I feel responsible for fostering the development of future documentary filmmakers and researchers, so I started Collected Voices Ethnographic Film Festival to highlight the films created by young people, anthropology professors, and professional filmmakers. I have worked with many producers over the years, and I wanted to give them a platform to screen and discuss … Read more
(If you know how I can capture my other white whale, that is, the director’s cut of “The Meteor Man,” you’d be doing me a solid. I know most film critics would cite the missing footage from “The Magnificent Ambersons” as their most desired cinematic dream—and I’d like to see that, too. But my white … Read more
So why not add a rating for bad police? The post-George Floyd era presents an excellent opportunity to discuss how entertainment can create a space for dialogue and education. Audiences could use some help in understanding the concept of qualified immunity as they debate police behaviors. “Qualified immunity” is a legal term that has been … Read more
Waiting to Exhale by Terry McMillan McMillan’s novel about friendship and empowerment became a popular film that resonated with a wide audience. The Color Purple by Alice Walker Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel was adapted into a film and a Broadway musical, twice demonstrating the story’s lasting impact. Steps to Write Your Story as a Novel … Read more
This year’s iteration primarily features films written, directed and produced by Kansas Citians. It has showcased three feature films including “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” which opened the festival, four documentaries and one short film. A highlight from this year’s programming is the documentary “The Heroic True-Life Adventures of Alvin Brooks” directed by Kevin Willmott, … Read more
When would a Black protagonist have a chance to be featured in their own original video game? The answer to that question was part of what made “San Andreas” so groundbreaking when it was released on October 26, 2004. Set in the state of San Andreas, a fictionalized mashup of Los Angeles, San Francisco, and … Read more
Though “Barbarian” attempts to make commentary on violence against women, it fails on that front as well. Instead, it unfolds into a shallow film that uses the hagsploitation trope despite also trying to comment on said trope. By using a Black woman as a vessel for the audience, this could have been a strong exploration … Read more
British actor Clive Owen will also receive the KVIFF President’s Award. While the actor is probably best known for his roles in Alfonso Cuarón post-apocalyptic dystopian masterpiece “Children of Men,” Spike Lee’s intense caper “Inside Man,” and the bloody action flick “Shoot ‘Em Up”—he will be furthered honored by the festival with a 20th anniversary … Read more
This narrative blazes in theater, film, and television, where a few women have kicked down the door while furthering the progress women of color in the present and future by taking matters into their own hands. As a veteran theater and entertainment professional for over 40 years, Tony Winner LaChanze is currently a producing partner … Read more
“Howard University has a rich history of prolific and profound contributions to the world of cinema,” explained festival director Tim Gordon. “We are extremely proud to feature the work of the future of BIPOC filmmaking this year and for many years to come.” In addition to the strong and diverse slate of films in the … Read more