Documentary veterans Natalie Bullock Brown, Kirsten Johnson, Mary Lampson and Jacqueline Olive are the inaugural documentary film fellows for the documentary film in the public interest research initiative by Harvard’s Shorenstein Center.
As the first cohort of doc film fellows, the foursome will join the center for the fall 2023 semester. There, each fellow will conduct research and do public education activities about questions facing the documentary film field and civic information.
Led by Shorenstein Center’s director Nancy Gibbs and doc filmmaker Sara Archambault, the initiative, which was established in March, will work to examine the challenges facing the documentary field and their impacts on civic life and information.
“In this challenging moment for media and our information ecosystem, we are excited that the Shorenstein Center can provide the support and infrastructure to drive renewed and creative thinking about complex issues in the documentary film space,” says Gibbs.
Archambault...
As the first cohort of doc film fellows, the foursome will join the center for the fall 2023 semester. There, each fellow will conduct research and do public education activities about questions facing the documentary film field and civic information.
Led by Shorenstein Center’s director Nancy Gibbs and doc filmmaker Sara Archambault, the initiative, which was established in March, will work to examine the challenges facing the documentary field and their impacts on civic life and information.
“In this challenging moment for media and our information ecosystem, we are excited that the Shorenstein Center can provide the support and infrastructure to drive renewed and creative thinking about complex issues in the documentary film space,” says Gibbs.
Archambault...
- 9/5/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
As someone who never understood the conformist culture of so-called Greek-letter organizations, I didn’t bother to catch Byron Hurt’s latest doc Hazing when it premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival back in the spring. But fortunately, the film—which takes a deep historical, as well as personal, dive into what Wikipedia defines as “any activity expected of someone in joining or participating in a group that humiliates, degrades, abuses, or endangers them regardless of a person’s willingness to participate”—will now be launching the new season of PBS’s Independent Lens, which […]
The post “My Social Location as a Member of a Fraternity Makes My Voice a Credible One”: Byron Hurt on His PBS Independent Lens Doc Hazing first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “My Social Location as a Member of a Fraternity Makes My Voice a Credible One”: Byron Hurt on His PBS Independent Lens Doc Hazing first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 9/12/2022
- by Lauren Wissot
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
The PBS anthology series “Independent Lens” returns for a new season September 12th, starting with three documentaries making their television debuts.
The fall slate spans from September to November and features Byron Hurt’s “Hazing,” Shalini Kantayya’s “TikTok, Boom” and Kelsey Peterson and Daniel Kleins’ “Move Me.”
“Hazing,” which premiered earlier this summer at the Tribeca Film Festival, will open the season with a closer look at the hazing culture across US colleges and universities. The film is from director Byron Hurt, who is best-known for directing Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes and Soul Food Junkies.
Next will be “TikTok, Boom” which makes its broadcast debut on October 24. The film, which premiered at Sundance, examines the power and complexity of technology through the lens of the contemporary social media platform TikTok. Director Shalini Kantayya’s other recent projects include Coded Bias and Breakthrough.
The fall slate of films ends with “Move Me,...
The fall slate spans from September to November and features Byron Hurt’s “Hazing,” Shalini Kantayya’s “TikTok, Boom” and Kelsey Peterson and Daniel Kleins’ “Move Me.”
“Hazing,” which premiered earlier this summer at the Tribeca Film Festival, will open the season with a closer look at the hazing culture across US colleges and universities. The film is from director Byron Hurt, who is best-known for directing Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes and Soul Food Junkies.
Next will be “TikTok, Boom” which makes its broadcast debut on October 24. The film, which premiered at Sundance, examines the power and complexity of technology through the lens of the contemporary social media platform TikTok. Director Shalini Kantayya’s other recent projects include Coded Bias and Breakthrough.
The fall slate of films ends with “Move Me,...
- 7/27/2022
- by Sofia Behzadi
- Variety Film + TV
Institute allocates $590,000 in unrestricted grant support for projects from 20 countries and territories across five continents.
