patton, Derek Luke, Taye Diggs, Jill Scott, Boris Kodjoe, Tremaine Neverson, Adam Brody, Jenifer Lewis, Ned Beatty, Lauren London, Tia Mowry, La La Anthony, Christina Milian, Affion Crockett, Terrence J, Rickey Smiley, and Djimon Hounsou.
With her mother having just tied the knot for a record-breaking fourth time and her baby sister, Sheree, rushing to jump the broom, five-time maid of honor Montana Moore is dangerously close to becoming not only the oldest, but the only woman in her entire family never to be married.
Having convinced herself that there’s no way in heaven or hell she’s showing up at her sister’s Christmas Eve engagement party without a prospect of her own, Montana concocts her wildest and most romantically ridiculous plan yet: a thirty-day, thirty-thousand-mile trek in search of a husband.
Will it be Damon Diesel, a young hip-hop producer whose motto is “Making the green scream and the dolla holla!”? Or will she win over the Reverend Curtis P. Merewether, pastor and founder of Greater House of Deliverance, Tabernacle of Praise, Worship, and Miracles? Of course Langston Jefferson Battle III, superattorney turned city councilman, needs a wife now that his sights are set on the United States Congress. Or perhaps her lifelong mate is Quinton Jamison, a multimillionaire textile guru twenty years her senior. Only time — or the lack of it — will tell.
BET Networks proudly presents its second original movie to premiere at Urbanworld: Gun Hill (directed by Reggie Bythewood and starring Larenz Tate, Emayatzy Corinealdi and Aisha Hinds), a gritty Cain and Abel drama set and shot in New York City.
Additional highlights of Urbanworld 2013 include: a Season 4 episode of the HBO® drama “Boardwalk Empire” (starring Michael Kenneth Williams and Jeffrey Wright); the black western They Die by Dawn (starring Erykah Badu, Rosario Dawson, Idris Elba, Giancarlo Esposito, Jesse Williams, Michael Kenneth Williams, and Isaiah Washington); and the documentary Finding the Funk (starring George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, D’Angela, Sheila E., Sly Stone and Questlove).
Urbanworld is also announcing the launch of Urbanworld Underground, a platform designed to highlight maverick content creators who are transcending conventional filmmaking with innovation in their storytelling. In addition to Jeymes Samuel’s They Die by Dawn, Urbanworld Underground will feature Kahlil Joseph’s What Matters Most Shorts Block, which includes “Black Up,” “Until the Quiet Comes,” “The Model (Parts 1 & 2),” and “Wildcat.”
BET returns for a sixth year as presenting sponsor along with founding sponsor HBO®, who will host the Urbanworld Digital program again this year, with sessions presented by HBO, Interactive One, and MoviePass.
“Urbanworld Film Festival celebrates established multi-cultural screenwriters, producers and directors and aims to empower hopefuls by bringing new and diverse films to our community,” said Loretha Jones, President of Original Programming. “BET believes Urbanworld Film Festival is an undeniable platform for emerging filmmakers, and because we pride ourselves on having our finger on the pulse of what’s important to our audience, this makes our partnership even more exciting.”
“Our 2013 slate indicates what I’ve known all year: that this is an exciting time for multicultural films,” said Gabrielle Glore, executive producer and head of programming for Urbanworld. “We are always honored to be able to connect audiences with the artistic excellence of the filmmakers who have participated in Urbanworld for 17 years. And the continued support of our partners BET and HBO make it possible for us to keep shining a light on the diversity of stories that the world needs to see.”
URBANWORLD 2013 FILM SLATE
OPENING NIGHT FILM
- Baggage Claim – Directed by David E. Talbert
CLOSING NIGHT FILM
- The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete – Directed by George Tillman Jr.
