New developments on 'An Untamed State'!

Actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw

Best selling author and Guggenheim fellow Dr. Roxane Gay revealed that a movie is in the works based on her novel 'An Untamed State'. "The movie is coming. We just finished the screenplay," she said on Saturday in response to an inquiry on Twitter. She also mentioned South African actress Gugu Mbtha-Raw ("A Wrinkle in Time", "Beyond the Lights") had been cast in a role in the film. According to IMDB, Gugu will play the role of Belle. 

If you've read the novel, you know it's a about a woman named Belle who is kidnapped in Haiti, held for ransom, tortured and raped repeatedly while in captivity. There is a lot more to the story, including Belle's relationship with both her captor and her father. It's written brilliantly but be forewarned that it  may trigger negative emotions in some. 

Gina Prince Bythewood ("Love and Basketball", "Beyond the Lights") is listed as the director and a producer on the project on IMDB, while Michael Hanel and Mindy Shultheis ("Titus") will serve as executive producers. We will keep you posted as this project develops.

New heat from Jerry Lamothe!

We're getting excited over director Jerry Lamothe ('Amour Infinity', 'The Tombs)'s new project which boasts a star studded lineup of Haitian and American talent! "The Promise Keeper" stars Garcelle Beauvais, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Pras Michel, Edwidge Danticat, Jamie Hector, S. Epatha Merkerson and Nonso Anozie to name a few!

This film has been in the making for a few years. 6 years ago Shadow and Act noted that 'The Promise Keeper' would be Lamothe's next feature, describing it as "an intense drama about two childhood best friends from Flatbush, Brooklyn, that spans over two decades, which showcases the vastly different directions they each take in life. When one gets deported back to Haiti, the other takes his first ever visit to the island, in search of answers, only months after the tragic earthquake that devastates the country." Obenson, T.A. (2012, May 31) Jerry Lamothe ('Blackout') Prepping Brooklyn/Haiti Set "The Promise Keeper" as His Next Feature Film. Retrieved from http://www.indiewire.com/2012/05/jerry-lamothe-blackout-prepping-brooklynhaiti-set-the-promise-keeper-as-his-next-feature-film-145199/. Back then, Haitian-American mogul Mona Scott Young of the Love and Hip-hop franchise was said to serve as Executive Producer.

Today, Lamothe teased us with what looks like a poster for the film!

Lamothe has been very busy these past few years, having been selected for the 2012-2014 ABC DGA Directing Program and directing 'Saint and Sinners' for BounceTv. We can't wait to see 'The Promise Keeper'.

Haitian Films at the 2018 Pan African Film Festival

The 2018 Pan African Film Festival kicks off in Los Angeles on Thursday February 8th and ends on Monday February 19th. Screenings will be at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza. A link to the festival's website is HERE. Below is your guide to the Haitian films (Haitians in front of and/or behind the camera) screening at this year's fest.


BEHIND THE MOVEMENT (Feature, 90 minutes), Starring Meta Golding, Roger Guenveur Smith. 

SPOTLIGHT SCREENING: Presented by TV One. A unique and fast-paced retelling of how Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her seat launched the history-making Montgomery Bus Boycott. Cast members will be present.

Fri, Feb09 @ 08:00pm

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CARGO (Feature Film, 112 minutes), Starring Jimmy Jean-Louis, Gessica Geneus.

Screening Times: 
Sun, Feb11 @ 06:35pm 
Mon, Feb12 @ 08:40pm 
Tue, Feb13 @ 03:40pm

When his income as a fisherman proves woefully insufficient as a result of his arrogance (white-skin privilege) and gambling addiction to maintain his business, his family, and his affairs, white American expatriate Kevin turns to human smuggling in order to raise desperately needed funds. Kevin finds that he’s good at this dangerous yet profitable vocation—good enough to trust himself with smuggling his own girlfriend on the side and her son to the US. But when faced with having to abandon refugees at sea far from Miami shores, Kevin is suddenly forced to reassess his responsibilities. Inspired by true events, Cargo examines the world’s refugee crisis from a very local perspective. 

