Gene Siskel Film Center's Black Harvest Film Festival 2018 Program by Gene Siskel Film Center

24TH ANNUAL

AUGUST 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201D;30, 2 018

AUGUST 4, 2018

BLACK HARVEST OPENING NIGHT 7:00 pm

Welcome

Awards presentation Deloris Jordan Award for Excellence in Community Leadership presented to MasÃ©qua Myers and Pemon Rami 7:30 pm

Filmmaker introductions

7:45 pm Film program: A Black Harvest Feast TRAINING WHEELS SHOTGUN WEDDING STUCK RIVERMENT 9:00 pm Reception With our celebrity guests at Joffrey Tower (10 East Randolph Street), home of The Joffrey Ballet Chicago

GENE SISKEL FILM CENTER

of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago 164 North State Street Chicago, IL 60601 siskelfilmcenter.org 312-846-2600

FESTIVAL PASS AVAILABLE Six movies for less than the price of five, plus a free small popcorn with each film. Passes are $55 for the general public and $30 for Film Center members.

2 4TH A N N UA L B L AC K H A RV E ST F I LM F E STI VA L

DEAR FESTIVAL GOERS, Since 1995, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has celebrated the stories, images, heritage, and history of the Black experience through the Black Harvest Film Festival at the Gene Siskel Film Center. Throughout the next few weeks, you will have the opportunity to see nearly 60 short and feature-length films from some of the most exciting Black filmmakers working today. Additional programming—including presentations, discussions, and artist encounters here at the Film Center and, through our partnership with Chicago Public Libraries, throughout the city—deepens and extends the connection between these important works of art and you, the audience. By showcasing perspectives that have been excluded from the mainstream, the Film Center, a public program of SAIC, and the Black Harvest Film Festival show how cinema can unite rather than divide, repair rather than break, and heal rather than wound. Black Harvest promotes empathy and celebrates diversity. This is cinema that asks us to engage with the world. To further this mission, the Gene Siskel Film Center created the Deloris Jordan Award for Excellence in Community Leadership, which was established to recognize those who have generously contributed time and resources to the Chicago community. This year, we celebrate two extraordinary figures who have made profound contributions to the life of our city: Pemon Rami and Maséqua Myers. The first African American film casting director in Chicago, Pémon Rami has been an instrumental figure in film, television, and theater since the 1960s. Curator and educator Maséqua Myers has more than 25 years of leadership experience in the not-for-profit sector, with expertise in the development of multidisciplinary arts programming. Partners in life for more than 45 years, Rami and Myers are also significant figures in two towering institutions of African American history and culture that were founded, in part, by the storied community artist, educator, and SAIC alum Margaret Taylor Burroughs (BA 1942, MA 1948, HON 1987). Rami is the former director of education and public programs at the DuSable Museum of African American Art History, and Myers is executive director of the South Side Community Art Center. The way in which Pemon Rami and Maséqua Myers have shared their talents with us truly demonstrate how art and culture enrich our city and its people. This same spirit energizes the annual Black Harvest Film Festival, which could not happen without the hard work and support of many. The Black Harvest Community Council’s leadership continues to be critical to the ongoing success and growth of the festival. The advisory board and staff of the Gene Siskel Film Center make this festival—and its year-round program of festivals, screenings, classes, and events—a critical part of Chicago’s cinematic conversation. I would like to give special recognition to festival donors Ellen and Richard Sandor, Felicia Middlebrooks and Anthony Hill, and Eleva Singleton and Diane & Victor Hoskins. Finally, I thank you, the audience of the Black Harvest Film Festival, for supporting the Gene Siskel Film Center and SAIC. I hope you see a story at this festival that stirs your soul, ignites your intellect, and reminds you how cinema can help us to be better citizens. Elissa Tenny President School of the Art Institute of Chicago 1

G E N E S I S K E L F I LM C E NTE R

MASÉQUA MYERS + PÉMON RAMI

Husband and wife team Pémon Rami and Maséqua Myers have been frequently referred to as the Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee of their generation. 2018 marks their 43rd year of marriage and 50th year of their artistic relationship! Teenagers Rami and Myers met in 1968 when Rami’s theater troupe performed at Calumet High School, where Myers served as co-chair of the Black Student Organization. Later that year, both led boycotts protesting inferior learning conditions in Chicago public high schools. Rami and Myers founded the Lamont Zeno Theatre and Cultural Arts Program in 1973, where Rami served as Artistic/ Managing Director and Myers as Assistant Director and Founder/Director of the Ajabu Children Theatre Company. The first African American film casting director in Chicago, Rami selected talent for the classic feature films: “Blues Brothers,” “Mahogany,” “Cooley High,” “Welcome to Success,” “Uptown Saturday Night,” and “The Spook Who Sat By The Door.” The couple married in 1975. Relocating to Phoenix, Arizona in 1982 to manage the Phoenix Black Theatre Troupe, the team received special recognition for their productions of “Fresh” (with Oscar Brown Jr.), “Bubbling Brown Sugar,” and the statewide tour of “Ain’t Mis-Behavin.” Moving to Los Angeles, Rami served as General Manager for Marla Gibbs’ Crossroads National Education and Arts Center, while Myers served as Academy Director. Myers led casting and Rami served as director for the national musical theatre tour of “Madame Lilly,” starring the legendary Gladys Knight. In December 2006, Myers and Rami created and produced “Stories From The Soul,” a half-hour TV series for the Black Family Channel. From 2004 to 2014, the team committed to “giving back” through developing radio programs for teens. In addition, they created films to address teen issues, including; the award winning short, “Burning Truth,” about HIV/AIDS, and “Nineteen and A Day,” a documentary concerning teen violence. In 2011, Rami produced the feature film “Of Boys and Men” starring Robert Townsend and Angela Bassett. That same year, until 2016, Rami served as the Director of Educational Services and Public Programs at the DuSable Museum of African American History. In 2016, he produced the feature film, “93 Days” in Lagos, Nigeria, starring Danny Glover. In 2012, Myers directed a film series and music video on the life and times of Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable. And in 2014, she became Executive Director of the South Side Community Arts Center, which was designated a “National Treasure” by the

2 4TH A N N UA L B L AC K H A RV E ST F I LM F E STI VA L

National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2017. The pair have received numerous awards for their creative achievements. Pémon Rami and Maséqua Myers–Rami have two sons, Babatundé and Tacuma, eight grandchildren and two great-grand children.

MRS. DELORIS JORDAN Belief in strong family values leads Deloris Jordan’s philanthropic efforts as President of the James R. Jordan Foundation. The Foundation reaches out to underserved children while partnering with national and international corporations to make a difference in the lives of children and families. She is the author of several books, including Family First, which highlights parenting principles, and three children’s books. In 2002 the Black Harvest Community Council established the Deloris Jordan Award for Excellence in Community Leadership in Jordan’s honor. In 2005 she was presented the Clinton Global Initiative Award for her efforts to build a hospital in Kenya.

MASTERS OF CEREMONIES LEEANN TROTTER

MASTER OF CEREMONIES LeeAnn Trotter is NBC 5’s feature reporter and covers what’s happening around town. She also contributes to regular “Making a Difference” segments, reporting on people who are making a difference in the community. The Chicago native joined NBC 5 in December 2005 after working at CLTV for eight years.

GENE SISKEL FILM CENTER As a public program of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Gene Siskel Film Center has earned an international reputation for its excellent and inclusive curated film programming. Open to the public seven days a week, the Film Center is a vibrant cultural destination that attracts over 88,000 film lovers annually.

G E N E S I S K E L F I LM C E NTE R

DEAR FRIENDS,

On behalf of the entire staff of the Gene Siskel Film Center, I want to welcome you to the 24th Annual Black Harvest Film Festival, Chicago’s Premier Black Film Festival. Every August we welcome viewers to join us in celebration of the best new films from the African diaspora with stories that portray the full expression of the Black experience on film. Each August is a true homecoming as we welcome new and returning filmmakers, community leaders, BHFF regulars and film lovers new to the festival—the spirit of a reunion pervades the entire month. We are especially proud to present the Deloris Jordan Award for Excellence in Community Leadership to the husband and wife team of Maséqua Myers and Pemon Rami whose contributions to the cultural community of Chicago and the film industry throughout the country are unparalleled. This year’s Gene Siskel Film Center Legacy Award will be presented to actress, singer, dancer, producer and radio personality La Donna Tittle, on Saturday, August 11 at 5:15 pm before the screening of the Made in Chicago shorts program. After the screening we will celebrate La Donna with a reception in the gallery/cafe. In addition to celebrating the full range of the Black experience on film throughout August, leading up to the festival we presented the Best of the Black Harvest Film Festival in Chicago Public Library branches and in a series of screenings at the Garfield Park Conservatory and the BBF Family Services. This year we will be presenting the inaugural Richard and Ellen Sandor Family Black Harvest Film Festival Prize to the director of a Black Harvest short film. The film is being chosen by a prestigious jury. This monetary award is being made through an endowed gift and will be presented each year with the aim to encourage and support emerging Black filmmakers. Support for this inclusive festival continues to grow—we are eternally grateful to Allstate Insurance, the Richard and Ellen Sandor Family Foundation, Eleva Singleton and Diane & Victor Hoskins, Saltshaker Productions LLC, Southwest Airlines, BMO Harris, NBC 5 Chicago, the National Endowment for the Arts, MillerCoors, AARP, WTTW and WBEZ 91.5. We could not present this festival without their generous support. I especially want to thank the Black Harvest Community Council—it is due to their advice and advocacy that the Black Harvest Film Festival has grown to be the most highly attended annual program at the Film Center. And, a very special thanks to all of you for attending the Black Harvest Film Festival your support and patronage are integral to the Film Center’s continued success. With over 60 films and 40 filmmakers confirmed to make an appearance—you won’t want to miss any of the excitement. So, check out the schedule and get your tickets now, as some shows are already close to selling out. I look forward to seeing you at the movies throughout August and all year! Cheers, Jean de St. Aubin Executive Director Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago 4