Projects from Rithy Panh and Laura Poitras are among a diverse roster of 18 Sundance Institute Documentary Fund grantees announced on Tuesday (June 8).
There is a strong focus on Bipoc and women directors as the Institute announced a total of $590,000 in unrestricted grant support for projects from 20 countries and territories across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America.
All of the US projects are directed by at least one Bipoc filmmaker. Some 72% of granted projects are directed by women, and the same proportion are working...
Projects from Rithy Panh and Laura Poitras are among a diverse roster of 18 Sundance Institute Documentary Fund grantees announced on Tuesday (June 8).
There is a strong focus on Bipoc and women directors as the Institute announced a total of $590,000 in unrestricted grant support for projects from 20 countries and territories across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America.
All of the US projects are directed by at least one Bipoc filmmaker. Some 72% of granted projects are directed by women, and the same proportion are working...
- 6/8/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
The Sundance Institute has unveiled the latest recipients of grants for documentary projects spanning the globe.
The 18 projects, all in various stages of development, will split a total of $590,000 in unrestricted grant support, provided by the Open Society Foundations, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and Luminate.
This year’s projects represent 20 countries and territories across five continents, with more than half the films having international roots. With all U.S. films this year helmed by at least one Black, Indigenous or person of color director, this year’s granting focused on projects by artists from underrepresented communities, ensuring that the stories be told from within the communities. Thirteen of the 18 projects are also led by women directors.
“Supporting equity in storytelling by elevating diverse cohorts is central to our mission,” documentary film fund director Hajnal Molnar-Szakacs said. “Sundance funding can play a vital role in creating a space for freedom of speech,...
The 18 projects, all in various stages of development, will split a total of $590,000 in unrestricted grant support, provided by the Open Society Foundations, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and Luminate.
This year’s projects represent 20 countries and territories across five continents, with more than half the films having international roots. With all U.S. films this year helmed by at least one Black, Indigenous or person of color director, this year’s granting focused on projects by artists from underrepresented communities, ensuring that the stories be told from within the communities. Thirteen of the 18 projects are also led by women directors.
“Supporting equity in storytelling by elevating diverse cohorts is central to our mission,” documentary film fund director Hajnal Molnar-Szakacs said. “Sundance funding can play a vital role in creating a space for freedom of speech,...
- 6/8/2021
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
Firelight Media, headed by veteran documentarian Stanley Nelson, has set the inaugural list of grant recipients for two programs designed to help develop documentary film projects.
Earlier this year Nelson launched the William Greaves Fund to help mid-career filmmakers get a lift toward producing their second film project. As Nelson told Variety‘s “Strictly Business” podcast in March, he knows how hard it can be to get going on a new project after pouring everything into a first labor of love.
“In our work within the Documentary Lab over the last decade, we have seen too many talented filmmakers of color leave the field because they cannot get proper support to make their next project. The William Greaves Fund is Firelight’s response to this persistent problem,” said Loira Limbal, Firelight’s senior VP of programs. “We’ve also consistently seen filmmakers of color struggle to get the resources they...
Earlier this year Nelson launched the William Greaves Fund to help mid-career filmmakers get a lift toward producing their second film project. As Nelson told Variety‘s “Strictly Business” podcast in March, he knows how hard it can be to get going on a new project after pouring everything into a first labor of love.
“In our work within the Documentary Lab over the last decade, we have seen too many talented filmmakers of color leave the field because they cannot get proper support to make their next project. The William Greaves Fund is Firelight’s response to this persistent problem,” said Loira Limbal, Firelight’s senior VP of programs. “We’ve also consistently seen filmmakers of color struggle to get the resources they...
- 8/21/2020
- by Variety Staff
- Variety Film + TV
The pandemic has brought the film industry to a standstill, leaving many director uncertain when they can get back to work. The last few weeks have been particularly hard for filmmakers from marginalized communities, especially those from poorer socioeconomic backgrounds.
