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#BLACKFILMONBLACKFRIDAY MINI FILM FEST<\/div>\n
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NOVEMBER 25-27TH<\/div>\n
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LANGSTON HUGHES PERFORMING ARTS INSTITUTE 104 17TH AVE. SOUTH SEATTLE, WA 98144<\/div>\n
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Seattle, WA –\u00a0LANGSTON,\u00a0the new non-profit arts organization created to continue the mission of the historic\u00a0Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute\u00a0is bringing a pocket-sized version of its signature Langston Hughes African\u00a0American Film Festival (LHAAFF) to audiences during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend November 25-27 at the\u00a0Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute 104 17th Ave. South, Seattle, WA. The Festival, which generally screens over\u00a0a 9-day run in the spring, brings a different take on \u2018Black Friday\u2019 by showcasing a melanin-rich weekend of\u00a0documentary, narrative features, and shorts that are by or about Black people throughout the diaspora.<\/div>\n
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#BLACKFILMONBLACKFRIDAY Mini Fest\u00a0brings films, filmmakers, and audiences together in provocative, insightful and\u00a0creative experiences that highlight Black culture in the U.S. and abroad. Films for youth and adults span a variety of\u00a0subjects and will offer post-screening chats with filmmakers and community folk for those who want to take a deeper\u00a0dive.<\/div>\n
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The festival is delighted to open with Matthew Cherry\u2019s\u00a09 RIDES<\/a>\u00a0starring Dorian Missick. Cherry\u2019s sophomore effort is\u00a0the\u00a0first feature film to be shot entirely on the iPhone 6s<\/div>\n
, and follows a Black uber driver, played by Missick, whose life is\u00a0transformed as he works through his busiest night of the year, New Years Eve . The film will be followed by a talkback<\/div>\n
with Matt Cherry via skype.<\/div>\n
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Closing Night features the Seattle premiere of\u00a0I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO<\/a>, a new documentary by master filmmaker Raoul\u00a0Peck, that envisions the book that James Baldwin never finished. With only 30 pages from Baldwin\u2019s unfinished\u00a0manuscript, I Am Not Your Negro is a journey into Black history that connects the past of the Civil Rights movement to\u00a0the present of #BlackLivesMatter. Narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, the New York Times\u2019 Manhola Dingus calls this film\u00a0\u201cOne of the best films you will see all year.\u201d Peck\u2019s film is preceded by the latest masterful short film by legendary\u00a0filmmaker Julie Dash, titled,\u00a0STANDING AT THE SCRATCH LINE.<\/div>\n
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Included in the packed weekend is a Saturday lineup of handcrafted indie Black films featuring a youth-themed\u00a0showcase anchored by the hauntingly beautiful psychological study,\u00a0THE FITS<\/a>,\u00a0starring breakout actor Royalty\u00a0Hightower, a provocative Documentary Showcase featuring the critically acclaimed\u00a0TOO BLACK TO BE FRENCH<\/a>,\u00a0a critical<\/div>\n
examination that peels back the layers of race relations in supposedly institutionally colorblind France. Saturday also\u00a0features\u00a0Virtual Reality Experience for free to adults and youth. Saturday night welcomes husband and wife filmmakers\u00a0Brandon Lewis and Seckita Taylor to host a screening of their award-winning comedy,\u00a0JERICO<\/a>.\u00a0Enjoy a feel-good Saturday\u00a0night film about a couple of friends who find more than they bargained for when their car breaks down in the Jim Crow\u00a0south. Lewis and Taylor will be on hand after the film to laugh with audiences and discuss their breakout film.<\/div>\n