Africa Film WebMeeting


Message from: owner-african-cinema-conference@xc.org (african-cinema-conference@xc.org)
About: Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles

Thu, 15 Jan 1998 04:36:15 -0800 (PST)

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    Originally from: <owner-african-cinema-conference@xc.org>
    Originally dated: Thu, 15 Jan 1998 04:36:15 -0800 (PST)

    > From: MIKI GORAL <miki@library.ucla.edu>
    > Subject: Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles
    >
    > Here is the schedule for the 6th Pan African Film Festival and Art
    > Show, opening February 5 in Los Angeles.
    >
    > PAN AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
    > February 5-16, 1998
    > Magic Johnson Theatres, Crenshaw & MLK Blvd
    > For more information, call 213-295-1706
    > or email: miki@library.ucla.edu
    >
    > A Hollow Place (US, 1997) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Joseph Anaya 17 1/2 min
    > Corliss Young is abandoned by his mother to be raised by a
    > reluctant older cousin. Corliss, now a young man, has become a
    > servant to his bedridden cousin. Struggling to escape from the
    > oppression of a loveless home, he lashes out with dire results.
    > Friday, February 6, 1:30 pm
    >
    > A Woman Like That (US, 1997) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: David E. Talbert 92 min
    > Malcolm (Jean-Claude Lamarre), a bumbling script reader, is
    > left at the altar by his fiancee, Cheryl Jackson (Tyra Banks), an
    > aspiring actress. In an attempt to mend his broken heart,
    > Malcolm enlists the help of his best friend, Toni Scott (N'bushe
    > Wright). Almost at the exact moment when best friends become
    > lovers, Cheryl pops back in town seeking a reunion. Malcolm, now
    > thoroughly confused, has a choice.a woman like this or A Woman
    > Like That. A humorous and tender look at one ill-fated man's
    > attempt to recover from lost love. Stars Tyra Banks, N'bushe
    > Wright, Jean-Claude Lamarre, Malik Yoba, Gary Dourdan, Shari
    > Headley, Morris Day, Karyn Parsons, Marc John Jeffries, Chip
    > Fields, and John Amos.
    > Winner: Best Dramatic Feature, Urban World Film Festival;
    > Finalist: "Garden Park Independent Film Award" 19th Annual IFFM
    > Q&A and reception follow.
    > Sunday, February 15, 5:30 pm
    >
    > And Still I Rise (UK/Nigeria, 1991)
    > Director: Ngozi Onwurah 30 min
    > Dark, sultry, wild, savage, exotic and erotic. Many people
    > have difficulty seeing Black women as they are because of an
    > eagerness to impose on them an identity based on any number of
    > myths. Constant and continual devaluation of Black womanhood
    > make it extremely difficult for Black women to develop positive
    > self-images. A look at how these images and stereotypes have
    > been created, how they are perpetuated, and whether Black women
    > can reclaim their own sense of self.
    > Winner: Prized Pieces, NBPC
    > Director's Q&A follows.
    > Monday, February 9, 7:00 pm; Thursday, February 12, 1:30 pm;
    > Friday, February 13, 3:30 pm
    >
    > Back to Africa (Nigeria, 1997) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Tony Abulu 105 min
    > The story of a beautiful African American woman, Sade, on a
    > spiritual quest to Africa in search of her long-lost father. Her
    > journey takes her from the metropolis of Lagos then deep into the
    > Yoruba hinterland--Oshogbo, Ekiti, Idanre, and Ife--cradle of
    > Yoruba culture and tradition, where she finds herself, her roots,
    > and the Orishas.
    > Director's Q&A follows.
    > Saturday, February 14, 2 pm
    >
    > Black Orpheus (Brazil, 1959)
    > Director: Marcel Camus 100 min
    > A cinema classic! The Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice
    > is brought into modern times and set in the pageantry and rivalry
    > of Rio de Janeiro's Carnival. When Orpheus, a handsome trolley
    > car conductor meets Eurydice, a country girl visiting her cousin
    > in Rio, destiny dictates that they fall in love. Life and love
    > appear beautiful as the young couple is swept up in the gaiety
    > and excitement of the celebration of their new-found love and
    > the Carnival. But tragedy looms in the background in the form of
    > a mysterious stranger who has followed Eurydice to Rio. One of
    > cinema's most romantic love stories told with brilliant screen
    > images as stunning and original as anything put on screen to
    > date. The hauntingly beautiful musical score by Antonio Carlos
    > Jobim and Luiz Bonfa addicted the world to the Bossa Nova and
    > dominated an entire generation of Afro/Brazilian music.