No one probably knows this struggle better than award-winning documentarian Stanley Nelson and writer-producer Marcia Smith. The pair, who co-founded Harlem-based non-profit Firelight Media have been conducting outreach within their creative community. Using surveys and focus groups, the organization has been evaluating how filmmakers of color can move forward in an even more unstable economic environment than they are accustomed to.
“We did a survey and held several one-on-one conversations, with the purpose of trying to get a handle on how they were dealing with the current situation, what they thought of the future, and how we could play a role,” said Smith. “Much of the response was concern about...
No one probably knows this struggle better than award-winning documentarian Stanley Nelson and writer-producer Marcia Smith. The pair, who co-founded Harlem-based non-profit Firelight Media have been conducting outreach within their creative community. Using surveys and focus groups, the organization has been evaluating how filmmakers of color can move forward in an even more unstable economic environment than they are accustomed to.
“We did a survey and held several one-on-one conversations, with the purpose of trying to get a handle on how they were dealing with the current situation, what they thought of the future, and how we could play a role,” said Smith. “Much of the response was concern about...
- 5/15/2020
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
In today’s film news roundup, Cybill Shepherd’s “Being Rose” gets acquired, Booboo Steward gets a lead role, Itvs reaches a Sundance milestone, and oilfields drama “The Iron Orchard” gets a release.
Acquisition
Gravitas Ventures has acquired North American rights to Rod McCall’s romance “Being Rose,” starring Cybill Shepherd, James Brolin, and Pam Grier, Variety has learned exclusively.
The film will be available in theaters and on demand on Jan. 4. Shepherd plays an ex-cop diagnosed with serious health issues who goes on a road trip in a wheelchair to search for her estranged son. Along the way, she falls in love with Brolin’s cowboy character, who has come to a crossroads of his own.
“I consider ‘Being Rose’ the crown jewel of my career,” Shepherd said. “Rod McCall, who wrote and directed the film is one of the finest directors I’ve ever had the privilege of working with.
Acquisition
Gravitas Ventures has acquired North American rights to Rod McCall’s romance “Being Rose,” starring Cybill Shepherd, James Brolin, and Pam Grier, Variety has learned exclusively.
The film will be available in theaters and on demand on Jan. 4. Shepherd plays an ex-cop diagnosed with serious health issues who goes on a road trip in a wheelchair to search for her estranged son. Along the way, she falls in love with Brolin’s cowboy character, who has come to a crossroads of his own.
“I consider ‘Being Rose’ the crown jewel of my career,” Shepherd said. “Rod McCall, who wrote and directed the film is one of the finest directors I’ve ever had the privilege of working with.
- 12/1/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
The International Documentary Association has selected eleven feature-length documentary films to receive a total of $850,000 as the inaugural grantees of the association’s Enterprise Documentary Fund. Among the docs selected are Byron Hurt’s Hazing, Stephen Maing’s Crime + Punishment and Marilyn Ness’ Charm City. The film selection was announced last night at the Double Exposure Investigative Film Festival, in Washington D.C. In addition to the funding, grantees will…...
- 10/20/2017
- Deadline
In “Soul Food Junkies” Byron Hurt created a vastly entertaining, hilarious, passionate, revelatory and thoroughly researched documentary which examines Soul Food’s significance in Black American culture. Hurt narrates the project, edited by Sonia Gonzalez-Martinez, via his personal journey. His family members… Continue Reading →...
- 1/5/2017
- by Vanessa Martinez
- ShadowAndAct
In "Soul Food Junkies" Byron Hurt has created a vastly entertaining, hilarious, passionate, revelatory and thoroughly researched documentary which examines Soul Food’s significance in Black American culture. Hurt narrates the project, edited by Sonia Gonzalez-Martinez, via his personal journey. His family members have been avid Soul Food lovers; his mother’s soul food, long been the family’s bonding and social tradition. However, for as long as he remembers, Hurt’s father had been overweight. Hurt grew concerned of his father’s health as he got older; his father’s weight doubled. While attending college in Boston, Hurt began to change his relationship with...
