During World War II in Nazi occupied France, a unique transportation unit was formed to keep General Patton's lightening fast troops supplied. The Red Ball Express was made up of over 8,000 Black troops. Back home their loyalties and intelligence were questioned, but on the shores of France, in a war that had to be won, these courageous black men were willing to fight and die for their country.
TRIPLE NICKLE TRT: 22 min (USA)
The 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, called the Triple Nickles, was WWII America's “first all-black parachute infantry test platoon, company, and battalion." Their pride in being American and a highly skilled combat company, helped them endure the struggle they were up against at home and abroad in the 1940’s and 50’s, when the Triple Nickle shined like the bright stars they are.
BUILDERS OF THE ALCAN HIGHWAY TRT: 22 min (USA)
In an amazingly short eight months span, under the harshest weather conditions, 3,600 Black army troops persevered to accomplish an incredible feat of engineering and building the WWII critical defense route known as “The Alcan Highway”. These unheralded men cleared 1,621 miles of rugged, unmapped wilderness stretching from British Columbia to Fairbanks, Alaska.
(Repeat Screening at 3 p.m.)
FREE with military ID.
Friday October 17, 2014 1:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
Fort Lee-Quartermaster Museum1201 22nd Street, Bldg. 5218 | Fort Lee, VA | 23801 | 804-734-4203
BLACK WHEELS The history of Blacks in NASCAR and other motor sports Written and Produced by Byron Hunter & Omar Akil TRT: 48 min (USA) (Repeat screening at 4:15 PM)
Showcasing the often overlooked achievements of African-Americans in motor sports, this groundbreaking documentary shows African-American influences in the invention of stock car racing in the 1920s and showcases the careers of Black racing legends Charlie Wiggins, Joie Ray, Wendell Scott and many more.
FREE with military ID.
Friday October 17, 2014 2:15pm - 3:00pm EDT
Fort Lee - Quartermaster Museum1201 22nd Street, Building 5218, Fort Lee, VA 23801 (804) 734-4203
“GINA LORING IS ONE OF THE BEST POETS OF HER GENERATION. HER WORDS ARE RICH WITH HUMOR, RAGE AND RHYME. HER VOICE IS ORIGINAL AND BRAVE. HER HEART IS ON FIRE.” - EVE ENSLER, Tony Award winning playwright, performer, activist, author of The Vagina Monologues
“DID YOU EVER SEE A DREAM SINGING? WELL, I DID … SHE’S GINA LORING.” - NORMAN LEAR, Emmy Award winning writer, activist, philanthropist “SHE’S LOVELY. SHE’S TALENTED. SHE’S GINA LORING.”
- MOS DEF, Grammy Award nominated hip hop recording artist, activist, Golden Globe Award nominated actor
Gina Loring is an accomplished poet, vocalist, songwriter, and workshop facilitator. She has guest lectured at countless colleges, universities, and high schools nationwide. As guest poet of the American Embassy, she has traveled to Kuwait, Russia, West Africa, Denmark, Turkey, Greece, Ireland, England, and Tunisia. She was featured on two seasons of HBO’s Def Poetry, as well as on BET’s Lyric Cafe and TVOne’s Verses and Flow. With a B.A. from Spelman College and an M.F.A. from Antioch University, Gina served as poet-in-residence at Culver Academies and writer-in-residence at Hedgebrook.
She is a volunteer creative writing teacher with Inside Out Writers, working with incarcerated teens. Her work is featured on De La Soul’s album, “Are you in?” and The Brand New Heavies album, “We Won’t Stop,” and she was a writer/performer on Norman Lear’s nationwide “Declare Yourself” poetry tour. She lives in Los Angeles, and she believes in mermaids. Visit her at: www.ginaloring.com
**FREE for Richard Bland College Students with ID.
Petersburg’s Mural Inauguration & Dedication Muralist: Salvador (Salvador Gonzales Escalona)
Join Legacy Media Institute and the City of Petersburg for the unveiling and dedication of a spectacular mural that world renowned Cuban muralist, Salvador, is painting as a gift to the City of Petersburg for permanent installation. He will have an exhibition of his works at PAAL Gallery throughout the Festival.
