The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) announced the films selected for Emerging Directors and Music in Motion Showcase at the 23rd edition of the festival taking place June 12-16, 2019 in Miami.
The Emerging Directors Showcase will highlight the next generation of storytellers and the work of aspiring directors of color from around the world. These original voices have developed narrative feature films, that are compelling in content and reflect today’s social issues.
The Music in Motion Showcase will feature short-form content that combine artistic musical expression and poignant visuals, such as music videos, spoken word, mini documentaries, and clever narratives to highlight the black experience.
2019 Emerging Directors Showcase Official Selections
BLUEBERRY
2018 | USA | 16 min
Directed & Written by: Martina Lee
Produced by: Robbin Rae / Yana Bille
Cast: Stevie Johnson, Even Alex, Hilty Bowen, Rebecca King Crews, Tiwana Floyd
Logline: An Afrocentric podcast host goes on a quest to find his idol Harambe Cornell, but is stuck taking care of his 9-year-old son who wants to participate in the Mr. Rainbow’s Contest dressed as a blueberry.
GUMMI BEAR (World Premiere)
2019 | USA | 18 min
Directed & Written by: RJ Dawson
Produced by: Rebecca Shuhan Lou
Cast: Amari O’Neal, Darielle Dorsey, Candice Renee, Javon Terrell
Logline: A brother and sister learn just how difficult it can be to be kids on an average
day of life.
HEAVENLY (World Premiere)
2019 | USA | 13 min
Directed & Written by: Ya’Ke Smith
Produced by: Ya’Ke Smith, Ralph Lopez, Marcos Luis, Nina Noble, Felicia D. Henderson
Cast: Ashlee Smallwood, Billie D. Merritt, Alan Trong, Mikala Gibson, Shelton Jolivette
Logline: Crystal, a former ballet dancer, returns home after being sex-trafficked and struggles to shake the physical and psychological trauma she endured while in “the life.”
MANHOOD
2019 | USA | 11 min
Directed & Written by: Rodney Stringfellow
Produced by: Anil Dhokai
Cast: Alfonso Freeman, Kennedy Johnson
Logline: On her 10th birthday, a little girl is scared that her father will make her undergo the same violent RITE OF PASSAGE her older brothers went through.
MEREBA (World Premiere)
2019 | USA | 7 min
Directed by: Dawit N.M.
Written by: Dawit N.M., Marian Mereba
Produced by: Alexandre Pagot, Salim El Arja, Jordan Cardos, Benjamin Narich, Melanie Parisi, Theo Lemonnier
Cast: Marian Mereba, Jalan Durimel, Jibril Durimel, Zalma Bour, Jade Frank, Sam Hoffman, Mallory Leisten, Solomon S. Yenesu
Logline: The emotions of life framed together-the jungle breaks us, but also makes us.
NEGROLAND
2019 | USA | 13 min
Directed & Written by: Jewel McPherson
Produced by: Arthur Cohen, Ryan Patrick, Ruth Ferrera, Shamier Anderson, Lisa Stepp
Cast: Shamier Anderson, Marley Garner
Logline: In the near future a grieving African American father fights to save the life of his young zombie daughter.
NO TRAVELER RETURNS
2019 | USA/IVORY COAST | 12 min
Directed & Written by: Ellie Foumbi
Produced by: Ellie Foumbi, Joseph Mastantuono
Cast: Souléymane Sy Savané, Dawuda Jabbie, Fatouma Jabbie, Maba Ba
Logline: A young African immigrant’s struggles to adjust to life in America push him towards an existential crisis.
ORIGIN
2018 | USA | 19 min
Directed & Written by: Simone Lyles
Produced by: Simone Lyles, Patrick Boyd
Cast: Christina Childress, Maxine Goynes, Hugo Pierre Martin
Logline: In 1982, Kora’s self-help conversion tapes only seem to push her closer to the truth about her feelings for her best friend.
OUTDOORING
2018 | USA | 18 min
Directed & Written by: Maxwell Addae
Produced by: Mis Loe
Cast: Thomas Daniel Smith, Theodore Mark Martinez
Logline: A young man attends his new nephew’s Ghanaian baby-naming ceremony with a plan to steal the money collected to run away and keep a secret hidden.
SOPHIE’S QUINCEAÑERA
2018 | USA | 12 min
Directed & Written by: Keith Powell
Produced by: Jeremy O’Keefe, Graham Patrick Martin, Keith Powell, Matt Miller
Cast: Bashir Salahuddin, Ana Ortiz, Wallace Langham, Vladimir Caamano
Logline: A building manager dealing with his own grief must help his tenant perform a messy task at her daughter’s quinceañera.
