New Documentary Alert: “Invisible Universe: A History of Blackness in Speculative Fiction”

Utopian Fiction…What is, “Speculative Fiction?”…Who is part of the Science Fiction world?...What does it mean to be a “Second Class Citizen”?…A voyage into a fantastical world…

To answer some of those questions and expound on the above ideas, filmmaker and producer M. Asli Dukan’s has launched her documentary “Invisible Universe: A History of Blackness in Speculative Fiction” which investigates the relationships between the Black body, popular fantasy, horror, science fiction literature & film and the alternative perspectives produced by creators of color. According to Dukan:

From the origins of the genres, images of Black people in fantasy, horror and science fiction or speculative fiction (SF) have been inauthentic at best in the imaginations of white creators. From the “Fantastic Voyages” of the 1700s where Black pirates kidnapped white explorers to far off “alien” lands, to technologically advanced futures where Black people didn’t exist in any significant population, to post-nuclear holocaust America where modern Blacks took on aggressive pre-civilized behaviors, many of these ideas have created lasting impressions in the minds of their audiences and future creators. And though there were a few attempts by some white writers to use the genres for social commentary, for instance on race relations, these efforts were few and far in between.

There is however a significant output of work by Black creators, who used the techniques and themes of the genres to write alternative stories and to produce films that spoke closer to the realities of Black life. At the turn of the 20th century, Black writers wrote utopian and fantastical novels set during the days of slavery and Reconstruction. Independent Black filmmakers created low budget feature films exploring the effects of science and fantastical religious beliefs on the Black imagination. Harlem Renaissance writers jumped into the genre with “mad scientist” and “end of the world” scenarios commenting on the American race relations. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, two powerful and original voices emerged in the SF world writing tales with more inclusive pasts, presents and futures. Also in the 1970s, Black anti-heroes utilized science and the supernatural to secure Black justice. And later, there was the emergence of Black superheroes, who, though ready, willing and able to save the entire universe, first had to fight a homogenous industry.

This 10-year project brings these ideas to life through extensive footage, which features interviews with major writers, scholars, artists and filmmakers (i.e. Samuel R. Delaney, LA Banks, Tananarive Due, Nichelle Nichols, Wesley Snipes). The documentary also explores various mediums such as comics, literature, film, and television by deconstructing stereotypical and archetypal images of people of color (primarily Black) within these genres. Dukan has traveled across the country documenting key conferences, conventions, panels, performances and other events of Black SF at The Studio Museum in Harlem in New York, The East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention and The Afrofuturist Affair in Philadelphia, the AstroBlackness colloquium in Los Angeles, the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture in Atlanta, The Central District Forum for Arts and Ideas in Seattle, and New York Comic Con and Comic-Con International in San Diego. Essentially, “Invisible Universe” ultimately uncovers how Black and other individuals of color have been minimized and even erased within “popular” Sci-Fi culture, thus as a result of this consciously creating their own universe.

Dukan explains much of her dedication and efforts for this highly anticipated documentary project with a few words from the late, great Black science fiction writer Octavia Butler, “ I was trying to write myself in.” And Dukan does just that with “The Invisible Universe” documentary.

So if you would like to learn more and support the campaign check out the link HERE .

Check out the trailer here:

Invisible Universe trailer (Documentary feature work-in-progress) from Mizan Media on Vimeo.

As posted in The Berkeley Graduate

New Film Documentary Alert!! "The Church House: Sexuality in The Black Church"

"Let the truth be told, Amen!!"

Awwww shucks! I think we got a live one here!!

Sexuality and the Black Church....Hmmmmmm. Two topics that many run from especially when talked about in the same sentence. And finally here is a film that we have been always talking about and now it is coming to the light.

According to director/producer D. Channsin Berry (along with Bill Duke) this motivation for this film was that he had gotten to a point where he grew tired "of friends and family and others being disappointed with the church...No one wants to talk about SEX, and the debacle involving Eddie Long was the tipping point on the subject for me. This is not a witch hunt, but it is a progressive history lesson of the Black Church in America." 

I am definitely looking forward to this documentary. This is the controversial, complex material that needs to be discussed and not pushed under the rug!! You can't ignore this folks!!

Be on the look out for this documentary in 2014!! This will definitely be a conversation starter!!

Byron Hurt's Upcoming Documentary Project

Let me just say this, filmmaker/activist Byron Hurt is truly on a roll when it comes to releasing critically engaging films. Since being on a festival high and PBS showing of his latest film Soul Food Junkies, Hurt has ventured into a new controversial project, Hazing: How Badly Do You Want In?

