The 24th Annual Harlem Film Institute Film Festival

The 24th Annual

Film Festival

In honor of Hip Hop’s 50th birthday, we celebrate hip hop with our 24th Film Festival. My first introduction to Hip Hop came  in the Summer of 1979,  with a record by the Fat back band featuring a rapper by the name of King Tim III, that my older brother had bought. Although Hip Hop started in 1973, the sounds from this record started a love affair with Hip Hop, which continues to this day.

1.Hip Hop 50th

2.Hip Hop Culture Center in Harlem 2008 Rapathon

3.Hype 2phones

4.Jay Z in Richmond

5.Hip Hop Culture Center in Harlem 2nd Rapathon

6.Roots, Rhymes, & Rage: The Hip Hop story

7.Roots, Rhymes, & Rage: The Hip Hop story part 2

8.The Roots Rock the Jamestown 400th

9.Blue Rosez
HFI Hall of Fame Inductees

1999- Oscar Micheaux (1885-1951)

2000- Melvin Van  Peebles (1932-2021)

2001-Gordon Parks (1912-2006)

2002 -Noble Johnson (1881-1978 )

2003-Spencer Williams (1893-1969)

2004-Ivan Dixon (1931-2009)

2005-Sidney Poitier (1927-2022)

2006-Clarence Muse (1889-1979)

2006-Charles Burnett

2007-Ossie Davis (1917-2005)

2007-William Greaves (1926-2014)

2008-Michael Schultz

2009-Maya Angelou (1928-2014)

2010-Spike Lee

2011-Julie Dash

2012-Robert Townsend

2013-Reggie Hudlin

2014-Steve McQueen

2015-F Gary Gray

2016-Barry Jenkins

2017-Albert Hughes

2018-Warrington Hudlin

2019-John Singleton (1968-2019)

2020-Ava DuVernay

2021-Chadwick Boseman (1977-2020)

2022-Kathleen Collins (1942-1986)

2023-Ryan K. Coogler

A I HFI Revolution

Race Relations

As an artificial intelligence language model, I do not have access to real-time information and events, nor do I have personal opinions or beliefs. However, I can provide a general overview of race relations in the United States based on historical trends and current issues.
Race relations in the United States in 2023 may be shaped by a range of factors, including political and social movements, demographic changes, and ongoing discussions and debates surrounding issues of racial justice and equality. The legacy of systemic racism and inequality continues to impact various aspects of American life, from disparities in education, healthcare, and housing to disproportionate rates of poverty, unemployment, and incarceration among communities of color.
Recent years have seen increased activism and protests, particularly in response to incidents of police brutality and the unjust treatment of Black Americans. This has led to calls for police reform, criminal justice reform, and broader efforts to address systemic racism and inequality. At the same time, there are also ongoing debates and discussions surrounding issues of identity, privilege, and representation, as well as tensions between different racial and ethnic groups.
Despite these challenges, there are also many positive developments and efforts to promote diversity, inclusion, and equity across different sectors of American society, from the workplace to the media and entertainment industries. Overall, race relations in the United States in 2023 may be characterized by a mix of progress and ongoing challenges, as Americans continue to grapple with the legacy of racism and inequality while working towards a more just and equitable society. Ongoing conversations about race, privilege, and power dynamics are necessary for meaningful progress to be made in this area.

 

Getting Older

Getting older is a natural process of the human body that involves various physical and psychological changes over time. As people age, their bodies undergo many changes, including decreased metabolism, decreased bone density, reduced muscle mass and flexibility, and a decrease in organ function. These changes can lead to an increased risk of various health problems such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and arthritis.
Along with physical changes, people also experience psychological changes as they get older. These changes can include decreased memory and cognitive function, increased wisdom and experience, and changes in emotional stability and resilience. While the aging process is natural, it can also be influenced by various factors such as genetics, lifestyle choices, and environmental factors. For example, regular exercise and a healthy diet can help to slow down the aging process and promote overall health and well-being.
Overall, getting older is a natural part of life that involves various physical and psychological changes. By maintaining a healthy lifestyle and seeking appropriate medical care, individuals can continue to lead fulfilling and active lives as they age.
African American cinema refers to films made by and for African Americans, often exploring the experiences and perspectives of Black people in America. African American cinema has a rich history, dating back to the early 20th century when silent films featuring Black actors were produced. However, it wasn’t until the 1960s and 1970s that African American cinema began to gain wider recognition and acclaim.
During this time, the Civil Rights Movement and Black Power Movement brought about a renewed interest in Black culture and identity, leading to the emergence of the “Blaxploitation” film genre. These films often featured Black actors in lead roles and explored themes such as racism, police brutality, and urban poverty.
In the decades that followed, African American cinema continued to evolve and expand. Filmmakers such as Spike Lee, John Singleton, and Ava DuVernay have gained critical acclaim and mainstream success, while also telling stories that are often overlooked by Hollywood. African American cinema has also diversified, with films exploring a wide range of genres and themes, from romantic comedies to historical dramas.
One of the most important contributions of African American cinema has been its role in giving voice to Black experiences and perspectives, which have historically been marginalized or ignored by mainstream media. Through their films, African American filmmakers have provided a platform for Black artists, actors, and writers to tell their own stories and challenge stereotypes and misconceptions about Black people.
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The 23rd Annual Harlem Film Institute Film Festival

