Black Art/Independent Films Part 2

[loyola llothta]

‘WHERE THE ROAD RUNS OUT’ – FIRST FEATURE FILM SHOT IN EQUATORIAL GUINEA – DEBUTS ON NETFLIX (USA)

“Where the Road Runs Out,” the first film to ever shoot in Equatorial Guinea, has been released on Netflix (in the USA); its debuted on the popular streaming platform just 2 days ago, on August 1st, so many more of you can now watch it.

Directed by Rudolf Buitendach and starring Isaach De Bankole, Juliet Landau, Stelio Savante and Sizo Motsoko, the multiple award-winning drama, which was lensed in Equatorial Guinea, South Africa and the Netherlands, follows a Rotterdam-based respected scientist and lecturer named George (played by Bankole) who has grown weary of the world of academia. The sudden death of an old friend who has been running a field research station in Equatorial Guinea gives him the incentive he needs to turn his back on academia and return to his African roots. Arriving in Equatorial Guinea, he finds the field station in a state of disrepair. Through a local boy named Jimi, his jaded eyes are opened to the possibilities of life there. Jimi also introduces him to Corina (Juliet Landau) who runs the local orphanage, as a tentative but heartfelt romance begins. With the unexpected arrival of George’s old friend Martin (Stelio Savante), George discovers there are many obstacles on the road to redemption… and many more where the road runs out.

In addition to Netflix USA, the film will also become available on Netflix in the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and English speaking African countries.

The deal was brokered by US Distribution/Production Company Fairway Film Alliance and Ocean Avenue Entertainment (Chris Bueno).

Watch the film’s trailer below, and then add it to your Netflix queue.

 

[loyola llothta]

NEW FEATURE DOCUMENTARY ‘THE ORIGINATOR’ WILL CHRONICLE CAREER OF FASHION DESIGNER KARL KANI

Famed clothing designer Karl Kani, who is celebrating 25 years of success with his international brand, has teamed up with emerging director Sue Vannasing for the documentary “Karl Kani: The Originator” which will chronicle his career. Widely know for fusing hip-hop music and fashion, Kani has paved the way for several urban apparel brands to break into the industry and has been dubbed, “The Originator,” hence the film’s title.

The documentary will feature rare footage of Kani during his many years of building his fashion empire, with Kani sharing his personal story of breaking racial barriers, surviving ordeals of entrepreneurship and BECOMING the role model to so many of today’s A-list hip-hop influencers. Many celebrity friends of the Kani brand will make appearances throughout the documentary, discussing the impact Kani had in their lives firsthand personally and professionally.



“I am beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to visually bring the Karl Kani story to life. Karl has made an enormous contribution to not only the “urban” fashion industry, but also the fashion industry as a whole. Many do not know his full story or the challenges he’s faced. The inspiration and motivation this documentary will deliver is unparalleled,” said Vannasing.

Sue Vannasing is set to direct and produce the project through her company Dream Cloud Productions along with producers Darryll C. Scott and Luc-Richard Elie.

Karl Kani will serve as an Executive Producer on the documentary

Vannasing founded Dream Cloud Productions in 2015 to focus on producing projects that tell real stories about the under-represented.

 

[loyola llothta]

LIVE-ACTION SERIES ON KINGDOM OF DAHOMEY ALL-WOMAN MILITARY REGIMENT IN DEVELOPMENT

This should me music to the ears of many – especially those who long for stories of African history that have little or nothing to do with slavery; fertile ground to mine from for both film and TV content, and almost entirely untouched.

I read the news and immediately thought of all the possibilities here. The Dahomey Women Warriors (they were called the Dahomey Amazons by Westerners) were a 19th century all-woman military regiment of the Kingdom of Dahomey – what is the present-day Republic of Benin (Dahomey was renamed Benin in 1975). For the better half of 200 years, they fought (in the thousands) and died while trying to expand the borders of their West African kingdom. Even their enemies at whose hands they would eventually fall, specifically the French (although there were others), acknowledged their incredible acts of bravery.

Their story will be told in an upcoming TV series announced today, from “NCIS” producer Charles F. Johnson, along with French producer/director/writer Joy Fleury, and producer Karen Gordy.

Charles F. Johnson

Co-created by French writer Didier Lacoste and writer/director Armand Bernardi, the series will be titled “Amazons.”

The team of creatives also comprises of specialists on the subject matter and African history academics, with the obvious goal here being to produce as authentic and true-to-life a work as the series’ budget allows.