Hurt, who is also a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., has admitted to both being hazed and taking part in hazing activities. He would be inspired to make this film after the recent tragedy of Robert Champion, the FAMU drum major that was killed in a hazing incident back in 2011.

Check out the film announcement here:

Hazing: How Badly Do You Want In? from Byron Hurt on Vimeo.

Hurt has also initiated an Indiegogo campaign where you can donate to the film project HERE .

A Film to be on the look out for....

Well look what we have here...Freida Lee Mock, Academy and Emmy Award winning filmmaker, writer, and producer has created a documentary telling the story of Anita Hill. This is definitely going to be a treat to see.

Mock is describing this "life and times" film as:


"Anita Hill, an African-American woman, charges Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas with sexual harassment in explosive Senate hearings in 1991--bringing sexual politics into the national consciousness and fueling 20 years of international debate on the issues."

And I will go out on a limb and say that this will probably be a pretty solid documentary considering Mock's past film history (Sing!, To Live or Let Die, Return With Honor, etc.)

No release date or trailer is out yet, but check out the poster below....

Simple yet intense...This should be interesting...

Another film that NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT!! “Black Men, Afraid of Dark”

As you all know, Black Savant Cinema is always in support of new and upcoming film projects. Some time ago I had the opportunity to feature this inspiring filmmaker Mya B . And now she has a documentary that she has been working on that will add a different light to the way black men are viewed and treated in this country through the film, Black Men, Afraid of Dark, formally known as Silence 2: Black Male Sexuality. 


According to the filmmaker, the purpose of the film is to analyze some of the damaging stereotypes about black men being violent, angry and oversexed and offer a balance to that by talking to black men of various ages and backgrounds about their family upbringing, how they define manhood, losing their virginity, black relationships, stereotypes and the in between.  


"This journey has been an amazing one for me in the beautiful men, some of you I know and the evolution I have gone through in discovering the black man in a different light for myself."


Some of the men interviewed include Vondie Curtis Hall, Steele of Smif-N-Wesson, Malik Yoba, Kevin Powell, NY Senator Eric Adams, Dr. Llaila Afrika, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and Phillips Bradford (grandson of man that had Ota Benga in the Bronx zoo), Tom Burrell, Sam Greenlee, Lou Myers, Independent hip hop artists (mikeflo, Chen Lo, Hasan Salaam, etc) and black men from all walks of life and backgrounds. 


Black Men, Afraid of Dark, is a film that is necessary in order to heal the world at large who have judged the black man based on these detrimental stereotypes.  


So please take a few moments to donate to the "Black Men, Afraid of Dark” Kickstarter campaign . No donation is too small. Every dollar amount of your donation will go to the paying my celebrity appearances, animation and post-production.  For being so generous you will receive a limited, Shoot Films, Not People “Hoodie” in honor of Trayvon Martin and other black men killed by the hand of other because of these stereotypes, a special edition DVD with behind the scene footage, a film credit, a signed poster, and an invite to one of the hottest pre-screening parties hosted by a celebrity host and guest DJ.


Now if after all of this you are still not convinced check out the trailer below:

"It is time for the black man to stop being feared but revered.  

He is more than a stereotype.  

Let’s help change the way the world views and responds to him."  ~Mya B

Featured Doc Alert: "Still Standing"

Shout Out to my good friend Sojourner Marable Grimmett for this post!!  It's nothing like watching a film that presents the true reality of relationships and marriages! Well just in case you had given up here is a film to revive your spirits....

Lamar & Ronnie Tyler Present, Still Standing a film that showcases a group of diverse couples that provide insight to transparent, insightful conversations about what it takes to have lasting power in current day marriages. Through infidelity, chronic illness, financial crisis, blended families and more these couples explain WHY and more importantly HOW they are STILL STANDING.

DC (Publick Playhouse in Cheverly, MD...March 24th) and ATL (Midtown Art Cinema in Atlanta, GA...May 3rd) be on the lookout for the premiere screenings. To purchase your tickets go to STILL STANDING !!

The film stars Kindred the Family Soul, Speech (Arrested Development), Yolanda Thomas, and Dr. Sherry L. Blake.

For more information about the film and its inception go to We Still Stand !

Indie Doc "Soul Food Junkies" Twitter Chat Tonight 9 PM/EST

 

Soul Food Junkies...

140 Characters At A Time!

 

Byron Hurt To Host a Soul Food

Twitter Chat TONIGHT!

