“100 Miles to Lordsburg”

An African-American couple encounter difficulty while traveling in rural New Mexico during the early 1960’s.

Director Statement

Producer/Writer Brad Littlefield penned the amazing screenplay, ‘100 Miles to Lordsburg’ with Philip Lewis, and then invited me to direct the short film. I was immediately enthralled by the story of Jack and Martha, and their travails due to racism as they crossed the US in the early 1960s.
The underlying story of The Green Book is incredible. Knowing that this publication saved countless lives during the Jim Crow era is a fact that seems to have been lost to the annuls of time. Our film hopes to ensure that this story lives on and that the hardships and injustices African Americans suffered during the 20th century when America was in a state of transition from segregation are not forgotten.
As a history buff I brought the concept of adding the layer of historical reference through the car radio to the film. It serves to provide a backdrop of cultural references for the contemporary audience members who may be led to reflect on the fact that in 1961 the US could put an astronaut in space, yet here in planet earth a decorated War veteran and his heavily pregnant wife could not just book a room in a hotel, buy fuel, food or have a car repaired simply because of the colour of their skin.

The Producers and I aim to develop the story behind 100 Miles to Lorsdburg and make a feature film, as well as a documentary that gathers first hand, true stories from those who traveled with The Green Book between 1933 and 1964.

130-245 PM
* 100 Miles to Lordsburg (15:23)
* Think of Calvin (18:35)
* Exploration of a Cooperative (19:48)
Q&A (about 20 minutes)

300-415 PM
* My Enemy, My Brother (17:50)
* Rebel Child (7:45)
* The Cabinet Decision (3:54)
* An Educated Woman (17:27)
Q&A (about 25 minutes)

“Think of Calvin”

On a Friday night after a long week at work, Calvin Davis joined his family in Southwest Washington, DC for an informal gathering. Still wearing scrubs from his job at Children’s Hospital, Calvin caught up with an old friend while his two boys rode bikes around the block. When police followed his fifteen year-old home, pulling on gloves as they approached the teenager, Calvin intervened to ask ‘Why?’ and ‘What did he do?’ How these questions escalated into a night in jail for a father with no prior record will make you Think of Calvin next time you question racial profiling or how America has become the world’s most prolific jailer.

Kelly taught in South Central, Los Angeles as a charter corps member of Teach for America. She has a Master’s in Education Policy from Stanford University and is a Fulbright Scholar. Prior to founding Loudspeaker Films, Kelly worked for U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein and non-profits including Fight For Children, Cesar Chavez Charter Schools and Building Hope, which she helped design and launch. In 2013, she won the TFA Social Innovation Award for creating the TEACHED short film series, which examines issues of race, education and equality.

“EXPLORATION OF A COOPERATIVE”

“Exploration of a Cooperative” documents the daily activities of one of the longest-running Black farmer cooperatives located in southern rural Mississippi. Building on the momentum of the Civil Rights Movement, this cooperative was formed as a means for farmers to collectively secure better prices and overcome racial discrimination. Over the years, the cooperative has sustained many Black farmers, improving food access and economic development in the area. However, the survival of the cooperative is at risk, as family farming increasingly loses out to industrial agriculture prompting younger generations to quit farming. This documentary short offers a sensory engagement with the practices and activities surrounding the cooperative, exploring how and why some Black farmers are struggling to continue their farming traditions.

Ben Burkett, Director of the Mississippi Association of Cooperatives will be speaking after the screening of “Exploration of a Cooperative.”

View 7 short films with questions and answer sessions by independent filmmakers.
1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
“100 Miles to Lordsburg,” “Think of Calvin,” “Exploration of a Cooperative,” followed by Q & A.

3:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
” My Enemy, My Brother”, “Rebel Child”, “The Cabinet Decision”, “An Educated Woman”.

$15.00 for all 7 short films.

“My Enemy, My Brother”

Zahed and Najah are two former enemies from the Iran-Iraq War who become blood brothers for life. 25 years after one saves the other’s life on the battlefield, they meet again by sheer chance in Canada. Considering the recent coverage of the Middle East this emotional documentary story of Najah and Zahed is a surprising affirmation of humanity that cuts across political borders.

“Rebel Child”

When a young boy in a war stricken country witnesses a personal tragedy by the hands of soldiers, he is coerced into doing the unthinkable.

“The Cabinet Decision”

Israel and Palestine, two entities competing over their one beating heart. Will they both survive?

“An Educated Woman”

Two young Yemeni women recount the story of their mother’s decision to immigrate their family to the United States in order to receive a better education.