    > Winner: Palme d'Or, Cannes Film Festival; Best Foreign Language
    > Film, Academy Award
    > Saturday, February 14, 8 pm, Monday, February 16, 10:20 pm
    >
    > Blacks and Jews (US, 1997)
    > Director: Bari Scott, Alan Snitow, & Deborah Kaufman 85 min
    > Centering on five historical case studies that indicate rage
    > and hostility but also hope and courage, Blacks and Jews,
    > presents relevant information about the multiracial structure of
    > U.S. society , which has immediate implications for the way the
    > two groups perceive and interact with each other.
    > Sunday, February 8, 12:15 pm
    >
    > Broken Strings (Ethiopia, 1996) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Abrehet Abraha 147 min
    > Pulled in diverging directions by the random movement of
    > faith, the sensitive strings of love that bind families, friends,
    > and lovers together are broken with dramatic consequences while
    > at the same time in a more subtle way the collision of two
    > different cultures adds to the drama as it unfolds.
    > Director's Q&A follows.
    > Thursday, February 12, 8:55 pm
    >
    > Cappucino* (US, 1997) Premiere
    > Director: Craig Ross, Jr. 96 min
    > Victor, a writer, is hot on the literary scene but is barely
    > lukewarm in his personal life. Muddling through the mundane
    > existence of his marriage, he becomes frustrated and ready to try
    > anything. Enter Cappucino, a vivacious, sexy, mysterious woman
    > who seems to know everything about Victor, including his wants
    > and desires. Victor's problems mount when he learns she is
    > married. Who will be victimized by the ultimate act of betrayal?
    > Tuesday, February 10, 5 pm; Thursday, February 12, 3:30 pm
    >
    > Changing the Odds* (US, 1996) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Willie E. Simmons, Jr. 35 min
    > An interracial couple must find a way to bring their
    > families together when they find out they are expecting a baby.
    > Sunday, February 15, 11 am
    >
    > Chocolate Babies* (US, 1996) Preview
    > Director: Stephen Winter 80 min
    > A ragtag clique of dazzling HIV positive African American
    > and Asian super-queers form a terrorist gang and attack
    > conservative politicians. While working undercover, Sam, the
    > gang's youngest member, is seduced by a charismatic but closeted
    > politician.
    > Winner: Best Feature, New York Lesbian & Gay Film Festival; Best
    > Feature, Chicago Lesbian & Gay Film Festival
    > Friday, February 13, 10 pm
    >
    > Clando (Clandestine)* (Cameroon, 1996) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Jean Marie Teno 98 min
    > Told in a series of flashbacks, Clando follows the
    > conscientious but luckless Sobgui, whose layoff from a computer
    > programming job leads him to work as a cab driver to support his
    > family. Tortured, jailed and abruptly released from prison for
    > his minor role in an anti-government group, Sobgui flees to
    > Germany, intending to export autos to Cameroon. His experiences
    > in Germany inspire him to return home to work for change.
    > Saturday, February 7, 6 pm; Monday, February 9, 8:40 pm
    >
    > Coffee Colored Children (Nigeria/UK, 1989)
    > Director: Ngozi Onwurah 16 min
    > Suffering from the pain of racial harassment, a young girl
    > and her brother try to wash their skin white with scouring
    > powder. An emotional, semi-autobiographical testimony to the
    > internalized effects of racism in the struggle for self-
    > definition. A powerful and unsettling glimpse at the experiences
    > of children of mixed racial parentage.
    > Winner: Best Film, San Francisco Film Festival; Silver Dancer
    > Film Festival, Spain
    > Director's Q&A follows.
    > Monday, February 9, 7:00 pm; Thursday, February 12, 1:30 pm
    >
    > Dakan (Destiny)* (Guinea, 1997) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Mohammed Camara 93 min
    > A touching love story between two men who have been in love
    > since they were schoolboys. When 20-year-old Manga tries to tell
    > his widowed mother that he is in love with another man, she
    > simply refuses to believe it, claiming it's biologically
    > impossible. Sory's father is indignant and horrified at the very
    > idea that his son is gay. Set in a traditional society where
    > homosexuality is little understood, let alone tolerated, Dakan
    > not only examines love in unexpected forms, but also presents a
    > rare picture of Guinean society.
    > Saturday, February 14, 6 pm
    >
    > Dancehall Queen* (Jamaica, 1997)
    > Director: Don Letts & Rick Elgood 100 min
    > Dancehall reggae may be the rawest, most outrageous pop
    > music on the planet, and Dancehall Queen is its faithful
    > ambassador. In the gritty world of the Kingston ghetto, there
    > are few ways out. But when Marcia, a humble street vendor,
    > struggles to survive as a single mother, discovers the world of
    > dancehall, she finds more than great music and hot relationships-
    > -she finds a way to a better life. A Cinderella story with no
    > Prince Charming, but one very strong Jamaican queen, backed by a
    > pulsing reggae soundtrack and the scintillating sights and sounds
    > of Kingston. With a soundtrack that includes Beenie Man, Bounty
    > Killer, Lady Saw and Sanchez, this movie does for dancehall what
    > The Harder They Come did for reggae 25 years ago.