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

9:00 - 10:00 pm EST

 

   Login to your Twitter account tonight and get interactive 

with award-winning filmmaker Byron Hurt (@ByronHurt) as

he tweets about the making of his new documentary

film Soul Food Junkies, the food justice movement, and

what he discovered about this beloved African American

cuisine. Questions and comments about the film, living and eating healthy, and other topics are all welcome TONIGHT at 9pm EST.

 

www.Twitter.com/ByronHurt  

(or search the #SoulFoodJunkies hashtag)

 

 

A little bit about the film...

"Is African American culture a culture of soul food junkies?"

 

Food traditions are hard to change, especially when they're passed on from generation to generation. In this PBS documentary, award-winning filmmaker Byron Hurt shares his journey to learn more about the African American cuisine known as soul food.

Baffled by his dad's unwillingness to change his traditional soul food diet in the face of a health crisis, Hurt sets out to learn more about this rich culinary tradition and its relevance to Black cultural identity. He discovers that the love affair that his dad and his community have with soul food is deep-rooted, complex, and in some tragic cases, deadly.

 

Through candid interviews with soul food cooks, historians, scholars, as well as doctors, family members, and everyday people, Soul Food Junkies blends history, humor, and heartwarming stories to place this culinary tradition under the microscope. Both the consequences and the benefits of soul food are carefully addressed. So too is the issue of low access to quality food in Black communities, which makes it difficult for some Black people to eat healthy. In the end, Hurt determines whether or not Black people are addicted to this food tradition that has its origins in West Africa and the Black south, yet is loved all over the world.

New Doc Alert..."Black Lights: They Chose to Succeed"

For all my educators and all those interested in the achievement gap that currently exists, here is a documentary that you should be on your radar.

Written and Directed by Karla Manning, Black Lights: They Chose to Succeed features  several students, educators, and community members who offer insight into the academic achievements as well as perceptions of black students in Chicago.  They will tell the stories about their struggles, experiences, and dreams; but most of all, about their will and ambition to overcome the obstacles that have been in their way.

To get more information on this documentary check out Black Lights: A Documentary . 

GSU African American Studies Department and Sankofa Society (GSU Chapter) Present: "Ghettophysics"

Here is a film that you definitely do not want to miss!! A perfect blend of documentary, satire, and narrative filmmaking that examines the power dynamic that exists in social, political, and corporate relationships.
 
GHETTOPHYSICS examines the interplay between power players and their foot soldiers and how that dynamic is the simplest expression of how power is wielded in the world. The film utilizes documentary footage, animation, satire and dramatization to illustrate examples culled from the 'hood to Wall Street — be the players real-life pimps or corporate executives repeating the same power dynamics.

GHETTOPHYSICS takes an eye-opening look at the power relationships that permeate American society from the toughest street corners to Wall Street, from classrooms to boardrooms. The film utilizes documentary footage, animation, satire and dramatization to illustrate examples culled from the real world - be the players real-life pimps or corporate executives repeating the same power dynamics that have persisted for centuries.

The film includes interviews with notable entertainers and thinkers, such as Dr. Cornel West, Ice-T, KRS-One, Too Short, John Perkins, Cynthia McKinney, William H. Arntz (Co-Director) and Norman Lear. Of course, it also includes a colorful contingent of street characters, with names such as Filmore Slim, Hook da Crook, Mac Breed and Lo Da Show.

The film is a spin-off of E. Raymond Brown's "Will the Real Pimps and Ho's Please Stand Up!"

The screening will take place on Wednesday November 16th, 2011 from 6-9PM at the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History (101 Auburn Avenue, Atlanta, GA). 

 

IBFFN TO HOST WORLD PREMIERE OF “DARK GIRLS”!!!

Dark Girls, a powerful documentary exploring the deep-seated biases and attitudes about skin color particularly dark skinned women, outside of and within the Black American culture.  

Dark Girls, will screen in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York following its World Premiere at The International Black Film Festival of Nashville October 5-9, 2011.

For more information on the film go to the official  Dark Girls website. Just in case you have not seen the trailer here it is...


Dark Girls: Preview from Bradinn French on Vimeo.

Nas Wins An Emmy for "Survival 1" (ESPN DOC)

Now this is very interesting, I happen to stumble upon this article while doing my daily perusing of OkayPlayer.

Hip-hop artist Nasir “Nas” Jones just won an Emmy for the ESPN documentary part of their E:60 series, entitled Survival 1 follows two young amputees, survivors of the Liberian civil war, who go on to form a soccer team–and become champions.

“After all these years of making music, I am honored to have this be the first award I have ever won of this magnitude,” said Nas in his acceptance speech. “An Emmy before a Grammy? Crazy shit.” Nas produced, directed and scored the music for the film.