2 4TH A N N UA L B L AC K H A RV E ST F I LM F E STI VA L

SPECIAL THANKS PREMIER TELEVISION BROADCAST SPONSOR

PREMIER RADIO SPONSOR

PRODUCING SPONSORS

FOUNDATION AND GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

SPECIAL THANKS

Eleva Singleton and Diane & Victor Hoskins Saltshaker Productions LLC

FESTIVAL PARTNERS DuSable Museum Chicago Loop Alliance WVON 1690 AM Chicago Symphony Orchestra— African American Network South Shore Current Intuit: The Center for Intuitive— and Outsider Art Chef Sara Majani Soulful Vegan Cuisine

Black Ensemble Theater Gallery Guichard Akasuba Museum of Contemporary Photography Black Cinema House/Rebuild— Foundation Truth B Told What U Need Is... Chicago Reader 720 Films 5

G E N E S I S K E L F I LM C E NTE R

tand fo s E r W

QUALITY At MillerCoors, we have a long-standing tradition of giving back to the communities where we brew our beer. It’s all part of our commitment to bringing quality into everything we do. From creating quality products and partnerships to practicing quality citizenship–we stand for the well-being of the people and the places we call home.

Hand in hand, WE CAN DO GREAT THINGS.

2 4TH A N N UA L B L AC K H A RV E ST F I LM F E STI VA L

2018 marks the inaugural endowed Richard and Ellen Sandor Family Black Harvest Film Festival Prize. The prize will be awarded annually to a director of a Black Harvest Film Festival short film, chosen by a prestigious jury.

G E N E S I S K E L F I LM C E NTE R

BLACK HARVEST COMMUNITY COUNCIL Keisha Chavers, Co-Chair Chaga Walton, Co-Chair Sergio Mims, Black Harvest Film Festival Consultant Adrianna Silver

Keisha Nickole

Barbara Allen

Kenny Johnson

Chantal Redmond

Lawrence Lee Wallace

Cheryl Petratos

Lonnie Edwards

D’Tura Hale

Cheryl and Dr. Loris Rayner

Daniel Nearing

Marcus Spearman

Danielle Davis

Maurice L. Dortch

Daryl Sledge

Michael Foster

David Weathersby

Monique Smith

Derek Dow

Muteeat Lawal

Derek Grace

N.K. Gutierrez

Djalaal

Natalie Perkins

Donnie Smith

Okema “Seven” Gunn

Eleva Singleton

Patricia Mosley

Felicia Mings

Ramsey Carey

Gwen Satterfield

Seth McClellan

Harold Dennis

Shahari Moore

Jackie Samuel

Talle Laosebikan

Kamau Tyehimba

Troy Pryor

Karletta R. Kelly

Vivienne Bailey

Kayo Williams Special thanks to interns Sierra Jackson and Zoë Holmes and to Development Assistant Mishari Lee Zambrano. 8

2 4TH A N N UA L B L AC K H A RV E ST F I LM F E STI VA L

GENE SISKEL FILM CENTER Advisory Board Ellen Sandor, Chair Kristin L. Anderson José Cerda III Camille Cook Michelle Cucchiaro Eda Davidman Robert Downey, Jr. Susan Downey Charles R. Droege David P. Earle III Eliot Ephraim Melissa Sage Fadim

Marsha Goldstein David Hundley Marlene Iglitzen Mary Walker Kilwien Ellen Kollar Jamie Koval Cassandra Kramer Raymond C. Lambert Rosanne Levin Averill Leviton Anita Liskey Margaret MacLean David E. Martin

Ingrid Martinkus Tom Meier Felicia Middlebrooks Bolaji Sosan Roopa P. Weber Joshua Yates Jean de St. Aubin, Executive Director Gene Siskel Film Center

GENE SISKEL FILM CENTER Associate Producers Junior Board Katie Gorham, Co-Chair Carly Leviton, Co-Chair

Aymar Jean Christian Charles Andrew Gardner Mary Kruse Felicia Mings Derek Nelson Sylvia Piszczor

Troy Pryor Diana Quinones Rivera Nicholas (Nick) Serpico Adrianna Silver Bolaji Sosan

SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO Board of Governors Anita K. Sinha Chair Melissa V. Behm Daniel S. Berger Robert H. Bergman Sanford L. Biggers Laurence O. Booth Charles M. Brennan III Todd C. Brown Daniel R. Bryant Linda Smith Buonanno William R. Bush D.H. Chang Lester N. Coney A. Steven Crown John A. DiCiurcio Robert G. Donnelley

Karen W. Frank Denise B. Gardner Gordon Gill Gail Hodges Holly Hunt Betsy Karp Jay Frederick Krehbiel Carol Levy Margaret MacLean Cary D. McMillan Charles L. Michod, Jr. Melissa A. Moore Marian Phelps Pawlick Charles T. Price Quintin E. Primo III Dana Rice D’Rita Parilla Robinson Beth K. Rosen

Neal Sales-Griffin Ellen Sandor Richard L. Sandor Elizabeth B. Seebeck Stephanie A. Sick Anita K. Sinha John L. Thomson Charlotte Tieken Joseph R. Trpik Jr. David J. Vitale Kenneth W. Warren Kenneth Warredor Elissa Tenny, President School of the Art Institute of Chicago

G E N E S I S K E L F I LM C E NTE R

GENE SISKEL FILM CENTER LEGACY AWARD: LA DONNA TITTLE SATURDAY, AUGUST 11, 5:15 PM

As a professional actress/model, La Donna Tittle launched her radio career with WBEE in 1969. She was Chicago’s number one disc jockey in 1973 with WBMX, now V103FM. Tittle went on to join WJPC, Johnson Publishing Company in 1978. In 1982, she received Arbitron’s highest ratings for Middays, the “Black Radio Exclusive Air Personality Award. In the 90’s, she joined WNUA, went on to work middays, morning and afternoon drive with WGCI, and recently, an on-air talent and mentor at Kennedy-King College, radio, WKKC. Her professional Radio career spans over 50 years in Chicago, and still goes on. She’s done many national TV, voice overs, and commercials. La Donna is the storyteller for “Kraft My BBQ.” Her versatile career also includes noteworthy theatrical performances with ETA, the Gospel Repertory, Goodman, Steppenwolf, and Organic theaters, the Chicago Dramatists, and independent productions (Pocketbook Monologue’s Tour), and Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologues. La Donna’s movies include roles in ALI, THE RELIC, SOUTHERN CROSS, and DREAMS. She also was ‘Rosie, the Nosy Neighbor’ in R. Kelly’s “Trapped In The Closet,” Grammy nominated video, ‘Urban Saga, hip-hopera.’ Tittle graduated from Dunbar Vocational H.S., where she is an inductee of the Alumni Hall of Fame. Earning her BA degree from Chicago State University, she currently writes a column in ‘NoirWoman’ a supplement formerly distributed monthly in the Chicago Sun-Times, now via the Internet media, called “Tittle’s Cosmopolitan World, Arts, Entertainment & Beyond!” And “Girlfriends Magazine, Health for Women of Color.” She is the recipient of the 2003 HistoryMaker’s Media Awards and the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chicago Music Awards! She has also received numerous Public Service awards, nominated for “Best Actor” for “the Ole’Settler” and “Hope VI”, by the Black Theater Alliance Awards (BTAA). She continues to grow with her love for the theatre by making her second appearance in Christine Houston’s “Everyday People” series, as the outrageous ‘Anna Von Lissenger’ in the “Engagement Party” at her alma mater, Chicago State University. Through Julieanna Richardson’s HistoryMakers, La Donna’s story of achievements through media communications and her cooking show of an “Oral/Visual documentation” can be heard in the U. S. Library of Congress. La Donna was an honoree in 2003 along with Isaac Hayes and B.B. King and many others into the Historymaker’s archives. “I didn’t know it then, but one of my cherished moments was meeting then Senator, Barack Obama, and..who knew that five years later he would be our first African-American President of the USA. I’m truly humbled by these honors and career achievements.” La Donna was named “A Women of Honor-2015” for Thornton TWP for her community services. She is currently in the 2018 Hit Showtime series “The Chi” as “Ethel Davis” created by Chicago’s own Lena Waithe and co-producer Common. La Donna Tittle is CEO/Producer, of her own show on CAN TV Ch. 19-Chicago, The La Donna Tittle TV/Radio Show®, featuring “Cookin’ Wit’ Tittle...BonAppetite, Let’s Eat®” 10