- 10/7/2015
- by Vanessa Martinez
- ShadowAndAct
An update for Byron Hurt's follow-up to his acclaimed 2012 documentary "Soul Food Junkies," titled "Hazing: How Badly Do You Want In" (self-explanatory). I actually thought he was close to completing the film, especially since he released a teaser last summer, but, according to the release I received today, production hasn't even yet officially begun, as Hurt has been researching and developing the project over the last year+. But this is good news for the project, as Independent Lens and the Independent Television Service (Itvs) have both come on board, commissioning its production - i.e. financing it, and eventually also broadcasting the documentary,...
- 4/7/2015
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Via an email I received yesterday, Byron Hurt, director of the 2012 documentary "Soul Food Junkies," is still looking for subjects to interview for his upcoming film "Hazing: How Badly Do You Want In." Check out the details below: Share Your Story! Call for Subjects for Hazing Documentary Film Award-winning filmmaker Byron Hurt is currently seeking racially diverse men and women to be on-camera subjects for his upcoming documentary film, Hazing: How Badly Do You Want In? All potential subjects must be willing to candidly share their experiences with hazing – either as a victim, perpetrator, or a change agent. All interviews will be...
- 8/18/2014
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
From Byron Hurt, director of the 2012 documentary Soul Food Junkies, comes another film chronicling a controversial aspect of black life. In his upcoming documentary, Hazing: How Badly Do You Want In, Hurt takes a look at the rites of passage of greek letter organizations and other groups that have lately been the subject of mounting lawsuits, increased media coverage, and injuries, arrests, and tragic deaths. Hurt says of the film: I have long wanted to make a documentary about this subject but never felt courageous enough to address it. This is a sensitive and controversial topic. However, after I learned about the tragic death of Robert Champion - the Florida...
- 5/19/2014
- by Jai Tiggett
- ShadowAndAct
Congratulations are in order for Marlene McCurtis, Byron Hurt, Dawn Porter and Melissa Haizlip, all of whom have been selected as recipients of Firelight Media's Next Step Media Fund (who goals is to support and encourage diversity among emerging filmmakers) which will distribute $70,000 in funding to documentary film projects created by those 4 filmmakers - all participants in Firelight Media’s Producers’ Lab, a mentorship program for talented, independent producers of color. The 4 were selected by a jury that included: Tamir Muhammad (Tribeca Film Institute); Cynthia Lopez (Pov); Film programmer Chi-Wei Yang, Firelight’s Stanley Nelson (Co-Founder) and...
- 11/6/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
If you live in New York or have travel plans to the city April 19-21...... The folks at Creatively Speaking, spearheaded by Michelle Materre, are hosting the film event Urban and Green: Stories of Environmental Injustice this month at Mist (My Image Studios) in Harlem, NY (46 W 116th Street). The event, which includes a few of our film favorites, will feature Byron Hurt's Soul Food Junkies, Kelly Anderson's Brooklyn gentrification documentary My Brooklyn, Luisa Danta's New Orleans-set documentary Land of Opportunity and Heidi Ewing/Rachel Grady's documentary on Detroit's ills titled Detropia. See more information below, along with links to purchase tickets: "The End of Poverty by...
- 4/5/2013
- by Vanessa Martinez
- ShadowAndAct
After a strong festival run and recent PBS broadcast of his latest film Soul Food Junkies, documentary filmmaker/activist Byron Hurt has announced that his next feature doc will tackle another hot-button issue in black culture - hazing, the often dangerous practice of initiating new members into Greek letter organizations and other groups. Byron, a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity who admits to both hazing and being hazed, says he was inspired to make the film by the story of Robert Champion, the Famu drum major who was killed in a hazing incident in 2011. Find the film announcement below. Byron has also launched an Indiegogo campaign to support the film, which you can...
