Underground Railroad Film Series

Underground Railroad Film Series

CINEMA AND CONVERSATION

Each month from September through February 2009, at various 'safe houses' in greater King County, the Underground Railroad Film Series partners with community groups, organizations and traditionally marginalized populations to host a screening of films by or about Black people that intersect across cultures, providing opportunities for community engagement and self-reflection.

November brings us two stops on the Underground Railroad with films on November 13 and November 20, 2008. Check them both out!

ASHKENAZ
Documentary - ISRAEL 2008; 79 min
Director- Rachel Leah Jones

Date: Thursday, November 13
Time: 7PM
Location: Langston Hughes
104 17th Ave S.
Admission: Suggested donation of $5
Filmmaker in attendance

Ashkenaz is a fascinating study of Ashkenazi culture and people.

What happened to the Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe when they came to settle in the Middle East and what happened to Middle Eastern and North African Jews as a result of the encounter? How did the 'others' of Europe become the Europe of 'the others'? And how are the Palestinians related to all this?

Filmmaker Rachel Leah Jones sets out to reveal the bubbling layers of the Israeli 'melting pot' and there is hardly a stone she leaves unturned: Pale skinned and dark skinned; young and old; Holocaust survivors and Holocaust experts; Moroccan poets pondering their Arab-Jewish identity and Yiddish lovers lamenting the loss of their mama loshen (mother tongue); native dwellers whose existence has been threatened by the new
European comers and intellectual youngsters composing the manifesto of a new movement for the protection of Ashkenazi culture. This cacophony is weaved together with the subversive lyrics of one of Israel's most intriguing Rock ensembles 'HaBiluim' creating a cutting edge investigation that goes under and beyond Israel's 'black and white' politics.

Co presented with the Seattle Jewish Film Festival

2008 LHAAFF begins April 12!

Festival Runs: April 12 – April 20, 2008
Opening Reception & Special Guest: Donnie L. Betts (4/12; 7:00)
Closing Reception & Special Guest: Charles Burnett (4/20; 7:00)

SEATTLE –Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center (LHPAC) will host its Fifth Annual African American Film Festival, featuring a powerful lineup of documentaries, narratives, film shorts and animation. The festival is thrilled to announce that Honeydripper , a film by John Sayles will be featured on Opening Night April 12th. Audience members will get the rare opportunity to see behind the scenes footage of the film and filmmaker Donnie L. Betts will be on hand to share a "making of" insight into the film. On April 20th the festival will wrap with a special showing of Namibia: The Struggle for Liberation and the film’s director, Charles Burnett will be on hand to discuss his work.

The African American Film Festival runs nine consecutive nights from April 12th – 20th and all the showings will take place at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center. The festival includes a record number of entries from emerging and established filmmakers from around the world. The selection of powerful, diverse, intelligent and evocative films will include a robust shorts program designed to give rise to the emergent filmmaking voice, and a wide array of talkbacks, panels and receptions provide a much needed bridge for artists and community patrons to engage in meaningful dialogue.

This annual event is expected to draw over 1000 people who are passionate about creating and appreciating films by and about Black people in the world . The Festival spotlights over 40 feature-length and short films by independent filmmakers, and includes panel discussions, readings, special screenings for senior & youth and the rare opportunity to chat face-to-face with prominent filmmakers, industry professionals and community leaders.

“Our goal for each year’ is to present as wide, and as honest, a variety of portrayals of Black life as possible.’ said Zola Mumford, the festival’s curator. “People of African descent are doing all sorts of interesting things all over the world; and this little gem of a festival invites audiences to learn and expand their view of the African experience.”

A few of the films & workshops currently scheduled include:
• Honeydripper is a Rock n’ Roll fable about Guitar Sam set in 1950’s Alabama. It is directed by John Sayles, stars Danny Glover and features music by Keb Mo
• The Seattle premiere of Namibia: The Struggle for Liberation. An epic tale by legendary director Charles Burnett about the rise of Sam Nujoma, the first President of Namibia. Burnett will be on hand to discuss his work
• Seattle filmmaker Eddie Smith premieres two films, Man to Man, a psychological drama; and Behind Closed Doors, a courtroom drama exploring racial identity.
• Women Together as One by Gilda Sheppard is a documentary about Liberian women refugees and child soldiers
• Seattle poet and filmmaker Stacey Tolbert premieres Got Breast?
• Pariah is a coming-of-age drama about a lesbian teenager who unsuccessfully juggles multiple identities to avoid rejection from her friends and family.
• Adopted by Aliens Animators Shawnee and Shawnelle Gibbs will be in town to host an animation workshop
• Alonzo Crawford, Howard University Cinematography Professor and filmmaker will also host a film workshop

Photos and background info on these, and other films are available upon request. A complete list of films and schedules will be released in early April.

