Nothing But a Man: A 50th Anniversary Celebration

Thursday, April 24th-Wednesday, April 30th, 7:30pm

Nothing But a Man

A 50th Anniversary Celebration

Michael Roemer, 1964, 92 min.

A true landmark of American cinema and African-American screen representation, Nothing But a Man portrays the poignant relationship between a preacher’s daughter (jazz singer Abbey Lincoln) and a railroad man and single dad (Ivan Dixon). After the two marry, they confront a host of problems including racism, school integration, unemployment, and family conflict. Against this detailed social backdrop (which is a powerful document of Jim Crow-era restrictions), the film portrays Duff and Josie as fully-fleshed out individuals, complex and contradictory, in a way rare for movies about black characters at the time. Shot during the tumultuous summer of 1963—the summer of Medgar Evers’ assassination, George Wallace at the University of Alabama, and the March on Washington, the film features an unparalleled, Motown based soundtrack that includes Martha & the Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, Mary Wells and the Miracles. Nothing But a Man is fiction Cinema Vérité gold.

A conversation between director Michael Roemer and writer Kevin Powell will follow the 7:30pm screening on Friday, April 25th.

A Q&A with director Michael Roemer and documentary filmmaker and Maysles Cinema founder Albert Maysles will follow the 7:30pm screening on Saturday, April 26th.

Following the 7:30pm screening on Monday, April 28th there will be a Q&A with writer and cultural activist Kazembe Balagun of the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung-New York Office.

"Nothing But a Man changed my life. By that I mean this beautiful film opened my head up, introduced me in a shattering way to the notion of race, drove me to James Baldwin, Soul on Ice, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, thus birthing a whole new world-view for me."

- Jonathan Demme

"Its so rare for a film to both be so excellent and ahead of its time which makes it just as valuable today as it was 50 years ago. Its a subject well covered only when this film is included."

- Albert Maysles

"Nothing But a Man...is one of the most sensitive films about black life ever made in this country.” - Hal Hinson, The Washington Post

“One of the great American independent films.”

- Amy Taubin, Artforum

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSjgshFzHJE

BPT: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/629504

In Glorious Mud Green Man

Tuesday, April 22nd, 7:30pm

In Glorious Mud Green Man

(In Celebration of Earth Day)

Joe Fenstermaker, 2012, 33 min.

In Glorious Mud Green Man observes Green Man creating wonder throughout New York City while revealing an intimate portrait of Tom, the man who assumes Green Man's posture in public. Born out of the crook of a tree Green Man explores and experiences the world with both animal and human instincts as he encounters different situations. Green Man surprises New Yorkers going about their daily lives disrupting their way of seeing the world revealing nature in the city. Beyond Green Man exists Tom the man who through nature and his own circumstances finds himself lead to assume the mantel of Green Man. Tom discovered his true purpose taking his compassion for humanity and transforming it into performance art.

After the film there will be a Q&A with the filmmaker Joe Fenstermaker featuring Tom Goodgridge (Green Man). They will discuss Green Man, nature in New York City and the documentary filmmaking process.

Following the Q&A there will be a reception with local complimentary cuisine.

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/17707207

BPT: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event25/6291

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/266471843530863/

Spring Break Film Voyagers

Spring Break Film Voyagers

Monday, April 14th, 2:00pm

A program of films for younger children age 3 to 7 and their caregivers: films from around the world --most animation -- geared toward a young audience. $8 Suggested Donation.

L'equip Petit

Roger Gomez, Dani Resines, 2012, 9min, Spain

A great documentary short about a little team in Catalunya with golden values. In Catalan, there’s a saying “amb un Parell de pebrots” or “with a couple of peppers”, which means to be brave and to face situations without fear. These little Catalan children play without any awareness of fear.  Joy and positivity dominate. For every moment that these children continue to play is a moment filled with possibility. To pass. To shoot. To score. To win.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKJjVCD_ygE

Juanito Jones

2002, 24 min, Spain

Juanito uses his imagination to travel on fantastic adventures and confronts all sorts of dangerous situations and always remembers never to use violence. Instead, he uses wit, skill, intelligence and help from his friend Sombra, a loveable teddy bear.

BPT:http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/594221

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/618694764869373/

Spring Break Film Voyagers

Tuesday, April 15th, 2:00pm

The Legend Of Ngong Hills

Kwame Nyong'o, 2011, 9min, Kenya

Based upon a Maasai folktale, 'The Legend of Ngong Hills' is the creation story in which the humongous and frightful Ogre of the forest, who has a habit of attacking the Maasai village, falls in love with the beautiful young maiden. A story of greed, tyranny and courage.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuAHyx3iY1s

Bino and Fino

Adamu Waziri, 2011, 30 min.

