NORTH AMERICAN DIASPORA

A WINTER TALE OPENING NIGHT FILM -
US PREMIERE
Canada, 2007, 100min, drama, English, Frances-Anne Solomon, dir.
A Winter Tale is set against the backdrop of a multicultural community's unrealized hopes and dreams. Bitter and tragic, funny and hopeful, the film not only tells a uniquely Canadian story that features Toronto as a central character, it also tells the universal story of Black men looking to assert their humanity in this world. See Opening Night film. Fri. Nov. 23 @ 7:45pm Opening Night. Q&A after the screening followed by a catered Opening Night Party at Bonafide's Restaurant; Sun, Nov. 25 @ 6pm at Thalia Theatre - Q&A after the screening; Sat. Dec. 1 @ 3:30pm at Anthology Film Archives.

POOR BOY'S GAME
NY PREMIERE
USA, 2007, 104min, drama, English, Clement Virgo, dir.
Poor Boy's Game explores the culture of tribalism in Halifax, Canada, played out in the story of Donnie Rose (Rossif Sutherland) and George Carvery (Danny Glover), whose son, Charles, is beat into a severe mental retardation by Donnie when both boys were 17. Finally released after a troubled stay in prison, Donnie encounters two communities divided by race -- exemplified by Charles' childhood friend, local-hero boxer Ossie Paris (Flex Alexander) and Donnie's volatile brother Keith (Greg Bryk) -- both unwilling to bury the past he helped create and move on. Warning: explicit sexual content. Tue. Dec. 4 @ 8:45pm at Anthology Film Archives and Wed. Dec. 5 @ 10:30pm at Clearview at 62nd St.

EMPZ 4 LIFE
Canada, 2006, 113min, doc, English, Allan King, dir.
In his powerful documentary EMPz 4 Life, Canadian pioneer, Allan King, follows Brian Henry, a volunteer worker for the youth agency, HoodLine, as he struggles to provide guidance and support to the young people he works with. "You are succeeding at keeping the Black race in prison" he tells one young man in frustration. Commenting on the bureaucracy of the public school system, he declares "I've met more honorable people in prison." Fri. Nov. 23 @ 3:00 at Teachers College, CU.

AUGUST THE FIRST
Nigeria/US/Sweden, 2007, 81min, drama, English, Lanre Olabisi, dir.
In August the First, the party to celebrate Tunde Ibirinde's graduation is the backdrop for a far more momentous occasion: the return from Nigeria, after over a decade of absence, of estranged father Dipo. Each family member must face their feelings before they face Dipo. Mon. Nov. 26 @ 8:40pm at Anthology Film Archives. Q&A after the screening.

BLACKOUT
USA, 2007, 95min, drama, English, Jerry Lamothe, dir.
In summer 2003, America experienced the largest blackout in its history-widely reported as peaceful. But in Brooklyn's forgotten East Flatbush neighborhood, mayhem unfolded when the power shut down. This is the untold story of the blackout-a place where, as night fell, looters emerged, violence surfaced and residents feared for their lives. Jeffrey Wright plays "Nelson" the owner and pillar of the local barbershop. Zoe Saldana plays "Claudine" an ambitious writer for "Uptown" magazine. Also featuring Melvin Van Peebles and Latanya Richardson. Fri. Nov. 30 @ 3pm at Riverside Theatre

BLUEPRINT
USA, 2006, 75min, drama in English, Shannon-Butts, dir.
Opposites do indeed attract for two New York African-American college students in this gay romance from first time feature director Kirk Shannon-Butts that's as unpredictable as it is unlikely. While waiting to meet a schoolmate at a Harlem coffeehouse, strait-laced Los Angeles transplant Keith finds himself drawn into a conversation about hip-hop's merits (or lack there-of) with an outgoing street smart urbanite named Nathan. At first uncertain of Nathan's motives (Is he flirting? Is this a con?), Keith initially responds with arrogance and bitchy disrespect before giving in to curiosity and attraction. The two set out on a motorcycle road trip out of the city and into the woods, where their romance is enabled and complicated by some pot smoking, a nude swim, yet more arguments and at least one surprise arrival. With sublime, fresh storytelling and supremely drawn young African-American characters, Blueprint establishes Shannon-Butts as a talent to watch. Having already been compared to such modern classics as Old Joy and Happy Together, Blueprint lays out a type of queer relationship that's rarely depicted in film, all with an intricately designed narrative written with precocious intelligence and spiced by conflict and verbal sparring. -- Lawrence Ferber. Fri. Nov. 30 @ 7:45pm at Anthology Film Archives. Shown with Paradise Lost.