All festival activities take place at the historic Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center on 17th & Yesler (104 17th Ave. S). The opening night event, Honeydripper begins at 7 pm. The closing night event, Namibia also begins at 7 pm. All evening showtimes are 7:00 pm. Matinees are at 4:00 M-F and 2:00 pm Sat. & Sun. Tickets are $ 7 for adults $5 for seniors and $2 for youth. An all-access “Langston Pass” is $75. Film details and ticketing information are available at www.langstonblackfilmfest.org or by calling 206-326-1088.

The African American Film Festival is supported by The Lucky 7 Foundation, Seattle Parks and Recreation, 4 Culture, the Washington State Arts Commission, the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, and a host of local businesses and organizations. The Langston Hughes African American Film Festival gives Northwest audiences a chance to view a diverse array of irreverent, poignant, provocative documentary films on topics such as youth, politics, history, social justice and relationships.
About the Langston Hughes African American Film Festival: The Langston Hughes African American Film Festival supports community building by providing opportunities for artists and audiences to connect using the medium of film as a catalyst for dialogue that leads to social change. The festival creates year round opportunities to enhance media literacy, self reflection, and community discussion. By creating the shared experience of films that are by and about black people, the festival is a creative and collaborative opportunity to build cultural competency across the aisle and across neighborhoods in greater Seattle. www.langstonblackfilmfest.org

About Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center: Established in 1969 as a dynamic and creative cultural arts center under the Model Cities, Urban Renewal program the Center provides a cultural institution in Seattle’s Central Area, where arts specific to the African American experience could be taught, explored, expressed, and enjoyed by all. LHPAC has been at the core of experimental, cutting edge, traditional, and emerging art forms for more than 35 years. LHPAC became a program of Seattle Parks and Recreation in 1972. It has been a core gathering place for an African American cannon of work in a neighborhood that has seen numerous demographic changes over the past three decades. The Center remains committed to championing that voice and building powerful connections with the diverse cultures in our community. This is accomplished through the creation of dynamic performing arts experiences for all. LHPAC partners with organizations such as: The Central District Forum for Arts and Ideas, Seattle Public Schools, the Paramount Theater, Book-It-Repertory Theater, ReAct Theater, the Seattle Symphony, Earshot Jazz and many more organizations that share our commitment to quality programming for a diverse audience. www.seattle.gov/parks/Centers/langston.htm

American Ethnic Cleansing Explored in “Banished”, November 2nd

Groups Work Together to Host Seattle Premiere of Critically Acclaimed Film

Seattle, WA – Filmmaker Marco Williams will be on hand to discuss his widely acclaimed documentary, “Banished” as part of the Langston Hughes African American Film Festival Underground Railroad Film Series in partnership with the Seattle Office of Civil Rights and the Seattle Art Museum. The film will screen for the community Friday, November 2^nd at 1PM at the Seattle Art Museum and 7pm at the Rainier Valley Cultural Center. Williams will also participate as guest speaker in the Seattle Race Conference held on Saturday, November 3 at the Seattle Center. Both events are open to the public.

BANISHED chronicles both the history and legacy of three southern Counties who practiced violent eviction of Black communities, burning their homes, lynching the men and appropriating their land.

New York Times writer Manhola Dargis describes this infamous period in history as a time when “Reconstruction died, and Jim Crow moved right in.” Director Marco Williams’ film patiently addresses this American tragedy with an unflinching and thoughtful investigation of racism, responsibility and land ownership.

The film not only reflects on the past, but also explores the impact on the descendants of these communities whose combination of silence and shame beg the questions of history, memory and contemporary justice। Throughout the film, Williams searches the recollections of current and past residents whose stories reveal the resident’s myopic sensibility, which keeps these towns mostly white today. Williams’ film delves into the impact of these violent expulsions and reframes the notion of reparations, providing thoughtful context to this complex subject.

The three counties studied, Forsyth County (Georgia), Pierce City (Missouri) and Harrison (Arkansas) remain virtually all white and their victims’ descendants remain uncompensated.
Filmmaker Marco Williams interviews both groups. Described as handsome, soft-spoken, articulate and unfailingly polite, critics site Williams as the perfect foil for drawing out KKK members and guilty liberals alike. He takes an incendiary subject and through force of personality weaves a thoughtful investigation of racism, responsibility and real estate.