Salvador is a painter, muralist, and sculptor from Callejon de Hamel in Havana, Cuba very near the University of Havana, which is over 200 years old. Located in a very small, relatively long space, a sort of cul de sac, Salvador González Escalona has a gallery from where he directs an ambitious project he, as poet of images, started: huge mural paintings on the front and side walls of the buildings.”Its walls express in one form or another the feeling of African art, that is the presence of African culture in our country. You will find here pieces of sculpture, overhanging roofs with many colors, poetry, images. A house that could be a temple, or that is a temple for this community. It is Black poetry that is in each house, which is at the same time a temple.”
The Opening Reception is the perfect place to reconnect with friends and compare notes on which films and events you can’t miss, as we celebrate the kick off the Legacy Media Institute’s 2nd Annual Film Festival and experience the wonderful films provided by filmmakers from around the world!
Blues in the Night (Part 1) Created and Directed by: Tim Reid TRT: 10 min (USA)
Blues in the Night is a modern day film noir web series featuring the scandalous adventures of a talented and passionate club singer named Lura Mendes, whose beauty, passion, and talent always seem to lead her down a road full of trouble. When a life and death struggle ends with shots fired and two bodies on the floor, Lura is forced on a dramatic journey to outrun her past.
Friday October 17, 2014 7:00pm - 7:10pm EDT
The Bluebird Theatre145 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
Keepers of the Flame Directed by: Tim Reid & Sunny Zhao Written by: Hugh Wilson TRT: 25 min (USA)
Virginia's central role in American history is celebrated through Keepers of the Flame, the new visitor film for the Virginia State Capitol. The film features compelling stories of individuals who have made an impact on Virginia history, from well-known figures like Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, to High School student Barbara Johns. This film tells the story of Virginia's representative government with a goal of inspiring viewers to appreciate and become involved in public service.
Friday October 17, 2014 7:00pm - 7:25pm EDT
The Small Stage306 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
Chico & Rita Written and Directed by: Fernando Trueba Illustrator: Javier Mariscal TRT: 94 min (Spain/UK) (In Spanish, with English subtitles)
Cuba, 1948. Chico is a young piano player with big dreams. Rita is a beautiful singer with an extraordinary voice. Music and desire unite them as they chase their dreams and each other from Havana to New York to Paris, Hollywood and Las Vegas.
Oscar® winning director Fernando Trueba (Belle Epoque, Calle 54) and Spain’s legendary illustrator Javier Mariscal celebrate their passion for the music and culture of Cuba with an epic story of love, passion, and heartbreak.
With an original soundtrack by legendary Cuban pianist and five-time Grammy®-winning composer Bebo Valdés, Chico & Rita captures a defining moment in the evolution of history and jazz, and features the music of (and animated cameos by) Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Cole Porter, Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Herman, Tito Puente, Chano Pozo, and others.
*Academy Award Nominee 2012
Friday October 17, 2014 7:15pm - 8:45pm EDT
The Bluebird Theatre145 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
Bruehm’s Closet Written and Directed by: Ramona Taylor TRT: 16 min (USA)
Milton Bruehm is one of the world's invisible men, but life means more to him than anyone could imagine. Milton has a precious secret and it remains hidden in the most obvious place - his closet.
Friday October 17, 2014 7:30pm - 7:45pm EDT
Black Box Theatre306 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
Sleep Written and Directed by: April Marcell TRT: 14 min (USA)
A woman is gripped by depression and her battle to overcome it. Depression is real and it simmers and hides deep within. This film unveils the truth and spreads awareness in hopes that the sting of depression can no longer steal lives.
Friday October 17, 2014 7:50pm - 8:05pm EDT
The Small Stage306 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
Perfect Day Written and Directed by: Derrick L. Sanders TRT: 16 min (USA)
Desmond, an intellectual loner in a volatile high school, has devised a plan to reveal his affections to Aasha, the class beauty. He secretly writes her love sonnets, depositing them in her locker between classes. Then, in the midst of the day’s chaos, he discovers he has his own secret admirer. All other concerns fade as he makes his way from clue to clue, hoping to find who is leaving him these cryptic notes. As the last school bell rings, Desmond questions will he ever find love, or, as the tension at school escalates, even a safe way home.