CITY TEACHER
NY PREMIERE
USA, 2007, 99min, drama, English, Juney Smith, dir.
In City Teacher a Jewish parole officer, raised by a Black family, is assigned to teach reading to an all-Black class of illiterate teens in a New York high school. Starring Glynn Turman, Ella Joyce, Tommy Ford and Chuck D. Fri. Nov. 23 @ 3pm & Wed. Nov. 28 @ 4pm at Anthology Film Archives. Q&A after the screenings.
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HONEYDRIPPER
NY PREMIERE
US, 2007, 123min, drama, English, John Sayles, dir. An ode to the start of rock 'n' roll, Honeydripper features an all-star cast including Danny Glover, Charles S. Dutton, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Stacy Keach, Mary Steenburgen,Yaya DaCosta and Sean Patrick Thomas; as well as such notable musicians as Keb' Mo' and Dr. Mable John. It also introduces a major new talent, Gary Clark Jr. who makes his electrifying film debut as Sonny. See Gala Screening. Wed. Dec. 5 @ 7:45pm at Clearview 62nd St. Q&A after the screening followed by a catered reception at Josephina.

THE 23RD PSALM
NY PREMIERE
USA, 2007, 89min, drama, English, Christopher C. Odom, dir.
A smartly written, modern day, metaphysical tale with a "surprise" ending, The 23rd Psalm follows an evolving, empathetic, Christian, African-American, police detective must renew his faith and fight his alcoholic tendencies in order to solve the murder of a born again drug addicted prostitute rumored to have had the ability to perform miracles. The 23rd Psalm is a festival favorite, multiple award winning urban transcendental thriller not to be missed! Sat. Dec. 1 @ 10pm & Mon. Dec. 3 @ 6:30pm at Anthology Film Archives. Q&A after the screenings.

SISTER'S KEEPER
NY PREMIERE USA, 2007, 101min, drama, English, Kent Faulcon, dir.
Kent Faulcon - an actor that appears regularly on such TV hits as "24", "Vanished", "Criminal Minds", "Trial by Fire", or "Distress" - directs and stars in this exciting new thriller. When a small town teacher mistakes the hit-man hired to kill her for her long lost brother, they get entangled in a web of family secrets, deadly deception and forbidden love that could destroy them all. Fri. Nov. 30 @ 10pm & Sun. Dec. 2 @ 5:30pm Anthology Film Archives. Q&A after the screenings.

THE TASTE OF DIRT
USA, 2002, 12 min, drama, English, Yvonne Welbon, dir.
A short narrative film which explores issues of race and class as experienced by 7-year-old African American girls on the school playground. Mon. Dec. 3rd @ 12 noon at @ Anthology Film Archives/ Tue. Dec. 4th @ 12 noon at Thalia Theatre. Part of Girls Stories Program. Shown with Far From Home and White Like the Moon. Part of School Program.

THE RISE & FALL OF MISS THANG
NY PREMIERE
USA, 2007, 89min, drama, English, Stacie E. Hawkins, dir.
Starring Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards, an internationally renowned tap dancer who was the first female performer in the Tony Award Winning Bring In Da'Noise, Bring In Da'Funk, The Rise & Fall of Miss Thang tells the story of Dee Miller, a former tap-dancing prodigy who can barely find the energy to braid a few heads at her mother's beauty salon until a handsome dance instructor and her mother's gambling addiction jolt Dee out of her lethargy. There's plenty of tappin' and neighborhood ambience in this Chicago-made drama directed by Stacie E. Hawkins. Thu. Dec. 6 @ 8:30 at The Schomburg Center. Shown with Gene Boy Came Home. Part of Women Indies Night. Q&A after the screening followed by a catered reception.

WHITE LIKE THE MOON
USA, 2001, 23 min, drama, English, Marina Gonzalez Palmier, dir.