The 23rd Annual

Film Festival

c/o kathleencollins.org

I did not know what a big deal she was, until after her untimely demise. I entered the City University of New York as an architectural major but shortly after,  my mother’s Thyroid condition and attending a lecture by Kathleen Collins, consequently,  I was now a film major.
Kathleen Collins was the first African American woman to produce a feature length film. Although  a prolific playwright, Collins “Losing Ground”, was trailblazing the way for female filmmakers. Written and directed by Collins, the semiautobiographical drama, won First prize  at the Figueroa International Film Festival in Portugal. In 2020, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.Screen Shot 2017-02-13 at 4.51.26 PM
I entered the City University as an architectural major and soon lost focus after my mom was diagnosed with Graves disease. All it took was one lecture from Kathleen and I was hooked into her cinematic world. It would all end too soon, as Kathleen would die from Breast cancer in my junior year, My mother would die of the same malady twenty years later. I never thought Kathleen was ill, always smiling and eating a healthy mix of nuts and raisins. I looked forward to our afternoon screenings of our class projects. She seemed to love my work and her hearty laughter was all the approval I needed. When she died, I took some solace in the fact that I brought some joy to her in her final days.
Although I did not have the privilege of her guidance during my senior project, I cherish the time I spent with her devouring her cinematic knowledge and giving me a love of the cinematic Arts. It is my honor to induct Kathleen Collins into the Harlem Film Institute, hall of fame.


 

  1. “Amelia”
The first film, “Amelia”, was Kathleen’s favorite.  “Amelia” was the result of a class project,  on editing in the camera. The film was shot on 8mm film and the key word was edit in the camera, no cutting after shooting. Shot in chronological order, from beginning to end.
2. Daly
“Daly” was my attempt at making a vampire piece. Daly Germain and Adrian Cord were two actors that I could always count on so I have to give a big shout out  to both of them for the love.
3. Animation
This Animation piece was produced with the help pf my 5 year old nephew, Brandon. This film was also an homage to  my high school Animation teacher, Ms. Nickford.
4. “Alva”.
Always wanted to be a fashion photographer. My friend Alva was the perfect person to practice on. A big shout out to Alva Sam, who became a wonderful Nurse.
5. Art
Art was my first love so I had to make a film about it. 
6. Love Triangle
This film of a love Triangle gone wrong, was made with some of my favorite actors.

7. Human Nature
“Human Nature” was made after I finished high school. with- the help of my brothers and sisters. This film helped to plant the cinematic seed in me.


HFI Hall of Fame Inductees

1999- Oscar Micheaux (1885-1951)

2000- Melvin Van  Peebles

2001-Gordon Parks (1912-2006)

2002 -Noble Johnson (1881-1978 )

2003-Spencer Williams (1893-1969)

2004-Ivan Dixon (1931-2009)

2005-Sidney Poitier

2006-Clarence Muse (1889-1979)

2006-Charles Burnett

2007-Kathleen Collins (1942-1988)

2007-William Greaves (1926-2014)

2008-Michael Schultz

2009-Maya Angelou (1928-2014)

2010-Spike Lee

2011-Julie Dash

2012-Robert Townsend

2013-Reggie Hudlin

2014-Steve McQueen

2015-F Gary Gray

2016-Barry Jenkins

2017-Albert Hughes

2018-Warrington Hudlin

2019-John Singleton (1968-2019)

2020-Ava DuVernay

2021-Chadwick Boseman (1977-2020)

2022-Kathleen Collins (1942-1986)

Melvin Van Peebles

Melvin Van Peebles, godfather of Black cinema, dies at 89

Melvin Van Peebles, the groundbreaking filmmaker, playwright and musician whose work helped usher in the “blaxploitation” wave of the 1970s and influenced filmmakers long after, has died. He was 89.

