OCT. 13-15, 2017INDIANA UNIVERSITY

BERGLAND AUDITORIUM, GARY, IN

GIARYnternat ionalBLACK FILM FESTIVAL

Get Inside Film. Get Outside Yourself.

WWW.GARYBLACKFILMFEST.ORG

2 2017 GARY INTERNATIONAL BLACK FILM FESTIVAL

2017 FILM FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

WELCOMEThe Gary International Black Film Festi-val (GIBFF) is a Gary-born cultural event that brings independent Black film to Gary audiences providing rich,authen-tic opportunities to celebrate African American and diaspora heritage and culture through film and discussion. Our goal is to foster authentic discussion about our culture and history by using films that provide a counterbalance for widely distributed misaligned represen-tation of our heritage and contributions to American and global society.

We are so honored by the relationships we are building with filmmakers, the commitment of our partners, the support of our sponsors and the beloved community to whom we are accountable.

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS:

FUNK MEETS PUNK: AN EVENING WITH SAUL WILLIAMS | DREAMSTATESThursday, October 12 @ 6pmArtHouse: A Social Kitchen, 411 5th Ave E., Gary, IN

OPENING NIGHT: A CELEBRATION OF BLACK BRILLIANCEFriday, October 13 | 6:00 PM Red Carpet Reception | 7:00 FilmIndiana University Northwest, Bergland Auditorium 3400 Broadway, Gary, IN 46408

YOUTH FILM SHOWCASESaturday, October 14, 12 Noon

SATURDAY SPOTLIGHT FILM - Word is Bond - Dir. Sacha JenkinsSaturday, October 14 at 7pm

GARY DAY - Honoring Gary’s Best and BrightestSunday, October 15 2pm and 5pm

We would like to thank all of our collaborators, supporters, sponsors and the individual and in-kind donors who believed enough in us to lend their support. We think this year is our best yet, but of course, we think every year is our best.

The 7th Annual Gary International Black Film Festival launches with a Pre-fest KICK OFF Evening featuring a special perfor-mance by acclaimed artist-poet Saul Williams, noted for his keen ability to incorporate music, from funk to punk with bracing social commentary, along with a screening of DREAM-STATES, a film by Anisia Uzeyman & Music by Saul Williams. Williams and Uzeyman will be on hand for a lively evening of film, music and words..

The GIBFF is proud to partner with ArtHouse: A Social Kitchen to bring Saul Williams to kick off the 7th Annual GIBFF Thursday, October 12, 2017 at ArtHouse: A Social Kitchen 411 E 5th Ave, Gary, IN 46402 We want people to come out to see and hear this powerful artist and ethereal film. Tickets - Pay-What-You-Can

Tickets are available online at brownpapertickets.com/profile/27299 or Urban League of NWI 3101 Broadway, Gary, IN 46409

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12 – FUNK MEETS PUNK: AN EVENING WITH SAUL WILLIAMSARTHOUSE: A SOCIAL KITCHEN – 411 5TH AVENUE 6:00 PM – Reception

7:00 PMDreamstates Dir. Anisia Uzeyman, 2016, USA France Rawan-da, 74 Min Equal parts love story, road movie, and Americana, DREAM-STATES tells the haunting tale of two wayward souls (Saul Williams and Anisia Uzeyman) discovering their love for one another in their dreams and reality while touring the United States with some of the most pivotal figures of the Afro-Punk movement – Sultry, sensual, and quixotic, an underground por-trait of America: haunted and hollow. Filmmaker in attendance. Special performance by Saul Williams

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FESTIVAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INDIVIDUAL DONORSRebecca AllenJohn BodinAlrick BrownValerie Curtis-NewtonMagan DoAva DuVernayCarson FloraJill FreidbergDevin GlaserKylie GurskyByron HurtToshiye IshisakaAshley & Lance LeasureSharon LevelsLester LoweCharles MurrayLynne NguyenChris Olson

Ijeoma OluoKimberly PasciutoGiulia PasciutoElena PerezLola E PetersEleanor PoleyUma RaoStephen SilhaAndrea Stuart-LehalleDeborah VinselDavid VogelEleanor Watts

