For Immediate Release: October 1, 1998 =20
Contacts: Cristina Jackson or Carmen Cruz (212) 410-2999
Women from the African Diaspora Featured in the 6th=20
Annual African Diaspora Film Festival
New York's Only Traveling Film Festival Launches with Tribute to=20
Women of Color in Front of and Behind the Camera
New York, NY - Showcasing and premiering films not shown in commercial
theaters, The African Diaspora Film Festival (CADFF) celebrates its =
sixth
year as a traveling clearinghouse for works by established and =
emerging
filmmakers . This internationally comprehensive film festival =
highlights
over 40 feature films, shorts, classics and documentaries from more =
than 20
countries representing the multi-faceted people of African =
descent.
movies from around the world into diverse neighborhoods beginning =
November
27th to December 13th. "Opening Night" will be hosted by New York
University at its newly renovated Cantor Film Center (36 East 8 =
Street,
off 5th Avenue). The festival will continue at downtown Manhattan's =
New
York Film Academy (100 East 17th Street near Union Square), and in =
Brooklyn,
at the Plaza Twin (314 Flatbush Avenue near Grand Army Plaza) and wrap =
up in
Manhattan, at Columbia University's Miller Theater (116th Street and
Broadway). =20
This year's Festival will feature a tribute to women of African descent =
in
films, their experience and the sensibilities they bring to the art of
filmmaking. Many "Special Nights" within the Festival will celebrate =
the
contributions of Black women in front of and behind the camera. =
Independent
Night will highlight the work of local Black women filmmakers. =
Several
U.S. premieres by or about Black women will be showcased including
"Faraw! Mother of the Dunes" from Mali and winner of Best Actress =
Award at
the last FESPACO; "Radiance" By Rachel Perkins, a film about three =
young
women who reunite for their mother's funeral after many years apart =
and
"Bent Familla" by renowned Tunisian filmmaker Nouri Bouzid, a film that
describes the challenges faced by women in modern Muslim societies. =
A
panel discussion with independent women filmmakers from the US and =
abroad
will also contribute to giving a voice to Black women in filmmaking.
A distinct highlight around women will be the East Coast premiere of =
the
controversial film, "Sister, I'm Sorry" followed by an hour long panel
discussion of the film with invited special panel guests. Featured =
recently
on The Oprah Winfrey Show and BET Tonight, "Sister, I'm Sorry" depicts =
men
apologizing to women for all the social, emotional, psychological and
physical wrongs men have inflicted on women. Designed to generate an =
open
dialog between men and women , the film's creator and co-producer is
actor/producer Tommy Morgan, Jr. and is directed by Frank Underwood. =
His
brother, actor Blair Underwood is co-producer and national spokesperson =
for
the film. "Sister, I'm Sorry" stars Michael Beach, Tommy Ford, Clifton
Powerll, Tico Wells and Steven Williams along with singer Howard Hewett =
and
hosted by actress Margaret Avery. The film also features the teachings =
of
Rev. Donald Bell. =20
This culturally enriching film festival has premiered featured films =
such as
Sankofa by Haile Gerima; The Journey of the Lion by Fritz Bauman; =
Cachao by
Andy Garcia; The Keeper by Joe Brewster ; Bleeding Hearts by Gregory =
Hines
and The Dinner by Bernie Casey. Other films such as Who Killed Pixote =
by
Jos=E9 Joffily (Brasil); The Keeper by Joe Brewster (USA); Candombe by =
Rafael
de Eugenio (Uruguay/Sweden); Flame by Ingrid Sinclair (Zimbabwe); El =
Mestizo
by Mario Handler (Venezuela) and many others have signed distribution =
or
cable television deals as a result of their participation at the =
African
Diaspora Film Festival. Moreover, it is the only film festival that =
reaches
out into diverse communities for presentation of these films unlike =
other
festivals that are insularly contained in the same area. It is also =
the
only Festival that features a special selection of films exclusively =
for
children and young adults in addition to the Special Nights Series =
offered
for viewing films from particular areas of the world.
The Festival's unique Young People's Program featuring select and
appropriate films for children and young adults will return this year =
as
well as CADFF Uptown with screenings and a Closing Concert at Columbia
University's Miller Theater and panel discussions at Teachers College. =
As
part of CADFF Uptown and the Young People's Program, a special =
professional
development seminar addressed to teachers will be offered in =
collaboration
with Teachers' College, Columbia University. The seminar will discuss =
how to
use films from the African Diaspora in a classroom setting. Sealing the
festival, the Closing Concert will feature performers from the African
Diaspora following a fashion show by MOSHOOD, the Brooklyn based
world-renowned fashion designer. =20
Conceived and developed by ArtMattan Productions who created the =
Festival in
1993, the African Diaspora Film Festival (CADFF) has developed into the
largest annual specialized film festival on the East Coast. Organizers
expect this year's film festival to attract more than 8,000 movie =
goers.
Since its inception, the Festival has secured major corporate sponsors
including Philip Morris, Bell Atlantic Foundation, Teacher's College,
Columbia University, French Cultural Services, Air Afrique, Island =
Records,
the Francophonie Agency (ACCT), Village Voice, Duggal Color Projects, =
Inc.,
the Senegal Tourist Bureau and BET/Movies Starz!3, among others.
Festival Founders, Reinaldo Barroso-Spech, a professor of foreign =
languages
and his wife Diarah N'Daw-Spech, a financial consultant explain, "Our
primary purpose for initiating CADFF was to unite all people of color =
under
one roof and familiarize them through the art of Filmmaking with the =
rich
and vast cultures of people of color around the world. For some, our
Festival has been an introduction to other black cultures they might
otherwise have never known. Hence, this Festival captures a =
diversified
audience and facilitates relations among attendants. We are proud to =
say
that many Black films introduced to the U.S within the context of CADFF =
are
'discovered' by distributors and curators and later screened in other =
film
festivals nationally and all over the world."
###
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