2 4TH A N N UA L B L AC K H A RV E ST F I LM F E STI VA L

SPECIAL EVENTS

Join us for the following dates to further enhance your Black Harvest experience. Saturday, August 11 – 1:00-5:00 pm – Black Harvest Marketplace Thursday, August 16 & Monday, August 20 – 5:00-8:00 pm Black Harvest Pop-Ups View and purchase unique items from Black-owned businesses – desserts, jewelry, fashion, children’s art, and more! Visit siskelfilmcenter.org/blackharvest for vendor names and more information. Saturday, August 11 – 5:15 pm – Shorts Program: MADE IN CHICAGO Radio legend La Donna Tittle will be honored with the Gene Siskel Film Center Legacy Award before the screening. Immediately following the Q&A, there will be a complimentary reception for all ticket-holders. Monday, August 20 – 8:00 pm – BETTY: THEY SAY I’M DIFFERENT Post-screening dance party with DJ I.N.C. (included in ticket price). Friday, August 24 & Saturday, August 25 - SINGLEVILLE Reference pg. 29 for more information on special events. Wednesday, August 29 - 8:00 pm - Shorts Program: WOMEN OF COLOR Gene Siskel Film Center Movie Club screening - filmmakers will be present Ticket-holders will receive a complimentary beverage before the post-screening conversation.

Here, you tell stories. Develop your internal voice as a digital artist or filmmaker, experiment with techniques, and grow your creativity while reaching your academic and artistic goals. GSU celebrates diverse visions and voices—especially those currently underrepresented in media and film. 11 Learn more: www.govst.edu/MFA/

G E N E S I S K E L F I LM C E NTE R

24TH ANNUAL

BLACK HARVEST FILM FESTIVAL

From August 4 through 30, the Gene Siskel Film Center welcomes one and all to our 24th Annual Black Harvest Film Festival, a month-long celebration of the stories, dreams, history, and legacy of African Americans and the African diaspora, as interpreted by independent filmmakers from around the U.S. and abroad. Filmmaker appearances are the pride and joy of Black Harvest, so join us for the festival’s many enlightening post-film discussions with directors, producers, writers, and cast members. Cheer on filmmakers in the early stages of promising careers and savor the insights of those with a seasoned perspective. The festival opens on Saturday, August 4, with the shorts program A Black Harvest Feast. LeeAnn Trotter of NBC 5 Chicago hosts a show that includes presentation of the Deloris Jordan Award for Excellence in Community Leadership to Pémon Rami and Maséqua Myers. Immediately after the show, the audience is invited to a reception across the street at the Joffrey Tower. Our closing night on Thursday, August 30, celebrates the 25th anniversary of Rusty Cundieff’s savvy rap satire FEAR OF A BLACK HAT, screening in a rare 35mm print. Multi-talented director/writer/actor Cundieff (director of the upcoming Universal release TALES FROM THE HOOD 2) will be present for audience discussion. Filmmaker recipients of the 2019 production grants for the Black Harvest 25th Anniversary Project will be announced at this show. More than thirty filmmakers are scheduled to be present for discussion at screenings throughout the festival, with additional pending. Special events include a personal appearance by former talk show host Dick Cavett, discussing his 53-year friendship with Muhammad Ali with director Robert S. Bader, at the Sunday, August 5 screening of ALI & CAVETT: THE TALE OF THE TAPES. A special advance screening of David Schalliol’s THE AREA (returning to the Film Center for a run September 14-20) provides a searing look at a community’s valiant struggle against a railroad’s land grab in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood. Features shot in Chicago also include Logan Hall’s sci-fi inflected drama ANIMATOR and Lawrence Lee Wallace’s revenge satire PIECES OF DAVID. Documentaries include CHITOWN, an exhilarating saga of basketball ambition by Nick Budabin. Pamela Sherrod Anderson’s THE G FORCE, explores the phenomenon of grandparents challenged to become parents to their grandchildren. David Weathersby’s THE COLOR OF ART covers a range of issues surrounding inclusion for artists of color in the Chicago art scene; the screening will include a panel representing artists, collectors, and gallery personnel. 2018 marks the inaugural endowed Richard and Ellen Sandor Family Black Harvest Film Festival Prize. The prize will be awarded annually to a director of a Black Harvest Film Festival short film, chosen by a prestigious jury. All films in the festival are eligible for the Black Harvest Audience Award; ballots available in our lobby. Be sure to regularly 12

2 4TH A N N UA L B L AC K H A RV E ST F I LM F E STI VA L

check our web site at www.siskelfilmcenter.org/blackharvest for added appearances and special events. The Black Harvest Film Festival is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts; the Illinois Arts Council Agency; and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Special thanks to festival consultant Sergio Mims, our Black Harvest Community Council, and to the many filmmakers who help make this festival possible. —Barbara Scharres Director of Programming

CLOSING NIGHT FILM THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 6:30 PM

FEAR OF A BLACK HAT 1993, Rusty Cundieff, USA, 88 min. With Rusty Cundieff, Kasi Lemmons

“Funny and fresh, and filled with wicked little moments.”--Roger Ebert, Chicago SunTimes “The best hip-hop film of all.”--Peter Travers, Rolling Stone Hip-hop got its own THIS IS SPINAL TAP with this affectionate but often deadly accurate satire of rapdom’s early years. Follow documentary filmmaker/sociologist Nina Blackburn (Lemmons) as she covers a year in the life of the fabled group NWH (N-----z with Hats) and its three founding members from Tough Neighborhood, USA: gun-happy Tasty Taste (Larry B. Scott), dim-bulb Tone Def (Mark Christopher Lawrence), and over-explainer Ice Cold (filmmaker Cundieff). Relive such immortal hits as “My Peanuts,” “Grab Yo Dick,” and “Guerrillas in the Midst,” and the amazing music videos that went with them. Learn why their album “Kill Whitey” isn’t really anti-white people, and why “Booty Juice” is actually a political allegory. Find out the real story behind the group’s breakup, their subsequent solo careers, and their heartwarming reunion. Writer-director-costar Rusty Cundieff will be in the house with a 35mm print as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of his mockumentary classic. (MR) Filmmaker Rusty Cundieff is scheduled to appear for audience discussion. A $25 VIP ticket includes a private off-site reception with Rusty Cundieff at 5:00 pm, plus a free popcorn and wine, beer, or beverage of your choice. Our regular prices apply for nonVIP admission. During the opening remarks the five winning filmmakers for 2019 will be announced. Based on an open competition and rigorous judging each filmmaker will receive a production grant to produce an opening night short film for the 25th Anniversary Opening Night of the Black Harvest Film Festival, August 2019. After the show, all ticket-holders are invited to a reception in our Gallery/Café courtesy of Fête Catering + Events. No free passes, blue tickets, or Black Harvest festival passes will be valid for this screening.

G E N E S I S K E L F I LM C E NTE R

PANEL DISCUSSION PANEL DISCUSSION: ACTION! THE REAL DEAL ABOUT FILMMAKING SATURDAY, AUGUST 25, 5:30 PM Our Black Harvest panel discussion annually debates issues relating to black filmmaking. Festival consultant Sergio Mims heads up a panel of filmmakers featured in this year’s festival, including: directors Lawrence Lee Wallace (PIECES OF DAVID) and David Weathersby (THE COLOR OF ART); and producer/writer Roberta Jones (ANIMATOR). Check www.siskelfilmcenter.org/blackharvest for updates. The audience is invited to participate in this provocative forum. Free admission. Tickets available at the box office only. Seats available on a first come, first served basis.

