Official Selections of Hollywood Black Film Festival 2012 AnnouncedPosted by Wilson Morales
October 5, 2012
Tanya Kersey, Founder and Executive Director of the Hollywood Black Film Festival (HBFF), announced the 2012 season of HBFF with an exciting line up of films, panels, panelists and festivities over a four day period. HBFF happens October 25 – 28, 2012 and will be hosted at The W Hotel, 6250 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028.
The Opening Night will be held on October 25 @ 7:00 PM. All films will be screened around the corner at the Montalban Theater, 1615 Vine Street, Hollywood, CA.
Recognized as the premiere Black film festival in Hollywood showcasing the best independent films from Black filmmakers, HBFF leads with innovation by delivering top-shelf panels designed to empower filmmakers and expose Black film to diverse audiences right in the heart of the movie capital.
“This year marks a pivotal moment in our history as we celebrate the artistry of Black film from coast-to-coast and worldwide,” said Kersey. “This year it’s our goal to expose the masses to dynamic Black film, while educating people on best practices for getting film financing, creating stories and tapping into the power players doing the deals through our informative Infotainment Conference panels and workshops.”
The 2012 Hollywood Black Film Festival will feature 39 films – 8 features, 6 documentaries, 3 student films and 22 shorts.
FEATURE FILMS
Note To Self (Opening Night Film)
Note to Self follows a handsome and popular student athlete coming of age during his senior year of college, as his world begins to fall apart due to his mom’s failing health and the reappearance of his father after 16 years.
Director: Trey Haley; Writer: Christian Keyes; Producers: ND Brown, Eric Tomosunas, Veronica Nicholas, Keith Neal; Executive Producers: Gregory Anderson, Reginald Jones; Production Companies: Tri Destined Studios, Swirl Films; Distributors: Image Entertainment, One Village Entertainment. Cast : Christian Keyes, LeToya Luckett, Richard T. Jones, Brian McKnight, Eva Marcille, Clifton Powell, Valarie Pettiford, Jason Weaver, Brely Evans, Sebastian Siegal, Willie Taylor, Mishon Ratliff, Brian Mcknight, Jr. and more.
24 Hour Love (Closing Night Film)
The greatest feeling in the world is when you learn to love! This feature showcases seven stories of everyday people experiencing love, laughter, life and relationships of the heart. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly….It’s all here. 24-Hour Love…what a difference a day makes!
Writer – Don B. Welch , Director – Fred Thomas, Producer(s) – Eric Tomosunas, Don B. Welch, Cast: Malinda Williams, Tatyana Ali, Keith Robinson, Eva Marcille, Flex Alexander, Chico Benymon with Lynn Whitfield and Darius McCrary
Against the Grain
Isaiah Johnson, an inner-city kid from Oakland, California, has an opportunity to attend anElite University. In his first year of college, he struggles to maintain his grades, attempts to remain loyal to his troubled childhood friends, and valiantly tries to capture the hear of his dream-girl. But when he arrives at a crossroad, he’s forced to choose between his past and his future.
Producer/Director/Writer: Elias Mael, Executive Producer: Mayon Denton
Dar He: The Lynching of Emmitt Till
In an acting tour de force, one man performs 36 roles in the telling of the Emmett Till tragedy.
Director: Rob Underhill, Producer: Aravind Ragupathi, Producer: Mike Wiley -Running
He Heard My Cry
Jay is faced with a dilemma while torn between two best friends, his fiance’ allege infidelity/pregnancy, and the new apple in his eyes, he must make a decision between heaven and hell.
Director/Writer: Ervin Riggs, Producer: Ivan Anderson
The Coalition
The bad boys club is really not all that bad. Young, rich and handsome…the boys know how to have a good time. They love women, fast cars and doing whatever they want to do. They comes a time in life, however, when karma is helped along. When it’s done by a group of scorned women…it can prove to be devastating.
Director: Monica Mingo, Producer: Rich Volin
The Eugenist
The Eugenist is a feature length horror film from director and author Tariq Nasheed following a group of college students who discover strange activities going on in a mysterious abandoned school.
Producer/Director/Writer: Tariq Nasheed, Writer: Aaron Strongoni
The Great Divide
Tosha Landry, eccentric wife and nucleus of a circle of very ethnically diverse friends, is a student of the ancient Indian teaching of the Tantra and Kama Sutra. One Friday evening at the monthly get-together, Tosha introduces a game designed to elicit feeling and impressions men and women have about each other.
