Craig Freimond’s Beyond the River
to open 3rd annual Halifax Black Film Festival
#HBFF19 – MARKS AFRICAN HERITAGE MONTH WITH
DIVERSE AND MEANINGFUL PROGRAMMING, MARCH 1 – 3
All Access Passes & Tickets are on sale now at HalifaxBlackFilm.com
(Halifax, NS) – The 3rd annual Halifax Black Film Festival (#HBFF19) announces the official program and event lineup running March 1- 3, 2019 as part of TD’s 2019 Black History Month Series. #HBFF19 will kick off with Craig Freimond’s Beyond the River at Park Lane Cineplex and will close with Joyce Fitzpatrick’s and Brian Shackelford’s The Color of Medicine – both films as Atlantic Canadian Premieres.
This year’s festival showcases 13 films and brings back the HBFF Black Market and Community Program which include panel discussions and masterclasses. Festival-goers can also look forward to a Youth Program.
“We are proud to be back with a great variety of films and events celebrating African Heritage Month in a meaningful way in Halifax and are thrilled to open the festival with Craig Freimond’s Beyond the River, a touching and powerful story based on true events.” said Fabienne Colas, President and founder of HBFF.
The 3rd annual Halifax Black Film Festival, created by the Fabienne Colas Foundation, is presented by TD Bank in collaboration with Global News.
OPENING NIGHT
Presented by TD Bank and Global News
BEYOND THE RIVER
Craig Freimond | South Africa | 2017 | 111’ | English | Atlantic Canadian Premiere
With: Grant Swanby, Lemogang Tsipa, Israel Sipho Matseke Zulu, Emily Child, Mary Twala, Kgosi Mongake, Garth Breytenbach
Friday, March 1, – 7PM – $20 – Park Lane Cineplex
Duma is a talented young man who feels trapped by his surroundings and finds himself on the wrong side of the law. After a near miss with the cops, he finds an escape in the world of canoeing, an old passion. Steve is a nine-time Dusi gold medalist whose marriage is on the verge of collapse. His passion for the sport is fueled by his wanting to escape from something in his past that continues to haunt him. Through a series of unexpected events, the two men find themselves attempting the three-day Dusi Canoe Marathon as a doubles pair.
CLOSING NIGHT
Co-Presented by TD Bank
THE COLOR OF MEDICINE
Joyce Fitzpatrick, Brian Shackelford | Canada | 2017 | 91’| English | Atlantic Canadian Premiere
With: Ronnie Rowe Jr., Sophia Walker, Sèbastian Labelle, Simon Paul Mutuyimana, Taylor Olson
Sunday March 3 – 7PM – $15 – Park Lane Cineplex
An absorbing and historic recollection of a 2nd generation physician and alumnus of Homer G. Phillips in 1963, Dr. Earle Robinson Jr., whose father was one of the 1st interns to graduate in 1939 from one of the nation’s preeminent African-American medical training hospitals, Homer G. Phillips, in St. Louis Missouri.
HBFF BLACK MARKET & COMMUNITY PROGRAM
Saturday March 2 – 9:30AM to 1PM – Halifax Central Library – FREE (reserve on Festival’s website)
#HBFF19 presents HBFF Black Market and Community Program, a series where industry professionals, experts, thought leaders, visionaries and like-minded people, will share an exciting blend of cutting-edge thinking and real- world experience on today’s most critical Diversity & Inclusion issues in the world of film and in the real world we live. We hope to foster future collaborations, maximize cross-border artistic exchanges and promote entrepreneurship in the field of filmmaking. See list of panelists & more on: HalifaxBlackFilm.com
9:30AM – DIVERSITY OFF AND ON SCREEN
A great panel of industry professionals will talk about the under representation of Black talent off and on screen. They will share their experiences regarding the issue as well as offering ideas and advice to help solve the problem. Our goal is to help increase the number of black professionals working on film sets in the Halifax and Atlantic Regional – behind and in front of the camera. Be a part of this important discussion.
11AM – BLACK WEALTH MATTERS
Black Wealth Matters is a movement to champion black wealth creation as a solution to socio-economic disadvantages afflicting blacks in North America. Nowhere is this conversation more relevant than right here in Nova Scotia! Black business leaders will dissect the issues and see how we can collectively make a change and empower our communities socially and economically for maximum impact.
1PM – DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE
Diversity is much talked about in today’s business world. But how much of the conversation has translated into a truly diverse and inclusive work environment? One that better represents black Nova Scotians and brings financial gains to companies and as a result, in the bigger picture, bigger professional and financial gains within our communities? This powerful group of thought leaders will look at dynamic and innovation problem solving and talk about what’s working… and what’s not.