SOULS (World Premiere)
2018 | USA | 15 min
Directed & Written by: Malakai
Produced by: Anna Hashmi, Stephen Love, Marquita Bradley
Cast: Tabitha Browne, Johan Beckles, Nia Chanel
Logline: Unable to deal with her grandmother’s declining mental and physical health, a young girl uses her cardboard spaceship to escape her reality before the matriarch of her family dies.
SUICIDE BY SUNLIGHT
2018 | USA | 17 min
Directed by: Nikiyatu
Written by: Nikyatu, Robin Shanea Williams
Produced by: Nikkia Moulterie
Cast: Natalie Paul
Logline: Valentina, a day-walking black vampire protected from the sun by her melanin, is forced to restrain her bloodlust to regain custody of her estranged daughters.
THE ARRIVAL
2018 | UK | 17 min
Directed & Written by: Annetta Laufer
Produced by: Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor
Cast: Naomi Ackie, Anthony Welsh, Sharlene Whyte
Logline: A young Caribbean woman struggles to adapt to her new life in the revered “Mother Country” of 1960s Britain.
THE CURE
2018 | USA | 11 min
Directed & Written by: Kristian King
Produced by: Chester Algernal, Ritu Bansal, Ria Tobaccowala
Cast: Veanna Black, Jasmyn Coleman, Michael Mario Good, Greta Glenn
Logline: Lisa has been blessed with a gifted child, but must grapple with the costs of utilizing this miracle to keep a roof over her family’s heads.
TRAINING WHEELS
2018 |USA | 14 min
Directed & Written by: Sanicole (Sandrel Young)
Produced by: Natasha Parker, Lil Rel Howery, Kevin Fredericks, Sanicole, Richard Thomas
Cast: Zuri McPhearson, Tiffany Renee Johnson, Josiah Fredericks, Deron Powell, Messiah Equiano, David Leonard
Logline: An incredibly gifted little girl uses her telepathic powers to bring her wayward father home.
VEILED WINGS
2018 | ITALY | 14 min
Directed by: Nadia Kibout
Written by: Nadia Kibout, Ersilia Cacace
Produced by: Alessandra Lo Savio, Giorgia Lo Savio (Jinga Pictures)
Cast: Nadia Kibout, Paola Lavini, Matteo Carlomagno, Damian Lo Pinto
Logline: How can seemingly different cultures co-exist? Nadia, a Muslim woman, and Imma, an Italian Catholic woman, meet each other and share an unexpected day.
WORLDS FROM HOME (World Premiere)
2019 | USA | 14 min
Directed & Written by: Delmar Washington
Produced by: Delmar Washington, Lynette Coll, Natasha Ward
Cast: Affion Crockett, Eli Rubio, Lynette Coll, Jason R. Moore
Logline: After their RV breaks down in the Mojave Desert, a father and his young son experience a series of challenges while rebuilding their relationship, including an encounter with a mysterious creature.
ZAHRA AND THE OIL MAN (World Premiere)
2018 | USA | 20 min
Directed by: Yucef Mayes
Written by: Yucef Mayes, Aaron Melvin
Produced by: Yucef Mayes, Aaron Melvin
Cast: Megan Hackett, Brian Dives, LJ Nelson, Saladine Stafford
Logline: Zahra, the daughter of a Muslim street merchant, fights to save her father’s struggling business in hopes of changing the trajectory of her family’s financial future.
2019 Music in Motion Showcase Official Selections
BIRTH OF AFROBEAT
2018 | USA | 7 min
Directed & Written by: Opiyo Okeyo
Produced by: Opiyo Okeyo, David Glines
Cast: Tony Allen
Logline: Drum icon Tony Allen reveals how he created Africa’s biggest music genre.
BLACK GIRL POEM (World Premiere)
2019 | USA | 2 min
Directed & Written by: Daryl Paris Bright
Produced by: Daryl Paris Bright, Ariel Zucker (CNT Productions)
Cast: Daryl Paris Bright, Amber Jones, Claudia Logan
Logline: In Black Girl Poem, black women take a surrealist approach in confronting the power dynamic of sexual harassment within the African American community.
CTRL
2018 | USA | 10 min
Directed & Written by: Gynai Kristol
Produced by: Bruce Fields
Cast: Gynai Kristol, Donnay Ragland, Al-Shabazz Jabateh
Logline: G finds herself caught up with someone unworthy of her time, but finally gains a sense of self-worth allowing her to entertain the right guy for her. But just because she moves on doesn’t mean her old friend will.
LOVE CONQUERS ALL (World Premiere)
2018 | USA | 5 min
Directed by: Mr. Boomtown
Written by: Farrah Parker, Ramon Montgomery
Produced by: Anthony Hamilton, Farrah Parker, Ramon Montgomery
Cast: Ezra Wright, Jakira Mouzon, Jina Smith, Greg Paroff, Kenneth Raphael, Keith Way
Logline: Grammy Award Winner Anthony Hamilton presents Love Conquers All, a short film that addresses the social injustices that plague our nation.
