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By Indie Means Necessary

The BlackStar Film Festival is an annual celebration of the visual and storytelling traditions of the African diaspora and of global indigenous communities, showcasing films by black people from around the world.

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Random Acts of Flyness: @terencenance and @NaimaRamChap discuss making the show! Read: https://t.co/XpdWyuvfFu https://t.co/ivcduJZcPE

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  • “I think that the first time I picked up that camera, I thought, ‘Oh, O.K. This is my tool. This is it,’” — Carrie Mae Weems. . . . 📷: 1. Photograph by @MickaleneThomas. Styled by @shionat for @nytimes —————————————————————- 2. The singer Eartha Kitt.” Credit Carrie Mae Weems, “Slow Fade to Black #1 (Eartha),” 2009-2010. © Carrie Mae Weems. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York
  • @mahershalaali will star in season 3 of HBO’s #TrueDetective which will start airing on January 13, 2019. Swipe to see a first look of Ali as Detective Wayne Hays. TD3 is set in the Ozarks and takes place over multiple decades, focusing on a “macabre crime.” . . Source: @vulture
  • Director Stella Meghie is on board to direct, “American Princess,” a comedy starring Issa Rae. The film centers on an American woman (@IssaRae) who moves to London, where she’s drawn into a world of wealth and high society and falls in love in a very unexpected way. The script was written by Amy Aniobi (@janiobi), a scribe who has worked with Rae on #Insecure as a writer/co-executive producer. ______________________________________________ @stellameghie made her feature directorial debut with “Jean of the Joneses,” which earned her a first screenplay nomination at the 2017 Independent Spirit Awards. Her most recent film, “The Weekend,” premiered in September at the Toronto International Film Festival, and Meghie is developing “The Photograph,” a family drama, with producer Will Packer (@willpowerpacker) at Universal. ______________________________________________ Source: @hollywoodreporter 📷: Maarten de Boer for @variety; @tiff_net / Andréanne Gauthier
  • “I would love the opportunity as an actor to be able to just get down and dirty in a project that has myself, Thandie Newton, Viola Davis, and Alfre Woodard. I don’t know what the hell that is, but I know that is powerful right there. The fact that I’m in a place of power that I can help make that happen [means] I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.” — @iamreginaking, as told to @variety. . . 📷: @tiff_net / Andréanne Gauthier
  • “In thinking about what I wanted to do for a first feature, I decided that I wanted to go back to my roots and do something that’s truthful. I thought about my favorite first features and what’s attainable, that I could do with basically no money. “Amores Perros” came up as a film that I love, and that got me thinking about the idea of perspective and how I would take that conversation that I had and add something to the short film. That’s what led me down this pathway of, what can I do that can add to that conversation? That’s how the triptych structure was born. We don’t really have triptych movies that focus on black and brown people, so I thought this would be really interesting. It also played on that perspective. So, I started looking at movies, like “Amores Perros” and “The Place Beyond the Pines,” to see where and how they transitioned. I went through a process, investigating my own interest level in these characters, each pulled from different people or scenarios in my life, to come up with what you see in the film.” — Reinaldo Marcus Green, Director of @monstersandmenfilm __________________________________________ Pulled straight from recent headlines, "Monsters and Men" follows three black men as their lives are impacted by the death of another black man by a white police officer. Anthony Ramos and John David Washington play a new father who recorded the death and black cop in the same precinct as the shooter, respectively. The cast also includes Chanté Adams, Nicole Beharie and Rob Morgan.
  • Missed out on getting your #BlackStar18 catalog during the festival? Grab one at @theundergroundmuseum in LA, @ulisesbooks in Philly or @sankofadc in DC! _____________________________________ ⠀ The catalog features conversations with directors Haile Gerima, Reina Gossett, Nijla Mu’min, Naima Ramos-Chapman and Darius Clark Monroe. Reviews of Under Bone, Two Parts Black, Random Acts of Flyness, Fucked Like a Star and Mr. Soul!
  • Many congrats to our designer @andreapippins on the release of her book, “We Inspire Me.” Our festival director, @maorikarmael, is one of the book’s contributors! ____________________________________________________________ 📖 About: The best thing a creative person can have is a crew of friends, allies, and mentors to support them. Packed with inspiration and ideas from author-illustrator Andrea Pippins, this is a one-of-a-kind handbook for doers and makers looking to expand and nourish their creative community. Drawing on her own network of talented artists, designers, and friends, Pippins offers tips on how to: reach out to your heroes; use your art or work to empower your community; learn about a new culture and shake up your perspective; take a class, join a team, plan brunch—have fun! And she delivers her advice in style. Colorful pages feature patterns, portraits, and hand-lettered quotes alongside tips for fostering genuine connections and supportive relationships. ____________________________________________________________ 🌟 If you’d like to purchase visit: chroniclebooks.com/titles/we-inspire-me.html
  • Winner of Best Narrative Feature and Favorite Narrative Feature at #BlackStar18, “Jinn” will be released theatrically on November 15 and on VOD and Digital HD on November 16. “‘Jinn’ is a coming of age film that deals with the struggles to find one’s true identity amidst familial and religious influences,” said @nijla1, a California Institute of the Arts grad and Sundance Institute Fellow. “As our media landscape becomes more inclusive and nuanced, this film offers a specific, yet universal, story of identity, first love, and shifting family relationships.” . . Source: @indiewire