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WOODPECKERS, (Feature, 107 minutes), starring Jean-Jean.
Screening times:
Sat, Feb10 @ 08:40pm 
Fri, Feb16 @ 01:25pm

Julián (played by Haitian actor Jean Jean) enters the Najayo men’s prison having been busted for a robbery. There he discovers its inmates have invented an intimate love sign-language, “woodpecking,” to communicate with the prisoners in the women’s facility, more than 100 yards away, whom they can just about see but hardly talk to. He starts “woodpecking” for Bacano, a pathologically macho convict, with Yanelly, who’s serving time in Najayo’s women’s facility. But Julián and Yanelly fall in love, and that’s when Julián’s real problem begin. 

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THE CRYING CONCH: Directed by Vincent Toi (Short narrative, 20 minutes), starring Ebby Angel Louis, Lovena Dieudonne, Jean-Claude Exantus, Andre-Deave Decime, Florence Jean-Paul. Look for the CARIBBEAN SHORTS group. 
Screening times: 
Sat, Feb10 @ 03:45pm 
Sat, Feb17 @ 07:00pm 
Mon, Feb19 @ 04:10pm

Trapped in a curse that started centuries ago, a man is drawn into the footsteps of Mackandal, the historic Haitian slave leader. A modern fable folding accounts of the past with the resilience of the present.

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HAITI IS A NATION OF ARTISTS (Short documentary, 12 minutes), Directed by Jacquil Constant. Look for  the "3 AS SHORTS" group.
Screening times: 
Sun, Feb11 @ 06:00pm 
Fri, Feb16 @ 04:10pm

Haiti is a Nation of Artists depicts Haitian artists creating transformational work after the devastating earthquake in 2010. It aims to introduce positive images of Haiti and its people. It seeks to reframe the narrative and perspective of a country that is largely seen as naïve and primitive; instead elevating its people’s creativity, strength and positive spirit even in the midst of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. The documentary depicts the humanity of Haitian culture through the lens of a Haitian-American filmmaker who seeks to uplift the rich diversity of Haiti and its historical legacy.

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LALO'S HOUSE (Short narrative, 26 minutes), Look for the "CARIBBEAN SHORTS" group. Starring Jimmy Jean-Louis, Garcelle Beauvais, Kyra Rosalynd Lesperance, Jasmin Jean-Louis
Screening times: 
Sat, Feb10 @ 03:45pm 
Sat, Feb17 @ 07:00pm 
Mon, Feb19 @ 04:10pm

Inspired by true events, LALO’S HOUSE follows the relentless courage of Manouchka, a 14-year-old Haitian girl, and her 5-year-old sister, Phara, who are abducted and thrown into an underground prostitution network that is posing as a Catholic orphanage. Forced to grow up prematurely, Manouchka must fight to save Phara and escape the fraudulent nun, Sister Francine, who holds them captive.

Official Trailer for "Lalo's House" is HERE
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JIMMY JEAN-LOUIS VISITS TIJUANA (Short Documentary, 16 mins), Starring Jimmy Jean-Louis. Look for  the "3 AS SHORTS" group.
Screening times:
Sun, Feb11 @ 07:10pm 
Thu, Feb15 @ 08:55pm

What do Tijuana and Haitians have in common? Recently... a whole lot. Tijuana has become home for a community of thousands of Haitian refugees. They took great risks and traveled long distances to live somewhere they felt would be a better life and provide better working conditions. However, many of them have gotten stuck within a frisbee’s throw south of the US border due to recent border control laws. Living in limbo. 

For tickets and more info, check out the festival's website is HERE.

Donald Faison to play Haitian Jack

Donald Faison (Scrubs)

USA Networks' "Unsolved" will feature an episode about Tupac and Biggie titled "Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G." In USA's anthology, Donald Faison formerly a star on the show 'Scrubs' will play the role of Haitian Jack. 

