Spirit of West Africa

Seattle Center Festál Spirit of West Africa

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Armory / Center House Main Floorhttp://www.thionediop.com

 

Spirit of West Africa 

Seattle Center Festal presents Spirit of West Africa, Saturday, May 11. Explore and experience the cultural roots and contemporary influences of West Africa through live performances, visual arts, hands-on activities, foods, games, and a tempting marketplace. This lively and colorful festival features traditional dance and music as well as hip hop, jazz and rock with world-class local and touring artists from Senegal, Guinea, Benin, Mali Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Cameroon.  Presented in partnership with Spirit of West Africa Committee

http://www.thionediop.com

Seeking Emerging Public Artists

Seeking artists to develop temporary artworks for 'Art Interruptions 2013'


The Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), is seeking emerging public artists to create temporary art installations along the Beacon Hill Neighborhood Greenway and the Central Waterfront for the project Art Interruptions 2013. The artworks will inhabit city sidewalks and parks and offer passers-by a brief interruption in their day, eliciting a moment of surprise, beauty, contemplation or humor. 

Possible locations for artworks include street and park infrastructure, trees, tree pits and street furniture. Up to 12 artists will be selected to develop a series of artworks for a six-week period beginning in August 2013. 

Eligibility:

Open to emerging public artists living in Washington state. The Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs defines emerging public artists as artists who have a documented track record of making art, are interested in creating art in public places, and may or may not have a formal art education. Applicants must be over 18 years old and interested in working collaboratively in public settings. Applicants are not eligible if they have received a permanently sited public or private art commission of more than $10,000. 

Budget:
Each selected artist will receive a $1,500 stipend. 

Seeking artists to develop temporary artworks for 'Art Interruptions 2013'

Deadline:
11 p.m. Friday, May 3, 2013 (Pacific Daylight Time). 

Project
Overview
Workshops:
Monday, April 22, 2013, 7 - 8:30 p.m.
Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute (LHPAI) 
104 17th Ave. S.
Seattle, WA 98144 
(206) 684-4758

Festival Closing Night and Reception with Robert Townsend and the Langston Hughes Film Festival Family

Robert Townsend

Actor/Director Robert Townsend joins the Langston Hughes Film Festival Family to premiere his provocative and powerful film, “IN THE HIVE” (Sunday, 6:00pm), featuring Michael Clarke Duncan, Loretta Divine, Vivica A. Fox, Roger Guenveur Smith and newcomer Jonathan McDaniel.

Mr. Townsend will ALSO introduce and discuss his documentary “Why We Laugh” (Sunday, 4:00pm) which includes interviews with Dave Chappelle, Whoopi Goldberg, Katt Williams, Chris Rock, Steve Harvey, Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Bill Cosby, Dick Gregory, Robin Harris, Eddie Griffin, D.L. Hughley and Redd Foxx.

Mr. Townsend is also participating in the film maker’s panel at 11:00am, Saturday in the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute Theater.

Ticket prices are $10 for "Why We Laugh", $25 for "In The Hive" and the evening reception, and $10 for the Film Maker's Panel.

"Yelling To The Sky" Filmmaker Victoria Mahoney On Langston Hughes Panel

Join Langston Hughes African American Film Festival Filmmakers this Saturday, April 20, 11:00 a.m. in the Langston Hughes Theater for an informative, thought-provoking panel.  Hear film professionals discuss the changing world of independent filmmaking, online fundraising, Black independent film, marketing, and new models of film distribution.

  

Gabourey Sidibe, Victoria Mahoney, Zoe Kravitz and Yolonda Ross

Victoria Mahoney, Director of Yelling to the Sky (staring Zoe Kravitz, Gabourey Sidibe and Yolonda Ross), Tiona McClodden (Bumming Cigarettes, Black Womyn Conversations) and other filmmakers will be present for this discussion.

There will be time for audience questions.

TICKETS Adults $10.00, Youth $5.00

Available from Brown Paper Tickets

Today, April 16 at 4:00pm - The Sunflower County Freedom Project

The Langston Hughes African American Film Festival proudly presents the world premiere of Carmen Scott’s “The Sunflower County Freedom Project”. 

"The Sunflower County Freedom Project" is a documentary film about the afterschool program by the same name and its impact in Sunflower County, Mississippi.

Modeled after the freedom schools of the 1960s, the Freedom Project seeks to offset the county's inferior public education system and help its residents gain the freedom not yet gained: access to a quality education.

The Freedom Project exposes kids to the Sunflower County's rich history of civil rights activism in order to prove to them that overcoming adversity is not only doable, it's in their DNA. The lingering legacy of racism and segregation is very apparent in Sunflower County's still segregated school system.

When Brown v. Board forced the merger of the two legally segregated public schools, whites fled to makeshift private schools housed in warehouses and churches that they called academies. The academies are still in full effect and educate almost 100% of the white kids in Sunflower County leaving underfunded public schools for the black kids.

Only 11% of high school seniors in Sunflower County's public school go on to college. SCFP is trying to change those odds for the kids in their program and they're having a lot of success doing it.

Carmen Scott

The filmmaker, Carmen L. Scott, was a part of the Freedom Project in 2001 and 2002 and is excited for the opportunity to introduce audiences to Sunflower County, Mississippi, a place so foreign yet so utterly American.

African American Film Festival’s “old school” opening night

The Langston Hughes African American Film Festival’s “old school” opening night featured a 1984 throw back Sci-Fi film “The Brother from Another Planet” staring Scandal’s Joe Morton.  The movie which still has major relevance today tells a story of a new arrival in a strange world and his journey, as he seeks his place in this new land.  Seattle’s Mayor Mike McGinn, who spoke before the film, highlighted similarities to the Great Migration of African Americans to the industrial north and the plight of new immigrants where this country may seem like “Another Planet”.

After the movie, acclaimed Sci-Fi/Speculative Fiction/Fantasy writers David Walker and Nisi Shawl participated in a talk back discussion on the role of African Americans as writers and film makers in the Sci-Fi genre. 

The movie was followed by a beautiful reception in the Langston Hughes Great Hall complete with an “out of this world” repast.

This festival continues for ANOTHER EIGHT DAYS with a closing evening dedicated to the work of Robert Townsend who will be in attendance.

Karen Toering
The 2013 Film Festival is dedicated to Ms Toering

Mayor Michael McGinn

Program Manager Karen Toering
and Curator Zola Mumford

Royal Alley-Barnes
Executive Director

Curator Zola Mumford and
Artistic Director Jacqueline Moscou

Karen Toering and
Graphic Design & Media Team Leader
Naomi Ishisaka

OPENING TONIGHT - April 13, 2013

CELEBRATE A DECADE OF BLACK FILM Opening Night at the 10th annual Langston Hughes  African American Film Festival

Seeing Stars: "The Brother From Another Planet"

We're beyond excited for Opening Night of our 10th annual film festival! On April 13th, we're screening the classic sci-fi film about a refugee from a distant star: "The Brother From Another Planet." Oh, but there's more: a reception and post-film discussion with star Joe Morton! Learn more.

"Brother" Screening A mute alien crash-lands his ship near Ellis Island, and gets a crash-course in navigating the bewildering features of life in New York.  Learn more. Discussion & Reception  Get an insider's perspective on "Brother": talk to the film's star, Joe Morton as we mark the 30th anniversary of its release.  Learn more. Next at LHAAFF Find out who gets "The Silent Treatment" during our first full day of film sessions. Includes the Shorts /Feature Documentary and Family Friendly sessions.  Learn more.