Thursday Pass
10:00a – midnight

Friday Pass
10:00a – midnight

Saturday Pass
10:00a – midnight

Festival Pass

$8 Tickets

A moving story of hope in New Orleans shot by the 8^th grade class of the first school to reopen after Hurricane Katrina.

(Running Time 73 min)

Produced by a film maker from Thailand, this is a futuristic look at the last flower on earth.

(Running Time  5 min)

Uplifting report on the positive impact popular music has had in reducing the spread of HIV/Aids in Uganda.

(Running Time  20 min)

As World War II loomed and with heavy pressure from Negro organizations, President Roosevelt launched an Army program to train Black-American men as combat pilots. The segregated Army felt that these men were not capable of flying.

Completing combat training in 1942, the graduating class became the 99th Pursuit Squadron and was deployed to North Africa. Later, the 99th Fighter Squadron was combined with the 332nd Bomber Group. Together they established an impressive and distinguished combat record. On March 29, 2007 President Bush awarded the Tuskegee Airmen the Congressional Gold Medal.

(Running Time  40 min)

A powerful story of the life of James Byrd, a man who was dragged three miles to his death in Jasper, Texas 1998. Close friends and relatives discuss Byrd’s contributions as a friend, father and citizen.  Includes interviews with Martin Luther King, III, Susan Sarandon, Sister Helen Prejean, Dick Gregory, Maxine Waters,  A Texas Film. 

(Running Time  40 min)

Keys is the dramatic story of a broken family that discovers healing within the broken keys of an old piano. When Leann receives a grim diagnosis of cancer, she and her bi-racial son Eli travel back to her childhood home in the Midwest, in order for Leann to make amends with her estranged father. Upon her arrival, the healing between these two takes shape in the most unlikely of ways.  

(Running Time  23 min)

Morning Due – Period Drama (Chicago, IL)
Barbara Allen

Narrative fiction portrays husband and wife slaves who anxiously await the birth of a child as they wonder whether the child is born of the rape of a slave master.

(Running Time  13 min)

The Buzzard – Contemporary Inspirational (Los Angeles, CA)
Troy Ransome

An inspirational story of a young screenwriter on the brink of self-destruction who is assisted by what appears to be a guardian angel who calls himself “The Buzzard.”

(Running Time  13 min)

Vista View –
Contemporary Comedy/ Drama.
(Los Angeles, CA)
Kofi Oliver

An unemployed man grows frustrated in his job searching and has an affair with the landlady of his apartment complex. His live-in girlfriend is surreptitiously tipped off by a nosy neighbor.

(Running Time  16 min)

Five friends discuss their role in the life and death of a woman with whom they have all had a relationship.

(Running Time  30 min)

Simulacra (animation) (Jersey City,NJ)
Tatchapon Lertwirojkul

Produced by a film maker from Thailand, this is a futuristic look at the last flower on earth.

(Running Time  5 min)

C-Lo – In the Beginning – Urban Drama (New York, NY)
Kimberly Singleton

Adam, a.k.a .church boy, became a born-again Christian after breaking up with the love of his life, Eve. Two years later, Eve comes back into Church Boy’s life and lures him back into a sinful activity – gambling at the C-Lo table.

(Running Time  24 min)

Urban Genesis – Redemption/ Drama (Los Angeles, CA)
Larry Bryant

A forty-year-old ex-con gets out of prison after serving twenty years, and goes to live with his daughter in hopes of making up for lost time.

(Running Time  15 min)

Strange as Strangers – (Irving, AL)
Rodney Perkins

When Kyle commits to giving her friend Shymii's number to a stranger she met at a coffee shop, the situation turns out to be a little more than what Shymii bargained for do to unforeseen circumstances.

(Running Time  25 min)

Crenshaw Nights – Urban Crime Drama
(Los Angeles, CA)
Dwjuan Fox & Peter Gelles

Stars Vondi Curtis Hall with supporting role by Judd Nelson. Frank “Jupiter” Johnson is an ex-con trying to walk the straight and narrow, when an old friend and prison mentor comes to him for help with a serious problem. To find redemption, he”ll have to navigate a treacherous labyrinth of deceit, corruption and possibly murder.

(Running Time  31 min)

Sarbane’s Oxley – Corporate Drama (Cheltenham, PA)
Ramcess Jean-Louis

An ambitious attorney must grapple with his inner conscience and the invisible forces of corruption surrounding him while dealing with the equally challenging and deceptive forces taking hold in his sordid love life.

(Running Time  90 min)

Liberty Kid – Friendship (New York, NY)
Ilya Chaiken

Hispanic/ Black young man from the Dominican Republic and his best friend lose their New York port jobs after 9/11 and are forced to make a living on the streets. The two take different paths to manhood but try to maintain a friendship.