Williams will be on hand Friday evening to introduce the film. The screening will be followed with discussion hosted by the Langston Hughes African American Film Festival and partners at the Rainier Valley Cultural Center. On Saturday, Williams will participate in the Seattle Race Conference, bringing excerpts of the film and inviting the conference's 300 participants to reflect on the work. Williams and co producers Working Films and the Center for Investigative Reporting have launched a national outreach program to discuss the issues raised in the film.

The Race Conference keynote will be presented by Dr. James Gregory, Director of the University of Washington Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project with presentation titled, "Remembering Segregated Seattle and the Civil Rights Movements that Changed Our City. This screening, community discussion and connection to the Seattle Race Conference will provide a powerful platform for Seattle and King County audiences to address our history and provide context for the issues of racism faced yet today across the country and in our own back yard.

The Langston Hughes African American Film Festival and Underground Railroad Film Series are programs of Seattle Parks and Recreation’s Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center. The Seattle Race Conference is presented by a coalition of community groups in partnership with the Seattle Office for Civil Rights and the Seattle Center. The Seattle Art Museum is the Pacific Northwest’s premiere venue for art, with more than 23,000 objects from across cultures, exploring the connections between past and present, connecting people to art.

Screening Date/Time/Location

Date: Friday, November 2, 2007

Time: 1PM City of Seattle Staff & 7PM Public Screening Doors at 6:30 ($5 suggested donation)

Location: 1PM Seattle Art Museum ; 7PM Rainier Valley Cultural Center

For info on the Langston Hughes Underground Railroad Film Series- www.langstonblackfilmfest.org

To register for the Race Conference visit www.seattleraceconference.org

For info on SAM, visit www.seattleartmuseum.org

Film Facts:

(USA 2007) 87 Minutes Official Website www.banishedthefilm.com

Director/Producer : Marco Williams

Co-Producer: Maia Harris

Editors: Kathryn Barnier, Sandra Christie

Camera: Stephen McCarthy

Sound: J.T. Takagi

Music Composed by: David Murray

Awards:

BANISHED won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the Miami International Film Festival, the Spectrum Award at the Full Frame Film Festival, and the Nashville Film Festival's Best Documentary Award.

Reviews-

“Williams plays on a distinctly American sense of decency by appealing to his audience's notion of property rather than justice: "We wanted to reintroduce the thought of reparation or reconciliation around an idea that's perhaps more tangible to people than solely reparation for slavery."” Charlie Olsky, Indie Wire

“Williams's very presence in the all-white communities he documents is a canny litmus test ... It doesn't matter that Williams is Harvard-educated, or that he's articulate and hip. As our director sits at a kitchen table in Harrison, Arkansas, listening to the local Klan leader matter-of-factly disclose his disdain for blacks, it's painfully clear that in many small (and large) towns throughout America, the legacy of banishment remains: Black people are not only unwelcome, but unsafe. Just ask the Jena 6.” Lisa Katzman, Village Voice

“It’s stunning how loudly the dead can speak, and with such eloquence.”
– Manohla Dargis, The New York Times

“Goes the extra mile by confronting the descendants of the perpetrators.”
– Time Out NY

“With a forceful and disturbing, and at the same time emotionally resonant sense of investigative inquiry, Williams fearlessly burrows into the depths of this hidden history with brave, unrelenting determination. A rare treasure in the annals of cinema.”
– Prairie Miller, WBAI Radio

“Investigates the distressing and awkward situation that arises when African-American families
return to land where their ancestors were forced to retreat in the face of domineering racism.
Rather than following an activist agenda, Williams’s intelligent personal narrative raises
monumental questions surrounding ownership and retribution.”
– Eric Kohn, New York Press

“A deft drilling down into a little-known or consciously forgotten-about piece of American history.
An important film that renegotiates the issue of reparations.”
– Williams Cole, The Brooklyn Rail

UPDATE: Corrected bio for S. Pearl Sharp, April 29 guest filmmaker

The LHAAFF regrets that an incorrect bio was published in the print version of the program book. Guest filmmaker S. Pearl Sharp will present her acclaimed documentary THE HEALING PASSAGE: VOICES FROM THE WATER on Sunday, April 29 at 1:00 PM. Admission is $7.00. A correct version of the bio follows:

S. Pearl Sharp's work focuses on cultural arts, health and Black history. An
independent filmmaker, she created the semi-animated film short Picking Tribes, with watercolors by artist Carlos Spivey; Life Is A Saxophone, on poet Kamau Daa'ood; a controversial women's health video, It's O.K. To Peek, produced with Arabella Chavers-Julien; and Back Inside Herself, a poetic short. S. Pearl wrote and directed numerous arts documentaries for the City of Los Angeles' CH 35, with Exec. Producer Rosie Lee Hooks, including Central Avenue Live!, L.A. to L.A., Spirits of the Ancestors and Fertile Ground: Stories From the Watts Towers Arts Center. She is Supervising Producer for five new short films addressing gang violence, sponsored by the Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center (BHERC). Sharp’s most recent work is The Healing Passage/Voices From The Water, an award-winning, feature length documentary that addresses the present-day residuals of the trans-Atlantic slave trade through the work of cultural artists.