BECOME A MEMBER TODAY Enjoy Black Harvest-inspired programming all year—your Gene Siskel Film Center membership means excellence in cinema! LEARN MORE AT siskelfilmcenter.org/membership

FILMS NOTE: all film descriptions by Barbara Scharres (BS) and Martin Rubin (MR). FF indicates a family-friendly film. ALI & CAVETT: THE TALE OF THE TAPES 2018, Robert S. Bader, USA, 95 min A close friendship of 53 years between champion fighter Muhammad Ali, aka The Greatest, and talk show host Dick Cavett is detailed in this warm, revealing documentary that resonates with their frank discussions ranging from Ali’s fights with Liston, Frazier, and Foreman, to incendiary issues including race, religion, and war--topics that remain Sunday, August 5, 5:00 pm as current as they were in the course of Ali’s 1969- Monday, August 6, 8:00 pm 75 Dick Cavett Show appearances. Extended archival clips from the show form the core of ALI & CAVETT, and create a touching and affectionate portrait, enhanced by additional interviews with figures including the Rev. Al Sharpton, Ilyasah Shabazz, Clarence Taylor, Juan Williams, biographer Thomas Hauser, and more. DCP digital. (BS) FF Director Robert S. Bader and subject Dick Cavett are scheduled to appear on Sunday. ABC 7 sports anchor Jim Rose will moderate the discussion. Complimentary reception for all ticket-holders will follow courtesy of Fête Catering + Events. Bader is scheduled to appear for audience discussion on Monday. 14

2 4TH A N N UA L B L AC K H A RV E ST F I LM F E STI VA L

ANIMATOR 2018, Logan Hall, USA, 99 min. With Levenix Riddle, MacKenzie Chinn A Faustian premise gets a contemporary twist in present-day Chicago in this sci-fi-inflected tale in which a young artist discovers that he has the ability to change the past and direct the future. Neal (Riddle), struggling in his fledgling career as an illustrator, is taken under the wing of a mysterious animation professor who leads him to harness his talent to the mystical power of West African griots. Success, acclaim, and money arrive with the stroke of a pen, but Neal’s new love Tina (Chinn) soon feels the sting of her man’s dark side. Power over fate is a two-edged sword examined with a serious regard for the meaning of life and death in a script by Roberta Jones. DCP digital. (BS)

Friday, August 17, 8:30 pm Tuesday, August 21, 8:15 pm

Producer/screenwriter Roberta Jones and director Logan Hall are scheduled to appear for audience discussion at both screenings.

THE AREA 2018, David Schalliol, USA, 93 min. This searing documentary unfolds the process of a nefarious land grab for a more than centurysettled swath of Chicago’s South Side Englewood neighborhood. Over a five-year period, the Norfolk Southern railroad methodically turns 85 acres of Black homes into eerily empty prairie land in the Thursday, August 23, 8:30 pm name of economic revitalization. Aided by the city council and a host of business interests, the railroad proceeds with a plan to expand its intermodal freight terminal into the heart of an area whose residents have few resources to resist when pressured with cash and threats of eminent domain. With a sensitive eye for the raw beauties of the urban landscape, director Schalliol follows a story that becomes powerfully emotional when the last holdouts, led by 30-year resident Deborah Payne, fight for their rights, while the homes of their neighbors fall one after another to the bulldozers. DCP digital. (BS) FF Director David Schalliol, subject Deborah Payne, and selected members of the production team are scheduled to appear for audience discussion. THE AREA returns to the Gene Siskel Film Center for a run the week of September 14-20.

G E N E S I S K E L F I LM C E NTE R

BETTY: THEY SAY I’M DIFFERENT 2017, Phil Cox, USA, 56 min.

Sunday, August 19, 5:30 pm Monday, August 20, 8:00 pm

Innovator. Icon. Enigma. Born in North Carolina, Betty Davis began writing songs at age 12, entered the New York hipster scene in the 1960s, met and wed Miles Davis, and, in the course of a stormy oneyear marriage, steered him in the direction of jazz fusion that would produce the turning-point album “Bitches Brew.” After the divorce, she pursued her own career as songwriter and performer. At a time when the elegant polish of the Supremes was the role model, Davis, in such songs as “Nasty Gal” and “If I’m in Luck I Might Get Picked Up,” unleashed a raw funk sound drenched with a brazen sexuality that still seems startling. Akin to Angela Davis and Pam Grier as an icon of empowered Black womanhood, and a trailblazer for such sexualized performers as Madonna, Prince, and Rick James, Betty was too different for her time. Banned, boycotted, and marginalized, she dropped out of the music world and disappeared into a 35-year seclusion, until filmmaker Cox sought her out in a Pittsburgh suburb and persuaded her to open up for this imaginative portrait of a revolutionary artist. DCP digital. (MR)

Associate Producer Danielle Maggio is scheduled to appear for audience discussion at both screenings. DJ/Music Historian Duane Powell will moderate the discussion on Monday. BODEGA 2017, Donna Augustin and Talibah L. Newman, USA, 19 min. With Anna Orlova, Aleksandr Krasnopolskiy A convenience-store owner instigates a confrontation with a regular Black customer and gets pushback from unexpected quarters in this snappy, satiric look at racism. (BS) Thursday, August 23, 6:00 pm

PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAM: FAMILY MATTERS

Co-director Donna Augustin is tentatively scheduled to appear for audience discussion.

2 4TH A N N UA L B L AC K H A RV E ST F I LM F E STI VA L

A BOY, A GIRL, A DREAM 2018, Qasim Basir, USA, 89 min. With Omari Hardwick, Meagan Good Filmed in a single continuous take, this tour-deforce romance follows two strangers who meet by chance outside an L.A. nightclub. Cass (Hardwick of “Power”) is a club promoter with a stalled career as a filmmaker. Frida aka Free (Good of “Minority Report”) wanted to be a deejay but is now a lawyer Friday, August 10, 6:30 pm about to fly back to the Midwest. They get off on Saturday, August 11, 8:15 pm the wrong foot, reconnect, Lyft it to a party in the Hollywood Hills, and face their futures in a Sunset Strip diner. The glittering L.A. lightscape and the continuous magic-carpet ride of the camera lend a dreamlike air to the proceedings, but the film counterpoints the couple’s romantic bubble with intrusions from the outside world: ignored messages from significant others, a racial incident involving the police, and, most glaringly, the setting of the action on Election Night, 2016. As a nationwide tide of disillusionment rolls in, can a boy and a girl find the strength to take a leap and pursue their personal dreams? (MR) BRIXTON ROCK 2017, Etosheia Hylton, UK, 13 min. With Calvin Demba, Angela Wynter A young man’s search for his birth mother opens a Pandora’s box of consequences. (BS) PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAM: FAMILY MATTERS

Thursday, August 23, 6:00 pm

BURNING ANGEL DUST 2017, Jackie J. Stone, USA, 16 min. With Brooke-Monaé Westbrook, Sahlima A mother secretly plans to introduce her little girl to a life-altering coming-of-age ritual on the eve of her tenth birthday. (BS) PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAM: WOMEN OF COLOR

Tuesday, August 28, 6:00 pm Wednesday, August 29, 8:00 pm

G E N E S I S K E L F I LM C E NTE R

CHI-TOWN 2018, Nick Budabin, USA, 82 min.

Friday, August 10, 8:30 pm Monday, August 13, 8:00 pm

A documentary about a basketball hopeful from a disadvantaged South Side neighborhood is bound to draw comparisons to HOOP DREAMS, but this compelling portrait of former Marshall High star Keifer Sykes carves out its own identity. The film’s five-year saga begins with the charismatic Sykes winding up his illustrious high-school career and heading for the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Only 5’11”, Sykes uses dazzling moves and amazing vertical launch to forge a record-breaking career at Green Bay, but the height factor becomes more critical when he tries to break into the NBA. The most significant difference between HOOP DREAMS and CHI-TOWN is that the latter takes place in the age of THE INTERRUPTERS. The contrast between Sykes’s sheltered campus life and his violence-plagued hometown neighborhood becomes increasingly acute as friends, teammates, and even his coach are felled by incarceration and gunfire. TV veteran Budabin’s superbly edited first feature maintains a propulsive energy while striking a fine balance between exciting court action, intimate character study, and wider social context. (MR) FF

Director Nick Budabin and producer Terry Minogue are scheduled to appear for audience discussion at both screenings. CIVIC MIND 2017, Adonis Williams, USA, 19 min. A Brooklyn teenager’s gig as an undercover volunteer for the police department has unforeseen consequences. (MR)

Thursday, August 16, 8:15 pm

PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAM: URBAN TALES

THE COLLEGE GRADUATE 2017, Terry Hines Jr., USA, 18 min. Anxieties real and imagined plague a Black college student who finds his identity obscured by a series of masks. (MR)

Saturday, August 11, 5:15 pm Wednesday, August 15, 8:00 pm

PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAM: MADE IN CHICAGO

Director Terry Hines Jr. is scheduled to appear for audience discussion at both screenings.

2 4TH A N N UA L B L AC K H A RV E ST F I LM F E STI VA L

THE COLOR OF ART 2018, David Weathersby, USA, 60 min. Director Weathersby, whose survey of the NeoSoul movement GOT THE LOVE screened at the 2017 BHFF, returns with another account of grassroots creativity in Chicago’s African American community. With a lack of support from academia and the art establishment, Black artists have Saturday, August 18, 5:00 pm historically struggled for respect and recognition. This lively and informative documentary explores the present-day renaissance of Black art in Chicago, centered on neighborhoods such as Bronzeville and organizations such as the South Side Community Arts Center and the Hyde Park Art Center. Diverse and talented artists such as RJ Eldridge, Shyvette Williams, and Jesse Howard are profiled, but, rather than focusing on isolated creators, the film examines the ecosystem of artists, gallery owners, curators, and collectors that sustains the movement. There is a special emphasis on the relationships between artists and collectors, which are especially close and crucial in the Black arts movement. (MR) FF Director David Weathersby, art collector Patric McCoy, artist-curator Joyce Owens, and artist Raymond Thomas are scheduled to appear for audience discussion.

