American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Announces 2015 Film LineupPosted by Wilson Morales
May 26, 2015
The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) announced their highly anticipated roster of films that will screen at this year’s festival. More than 30 documentaries, web originals, short films and narrative features will showcase at the AMC Empire 25 in Times Square to a devoted, movie-going audience.
Director Rick Famuyiwa’s DOPE, presented by the Motion Picture Association, will make its New York City debut at the festival, opening night, on Thursday, June 11th at 7:30 p.m at the SVA Theatre. Produced by the renowned Forest Whitaker, Nina Yang Bongiovi, Pharrell Williams, and Sean “P.Diddy” Combs, this coming of age comedy/drama is one of the buzziest and most talked about film releases of the 2015 summer season.
This year’s Spotlight Screenings, include John Singleton’s Boyz N The Hood, the Season 4 premiere of ABFF Independent, with new host David Banner, Tasha Smith’s Boxed In, as well as features from ABFF alumni Julius Onah, Roger Bobb and Datari Turner.
The 2015 ABFF selection of narratives, web shorts and documentaries in competition include expansive scope and diversity, which explore such topics as love, race, politics, relationships, crime and fame.
“This year’s films highlight the importance of giving a voice to diverse storytellers. From a documentary on American mountaineers to a narrative about Black models, our roster of films reflects the breadth of the Black experience. It is also always wonderful to see ABFF alum return to showcase their latest projects. We encourage everyone to come out and support the work of these talented filmmakers,” said Jeff Friday, ABFF CEO and Founder.
The complete list of films selected for Spotlight, Narrative Features Competition, HBO® Short Film Competition, ABFF Web Originals, and the ABFF Documentary Competition is as follows:
OPENING NIGHT FILM
DOPE
2014 USA 115 MIN NY Premiere
Sponsored by the Motion Picture Association of America
Courtesy of Open Road Films
Directed by: Rick Famuyiwa
Written by: Rick Famuyiwa
Produced by: Forest Whitaker, Nina Yang Bongiovi
Executive Producers: Pharrell Williams, Michael Y. Chow, Rick Famuyiwa,David Lonner
Co-Exec. Prod: Sean “P. Diddy” Combs. Co-Prods: Mimi Valdes, Caron Veazys
Cast: Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Blake Anderson, Zoë Kravitz, A$AP Rocky, Chanel Iman, Quincy Brown
Malcolm is a high school geek with a high-top fade, carefully navigating life in The Bottoms, one of the toughest neighborhoods in Inglewood, California. He and his fellow outcasts share a voracious appreciation for all things ’90s hip-hop, opting to sport Cross-Colours and Z. Cavariccis at the risk of being clowned at school. He dreams of attending Harvard, but first he has to make it home every day. When a drug dealer takes a shine to Malcolm and invites him to his birthday party, Malcolm’s crew is swirled into a hilarious blender of offbeat characters and bad choices where redemption can only be found in Bitcoin.
SPOTLIGHT SCREENINGS 2015
ABFF INDEPENDENT – Season 4 Premiere
2015 USA 35 MIN World Premiere
Courtesy of ASPIRE
ABFF Independent is a showcase of popular and award-winning films from the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) hosted by hip-hop artist, record producer and actor David Banner.
AN UNEXPECTED HISTORY: THE STORY OF HENNESSY AND AFRICAN AMERICANS
2015 USA 49 MIN World Premiere
Courtesy of Hennessy
Directed by: Llewellyn Smith
Produced by: Llewellyn Smith, Annie Stopford
Featuring: Jason P. Chambers, PhD, Herbert P. Douglas Jr., Noel Hankin, Rhonda McDonald, Rodney Williams
An Unexpected History celebrates Moët Hennessy’s hundred-year relationship with African American culture, as well as the role of African
Americans in shaping the brand’s identity and success. The film recounts Hennessy’s historic role in bringing respect and opportunities to Black professionals and consumers, by focusing on the remarkable achievements of two of the brand’s most influential Black executives.
BOYZ N THE HOOD + Q&A with director John Singleton to follow
1991 USA 108 MIN 35 mm
Courtesy of Turner Classic Movies (TCM)
Directed by: John Singleton
Written by: John Singleton
Produced by: Steve Nicolaides
Cast: Ice Cube, Cuba Gooding Jr., Laurence Fishburne, Morris Chestnut, Nia Long, Angela Bassett, Regina King
John Singleton’s classic saga tells the story of a group of childhood friends growing up in a Los Angeles ghetto.