S. Pearl writes "soft songs, hard poems and 3rd eye music." Her essays and
commentaries are heard on NPR radio, and she is the current Poet Laureate
of the Watts Towers Arts Center. Her published literary works include Black Women For Beginners (Writers and Readers), the plays Dearly Beloved and The Sistuhs, four volumes of poetry and a spoken word CD, On The Sharp Side. She worked with esteemed actress Beah Richards on There's A Brown Girl In The Ring, a collection of the actress' essays, later adapting them to stage.

Based in Los Angeles, S. Pearl is both a practitioner and student of holistic healing. www.aSharpShow.com

...

About the film:

How do we heal from the residuals of The Middle Passage?Cultural artists, along with historians and healers, look at present day behavior that is connected to the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. For more than 300 years Africans were carried from their homeland, across the Atlantic Ocean ("The Middle Passage"), into chattel slavery in the Americas and the Caribbean. The residual impact of this African Holocaust still reverberates in the world today through psychological trauma, genetic memory, personal and community consciousness. The artists use music, dolls, dance, altars, spoken word, visual art and ritual to create paths to healing.
With commentary by historian Dr. Yosef A. A. ben-Jochannan (Dr. Ben), Goree Island curator Boubacar Joseph Ndiaye, health professionals Lola Kemp and Dr. Olivia Cousins, and Maafa Conference founder Rev. Dr. Johnny Ray Youngblood. And the artistry of actress CCH Pounder, Brother Yusef the Bluesman, bassist Nedra Wheeler, writer/singer Shonda Buchannan (Nyesha Khalfani), doll maker Angela Briggs, visual artists Ra6 and Abbey Onikoyi and others.

AFROPUNK director James Spooner returns to Seattle tonight, April 28!

Don't miss tonight's rare opportunity! The LHAAFF welcomes back AFROPUNK director, James Spooner, with this special presentation of a festival version of his forthcoming feature, WHITE LIES, BLACK SHEEP about a young Black man and his struggles with identity and integration in Manhattan's club/punk scene. Post-screening Q&A with director James Spooner. Admission is $7.

Blaxploitation films: Friday, April 27

Greetings!

We are coming down to the final days of our little gem of a festival with a one-two weekend punch sure to please all audiences!

Friday is packed! Take the afternoon off and join us for a long lunch matinee featuring the world premiere of David Walker's Uncle Tom's Apartment @ 12:30. Order lunch and we'll bring it to your seat. Plays with American Red and Black, Through Martha's eyes and The Hardest Part.

Then, go home and get your Afro wig and join us for a Blackbuster evening when Walker presents Macked, Hammered, Slaughtered and Shafted. This riveting documentary features all the favorites from the heyday of Blaxploitation - Ron O'Neal, Pam Grier, Fred Williamson all talk about how blaxploitation films saved an ailing hollywood machine.

And screw your wig on tight, cause the Hip Shakin' Papa is here! RUDY RAY MOORE IS DOLEMITE. He will join us at the Royal Esquire Club tonight at 9:00 PM to screen his latest world premiere film Dolemite Explosion.

Macked, Hammered, Slaughtered, Shafted & Dolemite Explosion Date: Tonight! Time: 7PM and 9PM Location: Langston Hughes & Royal Esquire Club More info: 206.326.1088 or 206.684.4758

Saturday and Sunday at Langston Hughes Join us for a weekend variety of films that are sure to satisfy! Saturday features an animation workshop with Shawnelle and Shawnee Gibbs of Adopted by Aliens , an African Film Marathon and the premiere of White Lies, Black Sheep with AFROPUNK director James Spooner and featuring Seattle native, Ayinde Howell. Sunday features S. Pearl Sharp as she presents her beautiful film about the effects of the middle passage titled, the Healing Passage. The festival closes with the poignant documentary and an old fashioned barbecue picnic sponsored by Jones Barbecue. $10 gets you a film-The Federation of Black Cowboys, a meal, courtesy of Jones Barbecue, and a chance to meet a real live Black cowboy! Truly a family treat! DATE: Saturday and Sunday TIME: check schedule for times LOCATION: Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center MORE: Call 206.326.1088 or Langston @ 206.684.4758

ADOPTED BY ALIENS Intro to Animation workshop with guest animators, the Gibbs Twins!

