Local

Celebrity Chef Gives Back to the Community That Poured into Him

Ameer Natson, celebrity chef, entrepreneur, and founder of the Become Creative Agency is set to launch a co-working space and culinary kitchen for Black creatives and aspiring chefs in New Jersey, a first- of-its kind in the Garden State. As a son of Newark, NJ, affectionately known as “Brick City”, Ameer has used every brick of life to build a brand committed to making impact and delivering results for his community.

Ameer has executed culinary experiences for a Who’s Who in the sports, film and entertainment industry, feeding the likes of Beyoncé, JAY-Z, Queen Latifah, Oprah, Pharrell, Lebron James, Chris Tucker and Blair Underwood to name a few! After quickly being identified as one of the hottest up-and-coming chefs, Ameer landed the opportunity to develop a show with Backroads Entertainment for The Food Network called HELP YOURSELF! He is America’s down-to-earth chef, and has been featured on BBC, ARISE 360 TV, NBC and BET.

More importantly, Ameer has used his experiences traveling the world to focus on what is needed most in communities that resemble where he has come from. Ameer founded Become Creative Agency, a full-service creative and marketing agency that hires local talent from inner city communities.

Ameer Natson believes that his story is proof that success is NOT about resources or circumstances. He says, “I graduated from the school of hard knocks with a degree in perseverance. It’s about being resourceful and creative. It’s about the conviction to charge ahead in spite of the challenges and critics. My commitment is to communities that look like mine and to the young people who may have been told they were never enough. I want my Ameer Natson communities, my Black communities to know we are rich with innovation and talent and my young people to know that the sky is the limit.”

Last summer during the COVID19 pandemic, Ameer partnered with the World Central Kitchen, Chefs For America and Chef José Andrés to donate and distribute more than 67,000 meals throughout the city of Newark, NJ. This past Thanksgiving, Ameer and team got to work again and prepared and delivered more than 5,000 meals as part of his annual 5000 Thankful Souls Community Thanksgiving program, an initiative he has led for several years.

This Spring, Ameer will open “Become” a creative co-working space for Black and Brown creatives. This space will include a media room, a recording space, and a kitchen where the genius of culinary imagination can expound.

“My dream is to ensure that my community, our communities are reliant and self-sufficient. I can’t wait to open the doors and help people turn their dreams and aspirations into reality.” Ameer says.

County Vaccination Effort Keeps Focus on Seniors

Seniors 65 and over will soon have additional opportunities to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as the County continues to make seniors its highest vaccination priority.

In addition to yesterday’s successful Auto Club Speedway mass-vaccination event, which resulted in 3,235 people – mostly seniors – getting vaccinated, the County this week will open several weeks of vaccination appointments for seniors and announce plans to open more community vaccination centers. The County also plans to launch a mobile vaccination program to serve seniors close to home. The County will also address the issues that led to traffic headaches at yesterday’s speedway event in time for the next mass-vaccination event.

“Seniors are most at-risk from COVID-19. That’s why the County has no higher priority than making sure we quickly reach and serve everyone in our county 65 and over,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman.

While prioritizing seniors the County continues to make progress through the State Vaccination Roadmap. The County learned this week that all police officers and firefighters working in the county who want to be vaccinated have been provided with vaccination opportunities. The County has also implemented a strategy that allows vaccinations for teachers currently conducting in-person instruction or who plan to return to the classroom during the current school year, without disrupting service to seniors.

For several weeks the County has worked closely with County Superintendent of Schools Ted Alejandre, public school districts, and private schools throughout the county to develop strategies for vaccinating teachers. Schools and districts will work with their local vaccine providers to serve their eligible teachers rather than create competition between seniors and teachers for appointments online.

“The County’s wise management of vaccines and productive partnerships with vaccine providers such as hospitals and pharmacies are helping us to begin creating a safe environment for teachers and students, which is essential in our efforts to control the virus and return our communities to normal life,” said Hagman. “Best of all, we are doing this in a way that does not interfere with the availability of appointments to seniors.”