In statement, his family said that Van Peebles, father of the actor-director Mario Van Peebles, died Tuesday evening at his home in Manhattan.

“Dad knew that Black images matter. If a picture is worth a thousand words, what was a movie worth?” Mario Van Peebles said in a statement Wednesday. “We want to be the success we see, thus we need to see ourselves being free. True liberation did not mean imitating the colonizer’s mentality. It meant appreciating the power, beauty and interconnectivity of all people.”

Sometimes called the “godfather of modern Black cinema,” the multitalented Van Peebles wrote numerous books and plays, and recorded several albums — playing multiple instruments and delivering rap-style lyrics. He later became a successful options trader on the stock market.

But he was best known for “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song,” one of the most influential movies of its time. The low-budget, art-house film, which he wrote, produced, directed, starred in and scored, was the frenzied, hyper-sexual and violent tale of a Black street hustler on the run from police after killing white officers who were beating a Black revolutionary.

With its hard-living, tough-talking depiction of life in the ghetto, underscored by a message of empowerment as told from a Black perspective, it set the tone for a genre that turned out dozens of films over the next few years and prompted a debate over whether Black people were being recognized or exploited.

“All the films about Black people up to now have been told through the eyes of the Anglo-Saxon majority in their rhythms and speech and pace,” Van Peebles told Newsweek in 1971, the year of the film’s release.

“I could have called it ‘The Ballad of the Indomitable Sweetback.’ But I wanted the core audience, the target audience, to know it’s for them,” he told The Associated Press in 2003. “So I said ‘Ba-ad Asssss,’ like you really say it.”

Tribute To Melvin van Peebles - 38th Deauville American Film Festival
Melvin Van Peebles poses next to the beach closet dedicated to him on the Promenade des Planches during the 38th Deauville American Film Festival on September 5, 2012, in Deauville, France. FRANCOIS G. DURAND

Made for around $500,000 (including $50,000 provided by Bill Cosby), it grossed $14 million at the box office despite an X-rating, limited distribution and mixed critical reviews. The New York Times, for example, accused Van Peebles of merchandizing injustice and called the film “an outrage.”

Van Peebles, who complained fiercely to the Motion Picture Association over the X-rating, gave the film the tagline: “Rated X by an all-white jury.”

But in the wake of the its success, Hollywood realized an untapped audience and began churning out such box office hits as “Shaft” and “Superfly” that were also known for bringing in such top musicians as Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye and Isaac Hayes to work on the soundtracks.

Many of Hollywood’s versions were exaggerated crime dramas, replete with pimps and drug dealers, which drew heavy criticism in both the white and Black press.

“What Hollywood did — they suppressed the political message, added caricature — and blaxploitation was born,” Van Peebles said in 2002. “The colored intelligentsia were not too happy about it.”

In fact, civil rights groups like the NAACP and the Congress of Racial Equality coined the phrase “blaxploitation” and formed the Coalition Against Blaxploitation. Among the genre’s 21st century fans was Quentin Tarantino, whose Oscar-winning “Django Unchained” was openly influenced by blaxploitation films and spaghetti Westerns.

On Wednesday, a younger generation of Black filmmakers mourned Van Peebles’ death. Barry Jenkins, the “Moonlight” director, said on Twitter: “He made the most of every second, of EVERY single damn frame.”

After his initial success, Van Peebles was bombarded with directing offers, but he chose to maintain his independence.

“I’ll only work with them on my terms,” he said. “I’ve whipped the man’s ass on his own turf. I’m number one at the box office — which is the way America measures things — and I did it on my own. Now they want me, but I’m in no hurry.”

Van Peebles then got involved on Broadway, writing and producing several plays and musicals like the Tony-nominated “Ain’t Supposed to Die a Natural Death” and “Don’t Play Us Cheap.” He later wrote the movie “Greased Lighting” starring Richard Pryor as Wendell Scott, the first Black race car driver.