BOXED IN + Q&A with actress and director Tasha Smith to follow
2014 USA 30 MIN World Premiere
Directed by: Tasha Smith
Written by: Tasha Smith
Produced by: Tasha Smith, Kim Ogletree
Cast: Walter Fauntleroy, Antonique Smith, Tyra Ferrell
A Black man in NYC struggles with bipolar disorder, while his girlfriend and mother learn to deal with the pain of his manic episodes and struggle for mental survival.
RUNAWAY ISLAND + Q&A with the director and cast to follow
2015 USA 85 MIN Estimated World Premiere
Courtesy of TV One
Directed by: Dianne Houston
Written by: Christopher Brandt
Produced by: Gingi Rochelle & Allison Wilmarth
Cast: Lorraine Toussaint, Thomas Q. Jones, Aisha Hinds, Leon Thomas, A. Russell Andrews, Branton Box, Erica Tazel, Melanie Liburd
Winner of the Black Film Festival Screenplay competition, RUNAWAY ISLAND is a story about a group of troubled people finding refuge at Isle du Soleil, a secluded 1700s Gullah Sea Island resort run by a unique interracial couple, Lara Cook-Nordholm (Hinds) and Erick Nordholm (Branton Box, The Purge: Anarchy). The couple’s slow-paced, holistic lifestyle forces the island’s visitors to examine the strengths and weaknesses of their relationships, along with their own insecurities, while taking stock of their lives and renewing their love for one another.
The island’s guests include an affluent Capitol Hill grandmother and new widow, Naomi Holloway, portrayed by Toussaint, and her wayward grandson, Evan Holloway (Leon Thomas, Victorious); a successful pastor and his first lady wife, Reverend Clinton and Vonda Hines, who recently lost their daughter to leukemia, played by A. Russell Andrews (Grey’s Anatomy, House of Payne) and Erica Tazel (Justified); and media socialite Kira Geoffries (Melanie Liburd, CSI, Stalker) whose engagement to NFL star Raphael Burrows (Jones) threatens her well-cultivated bad girl image.
FRENCH DIRTY
2015/USA/72min/HD/NY Premiere
Directed by: Wade Allain-Marcus, Jesse Allain-Marcus
Written by: Peter K. Hagen, Wade Allain-Marcus
Produced by: Jason Wolf, Mel Jones
Cast: Wade Allain-Marcus, Jesse Allain-Marcus, Melina Lizette, Arjun Gupta, Elsa Beidermann, and Santana Dempsey
The film stars Wade Allain-Marcus as Vincent, a child of divorce, seemingly aimless, but in search of himself. Further: “Untethered to a job or any real responsibilities, he hangs out with Steve, his childhood best friend, and Jess, his girlfriend. That is until the moment he meets Roma. The chemistry is undeniable, but Vincent is still involved with Jess, so he introduces Roma to Steve and watches love bloom, forcing him to hide his deep feelings for her. When Steve leaves town, Vincent and Roma hook up, admit they are in love and vow to tell Steve by the end of the day. But as the sun sets behind the Los Angeles skyline, Vincent ruminates on his parents’ failed marriage, his own arrested development and the choice he must make to become a better man.”
GIRLFRIENDS’ GETAWAY 2 ** FEATURED ALUMNI SCREENING
2015/USA/84min/HD/World Premiere Directed by: Roger M. Bobb
Written by: Cas Sigers-Beedles
Produced by: Roger M. Bobb, Angi Bones, Cas Sigers, Terri J. Vaughn
Cast: Garcelle Beauvais, Terri J. Vaughn, Essence Atkins, Malinda Williams, Stephen Bishop, Khalil Kane
The sequel brings back the original cast Garcelle Beauvais, Terri J. Vaughn, Malinda Williams and Essence Atkins as well as two new additions, Stephen Bishop (“Being Mary Jane”) and Khalil Kane (“Girlfriends”).
This time the girls travel to San Juan to help Vicki (Garcelle Beauvais) plan her wedding and of course mayhem ensues. The movie, is Executive produced and directed by Roger Bobb.
JOHN OF GOD THE MOVIE
2014/ Democratic Republic of Congo/86min/HD/North America Premiere
Directed by: Selé M’Poko Written by: Selé M’Poko
Produced by: Selé M’Poko, Alessia Michielan, Jo D. Jonz, Woody T. Richman, Pamela Lubell
Cast: Jo D. Jonz, Jean Shaka Tshipamba, Moïse Ilunga
John of God is the world’s greatest musician…in his own mind. When an American film maker is sent to Kinshasa – DR Congo to do a ‘tell all’ story about him, his talent is put to the test.