GRAPHIC DESIGNNaomi Ishisaka

FESTIVAL PHOTO IMAGEInye Wokoma

GIBFF FESTIVAL TEAMKay AbrahamSydney ChatmanPr. Lisette CelochiaSaidah HoltLester LoweWalter N. JonesLudeen KilgoreToni Simpson

Honorary Team MemberAncestor Kelechukwu Brnfre

GIBFF ADVISORY COUNCILAlyce EmoryCharles MurrayAnthony Riddle

2017 FILM SELECTION PANELKaren ToeringWalter JonesLudeen KilgoreSaidah HoltToni SimpsonSydney ChatmanLisa DeNealFifi LockeNaomi MillenderSewa Ade AkiliJeanette RileyShelice TolbertKourtney Givens

FESTIVAL SPONSORS & PARTNERS

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13 – INDIANA UNIVERSITY NORTHWEST

6 PM RED CARPET RECEPTIONFOOD | MUSIC | CASH BAR 7 PM CELEBRATING BLACK BRILLIANCE 90 Days Dir. Nathan Hale Williams, Jennia Fredrique Aponte, 2016, USA, 19 Min After ninety days of dating, Jessica (Teyonah Parris) tells her would-be fiancé that she is HIV positive, which forces the couple to confront the realities surrounding living and loving with HIV.

Night Shift Dir. Marshall Tyler, 2017, USA, 16 Min OLLY JEFFRIES, an on-again off-again actor whose career has stagnated over the years and ends up gigging as a bathroom attendant in a LA nightclub, called “The Fix”. Working in such intimate close quarters with random strangers provides a window for him to study human be-havior, something he can use in creating believable per-formances if ever casted in something again, at least that’s what he tells himself.

Tales From Shaolin: Pt 1 “Shakey Dog” Louis A. Moore, 2017, USA, 15 Min Tales From Shaolin reinterprets the works of the Wu Tang Clan as a Shakespeare-meets-Tarantino, crime-filled action dark comedy! Using the lyrics from the song “Shakey Dog” by Ghostface Killah, Part One: “Shakey Dog” stars Stephen Hill as our narrator “Ghost” and Dominique Spencer as the quiet yet eager Frank in this tale of a stick up gone wrong.

See You Yesterday Stefon Bristol, 2016, USA, 16 Min Presented by Spike Lee, two Brooklyn teenage prodigies, C.J. Walker and Sebastian Thomas - determined to outwit fate and role-play as God - build make-shift time machines to save CJ’s brother, Calvin, from being wrongfully killed by a police officer.

They Charge for the Sun Dir. Terence Nance, 2016, USA, 16 Min In a dystopian future where people live nocturnally to avoid the harmful rays of the sun, a young black girl unravels the lie that has kept her and her sister in the dark.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13 12 PM YOUTH AND STUDENT FILM SHOWCASE Agent Hollywood Dir. Anthony Michael Hobbs, Michael Forstner, 2017, USA, 13 Min Agent Hollywood is a kid actor who is also a secret agent. His days are filled with Hollywood, homework, and henchmen.

All Kids Go to Hell Chaz Bottoms, 2017, USA, 7 MinTwo orphaned siblings, unknowingly using a ouija board, accidentally ask the devil to adopt them.

Unplugged Malik Bolton, 2017, USA, 6 MinAn introverted kid uses his headphones to detach from the world. But when they break, he has to deal with what he most fears: human interaction. A Senior Capstone Film Written, Directed, and Fully Animated By: Malik Bolton

90 Days

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THE CHICAGO BOYZ Tiara Epps, 2015, USA, 11 Min Tim Shaw is the founder of the Chicago Boyz Acrobatic Team. He’s giving young boys an opportunity of a life time to escape the violence in their community. While they may have issues in their neighborhood, they don’t let that stop them from traveling to perform on one of the most popular shows in America.

Colour Me Pretty Jacolby Percy, 2017, USA, 15 MinA young girl begins to question her self-image after moving to a new school where she is not wanted.

2 PM DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE I - The Cost of the American Dream

Blueprint for Bronzeville Tristan Hanson, 2017, USA, 41 Min When the City of Chicago decides that its legendary African-American neighborhood Bronzeville will be the host community for a doomed Olympics Bid, housing activists swing into action. But with an international spotlight upon them, can they get a real commitment to affordable homeownership from City Hall?

