INTERNATIONAL SCENE ~ INTERNATIONAL SCENE ~ INTERNATIONAL SCENE ~ INTERNATIONAL SCENE
Toronto Gospel Film Festival Introduces “Blessed & Cursed” BY KATHY GRANT
t the close of Black History Month 2012, we celebrate an important achievement in the world of Canadian Gospotainment. Andrew Mahorn, The Church of God of Prophecy and friends stepped out of their comfort zone to launch the Toronto Gospel Film Festival also known as the GOSPEL FEST ON FILM held March 3-4 at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto Canada. The Toronto Gospel Film Festival is the first of its kind in Canada and by all accounts has proven its success in attendance and ticket sales. Final numbers are pending; however, judging by the packed 800 seat theatre, resounding applause and satisfied comments, it definitely was an optical success. The focal point of the entire film festival was the premiering of Detrick Haddon’s Blessed & Cursed. It was clear that from the room response that less than one third of the attendees had seen or heard of the movie. Judging by how many business cards I distributed, it was also evident that there is such a dearth of knowledge. What we don’t know could be hurting us. Generally, the Canadian public at-large is unaware of the genre of Black Gospel Films. A name more readily on the public’s tongues due to his growing notoriety, Tyler Perry is more known for the box office successes of Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Madea’s Family Reunion, Why Did I Get Married sequels than that he is a product of Bishop Paul S. Morton’s, Greater St. Stephen’s Full Gospel Church of New Orleans, LA. This is not promoted by the secular press. Most Canadians are also unaware that his current major motion picture release Good Deeds, is playing in theatres across North America right now. Canada has no Black Gospel Film industry to speak of. We can only reflect on the past successes of those on whose shoulders we continue to stand. Dating back to 1929 when actress Nina Mae McKinney, the first black actress to sign a long-term contract with MGM and star in the film Hallelujah, and more recently the ‘50s with Clara Ward, Mahalia Jackson, Fred Hammond, Pastor Shirley Caesar,
www.airplay360.com
Pastor Donnie McClurkin, Black Gospel artists have been aiming to infiltrate and inculcate Hollywood for Christ. Blessed & Cursed was enthusiastically received and applauded, giving the film a standing ovation followed by a bevy of questions. The Canadian Gospel Film Festival can easily become a major international stop for smaller production companies, to premiere their major motion pictures, short films and documentaries to an international audience before theatrical releases. With Providence, events like TGFF will expand, increase public awareness and fire-up demand for these and other forms of Gospotainment in Canada.
Kathy Grant is a gospel artist, radio and TV host, CEO of KGM Enterprises and founder of Canadian Gospel Music Conference. She is also radio host on Canada’s CHRI 99.1 FM where she hosts the program ‘Gospel Groove’.
AIRPLAY 360
Mar/Apr 2012
17