- 2/6/2013
- by Jai Tiggett
- ShadowAndAct
I suppose you could consider it a companion piece to Byron Hurt's recently-released Soul Food Junkies - all part of a movement towards better eating and living within our communities. As the tag-line says, "Feel Rich in 2013: Join the Movement!" All the details via press release below: Xlrator Media Partners With Leading Multicultural Health And Wellness Movement “Feel Rich” Groundbreaking Feature Film to be Executive Produced by Legendary Music and Film Producer Quincy D. Jones Los Angeles (Jan. 16, 2013) – XLrator Media has teamed up with leading lifestyle brand “Feel Rich” (www.feelrich.com) to produce...
- 1/17/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
On Monday, Jan. 14, PBS' "Independent Lens" presents "Soul Food Junkies," a documentary from filmmaker, writer, activist and lecturer Byron Hurt ("Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes").
Hurt grew up eating "soul food" from the African-American Southern tradition: grits and cheese-covered scrambled eggs, buttered biscuits with gravy, bacon, collard greens with ham hocks, fried pork chops, macaroni and cheese, fried chicken, fried fish, barbecued chicken and ribs, and candied yams.
While all these dishes are delicious and come from recipes passed down for generations in families, they also can contain large amounts of fat, sugar and salt.
Hurt grew up concerned about the health of his overweight father, who eventually succumbed to pancreatic cancer at the age of 63. One of the risk factors for developing this kind of cancer is a high-fat diet centered on meat.
Worried this same fate was befalling others in the African-American community, Hurt set out to...
Hurt grew up eating "soul food" from the African-American Southern tradition: grits and cheese-covered scrambled eggs, buttered biscuits with gravy, bacon, collard greens with ham hocks, fried pork chops, macaroni and cheese, fried chicken, fried fish, barbecued chicken and ribs, and candied yams.
While all these dishes are delicious and come from recipes passed down for generations in families, they also can contain large amounts of fat, sugar and salt.
Hurt grew up concerned about the health of his overweight father, who eventually succumbed to pancreatic cancer at the age of 63. One of the risk factors for developing this kind of cancer is a high-fat diet centered on meat.
Worried this same fate was befalling others in the African-American community, Hurt set out to...
- 1/14/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
After traveling the film festival circuit throughout last year, and winning acclaim along the way, filmmaker/activist Byron Hurt's latest work, Soul Food Junkies, which explores the health advantages and disadvantages of what we call Soul Food - an investigation into what he calls "the dark side of the food industry and the growing food justice movement that has been born in its wake" - will air nationally on PBS's Independent Lens, starting this Monday, January 14, 2013, at 10pm. Vanessa saw the film at the American Black Film Festival (Abff) over the summer, and she reviewed it enthusiastically, Here. ...
- 1/11/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
After traveling the film festival circuit this year, and winning acclaim along the way, filmmaker/activist Byron Hurt's latest work, Soul Food Junkies, which explores the health advantages and disadvantages of what we call Soul Food - an investigation into what he calls "the dark side of the food industry and the growing food justice movement that has been born in its wake" - will air nationally on PBS's Independent Lens, starting on January 14, 2013, at 10pm. Vanessa saw the film at the American Black Film Festival (Abff) over the summer, and she reviewed it enthusiastically, Here. Now the rest of you will get a chance to finally see it as...
- 12/5/2012
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
The second annual Gary Indiana International Black Film Festival is set to kick off on Friday October 5 and will continue through October 7. One of major events for this years festival will be an appearence by filmmaker Robert Townsend (Five Heartbeats, The Meteor Man, Hollywood Shuffle, The Parent Hood, etc) who will screen and discuss his latest film project In The Hive ststarring the late Michael Clarke Duncan (in one of his last screen appearences), Loretta Devine, Vivica A. Fox and Roger Guenveur Smith Among the other films that will be screened are Byron Hurt's Soul Food Junkies, Steve James' The Interrupters and Rashad Ernesto Green's Gun Hill Road. ...