DETROIT 48202: CONVERSATIONS ALONG A POSTAL ROUTE 2018, Pam Sporn, USA, 99 min. Detroit mailman Wendell Watkins serves as an amiable guide in this anecdotal odyssey through the rise, fall, and nascent resurgence of Black working-class culture in his city. A postal worker of 26 years experience, Watkins daily traverses a Friday, August 24, 3:45 pm sprawling zip code that encompasses blocks of the neatly kept homes of a dwindling Black middle Sunday, August 26, 3:00 pm class, empty shells of abandoned businesses and factories, boarded-up apartment buildings, and weedy acres of newly vacant lots where houses once stood. Archival photographs and footage fill in the picture of the city’s waves of Black migration, segregation, the fight for auto industry jobs, and the growth of once-thriving Black neighborhoods and institutions. In telling Detroit’s story from a Black perspective, director Sporn creates a provocative portrait of a city staggering under economic blows yet still resisting an equality of opportunity that might be its salvation. DCP digital. (BS) FF Director Pam Sporn is scheduled to appear for audience discussion at both screenings.

G E N E S I S K E L F I LM C E NTE R

DID IT BEFORE 2017, Mamadou Sewa Bah, USA, 7 min. With Corin Clay, Ashley Manteca Appearing to be an old hand at “doing it” is the dubious goal of a college freshman planning to lose her virginity. (BS) Friday, August 17, 6:15 pm Saturday, August 18, 8:15 pm

PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAMS: LOVE AFRICAN AMERICAN STYLE

Director Mamadou Sewa Bah is scheduled to be present for audience discussion at both screenings.

EMBERS 2018, Prakshi Malik, USA, 9 min. With Tiffany Stone, Nickclette Izuegbu Two mothers of color with sons in trouble at school face the shock of racial profiling by a harsh high school administration. (BS) PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAMS: Tuesday, August 28, 6:00 pm WOMEN OF COLOR Wednesday, August 29, 8:00 pm FALLOU 2017, Alassane Sy, Senegal/UK, 30 min. A young Senegalese man in London becomes involved in a terrorist plot. In Wolof and English with English subtitles. (MR)

Thursday, August 9, 8:00 pm

PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAMS: INTERNATIONAL VISIONS

2 4TH A N N UA L B L AC K H A RV E ST F I LM F E STI VA L

THE G FORCE 2018, Pamela Sherrod Anderson, USA, 58 min. With the rising trend of grandparents stepping in to raise their children’s children when birth parents are unable, director Anderson (THE CURATORS OF DIXON SCHOOL) explores the phenomenon through the challenges, concerns, and joys of two unique Chicago families headed by grandmothers. Sunday, August 12, 3:00 pm “Grandma will tell you when you are wrong,” declares peppery Ellen Robinson, who dotes with Tuesday, August 14, 6:00 pm pride on teen grandson Patrick, even as she firmly models old-school values and insists on details like grace before meals. Grandmother Georgeanne Fischetti, who has raised young granddaughter Martha from birth, provides a home filled with warmth and laughter, and a surrogate granddad in her partner Bob. Love is the overriding message, but these loving elder parents also seek advice and peer support, and the film includes a profile of Evanston’s Second Chance Grandparent Writing Group, as well as interviews with experts in legal and social services in the field. HDCAM video. (BS) FF Director Pamela Sherrod Anderson and selected subjects of the film are scheduled to appear for audience discussion at both screenings. GLADYS BROWN 2017, Chad Scarborough, USA, 13 min. With Anna Maria Horsford, Ellie Lee In this crafty comedy, Gladys, the mainstay of her company, formulates a brilliant plan for one-upmanship when she gets passed over for advancement. (BS) PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAM: WOMEN OF COLOR

Tuesday, August 28, 6:00 pm Wednesday, August 29, 8:00 pm

Director Chad Scarborough and producer/writer Felecia Hunter are tentatively scheduled to appear for audience discussion at both screenings. GOOD KIDD 2017, Jamari Perry, USA, 15 min. Oakland teenager Justin tries to stay out of trouble, but his gun-toting older brother and a school bully are making that difficult. World premiere. (MR) PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAM: URBAN TALES

Thursday, August 16, 8:15 pm

Director Jamari Perry is tentatively scheduled to appear for audience discussion.

G E N E S I S K E L F I LM C E NTE R

GRACE 2017, Eboni Adams, USA, 17 min. With Eboni Adams, Allen Guidry An unemployed teacher juggling a job search with fulltime care for her elderly dad is so primed for a new shot of happiness in her life. (BS) Thursday, August 23, 6:00 pm

PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAM: FAMILY MATTERS

Director Eboni Adams is tentatively scheduled to appear for audience discussion.

GREEN DAYS BY THE RIVER 2017, Michael Mooleedhar, Trinidad & Tobago, 102 min. With Sudai Tafari, Anand Lawkaran, Vanessa Bartholomew, Nadia Kandhai

Friday, August 10, 2:00 pm Thursday, August 16, 6:15 pm

A Caribbean coming-of-age classic in the tradition of SUGAR CANE ALLEY, Michael Mooleedhar’s first feature is adapted from Michael Anthony’s acclaimed 1967 novel. Set in 1952, the story centers on the 15-year-old boy Shellie (Tafari), whose poor but closely knit family has recently relocated to a village in the Mayaro region of Trinidad. With his father seriously ill, Shellie acquires a surrogate father-figure in the wealthy plantation-owner Mr. Gidharee (Lawkaran), and he finds himself torn between Gidahree’s seductive half-Indian daughter Rosalie (Kandhai) and the more down-to-earth charms of out-of-town girl Joan (Bartholomew). But does Shellie really have a choice, or has a trap been laid for him from the very beginning? GREEN DAYS BY THE RIVER is a rich sensory experience, featuring a lush sense of place, a superb musiclaced soundtrack, and vividly colored, beautifully composed cinematography. (MR)

Producer-editor Christian C.P. James and production coordinator Kelly James are tentatively scheduled to appear for audience discussion on Friday. IMAN AND THE LIGHT WARRIORS 2017, Jarrett Woo, USA, 15 min. Dazzling special effects and magical realism enhance this tale of a ten-year-old boy in postrevolution Los Angeles. (MR)

Thursday, August 16, 8:15 pm

PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAM: URBAN TALES

2 4TH A N N UA L B L AC K H A RV E ST F I LM F E STI VA L

IRON FIVE 2018, Rino Liberatore, USA, 22 min. In 1963, the Loyola basketball team defied racial quotas and went on to play in what many consider the greatest NCAA final in history. (MR) PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAM: MADE IN CHICAGO

Saturday, August 11, 5:15 pm Wednesday, August 15, 8:00 pm

Director Rino Liberatore is scheduled to appear for audience discussion at both screenings. JINN 2017, Nijla Mu’min, USA, 92 min. With Zoe Renee, Simone Missick A lively 17-year old with a passion for fashion and social media has her world upended when her divorced, spiritually drifting mother Jade (Missick), a TV meteorologist, converts to Islam, bringing her daughter Summer (Renee of THE QUAD) into the fold by default. Ever-curious, Summer at Sunday, August 12, 5:15 pm first gamely adopts the hijab as a new adventure, Tuesday, August 14, 8:15 pm sweetened by a budding friendship with the Imam’s handsome son, but missteps, doubts, and reflection come later. Director Mu’min underlines the jinn reference of the film’s title, portraying this bright young woman as a quicksilver spirit slipping through many transformations as she seeks to find her real self-image and her own place in the order of things. Actress Zoe Renee shines with genuine star power in a characterization that is vibrant, believable, and full of heart. DCP digital. (BS) Director Nijla Mu’min is scheduled to appear for audience discussion with actress Zoe Renee and producer Avril Z on Sunday.

THE JUMP OFF 2017, Jovan James, USA, 5 min. With David A. Wallace A relationship on the down-low carries a mean backlash. (BS) PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAM: LOVE AFRICAN AMERICAN STYLE

Friday, August 17, 6:15 pm Saturday, August 18, 8:15 pm

G E N E S I S K E L F I LM C E NTE R

LALO’S HOUSE 2018, Kelley Kali, Haiti/USA, 25 min. Two sisters find themselves victims of child trafficking in a disturbing story based on true events. In Haitian Creole with English subtitles. (MR) Thursday, August 9, 8:00 pm

PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAM: INTERNATIONAL VISIONS

LOUISIANA 1961 2016, Bobby Huntley, USA, 13 min. With Byran Earl, Ashley John Honky-tonk blues and the vibe of a smoky roadhouse are the catalysts for a night of red-hot passion. (BS) Friday, August 17, 6:15 pm Saturday, August 18, 8:15 pm

PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAM: LOVE AFRICAN AMERICAN STYLE

Director Bobby Huntley is tentatively scheduled to appear for audience discussion.

