New York Amsterdam News Issue March 30 - April 6, 2022. STOP THE BLOODSHED

Page 28

28 • March 31, 2022 - April 6, 2022

THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS

Religion & Spirituality Saying goodbye to Michelle Materre with a focus on African American cinema and the Global South. In 1992, Materre cofounded one of the first African American-owned film distribution companies, KJM3 Entertainment Group, which directly managed the marketing, positioning and distribution of more than 23 films by filmmakers of African descent including “Daughters of the Dust,” the highly acclaimed film by Julie Dash, as well as “L’Homme Sur Les Quais (The Man by the Shore)” by Raoul Peck. Her critically acclaimed film series, Creatively Speaking, featuring work by and about women and people of color, spanned over two decades. In 2015, Creatively Speaking co-presented the unprecedented film series “Tell It Like It Is: Black Independents in NYC Michelle Materre (Photo Credit: Creatively Speaking) 1968-1986,” with The New York Women in Film & Television is Film Society of Lincoln Center, which was awarddeeply saddened to announce that former ed the Film Heritage Award by the National SoNYWIFT Board Member, longtime NYWIFT ciety of Film Critics. A second series presented member, mentor, educator, and pillar of the New in March 2017 at BAMcinematek, “One Way or York film community Michelle Materre passed Another: Black Women Filmmakers 1970–1991,” away this weekend after a battle with cancer, was acknowledged by Richard Brody, of The New surrounded by family and friends. Tami Gold Yorker Magazine, as “The Best Repertory Series and I visited her at the White Plains Hospital on of 2017” as well as awarded the “Film Heritage” Wednesday March 9, 2022, and she was peace- award of 2017 by the National Society of Film ful and recognized our presence. Critics. In addition to serving on the NYWIFT Michelle’s insight and guidance impacted Board, Michelle was also most recently a board countless lives and careers, and her con- member at Women Make Movies. sistent and creative championing of Black Michelle brought her insight into Black film creators from development to distribution history and distribution to a relatively recent and beyond helped shape our industry. We NYWIFT program, our 2020 Member Screenextend our condolences to all in our commu- ing of “Illusions.” The virtual Q&A with Minity whose lives she touched. chelle can be watched here in its entirety. In addition to holding a position as assoHer intelligence, warmth, and generosity of ciate professor of Media Studies and Film at spirit will be greatly missed. The New School where she had been teachDetails of how her family and The New ing since 2001, Michelle Materre was the di- School will commemorate her passing are still rector of the Media Management Graduate forthcoming. As soon as we know the specifprogram in the School of Media Studies. Ma- ics, we will post so those NYWIFT members terre’s professional background spanned that would like to attend would be welcome. more than 30 years of experience as film In love and light, producer, writer, lecturer, arts administrator, distribution/marketing specialist, film Cynthia Lopez, executive director, New programmer, media consultant, film scholar York Women in Film & Television

Harlem hosts home-going for Professor Joseph Benjamin Bacote (Bill Moore photos)

Home-going for Professor Joseph Benjamin Bacote (December 15, 1935 - March 14, 2022). Bacote received his formative education in Charleston, S.C., graduated from Burke High School and later moved to Harlem, New York. He earned degrees from Clark Atlanta University, Columbia Teachers College, Fordham University and served as an adjunct professor at Bronx Community College, and counselor at Albert Einstein College. Bacote was an active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Clark At-

lanta University Alumni of Greater NY, and served as president and treasurer, Community Board 11 North East Bronx Home Owners Association. Bacote leaves to cherish and celebrate his life, his wife of 56 years Andrea Laster Bacote, and a host of family and friends, colleagues, and neighbors. His Celebration of Life service was held at Salem United Methodist Church Harlem, New York. The interment was at Fair Lawn, New Jersey with Bullock Funeral Service.


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