BDC™ BLAST!        * Gideon's Army & American Promise at Sundance    * Soul Food Junkies on PBS' Independent Lens       Become a Member of the BDC  Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter: @BDCNewYork

Happy New Year!  We're excited to start off the new year with great news to share about our members!  Congratulations to all!  BDC Members   BDC at the Sundance Film Festival   Gideon's Army and American Promise both premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21st, which also happens to be MLK Day and the second inauguration of President Obama! Gideon's Army by Dawn Porter         http://www.gideonsarmythefilm.com Every year hundreds of innocent indigents are swept away in the crushing tide of a system strained to the breaking point. Gideon's Army is a documentary about inspirational young lawyers who have devoted their lives to defending the poorest Americans accused of the most heinous crimes. "I am a lawyer but I really knew nothing about what the criminal justice system was really like.  I thought I would make a film that would show people like me what criminal defense work is really like and why it is so important.  With more people of color locked up than ever before protecting the liberty and the rights of the accused has never been more important for communities of color.  It is truly our generations civil rights struggle and most people don't know whats happening." --Filmmaker Dawn Porter American Promise by Joe Brewster and Michele Stephenson      A documentary 13 years in the making, American Promise provides a rare look into the lives of two middle class Black families as they navigate the ups and downs of parenting and educating their sons. "Our goal is to empower boys, their parents and educators and help close the black male achievement gap." http://americanpromise.org/      *  *  *    Soul Food Junkies Broadcast Premiere on PBS' Independent Lens Monday, January 14, 2013 at 10 p.m.  Check your local listings for exact date and time in your area.   Soul Food Junkies explores the history and social significance of soul food to black cultural identity and its effect on African American health, good and bad. Soul food will also be used as the lens to investigate the dark side of the food industry and the growing food justice movement that has been born in its wake. http://www.itvs.org/films/soul-food-junkies *  *  * BDC Catalog & Directory is accepting submissions    The BDC Catalog & Directory is a searchable database of BDC members' work and contact information available to production companies, networks, press, distributors, educators and others interested in purchasing, screening, distributing member films and hiring our members.    This BDC-exclusive resource is an invaluable opportunity to reach audiences, increase visibility, promotional opportunities, as well as get work and generate revenue.  We have already received requests from CBS, The Documentary Channel, ASPiRE, Magic Johnson's new cable network, to name a few.  But they can't reach you and we can't refer you if you're not in it, so please submit your information now!  Please send an email for further instructions to:  Catalog@bdcnewyork.org ONLY!    (Please do not send emails to Sabrina or Nicole's personal emails.  Thanks!) You MUST be a current BDC Member to be included.  Click below to join the BDC or renew your membership. Become a Member    *  *  *

BDC December Events

BDC Partners

  
MIST Cinemas 

40 West 116th Street 

New York, NY 10026

Don't miss ELZA and OTELO BURNING

***Running now through December 14th***
http://www.myimagestudios.com/calendar/month 

And you can join the BDC Thursday, December 13th, 7p, at a special presentation of ELZA, a narrative film about a Parisian student returning to her birthplace on Guadeloupe to seek the father she barely remembers.

Q&A with Director, Mariette Monpierre

Read latest review: New York Times Critics' Pick

ELZA: Le Bonheur d'Elza

 

OTELO BURNING 

by  Sara Blecher   

a narrative film the New York Times calls "a coming-of-age story with the grand sweep of history as its background." 

 
 

Otelo Burning tells the story of a group of township kids who discover the joy of surfing.  Set in 1989, 16-year-old Otelo Buthelezi is forced to choose between surfing success and justice. This beautifully made, insightful and entertaining film captures a turbulent time in the history of South Africa. Filmed in Zulu with English subtitles, the film also includes music from South African Hip Hop artist Reason.

  

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Harlem Stage 

@The Gatehouse 

150 Convent Ave, near W 135th St.
New York, NY

  

A Duke Named Ellington 

by Terry Carter 

Wednesday, December 19th, 7pm  

Q&A and reception to follow  

Widely acclaimed as the best documentary ever created about one of the world's greatest musical artists, A Duke Named Ellington spans half a century, blending previously undiscovered performance footage with recollections of the man and his work.  Herbie Hancock, Charlie Mingus, Ben Webster and others discuss his unique method of music-making, his keen sense of humor, and his uncommon philosophy.

  

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BDC Catalog & Directory is accepting submissions 

 

The BDC Catalog & Directory is a searchable database of BDC members' work and contact information available to production companies,
networks, press, distributors, educators and others interested in
purchasing, screening, distributing member films and hiring our members.   

This BDC-exclusive resource is an invaluable opportunity to
reach audiences, increase visibility, promotional opportunities,
as well as get work and generate revenue. 

We have already received requests from CBS, The Documentary Channel, ASPiRE, Magic Johnson's new cable network, to name a few. 
But they can't reach you and we can't refer you if you're not in it,
so please submit your information now! 