Friday October 17, 2014 8:10pm - 8:30pm EDT
The Small Stage306 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
NOKA Keeper of Worlds Written and Directed by: Shaun Escayg TRT: 23 min (Trinidad & Tobago/USA)
NOKA Keeper of Worlds is a coming of age story centered on an eight-year-old American boy named Gabriel. Gabriel suffers from a rare form of schizophrenia and like his now deceased grandfather, is a timid recluse. While at a wake in honor of his grandfather, he encounters an old 'friend' of the family, who challenges his concept of reality. The man named Midnight gives Gabriel his grandfather's greatest possession, his journal. This journal opens a portal into a parallel world filled with creatures and ancient mystics, challenging his beliefs and empowering the young boy.
*CGI by Full Circle Animation Studios (Trinidad & Tobago)
Friday October 17, 2014 8:30pm - 9:00pm EDT
The Small Stage306 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
Blues in the Night (Part 2) Created and Directed by: Tim Reid TRT: 10 min (USA)
Blues in the Night is a modern day film noir web series featuring the scandalous adventures of a talented and passionate club singer named Lura Mendes, whose beauty, passion, and talent always seem to lead her down a road full of trouble. When a life and death struggle ends with shots fired and two bodies on the floor, Lura is forced on a dramatic journey to outrun her past.
Friday October 17, 2014 8:55pm - 9:05pm EDT
The Bluebird Theatre145 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
Me Dicen Cuba (They Tell me Cuba) Written and Directed by Pablo Massip TRT: 52 min (Cuba)
***US PREMIERE***
"Of all the arts, the only one that doesn’t exist is music. Music doesn’t exist. It only exists in the minds and imaginations of men and women. Music begins where words end."
It is with these words that the master musician and composer Sergio Vitier begins the narration of “They Tell Me Cuba,” a documentary film that explores the unique experience and outlook of prominent musicians in Cuba today on subjects of universal concern such as, music, peace, love, friendship, family, community and nation. With, among more than 70 musicians, Digna Guerra, Sergio Vitier, Vicente Feliú, Lázaro García, Kiki Corona, Amaury Pérez, Raúl Paz, Luna Manzanares, Vania Borges, Baby Lores, Tanmy López, Yadira Estruch, the Buena Fe duet, Paulo FG, Héctor Gutierrez, Silvio Rodriguez.
Friday October 17, 2014 9:10pm - 10:05pm EDT
The Bluebird Theatre145 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
Amaqqut Nunaat Written and Directed by: Neil Christopher TRT: 12 min (Canada)
A hunting excursion evolves into an otherworldly encounter, as two brothers navigate the spirit realm in this ethereal and haunting animation that celebrates the ancient art of Inuit storytelling.
Reembarque (Reshipment) Written and Directed by Gloria Rolando TRT: 55 min (Cuba)
The voices of prominent historians recant the memories of Haitians and their descendants in Cuba to understand a chapter of the complex economic and social history of the Caribbean. An army of thousands of West Indian laborers were the workers who fertilized with their sweat, the fields of Cuba from the beginning of the twentieth century. For many, it was a great bargain of cheap labor. For others, the realization of the dream of every immigrant: make money and return home. Since then, despite the discrimination suffered by the Haitians, the Creole language, vodun and other musical and dance traditions remain throughout the cultural landscape of Cuba.
As a reminder of a virtually forgotten chapter in history, a tribute to the protagonists, the unsung anonymous heroes, who wove an important passage between two people in the Caribbean: Cuba and Haiti.
Saturday October 18, 2014 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
The Small Stage306 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
The cabbie and his passengers discuss the 50th anniversary of independence in a very historical and nonsensical way.
Chemical Wings By: Ramon Granderson TRT: 4 min 30 sec (Trinidad & Tobago)
Size doesn’t matter, until the tables are turned and the insects look for revenge.
Chester By: Robert Romany TRT: 3 min 02 sec (Trinidad & Tobago)
How can Chester escape police brutality? He needs to be fast. A serious issue with a comedic twist.
El Maestrico By: Isis Chaviano TRT: 16 min 55 sec (Cuba)
Loosely based on a true story of children used to teach adults in ‘60’s Cuba. A wonderful tale wrapped in historical facts, beautifully told through animation.
Hard Times By: Sinead Lovelace TRT: 3 min 30 sec (Trinidad & Tobago)
An unlikely dad-of-the-year tries desperately to provide for his family. He proves that with persistence, anything is possible.