Virtual Events Happening During Black History Month

The West Coast Premiere of an ambitious filmed song cycle dedicated to the celebration of Black artistic voices, Breathing Free. One man’s experience with being Black in America, and the fight for racial justice…Still. Blake Hill-Saya talks about her biography of her great, great grandfather, Dr. Aaron McDuffie Moore, co-founder of Durham, North Carolina’s famed Black Wall Street.

The Broad Stage Presents The West Coast Premiere of
Heartbeat Opera’s Breathing Free

An ambitious filmed song cycle dedicated to the celebration of Black artistic voices.


Wednesday, February 10 at 7pm PT
Saturday, February 13 at 7pm PT


Featuring 9 interconnected music videos with music from
Beethoven’s Fidelio, Negro spirituals and works by Harry T. Burleigh, Florence Price, Langston Hughes, Anthony Davis and Thulani Davis.

Each screening will be followed by a live panel discussion with artists and advocates highlighting themes surfaced in Breathing Free relating to incarcerated populations.

Tickets and info at thebroadstage.org/breathingfree.

Heartbeat Opera, the radical indie opera company “leading the charge in online opera” (Parterre) with “groundbreaking” virtual content (Operawire) that is “hacking the corporate contours of Zoom into a postmodern proscenium” (Washington Post)—announces the West Coast Premiere of Breathing Free, an ambitious filmed song cycle dedicated to the celebration of Black artistic voices.

Breathing Free builds on Heartbeat’s 2018 collaboration with 100 incarcerated singers in six prison choirs, part of a contemporary Fidelio told through the lens of Black Lives Matter—a production that left Alex Ross of The New Yorker “blindsided by its impact.” Created in a time of George Floyd’s murder, a pandemic which is ravaging our prison population, and the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth—Heartbeat has curated a song cycle brought to life in vivid music videos, mingling excerpts from Fidelio with songs by Black composers and lyricists, which together manifest a dream of justice and equity.

This 45-minute “visual album” features three singers, three dancers, eight instrumentalists and a robust creative production team. Rehearsed remotely on Zoom, the cast has recorded their individual audio tracks at home, with the music team then layering the tracks together. Heartbeat’s filmmaker Anaiis Cisco collaborates with cinematographers to film the performers in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

The presentation will be livestreamed along with live opening remarks and post-screening panel discussions with artists and activists highlighting the timely themes surfaced in Breathing Free. Audience Q&A will follow the panels. Participants for each panel are TBD. The Broad Stage provided additional support for the creation of this work.

CREATIVE TEAM
Director: Ethan Heard
Filmmaker: Anaiis Cisco
Creative producer: Ras Dia
Co-Music Director and Arranger (Fidelio)Daniel Schlosberg
Co-Music Director: Jacob Ashworth
Movement Director: Emma Jaster

Director of Photography: Kathryn Boyd Batstone (Los Angeles)
1st AC/Gaffer: Celine Layous (Los Angeles)
Director of Photography: Jacob Mallin (New York & Chicago)
1st AC/Gaffer: Matt Iacono (New York & Chicago)
Associate Movement Director: Tamrin Goldberg
Arranger (Malcolm XBalm in Gilead) & Associate Music Director: Sean Mayes
Stage Manager: Jessica Emmanus
Assistant Director: Mar Cox
Sound Editor: Gleb Kanasevich
Sound Mixer: Sam Torres
Music Assistant, Orchestra Manager & Copyist: Mona Seyed-Bolorforosh


CAST
Derrell Acon, bass-baritone
Curtis Bannister, tenor
Kelly Griffin, soprano
Randy CastilloTamrin GoldbergBrian HallowDreamz Henry, dancers

Also featuring the voices of more than 100 incarcerated singers and 70 volunteers 
from six prison choirs: Oakdale Community ChoirKUJI Men’s Chorus, UBUNTU Men’s Chorus, 
HOPE Thru Harmony Women’s Choir, East Hill Singers and Voices of Hope

BAND
Jacob Ashworth, violin 
Marika Hughes, cello 
Miki Sasaki, trumpets
Kyra Sims, horn 
Thomas Flippin, guitars 
Britton-René Collins, percussion 
Daniel Schlosberg, piano 
Jason Thomas, piano

Prisoners Chorus features: Laura Weiner (horn), Nicolee Kuester (horn), Clare Monfredo (cello), 
Daniel Hass (cello), Euntaek Kim (piano) and Ben Cornavaca (percussion)

More Information:

Tickets are “Pay What You Wish” starting at $10 and can be purchased at thebroadstage.org.