Bino and Fino features an adorable sister and brother as they go about their daily life in Nigeria. Produced in Abuja, Nigeria, under the direction of its creator, architect turned animator, Adamu Waziri. Thanks to Adamu and his team for their generous permission to show Bino and Fino at Maysles Cinema. Suitable for all ages.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRsYNNZiuQc

BPT: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/594227

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/618694764873/693

Spring Break Film Voyagers

Wednesday, April 16th, 2:00pm

Tell Me Who I Am

James E. Simon, 1997, 35 min.

Tell me who I am is an exciting animated video series with original stories and songs that will inspire your entire family! In the first episode, The Journey Begins, travel back in time to 14th century Timbuktu where Nia, a courageous young princess, and her comical, high-spirited pet, Funzi the Fuzzwuzz, escape an attack by the evil Komo.

BPT:http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/594231

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/618694764869373/

Spring Break Film Voyagers

Thursday, April 17th, 2:00pm

Doggy Poo

Kwon Oh-Sung, 2004, 60 min., Korea

After being "created" by a dog, Doggy Poo meets various living and inanimate things. No one wants to be his friend, and Doggy Poo becomes sad because he believes he is worthless and has no purpose. Eventually, a plant grows out of the ground and tells Doggy Poo that she needs him so she can grow into a flower. Doggy Poo discovers his life purpose and he becomes absorbed by the flower. After being absorbed by the flower, Doggy Poo lives "a happy life"

BPT: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/594232

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/618694764869373/

Spring Break Film Voyagers

Friday, April 18th, 2:00pm

Kids' choice

The children vote for their favorite film for the last day of Spring Break.

BPT: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/594241

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/618694764869373/

Under the Influence of Lisa Cortes and Lisa Jones

Saturday, April 12th, 7:30pm

Under the Influence of Lisa Cortes and Lisa Jones

(A look at the work of filmmaker Lisa Cortes, and dialogue between Cortes and writer Lisa Jones about womanhood – woman as powerful, vulnerable, complex, and still waging an ever-constant struggle for self-determination.)

Imagine A Future

Directed by Shola Lynch and Lisa Cortes, produced by Lisa Cortes, 2013, 30 min.

Imagine a Future, a powerful documentary that follows Janet Goldsboro, an African-American teen from Delaware who travels to South Africa on a journey of self-acceptance and self-discovery. As she digs deeper into her roots, she also explores historical and contemporary beauty and the self-esteem challenges faced by many Black women. The documentary also features the likes of Gabourey Sidibe, Michaela Angela Davis, Gabrielle Douglas, Tatyana Ali and Melissa Harris-Perry — all of whom give their own unique perspectives. This documentary challenges viewers to change the conversation by re-thinking and re-imagining standards of beauty.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbSLw3f-IDY

Kwaku Ananse

Directed by Akosua Adoma Owusu and produced by Lisa Cortes and Julio Chavezmontes, 2013, 26 min.

Kwaku Ananse is an intensely personal project which draws upon the rich mythology of Ghana. A young outsider named Nyan Kronhwea attends her estranged father's funeral. Overwhelmed at the procession, Nyan retreats to the spirit world in search for her father. The short film combines semi-autobiographical elements with the tale of Kwaku Ananse, a trickster in West African stories who appears as both spider and man. Ananse teaches us that there are two sides to everything and everyone.

Q&A with filmmaker Lisa Cortes and writer Lisa Jones to follow screening.

2013 Winner - Africa Movie Academy Award, Best Short Film

2013 Nominated - Golden Bear for Best Short Film, Berlinale Shorts

2012 Focus Features Africa First

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t6bYip32W8

BPT: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/631222

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/499901910109813/

Film Voyagers

Sunday, April 6th, 2:00pm

Sunday, April 13th, 2:00pm

Film Voyagers

A weekly program of films for younger children age 3 to 7 and their caregivers: films from around the world --most animation -- geared toward a young audience. $8 Suggested Donation.

Kimboo

Gilles Gay, Alain Jaspard, 1989, 30 min., France-Ivory Coast

Kimboo is the story of a little boy, Kimboo, from the Ivory Coast who's dream is to travel the world. But after long discussions with his grandfather he instead chooses to focus on his own community.

BPT:http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/584899

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/1420464944864247/

The Center for Palestine Studies, and Deep Dish Presents: Where Should the Birds Fly

Saturday, April 5th, 7:30pm

The Center for Palestine Studies, and Deep Dish Present: Where Should the Birds Fly

Fida Qishta, 2014, 70 min.

Where Should the Birds Fly tells the story of two young women of Gaza: Fida Quishta, the filmmaker, and Mona Samouni, an amazingly poised 10 year old who lost 29 members of her immediate family to Israeli rockets, including  parents, nieces and sisters-in-law . It is the story of the farmers, fishermen, and dispossessed of Gaza -- their everyday struggles to live their lives as they struggle to maintain humanity in the in the face of brutality and hope for the future in the confines of the prison camp of Gaza. It is the first film made by a filmmaker from Gaza that documents the 2008-09  Israeli attack and its aftermath. Produced by Deep Dish TV.

