{"id":61162,"date":"2011-08-24T13:05:02","date_gmt":"2011-08-24T13:05:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/0de2709a84.nxcli.net\/0-kjasnb\/2011\/08\/24\/15th-annual-urbanworld-film-festival-slate\/"},"modified":"2018-12-18T12:48:56","modified_gmt":"2018-12-18T12:48:56","slug":"15th-annual-urbanworld-film-festival-slate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.blackfilm.com\/read\/15th-annual-urbanworld-film-festival-slate\/","title":{"rendered":"15th Annual Urbanworld Film Festival Slate"},"content":{"rendered":"

TH<\/strong>E URBANWORLD FILM FESTIVAL PRESENTED BY BET NETWORKS ANNOUNCES 2011 FESTIVAL SLATE & C<\/strong>ELEBRATES 15<\/strong>th <\/strong>A<\/strong>NN<\/strong>I<\/strong>VERSARY<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span><\/strong>B<\/span><\/strong>r<\/span><\/strong>oo<\/span><\/strong>klyn Boheme\u201d Selected as Opening Night Film; \u201cKinyarwanda\u201d is<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

C<\/span><\/strong>l<\/span><\/strong>o<\/span><\/strong>sing Night Selection<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

NEW\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 YORK,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 NY\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (August\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 24,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2011)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 15th\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Annual\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Urbanworld\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Film\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Festival<\/strong> (www.urbanworld.org)<\/a>, \u00a0presented \u00a0by BET Networks<\/strong>, \u00a0announced today that \u00a0the world \u00a0premiere of Diane \u00a0Paragas\u2019 \u00a0and \u00a0Nelson \u00a0George\u2019s \u00a0Brooklyn \u00a0Boheme <\/em><\/strong>(Spike \u00a0Lee, \u00a0Chris \u00a0Rock, \u00a0Branford<\/strong>M<\/strong>arsalis, Rosie Perez, Saul Williams<\/strong>) will serve as Opening Night selection for the festival, which will take place S<\/strong>eptember 14-18, 2011 <\/strong>in midtown Manhattan at AMC 34th Street.<\/p>\n

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BET \u00a0Networks returns for \u00a0a \u00a0fourth year \u00a0as presenting sponsor \u00a0along \u00a0with founding sponsor \u00a0HBO<\/strong>, who will host the Urbanworld Digital program again this year.<\/p>\n

A<\/strong>l<\/strong>rick \u00a0Brown\u2019s \u00a0Kinyarwanda<\/em><\/strong>, \u00a0a \u00a0feature \u00a0narrative \u00a0based \u00a0on \u00a0the \u00a01994 \u00a0Rwandan \u00a0genocide, \u00a0is the festival\u2019s Closing Night Selection. Kinyarwanda <\/em>earned the World Cinema Audience Award: Dramatic at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and is also the second release (in theatres November 2011) from AFFRM <\/strong>(African American Film Festival Releasing Movement), an Urbanworld partner.<\/p>\n

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The \u00a0nation\u2019s \u00a0largest \u00a0competitive \u00a0multicultural \u00a0film \u00a0festival, \u00a0Urbanworld \u00a0also \u00a0announced \u00a0its \u00a02011 official selections for the narrative feature, documentary feature, \u00a0documentary short, and narrative short categories. The festival will screen 58 films, including 17 world premieres.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Highlights of Urbanworld 2011 include: the Horne Brothers\u2019 The Start of Dreams<\/em>, a documentary set in the world of Broadway and starring Kenny Leon, Denzel Washington, Samuel L. Jackson <\/strong>and more; Ty Hodges\u2019 You, Me & <\/em>the Circus, \u00a0produced by Omar \u00a0Epps<\/strong>; Parrish Smith\u2019s \u00a0The Scroll, <\/em>a documentary featuring T.D. Jakes, Rev. Al Sharpton, Bishop Eddie Long, Dr. Jeremiah Wright, Rev. \u00a0A.R. \u00a0Bernard <\/strong>and \u00a0more; \u00a0Victoria \u00a0Mahoney\u2019s \u00a0Yelling \u00a0to \u00a0the \u00a0Sky<\/em>, \u00a0starring \u00a0Zoe \u00a0Kravitz <\/strong>and G<\/strong>abourey Sidibe<\/strong>; Planet Rock: The Story of Hip Hop and the Crack Generation<\/em>, a production of<\/p>\n

Vh1 \u00a0Rock \u00a0Docs in \u00a0association \u00a0with \u00a0Prodigious \u00a0Media; \u00a0narrated\/executive \u00a0produced \u00a0by \u00a0Ice-T <\/strong>and starring \u00a0Snoop Dogg, Rza, \u00a0Raekwon, \u00a0?uestlove, \u00a0Too $hort <\/strong>and Chuck D<\/strong>; \u00a0and the season two premiere of HBO Presents: How to Make It In America<\/em>, starring Kid Cudi<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>In addition, the festival will present the work of five Urbanworld Screenplay Competition <\/strong>finalists in live \u00a0readings. \u00a0This \u00a0private \u00a0event \u00a0will \u00a0be \u00a0hosted \u00a0by \u00a0BET \u00a0Networks, \u00a0the \u00a0sponsor \u00a0of \u00a0the \u00a0screenplay competition \u00a0category, \u00a0as \u00a0well \u00a0as \u00a0the \u00a02nd \u00a0Annual \u00a0BET \u00a0\/ \u00a0Urbanworld \u00a0Teleplay \u00a0competition, \u00a0both \u00a0of which deliver a $5,000 prize to the winner. \u00a0Finalists include: After the Storm <\/em>written by Cole Wiley; Blackbird <\/em>written by David Polk; My Heart Skipped a Beat <\/em>written by R. Shanea Williams; The Divide <\/em>written by Rashmi Singh; and By My Boot Straps <\/em>written by Debra Azemar.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are proud to enter our 15th\u00a0\u00a0year of celebrating the artistry and genius of multicultural films and filmmakers from around the globe,\u201d said Stacy Spikes<\/strong>, founder of Urbanworld. \u201cOnce again, BET\u2019s and HBO’s invaluable partnerships will allow us to bring more than 17 world premieres to a national audience.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBET\u00a0 Networks \u00a0is \u00a0thrilled \u00a0to \u00a0support \u00a0the \u00a015th \u00a0Annual \u00a0Urbanworld \u00a0Film \u00a0Festival \u00a0celebrating\u00a0 the amazing creativity and work of such talented filmmakers,\u201d said Debra L. Lee, Chairman and CEO of BET Networks. \u201cThis is the leading showcase for multicultural films, many of which connect with our audience, \u00a0and \u00a0we \u00a0applaud \u00a0the \u00a0Urbanworld\u00ae \u00a0Foundation \u00a0Inc. \u00a0for \u00a0its \u00a0continuous \u00a0leadership \u00a0in redefining the multicultural roles in the world of film entertainment.\u201d<\/p>\n

U<\/span><\/strong>rbanworld Film Festival 2011 Roster<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

O<\/span>pening Night:<\/span><\/p>\n