MOTHS & BUTTERFLIES 2018, Alfonso Johnson, USA, 16 min. With Amaro Cheatom, Gillian Glasco Two lost souls may well be a perfect match if one of them can learn to trust again. (BS)

Friday, August 17, 6:15 pm Saturday, August 18, 8:15 pm

PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAM: LOVE AFRICAN AMERICAN STYLE

Director Alfonso Johnson is tentatively scheduled to appear for audience discussion. MYSELF WHEN I AM REAL 2017, Nefertite Nguve, USA, 13 min. With JoNell Kennedy, Jacky Ido A couple’s visit to a therapist may signal the last days of their marriage…or a new beginning. (BS)

Thursday, August 23, 6:00 pm

PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAM: FAMILY MATTERS

2 4TH A N N UA L B L AC K H A RV E ST F I LM F E STI VA L

AN ODE TO HAROLD 2017, Ashley Chrisman, USA, 11 min. At her father’s funeral, a young woman takes an unsentimental look back at their relationship. (MR) PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAM: MADE IN CHICAGO

Saturday, August 11, 5:15 pm Wednesday, August 15, 8:00 pm

Director Ashley Chrisman is scheduled to appear for audience discussion at both screenings. OFF PATH 2017, Rida Belghiat, France, 27 min. A woman’s determination to finish an endurance race on mountainous Reunion Island has a special motivation. In French with English subtitles. (MR) PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAM: INTERNATIONAL VISIONS

Thursday, August 9, 8:00 pm

ON MONDAY OF LAST WEEK 2018, Akosua Adoma Owusu, USA/Ghana, 14 min. With Karyn Parsons, Chinasa Ogbuagu Puzzlement and jealousy arise from the strained encounters between a newly hired nanny and the artist mother of her young charge. (BS) PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAM: WOMEN OF COLOR

Tuesday, August 28, 6:00 pm Wednesday, August 29, 8:00 pm

G E N E S I S K E L F I LM C E NTE R

ONE BEDROOM 2018, Darien Sills-Evans, USA, 83 min. With Darien Sills-Evans, Devin Nelson

Sunday, August 26, 5:30 pm Monday, August 27, 8:00 pm

Breaking up is hard to do, especially when there’s a New York City apartment involved. Melissa (Nelson) and Nate (director Sills-Evans) are a couple living together in a gentrifying Brooklyn neighborhood. As far as she’s concerned, it’s over. He still has hopes of patching it up, and, besides, she hasn’t moved out yet. Flashbacks trace the passionate beginnings of their relationship and the factors that led to its collapse. Did deejay Nate really sleep with that eager young fan? And, if so, was Melissa justified in having “retaliation” sex? Moving day arrives, and Melissa seems to waver, but her hostile brother and her supportive BFF push the needle in the other direction. Will she go, or will she stay? A rom-com with bite, ONE BEDROOM is sharply acted and written, as writer-director-actor Sills-Evans (“Treme,” “Superior Donuts,” US Cellular commercials) deftly juggles three different time frames to trace a cycle of reflection, recrimination, and regret. (MR)

Actor-director Darien Sills-Evans is scheduled to appear for audience discussion at both screenings. PEARL MOTEL 2017, Chris Jones, USA, 17 min. With Candace Taylor, Ryan Broussard Childhood playmates meet again as adults under circumstances that call up a flood of dark memories. (BS) PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAM: WOMEN OF COLOR Tuesday, August 28, 6:00 pm Wednesday, August 29, 8:00 pm Director Chris Jones is tentatively scheduled to appear for audience discussion.

2 4TH A N N UA L B L AC K H A RV E ST F I LM F E STI VA L

PERSONAL STATEMENT 2018, Juliane Dressner and Edwin Martinez, 88 min. This inspiring documentary follows three minority student leaders through their high school senior year as they face personal challenges to college acceptance, even while working to motivate their peers to apply. Enoch, a football player with the potential for an athletic scholarship, lives with his Friday, August 17, 4:00 pm sister and struggles to bring up his low grade-point Sunday, August 19, 3:00 pm average while his mother resides in a homeless shelter. Biracial Christina meets with family resistance to her college plans. Karoline, an LGBTQ student, has been subjected to bullying and harassment while overcoming academic obstacles. The three forge a new path as counselors to their classmates, providing motivational guidance to college application, even as their own futures hang in the balance. DCP digital. (BS) FF Directors Juliane Dressner and Edwin Martinez are tentatively scheduled to appear for audience discussion at both screenings. PIECES OF DAVID 2017, Lawrence Lee Wallace, USA, 118 min. With Cynda Williams, Anita Nicole Brown, T.C. Rose You might say that the eponymous David is a generalist when it comes to women. Rather than specializing, why not spread the wealth among several, each with a distinct flavor of her own: say, Friday, August 24, 8:30 pm a club-hopping party girl, a fresh-faced coed, a business-savvy lawyer, and a quiet homebody. It’s Tuesday, August 28, 8:30 pm a seemingly ideal arrangement--that is, unless all four unexpectedly show up at the same time. A knife is grabbed, a scuffle ensues, and, the next thing you know, David is dead. Now the four lovely accomplices are faced with the dilemma of how to dispose of the corpse--until one of them asks, “What do you expect us to do? Cut up his body and throw it in the lake?” Easier said than done... Black Harvest vet Wallace (SUNSHINE DAY, THIS IS NOT CHIRAQ) returns with his most ambitious production to date, a bawdy, bloody black comedy with a lively cast headed by Cynda Williams of MO’ BETTER BLUES and ONE FALSE MOVE. (MR) Director Lawrence Lee Wallace and selected members of the cast and crew are scheduled to appear for audience discussion at both screenings.

G E N E S I S K E L F I LM C E NTE R

THE POLYAMORIST 2018, Vick Lee, USA, 24 min. With two men and one woman eager to bed her, Morgan is determined to pursue her love life on her own terms. (MR)

Saturday, August 11, 5:15 pm Wednesday, August 15, 8:00 pm

PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAM: MADE IN CHICAGO

Director Vick Lee is scheduled to appear for audience discussion at both screenings. RIVERMENT 2018, Shayla Racquel, USA, 19 min. With Diane Powell, Nicolette Ali Wright A family’s tradition of activism comes full circle, but not without triggering fears on the part of the older generation. (BS) Saturday, August 4, 7:00 pm Thursday, August 23, 6:00 pm

PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAM: • A BLACK HARVEST FEAST • FAMILY MATTERS

Director Shayla Racquel is tentatively scheduled to appear on August 4. SHOTGUN WEDDING 2018, Derek Dow, USA, 19 min. With Lina Green, Thomas Hobson Juneteenth becomes a day of showdown for a couple reaching a critical turning point in their relationship. (BS) PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAM: Saturday, August 4, 7:00 pm • A BLACK HARVEST FEAST Tuesday, August 28, 6:00 pm • WOMEN OF COLOR Wednesday, August 29, 8:00 pm Director Derek Dow is scheduled to appear for audience discussion at all screenings.

2 4TH A N N UA L B L AC K H A RV E ST F I LM F E STI VA L

SINGLEVILLE 2018, Meleisha J. Edwards and Mary McCallum, USA, 68 min. With Tamiko Robinson Steele, Mary McCallum, Molly Breen Singledom sucks for three feisty ladies with stories to tell and male egos to skewer in this raucously funny mockumentary that boasts an all-female cast. Three bachelorette pals beat a clutch of contenders Friday, August 24, 6:30 pm Saturday, August 25, 8:30 pm to become subjects of a low-budget documentary on single life. Number One is coming off a bad breakup; Two theoretically sets her sights on Brad Pitt; and Three was ditched by a longterm beau who wouldn’t commit. Parody is the name of the game as filmmakers Edwards and McCallum conjure up a host of goofy male stereotypes in flashbacks, pickup scenarios, and TV show satires, including “Blackorette,” the reality show “Creepers,” and “Rap Stars of Love,” with the three women gleefully trading off the male impersonations. DCP digital. (BS) Comedy collective B.A.P.S. Comedy will perform before the Friday screening. Art “Chat Daddy” Sims from WVON 1690AM’s Real Talk, Real People with Chat Daddy will host the Black Harvest “Dating Game” immediately following the Saturday screening. SPARKS 2017, Tony Ducret, USA, 14 min. With Dashawn Barnes, Jeremy Spencer An engagement party reunites two old flames, who discover that taking a second look comes with a price. (BS) PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAM: LOVE AFRICAN AMERICAN STYLE