MAKEITTAKEIT (World Premiere)
2018 | USA | 3 min
Directed by: Justin Rhodes, Kory Williams
Written & Produced by: Justin Rhodes
Cast: J. Rhodes
Logline: 2019 officially marks 400 years since the first slaves landed in America. J. Rhodes was tasked with breaking down these 400 years into a 3-minute, 23-second lyric-based visual.
MENTAL EXORCISM (World Premiere)
2018 | USA | 4 min
Directed by: John “Dr Teeth” Tucker
Written by: Brad Scarface Jordan
Produced by: John “Dr Teeth” Tucker
Cast: Brad “Scarface” Jordan
Logline: In the gripping music video, MTV & BET acclaimed video director John “Dr Teeth” Tucker and legendary rap artist Scarface engage a never-ending social juxtaposition: citizen vs cop.
HIE’S QUINCEAÑERA
2018 | USA | 12 min
Directed & Written by: Keith Powell
Produced by: Jeremy O’Keefe, Graham Patrick Martin, Keith Powell, Matt Miller
Cast: Bashir Salahuddin, Ana Ortiz, Wallace Langham, Vladimir Caamano
Logline: A building manager dealing with his own grief must help his tenant perform a messy task at her daughter’s quinceañera.
SOULS (World Premiere)
2018 | USA | 15 min
Directed & Written by: Malakai
Produced by: Anna Hashmi, Stephen Love, Marquita Bradley
Cast: Tabitha Browne, Johan Beckles, Nia Chanel
Logline: Unable to deal with her grandmother’s declining mental and physical health, a young girl uses her cardboard spaceship to escape her reality before the matriarch of her family dies.
SUICIDE BY SUNLIGHT
2018 | USA | 17 min
Directed by: Nikiyatu
Written by: Nikyatu, Robin Shanea Williams
Produced by: Nikkia Moulterie
Cast: Natalie Paul
Logline: Valentina, a day-walking black vampire protected from the sun by her melanin, is forced to restrain her bloodlust to regain custody of her estranged daughters.
THE ARRIVAL
2018 | UK | 17 min
Directed & Written by: Annetta Laufer
Produced by: Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor
Cast: Naomi Ackie, Anthony Welsh, Sharlene Whyte
Logline: A young Caribbean woman struggles to adapt to her new life in the revered “Mother Country” of 1960s Britain.
THE CURE
2018 | USA | 11 min
Directed & Written by: Kristian King
Produced by: Chester Algernal, Ritu Bansal, Ria Tobaccowala
Cast: Veanna Black, Jasmyn Coleman, Michael Mario Good, Greta Glenn
Logline: Lisa has been blessed with a gifted child, but must grapple with the costs of utilizing this miracle to keep a roof over her family’s heads.
TRAINING WHEELS*
2018 |USA | 14 min
Directed & Written by: Sanicole (Sandrel Young)
Produced by: Natasha Parker, Lil Rel Howery, Kevin Fredericks, Sanicole, Richard Thomas
Cast: Zuri McPhearson, Tiffany Renee Johnson, Josiah Fredericks, Deron Powell, Messiah Equiano, David Leonard
Logline: An incredibly gifted little girl uses her telepathic powers to bring her wayward father home.
VEILED WINGS
2018 | ITALY | 14 min
Directed by: Nadia Kibout
Written by: Nadia Kibout, Ersilia Cacace
Produced by: Alessandra Lo Savio, Giorgia Lo Savio (Jinga Pictures)
Cast: Nadia Kibout, Paola Lavini, Matteo Carlomagno, Damian Lo Pinto
Logline: How can seemingly different cultures co-exist? Nadia, a Muslim woman, and Imma, an Italian Catholic woman, meet each other and share an unexpected day.
WORLDS FROM HOME* (World Premiere)
2019 | USA | 14 min
Directed & Written by: Delmar Washington
Produced by: Delmar Washington, Lynette Coll, Natasha Ward
Cast: Affion Crockett, Eli Rubio, Lynette Coll, Jason R. Moore
Logline: After their RV breaks down in the Mojave Desert, a father and his young son experience a series of challenges while rebuilding their relationship, including an encounter with a mysterious creature.
ZAHRA AND THE OIL MAN (World Premiere)
2018 | USA | 20 min
Directed by: Yucef Mayes
Written by: Yucef Mayes, Aaron Melvin
Produced by: Yucef Mayes, Aaron Melvin
Cast: Megan Hackett, Brian Dives, LJ Nelson, Saladine Stafford
Logline: Zahra, the daughter of a Muslim street merchant, fights to save her father’s struggling business in hopes of changing the trajectory of her family’s financial future.
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