Holy Names University

4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Special performance by the Oakland Jazz Choir

5:00 p.m.- 6:30 p.m.

A New Color: The Art of Being Edythe Boone

This is not the film I set out to make. I was going to tell a simple story to support restoring art programs in schools and Edythe Boone was to be my guide. The mural project she was beginning at West Oakland Middle School, an under-served Bay Area community, provided a perfect dramatic arc for observational storytelling.

I met and fell in love with Edy when she taught my girls art at a Berkeley, California elementary school. Tough and compassionate, wise and funny, she lived through segregation and Jim Crow maintaining her faith in humanity.

I began developing A New Color seeking to capture on film what I’d witnessed repeatedly in the classroom—Edy’s creative example sparking students to imagine new possibilities, challenge stereotypes and become agents of change.

What happened next changed the course of the film.

On our first production day at West Oakland Middle School, the students were reeling after a weekend shooting incident had caught a 13 year-old classmate in the crossfire. Edy’s loving response that day revealed her incredible ability to channel anger and fear in creative and positive directions.

Over the next four years that we followed Edy, community violence and police brutality were inescapable. After Trayvon Martin’s murder, Edy guided young children in North Richmond’s housing project in painting mural imagery of kids wearing “hoodies” while clutching teddy bears. Soon, Michael Brown’s death would fuel a national conversation and the rallying cry #blacklivesmatter.

Edy was tested on December 5, 2014 when the Staten Island grand jury refused to indict the police officer that killed an unarmed Eric Garner. Eric Garner was Edy’s nephew. The impact on Edy was profound. We had completed a rough cut, but felt compelled to resume filming.

What I ended up with was a portrait of somebody extraordinary—yet at the same time, America’s everywoman. Edythe Boone’s story ultimately shows not what it is to be Black or to lose a loved one, but what it is to be human.

A New Color will foster dialogue, open hearts and inspire young people and elders to believe in themselves and participate actively in building stronger, more peaceful communities. At the same time, the film seamlessly addresses such critical issues as gender equality, race, and economic disparity—all through the voice of a 77-year-old African American artist and activist. Hers is a voice we need to hear more of in mainstream media and in classrooms around the world.

Long before ‘black lives matter’ became a rallying cry, Edythe Boone embodied that truth as an African American artist, educator, and great-grandmother. From Harlem to Berkeley and from Malcolm X to Eric Garner, A New Color: The Art of Being Edythe Boone is a joy-filled and heart-rending story about community, art and lives that matter. Having challenged inequality through art for decades, Edythe is tested when her nephew Eric Garner dies in police custody.

Marlene “Mo” Morris – Director
Marlene “Mo” Morris – Writer
“Mo” Morris – Producer
Edythe Boone – Key Cast

A cinematic portrayal of a WorldStar Hip Hop fight.

Location: Holy Names University
7:00 – 9:30 P.M.

Short film: “Fighter” followed by Feature film: “Njinga, Rainha de Angola”

Holy Names University
Thursday, April 7, 2016

0930-1045 AM
* “TDK: The Dream Kontinues” (USA, 20:00)
* “Mx. Pink” (France, 13:33)
* “My Enemy, My Brother” (Canada, 17:50)
Q&A (about 20 minutes)

1100 AM -1215 PM
* “Zero-G” / Schwerelos (Austria, 9:00)
* “Brother” (USA, 10:57)

TDK: The Dream Kontinues is a 20 minute documentary that tells the story of Mike Dream, the legendary TDK crew and the current state of graffiti in Oakland. After watching this film, you’ll never look at the writing on the wall the same again.

Pendarvis Harshaw
Director
Pendarvis Harshaw – Writer
Pendarvis Harshaw – Producer
Amend, Erase, Dream and the TDK Family
Key Cast

It is a story of two individuals from near extreme ends of the gender spectrum, who meet in a tabac, where an unexpected romance unfolds. We have Gabriel, a 32-year old actor, a sportsman and a huge soccer fan, who happens to have a soft spot for dressing up as a woman. On the other hand we have Jigs, a tomboyish 25-year old woman, who dresses like a man and acts like one. This is a modern adaptation of Cinderella, just without the focus on the shoe and the gender roles of Cinderella and the Prince reversed.

Maharlika D’ Suesse – Director
Maharlika D’ Suesse – Writer
Maharlika D’ Suesse – Producer

Zahed and Najah are two former enemies from the Iran-Iraq War who become blood brothers for life. 25 years after one saves the other’s life on the battlefield, they meet again by sheer chance in Canada. Considering the recent coverage of the Middle East this emotional documentary story of Najah and Zahed is a surprising affirmation of humanity that cuts across political borders.