Rumors have been swirling for years about a potential tv show based on the life and times of Haitian Jack. Haitian Jack (Jacques Agnant) was well known promoter and executive in the music field who's worked with the likes of Madonna and the late Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur. Alleged to be the founder of the "Black Mafia" in NY, Haitian Jack was feared by friends and foes. In fact, Hip-hop coinnosseurs will remember that Tupac specifically referenced Haitian Jack in his track "Against All Odds." The Haitian Jack show was said to be an 8 episode miniseries starring Yasin Bey (formerly Mos Def) among others. No word recently on developments on that show but with "Unsolved", viewers will get a glimpse of Haitian Jack.
 

Haitian Jack (Jacques Agnant) with the late Tupac Shakur.

More info on the rest of the cast for USA's "Unsolved" can be found on Shadow and Act

A Haitian Boxer relocates to New York after the 2010 earthquake.

Jerry Lamothe

Fresh off an appearance at the UrbanWorld Film Festival where his film "Blackout" was feted on its 10 year anniversary, Haitian-American director Jerry Lamothe (The Tombs, Blackout, Amour Infinity, Saints and Sinners) is set to direct the feature film "I Am Maurice". The film is described as " ... a drama about a Haitian immigrant named Maurice, who travels to the United States shortly after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, to pursue his dream of becoming a boxer."

Sylvince at Radio City Music Hall

Haitian-American comedian and actor Wil Sylvince co-wrote and will produce the script with his production partner Bryan Kennedy. Together they created Brwilliant Productions and "I Am Maurice" is the entity's first feature.

The team is fundraising on Kickstarter with a goal of $101,091.Check out the campaign and donate HERE

"Ayiti, Mon Amour": A love letter to Haiti.

It's no secret that the BlackStar Film Festival is one of the absolute best film festivals in the world! The fest takes great care of filmmakers and the films are so well curated! Filmmakers leave feeling renewed and uplifted having connected with a bevy of like minded artists. Can you tell I love this festival yet?

So it was no surprise when the festival lineup was announced and among the films selected was Guetty Felin's "Ayiti, Mon Amour." The film premiered last year to rave reviews at the Toronto International Film Festival. It has since had a robust festival run, including screenings at the New York Film Festival, the D.C. Caribbean Film Festival and the Eurasia International Film Festival in Kazakhstan!

Link to tickets:HERE

Peep the trailer below and if you're in Philly, be sure to catch "Ayiti, Mon Amour" at the BlackStar Film Festival on August 4th at 7:45pm.

We're hoping for a west coast screening soon!

"Unsung", Wyclef Jean.

TvOne's hit television show "Unsung" returns with a slew of artists in its lineup. The series "Unsung" focuses on the lives and careers of artists who used to be mega popular but have since seen a decline in celebrity. The show "uncovers the stories behind once well-known R&B and soul music artists, bands, or groups who exploded onto the Billboard music charts with a string of hits, only to have their career derailed by a major crisis that caused them to be essentially unappreciated by later generations of contemporary R&B and soul music listeners." (Source: Wikipedia)

This season will include an episode on Haitian-American superstar Wyclef Jean, airing on July 9th at 9pm ET. Wyclef once topped all the charts, whether it was with the Fugees or when he went solo and released "The Carnival". What many may not know is that Wyclef is very prolific behind the scenes as well, having produced albums for a number of top artists. Wyclef continues to make music today and in fact released a new video just this week for a song titled "Girls, Girls, Girls", a collaboration with Haitian artist T-Micky.

From TvOne:

WYCLEF
Premiere: Sunday, July 9 at 9 p.m. ET
Wyclef Jean is a Haitian born, multi-talent who skyrocketed to fame with his group, The Fugees, in the late ‘90s. Along with fellow Haitian Pras Michel and songstress Lauryn Hill, the trio broke records with their critically acclaimed sophomore album, “The Score,” which became a multi-platinum, Grammy-winning hit. When romance troubles between Wyclef and Lauryn forced them to disband, many thought Wyclef would fade into obscurity. Instead, he succeeded in his own career with hits like “We’re Trying to Stay Alive” and “’Gone Till November,” while becoming a sought-after writer/ producer for acts like Destiny’s Child, Mary J. Blige, Shakira and Carlos Santana. Insights from family and friends are provided by Kurtis Blow, Claudette Ortiz, and DJ Red Alert. 