E:60 Liberian Amputee Soccer Tease feat. Nas from E60 on Vimeo.

Definitely will have to check this out!!

'Waiting for Superman' won't fly with some audiences

Every now and then I like to showcase film reviews from other intelligent individuals, because there review pretty much "hits the nail on the head"!! This review is submitted by a good friend of mine R. L'Heureux Lewis. And hopefully after reading this article/review you wilh have another perspective of today's education system.

In this film publicity image released by Paramount Pictures, Geoffrey Canada, standing, is shown in a scene from, "Waiting for 'Superman'." (AP Photo/Paramount Pictures)

'Waiting for Superman' won't fly with some audiences

By R. L'Heureux Lewis

Waiting for Superman is a powerful film about educational reform and the potential of our schools from the same team that brought us by director Davis Guggenheim and producer Lesley Chilcott, the Academy Award winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth. Unfortunately the filmmakers leave the audience hoping for a change that is as likely as a caped crusader appearing in real life.

While the film taps into the concerns that many of us have towards a failing educational system, it fails to provide a full portrait of what is really happening in the nation's schools. If you're interested in heart wrenching stories, see this film. But if you are interested in changing education make sure you bring your x-ray vision so you can see beyond the veil of what the filmmakers are advocating.

The film opens with an interview of Anthony, a young black boy enrolled in a Washington, D.C. school. We learn that Anthony's father died years earlier from a possible drug overdose and his grandmother is now raising him in a poverty stricken neighborhood. With poise he answers math questions and in his eyes you see the glimmer of potential and high educational hopes. Unfortunately Anthony is slotted to attend a failing middle school that feeds into a high school nationally known as a "dropout factory" where 40 percent of students fail to graduate. This is an all too common reality many black, brown and poor students in the United States.
The happy ending to this story is to come by Anthony being rescued by an innovative new D.C. charter boarding school. The catch is that this salvation is only available to a few via a lottery. The lottery exists because when more people enroll in charter school than they can accommodate they must use a lottery system to determine admission. Guggenheim and filmmakers lament this point and stress "we know what works" but we leave success up to chance for our young people.

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The story of Anthony and the other families that are followed are touching but do not tell the full reality of schooling, particularly in charter schools. Behind the heart tugging narrative lies an inconvenient truth, that charter schools on average actually perform no better than traditional public schools and often perform worse! In the nearly two-hour film this reality is tucked in a sound bite where the film confesses only 1 in 5 charter schools is excelling. Yes, you read that right, 80 percent of charter schools do no better or fare worse than traditional public schools. It is clear this research finding does not deter the filmmakers, but viewers should not be so quick to skip it. The Stanford's CREDO National Charter School Study has done the most comprehensive work on charter schools and found that they are far from a cure all for educational woes.

Waiting for Superman spares no punches as educational administrators and authors take shot after shot at blaming teacher unions for blocking educational reform. Jonathan Alter of Newsweek sums up a message the film is trying to get across, "Teachers are great, a national treasure. Teachers' unions are, generally speaking, a menace and an impediment to reform." The villains of the families are made clear when the presidents of the American Federation for Teachers and National Education Association enter the screen and ominous music forecasts their discussion of securing teacher's jobs which is equated to sabotaging masses of children who will be saddled with poor quality teachers.

Repeatedly we are reminded that the United States ranked 15th in reading and 24th in math in comparison to other developed nations. The answer to this dilemma is to free up our schools from the albatross of teacher unions and bureaucratic red tape. Sounds good, right? The only problem is that nearly every country that ranks above the US enjoys a unionized teaching force.

Unions cannot and should not be the scapegoats for educational failure. Beyond challenging unions, the film advocates for are evaluating teachers and a curriculum that guarantees college readiness, both of which are becoming increasingly common in public schools. Faster than a speeding bullet, Waiting for Superman ignores those realities to tell viewers that problems schools face are complex but successful reform is simple.
H. L. Mencken once said, "For every complex problem there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong."

The solutions offered to educational problems offered by Waiting for Superman fall into this trap. There is no magic bullet to repairing our schools; it will take a wide variety of schools, reformers, and communities. While we can all agree that education needs to be reformed, we cannot place our faith in a smidge of successful schools that cannot accommodate all children and have not demonstrated repeated success. We also cannot ignore the more numerous charter schools that do worse than the traditional public schools we already have. Doing so would be no different than waiting for a man in a cape and tights to save us.



You can follow R. L'Heureux Lewis on Twitter @dumilewis, or you can check him out on his website: http://www.uptownnotes.com/