Maggie The Magnifier By: Camille Selvon Abrahams (Trinidad & Tobago)
‘Maggie’ is a techno whiz with magic eye-glasses that help her solve mysteries and challenges. Its x-ray and magnifying abilities take her on awesome adventures into a world of the human body, computers, and technology. This series encourages young girls into the exciting field of engineering and technology while solving everyday issues.
The Odd Eggscape By: Andre Pierre & Emmanuel Chadee TRT: 3 min 5 sec (Trinidad & Tobago)
A fun, enjoyable story centered around a bum and a chicken. A tale of hunger, humor, and an odd “eggscape”.
Solitary Mesa By: Joel Charles & Cassius Humphrey TRT: 3 min 30 sec (Trinidad & Tobago)
A lonely, sad 12 year old boy named Sheldon is given a special ball by his father.
Time Lapse By: Reuel Welch TRT: 2 min 40 sec (Trinidad & Tobago)
One man learns what really matters in life after he has an amazing experience when he gets stuck in time.
Two homeless men fight an epic battle for a prize, but an unexpected opponent wins.
20 Years By: Barbaro Joel Ortiz TRT: 14 min 55 sec (Cuba)
A housewife desperately holds on to the memory of the man she married 20 years ago.
Wendell McShine By: Rainbow Hill TRT: 3 min 40 sec (Trinidad & Tobago)
Experimental animation created in stop motion from a series of personal sketchbooks investigating subliminal messages of the evils of poverty and hopelessness in a place called Laventille in Port of Spain.
Perfect Day Written and Directed by: Derrick L. Sanders TRT: 16 min (USA)
Desmond, an intellectual loner in a volatile high school, has devised a plan to reveal his affections to Aasha, the class beauty. He secretly writes her love sonnets, depositing them in her locker between classes. Then, in the midst of the day’s chaos, he discovers he has his own secret admirer. All other concerns fade as he makes his way from clue to clue, hoping to find who is leaving him these cryptic notes. As the last school bell rings, Desmond questions will he ever find love, or, as the tension at school escalates, even a safe way home.
Saturday October 18, 2014 12:00pm - 12:20pm EDT
The Small Stage306 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
Toussaint Louverture Directed by: Phillippe Niang TRT: 195 min. (incl. one 15 min. intermission) (France/Haiti) In French and Haitian Creole w/English subtitles
Toussaint Louverture is a two part, action-packed, epic film depicting the life of the Haitian leader who led the first successful slave revolt in world history, defeating Napoleon Bonaparte and winning independence for Haiti from France. Known for his military genius and political acumen, the success of the Haitian Revolution led by Louverture, established Haiti as the first Black free nation in the western hemisphere, and rocked the institution of slavery throughout the “New World”.
Saturday October 18, 2014 12:00pm - 3:15pm EDT
The Bluebird Theatre145 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
Contract Written, produced, and directed by: Guenny K. Pires TRT: 79 min. (Cape Verde Islands/Sao Tome’ & Principe/Portugal/USA) (Narrated in English. Some Creole & Portuguese w/English subtitles)
This docudrama film explores the compelling story of two African countries (Cape Verde and São Tome and Príncipe) forever linked by a history of poverty and slavery, and two people forever linked by the unbreakable bonds of family and love. The Cape Verdean indentured servants left their homes for a better life, only to be bound by "contracts" that will never be paid off. The film, at its heart, also documents the filmmaker's journey to reunite his uncle, an indentured servant as well, 44 years after leaving home on a contract. This film is not only a powerful emotional experience, it is an in-depth look into the past and the legacy of slavery. An intense journey for the filmmaker who returns to his roots for the making of this film.
Saturday October 18, 2014 12:25pm - 1:45pm EDT
The Small Stage306 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
During World War II in Nazi occupied France, a unique transportation unit was formed to keep General Patton's lightening fast troops supplied. The Red Ball Express was made up of over 8,000 Black troops. Back home their loyalties and intelligence were questioned, but on the shores of France, in a war that had to be won, these courageous black men were willing to fight and die for their country.
TRIPLE NICKLE TRT: 22 min (USA)
The 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, called the Triple Nickles, was WWII America's “first all-black parachute infantry test platoon, company, and battalion." Their pride in being American and a highly skilled combat company, helped them endure the struggle they were up against at home and abroad in the 1940’s and 50’s, when the Triple Nickle shined like the bright stars they are.