One of our favorite film websites, Shadow and Act, has a list of all of the episodes of 'Unsung' airing this season. Check it out HERE

Haiti & Basketball at the Los Angeles Film Festival

The Los Angeles Film Festival has been in full swing since June 14th and it ends on June 22nd. Today (June 19th) the film "Two Four Six" premieres at the Arclight in Culver City at 8:50pm.

"Two Four Six" is a documentary that chronicles the work and efforts of Pierre Valmera, a former NCAA basketball scholarship recipient at Union University in Tennessee. Pierre also played professionally abroad but has since returned to help mentor Haitian basketball prospects. Per IMDB, the film "features three main characters at three different stages of the same process ... Although some of them will become top basketball players, this is not a sports documentary, this film is about the kids' quest to come back home - as new, much more capable persons."

The film was shot primarily in Texas and in Haiti and the cast includes Mr. Valmera himself, Djery Baptiste, Pierre Joseph, Marckendy Joseph and Andy Clerveau. 


For tickets to tonight's screening check out the Los Angeles Film Festival

The film's teaser below!

Shooting in Haiti: "Kay Lalo" ("Lalo's House") starring Garcelle Beauvais and Jimmy Jean-Louis

L'actrice Garcelle Beauvais est en Haiti cette semaine pour le tournage de son prochain film de court metrage "Lalo's House" (Kay Lalo). "Lalo's House" is a USC thesis film (a concept film for a feature to come) about child trafficking in Haiti. A young girl names Manouchka and her sister Phara are both kidnapped then placed in an orphanage. While the orphanage seems welcoming, the siblings soon discover that its purpose is more nefarious. The orphanage is part of a large child prostitution network and Manouchka and Phara now have to find ways to survive and overcome impossible obstacles. The film is said to be based on "true accounts". 

Actress Garcelle Beauvais.

Director Kelli Kali says in statement on the film's website that "for a nation that has been hit with so much devastating catastrophe, we can no longer rely on the children of Haiti to bring their country out of the ruins of despair. They are the victims now, which puts the onus on us - people like you and me, and we must start now preparing them for a better future." 
 

Actor Jimmy Jean-Louis.

Garcelle will star as Sister Francine opposite Jimmy Jean-Louis who will play the father. Paul Beaubrun will serve as the film's songwriter/composer. 

 

Musician Paul Beaubrun.

Check out the film's WEBSITE and FACEBOOK PAGE for more information. 

Arnold Antonin in NYC

Fresh off being honored at the Haiti Film fest, prolific Haitian filmmaker Arnold Antonin will screen a couple more of his projects in New York city. On Tuesday May 16th and Wednesday May 17th, he will be at Brooklyn College first with "6 Femmes d'Exception" and then with "René Depestre: On ne Rate Pas Une Vie Eternelle". 

"Six Femmes d'Exception" centers 6 Haitian women, different in background, careers and experiences. 6 phenomenal women, exceptional in their own right: singer Emerante de Pradines, author and comedian Paulette Poujol Oriol, dancer Vivianne Gauthier, mid-wife Madeleine Desrosiers, writer Odette Roy Fombrun and concert pianist Micheline Laudun Denis. 

"René Depestre: On ne rate pas une vie eternelle" delves into the life and career of prominent Haitian poet and relentless activist Rene Depestre. Depestre has been exiled several times, was expelled from France, Prague, Cuba, just to name a few and was an arch nemesis of the Duvalier regime. Depestre is one of Haiti's pre-eminent poets and a long time communist and proponent of pan-africanism.