In the 1980s, Van Peebles turned to Wall Street and options trading. He wrote a financial self-help guide entitled “Bold Money: A New Way to Play the Options Market.”

Born Melvin Peebles in Chicago on August 21, 1932, he would later add “Van” to his name. He graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1953 and joined the Air Force, serving as a navigator for three years.

After military service, he moved to Mexico and worked as a portrait painter, followed by a move to San Francisco, where he started writing short stories and making short films.

Van Peebles soon went to Hollywood, but he was only offered a job as a studio elevator operator. Disappointed, he moved to Holland to take graduate courses in astronomy while also studying at the Dutch National Theatre.

Eventually he gave up his studies and moved to Paris, where he learned he could join the French directors’ guild if he adapted his own work written in French. He quickly taught himself the language and wrote several novels.

One he made into a feature film. “La Permission/The Story of the Three Day Pass” was the story of an affair between a Black U.S. soldier and a French woman. It won the critic’s choice award at the San Francisco film festival in 1967, and Van Peebles gained Hollywood’s attention.

The following year, he was hired to direct and write the score for “Watermelon Man,” the tale of a white bigot (played by comic Godfrey Cambridge in white face) who wakes up one day as a Black man.

With money earned from the project, Van Peebles went to work on “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song.”

Van Peebles’ death came just days before the New York Film Festival is to celebrate him with a 50th anniversary of “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song.” Next week, the Criterion Collection is to release the box set “Melvin Van Peebles: Essential Films.” A revival of his play “Ain’t Supposed to Die a Natural Death” is also planned to hit Broadway next year, with Mario Van Peebles serving as creative producer.

The 22nd Annual Harlem Film Institute Film Festival

The 22nd Annual

Film Festival

 

 

Welcome to the 22nd Annual Film Institute Film Festival. This year we showcase two films, “The Revolution will not be televised: An evening with Rev. Charles Kenyatta, and “The making of Doctor Bello”. We are also pleased to announce the induction of Chadwick Boseman,  into the HFI hall of fame.

1.”The Revolution will be Televised: An evening with Rev. Charles Kenyatta”.

“The Revolution will be televised: An evening with Rev. Charles Kenyatta”, follows the life of  one of Harlem’s most articulate street corner speakers.  Bodyguard, friend and constant companion to  Malcolm X. Formerly known as Charles 37X and posthumously known as Reverend Charles Kenyatta. This film premiered at the 2nd Annual HFI Film Festival, in 2000.

2. The making of Doctor Bello.

“The making of Doctor Bello”, is a behind scenes look at the Netflix film, “Doctor Bello”, starring Isaiah Washington and Vivica A. Fox.

HFI Hall of Fame Inductees

1999- Oscar Micheaux (1885-1951)

2000- Melvin Van  Peebles

2001-Gordon Parks (1912-2006)

2002 -Noble Johnson (1881-1978 )

2003-Spencer Williams (1893-1969)

2004-Ivan Dixon (1931-2009)

2005-Sidney Poitier

2006-Clarence Muse (1889-1979)

2006-Charles Burnett

2007-Kathleen Collins (1942-1988)

2007-William Greaves (1926-2014)

2008-Michael Schultz

2009-Maya Angelou (1928-2014)

2010-Spike Lee

2011-Julie Dash

2012-Robert Townsend

2013-Reggie Hudlin

2014-Steve McQueen

2015-F Gary Gray

2016-Barry Jenkins

2017-Albert Hughes

2018-Warrington Hudlin

2019-John Singleton (1968-2019)

2020-Ava DuVernay

2021-Chadwick Boseman (1977-2020)

The 22nd Annual Harlem Film Institute Film Festival Promo

Join us August 20th, 2021 for the 22nd Annual Harlem Film Institute Film Festival. We will showcase two films, the making of the Netflix film “Doctor Bello”,  and “The Revolution will be televised: An evening with Rev. Charles Kenyatta”.  We will also be inducting  Chadwick Boseman, into the HFI hall of fame.

“The Revolution will be televised: An evening with Rev. Charles Kenyatta”, follows the life of  one of Harlem’s most articulate street corner speakers.   Bodyguard, friend and constant companion to  Malcolm X. Formerly known as Charles 37X and posthumously known as Reverend Charles Kenyatta.

“The making of Doctor Bello”,  is a behind scenes look at the Netflix film, “Doctor Bello”, starring Isaiah Washington and Vivica Fox.


Just make more Black films