Images of Black Women Film Festival 2011 – 8th to 10th April 2011 – Tricycle Cinema

Posted by: womeninlondon on: 31 March 2011

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UK Premiere: I Will Follow
USA/2010/81 mins/ Dir. Ava DuVernay
Cast inc: Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Omari Hardwick, Blair Underwood, Beverly Todd and Michole Briana White

Maye (Richardson-Whitfield) is a success. Hot career. Hot boyfriend. But when her world is turned upside down by tragedy, she must struggle to keep her balance. I Will Follow chronicles a day in the life of a woman at a crossroads, and the twelve people who help her move forward into a brave new world.

Ava DuVernay, a 2011 NAACP Image Award nominee, wrote and directed I WILL FOLLOW, which is her narrative feature debut awarded with Best First Feature Film at the Pan African Film Festival. The film was recently released in the US by AFFRM (African American Film Festival Releasing Movement) a New theatrical distribution collective of black film festival organisations theatrically releasing quality independent African- American films.

Plus panel discussion on the relevance of a UK black film exhibitor collective following AFFRM example.

For Coloured Girls
2010/USA/ 133 mins/ Dir. Tyler Perry

Inspired by Ntozake Shange’s poem For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf an award-winning stage performance that combines poetry, dance and music, and most significantly, places the black female experience center stage. Thirty six years later, with a cast of stars including Loretta Devine, Janet Jackson, Thandie Newton and Whoopie Goldberg; filmmaker Tyler Perry adapts this landmark work for the big screen, integrating the vivid language of Shange’s poems into a contemporary narrative following different women dealing with intense issues that impact women in general and women of colour in particular.

This screening will be followed by discussion about Ntozake Shange’s original work followed by a Poem/Spoken Word performance.

Chico & Rita
2010/Spain & UK/ 93mins/ Dir. Javier Mariscal & Fernando Trueba
Cast: Mario Guerra, Lenny Mandel, Limara Meneses, Eman Xor Oña

Oscar®-winner Fernando Trueba (Belle Epoque) and famed artist Javier Mariscal collaborated on this beautiful animated love story that follows the 60-year musical and romantic partnership between jazz pianist Chico and singer Rita.

The screening will be followed by a live cuban singing performance.

Cuba, 1948. Chico is a young piano player with big dreams. Rita is a beautiful singer with an extraordinary voice. Music and romantic desire unites them, but their journey – in the tradition of the Latin ballad, the bolero – brings heartache and torment. From Havana to New York, Paris, Hollywood and Las Vegas, two passionate individuals battle impossible odds to unite in music and love.

Filmmakers’ Forum

Miles of Styles presents a selection of four short-films with a focus on Destiny Ekaragha, an upcoming filmmaker.

The short films will be followed by a panel discussion with film professionals on how 21st century women are influencing their own representation in the media following recent high profile sexism & ageism rows and the tragic death of a young woman who died trying to enhance her figure for a music video career.

Shorts include:

Tight Jeans
Dir, Destiny Ekaragha
Dur: 9min Drama/UK/ 2009
Three black teenagers are becoming frustrated while waiting for their friend. A young white lad walks past wearing super tight jeans. The boys look on until one of them asks the pivotal question, “How can a man wear jeans that tight?” This parks a debate about race and culture.
The Park
Dir. Destiny Ekaragha
Dur: 16min Drama/UK/ 2010
The Park is a coming of age tale about teenage friendships. The stories they tell are nothing compared to the secrets they keep.
Future Wags of Great Britain
Dir. Destiny Ekaragha
Dur: 23min Doc/UK/2011
Missy and Kim, two very different sisters. Missy is a regular clubber, while Kim is a studious high achiever, but when times get tough they unite in a plan to gamble their way to success disguised as a WAG.
Chantell Town
Dir.Paulette James
Dur: 15min Drama/UK/2006
A Black hair story set in Brixton, with a splash of 70’s Blaxploitation. Shantell must step up and find her feet on the street, in the battle to find out who’s “Super Babe”.

Animation Forum
Part of the Images of Black Women Film Festival 2011

Black History Walks presents a series of short African animations from around the world for 6-60 year olds.

Films including:

Afroman
Mike Johnson
Dur: 20min USA/ 2010 English
Kofi is a young American boy who has been chosen by Ancient Egyptians to fight evil in the 21st century. He is not sure how to handle his responsibility and turns to his ancestors Malcolm X and Kwame Nkrumah for inspiration.
African Tales
Binna Oweekwe
Dur: 30min Nigeira/ 2009/ English/Ibo
An animated series written and directed by Obinna Owuekwe that follows the challenges of a young girl, Azuka, born with a peculiar birthmark she is chased from her village where she meets some spiritual warriors who believe she has special Powers and a great destiny.
Cable
Rémi Gamiette
France /2008/ 15 min/English
A fantastic action animation about a village woman who becomes a space soldier when her three children are kidnapped and taken to an alien planet.

The short films will be followed by a Q&A with Tony Warner, organiser of African Superheroes Day, on the future of animated African images.

Festival prices:
– I Will Follow…………………… £9.50
– Filmmakers Forum………….. £7 – £5.50 cons
– For Coloured Girls…………… £9.50
– Animation Forum……………. £7 – £5.50 cons & under 16
– Chico & Rita………………….. £9.50
– Festival Pass…………………. £30

The Tricycle Theatre 269 Kilburn High Road, London NW6 7JR
Box office 020 7328 1000 | tel: 020 7372 6611 |
Nearest tube: Kilburn (Jubilee Line) 20 mins from Bond Street |

To book tickets etc, go to http://www.tricycle.co.uk/festivals/images-of-black-women-film-festival-2011/

Also posted on womensgrid at http://womensgrid.freecharity.org.uk/?p=7103

See also 7th Images of Black Women Film Festival