For further assistance, call Patron Services at 310.434.3200 or email patronservices@thebroadstage.org.


One man’s experience with being Black in America,
and the fight for racial justice…Still.

In a time of civil unrest, political uncertainty and the inability to produce on stage, Pasadena Playhouse has launched PlayhouseLive with Still., a very personal performance sharing the experiences of a Black man at a pivotal time in our nation’s history, commissioned by the Pasadena Playhouse. Written and performed by spoken word artist Javon Johnson and directed by Donny Jackson, Still. blends powerful imagery witty prose and beautiful lyricism in this timely, powerful theatrical experience. 

“This is an unprecedented time for our nation,” stated Danny Feldman, producing artistic director of the Pasadena Playhouse. He continues, “At times of national reckoning, the arts have played a major catalyst in sparking conversation. After the tragic murder of George Floyd and all the other countless Black men and women who have come before and after, the arts have been challenged to find a way to bring people together in a safe, socially distant way to talk about these issues. In that spirit, we launched PlayhouseLive, a nonprofit streaming platform, to use our art to speak to the nation and give voice to those in our community when it is needed the most. Still. brings support for the Black Lives Matter movement front and center; it is a  condemnation of systemic racism in our nation through Javon’s powerful words.”

When asked about the title, Still., award-winning artist Javon Johnson stated, “What I love about the title of the show is the way in which is calls for the fact that Black folks, that Blackness that the Black liberations efforts are still ongoing. That we’re still dealing with racism, racial inequality and injustice.  That we’re still dealing with the things that we thought, at least some of us, thought we were past. That we are still fighting. That we are still marching in the street. That we are still demanding for fairness, for equality. But even more than that, that we are still joyous. That Black folks still love. That we still laugh. That we still persevere in spite of the fact that some of the ways in which the world exists has tried to announce us dead upon arrival. But that we are still here living and engaging one another. That we are still giving the system graciously the opportunity to prove itself to us.  And even more, I think of still in the very biblical sense of ‘be still and know.’ That’s not a be still and know and not do anything, that’s to stand righteousness in the position that you are and just know that tomorrow will come. That something better will come with the work that so many people are putting in…still.

More Information:

Still. can be rented through PlayhouseLive for $19.99 and is available. After the initial purchase, Still. can be watched on any of the PlayhouseLive apps including Apple OS, Android OS, Roku, FireTV and more. Closed captioning will be available in both English and Spanish.

Additional information about PlayhouseLive and its programming, including new announcements and pricing specials, is available at www.playhouselive.org.


For Black History Month
Caltech launches Behind the Book, their new author series

Blake Hill-Saya
talks about her biography of her great, great grandfather,
Dr. Aaron McDuffie Moore, co-founder of Durham, North Carolina’s famed Black Wall Street

Monday, February 1 at 5:00 p.m. PT

Registration required for this online event:
https://events.caltech.edu/btb_blake


CaltechLive! is excited to begin Black History Month with biracial author Blake Hill-Saya as she discusses her recent nonfiction book, Aaron McDuffie Moore: An African American Physician, Educator, and Founder of Durham’s Black Wall Street, live on Monday, February 1 at 5 p.m. PT.

This event is the first in the Behind the Book authors series, which facilitates conversations with authors who explore the intersections of the arts, science, and society through the lens of family histories. Hill-Saya will be interviewed by Monique Thomas, program coordinator at the Caltech Center for Inclusion & Diversity.