HBFF KIDS PROGRAM
#HBFF19 is thrilled to bring back the HBFF Youth Program where kids and youth celebrate African Heritage Month by being exposed to black stories through powerful films. Two private free screenings will be offered to hundreds of kids. See details at HalifaxBlackFilm.com
BILAL: A NEW BREED OF HERO
Ayman Jamal, Khurram H. Alavi | United Arab Emirates, SaudiArabia|2016|105’|English
March 1 & March 4 – 1PM – Private & FREE Screenings – Halifax West, Auburn Drive High, Citadel High, Dartmouth High
March 2 – 11AM – FREE admission – North Preston Community Center
A thousand years ago, one boy with a dream of becoming a great warrior is abducted with his sister and taken to a land far away from home. Thrown into a world where greed and injustice rule all, Bilal finds the courage to raise his voice and make a change. Inspired by true events, this is a story of a real hero who earned his remembrance in time and history.
JIM BUTTON AND LUKE THE ENGINE DRIVER
Dennis Gansel | Germany | 2018 | 105’ | English |
March 2 – 3PM – $6 (12 years & under) / $12 (adults) – Park Lane Cineplex
Based on the bestselling novel by Michael Ende (The Neverending Story), this epic fantasy adventure follows a young orphan boy JIM BUTTON, his best friend LUKE and a magical steam engine called EMMA as they travel across the world in search of the truth about where Jim came from. Battling pirates and dragons, outsmarting make-believe giants, they must travel through the Forest of a Thousand Wonders, beyond the End of the World to find the hidden Dragon City.
FABIENNE COLAS FOUNDATION’S YOUTH AND DIVERSITY PROGRAM
FILM PROGRAM: BEING BLACK IN HALIFAX
Part of the Fabienne Colas Foundation’s Youth and Diversity Program and supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, this program has offered professional mentorship to 5 emerging black filmmakers, 18 to 30 years old, in the production of a short documentary with the theme of “Being Black in Halifax.” They addressed the issue of social integration of people from black communities in Halifax through film. These 4 promising filmmakers were guided through the many steps in audiovisual production from screenwriting, directing and editing, to post-production and more, with the end goal being to create their first and very own documentary shorts. This process was carried out under the professional tutelage of filmmaker Juanita Peters. The participants will be presented at the #HBFF19. More info on Festival’s website!
FILM WORKSHOP: HBFF TOGETHER IN COLOR
March 3 – 12PM – Common Good – FREE admission (reserve on Festival’s website)
#HBFF19 is happy to offer a fun, educational, video making project for High School Students in HRM. It will inspire creativity and introduce youth to the many career possibilities within the business and encouraging them to explore diversity and inclusion through video. Industry professionals will work with The Black Business Initiative and its’ Role Models on the Road program in local High Schools. Videographer Terrence Taylor will invite kids for a free workshop where they learn more about the impact of storytelling and how to properly use their cellphones to edit a video. Together in Color engages, empowers and raises awareness among youth on Diversity and Inclusion in Halifax by giving them a voice, tools and a platform to present their views on such important social issues.
For full #HBFF19 programming and events, visit: www.HalifaxBlackFilm.com
About the Halifax Black Film Festival – #HBFF19
Created in 2017 by the Fabienne Colas Foundation (FCF), the Halifax Black Film Festival is the 3rd black film festival in Canada created by the FCF. In 2005, the FCF created the Montreal International Black Film Festival (MIBFF) which became Canada’s largest Black Film Festival, entirely dedicated to black reality from all four corners of the globe. In 2013, the Fabienne Colas Foundation created the Toronto Black Film Festival, which is celebrating its 7th edition this February 2019. The Halifax Black Film Festival is dedicated to celebrating the very best in cinematic work dealing with the varied experiences of black people from diverse communities. Their mandate is to provide an opportunity for filmmakers to shine the spotlight on authentic stories that reflect the realities of black experiences.
To learn more, visit: www.halifaxblackfilm.com
Get Social #HBFF19
Facebook.com/halifaxblackfilmfestival | Twitter @HABlackFilmFest | Instagram @HalifaxBlackFilmFest
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For Media Inquiries:
Wendy Phillips, Publicist | wendy@pprl.ca| 902-492-0960
Talar Adam, Press Relations Director | Press@TorontoBlackFilm.com | 514-833-0274