Exploring the Role of African-Americans in Hollywood Through Kravis Center’s Annual Film Festival

Local community leaders are pleased to announce the 17th Annual African-American Film Festival (AAFFat the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, taking place on January th March th, February 3rd and March 3rd of this year. James Drayton (a former West Palm Beach commissioner , and a active advocate for equality rights as well as justice) created the festival. This festival is a celebration of African American culture and race relations, as well as honoring African American artists with groundbreaking movies. An experienced person hosts each program and also provides an introduction to the film’s theme.

Please join us on the 1st of January at 2:45 pm for the showing of the award-winning drama A Raisin in the Sun (directed by Daniel Petrie). With Sidney Poitier and Claudia McNeil The film follows the Youngers who are the members of an African American family living together within an apartment in Chicago which is trying in deciding what to do with their large insurance payment following the death of their paternal grandfather. After the film, there will be a panel with audience questions and discussion led by TreaAndrea Russworm, PhD. Also, the film features William “Bill” Nix Thomas Parham and Avery Sommers.

On March 1, at 3:00 pm, Dr. Terri Francis will be leading a panel with Eduardo Culmer, Jr., Breion Moses, and Dwayne Taylor. The panel’s discussion focus will center around Ava Duvernay’s documentary, TH. It explores the history of racial inequality in the United States and examines the fact that African Americans disproportionately populating the US prisons. It will also discuss John Singleton’s film Poetic Justice. In it, a pair of mismatched characters Justice and Lucky (Tupac) Shakur Justice as well as Lucky (Tupac) Shakur – travel in a determined manner starting from South Central Los Angeles, in California, all the way until Oakland.

NALES Film Festival reveals the root of race discrimination. Nadine White Boyd, Esq. will host the event and Alexis Lockhart, Reverend Kevin Jones and James Venable will serve as panelists. Following the festival, an evening reception with catered food will be held in the foyer inside the Rinker Playhouse. James Drayton and AnEta Selwell have hosted events in the past. They all carefully researched, vetted and curated a selection of films that are currently in the news and that can be used as catalysts to dialogue within the community. Some of the films are nostalgia-inducing and some of their best.

American Film Festival is proud to be presenting with support from WLRN Public Media, and patronage from the Kappa Upsilon Chapter Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Student/Educator rush discount tickets can also be purchased for all screenings. Featuring as moderators is TreaAndrea M. Russworm. PhD. an Interdisciplinary Media Scholar who specialises in video games and digital media.

“Dr. Terri Francis, Associate Professor of Cinematic Arts and Associate Dean of Inclusion and Outreach for more than twenty years, has identified and explored the myriad ways in which psychoanalytic culture functions as a dominant racism that has been built around a flawed understanding of the need to “recognize” the other race as human . She has studied many popular genres like Sidney Poitier’s films as well as black mother-daughter Melodramas for families, Black pimp stories, and cartoon Fat Albert post s American popular stories.

In the Summary

American Film Festival American Film Festival in full sponsorship by WLRN Public Media, the Kappa Upsilon Chapter Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and honors American cinemamaking by presenting a set of carefully curated films. Tickets can be bought for one screening and for the entire series online at www.kravis.org and by dialing (+) or (-). Student/Educator rush discount tickets are on sale for all of the screenings the festival is for all lovers of American film. In addition, with TreaAndrea M. Russworm Dr. on hand to serve as moderator this year’s American Film Festival is sure to be an unforgettable experience.