Previewing the Denton Black Film Festival lineup
Tyler Hicks | Staff Writer
This weekend, the 2nd annual Denton Black Film Festival will bring a bevy of acclaimed films to the Campus Theater. Some are student productions, while others come from internationally-recognized festivals. But the festival’s organizers are confident that the films all have one thing in common: their excellence.
The festival, organized by the Denton African-American Scholarship Foundation, amassed the 29-film lineup from a combination of submissions and global searching. The selection committee traveled to over 20 different festivals in 2015, acquiring what director Harry Eaddy calls “some of the best films that have come out in the last four to five months.” He was quick to point out that the films being shown are not just “black movies.”
Interspersed with music, a poetry jam and, among other things, a Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony for actress Irma P. Hall (Collateral, The Ladykillers), the movies in this year’s program look to—as Eaddy said—“entertain both the film community and the general populous.”
The festival will run Friday, Jan. 29 through Sunday, Jan. 31 at the Campus Theater.
Friday, January 29th
The festival kicks off at 1:30 p.m. with five student films, including “The Quill and the Sword,” a feature by UNT student Jonathan Kyle Mason. Joining Mason is New York University student Quester Hannah, whose film “King of Guangzhou” was an official selection at both the 2015 Urban World Film Festival and the Harlem International Film Festival.
Movie poster for the award-winning film, “Across the Tracks.”
Following the student films are the award-winning “Across the Tracks” and the searing documentary “Vanishing Pearls: The Oystermen of Pointe a la Hanche;” a former Slamdance Festival selection that chronicles the effect of the Deepwater Horizon spill on a small fishing community.
The day wraps up with a short romantic comedy starring “Daily Show” correspondent, and soon-to-be UNT guest speaker, Jessica Williams, as well as a music documentary about world-renowned jazz group Snarky Puppy.
Block 1 (Student Films) starts at 1:30 pm
“Small Town Dreams”
“The Quill and the Sword”
“Marching Home”
“King of Guangzhou”
“Miss Kathy”
Block 2 starts at 3:15 pm
“Across the Tracks”
“Vanishing Pearls: The Oystermen of Pointe a la Hanche”
Block 3 starts at 5:15 pm
“Tap Shoes and Violins”
“Snarky Puppy Family Dinner Volume 2”
Saturday, January 30th
Movie poster for “Zoo,” a film that comes from Germany.
A documentary about “America’s Shakespeare” by August Wilson highlights day two, along with “Zoo,” a film that comes from Germany blazing a trail of worldwide festival accolades. Idris Elba headlines the dramatic short film “Second Coming,” and “Little White Lie,” a story about family and identity, joins two Ferguson films in the day’s documentary slate.
For those interested in lighter fare, the rom-com “Last Night” shows in the fifth block with the comedy “Blackcard,” a satire about a shadowy organization that makes sure people maintain their “blackness.” The last film of the day is co-sponsored by UNT; “Cronies,” a dramedy, touches on the themes of family, identity and secrets that are somewhat of a theme for the day.
Block 1 starts at 10:00 am
“Lazy Susan”
“August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand”
Block 2 starts at 11:50 am
“Zoo” (Volkerschau)
“Second Coming”
Block 3 starts at 2:10 pm
“A Ferguson Story”
“Ferguson Documented: In 36 Hours”
“Little White Lie”
Block 4 starts at 4:20 pm
“Red”
“T-Rex”
Block 5 starts at 6:25 pm
“Blackcard”
“David’s Reverie”
“Last Night”
Block 6 starts at 8:45 pm
“Black Girl in Paris”
“Voices Thrown Silent”
“Cronies”
Sunday, January 31
“A Man Called Jon,” a comedy about a white pastor coming to a predominantly black church,
kicks off the last day of the festival. It is immediately followed by “Alma,” a short film that has already won two festival awards in Africa. After “Ayanda,” a South African romance, the film “Tommy Ford Present: Conflict of Interest” ends the entire festival on a dramatic high note.
Block 1 starts at 3:30 pm
“A Man Called Jon”
Block 2 starts at 5:25 pm
“Alma”
“Ayanda”
Block 3 starts at 7:45
“Tommy Ford Presents: Conflict of Interest”
For detailed synopses of each film, check out the official festival website.
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