It’s currently being developed as a live-action TV project, and it’s still very early in the process, so no network is attached at this time.

And if you’re wondering, producer Charles F. Johnson is black, as the photo on the left shows..

There’s a lot of history here which I’ll unpack in a future post.

I’m certainly very curious about what network would carry this. It’s likely more of a premium cable TV program (HBO, Showtime, etc) than anything for the likes of the so-called Big 4 (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC). I suppose a network like FX or even AMC might take a peek. Or maybe one of the black TV networks – BET, TV One…

Deadline was first to report the news of the live-action TV series being in development.

Below is a photo of veteran Dahomey warriors, said to be taken in the early half of the 20th century by a French newspaper.

 

[loyola llothta]

NETFLIX ANNOUNCES NEW MOTOWN ANIMATED SERIES EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY SMOKEY ROBINSON

Netflix, Grace: A Storytelling Company (Grace) and Beyond International (Beyond) announced today that a new animated original series for kids based on the illustrious Motown catalog of songs is coming to Netflix, and will be available to members worldwide at launch. The untitled Motown project features a fantastical world created by Josh Wakely, who will direct, showrun and produce the series with counsel from Motown legend Smokey Robinson, who has signed on as Executive Music Producer.

The untitled Motown project revolves around the visually stunning adventures of a lovable and slightly shy eight year old boy named Ben with an extraordinary artistic ability to bring street-art to life. Ben and his family live in the imaginary city of Motown, based on Detroit and its rich musical heritage. Inspired by the words and melodies of Motown’s classic songs, Ben and his friends Angie and Mickey, along with a cast of enchanting street art characters, discover that creativity is magic as they revive vibrancy to their city and learn life lessons.

Each episode of the series will draw inspiration from classics covered by contemporary artists, including hits made famous by the likes of Robinson, Marvin Gaye, The Jackson 5, Lionel Richie, The Supremes, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder and many more.

“I am thrilled to be a part of this wonderful new series that will embrace the magic of Motown and present our songs to a whole new generation of fans and their entire families. I’m so impressed with Josh’s creative vision for the series and can’t wait to play my part in bringing it to the world,” says Robinson.

“Josh and his team have done another incredible job of interweaving iconic songs with compelling narratives from which children can learn and grow, and that families can enjoy together,” said Andy Yeatman, Director of Original Kids Content at Netflix. “We look for storytellers that can take on the responsibility of creating the content that the next generation of kids will bond over and love, and this project speaks perfectly to that goal.”

“Having been raised on the music of Motown, I am very grateful to have been entrusted with these songs as I draw inspiration from the stories and characters found within them,” said creator and director Josh Wakely. “Considering the talent we have on board paired with the Netflix global platform, our goal is to create something extraordinary that can be enjoyed across generations.”

Wakely secured the rights to thousands of Motown compositions drawn from the legendary Jobete Music Company, Inc. and Stone Diamond Music Corporation publishing catalogs in an agreement with EMI Songs (Australia) Pty Limited.

Grace: A Storytelling Company is producing the Netflix original series in conjunction with Beyond Screen Production, and will lean on Robinson to advise on curating cover artists and selecting songs.

The soundtrack to Season 1 will be released on Melodia/Motown Records timed to the global launch of the show (to be announced at a later date).

 

[loyola llothta]

TRAILER PREMIERE FOR TAHIR JETTER’S ‘HOW TO TELL YOU’RE A DOUCHEBAG’

After stops at Sundance, New Voices, and ABFF this year, Tahir Jetter’s feature film directorial debut, “How to Tell You’re a Douchebag,” will premiere on iTunes next month, August 9, 2016. You can preorder here. Ahead of that date, Jetter has released a trailer for the romantic comedy, which is embedded below.

The film, starring Charles Brice, DeWanda Wise and William Jackson Harper, follows Brooklyn based relationship blogger Ray Livingston, whose blog “Occasionally Dating Black Women” has made him more infamous than famous, as he meets his match in up and coming writer Rochelle Marseille.

Watch the trailer below, and, if you missed it, read my Sundance review of the film afterward.

 

[loyola llothta]

CRACKLING FIRST TRAILER FOR CRACKLE’S ORIGINAL DRAMATIC SERIES, ‘STARTUP’ (EDI GATHEGI CO-STARS)

Crackle, Sony’s streaming network, today premiered the trailer for “StartUp,” the highly-anticipated scripted drama series starring Edi Gathegi, Martin Freeman, Adam Brody and Otmara Marrero.