    > Friday, February 6, 7:50 pm; Monday, February 16, 12:30 pm
    >
    > Dark Passages (US, 1990)
    > Director: Tanya Hart 60 min
    > Shot on location in West Africa and Virginia, "Dark
    > Passages" tells the story of the impact of the Atlantic slave
    > trade. Using a mixture of interviews, slave narratives and
    > traumatizations, the viewer is taken from "the door of no return"
    > in the slave house on Goree Island to the village of Juferrea on
    > the Gambia River. Appearances by Louis Gossett, Jr. and Margaret
    > Avery.
    > Thursday, February 12, 3:30 pm
    >
    > Detention* (US, 1997) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Darryl LeMont Wharton 86 min
    > When Mrs. Deaking gives five students detention one Friday
    > afternoon, she also helps them realize their potential. A tense
    > and emotional and ultimately inspiring drama featuring the
    > teacher every student should have.
    > Saturday, February 7, 2 pm; Monday, February 9, 5:10 pm
    >
    > Dexter Gordon: More than You Know (Denmark, 1996) Los
    > Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Donald McGlynn 52 min
    > The first biographical documentary of this widely-loved and
    > respected jazz artist. Using a variety of revealing footage,
    > including virtually unseen material of this great artist in
    > private, in performances, and in various interview settings, this
    > documentary is very nearly a musical autobiography. With
    > profound comments coming from Gordon about his career, his
    > associates, and formative influences, he is essentially the
    > narrator of his own life and the romantic jazz world he
    > inhabited. Footage of Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Ben
    > Webster, Lionel Hampton, Billy Eckstine, Charlie Parker, Dizzy
    > Gillespie and Bud Powell make this a full-bodied and driving
    > musical tapestry as large as its subject.
    > Sunday, February 8, 2 pm; Thursday, February 12, 1:30 pm
    >
    > Eyes of the Rainbow (Cuba, 1997) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Gloria Rolando 47 min
    > Assata Shakur, Black Panther and Black Liberation Army
    > leader, escaped from a U.S. prison and was given political asylum
    > in Cuba, where she has lived for the past 20 years. Gloria
    > Rolando, one of Cuba's few Black female filmmakers, juxtaposes
    > Assata's life in the U.S. and Cuba. Assata discusses her
    > devotion to Orisha Oya, Yoruba goddess of the ancestors, war, the
    > cemetery and the rainbow.
    > Director's Q&A follows.
    > Wednesday, February 11, 5:10 pm; Friday, February 13, 3:30 pm
    > Saturday, February 14, 12 noon
    >
    > Fakin' Da Funk (US, 1997) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Timothy A. Chey 90 min
    > A Chinese boy adopted into a Black family must prove he is
    > culturally African American when he and his family move to South-
    > Central L.A. A strong dramatic comedy which questions how we
    > define cultural and racial identities. Stars Pam Grier, Tone-
    > Loc, Margaret Cho, Dante Basco, Duane Martin, Chris Spencer,
    > John Witherspoon, Tatyana Ali, and Ernie Hudson. Saturday
    > screening sponsored by: Prototypes.
    > Winner: Audience Award, Urban World Film Festival, New York
    > Saturday, February 7, 8 pm; Monday, February 16, 10:30 am
    >
    > Family Name (US, 1997)
    > Director: Macky Alston 88 min
    > On a return visit to North Carolina, Macky Alston, the son
    > of a white Presbyterian minister and civil rights activist, is
    > struck by the fact that two large Alston family reunions, one
    > black and one white, took place within a few miles of each other
    > and yet neither gathering was aware of the other. Determined to
    > delve into family secrets, Alston pours over actual documentation
    > of his ancestors' ownership of Black captives (slaves) and
    > discovers blood relationships between the black and white
    > Alstons.
    > Friday, February 6, 6 pm
    >
    > Final Insult (US, 1998) World Premiere
    > Director: Charles Burnett 52min
    > A homeless man struggles to change his conditions only to
    > find that the "mean streets" are not easy to escape and solutions
    > are not found in employment alone. Starring Ayuko Babu, Executive
    > Director of the Pan African Film Festival, director Burnett once
    > again gives his audience an honest and poignant insight into a
    > subject matter rarely examined.
    > Director's Q&A follows.
