{"id":75928,"date":"2016-06-01T13:25:16","date_gmt":"2016-06-01T13:25:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/0de2709a84.nxcli.net\/0-kjasnb\/2016\/06\/01\/2016-la-film-festival-selections-featuring-and-directed-by-black-talent\/"},"modified":"2018-12-18T03:03:08","modified_gmt":"2018-12-18T03:03:08","slug":"2016-la-film-festival-selections-featuring-and-directed-by-black-talent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.blackfilm.com\/read\/2016-la-film-festival-selections-featuring-and-directed-by-black-talent\/","title":{"rendered":"2016 LA Film Festival Selections Featuring and Directed By Black Talent"},"content":{"rendered":"

2016 LA Film Festival Selections Featuring and Directed By Black Talent<\/strong>Posted by Wilson Morales<\/p>\n

June 1, 2016<\/p>\n

\"la-film-festival-logo-2016\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Los Angeles Film Festival (LAFF) starts today from\u00a0June 1-9. Now reaching its 22nd year, LAFF is a premier platform for new works from emerging and established independent storytellers with unique voices and innovative visions. Created by Film Independent, their mission is to support diverse artists and to diversify the industry. With the slate of films chosen for this year\u2019s lineup, they have moved closer to accomplishing that exact goal. Organizers say that 43% of the films in this year\u2019s festival were directed by women and 38% were directed by people of color. They especially helped to increase diversity in film this year by highlighting a wide-range of African American Cinema. The below films range from stories about love and loss in a gentrified Brooklyn to facing dangerously epic missions just to get a stolen pair of Jordan\u2019s back from the local gang.<\/p>\n

\"72<\/a><\/p>\n

African American coming of age stories about love, growth, and self-identity include 72 HOURS: A BROOKLYN LOVE STORY?, KICKS, A MOVING IMAGE, AND DREAMSTATES<\/strong>. Each of these films shed a different light on the ways in which young African Americans have to face real-world conflicts such as love, loss, gentrification, discrimination, and self-identity.<\/p>\n

Stories of African American women overcoming adversity include FREE CECE!, THE HOUSE ON COCO ROAD, JACKSON, WOVEN, and JEAN OF THE JONESES<\/strong>. Each of these films shed a different light on the ways in which women were discriminated against or difficult situations they were placed in that they had to learn to overcome.<\/p>\n

Stories of African American athletes and the injustices they face include MANCHILD: THE SCHEA COTTON STORY and OLYMPIC PRIDE, AMERICAN PREJUDICE<\/strong>. Each of these films focuses on young African Americans athletes who have faced real-world conflicts and discrimination in their sport.<\/p>\n

Film Independent Spirit Award winner and LA Film Festival alum Ryan Coogler<\/strong> (Creed) will be honored as the 2016 Festival\u2019s Guest Director. Coogler\u2019s Fruitvale Station appeared at the festival in 2013 and later won Best First Feature at the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards.<\/p>\n

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

Coogler will attend Film Independent\u2019s Filmmaker Retreat\u2014an annual event which brings each year\u2019s feature category directors together with high-profile mentors and selected Film Independent Board Members for a community-building event prior to the official start of the 2016 Festival.<\/p>\n

Selma director Ava DuVernay<\/strong>, along with her innovative distribution shingle Array Releasing, will receive the festival\u2019s annual Spirit of Independence Award, which recognizes members of the independent film community who \u201cadvance the cause of independent film and champion creative freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n

Buzz Selections<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Don't<\/a><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Think Twice<\/strong> \u2013 USA (dir.\/writ. Mike Birbiglia; prod. Mike Birbiglia, Ira Glass, Miranda Bailey, Amanda Marshall; feat. Gillian Jacobs, Keegan-Michael Key<\/strong>, Mike Birbiglia, Kate Micucci, Chris Gethard, Tami Sagher) \u2013 The unbreakable bonds of a struggling improv group are put to the test when they lose their performance space and one of them lands a coveted spot on the Holy Grail of all comedy shows. LA Premiere<\/p>\n