SPOTLIGHTS
- Gun Hill – Directed by Reggie Rock Bythewood (NY Premiere)
- Boardwalk Empire – Season 4, Episode 3 – Created by Terence Winter
- Finding the Funk – Directed by Nelson George
URBANWORLD UNDERGROUND
- What Matters Most Shorts Block – Directed by Kahlil Joseph
- Black Up
- Until The Quiet Comes
- The Model part 1
- The Model part 2
- Wildcat
- They Die By Dawn – Directed by Jeymes Samuel (NY Premiere)
NARRATIVE FEATURES
- An American in Hollywood – Directed by Sai Varadan (World Premiere)
- Calloused Hands – Directed by Jesse Quinones (NY Premiere)
- Full Circle – Directed by Solvan Naim
- Home Again – Directed by Sudz Sutherland (NY Premiere)
- Knockaround Kids – Directed by John Oluwole Adekoje (NY Premiere)
- Sable Fable – Directed by Stephen Jackson (NY Premiere)
- The Last Letter – Directed by Paul D. Hannah (World Premiere)
- The Volunteer – Directed by Vicky Wight (NY Premiere)
- The Magic City -– Directed by R. Malcolm Jones (NY Premiere)
- Things Never Said – Directed by Charles Murray (NY Premiere)
DOCUMENTARY FEATURES
- A Lovely Day – Directed by Kerri Gawryn (NY Premiere)
- American Beatboxer – Directed by Manauvaskar Kublall
- Brothers Hypnotic – Directed by Reuben Atlas
- Children of the Wind – Directed by Daphne Schmon (NY Premiere)
- In Search of the Black Knight – Directed by Tamarat Makonnen (NY Premiere)
- Little Ballers – Directed by Crystal McCrary (NY Premiere)
- The New Black – Directed by Yoruba Richen (NY Premiere)
- The New Public – Directed by Jyllian Gunther
DOCUMENTARY SHORTS
- “Colored My Mind” – Directed by Nia Hill (NY Premiere)
- “NAILgasm: The Nail Art Documentary” – Directed by Ayla Montgomery (World Premiere)
NARRATIVE SHORTS
- “A Different Tree” – Directed by Steven Caple Jr. (NY Premiere)
- “Amateur” – Directed by Ryan Koo (NY Premiere)
- “Baghdad Messi” – Directed by Sahim Omar Kalifa (US Premiere)
- “Boneshaker” – Directed by Frances Bodomo
- “Chance Encounter” – Directed by Eric Richardson-Hagans (NY Premiere)
- “Crescendo” – Directed by Alonso Alvarez
- “El Doctor” – Directed by Heather de Michele
- “El Invento” – Directed by Giovanni Granada (NY Premiere)
- “Five Years” – Directed by Durier Ryan
- “Fly On Out” – Directed by Robert Kolodny (World Premiere)
- “Free Lunch” – Directed by Ricky Horne (NY Premiere)
- “Journeyman” – Directed by Sarah Jenkins
- “Juaritos” – Directed by H. F. Crum
- “La Hora Senalada” – Directed by Ivan Mazza (NY Premiere)
- “Last Remarks” – Directed by Umar Riaz (NY Premiere)
- ‘Little Black Boy Wonder” – Directed by Mo McCrae (NY Premiere)
- “LU” – Directed by Korstiaan Vandiver
- “Nameless” – Directed by Jacquin Deleon (NY Premiere)
- “Ojala” – Directed by Ryan Velasquez (NY Premiere)
- “Prospect” – Directed by Derrick Perry
- “Rosita Lopez for President” – Directed by Rachel Goldberg (NY Premiere)
- “Say Yes” – Directed by Ava DuVernay (NY Premiere)
- “Sweet Honey Chile’” – Directed by Talibah Newman
- “The Bash” – Directed by Tyson FitzGerald (NY Premiere)
- “The Grown-Ups” – Directed by Kaliya Warren
- “The Painter” – Directed by Kevin Cooper (NY Premiere)
- “The Rebel Prince” – Directed by Fabian Davis (NY Premiere)
- “Traces of Joy” – Directed by Jeff Tran and Louis Yeum (US Premiere)
- “Twenty Bucks” – Directed by Jesus Beltran (NY Premiere)
SCREENPLAY FINALISTS
- BLACK CAKE – Written by Pauline Gray
- THE GOOD SOLDIER – Written by Tiana Idoni-Matthews
- THE GUNNERY – Written by Randy Wilkins
- PASSENGERS – Written by Anthony Onah
- YEAR OF OUR LORD – Written by Darius Clark Monroe
TELEPLAY FINALISTS
- DIARY OF A RETAIL GIRL- Written by Racheal Benjamin
- MEL & MISSY- Written by Allison Bonner Shillingford
- MIRACLE JONES – Written by Charmain Johnson
- BROS BEFORE HOES- Written by Benjamin Cory Jones
- LIVE BIG – Written by Tasimika Paxton