    > Saturday, February 14, 4:10 pm; Sunday, February 15, 3 pm
    >
    > Firefly (US, 1997) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Dawn Suggs 13 min
    > Firefly speaks to the spiritual, physical, emotional, and
    > mental survival of a Black girl through the reincarnation of the
    > spirit. Rich images and tones, raw emotion, and sacred
    > interaction surrounded by the magnificent light of the firefly.
    > Director's Q&A follows.
    > Friday, February 13, 3:30 pm
    >
    > Flight of the Swan (UK/Nigeria, 1992) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Ngozi Onwurah 11 min
    > A haunting, poetic film charting a young Black girl's
    > yearning to become a ballet dancer. When rejected by a
    > prestigious dance school (who's ever heard of a Black swan?), a
    > dancing guardian spirit comes to her rescue.
    > Winner: Chicago Film Festival
    > Director's Q&A follows.
    > Monday, February 9, 7:00 pm; Thursday, February 12, 1:30 pm;
    > Friday, February 13, 3:30
    >
    > For Colored Boys Who've Considered Homocide* (US, 1996)
    > Director: Narcel G. Reedus 27 1/2 min
    > A young man must answer for his violent acts. A dark and
    > haunting interrogation with a twist.
    > Monday, February 9, 1:30 pm; Thursday, February 12, 1:30; Sunday,
    > February 15, 9:45 pm
    >
    > Hav Plenty (US, 1997) Preview
    > Director: Christopher Scott Cherot 92 min
    > Lee Plenty is an almost broke would-be novelist who has good
    > friends. Among them is Havilland Savage, a very rich and very
    > beautiful woman. When she invites him to her family's home for a
    > holiday celebration, the unexpected happens. A fresh,
    > bittersweet modern love story with soundtrack by Grammy winner
    > Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds.
    > Director's Q&A follows.
    > Thursday, February 5, 7:30 pm
    >
    > Hekaya Men Zaman Gamil (Egypt, 1997) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Said Shimy 20 min
    > The story of Mohamed Mahran, an Egyptian hero of the 1956
    > war. Unknown in the West, Mahran lost his eyes rather than
    > divulge military secrets to Egypt's enemies.
    > Monday, February 9, 8:40 pm; Wednesday, February 11, 3:15 pm
    >
    > Jamaica Beat (Jamaica, 1997) Premiere
    > Director: Mark Melnick 101 min
    > When a renowned New York photographer and her new husband
    > arrive for a holiday in a close-knit Jamaican resort town, their
    > dream vacation becomes a scenario out of a murder mystery. A
    > crime thriller with an extraordinary beat that keeps you guessing
    > from beginning to end. Stars Sheryl Lee Ralph and Paul Campbell
    > with music by Bob Marley, Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, Big
    > Mountain, and Steel Pulse.
    > Friday, February 13, 6 pm; Monday, February 16, 8:20 pm
    >
    > John Henrik Clarke: A Great and Mighty Walk (US, 1996)
    > Director: St. Claire Bourne 93 min
    > "African History is the missing pages of World History." So
    > says historian John Henrik Clarke, not only one of America's pre-
    > eminent scholars, but also a captivating storyteller. Never dull
    > or preachy, this often brilliant survey of Black history,
    > narrated and produced by Wesley Snipes, reveals much of what
    > would be written on those missing pages.
    > Winner: Best Documentary, Urban World Film Festival, New York;
    > Academy Award contender
    > Director's Q&A follows.
    > Sunday, February 8, 4 pm
    >
    > Journey of the Lion (Jamaica/Germany, 1993) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Fritz Baumann 90 min
    > Brother Howie, is a Jamaican Rastaman who dreams of Africa,
    > the land of his ancestors. On a journey in search of his
    > ancestral roots and his identity, Brother Howie travels through
    > three continents and with great humor and sensitivity discovers
    > the world and Africa.
    > Friday, February 13, 8 pm
    >
    > Love Bizarre* (US, 1997) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Ernest C. Goodly 96 min
    > A politically aware African American woman brings her
    > Vietnamese fianc=82 home to meet her middle class family. Each
    > member of the family is forced to face their own hang-ups caused
    > by this unexpected diversity. A funny and often poignant
    > examination of race relations and love in the 90s.
    > Saturday, February 7, 9:55 pm; Wednesday, February 11, 3:15 pm
    >
    > Lucky Devil (US, 1997)
    > Director: Cooper Bates 17 min
    > A psychological drama that challenges the motivation of a
    > man's generosity. When he gives a man down-and-out on his luck
    > $50, Hero is plunged into a desperate psychological journey which
    > determines his own destiny.
    > Monday, February 9, 1:30 pm
    >
    > Machaho (Algeria, 1995) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Belkacem Hadjadj 90 min
    > Arezki, a Kabyle peasant, finds a young stranger, Larbi,
    > almost frozen to death in the snow and nurses him back to health.