- 9/28/2012
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
A few of this year's highlights include: The Brooklyn premiere of Byron Hurt's Soul Food Junkies; a master editing workshop for emerging filmmakers with long-time editor of Spike Lee joints, Sam Pollard; a tribute to Blackside Inc., producers of acclaimed documentaries like Eyes on the Prize and Malcolm X: Make It Plain; honors for Tim Reid and Daphne Maxwell Reid; and there's more. The festival, celebrating its 15th year, will run from October 13 to 14, at the Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts, Liu Brooklyn campus, at Flatbush and Dekalb Aves. For schedule, descriptions and workshop registration, visit reelsisters.org. ...
- 9/25/2012
- by Courtney
- ShadowAndAct
The 16th Urbanworld Film Festival is underway; in fact, the festival actually wraps up today; so if you're in NYC, you've got today to catch as many film screenings as you can, especially if you haven't seen many of these films. Today's closing lineup includes both shorts and features, docs and fiction, and span genres and themes. The highlight of course is the closing night film - Ava DuVernay's Middle Of Nowhere, its New York premiere. A packed house is expected for that one, as the filmmaker and star of the film - Emayatzy Corinealdi - are expected to be present. Other highlights include: on the documentary side, Byron Hurt's...
- 9/22/2012
- by Courtney
- ShadowAndAct
It's Friday... some weekend viewing when you've got about 90 minutes to spare. Although this one just might save your life. As someone who comes from a family with a history of diabetes, this was especially evocative. As I'm watching this, I'm thinking about Byron Hurt's Soul Food Junkies doc that's in circulation right now, but I haven't seen yet, and definitely plan to. Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days is an independent doc that follows six Americans with diabetes (3 of them are African American) who switch to a diet consisting entirely of vegan, organic, and uncooked food in order to reverse disease naturally. The six are challenged to give...
- 8/31/2012
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
A film we've covered regularly on this site, and one of Tambay's 2012 Projects We're Excited About, acclaimed documentary Soul Food Junkies will have its New York City premiere next Thursday, August 30 at Lincoln Center. Directed by Byron Hurt, the film explores "the dark side of the food industry and the growing food justice movement that has been born in its wake." The film recently returned from the American Black Film Festival this summer where it received the award for Best Documentary. Event info as follows: Date/Time: 7 Pm, Thursday, August 30th Venue: Lincoln Center Walter Reade Theater, 165 W. 65th St, NYC Live Performance...
- 8/22/2012
- by Jasmin Tiggett
- ShadowAndAct
The 2012 installment of the American Black Film Festival (Abff) ended on Saturday, and I doubt that I'm wrong when I say that S&A is the only press outlet (or one of very few) with a presence at the festival that actually reviewed the films during the course of the festival, and did so consistently because, well, it's a Film festival isn't it? Google Byron Hurt's Soul Food Junkies for example (which screened last week at the Abff, and also won the award for Best Documentary); you'd think you'd find a wealth of reviews of the award-winner for Best Documentary, and undoubtedly one of the best films at the festival this year, And it was the film's...
- 6/25/2012
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Definitely a highlight at the American Black Film Festival, where it premiered and picked up the Best Documentary award, Byron Hurt's Soul Food Junkies is also a film we highlighted two months ago as a new project we’re excited about. And deservedly so.. it’s a must see and you should definitely be anticipating it. Byron Hurt, the helmer of the very well received 2006 documentary, Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes, has created a vastly entertaining, hilarious, passionate, revelatory and thoroughly researched documentary which examines Soul Food’s significance in Black American culture. Hurt narrates the project, edited by Sonia...
