Gene Siskel Film Center’s 22nd Black Harvest Film Festival starts with a double-whammy program pre-opening party tonight, Aug. 5 and then rolls on with 50 independent narrative and doc features and short films from the US and around the world, through Sept. 1.
At the “See” party, a sneak preview of the 2016 festival will be revealed at ACTIVATE 170 n. State in Couch Alley, just north of the Film Center, followed by a 9:30 p.m. party of Price’s classic “Purple Rain.
Admission is free to ACTIVATE, a place-making initiative of the Chicago Loop Alliance; “Purple Rain, $5. To attend, RSVP here.
Saturday’s Opening Night Celebration, emceed by NBC/5’s LeeAnn Trotter, is “A black Harvest Feast,” honoring past and present Black Harvest filmmakers through six short films. A reception immediately follows at the Joffrey Tower, 120 E. Randolph, home of the Joffrey Ballet Chicago.
Special admission, including the reception is $25, students $20 and members $15. Screening proceeds benefit Film Center educational programs.
Screening Sunday, Aug. 7 and Monday, Aug. 8 is Oscar-nominated director Tod Lending’s feature doc, “All the Difference.”
Filmed over five-and-a-half years, it follows two young black men from Englewood as they struggle to attend college against all odds to be among the 16% of African American men who graduate from college.
Premieres of Chicago/chicago area-made filmes
Out of Black Harvest’s 50 selected films, 19 were produced by Chicago/Chicago-area filmmakers. These 12 are shorts:
William Adams: “A 3rd First”
Samuel Wofford:”A Roadtrip”
Olivia Peace: “Pangaea”
Weichao Xu: “Nia and Cheryl”
David J. Miller: “Crossroads: Choices and Consequences”
Jonathan Rhodes: “Hi Mom”
Derek Dow: “The Big Chop”
Sanicole: “Side Effects”
Angela Y. Dugan: “Jermaine”
Eleva Singleton: “Shinemen”
Bryan Willis: “Decision”
N.K. Gutierrez: “The Last New Year”
These seven are feature length:
Bob Hercules and Rita Coburn Whack: “Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise” (Aug. 22 screening sold out, returns Sept. 16-29)
Tod Lending – “All the Difference”
Mallory Sohmer and Kate Benzschawel: “Walk All Night: A Drumbeat Journey”
Lawrence Lee Wallace and The SpinArtist: “This is not Chi-Raq,” (the locally-made series pilot)
Seckeita Lewis: “Jerico”
David J. Steiner: “Saving Barbara Sizemore”
Lawrence Lee Wallace: “Sunshine Day”
At 164 N. State. Tickets and festival passes may be purchased here.