FRIDAY, APRIL 27

10:00 AM – 11:30 AM: ADOPTED BY ALIENS with guest filmmakers Shawnee and Shawnelle Gibbs.
Youth and audiences of all ages will have the opportunity to engage with two delightful storytelling sisters, Shawnelle and Shawnee Gibbs and their award winning animated series Adopted by Aliens. Adopted tells the story of Whitney Ward, an orphan who never expected that the love and acceptance she seeks would come from outer space. Filmmakers Shawnee and Shawnelle Gibbs will discuss filmmaking and Flash animation. Admission: $2 for kids and adults.

This workshop will be repeated on Saturday, April 28 , 1:00 – 2:00 PM. Workshop fee: $2 age 12 and under, all others $7.
…
www.langstonblackfilmfest.org
http://lhaaffbside.blogspot.com/

Music is My Life, Politics

Tonight: MUSIC IS MY LIFE…THE OSCAR BROWN, JR. STORY at the LHAAFF


Come to the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center tonight, April 26, at 7:30 PM for this wonderful documentary on life and work of Oscar Brown, Jr., the great jazz musician, union leader, political candidate, and social commentator. Director Donnie L. Betts will be present for a special post-show Q&A. Don’t miss this rare opportunity and inspiring film experience! General admission: $7. Children age 12 and under: $2.

The Langston Hughes African American Film Festival continues tomorrow with great matinee films and an evening Blaxploitation presentation.

Guest filmmaker Donnie L. Betts on KCPQ-13 (Seattle)

Seattle area residents - tune in to Fox affiliate KCPQ-13 for the Thursday, April 26 local morning news broadcast between 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. to see an interview with documentary filmmaker Donnie L. Betts!
Mr. Betts will present his documentary, MUSIC IS MY LIFE, POLITICS MY MISTRESS: THE STORY of OSCAR BROWN, JR. at the Langston Hughes African American Film Festival on April 26 at 7:30 p.m. Stay for the post-screening Q&A session.

Exciting local films - NAKED LIFE with guest Malik Isasis

Greetings!

The festival is in full swing with five more powerhouse days of Black cinema. Click here to download a full schedule of events. The rest of the week is packed full with wonderful films that you do not want to miss!

Tonight, young people take over the screen as the festival presents films by for and about youth. Reel Grrls is a unique after school media and technology training program that empowers girls to be critical media consumers and effective media users. This afternoon, the Reel Grrls will be on hand to screen SWIIRL, Hair Piece, Made up Of and Breaking the Cycle.
This after-school screening will also feature other youth made shorts from across the country. 5:00 PM - Admission $2 for adult and youth.

Our 7:30 PM evening feature brings local filmmaker, Malik Isasis to the festival to showcase his hauntingly beautiful film, Naked Life. Ben and Francesca have enjoyed a safe, stable relationship for 12 years, but when Francesca finds herself falling out of love their world begins to disintegrate. Shot in Seattle and Berlin, this film and the filmmaker are truly a gift to Seattle's film community.
Malik is a thoughtful film artist who has made 9 feature length films in and around Seattle over the past few years. He has provided opportunities for countless film industry creatives to practice the art and the craft of filmmaking. Malik is a brother on the rise. Tonight will be his last screening in Seattle before he moves to New York City.

Come out tonight so that you can say, "Oh yeah, I remember seeing some of his earlier works."

Naked Life is preceded by NYC filmmaker Trevor Parham's short, Look Right.

Late breaking news: guest filmmakers at "Falling Together in New Orleans" screening

We're pleased to announce that Farrah Hoffmire (director) and Mitchell Davis (producer) , the makers of FALLING TOGETHER IN NEW ORLEANS will make a special surprise appearance at the screening of their film on Thursday, April 26 at 12:30 p.m. We're pleased to welcome them to the LHAAFF. The documentary sensitively tells the inspiring true story of how individual people joined together to attempt to rebuild the lives of New Orleanians affected by Hurricane Katrina. The film is preceded by two shorts, Brigid Maher's AWOL, the story of an African American female soldier who goes AWOL in Iraq, becomes lost in the desert, and is rescued by Iraqi children; and FINDING A JOB IN HOUSTON, an information video produced by the Community Settlement Network of Houston, featuring actual Katrina survivors in a short film intended to aid in resettlement efforts. Admission to the program is $7. Please join us for this thought-provoking selection of independent films addressing contemporary concerns in American life.