Please send an email for further instructions to:

 Catalog@bdcnewyork.org ONLY!   

(Please do NOT send emails to Sabrina or Nicole's personal emails.  Thanks!)

You MUST be a current BDC Member to be included. 
Click below to join the BDC or renew your membership.

Become a Member 

 

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BDC Catalog & Directory; BDC at Harlem Stage, at Reel Sisters Film Festival!

 
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BDC Catalog & Directory is accepting submissions 

 

 The BDC Catalog & Directory is a searchable database of BDC members' work and contact information available to production companies, networks, press, distributors, educators and distributors interested in purchasing, screening, distributing member films and hiring our members.   

This BDC-exclusive resource is an invaluable opportunity to reach audiences, increase visibility, promotional opportunities, as well as get work and generate revenue. 

We have already received requests from CBS, The Documentary Channel, ASPiRE, Magic Johnson's new cable network, to name a few.  But they can't reach you and we can't refer you if you're not in it, so please submit your information now! 

Please send an email for further instructions to:

 Catalog@bdcnewyork.org ONLY!   

(Please do NOT send emails to Sabrina or Nicole's personal emails.  Thanks!)

You MUST be a current BDC Member to be included. 

Click below to join the BDC or renew your membership.

Become a Member

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BDC at Harlem Stage

A Shadow From the Lyncing Tree
by Carvin Eison

A Shadow from the Lynching Tree is an arresting film that revisits a bleak and violent chapter in American history during which record numbers of African-Americans were terrorized and lynched in the name of white racial supremacy.

I am Sean Bell
by Stacey Muhammad
(short film)
 
Young boys reflect on the Sean Bell tragedy, speaking out about their fears and hopes as they approach manhood.

Black Folk Don't...go to therapy!
from the webseries by Angela Tucker

A good number of Black people have heard it in some colloquial way. "Black folk don't ..." add your own phrase. Who defines this? That is complicated and complex but worth an attempt at an explanation. In this episode, we look at whether or not Black Folk Don't "go to therapy."
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BDC Represents at Reel Sisters of the Diaspora

Film Festival! 

Reel Sisters Honors

Michelle Materre  

 
Sunday, October 14, 6:10 - 7:30p
Kumble Theatre, LIU Brooklyn Campus 
http://reelsisters.com/schedule.html
Reel Sisters proudly honors pioneer film distributor/curator/promoter Michelle Materre forher dedication to providing opportunities for filmmakers of color.

Reel Sisters Film Festival
Saturday and Sunday
October 13-14
Kumble Theatre, LIU Brooklyn Campus
http://reelsisters.com/schedule.html

Daisy Bates: First Lady of Little Rock
by Sharon LaCruise
 

Little Brother: A Do Right Man
by Nicole Franklin and Jasmin Tigget*

*Become a Little Brother Pledge Keeper at  

http://littlebrotherfilm.com/MapYourPledge/!
  

Soul Food Junkies

by Byron Hurt 

   

Reel Sisters "Editing Workshop with Sam Pollard"

Emmy award-winning filmmaker Sam Pollard (Slavery By Another Name) is one of the nation's top film editors (Four Little Girls, Jungle Fever, Mo Better Blues), and he will conduct a film editing workshop offering his expertise and insight on the best editing techniques. 

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BDC at Urbanworld and Chesapeake Film Festivals!

 URBANWORLD & CHESAPEAKE

Film Festivals 

Both Playing Now Through Sept 23rd

Featuring Films by BDC Filmmakers! 

URBANWORLD FILM FESTIVAL

Now through Sept. 23, 2012

 

 http://urbanworld.org/

 

FEATURING:

• From Fatherless to Fatherhood by Kobie Brown
• In Our Heads About our Hair by Hemamset Angaza
• Soul Food Junkies by Byron Hurt

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CHESAPEAKE FILM FESTIVAL

Now through Sept. 23, 2012

 

click here for more info

FEATURING:

Jesse Owens by Laurens Grant

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RightsFest 2012! Sept 6-8

RightsFest 2012 Features BDC Member Films
Tickets on Sale Now! Only $8
Tribeca Cinemas, NYC
54 Varick Street

JESSE OWENS directed by Laurens Grant (Laurens will be present for Q&A)
Date: Thursday, Sept. 6, 7pm-9pm
 preceded by a screening of THE 90TH MINUTE

JESSE OWENS (2012) delves beyond the sprinter’s stunning four-time gold medal performance at the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany. The film tells the story of the son of a sharecropper who triumphs over adversity to become a world champion, only to be confronted by the harsh realities of celebrity.

