RECAP REELBLACK Presents: Screening Series Finale

Note: Recap was published November 10, 2019.  Dates get changed to keep some posts on top

#PhillyCalendar #MiniRecap on Friday night (11/8) Mike Dennis ended his 15 year Reelblack Inc. Screening Series. Reelblack will still be a leading voice for promoting and producing Black film and media, just in other outlets like the popular Reelblack Youtube channel.

The finale was met with a great turnout, impressive local filmmakers, pearls of wisdom, a lot of love and a few technical difficulties 😄

The evening featured 5 local filmmakers and one who Skyped in from the UK – CORINE DHONDEE with her doc BRADFORD YOUNG: CINEMA IS THE WEAPON a candid interview with the brilliant cinematographer of such films as “Selma and “Arrival”

Filmmaker ROBERT X GOLPHIN has started short doc series starting with Philly celeb CHRIS MAN who many will know from shows like “The Wire” and films like “Loving” but who knew he was also a sketch artist, something he’s been doing since he was a small child.

Filmmaker DARNELL WILLIAMS has a web series called DEAR LIFE YOU SUCK the pilot follows a young couple trying to stick to their artistic dreams despite the sacrifices this presents. Darnell was part of Tinsel & Tine’s 5 Questions series during PIFF2019

NADINE PATTERSON of Hip Cinema presented a graceful film WE ARE FREE BECAUSE OF HARRIET TUBMAN told through the poetry of the legendary SONIA SANCHEZ. (see more in video below)

LANA ADAMS is a new filmmaker on the scene but extremely promising. Her short film POLITICS AS USUAL takes place shortly before the verdict of a Black Lives Matter trial, where a black female and white male get stuck in an elevator and begin a dialogue about this case and racial issues in general. What makes the film really work are the moments of humor interjected by the elevator maintenance worker listening through the intercom, it’s just what’s needed to punctuate the conversation.

YOLANDA -JOHNSON YOUNG is a first time filmmaker brought to the medium as a way to process her grief and honoring the short life of her son with FINDING ELIJAH. With the help of Scribe Video Center Yolanda is able to create an emotional documentary shining a light on black males and the stigma of mental illness and lending a voice in suicide prevention. (see more in video below)