Launching Tuesday, September 6, 2016, the 10-episode, one-hour series is set amongst the unconstrained, yet opportunist streets of Miami and weaves a complex narrative, focusing on the high-stakes struggle of what one will do to reach ultimate success. “StartUp” is about the emergence of GenCoin, a brilliant, yet controversial tech idea centered around digital currency-an idea that gets incubated on the wrong side of the tracks by three strangers who don’t necessarily fit the mold of “tech entrepreneurs” and a crooked FBI agent who will go to any length necessary to take them down.

Martin Freeman plays FBI agent Phil Rask, specializing in financial crimes. Rask crosses paths with Nick Talman, played by Adam Brody, a sharp and intelligent financier at a boutique firm in Miami, but it’s not Talman that Rask is after–it’s his father. Nick has a problematic relationship with his wealthy, irresponsible father, who disappears and forces Nick to stash his ill-gotten gain – instead of going to the FBI, he decides to hide the money by investing in a tech startup pitched by the unorthodox Izzy Morales, a tech whiz out to change the world, played by Otmara Marrero. Edi Gathegi also stars in the series as Ronald Dacey – second-in-command of the local Haitian gang. When Ronald discovers that the money he left with Nick’s father has vanished, Ronald moves on to the next best thing – his son. An unexpected partnership forms between Ronald, Nick and Izzy which culminates in a dangerous alliance that make them a target for Rask (Freeman), who plans to take down the unsuspecting trio.

“StartUp” is produced by Critical Content and Hollywood Gang Productions. Tom Forman, Andrew Marcus, Ray Ricord, Gianni Nunnari and Shannon Gaulding all serve as executive producers. The series is written by Ben Ketai who also serves as executive producer and director. Adam Brody and Anne Clements serve as producers.

Watch the trailer below:

 

[malbaker86]

@loyola llothta , I just discovered this PIFF



...it's beautiful to see US (from all over the globe) making an array of interesting visual content

BLACKEXCELLENCE

I stumbled upon this two years ago. They need to hurry up with season 2

 

[IronFist]

subs to this

 

[How Sway?]

subs

 

[notPsychosiz]

TRAILER: NETFLIX’S NEW ANIMATED SERIES BASED ON DREAMWORKS’ ‘HOME’ (RACHEL CROW LEADS VOICE CAST)

Whats messed up about the movie is I didn't even find out it was about a black girl til it was almost out of the theatres cause the poster promos and billboards I saw for it specifically excluded her.

 

[loyola llothta]

TRAILER: ‘NOLA CIRCUS’ (FRENCH-PRODUCED COMEDY ABOUT RIVAL BLACK BARBERSHOPS IN NEW ORLEANS)

From French writer/director Luc Annest comes the independent comedy feature “Nola Circus,” which chronicles the interconnected lives of people living in a black neighborhood in a town on the Mississippi River, with a rivalry between two barber shops facing each other on the main street as the key setting. On one side there is Will, a black hairdresser who regularly preaches against racial injustices while also having a secret affair with Nola, a young white woman who dreams of a career on Broadway. On the other side, there is Marvin, a well known sex addict who’s having a passionate affair with Karen, a small time pot dealer.

Tension in the over-the-top comedy escalates dramatically one day, sending the lives of the owners, their families, and their friends spiraling out of control.

The film’s ensemble cast includes Vas Blackwood, Dave Davis, Taryn Terrell, Wayne Ricky, Lucius Baston, Robert Catrini, Candice Michele Barley, Martin Bats Bradford, Nicoye Banks and others.

Produced by The Illicit Producers, Nola Circus Production, Highfun (France) and One Million Dollar Film, the film will be distributed by Destiny Films with a USA release in theaters and VOD currently set for October 7th, and a release in France on September 28.

The wacky trailer, which very much lives up to ts “circus” title, follows below:

 

[loyola llothta]

STRIKINGLY-LENSED BRAZILIAN COMING-OF-AGE ‘AUGUST WINDS’ GETS USA SEPTEMBER RELEASE DATE

It looks like the film won’t be released theatrically in the USA, which is too bad because it’s the kind of film best seen on the big screen. But the good news is that it will be released in the USA, just not in theaters. Kino Lorber announced this week a September 6, 2016 blu-ray & DVD release in the USA for Brazilian filmmaker Gabriel Mascaro’s “August Winds” (“Ventos de Agosto”), a coming-of-age drama – set in Brazil – that follows a teen girl named Shirley, who has left the big city to live in a small seaside town and look after her grandmother. There, she drives a tractor on a local coconut plantation, loves rock music, dreams of being a tattoo artist and feels trapped in the tiny coastal village. She is involved with Jeison, who also works on the coconut farm and who free dives for lobster and octopus in his spare time. A surprising discovery takes Shirley and Jeison on a journey that confronts them with the duality between life and death.

