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OCTOBER 20-21, 2018 reelsisters.org
Reel Sisters Film Festival Committee 2018 Carolyn A. Butts, Founder/Festival Director Julie O’Farrow, Curator Lisa Durden, Awards Program Director Jennifer Heslop, Festival Coordinator Onika Washington, Festival Coordinator Billi Martin, Stage & Production Manager Naim Vann, Technical Production Manager Iman Childs, Social Media Manager Shana Childs, Social Media Team Joy Norton, Social Media Team Kosi Harris, Publicist DeAnna Williams, Volunteer Coordinator Pittershawn Palmer, Webmaster Stephanie Woods, Sponsorship Coordinator Jacquelyn Ackeifi Design Team Pittershawn Palmer, Creative Ankh Designs, creativeankh.com Poster Concept & Design: S. Prevost / Bodega5, LLC. Reel Sisters Advisory Board Members Kojo Ade, Kim Singleton and Nicole Franklin Reel Sisters Jury Members Barbara Matos, Kuye Youngblood, Rachel Ferguson, Aisha Isaac and Sewra G. Kidane Media Sponsors & Community Partners ImageNation Cinema Foundation, Akila Worksongs, Walk Tall Girl Productions, Black Public Media, Black Documentary Collective, BRIC Media, Kumble Theater, The Documentary Forum at CCNY, While We Are Still Here, West Harlem Development Corp., LIU Media Arts Dept., Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting, Miller Theatre, Weeksville and LIU Brooklyn. Volunteers 2018 Special thanks to all our volunteers! LaZette McCants & Volunteer Divas & Divos Plus, Volunteers for Arts & Culture & Community.
Dear Friends, Welcome to the 21st Annual Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival and Lecture Series. Thank you for supporting us throughout our journey! Congratulations to our honorees JT Takagi (Third World Newsreel) and Terence Nance (Random Acts of Flyness) for your outstanding contributions to film and support of women filmmakers. Reel Sisters is now the first Academy Qualifying Film Festival for narrative shorts devoted to women of color filmmakers. We want to extend our congratulations to Reel Sisters Best Short Narrative Award winner Thembi L. Banks — we had the privilege of submitting her outstanding film Suitable for Oscar consideration! She is the first of many filmmakers whose works Reel Sisters will continue to champion. Our storytellers now have an extra path to getting the honors and directing jobs they deserve in the film industry. It has been a challenging and exciting year of growth for Reel Sisters. We want to thank everyone for contributing to our GoFundMe campaign — you made this year’s festival possible! Volunteer if you can, we need you! Please join us in honoring Ms. Banks and our award-winning filmmakers at LIU’s Kumble Theater on Oct. 17 and enjoy another great year of amazing films on Oct. 20-21 at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Brooklyn! Peace & blessings, Carolyn A. Butts Reel Sisters Founder/Festival Director Follow: @africanvoices + @reelsisters
Akosua Albritton Anonymous Donors & Sponsors Milton Allimadi Khuumba Ama Jorjina Amefia-Koffi Katherine Angus Steven Barnes Neema Barnette Yocheved Bat-Imedt Marilyn Bloodworth Patrice Bradshaw Ann Breidenbach Cathleen Campbell Toccara Castleman Iman Childs Natasha Chisdes Clairesa Clay Brandy Cochrane Adrienne Cooke Michael Cooke Benjamin Cotten Eric Cotten Shante' Cozier LaShaundrea Crook Ave Maria Cross June Cross Jeannette Curtis Aranda Daly Bridgett Davis Randall Dottin Veronique Doumbe D. Elghanayan Elliot Figman Louise Fleming Karen Ford Malika Franklin Michelle Gardin Keisha Gaye-Anderson Geraldine Gregg Melanie Greenup Thomas Allen Harris
Barbara Harris Carrie Hawks Rhonda Haynes Alexis Hill Jeanette Hill Sondra Hodges Deborah Howard Robin Howe Christopher Hudson Meliza Jacob Kim Jameson James Helene Janover Debra Johnson Stacey Jones Brenda Junious Moikgantsi Kgama Asadah Kirkland Kathlyn Layne Anjanette Levert Shannon Lower John Maney Carolyn Matthews Marcia Mayne Raqiyah Mays Justin McCalla LaZette McCants Sheila McDaniel Melony McGant Robin McGinty Rosalind McLymont Marcia Melendez Tony Mitchelson Pamela Morgan Shantel Moses Lonai Mosley Audrey Myers Aimiende Negbenebor Stanley Nelson Rhonda Norman Lydgia Pass Chiquita Payne Marcia Pendelton