Moore, who was Hill-Saya’s great-great-grandfather, was a physician, businessman, humanitarian, and co-founder of Durham, North Carolina’s famed Black Wall Street. He was a primary figure in establishing the city as the capital of the African American middle class in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Aaron McDuffie Moore: An African American Physician, Educator, and Founder of Durham’s Black Wall Street is published by University of North Carolina Press (May 18, 2020). It was co-written by G. K. Butterfield, U.S. representative for the 1st District of North Carolina, and C. Eileen Watts Welch, president and CEO of Durham Colored Library, Inc.

More Information:

Free and open to the public. Information at events.caltech.edu

Advance Zoom webinar registration is required.
Register at: https://events.caltech.edu/btb_blake




Black And Jewish Entertainment Leaders Unite To Fight Bigotry

Shared suffering has birthed a powerful partnership.

Drawing on their shared experiences of discrimination and marginalization, Black and Jewish leaders have formed an alliance to combat racism and anti-Semitism.

They are using the power of celebrity as a microphone to call for change, as anti-Semitic attacks have skyrocketed over the past few years and the Black Lives Matter movement has renewed calls for racial justice.

More than 170 men and women from the entertainment industry, ranging from film stars to music executives to athletes, signed a February unity statement released by the newly formed Black-Jewish Entertainment Alliance (BJEA) in full page ads in Variety and Billboard to coincide with the Black History Month.

“As members of the entertainment community, we stand against all forms of hate, and pledge to work to bring our two communities together in solidarity, to support one another in our struggles, and to better understand each other’s plight and narratives,” the statement reads.

“In the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr., Rabbi Abraham Heschel, and the many Blacks and Jews who stood together in the fight for civil rights, we come together to support each other in the struggle against hatred and bigotry.”

The wide-ranging list of signatories includes actors Jason Alexander, Mayim Bialik, Tiffany Haddish and Billy Porter, music executives Aaron Bay-Schuck and Ethiopia Habtemariam, former studio head Sherry Lansing and KISS rocker Gene Simmons.

“The rifts between people are as high as they have been in a long time,” Andrew Gould, former president of A&R, Downtown Music Publishing, told Zenger News. “You’re seeing systemic racism toward the Black community at its peak right now, and you’re seeing a level of anti-Semitism at its peak right now. We have had such a shared history. It’s just such an obvious step for the two communities to come together.”

Several of the signatories told Zenger News their support of the BJEA is a natural extension of work they are already doing on behalf of human rights and social justice — publicly or privately.

“I haven’t been one to put my name forward. I’m a little averse to being too far in front of any cause because I saw it as detracting from the cause,” said Brian Dobbins, co-president of the Hollywood management firm Artists First. “But then I realized I needed to do more and probably should be putting my name forward to be part of a larger, louder group.”

Brian Dobbins, the co-president of the Hollywood management firm Artists First, was one of the signatories on a February ad placed by the new alliance. (Courtesy of Brian Dobbins)

Singer-songwriter Autumn Rowe, the daughter of a Black father and a Jewish mother, said her interest in combating racism intensified in 2019 when she felt the division in America intensified. That year, she also collaborated with fellow music activist and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” bandleader Jon Batiste on the song, “We Are,” which became an anthem of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests.

In addition to being a signatory with the alliance, Rowe will be one of the panelists at the first BJEA event: a Feb. 17 discussion on growing up both Black and Jewish and on what entertainers can do to bring the two communities together.

Asked what she believes non-celebrities can do to further the mission of the alliance, Rowe suggested people read about Black and Jewish history.

“I want people to be open-minded to other people’s pain and struggles,” she said. “Let’s just support everybody and realize what we all have gone through. Sometimes I feel like people don’t really take that time, and it hurts everyone. So I just want everyone to take a moment to do some serious research and just for a second imagine what the other person is going through, what they’re feeling, and just hold that space.”

The formation of the alliance comes as anti-Semitic incidents and attacks have been on the rise in the United States in recent years, reaching an all-time high in 2019, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

Jews account for less than 2 percent of the American population, yet the new FBI Hate Crimes Statistics report found more than 60 percent of religious-based hate crimes in 2019 targeted Jews, an increase of 14 percent over 2018. The FBI also reported in 2019 that 57.6 percent of the victims were targeted because of the offenders’ bias against race/ethnicity/ancestry.