BUILDERS OF THE ALCAN HIGHWAY TRT: 22 min (USA)
In an amazingly short eight months span, under the harshest weather conditions, 3,600 Black army troops persevered to accomplish an incredible feat of engineering and building the WWII critical defense route known as “The Alcan Highway”. These unheralded men cleared 1,621 miles of rugged, unmapped wilderness stretching from British Columbia to Fairbanks, Alaska.
(Repeat Screening at 3 p.m.)
FREE with military ID.
Saturday October 18, 2014 1:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
Fort Lee-Quartermaster Museum1201 22nd Street, Bldg. 5218 | Fort Lee, VA | 23801 | 804-734-4203
Mösyö (Monsieur) Written and Directed by: Kagan Olgunturk TRT: 19 min (Turkey) (In Turkish, w/English subtitles)
Cevdet Ogut is the owner of a second hand shop but he represents himself as an antique dealer, the neighbors call The Monsieur. This film is the portrait of a man who makes a huge impact on his environment.
Saturday October 18, 2014 2:00pm - 2:20pm EDT
The Small Stage306 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
BLACK WHEELS The history of Blacks in NASCAR and other motor sports Written and Produced by Byron Hunter & Omar Akil TRT: 48 min (USA) (Repeat screening at 4:15 PM)
Showcasing the often overlooked achievements of African-Americans in motor sports, this groundbreaking documentary shows African-American influences in the invention of stock car racing in the 1920s and showcases the careers of Black racing legends Charlie Wiggins, Joie Ray, Wendell Scott and many more.
FREE with military ID.
Saturday October 18, 2014 2:15pm - 3:00pm EDT
Fort Lee - Quartermaster Museum1201 22nd Street, Building 5218, Fort Lee, VA 23801 (804) 734-4203
Songs of Survival Directed by: Tim Reid TRT: 19 min (USA)
Song of Survival is the story of an incredibly indomitable Congolese woman, Rose Mapendo, and her family of 10 imprisoned in 1998 in a death camp for 16 months. Through the strength of Rose’s character, she was able to gain release from the death camp by forgiving her captors.
Saturday October 18, 2014 3:30pm - 3:50pm EDT
The Bluebird Theatre145 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
Fly By Light Directed by: Ellie Walton Produced by: Hawah Kasat TRT: 60 min (USA)
A group of teenagers board a bus for West Virginia, leaving the streets of Washington, DC to participate in an ambitious peace education program. For the first time in their lives Mark, the group plays in mountain steams, sings under the stars, and confronts the entrenched abuse, violence and neglect cycles of their past. On there return to DC, each young person faces an unforgiving series of hurdles and roadblocks that challenge their efforts to build a better life. Through breathtaking visuals from street corners to mountaintops, Fly By Light is an intimate exploration of the chaotic, confusing, and emotional journey to rewrite a young person's future.
Saturday October 18, 2014 3:55pm - 4:55pm EDT
The Bluebird Theatre145 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
Jazz and Us Written and Directed by: Gloria Rolando TRT: 44 min (Cuba) (In Spanish with English subtitles)
This documentary relates a chapter in the history shared by Afrocubans and African Americans through their common culture. It's the story of a group of black Havana youths in the 1940's and 50's who hung out around jazz. In private houses, black societies, and some bars in the cities, they enjoyed what were called "Jam Sessions," using the English term. Today, these dancers of traditional jazz are in their 60's and 70's and maintain a special vitality. Their memories of their youth and stories of today express a magical complicity between jazz and friendship.
FREE for Virginia State University students with ID.
Abyssinia: The Wonders of Ethiopia Directed by: Nuakai Aru (LMI Fellow) TRT: 20 min
Behold the natural wonders, a majestic people, and the history of a dignified culture as manifested in their lifestyle perched atop Africa’s highest plateau. This film is a sweeping overview of Africa’s oldest independent country, Ethiopia, formerly known as Abyssinia.
