mandrake society radio » Film

UK theater company, The Red Room, presents GAY AFRICA

JW Richard — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 15:59:25 +0000

Just received a note from Topher Campbell, the Artistic Director of London-based theater company, The Red Room, about a exciting and daring event happening February 28 called GAY AFRICA. In partnership with fellow London-based free speech and human rights organization, English PEN, GAY AFRICA is a free event that will bring together a mix of artists and activists from Africa and the Caribbean. It promises to be an evening of provocative performance and passionate debate. The event will be held at the Free Word Centre, Farringdon, 60 Farringdon Road, in London.

Among the questions and discussions to be considered are the role of American Christian Right supporting homophobia in Africa, whether South Africa in is practice extending human rights protections to its lesbian and gay citizens, and whether activists from the West help or hinder African lesbians and gays.

A list of performers and special guests to date include:

Bisi Alimi (Nigerian LGBT Activist)
Campbell (Filmmaker/Curator)
Gaylene Gould (Broadcaster)
Inua Ellams (Performance Poet)
Keith Jarrett (Performance Poet)
Lee Jasper (Black Human Rights Activist)
Mojisola Adebayo (Writer/Performer)
Phyll Opoku (UK Black Pride)
Rhymes Won’t Wait Collective
Rowland Jide Macaulay (House of Rainbow)
Shaun Newport (Pride London)
Skye Chirape (Rwandan LGBT Activist)
John Bosco (Uganda LGBT Activist)
Michela Sanyanjo (Uganda Human Rights Activist)

I personally would love to be there, given the nature of the questions I’ve posed here on the blog. So, if you’re in the vicinity of the event, don’t miss out! To get the latest updates on the event, visit The Red Room website.

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Texas gay filmmaker, Marlon Riggs, celebrated this weeked at South Dallas Cultural Center

JW Richard — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:01:22 +0000

This weekend in Dallas, February 19 -21, Black Cinematheque Dallas, along with Fahari Arts Institute, DFW Senators, and Mandrake Arts & Media will be hosting a Marlon Riggs Film Festival. The films and shorts begin at 7pm each night at the South Dallas Cultural Center, 3400 S. Fitzhugh in Dallas and nightly entry fee is $10.

Riggs brought a core expression of black gay love and acceptance like never before with his film, “Tongues Untied”. This groundbreaking work is featured on Friday evening and is a must see for serious admirers of queer cinema. Following the films each night will be a riveting discussion conducted by different moderators each night. Here is a sample of “Tongues Untied”.

On Saturday, February 20th, Fahari Arts Institute will feature three shorts as a part of the Arts and AIDS program series. The Arts and AIDS program is designed to utilize the ARTS as a medium for AIDS outreach, prevention and treatment, by provoking dialogue and community engagement, supporting HIV+ artists, and preserving the rich legacy of those artists who have died as a result of the AIDS epidemic.

Among the films shown Saturday night will be Marlon Riggs’ “No Regret (Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien)” and a work by Julian Breece called, “The Young and Evil”. While Riggs’ film focuses on five sero-positives black gay men speak of their individual confrontation with AIDS, Breece’s film is a story about a defiant teen sets out to seduce an HIV prevention advocate into giving him the virus. Free HIV testing will be available. The following is a trailer of “The Young and Evil”.

Sunday, February 21, we will feature Riggs last film, “Black is, Black Ain’t”, which had to be completed by his co-director and friends due to his untimely death in 1994, due to complications with the AIDS virus.

All three nights promise great queer cinema, conversation, and healing. Come and be a part of it!

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Trailers for upcoming Texas Black Film Festival in Dallas

JW Richard — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:40:49 +0000

Since Dallas is hosting the Creating Change event at the downtown Sheraton hotel, a lot of my energy has been focused on that here at the blog. However, John Meyer and the gang at Pegasus News grabbed some great trailers for this year’s Texas Black Film Festival screenings happening February 4 – 6 at the Studio Movie Grill. This year’s theme is “Peace through Independent Film” and unlike my concern with last year’s film festival, this year’s late night shorts at least holds some same-gender loving intrigue with the film, Nobody Has to Know, screening as a part of the Late Night Short Film Series at 10pm on Friday, February 5th. The film features music by American classical musician, Paul Sayed. From the way the trailer is set up though, it looks as if it’s back to the “down low” from mainstream Black film audiences. Or is it?

Another film that is catching my eye is, “Herskovits: at the Heart of Blackness”. The film is about Jewish anthopologist, Melville Herskovits, and his founding research into the field of African-American studies. The trailer is below the flyer.

More information on this year’s screenings, times, and cost at the Texas Black Film Festival website.

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Podcast: Thinking about human rights

JW Richard — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:44:06 +0000

A short show as the first Mandrake Society Radio podcast of 2010, and I’m thinking about Bayard Rustin and his work towards international human rights, which include economic rights, social rights, cultural rights, developmental rights, environmental rights, and sexual rights. Some links for today’s show:

J*Davey‘s track can be found at Bandcamp as a free download (for now-don’t sleep)!
The quoted article at Americablog.
More on International Declaration of Human Rights
More on International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD)
More on International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
More of Convention Against Torture (CAT)
More on Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
Be sure to catch the full interview with Motown/Universal’s, Jada, at popolio.com.
Earn Up to a $200 Gift Coupon at MusiciansFriend.com (coupon: GETNEW, exp: 1/26)

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Campy horror flick fundraiser begins Wednesday, 12/16 in Dallas

JW Richard — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:40:15 +0000

This just in from local organizers of the 22nd Annual Creating Change conference coming to Dallas on February 3-7, 2010:

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and local filmmaker Israel Luna join forces to bring Dallas a brand new series of monthly screenings called EYE-SCREAM MOVIE SCREENINGS to help raise money for the upcoming 22nd National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change from February 3-7.

“When the task force approached me about a fundraising idea I jumped at the chance.” says Luna. “When I pitched them the idea of screening freaky, outside-the-box types of movies they didn’t flinch and said, ‘We love it!’ It made me that much more excited to do it.”

The first film chosen is the 1984 cult classic SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT about a tormented teenager going on a murderous rampage dressed as Santa due to his witnessing of his parents’ murders and consequent stay at an orphanage where he was abused by the Mother Superior.

Beau Heyen, one of the Host Committee Co-Chair says, “Through these screenings we hope to celebrate the amazing talent we have in Dallas and get everyone excited as we prepare to showcase our city and community for the conference in February.”

Luna proudly adds, “Topless women impaled by antlers, beheadings on a sled and gratuitous sex. What more could you want from a Christmas movie?”

Screenings are at Studio Movie Grill (75/Royal location) at 7:30pm hosted by local entertainer Jenna Skyy.

This screening will be “pay what you want” to help create a buzz for their future screenings. To find out more you can find them on Facebook under EYE-SCREAM MOVIE SCREENINGS or you can find out more about the task force by going to TheTaskForce.org.

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