The title, “August Winds,” refers to the month when tropical storms are more likely to land in the coastal area, bringing high tides and raging winds. It is the backdrop for which the film’s story takes place.

Dandara de Morais and Geová Manoel Dos Santos star in the film.

In the peculiar trailer below, there’s a quick scene in which Shirley pours Coca-Cola all over her body. It’s been said that soda is used in some countries as sun-tanning lotion, as it supposedly speeds up the skin darkening process, which explains Shirley’s act. So, for now, you can forget all you’ve heard about Latinos/Afro-Latinos, or black people for that matter, not wanting to get darker, especially when the conversations/controversy is often about the contrary.

The film has been touring the international film festival circuit since 2014, and continues to travel worldwide. And while it’s screened at a number of festivals in the USA, it hasn’t been officially released here yet – until now, thanks to Kino Lorber’s September 6, 2016 blu-ray and DVD plans.

While we wait another month, watch the trailer below:

 

[loyola llothta]

TRAILER: ‘KALUSHI’ (THE SHORT LIFE OF SOUTH AFRICAN FREEDOM FIGHTER SOLOMON MAHLANGU)

Filmed in late 2014, and now set for a September 2016 release in South Africa, is “Kalushi,” which tells the story of Solomon Mahlangu, in a film starring Thabo Rametsi.

Solomon Mahlangu

Marking the 35th anniversary of the execution of Mahlangu (2 years ago, when the film went into production), and directed by Mandla Walter Dube from his own screenplay (co-written with Leon Otto), the film condenses Mahlangu’s already short life, born in 1956 and killed in 1979, after he was wrongfully accused of the murder of two white civilians in Johannesburg two years prior to his death.

A member of the ANC (African National Congress), Mahlangu was executed by hanging despite calls from local and international organizations for him to be pardoned – an execution that sparked international protest and condemnation of South Africa’s internal policies.

Before he was hanged, Mahlangu’s famous last words were: “My blood will nourish the tree that will bear the fruits of freedom. Tell my people that I love them and that they must continue the fight.”

He was just 23 years old.

Along with Rametsi, Thabo Malema and Louw Venter also star in the film, with Soloman Mahlangu’s brother, Lucas Mahlangu, serving as adviser to the production.

Funded by the National Lottery Distribution Fund for Arts, Culture and Heritage, the Department of Trade & Industry’s Film Incentive Scheme, the Department of Arts and Culture, and the National Film & Video Foundation, the film is produced by Walter Ayres and director Dube, and was shot on location in and around Pretoria and Johannesburg for six weeks.

It is Mandla Dube’s feature directorial debut.

A trailer for the film follows:

 

[loyola llothta]

ARRAY ACQUIRES BRIT CRIME-DRAMA ‘HONEYTRAP’ – ITS 14TH THEATRICAL PICKUP

Rebecca Johnson’s “Honeytrap” is a well told story of Layla, a beautiful 15 year old girl who, after living most of her life with her grandparents in Trinidad, arrives in Brixton, London, to live with her estranged mother. Based on the case of a real-life murder which made UK news headlines in 2008, in which a young girl is used to lure her naïve ex-boyfriend into the trap of her older ex-boyfriend and his posse, “Honeytrap” eschews the headlines and plays out the classic fish out of water trope to a devastatingly tragic conclusion. With Layla initially sticking out like a sore thumb and keen fit in with her peers, she is lead down paths that seem unlikely she’d have gone down if the spectre of teenage peer pressure and a desperate need for acceptance, weren’t so strongly at play.

The need for acceptance though, stems mainly from a seeming lack of affection from Layla’s grandparents and mother. In fact, the relationship between mother and daughter is central to this story. Though Layla is taken in by her mother, the arrangement seems to be one of great reluctance and inconvenience on the mother’s part. Emotionally cold, self-centred and clearly dependent on male attention herself, Layla’s mother seems to have little beyond the roof over her head to give to her daughter. While we never see her deny Layla as her daughter, she behaves more like an older sibling irritated by the very existence of her naive, doting, younger sister, than a mother with any sense of maternal responsibility or moral guidance to impart. So with the any notions of a happy family life in London being dashed from the outset, Layla is pretty much at the mercy of the worst that inner city youth culture has to offer any unassuming newcomer.

