2014 Gary International Black Film Festival
2014 Gary International Black Film Festival
This year’s display of films has much more variety and flavor. They are centered on themes closely related to home - those themes are fixed on societal ills that serve controversial, thought-provoking, and challenging to the masses. The youth film showcase achieves its intention of arousing and engaging discussion with audiences addressing issues and finding resolutions after each film viewing. The showcase kicks off with Gentry’s Roots, a film that captures a dispirited Haitian community affected by poverty and a female activist and humanitarian call to action in bettering lives. The heartfelt Echoes of Incarceration documents children’s worst nightmares of seeing their parents become additional statistics to incarceration. It displays how parent’s incarceration has an impact on youth emotionally and mentally after being abandoned with no one to care for them.
The 2014 Gary International
Black Film Festival is riding off the triumphs of 2013’s success of Black
Hollywood that broke records and made history, grossing huge box office earnings
and garnering Oscar Award accolades. This year’s film festival celebrates with much
provided entertainment including the soulful sounds of a live band and displaying
the authentic richness of African American pride and heritage found in the works
of independent African American filmmakers.
This year’s display of films has much more variety and flavor. They are centered on themes closely related to home - those themes are fixed on societal ills that serve controversial, thought-provoking, and challenging to the masses. The youth film showcase achieves its intention of arousing and engaging discussion with audiences addressing issues and finding resolutions after each film viewing. The showcase kicks off with Gentry’s Roots, a film that captures a dispirited Haitian community affected by poverty and a female activist and humanitarian call to action in bettering lives. The heartfelt Echoes of Incarceration documents children’s worst nightmares of seeing their parents become additional statistics to incarceration. It displays how parent’s incarceration has an impact on youth emotionally and mentally after being abandoned with no one to care for them.
What Does It Mean to Be an African American Woman Who Loves Hip-Hop is
the loud outcry for women that are misrepresented, degraded, and easily
stereotyped in the culture of hip-hop causing women to take action. The
animated feature Miss Divine was the highlight of the youth film series that
reminds us often of a disciplinary elder we all had in our neighborhoods who
looked after the next generation of young individuals.
The film festival stepped it up a notch in entertainment by
presenting the audience with a short film showcase that attest to being both an
eye opener and jaw dropper. The dramatic Eli’s Liquor Store is the story of a
liquor store owner and the everyday encounters with his customers. The prolific
film The
Gift is absolutely powerful in the delivery of a concise message of
vengeance, betrayal, and power. A Must See!
However, the strongest films of the three day festival
include the Jeymes Samuel directed (brother to singer Seal) western They
Die By Dawn, an actual account of African American cowboys of the old
west with a stellar cast ranging from the best in acting from Michael K.
Williams, Isaiah Washington, to the beautiful Erykah Badu. Though the film had an
ending that was unexpected - expecting more from the movie, the film Christmas
Wedding Baby (CWB) made up for
the latter. CWB is a long awaited film with overdue praise for its comedy,
unique performances from actress Maria Howell to actor Stephen Hill (whom was
present at this year’s film fest), and for preserving the authenticity and true
portrayals of African Americans since both the Soul Food films and
series.
The 2014 Gary
International Black Film Festival is a one festive joyride. It gets better
every year in film festival entertainment.
By Hector De La Rosa @ILLAFIED_WRITER
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