Cyrille Phipps Tonya Pinkins Sandra Proto Nadhege Ptah Bertie Ray Jacqueline Reason Dawn Jones Redstone Charles Wayne Reese Mariona Lloreta Ribalta Linda Roots Harriet Roumo Carl Schmalenberger Gillian Scott Brenda Simmons Esmeralda Simmons Dorothy Singleton Kimberly Singleton Celeste Smith Beverly Steele Tracy Strain Paulette Tabb Eric V Tait, Jr. Salim Talib Mariahadessa Tallie Craig Temple Ebonee Tinker Edward Toney Kaili Turner Danielle Vilson Leonard Walrond Linda Walton Natasha Ward Lisa White Robin Williams Stephanie Woods David Wright Tilsa Wright Kuye Youngblood Leslie Youngblood
Jericka Duncan is a CBS News correspondent based in New York. Duncan has reported on a wide range of national stories and breaking news including; the shooting deaths of four Marines and a Navy sailor in Chattanooga, historic snow storms in Boston, and the 70th anniversary of DDay in Normandy. More recently, she spent a month in Canada traveling with the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team documenting its run to the 2015 World Cup title. Before joining CBS News in 2013, Duncan spent three years at KYW, the CBS owned TV station in Philadelphia. At KYW, she earned first place from the Associated Press for a series of reports on disabled adults that were held captive in a social security scam. She was also nominated for an Emmy. Duncan covered Hurricane Irene in 2011 and Superstorm Sandy in 2012. The Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists honored her in 2012 with the Journalist of the Year Award. Before that, Duncan was a reporter for WIVB (CBS) in Buffalo, New York, from 2007 to 2010. While there, she received a local Emmy Award in the best morning show category for her winter storm coverage in 2008. In 2009, she was one of first reporters at the scene of a plane crash near Buffalo that killed 50 people. Her coverage contributed to the station winning two national Edward M. Murrow Awards. She began her career in 2005 in nearby Elmira, New York, where she covered the search for Ralph “Bucky” Phillips — the longest manhunt for a fugitive in state history. Duncan received a New York State Broadcasters Association Award for Best Spot News Coverage in 2007. Duncan graduated from Ohio University in 2005 with a degree in Communications. She is a 2005 NAACP Image Award recipient. In 2006 she was a fellow at a North Carolina A&T conference on childhood obesity. Duncan is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists and has volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Boys and Girls Club and the Black Leadership Commission on AIDS. In her spare time, she enjoys running, reading and spending time with her family.
DAPHNE McWILLIAMS Daphne McWilliams, a producer and director, began her career first in front of the camera as a child actor and then behind it as a producer of music videos for such artists as Blues Traveler, the Notorious B.I.G., and Queen Latifah. In 1995, she was hired to produce the Academy Award–nominated 4 Little Girls, directed by Spike Lee, a documentary about the murder of four African-American girls in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963. The experience impacted her life and changed her career path — documentary filmmaking became her passion. Since that time, she has worked on the films The Curious Case of Curt Flood (dir. Spike Lee, 2011); Slavery by Another Name (dir. Samuel D. Pollard, 2012); and Maynard (dir. Samuel D. Pollard, 2018), among many others. In 2015, Daphne McWilliams’s directorial debut, In a Perfect World, premiered on Showtime. For information on Daphne visit seventhchildproductions.com.