    > When the youth departs, Arezki discovers his daughter,
    > Ferroudzia, is pregnant. Arezki sets off after Larbi, swearing
    > he won't come home until he has avenged his lost honor. An
    > engrossing story that assumes biblical dimensions boldly shot
    > entrirely in Kabyle, the Berber language Algeria's non-Arab
    > inhabitants.
    > Thursday, February 12, 6 pm; Monday, February 16, 2:30 pm
    >
    > Mixing Nia (US, 1998) Preview
    > Director: Alison Swan
    > Dramatic comedy of a young biracial woman--the daughter of
    > divorced parents--a White, liberal Manhattan civil rights lawyer
    > and a Black, middle-class suburbanite, Nia is caught between two
    > worlds--one Black, the other White, not quite fitting in to
    > either. To become a complete person, Nia must find her own
    > voice. Stars Karyn Parsons and Isaiah Washington.
    > Cast members will be present.
    > Saturday, February 14, 10 pm
    >
    > Moytuleen (Senegal, 1996) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Ben Diogaye Beye 13 min
    > Waking up in the park, a homeless man finds something lying
    > on the ground. What he finds is fragile and he fears that his
    > new-found treasure will get broken. Through the use of
    > flashbacks, we find that the man was once a respected member of
    > society.
    > Wednesday, February 11, 1:30 pm; Saturday, February 14, 4:10 pm
    >
    > Nappy (US, 1997)
    > Director: Lydia Douglas 29 min
    > Ten Black women decide to stop straightening their hair and
    > "go natural."
    > Friday, February 6, 1:30 pm
    >
    > Nasser '56 (Egypt, 1997)
    > Director: Mohamed Fadel 140 min
    > The suspenseful story of Egypt's President Gamal Abdul
    > Nasser comes alive in this bold epic. Focusing on Nasser's
    > fearless plan to nationalize the Suez Canal and construct the
    > Aswan High Dam, Egypt's first president emerges as a visionary of
    > immense courage, concentration and daring. Maneuvering through
    > the tricky waters of the East-West conflict, Nasser struggles to
    > insure Egypt's self-determination and economic self-sufficiency
    > while avoiding certain war.
    > Tuesday, February 10, 8:55 pm
    >
    > Oggun: An Eternal Presence (Cuba, 1992)
    > Director: Gloria Rolando 55 min
    > Through song, Lazaro Ross, lead singer of El Conjunto
    > Folklorico Nacional de Cuba, tells of his personal experience as
    > a godson of Oggun. The world of the Yoruba religion, the primary
    > religion in Cuba, and the Orisha come alive in this mesmerizing
    > film which intertwines traditional stories with present-day
    > Yoruba worship in Cuba.
    > Director's Q&A follows.
    > Saturday, February 14, 12 noon
    >
    > On the Edge* (UK, 1997) US Premiere
    > Director: Newton I. Aduaka 28 min
    > For months things were seemingly fine for Court and Lorna,
    > who was in rehab with Court's encouragement. That is until
    > tonight. Court discovers that Lorna has quit her rehab and
    > returned to drugs and prostitution. What ensues is a night of
    > desperation, angst, chaos, and a confession told as a bedtime
    > story--a night On the Edge.
    > Wednesday, February 11, 5:10 pm
    >
    > Respect the Sacrifices of Your Ancestors, Don't Use the "N" Word
    > (US, 1997) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Glenn Towery 3 min
    > Saturday, February 12, 4 pm
    >
    > Rituals (US, 1998) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Carol Mays 22 min
    > A woman uses voodoo to help save her marriage. In the
    > process, she discovers her new self. Stars Regina King, Isaiah
    > Washington, and Jenifer Lewis.
    > Director's Q&A follows.
    > Friday, February 13, 3:30 pm
    >
    > Santera (Venezuela, 1996) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Solveig Hoogesteijn 97 min
    > Paula, a Spanish doctor, is sent to Venezuela to evaluate
    > conditions in the penitentiary system. She meets Soledad, who
    > was arrested for killing her brother-in-law by casting a spell on
    > him. Paula investigates and discovers Soledad's secret past, her
    > spiritual powers and ancestral myths.
    > Monday, February 8, 6 pm; Monday, February 16, 6:20 pm
    >
    > Sarek El Farah (Stolen Joy) (Egypt, 1994) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Daoud Abdei Sayed
    > A love story about two people who want to marry but are
    > hindered by financial realities. Before they can marry, they
    > must pay off a debt.