Friday, August 17, 6:15 pm Saturday, August 18, 8:15 pm

Director Tony Ducret is tentatively scheduled to appear for audience discussion at both screenings. STILL WATER RUNS DEEP 2017, Abbesi Akhamie, Nigeria/USA, 15 min. With Toyin Oshinaike, Rita Edward An unbending father in search of his prodigal son reflects too little and too late in this Nigerian tale. (BS) PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAM: FAMILY MATTERS

Thursday, August 23, 6:00 pm

G E N E S I S K E L F I LM C E NTE R

STUCK 2018, Praheme, USA, 17 min. With Javicia Leslie, Hari Williams A comically impulsive hookup turns out to have staying power for the surprised lovers. (BS)

Saturday, August 4, 7:00 pm Friday, August 17, 6:15 pm Saturday, August 18, 8:15 pm

PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAM: • A BLACK HARVEST FEAST • LOVE AFRICAN AMERICAN STYLE

Director Praheme is scheduled to appear on August 4. SUITABLE 2017, Thembi L. Banks, USA, 15 min. With Kelli Jordan, Tiffany Tenille Recognizing the difference between love and friendship on prom night requires a leap of faith for two BFFs. (BS) Friday, August 17, 6:15 pm Saturday, August 18, 8:15 pm

PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAM: LOVE AFRICAN AMERICAN STYLE

THEN THERE WAS JOE 2018, Justin Warren, USA, 102 min. With Ray Grady, Justin Warren, James “Butch” Warren

Tuesday, August 7, 8:00 pm Wednesday, August 8, 8:00 pm

This highly entertaining blend of raucous comedy and heartfelt sentiment centers on the clashing personalities of two Arkansas brothers. Lawstudent Ben is strait-laced stickler who does everything right. Black-sheep older brother Joe is a smooth-talking operator who does everything wrong--most recently, getting arrested for a bungled robbery at a bowling alley filled with schoolchildren. The boys’ father, who happens to be a judge, puts Joe in Ben’s custody in the hope of bringing the mismatched siblings closer together. It isn’t long before Joe’s escapades put Ben’s bar exam and wedding proposal in jeopardy, as he is drawn into a world of car thieves, prostitutes, and coke dealers. For his feature debut, filmmaker Warren (who plays Ben) based the story on his own relationship with his brother Justin (who collaborated on the screenplay), while casting their real-life father as the judge. Justin was originally supposed to play Joe, but, when he went on the lam, his shoes were ably filled by stand-up comedian Ray Grady, who brings charisma and comic energy to the juicy role of Joe. (MR)

Actor-director Justin Warren and actor Ray Grady are scheduled to appear for audience discussion at both screenings. 30

2 4TH A N N UA L B L AC K H A RV E ST F I LM F E STI VA L

THIS ONE’S FOR THE LADIES 2018, Gene Graham, USA, 83 min. Ladies’ night out is an X-rated experience savored with good-humor and shared sisterhood in this documentary exploring the unique culture of a New Jersey nightclub featuring African American male strippers for the delectation of an avid female clientele. Dancers with stage names like Rawdawg, Tyga, Satan, and Fever get down to Tuesday, August 21, 6:15 pm bare-butt basics in provocative acrobatic routines Wednesday, August 22, 8:00 pm in the true spirit of the art of burlesque, and play peekaboo with what is seen and not seen. Director Graham goes behind the raucous glittery spectacle for a look at the lives of performers, and interviews the family-focused women who form their fan base and see a night at the club as a joyous affirmation of Black female desire. DCP digital. (BS) The Wednesday screening is in partnership with HWO Incorporated & Silver Back World LLC.

TRAINING WHEELS 2018, Sanicole, USA, 15 min. A father needs to prove himself when his little girl’s bike is stolen. (MR) PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAM: • A BLACK HARVEST FEAST • MADE IN CHICAGO

Saturday, August 4, 7:00 pm Saturday, August 11, 5:15 pm Wednesday, August 15, 8:00 pm

Director Sanicole is scheduled to appear for audience discussion at all screenings. WAR PAINT 2017, Katrelle N. Kindred, USA, 17 min. L.A. teenager Kianna finds independence in short supply when she goes out on her own on Independence Day. (MR) PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAM: URBAN TALES

Thursday, August 16, 8:15 pm

Director Katrelle N. Kindred is scheduled to appear for audience discussion.

G E N E S I S K E L F I LM C E NTE R

WE LOVE MOSES 2016, Dionne Edwards, UK, 15 min. A 12-year-old girl’s sexual curiosity fastens on her older brother’s friend Moses, but she still has a lot to learn. (MR) PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAM: INTERNATIONAL VISIONS

Thursday, August 9, 8:00 pm

WHERE THE WATER RUNS 2017, DuBois Ashong, USA, 25 min. A water-delivery truck driver finds himself caught between the authorities and the activists as a massive drought intensifies class divisions in Los Angeles. (MR) PLAYS IN SHORTS PROGRAM: URBAN TALES

Thursday, August 16, 8:15 pm

Director DuBois Ashong is scheduled to appear for audience discussion.

Find yourself here.

Memberships start at just $100 steppenwolf.org/membership | 312-335-1650 32

2 4TH A N N UA L B L AC K H A RV E ST F I LM F E STI VA L

Without a Heart, it’s just a machine. So in 1971, a little Heart built a different kind of airline—one that made sure everyone could fly. Everyone has important places to go. So we invented low-fares to help them get there. To us, you’re not 1A or 17B. You’re a person with a name, like Steve. Here, we think everyone deserves to feel special, no matter where you sit or how much you fly. And with all the places we’re going next, we’ll always put you first, because our love of People is still our most powerful fuel. Some say we do things differently. We say, why would we do things any other way? Without a Heart, it’s just a machine. Southwest Airlines® is proud to support the Black Harvest Film Festival.

G E N E S I S K E L F I LM C E NTE R

FILM & VIDEO SOURCE INFORMATION

ALI & CAVETT: THE TALE OF THE TAPES

rbader@dickcavettshow.com

ANIMATOR

robertatjones@comcast.net

THE AREA

www.theareafilm.com

BETTY: THEY SAY I’M DIFFERENT

WWW.NASTYGALMOVIE.COM

BODEGA

donnamaugustin@gmail.com

A BOY, A GIRL, A DREAM

taylor@samuelgoldwyn.com

BRIXTON ROCK

kcilegal@hotmail.com

BURNING ANGEL DUST

www.burningangeldust.com

CHI-TOWN

nick.budabin@gmail.com

CIVIC MIND

Adonis.direct@gmail.com

THE COLLEGE GRADUATE

tshinesjr@gmail.com

THE COLOR OF ART

david@cityvanguard.com

DETROIT 48202...

pamsporn@gmail.com

DID IT BEFORE

mamadou@701studio.org

EMBERS

Prakshimalik11@gmail.com

FALLOU

festival@sudu.film

THE G FORCE

graceworks@yahoo.com

GLADYS BROWN

feleciahunter@gmail.com

GOOD KIDD

jdotperry@gmail.com

GRACE

eboniadams@gmail.com

GREEN DAYS BY THE RIVER

www.greendaysbytheriver.com

IMAN AND THE LIGHT WARRIORS

Osahon.tongo@gmail.com

IRON FIVE

Rino.liberatore@gmail.com

JINN

azuspeak@gmail.com

THE JUMP OFF

Jaj442@nyu.edu

LALO’S HOUSE

Kelleykali.usc@gmail.com

LOUISIANA 1961

bhuntleyfilms@gmail.com

MOTHS & BUTTERFLIES

Alfonso.w.johnson@gmail.com

MYSELF WHEN I AM REAL

Nefertite.nguvu@hollywoodafricans.com

AN ODE TO HAROLD

Ashley.r.chrisman@gmail.com

OFF PATH

Belghiat.rida@gmail.com

ON MONDAY OF LAST WEEK

Obibini.pictures@gmail.com

ONE BEDROOM

dsillsevans@gmail.com

PEARL MOTEL

www.chrisjonesofficial.com/film

PERSONAL STATEMENT

jdressner@gmail.com

2 4TH A N N UA L B L AC K H A RV E ST F I LM F E STI VA L PIECES OF DAVID

Studio.chi@gmail.com

THE POLYAMORIST

Tickfilms1@gmail.com

RIVERMENT

shaylaracquel@gmail.com

SHOTGUN WEDDING

derekddow@gmail.com

SINGLEVILLE

singlevillethemovie@gmail.com

SPARKS

Tony.ducret@gmail.com

STILL WATER RUNS DEEP

Abbesi.akhamie@gmail.com

STUCK

praheme@gmail.com

SUITABLE

Thembi.banks@gmail.com

THEN THERE WAS JOE

www.thentherewasjoe.com

THIS ONE’S FOR THE LADIES

claire@neonrated.com

TRAINING WHEELS

sanicoleworks@gmail.com

WAR PAINT

Kkindred05@gmail.com

WE LOVE MOSES

gjmgoggin@gmail.com

WHERE THE WATER RUNS

Dubois.ashong27@gmail.com

C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S

FELLOWS:

We are proud to be a sponsor for the 23rd Annual Black Harvest Film Festival.