Greetings — Jericka Duncan, Mistress of Ceremonies Performance — Shahadi Wright Joseph Third World Newsreel Trailer In Celebration of JT Takagi Trailblazer Award Presentation to JT Takagi Reel Sisters Trailer Remarks — Carolyn A. Butts, Reel Sisters Founder and Lisa Durden, Awards Ceremony Production Director Performance — Jules & The Jinks Random Acts of Flyness Trailer Trailblazer Award Presentation to Terence Nance Proclamation — Council members Jumaane Williams and Laurie Cumbo Special Thanks — Carolyn A. Butts Closing Remarks & Festival Highlights — Jericka Duncan, MC Performance - Jules & The Jinks
ABOUT JT TAKAGI & THIRD WORLD NEWSREEL JT Takagi is an award winning filmmaker, sound engineer, educator and the Executive Director of Third World Newsreel, (twn.org) an alternative media center that trains, distributes and produces media by and about people of color and social justice issues. Celebrating its 50th year, Third World Newsreel (TWN) has been led by women of color since 1973. As the current Executive Director of Third World Newsreel, JT follows in the footsteps of a series of women of color who have led this non-profit alternative media center over five decades. From Christine Choy and Susan Robeson to Ada Griffin and Dorothy Thigpen, she is pleased to be able to be part of Third World Newsreel’s 50th anniversary as a progressive media center and to have the Reel Sisters of the Diaspora join in that celebration.
ABOUT TERENCE NANCE Terence is an artist born and raised in Dallas, Texas. He comes from a family of artists, (Norvis Jr., Djore, and Classi) and is the creator of new late-night series RANDOM ACTS OF FLYNESS on HBO.Terence is best known for his first feature film, AN OVERSIMPLIFICATION OF HER BEAUTY (Sundance Film Festival 2012) and short film,SWIMMING IN YOUR SKIN AGAIN (Sundance 2016).He also makes installations, and music under the name Terence Etc. MVMT –– a production company that creates films, series, and any form of moving images –– is owned and operated by Terence. Current MVMT projects include the web series 195 LEWIS, the feature documentary SO YOUNG SO PRETTY SO WHITE, a film about the global practice of skin bleaching, and RANDOM ACTS OF FLYNESS. Terence currently resides in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn – along with the rest of The Swarm.
Born and raised in New York City, Jules found her love for music starting as a child performer with The Highbridge Voices Community Choir directed by Bruno Casolari. This experience propelled her to performances on The David Letterman Show and an ensemble appearance with Celine Dion at Radio City Music Hall to name a few. She then went on to appear as Young Nala in Broadway's Musical, The Lion King in its 2000-2001 season. In 2014, she placed as finalist at the Apollo Theater's Amateur Night. As an adult, she continues to polish her skills with renown vocal coach and mentor, Craig Derry. Currently, Jules is performing with her jazz trio, working on solo projects as well as projects as lead vocalist of Jules and The Jinks, all due to release Fall/Winter 2018. Jules and The Jinks recently won AFROPUNK's Battle of The Bands and went on to play the main stage of AFROPUNK Brooklyn Festival. Her sound is jazz, funk, pop, rock, but most of all soulfully unique. Performing in the metropolitan area, highlight performances include: Minton's Playhouse, Rockwood Music Hall, Joe's Pub, Highline Ballroom, Silvana, Sofar Sounds, Piano's, Red Rooster, The Schomburg Center and The Harlem Arts Festival in 2016.
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SHAHADI WRIGHT JOSEPH is a singer, actor, and dancer who at age nine, made history as the youngest actor to play Young Nala in Disney's The Lion King on Broadway. Alongside Beyoncé and Donald Glover, Shahadi will reprise her role in the highly anticipated The Lion King live-action remake, coming to movie theaters in Summer 2019. Shahadi currently plays Holiday, the lead character in the Gen-Z podcast series, Six Minutes.
Shahadi began her career as a Fisher-Price print model, and at age two, she started her dance training with the performing arts organization, Purelements: An Evolution in Dance. In fall 2015, Shahadi joined the original Broadway cast of School of Rock, playing the role of Madison and understudied the role of Tomika. Shahadi’s performances were recognized by the AUDELCO Theater Committee, earning her the 2016 AUDELCO "Rising Star" Award. Shahadi is proud to have worked with legendary composer Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber in musicals that have won Tony Awards and received Fred and Adele Astaire Award nominations. In 2016, she was part of the star-studded cast of NBC’s three-time Emmy Award winning production of Hairspray Live! . Working with Jennifer Hudson, Harvey Fierstein, and Ariana Grande, Shahadi’s performance was nominated for a Young Artist Award. As a vocalist, Shahadi has lent her voice to artistic and fundraising events for Radio Disney, Broadway Star Project, City Harvest, the United Negro College Fund, the Young Entertainers Awards, White Plains Youth Bureau and Harlem School of the Arts.
