Fruitvale
This Forest Whitaker-produced film stars Michael B. Jordan and Octavia Spencer and tells the story of Oscar Grant, the 22-year old Bay area resident who was killed by BART officers at the Fruitvale train station on New Year's Day 2009. I remember when this murder (yes, murder) took place and it still resonates. I want to see how writer and first-time director Ryan Coogler tackles this true story and conveys the ending of Grant's life.
Milkshake
Dark teen comedy. The examination of the tragic sex life of a kid who strives to be something he can't be: black. A black girlfriend who he keeps on the down-low. And the backdrop of the 1990s including the OJ Simpson trial and Marion Barry's re-election. The question is why wouldn't I want to see this film?
Vipaka
This film isn't actually at Sundance. It's at Slamdance, which is taking place in Park City, Utah right now as well. The thriller stars Forest Whitaker, Anthony Mackie, Mike Epps, Nicole Ari Parker and Sanaa Lathan. I'm excited to see a black thriller as opposed to the usual one black person who happens to be in a thriller or horror film who dies in the first 30 minutes. Thank you Forest, thank you.
Anita
This documentary is about Anita Hill, the black woman who addressed an all male, white senate committee and detailed sexual harassment by then Supreme Court Justice nominee Clarence Thomas. This documentary gives us a glimpse into the personal life of Anita Hill as well as the friends and family that stood by her through everything. This documentary is of personal interest to be because it touches on one of the most divise figures and events in Black America. Who to side with? Who to believe? And does it even matter were just some of the questions raised and this will hopefully give another perspective on the story.
The Stuart Hall Project
This documentary by John Akonfrah looks at the life and work of Jamaican-born cultural theorist Stuart Hall. Having lived in England since 1951, he is one of the Britain's foremost intellectuals and a staple in sociology and communication theory. I have an intellectual crush on the man (encoding/decoding = brilliant) and will be seeing this documentary.
Music lovers should look out for Twenty Feet from Stardom, which is a documentary about back-up singers and their lives so close to stardom, as well as Muscle Shoals, which is a documentary that takes a look at the amazing music created at FAME studios in the tiny town of Muscle Shoals, Alabama by artists like Mick Jagger, Etta James and Aretha Franklin.
Now for the matter of whether or not I am "more" excited about the black films at Sundance than the "white" films. I just love good stories and good storytelling. Of course I am happy to see so many films with predominantly black casts and black producers/directors at Sundance (not that many is not all that many, but I'm sure that there aren't that many films directed and/or produced by women either), but my hope is that one day there will just be films at Sundance. We are a long way from there however. Also, I long for the day major movie commentators and sites will include "black" films in their considerations of films on which to comment on and bring attention to before Sundance. We shall see!
Also the Indiewire's review of the Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete is already out and this film starring Jennifer Hudson and scored by Alicia Keys didn't quite cut it in their opinion: http://www.indiewire.com/article/sundance-review-alicia-keys-scored-inevitable-defeat-of-mister-and-pete-loses-its-way.
For more information about black films at Sundance see the articles below:
"14 Black Films that Matter at Sundance," The Root, http://www.theroot.com/
"African-American Films at 2013 Sundance Film Festival," BET.com, http://www.bet.com/
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