    > Friday, February 6, 3:30 pm; Sunday, February 8, 9:55 pm
    >
    > Sea Shell (Somalia)
    > Director: Abdulkadir Ahmed Said 30 min
    > An intriguing dramatization examining the effects of
    > pollution on the world's oceans told from an African point of
    > view.
    > Wednesday, February 11, 1:30 pm
    >
    > Secrets* (US, 1997)
    > Director: Sheryl Lee Ralph 13 min
    > Secrets, everybody has one and somebody knows it. Six
    > childhood friends gather to celebrate a wedding. What should be
    > a joyous celebration becomes an evening of intrigue and deception
    > when a deadly secret is revealed. Stars Alfre Woodard, Robin
    > Givens, Victoria Rowell, LaTonya Richardson, Tina Lifford, and
    > Sheryl Lee Ralph.
    > Thursday, February 5, 7:30 pm
    >
    > Show and Prove (US, 1997)
    > Director: Marc Gabriel Pitre 20 min
    > A violent crime transports SofTee and two friends to the Old
    > West, where a cowboy shows them what toughness really is. When
    > he is returned back to the present, SofTee must prove who he
    > really is in the face of peer pressure.
    > Friday, February 6, 1:30 pm; Monday, February 9, 1:30 pm
    >
    > Sister, I'm Sorry* (US, 1997) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Frank Underwood 58 min
    > A docudrama in which Black men apologize to Black women for
    > all the social, emotional, psychological and physical wrongs men
    > have inflicted on women. Designed to spawn an open dialogue
    > between men and women that will help to heal male-female
    > relationships, strengthen families, resurrect Black communities
    > and, ultimately, provide a brighter future for Black children.
    > Created by Tommy Morgan Jr. and co-produced by Blair Underwood
    > and Frank Underwood Jr., this poetic apology stars Blair
    > Underwood, Margaret Avery, Tommy Ford, Michael Beach, Tico Wells,
    > Clifton Powell, Steven Williams, and musical artist Howard
    > Hewett.
    > Director's Q&A follows.
    > Thursday, February 12, 7:30 pm; Sunday, February 15, 3 pm
    >
    > Slavery's Buried Past (US, 1996) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: 60 min
    > In 1991, New York City construction workers were startled
    > and stunned when they unearthed an 18th century graveyard with
    > the remains of 427 of our enslaved ancestors. African American
    > forensic scientists based at Howard University try to piece
    > together a history that was never written by examining skeletal
    > remains and cultural artifacts used by these brothers and sisters
    > who were held as slaves. Like Amistad, another piece of our
    > unwritten story is finally being told.
    > Sunday, February 8, 10:45 am
    >
    > Staggerlee (US)
    > Director: Francisco Newman 30 min
    > Black Panther leader Bobby Seale is interviewed by director
    > Newman in 1968 while Seale awaits trial in San Francisco.
    > Insightful dialogue into Black revolutionary culture and the
    > American "justice system." A must-see for those interested in
    > the discussion of revolutionary consciousness and how it is
    > created.
    > Director's Q&A follows.
    > Thursday, February 12, 3:30 pm
    >
    > Straight from the Streets (US, 1997)
    > Director: Keith O'Derek & Robert Corsini 110 min
    > The reality of America's inner city is told from the point
    > of view of the creators of gangsta rap, from the street to the
    > studio. A hard-hitting, brutally honest social commentary with a
    > first-hand look at inner city struggle though the lyrics of rap
    > music. Interviews with Ice T, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Snoop Doggy
    > Dogg, KAM, Rage, DJ Quik, and Cypress Hill. Appearances by
    > Denzel Washington and Congresswoman Maxine Waters.
    > Sunday, February 15, 7:30 pm
    >
    > Struggles in Steel: A Story of African American Steelworkers
    > (US, 1996) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Ray Henderson & Tony Buba 86
    > min
    > Through chronicling the little-known history of African
    > American steelworkers from 1875 to the present, this insightful
    > documentary also chronicles the effects of employment
    > discrimination not only on the individual worker, but also
    > focuses on how discrimination affects families and entire
    > communities.
    > Sunday, February 15, 1 pm
    >
    > Sydney Byrd, Private Eye (US, 1995)
    > Director: Paul Roach 93 min
    > Sydney Byrd and his partner, Tyrone Sloan, tackle the San
    > Francisco fifties who-done-it in their own style, their own cool,
    > setting a pace, a genre all their own. In the first adventure of
    > the Byrd, Byrd and Sloan are involved in recovering $100,000 of
    > jewels stolen from the first "colored" man to own his own jewelry
    > shop in San Francisco.
    > Director's Q&A follows.