- 6/25/2012
- by Vanessa Martinez
- ShadowAndAct
The 16th Annual American Black Film Festival announced its Grand Jury winners in last night's ceremony. Russ Parr's The Undershepherd won Best Director and Best Narrative. Matthew Cherry's The Last Fall was awarded Best Screenplay. The Best Documentary award went to Byron Hurt's Soul Food Junkies. See the full list of winners below. Congratulations to the nominees and winners! Grand Jury Prize Best Narrative Feature Presented by Bet Networks The Undershepherd, USA/106 min – Produced by Russ Parr/Directed by Russ Parr Grand Jury Prize Best Performance by an Actor (Male or Female) ***Tie** Presented by Gold Peak Tea Sheldon Shepherd...
- 6/24/2012
- by Vanessa Martinez
- ShadowAndAct
If you missed numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 in this series (Andrew Dosunmu's Ma'George, Shola Lynch's Free Angela, Byron Hurt's Soul Food Junkies, Dyana Gaye's Des Etoiles, Rodney Evans' The Happy Sad, RZA's The Man With The iron Fists and Julius Onah's The Girl Is In Trouble, and Vipaka, starring Forest Whitaker, Anthony Mackie and Sanaa Lathan) click Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here and Here. Here's number 9... I first profiled this Djinn Carrénard sophomore effort titled Faire...
- 5/31/2012
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
Film fans in The Bay will get a chance to see a few films we've discussed regularly on this site, including Byron Hurt's Soul Food Junkies and Terence Nance's An Oversimplification of Her Beauty, at Oakland Innovation Film Lab next month. Held at Osa Black Box Theater June 18-21, the 4-day event showcases "a broad range of cinematic creativity from award-winning documentarians, emerging artists, and student filmmakers. Oifl specifically focuses on innovative film projects that employ non-traditional themes, experimental film techniques, or that simply take a new approach to storytelling through film." Find the complete film and event lineup below, and find...
- 5/25/2012
- by Jasmin
- ShadowAndAct
If you missed numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 in this series (Andrew Dosunmu's Ma'George, Shola Lynch's Free Angela, Byron Hurt's Soul Food Junkies, Dyana Gaye's Des Etoiles, Rodney Evans' The Happy Sad, RZA's The Man With The iron Fists and Julius Onah's The Girl Is In Trouble) click Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here and Here. Here's number 8... A project we first profiled in August 2011, but have heard very little about since; so you folks may actually have forgotten all about it. Vipaka - the voodoo-themed psychological thriller that Forest...
- 5/23/2012
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
Ida has stepped up their involvement in a movement to support public television's continued service to the public by backing Kartemquin's efforts to uphold PBS's main goals and mission. This weekend, a committee of filmmakers formed to help steer and streamline all efforts dedicated to supporting independent programming on PBS. Along with Ida Board Member Beth Bird, the members of the committee include Heather Courtney, Marshall Curry, Tim Horsburgh, Byron Hurt, Brad Lichtenstein, Steve Mendelsohn, Paco de Onis, Gordon Quinn, Julia Reichert, Bernardo Ruiz, Carlos Sandoval, Renee Tajima-Pena, Michael Winship, ...
- 4/3/2012
- by krelth
- International Documentary Association
(San Francisco) – 2011 marks the 20th anniversary of the Independent Television Service (Itvs), one of the largest sources of funding for independent filmmakers. In recognition of this milestone, Itvs is launching the Itvs Indies Showcase, a free online film festival running from July 25 to September 23, 2011 in honor of the extraordinary contributions of independent filmmakers to public television.
The 20 unforgettable documentaries in the Itvs Indies Showcase represent glimpses of the collection of more than 1,000 productions Itvs has supported as the country’s leading provider of independent films for public broadcasting. Each full-length program will stream for free for three days on itvs.org/indies-showcase where viewers will also find a timeline of Itvs’s history, film trailers, clips, interviews, an audience award contest, and more.
Through the tenacity of filmmakers and their supporters seeking to foster plurality and diversity in public television, Itvs was established by an unprecedented mandate of Congress to...
The 20 unforgettable documentaries in the Itvs Indies Showcase represent glimpses of the collection of more than 1,000 productions Itvs has supported as the country’s leading provider of independent films for public broadcasting. Each full-length program will stream for free for three days on itvs.org/indies-showcase where viewers will also find a timeline of Itvs’s history, film trailers, clips, interviews, an audience award contest, and more.
