Film festival April 12-15 to celebrate race, identity, revolution

A diverse range of films highlighting the African American experience will be shown in the upcoming African American and African Studies Film Festival at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The festival theme is, "Blacks In Film 1969-2006: Race, Identity and Revolution." Screenings will be April 12-15 at the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center, 313 N. 13th St. All events are free and open to the public.

The festival will feature six films that highlight black experiences in the United States, the Caribbean, Latin America and Africa. It will open with two films representing the Blaxploitation tradition, including "Superfly" and "Foxy Brown." Screenings continue with films that address revolutionary and post-colonial movements: "Sugar Cane Alley," "Burn!", "Flame" and "Twelve Disciples of Nelson Mandela."

Featured keynote speakers and festival facilitators are Jeffrey C. Wray, assistant professor of English and co-chair of the film studies department at Michigan State University, and film director Tama Hamilton Wray. On April 12, they will deliver a keynote address, "Past and Future Directions in Black Cinema and Film Studies," and will screen their independent film, "China."

The festival is a collaboration of the African American and African Studies Program, the Ross Media Arts Center and the Office of Academic Support and Intercultural Services at UNL.

"We hope to share with a multiplicity of groups black cinema outside of the more popular Hollywood mass marketed film community," said Kwakiutl Dreher, assistant professor of English and ethnic studies and an organizer of the festival. "Our mission is to bridge scholarly and community criticism of black cinema and blacks in film. To this end, panel discussions led by university scholars, film enthusiasts and community activists will follow each film screening."

Full details of the festival can be found at www.aaasfilmfestival.com. For additional information, contact Dreher at (402) 472-1816 or by e-mail.

SCREENING SCHEDULE:

Thursday, April 12 -- 7 p.m., keynote address, "Past and Future Directions in Black Cinema and Film Studies," Jeffrey Wray and Tama Hamilton Wray; film screening, "China."

Friday, April 13 -- The Blaxploitation genre; 2:30-5 p.m., film screening, "Superfly," panel discussion moderated by Kwakiutl Dreher; 7-9:30 p.m., film screening, "Foxy Brown," panel discussion moderated by Dreher.

Saturday, April 14 -- Revolutionary and post-colonial movements; 2-4 p.m., film screening, "Flame," panel discussion moderated by Dawne Y. Curry, assistant professor of history, UNL; 6-8 p.m., film screening, "Twelve Disciples of Nelson Mandela," panel discussion moderated by Curry.

Sunday, April 15 -- Revolutionary and post-colonial movements; 2-4:30 p.m., film screening, "Sugar Cane Alley." panel discussion moderated by Jeannette Jones, assistant professor of history, UNL; 6-8 p.m., film screening, "Burn!" panel discussion moderated by Jones; 8-9 p.m., closing ceremony and dessert reception.

CONTACT: Kwakiutl Dreher, Asst. Professor, English, (402) 472-1816; or
Sara Pipher, University Communications, (402) 472-8320