Saturday October 18, 2014 4:10pm - 4:30pm EDT
The Small Stage306 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
Oracles of Pennsylvania Avenue Written and Directed by: Tim Wilkerson TRT: 107 min (Egypt/USA)
12 Hours Of Terror Inspired A Lifetime of Peace: On a frigid day in 1982, a struggling Jewish WWII veteran became the first domestic terrorist to target the nation's capital. In the process he would inspire the longest running public protest against US foreign policy (the grandparents to the 'Occupy' movement). The cast includes former Clinton Senior Presidential advisor George Stephanopoulos, Nobel Peace Prize nominee Helen Caldicott, and an amazing editorial by Bill Moyers.
Saturday October 18, 2014 4:40pm - 6:25pm EDT
The Small Stage306 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
NOKA Keeper of Worlds Written and Directed by: Shaun Escayg TRT: 23 min (Trinidad & Tobago/USA)
NOKA Keeper of Worlds is a coming of age story centered on an eight-year-old American boy named Gabriel. Gabriel suffers from a rare form of schizophrenia and like his now deceased grandfather, is a timid recluse. While at a wake in honor of his grandfather, he encounters an old 'friend' of the family, who challenges his concept of reality. The man named Midnight gives Gabriel his grandfather's greatest possession, his journal. This journal opens a portal into a parallel world filled with creatures and ancient mystics, challenging his beliefs and empowering the young boy.
*CGI by Full Circle Animation Studios (Trinidad & Tobago)
Saturday October 18, 2014 5:00pm - 5:25pm EDT
The Bluebird Theatre145 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
“One of the brightest stars of the Cuban jazz scene.”
Experience great Cuban jazz as they make their first trip to the US.
Traditional jazz is experiencing a rebirth in the culturally rich island of Cuba. One of the most talented group of newcomers are the young musicians who call themselves, Influencia. This 6 member, youthful, modern jazz group is known for their remarkable level of cohesion and harmony and are responsible for keeping traditional jazz alive in Cuba.
FREE for Virginia State University students with ID.
Redemption Written and Directed by: Stacey Muhammad TRT: 14 min (USA)
Inspired by the highly acclaimed 1975 choreopoem "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf" by Ntozake Shange, For Colored Boys is a series of stories that follow the lives of African American men from various walks of life as they navigate and overcome challenges, face their fears, find their truth, mend broken relationships, find love, build families and inspire the lives of many.
Saturday October 18, 2014 5:30pm - 5:45pm EDT
The Bluebird Theatre145 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
Sleep Written and Directed by: April Marcell TRT: 14 min (USA)
A woman is gripped by depression and her battle to overcome it. Depression is real and it simmers and hides deep within. This film unveils the truth and spreads awareness in hopes that the sting of depression can no longer steal lives.
Saturday October 18, 2014 5:50pm - 6:05pm EDT
The Bluebird Theatre145 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
Tropicália Directed by: Marcelo Machado TRT: 87 min (Brazil)
Born in the late 1960s, Tropicália tells the story of one of Brazil’s most significant cultural and richly artistic movements. From a collective of like-minded souls, ‘tropicália’ used music, poetry, theatre, and avant-garde visual art as a voice to confront the cultural and political establishment. The film highlights the struggle ‘tropicália’ artists endured to protect their right to freely express revolutionary thought at a time of political turbulence through the fertile, controversial and violent years of ‘67, ‘68, and ’69. These artists (whose controversial thoughts, music and behavior, resulted in prison and exile for its leaders) took sonic cues from traditional Brazilian music, psychedelic rock, and Afro-Brazilian rhythms, and created a sound never heard before. Tropicália has since inspired and influenced many high profile musicians, including David Byrne, Damon Albarn and Beck.
Saturday October 18, 2014 6:00pm - 7:30pm EDT
The Bluebird Theatre145 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
Jazz and Us Written and Directed by: Gloria Rolando TRT: 44 min (Cuba) (In Spanish with English subtitles)
This documentary relates a chapter in the history shared by Afrocubans and African Americans through their common culture. It's the story of a group of black Havana youths in the 1940's and 50's who hung out around jazz. In private houses, black societies, and some bars in the cities, they enjoyed what were called "Jam Sessions," using the English term. Today, these dancers of traditional jazz are in their 60's and 70's and maintain a special vitality. Their memories of their youth and stories of today express a magical complicity between jazz and friendship.
FREE for Virginia State University students with ID.
