3rd Annual PDX African American Film Festival
The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 (2011)
Soundtrack For A Revolution (2009)
- Kennedy School Theater |
- Sunday, November 20
- Films from 12 noon 'til 5 p.m. |
- $3 per film; $1 for kids |
- Minor with parent or guardian
The 3rd Annual PDX AFRICAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL will be held November 19–20, 2011, at McMenamins Kennedy School Theater. The films featured reflect the best offerings from both national and local filmmakers. The festival will provide a cultural platform to view some of the outstanding works in African American film. The festival is also committed to telling the story of those filmmakers and actors who have laid the foundation that we proudly stand on today. The goal is to provide an opportunity for educational awareness of the contributions of African Americans to film as an art form.
** SCHEDULE **
12 noon: The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975
2 p.m.: Soundtrack For A Revolution
3:30 p.m.: Q & A Forum Led by Kent Ford, Founder of the Portland Chapter of the Black Panthers - Jordan Room
For more information check pdxaaff.com.
About the Festival Director
Ron Craig, executive director and founder of the PDX AAFF, has had a long love affair with independent films. It started with a visit to Paris as a young man in the spring of 1968. As he recalls, the students were after De Gaulle's head, and they got it. Amongst all this chaos, Craig found his way to a number of independent film houses. These encounters changed his understanding of film as an art form, and inspired him to someday create his own film festival. Craig's inspiration has taken him to produce a children's book and three films, including Oregon Public Broadcasting's Searching for York for which he received a 2008 Emmy nomination, along with one radio production in 2004, also with OPB.
About The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 (2011)
Directed by Göran Hugo Olsson
- 100 minutes
Winner, World Cinema Documentary Editing Award, Sundance Film Festival, 2011
The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 mobilizes a treasure trove of 16mm material shot by Swedish journalists who came to the US drawn by stories of urban unrest and revolution. Gaining access to many of the leaders of the Black Power Movement – Stokely Carmichael, Bobby Seale, Angela Davis, Huey P. Newton and Eldridge Cleaver among them – the filmmakers captured them in intimate moments and remarkably unguarded interviews. Thirty years later, this lush collection was found languishing in the basement of Swedish Television. Director Göran Hugo Olsson and co-producer Danny Glover bring this footage to light in a mosaic of images, music and narration chronicling the evolution one of our nation's most indelible turning points, the Black Power Movement. Music by Questlove and Om'Mas Keith, and commentary from prominent African American artists and activists who were influenced by the struggle including Erykah Badu, Harry Belafonte, Talib Kweli, and Melvin Van Peebles -- give the historical footage a fresh, contemporary resonance and makes the film an exhilarating, unprecedented account of an American revolution.
About Soundtrack For A Revolution (2009)
Directed by Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman
- 82 minutes
Academy Award® Shortlist, 2009
Winner, Gold Plaque Award, Direction - Docufest, Chicago International Film Festival, 2009
Winner, Audience Award, Morelia International Film Festival, 2009
Winner, Rogers People's Choice Award, Vancouver International Film Festival, 2009
Winner, Best Documentary Film, Rwanda Film Festival, 2010
Winner, Audience Award, Filmfest DC, 2010
"Soundtrack For A Revolution tells the story of the American civil rights movement through its powerful music -the freedom songs protesters sang on picket lines, in mass meetings, in paddy wagons, and in jail cells as they fought for justice and equality. The film features new performances of the freedom songs by top artists, including John Legend, Joss Stone, Wyclef Jean, The Roots, Blind Boys of Alabama, Anthony Hamilton, Richie Havens, TV On The Radio, Angie Stone, Mary Mary, and The Carlton Reese Memorial Choir; riveting archival footage; and interviews with civil rights foot soldiers and leaders, including Congressman John Lewis, Harry Belafonte, Julian Bond, and Ambassador Andrew Young. The freedom songs evolved from slave chants, from the labor movement, and especially from the black church. The music enabled blacks to sing words they could not say, and it was crucial in helping the protesters as they faced down brutal aggression with dignity and non-violence. The infectious energy of the songs swept people up and empowered them to fight for their rights. Soundtrack For A Revolution celebrates the vitality of this music. Directed by Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman (Nanking), and executive produced by Danny Glover, Soundtrack For A Revolution is a vibrant blend of heart-wrenching interviews, dramatic images, and thrilling contemporary performances -- a film of significance, energy, and power."---from the website: soundtrackforarevolutionfilm.com
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