Capital City Black Film Festival (CCBFF) is back for its eighth annual festival with a bold new theme, “Breakthrough: Unleash Your Power,” that explores the impact racism plays on the mental health of Black people, specifically Black creatives. Through an in-depth examination of the state of Black mental health, CCBFF seeks to amplify stories that explore issues involving mental health, racism and discrimination and offer pathways towards the healing for African diaspora.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- The 2020 Capital City Black Film Festival will be held on Dec 4-6 and will be entirely virtual, so you can watch this year’s selections from the comfort of your couch.
- There are 5 ticket types (VIP, GOLD, SILVER, BRONZE, & a CCBFF SAMPLER PASS). Virtual passes are available via https://capcitybff.eventive.org/passes/buy
- Choose from dozens of screenings featuring brand new short films, documentaries, and feature-length submissions from filmmakers all over the country.
- Participate in the filmmaker talkback that takes place after each screening.
- Hear from industry leaders and innovators as part of CCBFF’s 2020 slate of panels
- Get access to spotlighted film screenings on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
- The ambassador for this year’s festival is “blackish” star Anthony Anderson and he will be speaking one-on-one with CCBFF about his career and experiences in the industry.
- The keynote discussion “Discovering Your Breakthrough” will be presented by Delta Research and Educational Foundation (DREF).
- The panel will include the “Oprah Winfrey Show” therapist-in-residence Dr. Robin L. Smith, “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” star Daphne Maxwell Reid and creator of Showtime’s Emmy Award nominated series “Soul Food” Felicia Henderson.
- The opening night event will feature a presentation of the highly anticipated Harlem Lights Award, which is being awarded to Austin native, multi-talented actor and musician Mehcad Brooks.
- Festival goers can expect powerful programming, special screenings and industry panels that cover mental health in the entertainment industry, overcoming racism and trauma and more industry-specific topics.
The Harlem Lights Award recognizes luminaries in all fields of endeavor, especially the creative arts. Austin’s own actor, producer and President of JuVee Productions Julius Tennon was the first recipient of the award. Other honorees include actor Louis Gossett Jr., the late major league baseball player, coach and manager Don Baylor and director, writer, producer and “Reel Divas” cofounder Deborah Riley Draper.
“Choosing Mehcad for this important distinction was personal for me. He has a true passion for the arts, brings characters to life on the big screen and a love for storytelling through music,” CCBFF Executive Director Winston G. Williams said: “Seeing Black Austinite’s succeed in the industry has inspired me to continue this festival year after year. Mehcad’s success is a success for all of Austin and to see him use his platform to educate and speak out again injustice leaves me beaming with pride.” Brooks currently plays character James Olsen in CW’s “Supergirl,” and is best known for his roles in Tyler Perry’s “Nobody’s Fool,” and “A Fall from Grace.” He is also starring as “Jax” in the highly anticipated upcoming film “Mortal Kombat.” As racial tensions intensified across the country this year, Brooks leveraged his following on social media to speak up about injustice and educate followers – which was sometimes met with resistance. His coined phrase “just a kid from Austin” speaks to his commitment to celebrate his upbringing and elevate the city of Austin’s impact on a global scale.
As CCBFF explores the impact that unaddressed trauma and issues have on the ability for Black creatives to thrive, they looked no further than Iyanla Vanzant’s show “Iyanla Fix My Life.” Recently, Iyanla featured a family that was struggling to overcome unresolved issues which featured reality television star Shay Johnson (“Flava of Love”, “Charm Skool”, “Love and Hip Hop”) and her siblings: musician Emjay (“Love and Hip Hop”), renowned speaker Dr. Joe Johnson and sister-in-law and therapist Brandi Pritchard-Johnson. While the show turned to be a tumultuous struggle between Dr. Vanzant and Shay, the family was able to address issues that had been plaguing them for years. In the upcoming CCBFF panel discussion, “Healing Starts at Home,” the Johnson family will discuss how this experience impacted them and helped to remove roadblocks on their path to advancing in the entertainment industry.
The CCBFF will also host Discovering Your Breakthrough keynote panel discussion brought to you by Delta Research and Educational Foundation (DREF), a public charity established by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. in 1967. Panelists include “Oprah Winfrey Show” therapist-in-residence Dr. Robin L. Smith, “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” star Daphne Maxwell Reid and creator of Showtime’s Emmy Award nominated series “Soul Food” Felicia Henderson.
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