Saturday October 18, 2014 6:40pm - 7:25pm EDT
The Small Stage306 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
Join us for Petersburg’s Saturday night Block party to celebrate the LMI International Film Festival. The stage will be set at Old Towne Civic Center where Gina Loring will open with a powerful Spoken Word performance followed by Plunky & Oneness highlighting an evening of music, food, and celebration!
Plunky & Oneness is one of the most enduring and versatile funk, jazz, Afro-fusion groups of all time. Led by saxophonist J. Plunky Branch, who has a unique combination of exotic smooth grooves, sax, vocals, African percussion, and electronics, the group’s infectious energy moves audiences of all ages to celebrate, dance and shout. Recently he has performed in Paris, explored music business opportunities in Japan; traveled to Brazil; and twice to Cuba to research and produce music recordings and a documentary film, Under the Radar – A Survey of Afro-Cuban Music.
Saturday October 18, 2014 8:00pm - 11:00pm EDT
Old Towne Civic Center136 River Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
Habits Written and Directed by: Tyler Lyon TRT: 13 min (USA)
A neurologist takes his first new patient - a man with severe short term and long term memory loss. Through their conversations, the neurologist comes to better terms with his own life and finds hope for his patient.
Sunday October 19, 2014 12:30pm - 12:45pm EDT
The Small Stage306 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
Point of Pride: The People's View of Bayview/Hunter's Point Produced by: Dimitri William Moore Among the Directors: Latiece Brown (LMI Fellow) TRT: 26 min (USA)
Point of Pride: The People's View of Bayview/Hunter's Point is a documentary film about the Bayview/Hunters Point neighborhood of San Francisco. Point of Pride combines archival footage from the 1950's 60's and 70's with present-day viewpoints and reactions to these images from the past to create a compelling portrait of a community marked by struggle and fueled by hope.
Sunday October 19, 2014 12:50pm - 1:20pm EDT
The Small Stage306 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
The cabbie and his passengers discuss the 50th anniversary of independence in a very historical and nonsensical way.
Chemical Wings By: Ramon Granderson TRT: 4 min 30 sec (Trinidad & Tobago)
Size doesn’t matter, until the tables are turned and the insects look for revenge.
Chester By: Robert Romany TRT: 3 min 02 sec (Trinidad & Tobago)
How can Chester escape police brutality? He needs to be fast. A serious issue with a comedic twist.
El Maestrico By: Isis Chaviano TRT: 16 min 55 sec (Cuba)
Loosely based on a true story of children used to teach adults in ‘60’s Cuba. A wonderful tale wrapped in historical facts, beautifully told through animation.
Hard Times By: Sinead Lovelace TRT: 3 min 30 sec (Trinidad & Tobago)
An unlikely dad-of-the-year tries desperately to provide for his family. He proves that with persistence, anything is possible.
Maggie The Magnifier By: Camille Selvon Abrahams (Trinidad & Tobago)
‘Maggie’ is a techno whiz with magic eye-glasses that help her solve mysteries and challenges. Its x-ray and magnifying abilities take her on awesome adventures into a world of the human body, computers, and technology. This series encourages young girls into the exciting field of engineering and technology while solving everyday issues.
The Odd Eggscape By: Andre Pierre & Emmanuel Chadee TRT: 3 min 5 sec (Trinidad & Tobago)
A fun, enjoyable story centered around a bum and a chicken. A tale of hunger, humor, and an odd “eggscape”.
Solitary Mesa By: Joel Charles & Cassius Humphrey TRT: 3 min 30 sec (Trinidad & Tobago)
A lonely, sad 12 year old boy named Sheldon is given a special ball by his father.
Time Lapse By: Reuel Welch TRT: 2 min 40 sec (Trinidad & Tobago)
One man learns what really matters in life after he has an amazing experience when he gets stuck in time.
Two homeless men fight an epic battle for a prize, but an unexpected opponent wins.
20 Years By: Barbaro Joel Ortiz TRT: 14 min 55 sec (Cuba)
A housewife desperately holds on to the memory of the man she married 20 years ago.
Wendell McShine By: Rainbow Hill TRT: 3 min 40 sec (Trinidad & Tobago)
Experimental animation created in stop motion from a series of personal sketchbooks investigating subliminal messages of the evils of poverty and hopelessness in a place called Laventille in Port of Spain.