    > Thursday, February 12, 5:30 pm
    >
    > Taafe Fanga (Skirt Power) (Mali, 1997) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Adama Drabo 95 min
    > A gender-bending farce set among the 18th-century Dogon
    > reveals itself as a serious expose on the status of women in
    > Africa today. This irresistible tale about a comic revolution in
    > which women's and men's roles are reversed was partly inspired by
    > the actual role women played in Mali's 1991 revolution.
    > Winner: Jury Special Prize, FESPACO
    > Sunday, February 8, 8 pm; Tuesday, February 10, 3 pm
    >
    > Tableau Ferrialle (Senegal, 1996) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Moussa Sene Absa 92 min
    > Daam, who came back from Europe with many degrees, climbs
    > the ladder of politics, hoping to improve the lives of the
    > inhabitants of Tableau Ferraille, his native town in Senegal.
    > His first wife, Gagnesiri, is supportive, generous, and loving,
    > but cannot bear children. Influenced by his acquaintances, Daam
    > decides to take a second wife. His new wife will give him a
    > child but also a lot of worries... Beautifully photographed
    > with a delightful musical score, Tableau Ferraille dissects the
    > social chaos engulfing Africa caused by it's movement from
    > traditional values to "modern" priorities.
    > Winner: Best Cinematography, FESPACO; Best music, Montreal
    > Director's Q&A follows.
    > Thursday, February 5, 7:30 pm; Saturday, February 7, 4 pm;
    > Tuesday, February 10, 7 pm
    >
    > Tears of a Clown (US, 1994) Premiere
    > Director: Mandel Holland 100 min
    > Martin's relationships with women have been one disaster
    > after another. His brother, Junnie, has the "Dating Game" down
    > to a science. Junnie offers to teach Martin the art of the
    > chase. Both brothers get a lesson they never expected and will
    > never forget. Stars Mehki Phifer as the quintessential hard-
    > working, honest but dateless boy next door.
    > Monday, February 9, 3:15 pm; Wednesday, February 11, 10 pm
    >
    > The Apartment (US, 1996) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Cinque Northern 10 min
    > A young Black couple have been planning to move in together,
    > but when the move becomes real, Reggie gets cold feet. Fully
    > aware of his past letdowns, Reggie does not want to disappoint
    > Tasha, but as the date grows closer, he is forced to make a
    > decision.
    > Winner: National Black Programming Consortium International Award-
    > Best Student Film; First Run Film Festival (NYC) Craft Awards--
    > Screenwriting and Editing
    > Friday, February 6, 1:30 pm
    >
    > The Cage (US & South Africa, 1994) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Warren Wilensky 38 min
    > The film explores the relationship between a Black and a
    > White South African who share a jail cell. They are assigned to
    > work in the prison garden and as the garden grows, so does their
    > relationship. The isolation of everyday prison life forces the
    > two men from diverse cultural backgrounds to go through a state
    > of intense confrontation and conflict which in turn leads them to
    > a greater understanding and respect for one another. Ultimately,
    > a story of hope and friendship in the new South Africa.
    > Saturday, February 7, 12 noon; Tuesday, February 10, 1:30 pm
    >
    > The Cora Player (Canada, 1997) US Premiere
    > Director: Cilia Sawadogo 7 min
    > Young lovers are separated because they belong to different
    > social castes. This beautifully animated short bursts with color
    > and social statement.
    > Thursday, February 5, 7:30 pm; Sunday, February 8, 2 pm;
    > Thursday, February 12, 8 pm; Friday, February 13, 8 pm; Saturday,
    > February 14, 8 pm; Sunday, February 15, 5:30 pm
    >
    > The Dinner (US, 1997) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Bernie Casey 86 min
    > Three sophisticated, successful middle-class African-
    > American men gather around a table in a very elegant restaurant
    > to discuss the Black experience in the world in general but
    > particularly in the United States. Actor and artist Bernie Casey
    > makes his directorial debut and also stars in thiis powerful
    > analysis of American society. Thursday screening sponsored by:
    > The Los Angeles Urban League and Black Photographers of
    > California.
    > Thursday, February 12, 8 pm; Monday, February 16, 4:30 pm
    >
    > The Firing Squad (US, 1997) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Tim Story 96 min
    > A young woman attempts to save her best friend from her
    > abusive husband by plotting his murder.
    > Sunday, February 15, 9:45 pm
    >
    > The Kite (Egypt, 1996) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Hala Khalil 37min
    > Salma, a young girl on the verge of becoming a woman is
    > instinctively drawn to the world of women's secrets. Her father,
    > however, wishes her to remain in her innocence. Salma is a flower
    > about to blossom but her father's hand is always ready to nip her
    > in the bud. One of the few women directors in Egyptian cinema,
    > Hala Khalil captures a story universal to young women the world
    > over.