(Running Time   95 min)

Friday February 1 2008

Cuz – Situation Comedy TV Pilot (Dallas, TX) 
A Texas Film. Zebretta Johnson, Marshell Johnson & Nedra James

Black family life. (Running Time  22 min)

The Chucks – Situation Comedy TV Pilot (Dallas, TX)
A Texas Film. Larry Mullins, Walter Silverberg,
Adam Thompson and Ezra James, Jr.

(Running Time  22 min)

 The Restaurant - Fictional Short (LANCASTER, TX)
A Texas Film. MAURICE DURHAM

Manager of a small neighborhood restaurant has her life changed when the restaurant changes ownership.  -  

(Running Time   27 min)

Dymora – Drama (Dallas, TX)
A Texas Film Michael Brown

A happily married dentist is visited with news that a past lover has tested positive for HIV/ Aids.

(Running Time  40 min)

Who is Unita Blackwell – (Aquebogue, NY)
Aaron Lehmann

“Who is Unita Blackwell?” is a portrait and tribute to Ms. Blackwell, who was jailed thirty times in her pursuit of a humane existence for African Americans and other non-white people living in a state of injustice and segregation during the turbulence of the 1960s.

(Running Time 36 min)

Race to Execution –

A look at the politics behind the death penalty. Following the stories of two Death Row inmates –Madison Hobley of Chicago, Illinois and Robert Tarver of Russell County, Alabama - the film interweaves their compelling personal stories together with groundbreaking scholarship.

(Running Time 60 min)

Nobody Knows: The Untold Story of Black Mormons
Margaret B. Young & Darius A. Gray

This film exposes the continuous presence of African-Americans in the Latter Day Saints. The archival photographs and never released footage shot in 1968 make this film simply amazing. Includes interviews with Martin Luther King, III.

(Running Time  73 min)

B.A.M. – Fiction (Norcross, GA)
Laron Austin

B.A.M. tells the story of convicted murderer Brian Anthony Masters who undergoes a new procedure to determine if he will be eligible for early parole.

(Running Time  14 min)

Day to Remember – Narrative Fiction (Austin TX)
This is a Texas film. Quincy Minor

A bride and groom take care of last minute details on the eve of their wedding, but the events that take place make them reconsider for better or for worse.

(Running Time  17 min)

Diary of a User – Avante Garde Narrative short (Emeryville, CA)
Ben McDaniel

A guided tour into the mind of an addict.

(Running Time  5 min)

A unique portrayal of the choice as to whether or not one should engage in safe(r) sexual practices.

(Running Time 10 min)

Sympathetic Details – Action/ Crime/ Suspense (Forestville, MD)
Ryan Sands

A tragic accident causes a conflicted assassin to reevaluate his morality. As a result, his defiance of protocol forces the hand of his unforgiving employer and places himself and those closest to him in extreme danger.

(Running Time  57 min)

Promises Kept - Family Drama (North Hollywood, CA)
Jason Camp

Uplifting story of a young man in college forced to decide whether to maintain his focus on school, or to assist the grandmother who raised him as she begins to suffer from Alzheimer’s.

(Running Time 20 min)

Desiré’s Surprise - Drama/ Suspense (Los Angeles, CA)
Bryan Willis

Married preacher tries to end an affair but is seduced into one more night which ends with a surprise.

(Running Time  15 min)

Trouble in the Water - Narrative Fiction (Durham, NC)
Jim McQuaid

Gary Simmons is troubled by the growing emotional distance between him and his African-American kinsmen. During his morning walk, he resents the intrusion of another… especially when he sees that the other walker is also black. As Gary slowly gets to know his unwanted walking companion (Chester), he recalls the alienations of his youth and is inspired to overcome them. Based on the author’s reflections on the Langston Hughes poem, “My People.”

(Running Time  17 min)

 Chiles - Comedy (Anaheim, CA)
Tyrone Huff

The dinner table is set as Randal, a young Black man, attempts to impress his future, Mexican in-laws. Add in a side of language barriers, a helping of cultural differences, a bowl of Chiles and this table heats up into what turns out to be one fun, comedic and heart-warming take on that ever-dreaded meeting of the parents.

(Running Time  15 min)

Lifted – Inspirational Drama (New York, NY)
Randall Dottin

Beautifully shot film with dance as its theme tells the story of a young woman who considers leaving her son in order to pursue her fleeting dreams of Broadway.

