Currently Browsing: Stephanie A. Taylor
The Black Harvest Film Festival runs through November 16th at the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago. While there, I viewed Betye Saar: Ready to Be a Warrior. Angela Robinson Witherspoon’s candid documentary peels back many layers of the iconic artist, activist, and teacher, Betye Saar. Betye has been in the art industry for over six decades.… read more.
Friday, November 3rd, kicked off Gene Siskel Film Center’s 29th Annual Black Harvest Film Festival. The host for opening night was LeeAnn Trotter from NBC 5. Black Harvest will run through November 16th. The festival includes 10 short film programs and 20 feature-length films. This year’s theme is “Revolutionary Visions.”… read more.
The Gene Siskel Film Center has named Jada-Amina Harvey as the lead curator for this year’s Black Harvest Film Festival. The festival is in its 29th year and will run from November 3rd through November 16th. The festival will show 20 feature-length films. There will be 10 short film programs, as well.… read more.
Cinema Femme Magazine is just about to kick off its third annual “Cinema Femme Short Film Festival.”
This year’s CFSFF will run from April 30th through May 4th, showcasing emerging female and non-binary filmmakers not just from Chicago, but internationally.
The goal is to stress the importance of supporting up-and-coming filmmakers by connecting them with seasoned professionals in the industry through the “Breaking Down Walls” mentorship program.… read more.
Indie films are in a precarious position. The model that served pre-pandemic – premieres at the annual Sundance Film Festival leading to purchases by distributors with plans for national theatrical roll-outs – seems to have crumbled now that so many audience members have become accustomed to streaming new releases at home.… read more.
Joyce Bryant, who was a singer, dancer, and civil rights activist, died on November 20, 2022, in Los Angeles; her devoted niece, Robyn LaBeaud, was by her side.
With her sultry stage presence, Joyce rose to fame in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Her trademarks included silver hair and very tight mermaid dresses with daring necklines.… read more.