Charlotte Black Film Festival to showcase 100 films celebrating Black excellence
One of the largest events in the Carolinas that promotes Black artists in the film industry, the Charlotte Black Film Festival, will return for its 13th year from July 6-9.
The festival attracts cinephiles and creatives alike during four days of film screenings, meet-and-greets, workshops and panels. The festivities will conclude with its Red Carpet Vision Awards, where the most outstanding movies and performances will be highlighted and honored. The festival is being held at the Hilton Charlotte University Place Hotel.
Festival founder Tommy Nichols combines his passions for film production, digital literacy and industry equity into the event’s programming.
“Everything that we create is to empower creatives or those that want to start in the entertainment industry. Everything that we do is based on the premises of being a service organization to those individuals,” Nichols told The Charlotte Observer in a recent interview.
This year’s theme is “Rise Up and Create Forward.”
In the wake of the pandemic, when film production ground to a halt, the festival aims to empower and equip Black filmmakers with varying experience levels to establish a place in the entertainment world, according to Nichols.
Additional programming of the film fest — such as industry networking, pitch sessions, comedy shows and monologue competitions — lets people at different stages of their career receive extra support to encourage them to keep going.
Something for everyone at the film fest
After receiving and screening over 400 entries for this years’ festival, Nichols whittled the list down to the top 100.
All films will be made available on the festival’s own streaming platform (Independent Original Content TV). And 35 will be featured during the in-person programming — including feature films, short films, documentaries and animation across a variety of genres.
Within this year’s festival library are some notable titles such as “Rhapsody in Justice”, “Afrofuturism: Black Lives Will Exist in the Future” and “Black Mooresville: The Untold Story”. That last title is a documentary about the integral yet long-ignored role of Black people in the town over its nearly 150 years.
‘Untold story’: Film reveals integral yet hidden role of Black people in NC town’s history
Here are two of the highlights that Nichols cited:
‘Flo-Jo: A Daughter’s Love’
Track legend Florence Griffith-Joyner — more commonly known as Flo-Jo — still holds world records for the 100 meter and 200 meter sprint, set in 1988. She died at the age of 38 in 1998, leaving a legacy defined by her athleticism and eclectic personal style.
“Flo-Jo: A Daughter’s Love” is a documentary short (directed by Shannon Dian) that reveals the track star’s untold story through the words of daughter Mary Ruth, husband Al Joyner and those who knew her best.
‘Garden Ministry’
“Garden Ministry” is a short film about the environment, highlighting the Rev. Dallas Conyers and her battle with environmental racism. She became — not without obstacles — a climate activist to help combat the climate crisis and support her neighboring minority communities.
This production will be followed by a panel discussion with the filmmakers and environmentalists, Nichols said.
Making an impact
What people look forward to at the Charlotte Black Film Fest isn’t just the diverse film catalog or the networking events. Over the last few years, several productions have gone on to receive national distribution on the tail end of the festival, Nichols said.
That includes “Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story,” winner of Best Picture at the Red Carpet Vision Awards last year.
This biographical drama — about the famous gospel singer and close friend of Martin Luther King Jr. — has since received three NAACP Image Awards and became available for streaming on Hulu.
Want to see the movies?
Tickets ranging from $20 to $129 can be purchased from the festival’s online box office. Use of the IOCTV streaming platform, which houses virtual access to the film festival’s entertainment from July 11-15, can be purchased for $20. The festival’s website is https://charlotteblackfilmfestival.com.
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