Jessica Sula plays Layla with amazing fluidity. Her naivety is believable, and yet one is equally left wondering whether her character is really as sweet and innocence as she initially seems. She clearly has ambitions to be greater than what she’s been lead to believe she can be, but, like her mother, one gets the impression that male attention plays a huge part in any such scheme. She certainly doesn’t have problems with switching allegiances, but is she just being a normal, whimsical teenager or a scheming femme fatale? Whatever the case, it’s clear that she doesn’t quite have the wherewithal to be more than a pawn or a plaything, with little personal fortitude to change the rules of the game or stop playing altogether.

As writer-director, it’s obvious that Johnson put a lot of thought into the central character of her film. However, while Sula pretty much carries the film, in stark contrast, apart from her mother, the rest of the cast of characters don’t really come across as anything other than lazy stereotypes, perhaps enabling Sula to shine that bit more, seeing as she has more to grapple with. From the nice black guy, to the bad black guy, and all the other bad black boys and girls, they all seem to have been written to lend to the sensational story urban teenage tragedy that the story leads up to. Layla is referred to by one of the young men in her life as his “Trini princess,” and what Johnson delivers in “Honeytrap” is a tragically real princess in a land of make-believe cardboard cut-out characters. The one good guy is very, very good, and all the bad guys, and gals, are all horrid.

Despite my misgivings about the supporting cast, “Honeytrap” is an engaging, well-paced film which manages to go beyond the sensation of a young female accomplice to murder, and cuts to the very personal story of a young woman who lets her desperate yearning for affection and acceptance spiral way out of her control.

Today ARRAY announced its acquisition of “Honeytrap,” the collective’s 14th theatrical release. The announcement was made by ARRAY Founder Ava DuVernay.

“Director Rebecca Johnson has crafted a bewitching tale from a young woman’s perspective with a cast of fresh new talent,” explained Array’s Executive Director Tilane Jones. “We’re excited to introduce ‘Honeytrap’ to its US audience with this captivating voice in filmmaking.”

The deal was negotiated by Gordon Bobb of Del, Shaw, Moonves, Tanaka, Finkelstein & Lezcano on behalf of ARRAY.

A festival trailer for the film follows below

 

[loyola llothta]

Film Based on Riveting Account of Haitian-American Nazi Prisoner on Clandestine Mission, in the Works

Pras Michel of the Fugees has re-teamed with producer Karyn Rachtman (the duo last worked together on the award-winning feature documentary "Sweet Micky for President" which was released in 2015) on what will be an adaptation of a book by co-authors Hugh Wray McCann, David C. Smith, titled "The Search For Johnny Nicholas: The Secret of Nazi Prisoner No. 44451," which tells the relatively unknown story of Haitian-born Jean Marcel “Johnny” Nicholas, a downed black American pilot who parachuted into France on a secret intelligence mission during WWII.

Born in 1918, Nicholas was a young Haitian dilettante and member of the French Resistance during the Nazi occupation of Paris. He spent the last year of his life at the Dora concentration camp in Germany, where the Third Reich was developing its V2 rocket. Nicholas survived Camp Dora and the war by working undercover as a doctor, as an assistant to Dr. Karl Kahr at the camp infirmary, but he died shortly thereafter of tuberculosis.

From the description of the book that Pras has optioned: "To others he was a key player in the French Resistance and a doctor who’d set up a practice in Paris as a cover for his clandestine activities. At a well built 6 feet, he was abon vivant who loved the high life, and a film producer with a penchant for boldly thumbing his nose at the Nazis in World War II Paris. To Florence, his blonde girlfriend, he was an enigma who cheated on her; she betrayed him to her German handlers. Nicholas was arrested by the Gestapo and wound up in 1943 in Buchenwald as a slave laborer, later working with thousands of other prisoners to hollow out a secret underground plant under construction at Camp Dora where V-1 and V-2 rocket bombs were built. He was the only black and only 'American' at Dora. Who was Johnny Nicholas and how did he survive four death sentences? What was his real mission and ultimate fate? More than 20 years and 600 contacts worldwide have gone into 'The Search for Johnny Nicholas,' the dramatic untold story of an unsung hero."

I picked up a copy of the book on Amazon. You can do the same here.