The new alliance also follows a tense summer that featured nationwide demonstrations against systemic racism and police brutality, largely sparked by the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who died while being arrested in Minneapolis.

(Edited by Carlin Becker and Fern Siegel)



The post Black And Jewish Entertainment Leaders Unite To Fight Bigotry appeared first on Zenger News.

SBCUSD Virtual Caps Continues In 2021

San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) knows that some students and families are still adjusting to distance learning. To help support students, SBCUSD has been offering a free, virtual CAPS Expanded Learning experience that includes homework assistance every school day.

Although different from in-person CAPS, the virtual program continues to offer educational support for students of all ages and academic levels. In addition to homework assistance, CAPS staff provide students with fun enrichment activities that can be especially beneficial for students’ emotional and mental health during the COVID lockdowns.

CAPS sessions begin at 2:30 p.m. for middle school students and select high school students and at 3:30 p.m. for elementary school students, with homework assistance offered from 5 to 6 p.m. After logging in, students directed toward Zoom breakout sessions to provide support geared toward their needs.

Every week, students should receive an invitation with a Zoom meeting link via Google Classroom sent to their District-provided email address. Each school provides its own CAPS Zoom link, so students need to check their own email address for the link and not just use a sibling’s meeting link. “Join CAPS” will be in the email subject line.

For more information, visit https://sbcusd.com/district_offices/student_services/caps.

Obituary: Amos Isaac

April 28, 1934-January 20, 2021

Dr. Amos Isaac, a retired educator and lifelong community leader, passed away at the age of 86. Final arrangements are entrusted to the care of Tillman Riverside Mortuary. Visitation will be at Tillman Riverside Mortuary on Thursday, February 11, 2021 from 10 am to 11 am. Due to COVID gathering restrictions, no more than 25 individuals may attend. Private graveside services will be held on February 11, 2021, at Riverside National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to New Hope Missionary Baptist Church’s Scholarship Fund at 1575 West 17th St, San Bernardino, CA 92411. Tillman Riverside Mortuary 2874 Tenth St, Riverside, CA 92507. For more information, please call 951-682-6433.

Re-introduction of ‘What It Do with Lue’ knowing me all over again!

By Lue Dowdy

Weeeest up everyone! Its ya’ girl, Lue Dowdy back on the scene keeping you in the loop on What It Do! It’s been a minute I had to work on some things, ya know like getting my life together. But I’m back refreshed and happy to be at it again. Basically, this is my reintroduction article of myself and what my column, ‘What It Do with Lue’ is all about. 

The Entertainment in the IE is like a good pot of GUMBO, filled, seasoned and mixed with so much flavor, just waiting to be consumed. A thriving entertainment hub saturated with talented artists from singers, to dancers, rap artists, musicians, producers, writers, poets, actors, comedians, and more. I absolutely love and support the performing arts especially in my own backyard.

My production company, LUE Productions (Launching Unique Entertainment) is all about highlighting Indie Artists and Community Entertainment. Our goal is to provide platforms for the talented while bringing forth entertaining shows/events for the entire community to enjoy. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to expand my reach through the Westside Story Newspaper, which happens to be one of the longest African American running Publications in San Bernardino County. One of the great things about the paper, is that it’s circulated throughout Southern California. 

Due to the Pandemic the industry has been on pause. If you’re not a mainstream artists or performer, I’m sure the struggles been real. A huge part of this game is staying relevant. Let me help you by highlighting your talent or next upcoming event. I can be reach on messenger on Facebook under LUE Productions or reached by email at lue.info@yahoo.com. Stop by our website www.lueproductions.org

Rolling Out, Penguin Random House, and BLACKBOOKSTORE.COM Launch Annual Black Storytelling Project

To commemorate Black History Month, Black-owned media companies Rolling Out and BlackBookStore.com, in collaboration with publishing giant Penguin Random House, have launched a historic content partnership called #AmplifyBlackStories. Company representatives said the initiative’s mission is to introduce more stories written by Black authors to a diverse group of readers. 