Director: Ibrahim Yilla, Producers: Dan Garcia, Wendy Wiltz and Jason Hewitt
Cast: Tichina Arnold, Darrin Dewitt-Henson, Richard T. Jones, Golden Brooks, Rocsi Diaz and Clyde Jones
DOCUMENTARIES
Even Me
Even Me confronts the overwhelming crisis of HIV/AIDS among older adults 50+. Defying the myth that HIV/AIDS is a gay or young person’s disease, this revealing documentary depicts the devastating impact of this epidemic on the heterosexual, older adult population and communities of color.
Producer/Director: Megan Ebor
Hubbles’s Diverse Universe (DOC)
The scientific research and experiences of six African American and three Hispanic American astronomers and astrophysicists are presented in this documentary. ‘Diverse’ refers to both the ethnic diversity of the scientists who appear in the film and the diverse set of astronomy topics explored. The film as four chapters: Science, Diversity, Mentoring and Outreach, and NASA’s contributions.
Director: Dean Tapia, Producer: Lisa Boags
Innocents Lost: Teenage Girls Struggles
This edgy documentary will explore drug use, prostitution, gang-banging and other issues that make up the lives of three young girls.
Producer: Dana Hanna, Joy Sudduth
Mas Man: The Complete Work
It is the only film made about the man who reached 80 per cent of the planet in a single night. Mas Man (The Complete Work) explores Peter Minshall’s leap from designer in the Trinidad Carnival to an artistic director of the Opening Ceremonies for three Olympic Games, based on his knack for ‘making what is small seem big in an Olympic stadium.’
Producer/Director: Dalton Narine
The Black Kungfu Experience
This action-packed documentary chronicles kungfu’s black pioneers and heroes, exploring a dynamic intersection of African-American and Chinese culture.
Producers/Directors: Martha Burr, Mei-Juin Chen
Versailles ’73: American Runway Revolution
In an era known for protests and sit-ins, the 1973 Grand Divertissement at Versailles made a statement of its own – a fashion statement. The legendary event pitting the five lions of French couture Givenchy, Dior, Ungaro, Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Cardin with five American designers Halston, Oscar de la Renta, Anne Klein, Stephen Burrows and Bill Blass created a cross-stitch of change across fashion, race, business and catwalks. When African American models Bethann Hardison, Pat Cleveland, Alva Chinn, Billie Blair, Norma Jean Darden, Barbara Jackson, Jennifer Brice, Romana Saunders and Amina Warsuma boarded the plane to Paris, they had no idea they would help change the course of fashion and pull off its biggest coup.
Director: Deborah Riley Draper
STUDENT FILMS
A Tar Baby is Born
The popular stories featuring the trickster Brer Rabbit can be traced back to the oral storytelling tradition of African slaves who brought this device to the plantation. Upon hearing these stories while working as a newspaper apprentice on the plantation, a white journalist by the name of Joel Chandler Harris became so fascinated that he adapted and complied them in a book form in 1881, creating the fictional character Uncle Remus to narrate the stories.
Director/Writer: Theron Smith
Astorgos
When a rumor sprouts up questioning Mathew’s little brother Nathaniel’s sexuality, Matthew is faced with the choice of either accepting Nathaniel for whom he is or breaking the bond of their relationship forever.
Producer/Director: Solomon Onita, Jr.
Why Do You Have Black Dolls?
A documentary that explores the history, beauty, and pride that is the black doll. Through its characters it reveals that the black doll is more than a plaything; it is a cultural artifact that represents the history of the people it depicts.
Producer/Director: Samantha Knowles
SHORT FILMS
A Difficult Thank You
A mother and father are devastated to find out that their recently deceased daughter
signed up to be an organ donor without their knowing. The family is divided as the father and two remaining daughters find comfort in corresponding with the organ recipients, white the mother sees the correspondence as a betrayal.
Director : Edrei Hutson, Producer: J’Vanne Yancy
Animal Control
An outrageously funny, over-the-top mock reality show that pulls the veil off a reality television and show exactly how these pieces of crap get made! Down and out Hollywood producer Allen Davies owes a lot of people money. After the unsuccessful attempts of his last few projects, let’s just say finding work has been pretty slow. That is, until foreign investors hire Allen to produce a new reality show for American television.
Producer/Director: Brian Shackelford, Producer: Joyce Fitzpatrik
Barbarsol
A story about a man that desires a bond with his elderly father. He realizes that he is running out of time due his father slipping further into dementia. What he comes to realize is he needs to now turn his attention toward his own son.
Director/Executive Producer: Ralph K. Scott, Writer/Producer: Kiara C. Jones
Elegy for a Revolutionary
Two friends oppose the apartheid-era government in South Africa. Their choice to use violence tears their relationship apart.