BLACK POWER SALUTE directed by Geoff Small (Gold medalist Tommie Smith and Geoff will be present for Q&A)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 8, 7pm-9pm
preceded by a screening of BLIND AMBITION

BLACK POWER SALUTE (2008) examines one of the most iconic sports images ever captured: the raised fists of two sprinters, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, as they receive their medals during the 1968 Olympics. With the world watching, this single gesture of courage forces the spotlight onto the harsh reality faced by Black Americans.

Location: Tribeca Cinemas, 54 Varick St, New York, NY 10013

Founded in 2000 BDC™ BLAST! * Launching the BDC Catalog    * The Great Migration World Premiere   at Harlem Stage this month  Become a Member of the BDC  Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter: @BDCNewYork  Sabrina S. Gordon, Chair Rafee Kamaal, Chair June 4, 2012 BDC Founder, St. Clair Bourne "I'm trying to take the form somewhere.  Much like African-American musicians did with music, I'm trying to do that with the documentary." BDC Catalog is here!      As promised, we are launching the  BDC Catalog --  a catalog of members-only films and contact info to be made available online for press, distributors, educators and the general public interested in purchasing, screening, or distributing members' work.    This is an invaluable opportunity to reach new audiences, increase visibility and promotional opportunities, and generate revenue.  To add your films to the catalog, please send an email to Catalog@BDCnewyork.org, and you will receive further instructions about making a submission.   The first publication deadline is the end of this month, so please send in your information ASAP!!!  You MUST be a current BDC Member  Submission Deadline for First Publication is June 30th, 2012    Catalog@BDCnewyork.org    Click below to join the BDC or renew your membership Become a Member    BDC at Harlem Stage The Gatehouse 150 Convent Ave@135th Street  Wednesday, June 20, 7:30p **$10**       Home: The Great Migration of the 21st Century by Naimah Fuller **Join us for the WORLD PREMIERE at Harlem Stage** Reception to follow  Panel and Q&A with filmmaker     click here to watch trailer   For five years filmmaker Naimah Fuller examined the staggeringnumber of blacks leaving major citiesand relocating to the south. In her film Home: The Great Migration of the 21st Century, Naimah studiedthe "push-pull" factors of this new phenomenon by exploring historicaland current conditions facing blacks in the north and the south.    Directions to Harlem Stage      By Subway  1 to 137th Street at Broadway. Walk south to 135th Street and walk east two blocks to Convent Ave. and 135th Street. Entrance of both the Gatehouse and Aaron Davis Hall is located on Convent Ave.    A, B, C, D to 125th Street at St. Nicholas Avenue. Walk east one block to Morningside Drive. and 125th Street. Walk north to 135th Street and Convent Ave (Morningside Drive. turns into Convent Ave. past 127th Street). Entrance of both the Gatehouse and Aaron Davis Hall is located on Convent Ave.      Veteran Filmmaker Bill Greaves Needs Our Support http://friendsofbillandlouise.blogspot.com/     One of the most respected independents in film and television production today, William Greaves is best known for his pioneering documentaries on the African American experience. He has been hailed a "Renaissance man" and "a thoroughly original multi-faceted American artist" for his films which have won more than 70 international film festival awards, an Emmy and four Emmy nominations. Today Bill is considered to be the dean of African American filmmakers and is credited with having helped to launch the careers of many African-American filmmakers. About four years ago, Bill developed a neurological condition that impacted his ability to move, speak and swallow (and interrupted work on his latest film).  The condition was described by doctors as "degenerative", and Bill's family was told that his life expectancy was "weeks to months".    Miraculously, he is still with us.  True to form, Bill has exceeded all expectations and predictions.  Recently, new treatments that he's received show promise in reversing his condition and restoring his lost function, so this online fundraiser has been set up to give Bill the financial support to continue these treatments.  The goal at this time is to raise $28,000 which will cover six months of acupuncture, osteopathy, speech therapy and in-home physical therapy.  Additional funds raised will help with the cost of storing Bill's archives and papers.  Ensuring the safekeeping of Bill's archives is a vital part of preserving his legacy.   All those who love and are rooting for Bill want to make possible this opportunity for him to recover.  Please join us in this critically important life saving effort to help a filmmaker who has contributed so much to the community.    * * * *   BDC Partner Links ITVS   The Documentary Channel  Media That Matters / Arts Engine    The Engage Media Project  National Black Programming Consortium  Manhattan Neighborhood Network  DV Republic  Cast and Crew of Color  Cast and Crew of Color  Imagenation   The Billion Dollar Girls Club   The Black Documentary Collective (BDC) was founded in 2000 by the late great documentarian St. Clair Bourne, as the singular networking and mentorship organization for documentary film, video, and media professionals of African descent. The BDC has a monthly screening series at Harlem Stage, the premiere arts and culture center in Harlem, open to the public. The BDC offers its members professional development workshops, educational programs and networking events, and acts as an advocate for its filmmakers.  The BDC is also dedicated to making a difference in the ever-increasing communities that are interested in, and influenced by the work of its talented members, through community-sponsored events, outreach and activism.