Habeas Corpus Written and Directed by: Booker Mattison TRT: 18 min (USA)
Habeas Corpus is the story of a man who can't get over the death of his father, so he steals his body from the funeral home. The film explores the miraculous, belief and the unexpected turns that life often takes.
Sunday October 19, 2014 1:25pm - 1:45pm EDT
The Small Stage306 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
Meñique (in 3D) Written and Directed by Ernesto Padrón TRT: 80 min (Cuba)
***US PREMIERE***
Meñique is the story of a young Cuban farmer who wants to help his family out of poverty by going to the city with his brothers. The group discovers that a massive enchanted oak tree has the King’s palace living in darkness and without water, and learns that the ruler has promised anyone able to cut the tree down and release a fountain, a title of nobility and marriage to his daughter, Princess Denise.
Meñique is the first Cuban Feature in 3D
Freely adapted version of the short story Pulgarcito by the French author Édouard Laboulaye, which was adapted by the founder of the Cuban nation, José Martí, for the magazine La Edad de Oro.
Sunday October 19, 2014 2:30pm - 3:50pm EDT
The Small Stage306 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
Celebrant Directed by: Rae Dawn Chong TRT: 44 min (USA)
Xila (Sheelah) is a woman who in escaping a bad marriage, settles in the Seacoast and serves her community as a “Celebrant”, a spiritual witness to life and everything in between.
Sunday October 19, 2014 3:00pm - 3:45pm EDT
The Bluebird Theatre145 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
Blues in the Night (Parts 1&2) Created and Directed by: Tim Reid TRT: 10 min (USA)
Blues in the Night is a modern day film noir web series featuring the scandalous adventures of a talented and passionate club singer named Lura Mendes, whose beauty, passion, and talent always seem to lead her down a road full of trouble. When a life and death struggle ends with shots fired and two bodies on the floor, Lura is forced on a dramatic journey to outrun her past.
Sunday October 19, 2014 4:10pm - 4:30pm EDT
The Bluebird Theatre145 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
Choose Me Directed by: Alan Rudolph Producers: Carolyn Pfeiffer, David Blocker Exec. Producer: Shep Gordon, Chris Blackwell TRT: 106 min. (USA)
Enjoy a screening of the audaciously intriguing 1984 film "Choose Me", followed by a conversation with special guest actress Rae Dawn Chong on the making of the film.
Auteur director Alan Rudolph (Afterglow) writes and directs this "intriguing, completely spontaneous" (Roger Ebert) and film-noirish tale of romantic entanglements set in hedonistic mid-1980s Los Angeles. An all-star ensemble cast, including Oscar nominees* Lesley Ann Warren (Victor/Victoria) and Genevieve Bujold (Anne of the Thousand Days) dances in and out of love with strangers while searching for the true meaning of life. Anne Love (Bujold) is a successful on-air relationship counselor. Her popular show "The Love Line" has everyone in L.A. listening especially her new roommate, Eve (Warren), who calls in for advice and has no idea she's talking to Anne! But when a strange drifter (Keith Carradine, Wild Bill) enters their lives, things take a sudden, confusing and tumultuous turn in the heart department, forcing everyone to take a closer look at what they really want out of relationships, and more importantly just who they really are.
Sunday October 19, 2014 4:30pm - 6:30pm EDT
The Bluebird Theatre145 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
The Life and Times of Elizabeth Keckly Directed by: Tim Reid TRT: 44 min (USA)
***PREMIERE***
“I know what liberty is because I know what slavery was.”
A true Renaissance woman, who despite the Civil War milieu, became one of the most extraordinary success stories of that era.
Elizabeth Keckly, born enslaved in Virginia, supported herself as a seamstress and dressmaker, and amassed $1200 to purchase her freedom. Moving to Washington, DC in 1860, Keckly soon developed an elite clientele among the women of the nation’s capital. Her dressmaking skills brought her to the attention of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln, and she became the First Lady’s favorite dressmaker and later her confidante, and personal and traveling companion.
Sunday October 19, 2014 6:45pm - 7:30pm EDT
The Bluebird Theatre145 N. Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803
Mingle with filmmakers and special guests as Influencia serenades us with live Cuban jazz to close out a wonderful weekend of festivities. Hosted by FOU - DRE’ Vodka.