Catch both films and post screening Q & A sessions with the filmmaker this week in NYC!

 

'Serenade for Haiti'

"Serenade for Haiti" is one of the many gems at the Haiti Film Festival in NYC this weekend. The film has done well on the festival circuit, having screened at the Miami Film Festival, the River Run International Film Festival and DOC NYC.

The film elevates the efforts of a music school, its students and faculty's efforts to rebuild after the 2010 earthquake. From the film's website:

"When a catastrophic earthquake completely destroys the school in 2010, a stunned and devastated faculty and student body must pick up the pieces and find a way to adapt.  Devotion to each other and to the possibilities that the future still holds for them are expressed in the footage of children rehearsing in the rubble and in the rich musical heritage they have inherited.

Journeying into Haiti’s beautiful and diverse rural regions and venturing deep into the streets of Port-au-Prince before and after the 2010 earthquake, Serenade for Haiti brings to the screen an unforgettable and vivid tableau of this widely misunderstood country.  The soundtrack features the stunning music of Haiti's great composers who until this time have been largely unknown to international audiences."

"Serenad pou Ayiti" ap nan fim festival Ayiti nan Nou Yok Dimanch katoz Me a 12:30pm. Check out the trailer for the film below. Then mosey on to the HAITI CULTURAL XCHANGE's website for details.

Dudley Alexis' "Liberty in a Soup" returns to California!

Fresh off its screenings as an official selection of the Santa Barbara Film Festival and the Miami International Film Festival, "Liberty in a Soup" returns to Santa Barbara for a screening and Q & A with filmmaker Dudley Alexis at the University of California, Santa Barbara's Center for Black Studies Research. The screening is co-sponsored by the Multicultural Center and the Department of Global Studies. Watch the trailer below and be sure to catch the film in Santa Barbara on May 16th at 12:30pm. As an added treat, the Q & A will happen while the audience sips on delicious soup joumou!

4th biennial Haiti Film Festival is upon us!

The 4th biennial Haiti Film Festival is upon us! Some of the highlights of this year's lineup include Shirley Bruno's "Tezen, a tale of a young girl who falls in love with a fish; Jacquil Constant's "Haiti is a Nation of Artists", a documentary about the breadth of talent in Haiti; Jerry Lamothe's "Taking Chance", "Toussaint Louverture: Mirroir d'une societe by Cine Institute alumn Pierre Lucson Bellegarde; panel discussions with several filmmakers; an opening night fundraiser where actor/philanthropist Jimmy Jean-Louis, veteran filmmaker Arnold Antonin and Emmy winning "La Belle Vie" filmmaker Rachelle Salnave will all be honored. The festival kicks on only May 11th in NYC!

More info HERE

Haiti on "American Crime"

"American Crime" season 3 just wrapped! As usual, the show was riveting and quite timely. As the U.S. navigates one immigration executive order after another, ICE raids and detentions and mass protests, the series dove right in to tackle the subject of immigration. Season 3 addresses the plight of migrant workers and undocumented immigrants head on. It asks at what cost does this country get its "cheap" produce and other first world luxuries. And while the season opener focused on latinx undocumented immigrants, by episode 4 we are introduced to Gabrielle Durand, a Haitian nanny/au pair played brilliantly by French Martiniquan actress Mickaelle X. Bizet ("Florida Water"). The reality of Gabrielle, of so many Haitian immigrants and indeed immigrants in general, is caring for others' children while leaving their own behind, suffering abuse and having little to no recourse. That child, Yves is his name, played by talented and promising Haitian-American actor Jean Elie ("Rider", "Alvinnn and the Chipmunks") shows up in Episode 8 holding the letter he'd received from his mother where she detailed all the abuse she was enduring.