Director: Paul van Zyl, Producer: Stacy Ekstein
How Tiger Can Get His Swag Back
With the help of the mystical Brotha Vance, Tiger Woods embraces his African-American heritage to make a comeback and win the heart of the ultimate sista-Michelle Minaj.
Director: Xl Greene, Producer: Michael Watkins
Junior
Seven years after a police raid gone wrong, a detective is confronted with the consequence of his past mistake.
Director: Jeffrey Elmont, Producers: Bryan Smiley, Christina Northup, Marcus Dupree
Malachi IX
Set in the dark futuristic world of Pearl City year 2040, “MALACHI IX” is a sci-fi supernatural drama about an alcoholic priest consumed with rage who struggles with the vow he has made to protect the city from vicious vampires and his lack of faith in the human race.
Director: Marquette Williams, Writer: Marquette Williams, Producers: Desi Green & Moni Boyce
Cast: Patrick Kilpatrick, Ivan Sergei, Jes Meza, David Bianchi, Elimu Nelson, Bret Roberts, Myles Crawford, Samantha Lockwood, Jay Burks, Anthony Elfonzia, Deanna Noe, Andrew Miller, Felicia De Silver, Chris Stacey, Angela Landis, Matthew A. Parker
Operation: CTF
Operation: CTF is about a futuristic, weapon-based game of Capture the Flag, following four combative team members through a maze-structured warehouse in effort to complete their objective and win the game.
Writer/Director/Executive Producer – Denzel Whitaker, Executive Producer/Writer – Barnaby Barrilla
Operation Home Front
Best Selling Author Ezekiel Anderson is at a spiritual crossroads that is costing him his marriage. On the brink of divorce, a divine intervention hopes to remind Ezekiel of life’s true gifts.
Producer/Director: Donre Walker, Producer: Joanna Ellenbeck
Peace on the Streets
Young Black men in major metropolitan cities all around America are dying. Rappers from the San Francisco Bay Area have gotten together to express the issue via this music video.
Director: Bobby Mardis, Music: Cholly J, Writers: Cholly J, Stephen Ashford & Bobby Mardis
Saudade
James, lynched at the turn of the century, seeks his bride Sarah, whom he stumbles across in the present day. Dead set on having her see him, he haunts her, but it brings unexpected results.
Director: Evita Castine, Producer: Allison Melanson
Seafood Tester
A son is tired of bailing his mother out of trouble. In order to save her from herself, he must resort to extreme measures to confront her with the truth.
Producer/Director: Darious Britt
Stare Straight Crew
An inside look at the wacky world of rival Staring champions as they train for the next World Championship and the affection of their Master guru.
Director: Paul Aspuria, Producers: Juan Sotelo, Raymund Aranda
The Bubble Gum Hit
A hired female assassin, with a impulsive fetish for the kill, becomes entangled between the target and the people that hirer here to complete the hit.
Producer/Director: L Eric Richardson-Hagans, Producer: Michael Francis
The Death of a Prince
When a troubled teen stumbles upon an ancient book he is confronted with his past, present and future through the life and death of a young African Prince. Now he must take actions to alter his fate or succumb to the same fate as the prince before him.
Director: A.R. Hilton, Producer: Joseph Francis
The Extortionist
When a depressed and introverted man comes home to his happy son, he has to recount the tales of the past in which an extortionist controlled his life.
Producer/Director/Writer: Logan Williams
The Gift
Best Selling Author Ezekiel Anderson is at a spiritual crossroads that is costing him his marriage. On the brink of divorce, a divine intervention hopes to remind Ezekiel of life’s true gifts.
Producer/Director/Writer: Harold Jackson III
The Last/First Kiss
Two twenty-something strangers accidentally encounter one another in a park and forge an unexpected connection. Following which a spontaneous but short lived romance develops between the two.
Producer/Director: Andrea Ashton, Producer: Andrew Stoneham
The Ultimate Wingman
No situation is too tough for the Ultimate Wingmen. This fearless, secretive, private, group of men are on call 24/7 to step in and interfere, occupy, or remove nagging friends so that hopeful men can meet their possible wives.
Directors: Sedric Veal, Jorge Sanchez, Producers: Carl Herard, Lanre Idewu, Tobijah Tyler
They Lost It
A young man is hit with the realization that his mistress and father are set to wed. He then goes into panic mode, devising a plan to keep his wife and father from finding him out.
Producer/Director/Writer: Harrell Williams
What About Us
A family desperate to find their missing daughter soon realize their daughter’s significance in society is based on their social and economic status.
Director: Deatra Harris, Producer: Bryan Johnson
White Space
White Space follows the inner life of a deaf performance poet as he makes his debut at an open-mic night for a hearing audience.
Director: Maya Washington, Producers: Freddy F. Hakimi, Samantha Manalang
