Mar 09 2011
AFFRM Offers A New Model for Black Indie Filmmakers
For the first time in over a decade, the Academy Awards nominations featured not a single African American in either the Best Director, Actor, Actress, or Supporting Actor/Actress categories. The glittering awards ceremony which took place over a week ago, disappointed Black film makers and actors for whom Hollywood has traditionally been a tough place to break into. The Directors Guild of America has a 90% white membership, while the Writers Guild has a 94% white membership. In such an atmosphere the challenges to Black film makers and artists remain daunting. However, venues like the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles, are now providing a promising opening for black-themed films. A new feature film by Ava DuVernay called I Will Follow will release this weekend in Los Angeles, and is the first offering from a brand new non-profit group called AFFRM. AFFRM stands for the African American Film Festival Releasing Movement. Writer and Director DuVernay, a veteran of the film industry, is also AFFRM’s Founder. Her film I Will Follow stars Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Omari Hardwick, Blair Underwood, and Beverly Todd. It follows a day in the life of a woman named Maye struck with a personal tragedy and the people in her life who influence her. I Will Follow has been picked as part of the official selection for a number of film festivals already. Roger Ebert said of the the film, “it isn’t sentimental, it isn’t superficial. It is very deeply true.”
GUEST: Ava DuVernay, writer, director, co-producer of I Will Follow, Founder of AFFRM
I Will Follow makes its theatrical release nationwide at AMC theaters on March 11th. In Los Angeles, the film screens at the AMC Criterion in Santa Monica.
Find out more at www.affrm.com.
4 Responses to “AFFRM Offers A New Model for Black Indie Filmmakers”
Hi,i’m interrested in your black films i was watching “BET”is how i learned about “I WILL FOLLOW”and more movies that’s out there.So how can i order a movie that i’m wanting or can you send me a book with the movies that’s for sale.My address is’6719N51st St Omaha Nebr 68152′. Thank You
I’m so glad to know that we have our own black films.
Okay,but will FFRM provide roles for us life-size Brett dolls-i.e.,boyishly
handsome older black men-in my case-57,and said to resemble a handsome black cowboy?I tend to doubt it,since as someone who doesn’t look,speak or re-create “urban”(read:”black”),just as mainstream
Hollywood would have no roles for someone like me,neither likely would these people.
If someone from AFFRM wishes to send me some information by snail
mail,this is my mailing info:
D.A. “Brett” Baylis,
509-6600 Wyandotte Street East,
Windsor,Ontario,Canada,N8S4P7,
phone:(519)948-5955.