Through the tenacity of filmmakers and their supporters seeking to foster plurality and diversity in public television, Itvs was established by an unprecedented mandate of Congress to...
- 8/2/2011
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Update: I’ll repost this as new titles are added to the list…
Compared to recent years, 2011 is shaping up to be one of the better years for black cinema, or blacks in cinema, in terms of both volume and variety.
With For Colored Girls now mostly behind us, I’d like to look ahead to what we can expect to see in theaters in 2011.
I did a bit of research, and these are the titles I came up with, all (or most) of which I expect we will see in 2011. Feel free to add any you know of that I didn’t include. I should note that I’m only counting films in which the characters that black actors play are central to the film’s plot, or films directed by black filmmakers, regardless of whether the cast is comprised of black actors or not.
First, on the indie front,...
Compared to recent years, 2011 is shaping up to be one of the better years for black cinema, or blacks in cinema, in terms of both volume and variety.
With For Colored Girls now mostly behind us, I’d like to look ahead to what we can expect to see in theaters in 2011.
I did a bit of research, and these are the titles I came up with, all (or most) of which I expect we will see in 2011. Feel free to add any you know of that I didn’t include. I should note that I’m only counting films in which the characters that black actors play are central to the film’s plot, or films directed by black filmmakers, regardless of whether the cast is comprised of black actors or not.
First, on the indie front,...
- 2/23/2011
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
Filmmaker Byron Hurt explores the health advantages and disadvantages of Soul Food, a quintessential American cuisine. Soul Food Junkies explores the history and social significance of soul food to black cultural identity and its affect on African-American health, good and bad. It will also be used as the lens to investigate the dark side of the food industry, and the growing food justice movement that has been born in its wake.
Should be a good one! Byron Hurt’s previous work, for those unaware, includes the award-winning documentary, Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes, which examined manhood, sexism, and homophobia in hip-hop culture.
Watch the preview lengthy below:...
Should be a good one! Byron Hurt’s previous work, for those unaware, includes the award-winning documentary, Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes, which examined manhood, sexism, and homophobia in hip-hop culture.
Watch the preview lengthy below:...
- 3/4/2010
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
Charles Burnett's Namibia: The Struggle for Liberation was awarded the PAFF Vision Award at the 16th annual Pan African & Arts Festival, which ended Sunday.
The fest, which took place at the AMC Magic Johnson Crenshaw 15 Theaters in Los Angeles, gave its best documentary prize to Pierre-Yves Borgeaud's Return to Goree.
Bryon Hurt's Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes was named best short documentary, while Dee Rees' Pariah was best narrative short.
Clement Virgo's Poor Boy's Game was chosen best feature.
Ernst Gossner was named best director, first feature, for his film South of Pico.
Leon Lozano's Something is Killing Tate took the fest's Oscar Micheaux Award, as well as the audience award for favorite feature.
The favorite documentary was Ava DuVernay's This is the Life, and favorite short were Daniel Junge's docu Iron Ladies of Liberia and Deon H. Hayman's narrative short The Don of Virgil Jr. High.
The fest, which took place at the AMC Magic Johnson Crenshaw 15 Theaters in Los Angeles, gave its best documentary prize to Pierre-Yves Borgeaud's Return to Goree.
Bryon Hurt's Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes was named best short documentary, while Dee Rees' Pariah was best narrative short.
Clement Virgo's Poor Boy's Game was chosen best feature.
Ernst Gossner was named best director, first feature, for his film South of Pico.
Leon Lozano's Something is Killing Tate took the fest's Oscar Micheaux Award, as well as the audience award for favorite feature.
The favorite documentary was Ava DuVernay's This is the Life, and favorite short were Daniel Junge's docu Iron Ladies of Liberia and Deon H. Hayman's narrative short The Don of Virgil Jr. High.
- 2/19/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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