PA M E L A S H E R R O D A N D E R S O N ( 2 0 1 3 ) The G-Force + D AV I D W E AT H E R S B Y ( 2 0 1 8 ) The Color of Art

is a professional mentorship and development program for Midwester n documentary filmmakers of color. Applications for DVID 2019 open fall 2018.

w w w. k a r t e m q u i n . c o m / d i v e r s e v o i c e s

bmowealthmanagement.com BMO and BMO Financial Group are trade names used by Bank of Montreal. BMO Wealth Management is a brand name that refers to BMO Harris Bank N.A. and certain of its affiliates that provide certain investment, investment advisory, trust, banking, securities, insurance and brokerage products and services. BMO Private Bank is a brand name used in the United States by BMO Harris Bank N.A. Member FDIC. Not all products and services are available in every state and/or location. Investment products are: NOT FDIC INSURED – NOT BANK GUARANTEED – NOT A DEPOSIT – MAY LOSE VALUE. © 2017 BMO Financial Group. All rights reserved

G E N E S I S K E L F I LM C E NTE R

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE SATURDAY

AUG

7:00 PM

Opening Night: A Black Harvest Feast

SUNDAY

5:00 PM

ALI & CAVETT: THE TALE OF THE TAPES

MONDAY

8:00 PM

ALI & CAVETT: THE TALE OF THE TAPES

TUESDAY

8:00 PM

THEN THERE WAS JOE

WEDNESDAY

8:00 PM

THEN THERE WAS JOE

THURSDAY

8:00 PM

Shorts Program: International Visions

FRIDAY

2:00 PM

GREEN DAYS BY THE RIVER

6:30 PM

A BOY, A GIRL, A DREAM

8:30 PM

CHI-TOWN

5:15 PM

Shorts Program: Made in Chicago

8:15 PM

A BOY, A GIRL, A DREAM

3:00 PM

THE G FORCE

5:15 PM

JINN

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

8:00 PM

CHI-TOWN

TUESDAY

6:00 PM

THE G FORCE

8:15 PM

JINN

WEDNESDAY

8:00 PM

Shorts Program: Made in Chicago

THURSDAY

6:15 PM

GREEN DAYS BY THE RIVER

8:15 PM

Shorts Program: Urban Tales

4:00 PM

PERSONAL STATEMENT

6:15 PM

Shorts Program: Love African American Style

8:30 PM

ANIMATOR

5:00 PM

THE COLOR OF ART

8:15 PM

Shorts Program: Love African American Style

3:00 PM

PERSONAL STATEMENT

5:30 PM

BETTY: THEY SAY I’M DIFFERENT

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

8:00 PM

BETTY: THEY SAY I’M DIFFERENT

TUESDAY

6:15 PM

THIS ONE’S FOR THE LADIES

8:15 PM

ANIMATOR

2 4TH A N N UA L B L AC K H A RV E ST F I LM F E STI VA L

WEDNESDAY

8:00 PM

THIS ONE’S FOR THE LADIES

THURSDAY

6:00 PM

Shorts Program: Family Matters

8:30 PM

THE AREA

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

3:45 PM

DETROIT 48202

6:30 PM

SINGLEVILLE

8:30 PM

PIECES OF DAVID

5:30 PM

Action! The Real Deal About Filmmaking

8:30 PM

SINGLEVILLE

3:00 PM

DETROIT 48202

5:30 PM

ONE BEDROOM

MONDAY

8:00 PM

ONE BEDROOM

TUESDAY

6:00 PM

Shorts Program: Women of Color

8:30 PM

PIECES OF DAVID

WEDNESDAY

6:00 PM

Shorts Program: Women of Color

THURSDAY

6:30 PM

Closing Night: FEAR OF A BLACK HAT

JACKIE TAYLOR’S B E T

STARRING

RICK STONE

WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY

JACKIE TAYLOR

Join Ricky and his regulars Dwight, Theo, Rhonda, Cynthia, Kelvin and Harmonica singing the blues made famous by the greatest blues artists of all time. CALL 773-769-4451 OR VISIT BLACKENSEMBLE.ORG

DISCOVER REAL POSSIBILITIES IN ILLINOIS. AARP is in Illinois creating real, meaningful change. We’re proud to help all our communities become the best they can be. Providing family caregivers with tips to take care of loved ones, helping to make our communities more livable and hosting fun, informative events all across the state. Get to know us at aarp.org/il

/AARPIllinois @aarpillinois

Real Possibilities is a trademark of AARP.

G E N E S I S K E L F I LM C E NTE R

Filmmaker PROGRAM

THE YEARLONG The Harold Ramis Film School at The Second City is the first and only filmmaking program of its kind. Over the course of the year, students are exposed to comedy theory, the ins and outs of comedy film production, screenwriting, improv, and master seminars with A-list industry pros. Who is the ideal student? Anyone who loves comedy and has a tireless need to create. Whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re just graduating from college or are looking to make a career leap, people of all experience levels and backgrounds are welcome here. For additional information on the application process or materials, the curriculum, our payment plan, or to schedule a tour, contact us today. Email: admissions@secondcity.com Phone: (312) 883-1241 Online: ramisfilmschool.com APPLICATION DUE DATES May 15, 2018 (Start Fall 2018: Sept. 4, 2018 - Aug. 16, 2019) September 15, 2018 (Start Winter 2019: Jan. 21, 2019 - Dec. 13, 2019)

2 4TH A N N UA L B L AC K H A RV E ST F I LM F E STI VA L

IS PROUD TO SUPPORT THE

BLACK HARVEST FILM FESTIVAL

G E N E S I S K E L F I LM C E NTE R

2 4TH A N N UA L B L AC K H A RV E ST F I LM F E STI VA L

SPECIAL OFFERS

The Gene Siskel Film Center would like to thank the following partners for their support of the Black Harvest Film Festival. Discounts are specific to the business listed. Offers valid August 4-30. BUSINESS

DEAL

ACEBOUNCE 230 N. Clark St., Corner of Clark & Wacker acebounce.com/chicago

Show your ticket for 1 hour complimentary ping pong (up to a $39 value); Offer good August 4-30; please reference the Black Harvest Film Festival (BHFF) when making reservations. Tables are based on availablility.

CAMBRIA CHICAGO LOOP THEATRE DISTRICT 32 W. Randolph St. cambriachicagoloop.com

Direct-book now and receive 10% off. Book using link: https://tinyurl.com/cambriadeal

FREEHAND HOTELS CHICAGO 19 E. Ohio St. freehandhotels.com/chicago

20% off best available room rates and a 15% discount at the F&B outlets for confirmed guests. To book, visit: goo.gl/ywaE2S or call 312-940-3699 and reference SISKEL.

HILTON GARDEN INN CHICAGO/ NORTH LOOP 66 E. Wacker Place chicagonorthloop.hgi.com

20% off best available rate and a 10% discount off drinks at the bar for confirmed guests. Please enter 3188095 next to the Corporate Rate Code to receive the discount.

SUGAR BLISS CAKE BOUTIQUE 115 N. Wabash Ave. sugarblisscakes.com

Show your ticket/ticket stub for a 10% off your purchase at both locations.

Enjoy 50% off drinks at Intermission, which is open until 11:00 pm every day. Must show festival ticket/ticket stub or pass to receive discount.

SUGAR BLISS PATISSERIE 122 S. Wabash Ave. www.sugarblisspatisserie.com

THE WHITEHALL HOTEL 105 E. Delaware Place www.TheWhitehallHotel.com

105 E D ELAWARE P LACE , C HICAGO , IL 60611

Rate discount for guests of the Black Harvest Film Festival. Please contact Michael Foster, Senior Sales Manager, at 312-573-6214 for more information.

WWW .T HE W HITEHALL H OTEL . COM

ALSO SUPPORT THE FOLLOWING PARTNERS: TONI PATISSERIE & CAFE 65 E. Washington St.

BLAZE PIZZA 511 S. State St.

PRET A MANGER â&#x20AC;&#x201D; BLOCK 37 108 N. State St.

charles white a retrospective

Through September 3 Charles White: A Retrospective is organized by the Art Institute of Chicago and The Museum of Modern Art in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Lead foundation support for the Art Institute of Chicago presentation is provided by the Henry Luce Foundation.

Lead individual sponsorship for the Art Institute of Chicago presentation is generously contributed by Denise and Gary Gardner. Corporate Sponsors

Charles White: A Retrospective is part of Art Design Chicago, an initiative of the Terra Foundation for American Art exploring Chicagoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s art and design legacy, with presenting partner The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation.

This exhibition is funded by the Terra Foundation for American Art. Additional support is contributed by Chuck and Kathy Harper. Annual support for Art Institute exhibitions is provided by the Exhibitions Trust. Charles White, printed by Robert Blackburn. Gideon, 1951. Margaret Fisher Fund. ÂŠ The Charles White Archives Inc.