Rashad Roulhac’s story is one of passion and tenacity. Rising from an influential upbringing in Orlando, Florida, he studied and eventually graduated from Valencia Film School. Coming from a mixed ethnic background of African American and Cape Verdean descent, Roulhac embraced diversity at an early age. Upon graduating from college, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his film career. While in L.A., Roulhac worked on numerous projects, including independent films, music videos and productions. Soon after he went on to participate in the Slamdunk & Sundance Film Festival in Provo, Utah. Roulhac eventually moved to Philadelphia to work for ABCNEWS, and then to New York, where he currently works for the Good Morning America show. In an effort to pursue a lifelong dream of bringing his Cape Verdean identity to light on screen, Roulhac decided to get in touch with his roots. Realizing that it would be difficult since he did not reside in one of the typical Cape Verdean “hotspots,” such as Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, Roulhac started an organization that would soon be known as The Cape Verdean Philadelphia Social Group. Although the group started out small, featuring a monthly wine and dine with Cape Verdeans in the Philadelphia area, Roulhac soon came to the realization that he had very limited knowledge of his own culture. Even the simple aspects like the food, language, history, and the dance had been foreign to him, as well as some of the other members of the group. This was especially true for those who were from mixed backgrounds and were not raised in a typical Cape Verdean household.
Since Roulhac came from a film background, he decided that this would the perfect opportunity to found a film festival that would be dedicated to Cape Verde film and culture. This would not only allow him to learn more about his culture but would also help those around the country from other races to learn more about Cape Verde and its people. To make this dream a reality, Roulhac contacted his friend Luce Coutinho, who works for BET and runs The Cape Verdean Network DC, to be a part of the project and make it happen. The main purpose of The Cape Verdean American Film Festival will be to showcase the Cape Verdean culture to the masses. Roulhac hopes that the film festival will be instrumental in pushing our culture into the limelight, especially given that there are many past and current Cape Verdean artists of all genres who have been successful in the entertainment industry.
“I also want the festival to lift the spirits of the young Cape Verdean youth, who are living in Massachusetts and surrounding areas, and may not have or see any positive role models in their lives,” said Roulhac. He added, “I feel that a gathering of Cape Verdean stars who are famous and doing great things in the world like actor Michael Beach or The Mendes Brothers will encourage our youth to stay away from street life and strive to make their lives and communities better.” As the project unfolds, filmmakers are encouraged to submit their films via the website, www.cvaff.com, beginning in October 2014. Roulhac affirms that The Cape Verdean American Film Festival will not just be for films from Cape Verde or by Cape Verdean filmmakers. It is open to all races and cultures, including African, Brazilian, African American, and Caucasian American. “We intend on headlining Proud To Be Cape Verdean by filmmaker Mike Costa and Contract by filmmaker Guenny Pires,” said Roulhac. Furthermore, he added, “We look forward to finding and connecting with all Cape Verdean filmmakers out there so that we can get your short film, documentary, or feature film into our first festival or for our much anticipated 2nd festival to be held in Boston!” When asked what advice he would extend to the young filmmakers dreaming of making it in the industry, Roulhac replied: “Just do your craft, do your passion. Don’t have the mindset that you’re doing it for money; if you do then your product will lack heart. If you do what you have a passion for in life then it will be unique and your own. And that’s where the true talent is discovered and praised.” Roulhac stated that also important is having patience, as Rome wasn’t built in a day. It takes years to craft one’s filmmaking skills and link with the right people to move on to the next level. Roulhac affirmed that perseverance is key: “Never give up just because your film or video isn’t liked. Your next one might just be a hit!” Be sure to check out The Cape Verdean American Film Festival, set to launch in the near future. “I also want the festival to lift the spirits of the young Cape Verdean youth, who are living in Massachusetts and surrounding areas, and may not have or see any positive role models in their lives,”
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