KNUCKLEHEAD
2015/USA/81min/HD Directed by: Ben Bowman
Written by: Bryan Abrams, Ben Bowman
Produced by: Gbenga Akinnagbe, Ben Bowman Executive Producers: Jonathan Gray, Debra Azemar
Cast: Gbenga Akinnagbe, Alfre Woodard, Amari Cheatom, Justin Myrick, Nikiya Mathis, Carla Duren
When his brother is shot, mentally disabled Langston Bellows (Gbenga Akinnagbe) is left without a protector in Brooklyn’s housing projects. Now under the control of his abusive mother (Alfre Woodard) he must take his future into his own hands. Langston strives for independence from his prior life, from his mother, and from his fractured mind.
LAST NIGHT
2014/USA/93min/HD/NY Premiere
Directed by: Harold Jackson III
Written by: Harold Jackson III
Produced by: Harold Jackson III, Hope Taylor, Prince Levy Jr., Latecia Durham
Cast: Judi Blair, Danny Gavigan, Benton Greene, Nedra McClyde, Nikkole Salter
Part Richard Linklater’s Before Sunset series, part Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind and part jazzy love letter to DC. A serendipitous, down to earth, gritty slice of four people’s lives.
LAST NIGHT is a romance drama starring Judi Blair, Danny Gavigan, Benton Greene and Nedra McClyde. Sky’s (Judi Blair) last night in Washington DC before moving to North Carolina with her boyfriend (Benton Greene) becomes a whirlwind of emotions when a chance meeting with an attractive stranger (Danny Gavigan) tests her will.
SUPERMODEL *** FEATURED ALUMNI SCREENING
2015/USA/95min/HD/World Premiere
Directed by: Shawn Baker
Written by: Shawn Baker, Datari Turner
Produced by: Datari Turner
Cast: Tyson Beckford, Sessilee Lopez, Datari Turner, Roger Guenveur Smith, Fat Joe, Toccara Jones, Angela Simmons, Marc John Jefferies, Tatyana Ali, Nichole Galicia, Melissa De Sousa, Don Benjamin, Cassandra Freeman, Tobias Truvillion, Julito McCullum, Adam Senn
The film is being described as a modern day Mahogany. A young girl (Sessilee Lopez) from the Brooklyn housing projects goes from the subway to the runway becoming one of the most sought after models in the fashion industry. But in the high stakes world of fashion and beauty. Things aren’t always as pretty and glamorous as they seem.
THE GIRL IS IN TROUBLE *** FEATURED ALUMNI SCREENING
2015/USA/94min/35mm/NY Premiere
Directed by: Julius Onah
Written by: Mayuran Tiruchelvam, Julius Onah
Produced by: Dana Offenbach, Ryan Silbert, Robert Profusek, Jen Gatien
Cast: Columbus Short, Wilmer Valderrama, Alicja Bachelda, Jesse Spencer
A failed Lower East Side DJ struggling to keep his life together becomes entangled in a murder mystery involving a desperate woman, a missing drug dealer, and the scion of a powerful investment firm.
THE NIGHT BEFORE
2015/USA/86min/HD/World Premiere
Directed by: Kenny Young
Written by: Kenny Young
Produced by: Phil James, Lisa D. Washington, Kim Hardin
Executive Producers: Angela White, Felicia James
Cast: Colin Egglesfield, David Faustino, Fred Willard, Anna Hutchinson, Brian White, Gary Owen
This is a coming-of-age (kind of late) story about a young man in his mid to late 30s who’s convinced his carefree, womanizing bachelor days will go on forever. However, he’s in for a big wake up call when his best friend decides it’s time to tie the knot…
THE SIN SEER
2015/USA/119min/HD/World Premiere
Directed by: Paul D. Hannah
Written by: Paul D. Hannah
Produced by: Paul D. Hannah, Angela White, Isaiah Washington
Cast: Lisa Arrindell Anderson, Isaiah Washington, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, C. Thomas Howell, Michael Ironside, Richard Brooks
“The Sin Seer” follows Rose Ricard (Anderson), a woman who has the ability to see the sin in people’s souls and detect lies — a gift she uses to solve crimes. But when her latest case opens a door to her past, and that of her new partner (Washington), not even her ability can prepare her for what’s ahead.
WHAT LOVE WILL MAKE YOU DO
2015/USA/95min/HD/World Premiere
Directed by: Lisa Haynes
Written by: Lisa Hayne
Produced by: Lisa Haynes, Andre Congo, Justin Bones, Darrin Dewitt Henson, Brad James,Ty Johnston, Victoria Rowell
Cast: Darrin Dewitt Henson, Judi Blair, Victoria Rowell, Darryl Booker, Sir Brodie, Carl Anthony Payne II, Brad James
An attorney from a prestigious law firm falls in love with a beautiful woman of his dreams, but later discovers her father is seeking revenge against him over a court case gone terribly wrong.