“As our content and media partner, Rolling Out has developed a full slate of programming throughout the year,” said Anthony Key, Director of Multicultural Marketing at Penguin Random House. “Our collaboration will allow us to propel the awareness of Black literary excellence and introduce more stories by Black authors to a diverse group of readers.”

#AmplifyBlackStories will give power to the truth and testimonies of a wide array of Black voices through deep-dive discussions and thoughtful insights sharing from the book selections. This collective will include authors across the spectrum of gender identities, multigenerational writers, faith-based thought-leaders, and creatives in the LGBTQIA+ community. The partnership between Rolling Out, BlackBookStore.com, and Penguin Random House will undoubtedly help inject more pivotal Black stories into the American literary canon. 

“This partnership and cultural collaboration with Penguin Random House will herald Black creativity and promote cultural understanding by amplifying Black storytelling and Black voices,” said Munson Steed, CEO at Rolling Out. “We are on a mission to celebrate Black authors, both familiar and new, who are helping to tell a more complete cultural story––from social justice and betterment to romance and sci-fi.”

#AmplifyBlackStories kicked off in February with Rolling Out‘s Meet the Author series featuring renowned writer Kevin Powell talking about his long career telling Black stories, including his intriguing journey from reality show pioneer to a congressional candidate. 

#AmplifyBlackStories will continue to pay homage to Black authors with a roster of virtual programming throughout the month, including:

  • The Rolling Out Book Club (February selection is A Promised Land by President Barack Obama)
  • The Children’s Club (February selection is I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes)
  • The Sunday Read (authors read favorite excerpts and reveal stories of inspiration)
  • Black Book Brunch (a virtual sip and dine while uplifting our favorite Black authors and their journeys)
  • Modern Manual (relevant thought-leadership books, beginning with The Purpose of Power by Alicia Garza)
  • Literally Speaking (smart and layered talks of Black literature and the writing process)

“Our partnership with Penguin Random House demonstrates the importance and impact of connecting culture and commerce,” said Steed. “Giving content creators—our equity partners—opportunities to learn and grow with a Black-owned company produces real economic progress.” 

To join the virtual programming for #AmplifyBlackStories, please visit www.rollingout.com and follow Rolling Out on social media channels. Books can be purchased at www.blackbookstore.com.

Match Group’s BLK Sets Out to Reclaim “Once You Go BLK” and Celebrates the Unlimited Potential of Black Love

BLK, the largest dating app made for Black singles, launched a new advertising campaign, Once You Go BLK, to reclaim and reappropriate the antiquated phrase “Once you go Black, you don’t go back”. Instead of “praising” outdated stereotypes of Black people, this initiative embraces the glory of being young, Black, and forging one’s path in life. In order to bring this campaign to life, BLK also partnered with its local network of Black businessowners and creatives.

With over 4 million downloads to-date, the dating app aims to reframe what it means to “go BLK” through empowering messaging about the positive outcomes and implications of being part of both the Black and BLK communities.

This campaign includes original content and video testimonials with BLK users, tailored to acknowledge how real people date, across the Black cultural spectrum. In organizing and executing Once You Go BLK, Austin, TX-local Black businessowners and creatives brought their talents to the strategy and set, such as T&J Hair Designs for hair, honeybeebeats for makeup, a Paola Mathè headscarf design, and Darian Younce as the set stylist.

Once You Go BLK chronicles the journeys of Black singles and how they each take their own distinct approach to dating, from what they look for in a partner and their outlook on both romantic and platonic relationships. This campaign lauds the unlimited potential of the millennial and Gen Z Black community. As these years are incredibly formative in one’s life, Once You Go BLK aims to provide support and celebration for its users as they create their coteries.

Once You Go BLK embraces the culture of the Black community, while also shedding light on important community topics from state violence to supporting Black-owned businesses,” said Jonathan Kirkland, Head of Marketing & Brand for BLK, “Our ambition for this campaign is to foster more solidarity, from a cultural level, with our users while taking the power away from an ugly adage used against us.”