A Mexican-American girl struggles to keep her identity when her mother forces her to bleach her skin white to fit into "Anglo" society in the 1950's. Q&A with Maria Gonzalez Palmier after screening. Mon. Dec. 3rd @ 12 noon at Anthology Film Archives / Tue. Dec. 4th @ 12 noon at Thalia Theatre. Part of Girls Stories Program. Shown with Far From Home and The Taste of Dirt. Part of School program.

AUTUMN'S EYES
US, 2005, 59min, doc., English, Gabriel Noble / Paola Mendoza, dirs.
Autumn's Eyes is a touching feature documentary seen through the eyes of a 3-year-old girl as she tries to navigate her way through a life of poverty, of her teenage mother's incarceration and foster care. Charming, obedient, and unable to fully comprehend the severity of her environment, Autumn is shielded from her own reality. Caught between the innocence of child and the growing necessity to be an adult, she represents hope to a family of women caught in the cyclical web of abuse, addiction, incarceration and poverty. Mon. Nov. 26 @ 2:10pm at Anthology Film Archives & Mon. Nov. 26 @ 7:30PM at Teachers College, CU. Shown with The Souls of Black Girls.

BLACK TO OUR ROOTS
Ghana/US, 2007, 49 min, documentary, English, Tresubira Whitlow, dir.
Living in a housing project in Atlanta, Georgia, 17-year old Sylvia Dorsey is frustrated by the violence and drug abuse that surrounds her. Determined to transcend this environment, Sylvia soon finds herself on a soul-searching mission to define who she is and what will become of her life. BLACK TO OUR ROOTS is the inspirational story of the journey that Sylvia embarks upon with her peers to Ghana, West Africa to explore her ancestral homeland. Q&A with Tresubira Whitlow after screening. 12 noon on Wed. Nov. 28th / Thu. Nov. 29th @ Anthology Film Archives / Fri. Nov. 30th @ The Riverside Theatre. Part of School Program.

THE CABRINI GREEN AREA RECONSTRUCTION
NY PREMIERE
USA, 2007, 7min, doc, English, Aziza Ngozi Walker, dir.
A brief, but blunt urban documentary, Cabrini Green residents give their uncensored opinions about life in 'The Green' and the controversial plan for its redevelopment. The powerful and unscripted spoken words of the residents are almost a performance piece. In some cases these words express an anger - a fear or distrust or resignation; but in other cases the words resonate with pride, self-determination, tentative hope and a will to survive. Mon. Nov. 26 @ 6:00pm at Teachers College, CU; Wed. Dec. 5 @ 1:45pm at Clearview 62nd St. and Thu. Dec. 6 @ 6:30pm at Schomburg Center. Shown with Margaret Garner.

DOLLARS AND DREAMS
US PREMIERE
US, 2007, 65min, doc, English, Jeremy Rocklin, dir.
Dollars and Dreams is a documentary film focused on the pursuits and challenges of numerous West African immigrants as they confront the idea of the American Dream and the reality of the New York experience. Including additional perspective from scholars, authors, and community leaders, the film creates a vibrant portrait of African achievement throughout the city, while exploring the complicated issues African immigrants face as they balance their deep connections to Africa and their enthusiastic commitments to America. Sat. Nov. 24 @ 5:50pm at Anthology Film Archives and Sat. Dec. 1 @ 5:30pm at the Riverside Theatre. Q&A after the screenings.

FAR FROM HOME
USA, 2005, 40 min, documentary, English, Rachel Tsutsumi, dir.

Kandice, an African-American teenager, has been bused to a predominantly white suburb since kindergarten. In this revealing documentary, she takes us inside her triumphs, struggles and conflicted feelings about traveling these two worlds. She also reveals her family's long history of integrated education and activism. Through cinema verité and interviews, the film weaves together Kandice's current school life with a family history that has been profoundly shaped by a racially integrated educational experience. Mon. Dec. 3rd @ 12 noon at Anthology Film Archives/ Tue. Dec. 4th @ 12 noon at Thalia Theatre. Part of Girls Stories Program. Shown with The Taste of Dirt and White Like the Moon. Part of School Program.