Against All Odds -The Fight for a Black Middle Class with Bob Herbert Bob Herbert, 2016, USA, 76 Min A documentary about the extraordinary difficulty African-Americans have faced in their efforts to establish and maintain a middle class standard of living. With a compelling narrative, dramatic historical footage and a series of deeply personal interviews, Bob Herbert shows why middle class inequity is still the case a half century after the heyday of the civil rights movement.

3:30 PM DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE II - Revolution and Resistance

Whose Streets Sabaah Folayan, Damon Davis, 2016, USA, 76 Min A documentary about the extraordinary difficulty African-Americans have faced in their efforts to establish and maintain a middle class standard of living. With a compelling narrative, dramatic historical footage and a series of personal nter-views, Bob Herbert shows why middle class inequity is still the case a half cen-tury after the heyday of the civil rights movement.

5:30 PM SHORTS SHOWCASE I - Living while Black The Talk Emily M. Blake, 2017, USA, 7 Min For African Americans, The Talk, is about more than just the birds and the bees. On his way to a big date, seventeen year old J.J. has a talk with his dad, but Dad couldn’t prepare him for this.

Conversation With Change michael taylor, 2017, USA, 12 MinBoth father and son grapple with change after son decides to change his career goals away from the family tradition of ivy league-trained Black male doctors to pursue acting.

Drive Slow Terrence Thompson, 2017, USA, 14 Min“Drive Slow” follows a teenager from the South-Side of Chicago attempting to finish his college essays. As he struggles to boil

Whose Streets

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down his complex surroundings in 500 words, his friends’ disparate opinions, racist news narratives, and the threat of lingering danger only complicate the process.

Intercept Jackie J. Stone, 2017, USA, 17 Min After spiraling into a deep depression, a young woman’s desperate plans are intercepted.

black enuf* Carrie Hawks, 2016, USA, 22 MinA queer oddball seeks approval from black peers despite a serious lack of hip-hop credentials. My quest for a Black Card (undeniable acceptance of my racial identity) takes me from Missouri, to New York, and halfway around the world. The film interweaves stories from my great-grandmother’s autobiography, interviews of family & friends, and my hand-drawn memories. We’re all on a quest for acceptance.

7 PM SATURDAY NIGHT SPOTLIGHT We Are Kings Sigin Ojulu, 2017, South Sudan, 6 Min When 8 year old Kwame loses his brother and play mate, he must find a way to finish the game that they started in both the real world and in their imaginary world.

Word is Bond Sacha Jenkins, 2016, USA, 88 MinLyricism is the foundation of hip hop music. Word is Bond explores the nature of lyricism and those who practice the art form. From up-and-coming artists, to some of the most legendary figures the game has ever known. Hear from the likes of J. Cole, Run The Jewels, Rapsody and Nitty Scott mixed in with OG’s like Big Daddy Kane and Rakim sharing their experience.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15 12 NOON SHORTS SHOWCASE II - Dreams Deferred Silent Cries: The Prelude Shauntay Cherry, 201, USA, 16 MinAn underemployed construction worker begins to buckle under the pressures of fatherhood as his son’s 7th birthday approaches.

Never Came Back Jeremiah Jahi, 2016, USA, 81 Min NEVER CAME BACK is a simple story about a woman, Lucinda, who is caught in a love triangle with her past, her present and her future. At the center of her overall dilemma is her desire for home ownership. But home ownership may force her to make a tough decision that could result in a crucial change of course in her life.

Dream Deferred Stephanie Che’re McBee, 2016, USA, 9 MinHow a mother’s fear can impact a community and the outcome of the presidential election. 2 PM GARY SHOWCASE I Rolling In The Deep Marcellus Cox, 2017, USA, 12 MinA Young African American Male travels home to South Carolina looking to achieve a goal for his late Father by having a meal at an locally famous Whites Only Diner.

Colour Me Pretty

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Lost LaKesha Lorene, 2016, USA, 58 MinA family of three discover love, acceptance, and forgiveness through an unexpected loss

Burning Angel Dust Jackie J. Stone, 2017, USA, 16 MinA Nigerienne immigrant struggles to adapt to American life while preserving cultural customs for her westernized children. Mimi’s 10-year-old daughter Violet is excited about her coming of age celebration, but it turns out to be far more life-altering than she could ever imagine. There’s a price to keep traditions alive.