HBO SHORT FILM COMPETITION
Saturday, June 13, 8:45 pm AMC EMPIRE 25
BLACK CARD
2015/USA/14min/HD/New York Premiere
Directed by: Pete Chatmon
Written by: Tony Patrick
Produced by: Christina DeHaven, Tony Patrick, Dorian Missick, Dylan Verrechia, ELEW
Executive Producer: Pete Chatmon
Cast: Dorian Missick, Simone Missick, Hisham Tawfiq, Stephen Hill, Erika Myers, Malikha Mallette, April Matthis, Valence Thomas
In a culture requiring an ID card and commitment to the code, an African American couple is about to find out just how far the boundaries can be pushed….
CHAINING DAY
2014/USA/11min/HD/New York Premiere
Directed by: Dominic Haxton Written by: Chris Bailey
Produced by: Chris Bailey
Cast: Dusan Brown, Shawn Kenneth
A young boy commits an accidental murder, which causes a stir in the community and forces him to choose between his loyalty to the gang he belongs to OR saving what’s left of his innocence by turning himself into the police.
FIRST DATE, LAST DATE
2015/USA/7min/HD/World Premiere Directed by: Derege Harding
Written by: E.V. Anderson Produced by: Derege Harding
Cast: Andrea Bordeaux, Daniel Hall
Soul mates Sara and Michael carry on their first date as the world comes to an end.
JOY
2015/USA/15min/HD/World Premiere
Directed by: Solomon Onita Jr. Written by: Solomon Onita Jr.
Produced by: Elsie Dortelus, Terrence J. Grant, Solomon Onita Jr.
Cast: Sope Aluko, Bayo Akinfemi, Hannah Tarver, Georgina E. Okon, Brooke- Monaé Westbrook
A Nigerian middle-aged woman living in America struggles to convince her traditionalist husband not to circumcise their ten-year-old daughter.
STANHOPE
2015/USA/18min/HD/World Premiere
Directed by: Solvan Naim
Written by: Solvan Naim
Produced by: Solvan Naim, Akshay Bhansali
Cast: Malik Lockett, Johnnie Mae, Rob Morgan, Nedra McClyde, Simeon Buresch
Stanhope is a drama about a teenage inner-city kid from Brooklyn who gets caught up in a web of violence as a paid assassin.
ABFF DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
The following films compete for the Best Documentary award. One winner will be announced during the “Best of the ABFF” awards ceremony, Sunday, June 14.
ALTHEA
2014 USA 77 MIN HD
Directed by: Rex Miller
Produced by: Nancy Buirski, Elisabeth Haviland James, Rex Miller
Executive Producers: John Amos, Billie Jean King, William Ackman
Principal Subject(s): Billie Jean King, Nick Bollettieri, David Dinkins, Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe
Althea Gibson, a truant from the rough streets of Harlem, emerged as a most unlikely queen of the highly segregated tennis world of the 1950s.
AN AMERICAN ASCENT
2015 USA 64 MIN HD New York Premiere
Directed by: Andy Adkins, George Potter
Written by: Andy Adkins, James Mills
Produced by: George Potter, Andy Adkins
Principal Subject(s): Stephen Shobe, Erica Wynn, Tyrhee Moore, Scott Briscoe, Billy Long, Rosemary Saal, Ryan Mitchell, Stephen DeBerry, Adina Scott, James Kagambi, Robby Rechord, Madhu Chikkaraju, Aaron Devine, Jon Krakauer, Conrad Anker
An American Ascent documents the first African American expedition to tackle North America’s highest mountain, Denali, while shedding light on the complex relationship many African Americans have with the outdoors.
NAT KING COLE – AFRAID OF THE DARK
2014 UNITED KINGDOM 94 MIN HD New York Premiere
Directed by: Jon Brewer
Produced by: Jon Brewer
Principal Subject(s): Maria Cole, Natalie Cole, Tony Bennett, Harry Belafonte, Johnny Mathis and more
A poignant authorized feature documentary on the life and legacy of Nat King Cole.
The ABFF is a four-day event dedicated to showcasing quality films by and about people of African descent. Committed to the belief that Black content creators and artists deserve the same opportunities as their mainstream counterparts, Jeff Friday conceived the festival in 1997 as a vehicle to promote diversity in the film and television industry. Today it is widely recognized as an important pipeline bringing new Black talent to prominence both in front of and behind the camera, and is regarded as one of the leading film festivals in the world.