GREENSBORO: CLOSER TO THE TRUTH
US, 2007, 83min, doc, English, Adam Zucker, dir.
On November 3, 1979, members of the Communist Workers Party were holding a Death to the Klan rally in Greensboro, North Carolina. Suddenly a caravan rounded the corner, scattering the protesters. Klansmen and Nazis emerged from the cars, unloaded an arsenal of guns and began firing. Five people were killed in what became known as the Greensboro Massacre. Greensboro: Closer to the Truth reconnects 25 years later with the players in this tragedy-widowed and wounded survivors, along with their attackers-and chronicles how their lives have evolved in the long aftermath of the killings. All converge when the first Truth and Reconciliation Commission ever held in the United States is convened in Greensboro from 2004-2006 to investigate the Massacre. As the Commission struggles to uncover what actually happened and why, the participants confront the truth of their past, and struggle with the possibility of hope and redemption. Fri. Nov. 30 @ 5:30pm at Anthology Film Archives & Sun. Dec. 2 @ 3:00pm at Teachers College, TC. Q&A after the screenings.

GIRLS NIGHT OUT
US, 2006, 23min, doc., English, Gucci Man, dir.
Critically acclaimed documentary Girls Night Out by late rapper turned Director Gucci Man explores the world of young urban lesbian women as they discuss their lives from family to relationships. Sat. Dec. 1 @ 8pm at Riverside Theatre. Shown with How Do I Look?

HIP HOP: BEYOND BEATS AND RHYMES
US, 2006, 80min, doc, English, Byron Hurt, Dir.
HIP HOP: Beyond Beats and Rhymes is an in-depth look a the sexism, violence and homophobia in rap music and hip=hop culture through the lens of a former college star athlete. Sun. Dec. 2 @ 1:00pm at Anthology Film Archives.

HOW DO I LOOK
US, 2006, 80min, doc., English, Wolfgang Busch, dir.
"A documentary 10 years in the making about the over 35 year old Harlem "Ball" community, How Do I Look picks up from where Paris Is Burning left off, the new school of Vogue champions play fast and loose with their fierce identity. The rollcall of participants in this extraordinary testimony to difference reads like a Who's Who of fabulousness. Kevin Aviance, Jose Xtravaganza, Mystery Royale, China Blue, the legendary Willi Ninja, who died in 2006. My favourite line - 'Truth cannot change no matter how much they cut it off' - is delivered as part of the gritty/ glamorous testimonies of trans people of colour, including Tracy Africa, the Irvin Penn-discovered 70s supermodel, until she was found out. At which point the doors closed. Voguing is arguably one of the most powerful expressions of Black and Latino identity. Personal. Powerful. Inspirational." ~ Topher Campbell Sat. Dec. 1 @ 8:00pm at Riverside Theatre. Shown with Girls Night Out. Q&A after the screening.

MISSISSIPPI CHICKEN
US, 2007, 82min, doc, Spanish with English subtitles, John Fiege, dir.
Questions of race, workers' rights and exploitation are central issues in Missisippi Chicken, a very incisive documentary that looks at the life of immigrants from Latin America and their tribulations in their quest for the American Dream. The interaction between the new arrivals in the New South and the other groups is explored as the level of political activism reaches new levels due the influx of immigrants into the area. Sun. Nov. 25 @ 1:00pm at Anthology Film Archives.

PUBLIC ENEMY'S WELCOME TO THE TERRORDOME (NY PREMIERE)
USA, 2007, 100min, doc, English, Robert Patton-Spruill, dir.
The documentary Public Enemy's Welcome to the Terrordome presents an exceptional behind the scene look at the men behind the controversial public persona of legendary Hip Hop group Public Enemy. Through interviews and extensive concerts footage, the film explores the role and philosophy of each group member, some of them going public for the first time. Tue. Nov. 27 @ 8:45pm and Sat. Dec. 1 @ 7:45pm at Anthology Film Archives. Q&A after screening.

THE SOULS OF BLACK GIRL
USA, 2006, 52min, doc, English, Daphnes S. Valerius, dir.
The Souls of Black Girl is a provocative news documentary with social commentary from Chuck D, Regina King, Jada Pinkett Smith, Gwen Ifill and Michaela Angela Davis that raises the question of whether or not women of color may be suffering from a self-image disorder as a result of media images. Mon. Nov. 26 @ 2:10pm at Anthology Film Archives and Mon. Nov. 26 @ 7:30PM at Teachers College, CU. Q&A after the screenings. Shown with Autumn's Eyes.