(Running Time  29 min)

Sister’s Keeper -
(North Hollywood, CA)

An action-drama about a professional killer (Kent Faulcon) sent by his handler (Eric Roberts) to eliminate a seemingly innocent small town teacher (Denise Boutte). When the teacher mistakes the assassin for her long-lost brother, he finds himself drawn into her colorful, Southern family. Kent Faulcon has played supporting roles in “Men in Black,” “Solaris,” “Dragonfly,” “American Beauty,” “Red Corner,” “Die Hard with a Vengeance,” and “War of the Worlds.” He explodes onto the directing scene with this debut feature. His co-star Denise Boutté Kent Faulcon

(Running Time 100 min)

How to Build a Rapper - (Inglewood, CA)
Lewis Powell

This DocuDramedy follows an artist as he's put through the paces by two famous producers (Lew Powell & Jason Powell) looking to answer the question: Can You Build a Rapper? This hilarious movie features real life top industry professionals such as Big Boi of Outkast, Manager Mark Byers, Celebrity Stylist Patrick Cooper, Producers Jazze Pha, Chucky Thompson, Zukhan Bey, and Sr. VP of Publishing Valerie Patton. They all lend a hand to teach JP what he'll need to know to make it. We'll follow JP as he becomes a hip-hop savvy cat who kicks it on Crenshaw. See Lew work in the studio with JP and Cetre in search of the elusive record deal. Watch JP at another Open Mic Night after much practice to see if he improves. The film culminates in an actual A&R meeting with both Capitol and Interscope Records head A&R's. Maybe the Producers are the 'real artists' and you really can build a rapper!

(Running Time  95 min)

Saturday February 2 2008

“Impacting Our Local Radio and Television Programming” 

Concerned Dallasites discuss strategies for impacting the local radio and television programming.  

Hosted by Lil Twist

Animations include –

Ugly Ducky – Avante Garde
Shirley Lin

(2 min)

Obara & The Merchant - Jamaica , NY
Rich McKeown

Starring the voice of 'Last Comic Standing' Alonzo Bodden. Set in Nigeria 'Obara and the Merchants', recounts the traditional Yoruba tale about the Great Hunter's encounter with a group of traveling merchants. The piece, adapted from the book written by Michelle Bodden, is appropriate for children ages 0-10, or for adults interested in sharing these traditional religious stories with their children.

(8 min)

Dex Davis – Child of God –
Horace Christian, Jr.

Young boy and his friends learn important moral lessons through life experiences. Suitable for small children.

(12 min)

Short Films

Night Before Christmas - (Los Angeles, CA)
Carlos Dorsey

Young boy relentlessly tries his best to get a sneak peek at his Christmas presents.

(Running Time 7 min)

Daydreams - (Los Angeles, CA)
Kaylon Hunt

Being the new kid in school isn't the easiest time for anyone, especially when you have a crush on the most popular girl in school. Watch as Eric, through a series of daydreams, learns to overcome his fears and stand up to his bully (and maybe even get the girl).

(Running Time 16 min)

Cuttin Da Mustard - (Los Angeles, CA)
Reed McCants

Youth Comedy with a serious take. The film chronicles the lives of a group of young aspiring community theatre actors in Queens, New York, who perfect their craft while overcoming personal problems. When the assignment calls for a classic scene a la Shakespeare, Rolo chooses to memorize a scene from what he calls a classic, MENANCE TO SOCIETY. Cast includes Brandon T. Jackson, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Adrienne Bailon, Chico Benymon, Lil' Zane , Wesley Jonathan, Sinbad and Charles S. Dutton. Suitable for kids over 13.

(Running Time  100 minutes)

Tapioca - (Chicago, Il)
Mike Houlihan

Starring Emmy and Tony Award winning actor Ben Vereen and Tim Kazurinsky. A rude used car salesman brings about his own homelessness and looks to the strangest angel-figure to turn his world right-side up. Tapioca is a funny, raunchy romp, a quirky, comic tale of redemption starring Broadway legend Ben Vereen (Roots), Tim Kazurinsky (Saturday Night Live), Greg Hollimon (Strangers With Candy) and a crazy cast of Second City veterans.

(Running Time  94 minutes)

Democracy in Dakar - (Brooklyn, NY)
Ben Herson

A groundbreaking film about politics, youth and hip-hop in Africa. This film explores the transformative role of hip-hop on politics in Senegal, West Africa. Looking through the eyes of hip-hop artists around Dakar (capital of Senegal), this documentary mixes interviews, freestyles and commentary from journalists, artists, and politicians. In a world which stifles change, the hip-hop artists are not afraid to speak out, and keeping it positive all the while.

(Running Time 65 min)

Lifted – Inspirational Drama (New York, NY)
Randall Dottin & Quisha Freeman

Beautifully shot film with dance as its theme tells the story of a young woman who considers leaving her son in order to pursue her fleeting dreams of Broadway.

(Running Time  29 min)

Sponsored by Universal Music Group.