Hotep and Greetings!
The Film Festival Rollercoaster is the News! In the past two weeks, Healing History: The Documentary has been screened in two countries – Bermuda and the United States. In the next couple of weeks, it will been shown in Cameroon, Central Africa and in France. It is amazing!
The premier at the Bermuda International Film Festival (BIFF) was well attended and part of the opening night screening of documentary short films. Comments were very complimentary and a sampling of them can be read under Film Festivals: What Folks Are Sayin’. I was delighted that the filmmaker, Kristin Alexander, came for the premier and we were truly gratified by the enthusiastic response.
Mwalimu and Kristin Alexander on the red carpet at BIFF
The Healing History Weekend was enhanced by the debut of the dramatic presentation Everything We Should Be, a play utilizing my poetry as inspiration and dialogue. Written by Ms. Shalane Dill, it was performed by her drama guild students, The Berkeley Players, a group of aspiring, high school actors from The Berkeley Institute. An Encore Presentation of both the film and play is scheduled for Sunday, May 31st at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute. Tickets are already selling!
Mwalimu and The Berkeley Players
St. Louis, Missouri has been in the news so much lately that I was filled with excitement and anxiety simultaneously. Having the film accepted by Africa World Documentary Film Festival (AWDFF) was an awesome opportunity, as they have venues worldwide and Healing History was accepted by the community venue, The Better Family Life Community Center. My graduate school colleague and director of the festival, Dr. Niyi Coker, was a beautiful host, delighting me further in sharing that the film was also accepted by the venue in the Cameroon, Central Africa!
Dr. Niyi Coker and Mwalimu
Of course, my anxieties were unfounded, as the people were warm and welcoming and my schedule full! I read and signed books at the Progressive Emporium Bookstore and Education Center, the Ngoma Cultural Celebration and at the AWDFF venue, The Better Family Life Community Center, who requested a second screening! The comments were awesome and possibilities are brewing…
Habari Gani? What is the News? The film festivals are the news!!!