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BLACK AS INK
US PREMIERE
France, 1997, 52min, doc, English/French with English subtitles, Jacques Goldstein / Blaise N'Djehoya, dirs. Black as Ink is a thought provoking documentary that details the migration of African-American writers to France at the end of World War II. From 1947 to the late '60's, several African-American writers including Richard Wright, James Baldwin, Chester Himes and Gordon Parks made the journey to the "Black Left Bank" of the Seine. This film exposes the reasons behind their exile and retraces the lives of these expatriates in St-Germain-des-Prés where Existentialism, Black consciousness and jazz melded together. Sun. Dec. 2 @ 5:00pm at Thalia Theatre. Screening followed by panel discussion "African American Writers" and a reception. Part of Arts & the African America program.

CARMEN & GEOFFREY
USA, 2005, 79min, doc, English, Nick Doob / Linda Atkinson, dirs. Carmen & Geoffrey, about the careers of wife-and-husband dancers, actors and choreographers Carmen De Lavallade and Geoffrey Holder, "stands as a fitting tribute to a pair of extraordinary overachievers and as a touching portrait of over a half century of black-on-black love and of lives very well lived." Kam Williams - www.EuroWeb.com Fri. Nov. 30 @ 6m The Riverside Theatre. Q&A after the screening.

MARGARET GARNER
NY PREMIERE
Tunisia/France/USA, 2006, 52min, doc, English, Mustapha Hasnaoui, dir.
Following from backstage the story behind the creation of the modern, popular opera, based on the true story of a slave woman who killed her children to prevent them from becoming slaves, this moving documentary explores everyday attitudes about race relations in America and shows how vital it is to reconcile past and present in order to create a harmonious future. Beloved, by Nobel prizewinner Toni Morrison, was based upon the same story. Mon. Nov. 26 @ 6:00pm at Teachers College, CU; Wed. Dec. 5 @ 1:45pm at Clearview 62nd St. and Thu. Dec. 6 @ 6:30pm at Schomburg Center. Shown with the Cabrini Project. Part of Slavery in Film program.

JOSEPHINE BAKER: BLACK DIVA IN A WHITE MAN'S WORLD
Germany, 2006, 45min, doc, English/French/German with English subtitles, Annette von Wangenheim, dir.
Josephine Baker: Black Diva in a White Man's World is a tender, revealing documentary about one of the most famous and popular artist of the 20th century. Her legendary banana belt dance created theatre history; her song "J'ai deux amours" became a classic, and her hymn. The film focuses on her life and work from a black perspective. It portrays the artist in the mirror of European colonial clichés and presents her as a resistance fighter, an ambulance driver during WWII, and an outspoken activist against racial discrimination involved in the worldwide Black Consciousness movement of the 20th century. Fri. Nov. 30 @ 8:00pm @ The Riverside Theatre. Panel discussion after the screening followed by a reception. Part of Arts & The African American Program.

MATTHEW KENNEDY: ONE MAN'S JOURNEY (NY PREMIERE)
US, 2006, 83min, doc., English, Nina Kennedy, dir.
A loving look at retired Fisk Jubilee Singers director Matthew Kennedy: his life, his times, and the wonderful music he created. Matthew Kennedy: One Man's Journey traces the remarkable (and still remarkable) life of Matthew Kennedy, born in the segregated South in 1921, the son of a strict, school teacher mother and postal worker father and who would go on to master the piano and the Fisk Jubilee Singers from 1957 to 1985. Vintage photographs, interviews with former students, friends and associates, and wonderful music joyously blend to make Matthew Kennedy: One Man's Journey a remarkable celebration of the journey of a truly gifted and generous artist and community leader. Sat. Dec. 1 @ 3:00pm at Teachers College, CU. Q&A after the screening. Part of Arts and the African American Program.

SEGREGATING THE GREATEST GENERATION
USA, 2007, 81min, doc, English, Woodie King Jr., dir.
Segregating the Greatest Generation is a fascinating Black "concept essay" documentary. A group of sixteen men and women are interviewed about World War II and how that war changed their lives. They explore the difficulties of being Black and being artists during and after that time. With Evelyn Cunningham, Neal Tate, Ossie Davis, and William Greaves, among others. Tue., Nov. 27 @ 8:15pm at Thalia Theatre and Mon., Dec. 3 @ 7:30pm at Teachers College, Columbia University. Q&A after the screenings.