Council Member Jumaane Williams Reel Sisters Honorary Ambassador Since being elected in 2009 and re-elected in 2013 to represent the 45th District in the New York City Council, Jumaane D. Williams has been a tireless advocate for his constituents. In the wake of the devastating Haitian earthquake of January 2010, he helped coordinate the 45th District Haitian Relief Effort, a mobile clinic that provided economic and legal assistance to those affected and their families. As chair of the Oversight and Investigations Committee, Jumaane co-chaired hearings in all five boroughs to probe the city’s failed response to the blizzard of December 2010. He is also a member of the Higher Education, Housing and Buildings, Immigration, Land Use, Landmarks, Public Siting and Maritime Uses and Youth Services committees. Additionally, Jumaane serves as co-chair of the Gun Violence Task Force, vice chair of the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus and is a founding member of the Progressive Caucus.
Council Member Laurie Cumbo Laurie A. Cumbo was born and raised in Brooklyn, where she attended and graduated from the Berkeley Carroll Day School in Park Slope and Brooklyn Technical High School in Fort Greene. After graduating Spelman College in Atlanta, GA with a degree in Fine Art, she returned to Brooklyn and received her Master’s Degree in Visual Arts Administration from New York University. As a cultural leader, entrepreneur, activist, college professor, educator, lecturer and small business owner working in the not-for-profit sector, she has dedicated her life to community development. Ms. Cumbo has led an effort to turn public housing into an ideal venue for cultural events, in which she privately raised $150,000 to provide monthly cultural programming by world-class musicians and performers in the community centers and outdoor spaces.
CONGRATULATIONS To All 2018 Reel Sisters Awards Honorees It Was My Pleasure To Serve As This Year’s Awards Production Director Lisa Durden Unlimited Productions, A Multi-Media Company Creating Award-Winning Content
CONTACT Tel: 973-580-0037 * Email: LisaRdurden@gmail.com * Website: www.LisaDurden.com STAY CONNECTED Facebook: @LisaDurdenFanPage – Twitter: @Lisardurden – Instagram: @lisardurden – LinkedIn: @lisadurden
Sponsored by Stephens College MFA in TV and Screenwriting.
Our Stories. Our Medicine. In conversation with Ericka Huggins, moderated by Valerie Woods The great novelist Zora Neale Hurston once said: "There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you." Recorded in Oakland, CA for Reel Sisters of the Diaspora 2018, this conversation with activist, poet, and educator, Ericka Huggins, explores the transformative and healing power of speaking the truth of our stories. As the longest-serving woman in Black Panther Party leadership, a former political prisoner, widowed at 20 and separated from her newborn daughter for two years awaiting trial, Ms. Huggins turned to meditation to keep her sanity. Her spiritual practices have served to sustain her as a mother, grandmother, and social justice activist. "The more we talk the more we heal," says Ms. Huggins. This has also been her experience telling her story while navigating the process of writing her autobiography. Moderated by Valerie Woods, a Stephens College MFA TV and Screenwriting Mentor and writer/producer. Ms. Woods is currently in development on a documentary on Ms. Huggins' remarkable life.
BIOS Valerie C. Woods is a writer/producer in television and film and is also a publisher, editor, and author. Valerie is currently Adjunct Faculty for the Stephens College Low Residency MFA Television & Screenwriting program and was appointed Creative Director for Syd Field – The Art of Visual Storytelling. Valerie is one of four Syd Field Screenwriting Method Instructors trained by Mr. Field. Valerie wrote the screen adaptation of the novel Tempest Rising by Diane McKinney-Whetstone, with the production company of actor/director Phylicia Rashad. Valerie is also a Co-Executive Producer/writer for the indevelopment mini-series Tulsa. Ericka Huggins is an educator, former Black Panther Party member, and political prisoner, human rights activist and poet. For 37 years Ericka has lectured in the United States, and internationally on human rights, Restorative Justice and, the role of spiritual practice in sustaining activism and promoting social change. She highlights the importance of inclusive grassroots movements that honor the voices of the marginalized, especially youth.
REEL SISTERS OF THE DIASPORA
Thisfestivalʼs winning short filmsmay qualify for consideration for the
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS Oscars.org/Rules