THICKE Britt Banks, 2017, USA, 4 MinTara Thicke’s childhood memories of her brother Ryan Thicke, flash before her eyes immediately following his murder at the hands of the police.

#WhereIsBeauty Angela McCrae, 2016, USA, 11 Min #WhereIsBeauty follows the journey of NINA, a visual artist dealing with the pressures of social media and self-identity. Frustrated by homogeneous selfies and false depictions of beauty, she searches for beauty in it’s most raw and natural form and captures the experience with her mobile phone.

3:30 PM GIBFF HONORS CELEBRATION

Recognizing those who contribute every day to film and our city

4PM DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE III - The Fruits of our Labor

Making Sky Break Donnie Seals Jr., 2017, USA, 57 Min Making SkyBreak’ is a behind the scenes look at the creation of Zo!’s latest soul album. We not only travel the country talking to the artists behind the music, but we delve deep into the beginnings of Zo!’s music career.

From State Prisoner To State Professor Joshua Jackson, 2017, USA, 11 MinNajjar Abdul-Musawwir, once a state prisoner, has transitioned from his old lifestyle to a well-respected state professor at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. 6 PM GARY CLOSING SHOWCASE

Light&Sound Nefertiti Abdulmalik, 2017, USA, 3 MinIn a forgotten ghetto in Earth’s distant future, a strange visitor arrives with a gift but is the visitor friend or foe.

Road To Freedom Tiffany Addison, 2017, USA, 10 MinRachel goes on a journey to discover her road to freedom starts with forgiveness.

Silence Sigin Ojulu, 2017, USA, 7 MinIn this experimental / narrative, wannabe model Séma is tortured by Silence (personified as hands). Will Séma be able to express her voice at a crucial moment or succumb to Silence?

BOOK “The Upgrade” Jameel Karim, 2015, USA, 88 Min A young man named ray is adjusting to a whole new meaning to life which was taught by his father. Can he survive the difference between val-ued choices to save his life and the ones he love.

BOOK “The Upgrade”

Cover Photo by Inye Wokoma - www.ijoarts.orgGraphic Design by Naomi Ishisaka - www.naomiishisaka.com

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OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

KAREN FREEMAN-WILSON Phone 219.881.1302 MAYOR Fax 219.881.1337

October2017

WelcometothecityofGary,IndianaandcongratulationstotheGary,InternationalBlackFilmFestival.

Movies are magical windows to the past, present, and future of thehuman condition. They provide a pleasant escape from reality or aglimpseintothewaythingsareorshouldbeasseenthroughtheeyesoftalenteddirectors,writers,actors,andtechnicians.Fortheseventhyear,the Gary International Black Film Festival will showcase outstandingexamplesofmotionpictureartsandsciences.Forthreedays,audiences

willbetreatedtoanenticingmenuofpower-packeddramas,insightfuldocumentaries,delightfuland thought provoking shorts, and many opportunities to network with actors, filmmakers,producers,andscreenwriters.

Many may not be aware that the City of Gary has hosted hundreds of film and televisionproductions.Since1997,theGaryFilmandTelevisionOfficeunderthedirectionofBenClementhasbeentheofficialliaisonandresourceforfilmmakersfromSpikeLeeandMichaelBaytoKelyMcClung and Gary’s own,Mark Spencer. A special salute to GIBFF Founder, Karen Toering,WalterJones,ToniSimpson,LudeenKilgore,SydneyChatman,SaidahHolt,LesterLowe,andtheentire festival team for bringingmoviemagic toGary…and special thoughts to the legacy ofdedicatedfilmmakerandartistKelechukwuBrnfre,abeautifulsoulwhowillneverbeforgotten.

OnbehalfofthecityofGary,IthanktheorganizersoftheGIBFFforblessingourcitywithyourvision for this event and the partners; IndianaUniversity Northwest, Gary Arthouse and theUrbanLeagueofNorthwestIndiana.Enjoythisspecialeventthatkeepsgettingbetter!

Sincerely,

KarenFreeman-WilsonMayorofGary