Ann Shin – Director
Ann Shin – Writer
Melanie Horkan – Producer

Originating in the Parisian suburbs, Parkour is a “kinetic” art form that involves jumping walls and other obstacles in urban environments. It also evokes the feeling of weightlessness inherent to big cities but which is gradually disappearing. Schwerelos follows a group of Parkour “tracers” from Vienna and slam artist Fatima Moumouni, who pens a poem on the city and young people’s attitude to life.

Jannis Lenz – Director
Jannis Lenz -Writer
Jannis Lenz -Producer

Brother is an indie drama/horror film starring comedian Capone Lee about family and relationships and how sometimes the two struggle to get along. Shot on location in Oakland, CA, Brother is a completely independent horror short film with a focus on strong characters and old school practical effects.

Alrik Bursell – Director
Alrik Bursell – Writer
Jeff Kramer – Producer
Capone Lee -Key Cast
Dezi Soley – Key Cast
David O’Donnell – Key Cast

The Grand Lake Theater

6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

“We Could Have, We Should Have, We Didn’t” 11:22

“The Someone” 8:24

“Think of Calvin” – 18:35

“Brother” – 10:57

“Bridging The Divide – Tom Bradley” – 59:00

Lyn Goldfarb – Director
Alison Sotomayor – Producer
Lyn Goldfarb -Writer
Alison Sotomayor – Writer
Lyn Goldfarb – Producer
Alfre Woodard -Key Cast
Alison Sotomayor – Research Director

Thirty-five years before Barack Obama was elected President, the question of race and the possibility of bridging racial and ethnic barriers was put to a test in an overlooked and untold story in American politics: The 1973 election of Tom Bradley, the first African American mayor of a major U.S. city with an overwhelmingly white majority. Tom Bradley’s extraordinary multi-racial coalition redefined Los Angeles, transformed the national dialogue on race, and encouraged elections of minority candidates nationwide, including our nation’s first black president. The film brings into sharp focus issues of police brutality in minority communities and the challenges of police reform. BRIDGING THE DIVIDE is the story of the pressures which face our cities, the politics of race and the complexities of coalitions in a changing America.

A wintry Sunday evening. A German apartment. On television, the usual news about refugee disasters on the coast of Italy, in the kitchen Sushi is being stacked on a plate. An upper middleclass couple is just getting cozy on the sofa, when the doorbell rings…

A biting- and comedic chamber play.

“Brilliant short film by David Marius Lorenz – highly political and humorous!” Elisabeth Schabus / Ristretto.tv

A man (woman?) who can morph his appearance into anyone has finally lost grasp of his own true identity. He is a lost human being until one day he meets another shape­-shifter which changes his life forever.

On a Friday night after a long week at work, Calvin Davis joined his family in Southwest Washington, DC for an informal gathering. Still wearing scrubs from his job at Children’s Hospital, Calvin caught up with an old friend while his two boys rode bikes around the block. When police followed his fifteen year-old home, pulling on gloves as they approached the teenager, Calvin intervened to ask ‘Why?’ and ‘What did he do?’ How these questions escalated into a night in jail for a father with no prior record will make you Think of Calvin next time you question racial profiling or how America has become the world’s most prolific jailer.

Brother is an indie drama/horror film starring comedian Capone Lee about family and relationships and how sometimes the two struggle to get along. Shot on location in Oakland, CA, Brother is a completely independent horror short film with a focus on strong characters and old school practical effects.

8:30 – 11:45 p.m.

“Rebel Child”

“Body and Soul – An American Bridge”

“Njinga – Queen of Angola”

Rebel Child

When a young boy in a war stricken country witnesses a personal tragedy by the hands of soldiers, he is coerced into doing the unthinkable.

Body and Soul: An American Bridge

Josh Kun of the Annenberg School of Communications proclaims that every musical encounter is a cross-cultural encounter. Out of all such encounters that have resulted in the richness of American popular music, none has been so prominent or so fraught with fraternity and conflict as the one between African Americans and American Jews. “Body and Soul: An American Bridge” aims to tease out the strands of this cultural knot by focusing on the early performance history of the jazz standard, “Body and Soul,” one of the most recorded songs in the jazz repertoire.

Njinga – Queen of Angola

Njinga-Rainha De Angola (Njinga: Queen of Angola)
In the 17th century a warrior woman fights for the independence of Angola.
After witnessing the murder of her son and watching her people being humiliated by Portuguese colonizers, Njinga will become a Queen and struggle for their liberation embodying the motto: those who stay fight to win.