Jerry Lamothe's "Taking Chance" to screen at the Uptown Short Film Festival

Director Jerry Lamothe ("Amour Infinity", "The Tombs", "Saints and Sinners") is having a busy year. Fresh off the premiere of his episodes of the mega church tv show "Saint and Sinners", Lamothe announces that his film "Taking Chance" will screen at the inaugural Uptown Short Film Festival in New York from May 12th to May 15th.

 

According to IMDB's synopsis, "Chance, a young aspiring artist from Brooklyn, wants nothing more but to achieve his dreams of making it big. He looks forward to creating music that speaks to a loving and peaceful world. However, in today's' society, such ambitions can prove difficult especially in a community where the mantra 'do or die' still has a strong hold on those around him. With the state of social media and a culture that follows your every move, Chance faces overwhelming pressure from his alpha brother and peers alike, about dealing with a recurring dilemma in school. Will Chance stand his ground or will he succumb to this ever changing world?"

 

Jamie Hector ("The Wire") served as executive producer with Ally Robe as writer. Stay tuned for exact dates and times of the film's screening. 

Frantz Casseus to appear in "Living with Funny"!

Comedian Frantz Casseus will appear in Oxygen's latest original program titled "Living with Funny". The show will feature the likes of Marlon Wayans, Micheal Blackson, Brandon T. Jackson, Deray Davis and many more! 

 

"Living with Funny" is a docu-series exploring the lives of comedians and their significant others. Of note is Deray Davis' "three-lationship" with his two girlfriends! The show began on April 12th and Casseus' episodes start airing on Tuesday May 3rd at 9pm (EST). Set your DVRs! 

"Pélé: Birth of a Legend" Bande d'Annonce

Pou jan nou renmen Pélé, real name Edson Arantes do Nascimento. Bon, non misyé Edson, ou kwè'l pa Ayisien?

Blagues a part, here's the trailer for "Pélé: Birth of a Legend" a film about this legendary soccer player turned politician, from his humble beginnings in São Paulo to his rise as an international icon. The trailer looks exciting and I, for one, can't wait for the movie! Peep the trailer below!

Festival fim

If you manage or direct a Black Film Festival, Shadow and Act wants to hear from you. By now you've heard that Indiewire was sold and the network of Indiewire websites, including Shadow and Act, have to fend for themselves. While we await the verdict on S&A's new direction, Tambay wants to put together a comprehensive list of Black film festivals around the world. So, festival fim Jakmel, Okap, Potoprens, New York, tout koté ala ronbadé, voyé enfomasyon ou bay Shadow and Act rapido présto. Men lenk pou plis détay. 

http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/calling-all-black-film-festival-directors-for-an-upcoming-s-a-database-20160404

"An Untamed State" movie announced

I read Roxane Gay's "An Untamed State" about a year ago. It was a difficult read. Without giving away the entire plot, "An Untamed State" recounts the nightmare of an affluent Haitian-American woman kidnapped in Haiti and the days she spends being tortured and raped repeatedly to the point that her reproductive organs have to be surgically repaired. It ends on a positive note but I do fear how Haitians and Black folks in general will be represented in this film. For one, in the novel, all the ruthless "bad guys" (down to the victim's own father) are Black folks (Haitians) and the knights in shining armor who nurse her back to wholeness are White. 

I am happy to see Gina Prince-Bythewood in the director's chair for this project and am elated to see her team up with Gugu Mbatha-Raw again. Both are phenomenal. I'm a big fan of Roxane Gay as well. "Bad Feminist" is one of my favorite pieces of literature. "An Untamed State" is more about the protagonist's grit and unflinching resolve and less about Haitians and Haiti. Still, it left me reeling for a number of reasons. Read it for yourself before the movie is shot and released. Let me know what you think. 

Dokiman Enpòtan

If you're a producer, you know the importance of paperwork in the filmmaking business! Kidonk, fòk tout bagay a lékri pou pa gen problem pi dévan. Lagè avèti pa tiyé kokobé. Here is a link with all kinds of great documents and contracts that you can use as a template for your project, from call sheets to budgets and location agreements. Get into it!

Check it out  HERE