Gabrielle and Yves were not the main storylines of Season 3 but we're left wanting to see more of them. How and why did Gabrielle make the decision to leave her family? What becomes now of the Durand duo? How does Gabrielle heal from her scars both physical and emotional? It takes incredible acting ability to make an audience yearn for more when actors only have a couple of scenes per episode. Mickaelle X. Bizet and Jean Elie managed to do just that. Be sure to catch season 3 on ABC's website.
http://abc.go.com/shows/american-crime

Filmmaker Raoul Peck to appear on "Last Call with Carson Daly"

Filmmaker Raoul Peck is on the fast track towards the Oscars with his documentary 'I Am Not Your Negro'. The critically acclaimed film has picked up a number of awards in the past few months and is favored to win the Oscar for Best Documentary this year.

Earlier this week, Peck appeared on The Tavis Smiley Show and tonight he will make an appearance on "Last Call With Carson Daly" on NBC. Meanwhile, across the pond, Peck's "Le Jeune Karl Marx" debuts at the Berlin International Film Festival next week.

Filmmaking grants

A few times per year, No Film School releases a list of grants for movies. Here is your summer guide to grants. It's a nifty but not comprehensive list of grants available for filmmakers. Some grants are for documentary films and others for narratives. Look closely at the list of requirements for submission and the deadlines! 

http://nofilmschool.com/2016/05/massive-list-summer-2016-grants-all-filmmakers-should-know-about

Vicky Jeudy is back in "Orange is the New Black"

The trailer for season 4 of "Orange is the New Black" just dropped and we spot Haitian-American actress Vicky Jeudy reprising the role of Janae Watson, one of the inmates at Litchfield Penitentiary. We previously profiles Vicky a couple of years ago here . I loved OITNB seasons 1 and 2 but lost interest at season 3. Everything was over the top and a tad unrealistic for me. I'm hopeful that season 4 goes back to the basics of what made the OITNB successful! Catch the trailer here 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6O9rfoz0f8&ebc=ANyPxKqym9uWQ0kN7qqd9GyMDx08QcOE8Dmx3ncY9PfI8I_SuYMnvrAOmEr655Ps7W94XbEADgAA3g1au8CBBXVjdJ_GOhi97w&app=desktop

Going to ABFF?

Going to the American Black Film Festival in Miami? Be sure to catch actor Jimmy Jean-Louis in the film "Everything But a Man". Directed by Nnegest Likké, "Everything But a Man" also stars Monica Calhoub (The Best Man) and Camille Winbush (The Bernie Mac Show). 

'Everything But a Man' tells the tale of 

"A successful career woman [who] has a life-changing romance with a mysterious man from another culture, whose radical lifestyle differences challenge her perspective on love, relationships and what it means to be a “strong” woman." (Via IMDB). Jimmy is listed as a producer on the film as well. 

Check out ABFF.com for info on time slots and screening locations! 

Joberde Metellus is back on tv tonight!

Haitian-American actor Joberde Metellus will grace the small screen again tonight on an episode of 'Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders'. In tonight's episode the agents search for a woman whose child vanished in Haiti. The episode is titled 'Paper Orphans' ( a reference to victims of child trafficking) and is set in Haiti. Joberde plays a Haitian character named Osse. The episode was shot right here in Los Angeles and I helped with some of the translation as well! TV Guide describes the 'Paper Orphans' episode as follows:

"The IRT heads to Haiti on the Season 1 finale after Abby Wagner, the young daughter of an American family visiting the country, gets kidnapped."

CRIMINAL MINDS: BEYOND BORDERS airs Wednesday, May 25 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS.

Be sure to catch the episode and sound off!

OITNB: Vicky Jeudy is back!

The trailer for season 4 of "Orange is the New Black" just dropped and we spot Haitian-American actress Vicky Jeudy reprising the role of Janae Watson, one of the inmates at Litchfield Penitentiary.

We profiled Vicky almost 2 years ago in an entry titled INTRODUCING VICKY JEUDY. Check it out in the archives HERE.
 
 I loved OITNB seasons 1 and 2 but lost interest at season 3. Everything was over the top and a tad unrealistic for me. I'm hopeful that season 4 goes back to the basics of what made OITNB successful! Watch the season 4 trailer below!