May – The TakeOver – Hayti Film Next Level
CHECK OUT GROUND-BREAKING NEW EXPERIMENTAL FILMS.
LEARN THE CRAFT OF SCREENWRITING.
This month, Hayti Film Next Level series presents two organizations on the leading edge of Black filmmaking. On Friday, May 13th @ 7pm, we present Afro + Projection LAB’s latest curated program of Black Experimental Cinema. And then on Saturday, May 14th, Black Film Space offers up one of its signature screenwriting workshops.
Afro + Projection LAB
Founded by Devon “Vonnie Quest” Smith, Afro + Projection LAB is an interdisciplinary art program that teaches, engages in, and presents Black Experimental Cinema. Future Film/Video Residency. This month, we present a curated program along with a special talkback with Vonnie Quest.
The Afro+Projection Lab presents Stewarding Cinematic Spaces of Care. These videos engage with questions that arise at the convergence of archival practices, gestures of care, and the moving image. Stewarding Cinematic Spaces of Care uses Gil Z. Hochberg’s, archival imagination as a thematic link between the five films in the program. Each filmmaker not only engages with the archive(s), but reimagines its function for alternative futures.
Filmmakers:
Jasmine Best – A Wilmington Doll
Tatiana Garnett – These Hands Lay Open
Cydnii Wilde Harris – Cotton
Amir George – Optimum Continuum
Vonnie Quest – Remnants of A Room
@afroprojectionlab
Black Film Space
Black Film Space is a non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization committed to building a community of filmmakers from the African Descent through skill enhancing and networking events. We are a collective of directors, screenwriters, producers, cinematographers, actors and other media makers that want to develop genuine connections and grow with fellow Black creatives.
During this Zoom meeting, we will read one 10 to 15-page script and offer constructive feedback in an open forum setting. Script submissions are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. You must RSVP before we can confirm that your script will be read.
E-mail: events@blackfilmspace.com to have your script read after you RSVP.
@blackfilmspace
Hayti Film Next Level – February 2022 Films
FREEDOM.
From the political to the personal, the Hayti Film Next Level series presents two films that push the boundaries of human expression.
MARIGHELLA**
1969. Marighella, Brazil’s number one enemy, has no time for fear. On the one hand, a violent military dictatorship, with its heinous crimes of torture and infamous censorship. On the other, an intimidated people. Alongside guerrilleros 30 years younger than him and willing to fight, the revolutionary leader opts for action – all the while trying to keep the promise of reuniting with his son, who he distanced himself from in order to protect.
Directed by Wagner Moura.
**In Portuguese with English subtitles.
THEE DEBAUCHERY BALL
Thee Debauchery Ball is the story of Chicago’s Afro-Futuristic, BDSM, fetish-themed House music party and how it has reshaped the Black social scene and challenged the narratives of Black sexuality.
Directed by David Weathersby
PLEASE NOTE:
This month’s screenings are available online only.
Sundays In July
Hayti Film Next Level is pleased to present award-winning SUNDAYS IN JULY, the directorial debut of athlete turned filmmaker, Joseph E. Austin II.
The online screening begins Friday, January 14th @ 7 p.m. and runs through Sunday, January 16th @ 11 p.m.
A conversation with the director will follow the screening where he’ll break down the making of the film.
Hayti Film Next Level’s January offering is available only online. For tickets, visit haytifilmnextleveljanuary.eventive.org/schedule.
About SUNDAYS IN JULY
When fiercely independent Monika moves back to New York from Los Angeles, determined to make it this time completely on her own,
the last thing she ever expected was to meet Trent with an open heart and open arms.
SUNDAYS IN JULY takes an intimate look at two lovers navigating the minefield of their egos, fears,
and flaws to dive into the most foreign and uncharted territory- true love.
Hayti Film Next Level – December 2021 Films
This month’s films speak to innovation and Black excellence, so in December we’re partnering with Provident 1898!
Provident1898 is a coworking hub for entrepreneurs located in The Tower at Mutual Plaza, the re-imagination of one of Durham’s most historic landmark buildings. Founded in 1898, The North Carolina Mutual and Provident Association (later named North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Co.) established itself as the cornerstone of what would become the world famous “Black Wall Street” in Durham, NC. It is on these hallowed grounds that the Provident1898 story begins and where another chapter of entrepreneurship and innovation will be written.
In association with Hayti Film Next Level series and Provident 1898, we present three films:
THE SLEEPING NEGRO + Colder
In The Sleeping Negro, a young black man, simply identified as “Man,” must resolve the personal meaning of his blackness when his white boss orders him to commit fraud to benefit the corporation. Struggling with an overwhelming sense of shame for going through with the illegal demand, Man seeks consolation by discussing his unease with a black former friend and his white fiancé. Those conversations lead only to further confusion and frustrations… Following on the footstep of the LA Rebellion filmmakers, Skinner Myers tells a very personal and intimate Black story in a radically non-traditional cinematic style as a means to express freely his feelings as a Black man in America.