    > Saturday, February 7, 12 noon; Tuesday, February 10, 1:30 pm;
    > Sunday, February 15, 11 am
    >
    > The Planet of Junior Brown (Canada, 1997) US Premiere
    > Director: Clement Virgo 92 min
    > Junior Brown is an overprotected, teenage musical prodigy
    > given to fantasy, who carries his enormous weight like an
    > unwritten cry for help. Buddy, a tough-minded child of the
    > streets, lives by his wits in a deserted city building. Together
    > they form an unlikely friendship, that is tested as Junior's
    > fantasies turn desperate and his dependence on Buddy becomes
    > absolute. An extraordinary story of music, friendship, and the
    > quest for the freedom to be yourself. Stars Lynn Whitfield and
    > Margot Kidder.
    > Friday, February 13, 1:30 pm; Monday, February 16, 8:20 pm
    >
    > The Solution* (US, 1996)
    > Director: Damani Mangum 20 min
    > A social science fiction set in the near future about a
    > young Black man who is forced to participate in the brutal anti-
    > aggression drug development program.
    > Winner: Renaissance Award, Hollywood Renaissance Film Festival;
    > DGA Student Film Award-Honorable Mention
    > Director's Q&A follows.
    > Friday, February 6, 1:30 pm; Monday, February 9, 1:30 pm
    >
    > Train Station* (US, 1996)
    > Director: Ta'Shia Asanti & Stephanie Wynne 18 min
    > A hot love affair between two black women set in the 1950s.
    > A one-woman tour-de-force examining racism and homophobia.
    > Friday, February 13, 10 pm
    >
    > Tree of Life (Somalia)
    > Director: Abdulkadir Admed Said 29 min
    > A gripping film which explores the deforestation of the
    > planet from the unique African viewpoint--that of the nomad.
    > Beginning when the Sahara Desert was a lush, beautiful
    > rainforest, we see the tragic encounter between a hard-working
    > nomad and the rainforest. Humankind's confusion, misdirection
    > and alienation from nature is explored.
    > Saturday, February 7, 12 noon; Wednesday, February 11, 1:30 pm;
    > Saturday, February 14, 4:10 pm
    >
    > 2 Bob Mermaid (Australia, 1997) US Premiere
    > Director: Darlene Johnson 14 min
    > A fair-skinned aboriginal girl passes as White to get into a
    > local segregated swimming pool.
    > Thursday, February 12, 3:30 pm
    >
    > We Choose to Rap (Brazil/US, 1995) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Michele Stephenson 17 min
    > Afro- Brazilians in Sao Paulo and Bahia have suffered from a
    > long history of racism and discrimination. We Choose to Rap
    > examines the social awakening of a young, Afro-Brazilian woman
    > who discovers her identity through rap music. Through the eyes
    > of Cristina, we observe the political and cultural tensions
    > produced by Brazilian and African-American rap music.
    > Sunday, February 8, 10:45 am; Thursday, February 12, 1:30;
    > Sunday, February 15, 11 am
    >
    > White Men are Cracking Up (UK/Nigeria, 1994) Los
    > Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Ngozi Onwurah 20 min
    > A detective is investigating the strange circumstances which
    > surround the deaths of several middle-aged white men who have
    > committed "suicide." As he gets deeper into the case, he
    > realizes that a mysterious Black woman is a common thread linking
    > all the deaths. As he seeks to reveal her identity, he becomes
    > obsessed with her and is in danger of becoming her next "victim."
    > Director's Q&A follows.
    > Monday, February 9, 7 pm; Thursday, February 12, 1:30 pm
    >
    > Who Stole the Soul (UK/Nigeria, 1990) Los Angeles Premiere
    > Director: Ngozi Onwurah & Simon Onwurah 30 min
    > Looking at the historical importance of music to Black
    > culture, this hard-hitting docu-drama explores the exploitation
    > of Black music and musicians by European culture.
    > Winner: Best Documentary, Royal Television Society
    > Director's Q&A follows.
    > Sunday, February 8, 2 pm
    >
    > Yo Soy del Son a la Salsa (I Am, From Son to Salsa) (Cuba/US,
    > 1997)
    > Director: Rigoberto Lopez Prego 100 min
    > The evolution of salsa music from its roots in Cuba through
    > its development there and later in Puerto Rico and New York are
    > documented through interviews, performances and archival footage,
    > but most of all through the irresistible music itself. Salsa's
    > history is meticulously laid out throughout this century,
    > charting its variations and presenting its premier artists. With
    > numerous performances including ones by Cachao, Tito Puente,
    > Celia Cruz and Los Van Van, today's top Cuban group, this is a
    > must see for all Salsa lovers!
    > Friday, February 6, 9:50 pm
    >
    >



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