The 29th Pan African Film Festival Announces Competition Selections

Global Black Film Festival to Feature Over 65 World Premiere Titles

The Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) announced today film nominations in its prestigious juried competition. The Pan African Film Festival is America’s largest and most prestigious Black film festival. Each year, the PAFF screens more than 200 films made by and/or about people of African descent from around the world. PAFF holds the distinction of being the largest Black History Month event in the country. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has designated PAFF as an official qualifying film festival for live-action and animation short films.  The 29th Pan African Film Festival will take place virtually from February 28 to March 14.

This year, the competitions will include over 65 World premiere titles and over 29 US premieres.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 29th Pan African Film Festival will run February 28 – March 14 on-line and on-demand only. The virtual component allows this year’s Festival to reach a global audience. More information can be found at www.paff.org

Best Narrative Feature Competition

Back of the Moon (South Africa)
Director: Angus Gibson

Caged Birds (US)
Director: Fredrick Leach

Poppie Nongena (South Africa)
Director: Christiaan Olwagen

Red Pill (US)
Director: Tonya Pinkins

The Fisherman’s Diary (Cameroon)
Director: Enah Johnscott

The Ghost and the House of Truth (Nigeria)
Director: Akin Omotoso

The Milkmaid (Nigeria)
Director: Desmond Ovbiagele

Best Documentary Competition

City On the Hill (US)
Director: Xavier Underwood

Disruptor Conductor (Canada, US)
Director: Sharon Lewis

Firestarter – The Story of Bangarra (Australia)
Director: Wayne Blair, Nel Minchin

Fresh Guide To Florence with Fab 5 Freddy (Italy, US, UK)
Director: David Shulman

Lake Women (Rwanda, Germany)
Director: Deve Shema

Raymond Lewis: L.A. Legend (US)
Director: Ryan Matthew Polomski, Dean Prator

Through the Night (US)
Director: Loira Limbal

Uprooted – The Journey of Jazz Dance (Canada, France, UK, US)
Director: Khadifa Wong

Best First Feature – Director Competition

Narratives

African America (South Africa, US)
Director: Muzi Mthembu

Caged Birds (US)
Director: Fredrick Leach

Executive Order (Brazil)
Director: Lázaro Ramos

Love Like Winter (US)
Director: Artel Great

Shaina (Zimbabwe, South Africa)
Director: Beautie Masvaure Alt


Documentaries

Finding Sally (Ethiopia, Canada)
Director: Tamara Dawit

Hollywood’s Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story (US)
Director: Royal Kennedy Rodgers, Kathy McCampbell Vance

Softie (Kenya, US)
Director: Sam Soko

The Letter (Kenya)
Director: Maia Lekow, Christopher King

The Patterson: Another Bronx Tale (US)
Director: Bahati Adrien Best

Who is Gatsby Randolph (US)
Director: Kobie Randolph

Best Short Narrative (Animation or Live Action)

#WeAreDyingHere (South Africa)
Director: Shane Vermooten

Antivirus (Greece)
Director: Anastasia Sima

Guillermina (Cuba)
Director: Aida Esther Bueno Sarduy

Junebug (US)
Director: Winter Dunn

Junior (US)
Director: Jehnovah Carlisle

London Arabia (UK)
Director: Daniel Jewel

Nazen (US)
Director: Shemar Yanick Jonas

Pure (US)
Director: Natalie Jasmine Harris

Sër Bi (Les Tissus Blancs) (Senegal, France)
Director: Moly Kane

Smell of Summer (US)
Director: Kris Wilson

The Cypher (US)
Director: Letia Solomon

The McHenry Trial – Don’t Judge a Kid by Their Hoodie (US)
Director: Ken Sagoes

The Power Of Hope (US)
Director: Kalia Love Jones

Till Death Do Us Part (Póki ?mier? nas nie roz??czy ) (Uganda, Poland)
Director: Dolores Vunda

Tuk-tuk (Egypt)
Director: Mohamed Kheidr

Two Single Beds (UK)
Director: William Stefan Smith