“A superb character study of a black man, how he sees himself and how he was treated by society, it is surreal yet real and terrifying.” ~ Ulkar Alakbarova, moviemovesme.com
Written/directed by and starring Skinner Myers.
Also catch North Carolina native, Joy T. Lane’s short film Colder: Jerry, a depressed and angry grandfather, reluctantly babysits his grandson, Mickey, while his wife Rita goes to the store for beer. Jerry comes to regret it when the seemingly innocent Mickey proves to be a quick study in his overbearing bullying ways.
AILEY
Alvin Ailey was a trailblazing pioneer who found salvation through dance. AILEY traces the full contours of this brilliant and enigmatic man whose search for the truth in movement resulted in enduring choreography that centers on the Black American experience with grace, strength, and unparalleled beauty. Told through Ailey’s own words and featuring evocative archival footage and interviews with those who intimately knew him, director Jamila Wignot weaves together a resonant biography of an elusive visionary.
You’ve got options! Either head to the socially distant screenings at Provident 1898 on December 10th and 11th, or screen one of the films virtually in the comfort of your own home.
PLEASE NOTE:
To minimize exposure to COVID-19 for patrons, artists, staff, and volunteers, Provident 1898 will be requiring the following;
Hayti Film Next Level – November 2021 Films
Hayti Film Next Level offers films that both speak to our community and promotes new and established talent. The Legend of Doon Ra, Tora Mkandawire Marten’s Martha & Niki, and Alexandre Rockwell’s Sweet Thing will be presented on the second weekend of November 2021. Screenings will take place in the Performance Hall at the Hayti Heritage Center, located at 804 Old Fayetteville Street Durham NC 27707. While Sweet Thing and The Legend of Doon Ra are available both in-person and online, Martha & Nikiwill screen in-person only. Registrations are open for November offerings at haytifilmnextlevelnovember.eventive.org.
To minimize exposure to COVID-19 for patrons, artists, staff, and volunteers, the Hayti Heritage Center will be requiring proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 48-hours of the screening. Wearing face masks covering the nose and mouth as well as social distancing are required. The Hayti Heritage Center undergoes increased cleaning procedures before and after all performances, events, and activities.
In 2010 Martha Nabwire and Niki Tsappos took part in the biggest international Street Dance Competition, Juste Debout in Paris. It was the first time ever two women became World Champions in Hip Hop. This documentary film depicts their love of dance, each other and about friendship put to the test. http://www.marthaniki.com
Sweet Thing is a soulful, uplifting, but also heartbreaking look at race and poverty’s impact on childhood. This fictional story revolves around two siblings and their struggle to find solid ground in the homes of their alcoholic father and negligent mother. https://www.sweetthingmovie.net
In The Legend of Doon Ra, a lone Zobrak in a dangerous galaxy must make a choice that will determine his fate forever.
Hayti Film Next Level – October Drive In!
In celebration of the Hayti Black Filmmakers Collective (HBFC), the Hayti Film Next Level series brings you two HBFC member films in October. These offerings will be presented the 2nd weekend in October featuring two drive-ins and online virtual screenings.
First we’ll screen the award-winning The Passing On (directed by Nathan Clarke and produced by HBFC member Lana Garland) at a drive-in on Friday, October 8th. Then on Saturday, October 9th it’s a night at the carnival with JIG SHOW | Leon Claxton’s Harlem in Havana (directed and produced by HBFC member Leslie Cunningham). Both films will be available online after their drive-in appearances.
The Passing On synopsis
Three professions ushered Black former slaves from poverty to the American dream: preacher, teacher, and undertaker. Lewis Funeral Home has functioned within this tradition as a pillar of the Black community in San Antonio, Texas since 1909. While Black funeral homes close across America as a result of the loss of Black neighborhoods and gentrification, Lewis’ current chief embalmer James Bryant cares deeply about this institution after a career of preparing over 10,000 bodies. And he’s damn good at it, having been named the National Embalmer of the Year in 2016. Now, James puts his faith in a new generation to continue this vanishing legacy. He’s met with resistance from his young intern, Clarence Pierre, who himself is conflicted about his commitment due to the judgment he feels from the Black community as a queer, Christian man. https://thepassingonmovie.com
JIG SHOW | Leon Claxton’s Harlem in Havana synopsis
A magical journey into the complexities of American entertainment, race history and family, JIG SHOW | Leon Claxton’s Harlem in Havana is a compelling documentary produced by director Leslie Cunningham who shines a spotlight on her family’s Black and Cuban traveling revue- a so-called “Jig Show” that endures racism, segregation and immigration laws to become popular in the 1940s through the 1960s. Also unearthed is the legend of producer Leon Claxton, a brave African-American showman who left an extraordinary entertainment legacy despite the insurmountable odds against him and his dreams. https://www.jigshow.com/Visit jigshow.com
Both filmmakers will be in attendance. The JIG SHOW drive-in will also have a pre-screening “tease” of the type of entertainment that would have been presented at Leon Claxton’s Harlem in Havana!