Q&A with director Fida Qishta and Lila Abu-Lughod, Professor of Anthropology, Columbia University, Director of Middle East Institute, co-editor of Nakba: Palestine, 1948, and the Claims of Memory and author of Do Muslim Women Need Saving?, and Brinkley Messick, co-director of the Center for Palestine Studies, Professor of Anthropology, Columbia University and author of The Calligraphic State: Textual Domination and History in a Muslim Society.

Reception featuring Palestinian cuisine following the discussion.

Fida Qishta is a Palestinian camerawoman/editor and filmmaker, born in Rafah City in the south of Gaza. Since 2006 she has worked as a journalist, producing news stories and documentaries in the Gaza. Her articles have appeared in the U.K. Observer and Guardian newspapers and The International Herald Tribune. She is a qualified teacher and in 2004 founded the Life Makers Center in Rafah, Gaza to teach English and drama to traumatized children. In this film Fida has documented the horrific Israeli invasion and bombardment of Gaza in December 2008 and January 2009. She and her crew of young videographers kept their cameras rolling for months, recording the struggle of the people of Gaza to retrieve some sense of normalcy from the absolute abnormality of life in the world’s largest prison camp, sealed off on all sides by Israeli and Egyptian walls, barbed wire and military. Where Should The Birds Fly is her first feature documentary film.

Trailer:: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYElWGKHYgY

BPT: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/613599

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/258729607634777/

Under the Influence of Beatmaker, Katakresis and Anthony Sylvester: Audio::Visual

Thursday, April 3rd, 8:00pm

Under the Influence of Beatmaker, Katakresis, and Anthony Sylvester:

Audio::Visual

Audio::Visual transports you to an asymmetrical universe, full of sounds and images that capture the essence of the individual experience. Beatmaker, Katakresis, and filmmaker, Anthony Sylvester, invite you to watch their interpretations of nature's vast and diverse idiosyncrasies with exciting beats and expansive visuals.  Re-experience reality in Audio::Visual.

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/85487208

BPT: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/613479

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/1434574110116089/

Africa Now!: Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars

Wednesday, April 2nd, 6:30pm

Africa Now!: Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars

Presented by the Apollo Theater and World Music Institute

in partnership with the Maysles Cinema

100% Free

Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars

Zach Niles and Banker White, 2005, 78 min.

The plight of the refugee in today’s war-torn world is captured in the African proverb, ‘When two elephants are fighting, the grass will suffer’ So it was in Sierra Leone from 1991-2002, where the government and various rebel factions carried out a brutal civil war in which the terrorizing of civilians by killing, mutilation, rape, and forced conscription was common practice on all sides. The war sent hundreds of thousands of ordinary Sierra Leoneans fleeing to refugee camps in the neighboring West African nation of the Republic of Guinea. That’s where the remarkable documentary Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars begins. Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars are a band of six Sierra Leonean musicians who came together to form a band while living in a refugee camp in Guinea. Many of their family and friends were murdered in the war, leaving each of them with physical and emotional scars that may never heal. Despite the unimaginable horrors of civil war, they were saved and brought hope and happiness to their fellow refugees through their music. Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars chronicles the band over three years, from Guinean refugee camps back to war-ravaged Sierra Leone, where they realize the dream of recording their first studio album. And so begins a musical phenomenon that is making the world hear the voices of West Africa’s refugees.

Q&A to folow screening with Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars members Reuben Koroma (lead vocals, percussion), Ashade Pearce (guitar), Jahson Bull (keys, guitar), Dennis Sannoh (bass), Christopher Davies (drums).

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/60272143

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/579448415484492/

Jock Docs Presents: Hooligans & Ultras

Tuesday, April 1st, 7:30pm

Jock Docs Presents: Hooligans & Ultras

(A look at the passion of the soccer fan in a nod to the upcoming 2014 World Cup in Brazil. “Hooligans & Ultras” is an ongoing spring series.)

Curated by Hatuey Rodriguez and Vincent Puljiz

Football's Fight Club     

Gareth Williams, 2002, 49 min, England

As unlikely as it may seem now, there was a time in which football in Britain was not only unpopular, but was in real danger of going out of existence completely, due to one main factor: hooliganism. Every matchday, thousands of thugs fought on terraces throughout the country in an ugly battle which threatened the safety of innocent supporters, and led to a number of deaths. Football's Fight Club tells the story of how football violence spread to become an unwanted part of our national game. Football violence started to grow in the early 1970s, after the introduction of the 'football special', a scheme which enabled thousands of volatile fans and hooligans to travel cheaply by train around the country on matchdays. This combination of football, fighting and alcohol provided an exhilarating day out for fans, and the violence repeated itself around the country, week after week. Quickly, hooliganism attained a culture of its own, and despite the destruction that they caused, the thugs were content with enjoying themselves in this way. The seriousness of their actions, though, only started to become apparent when the first murder at a football match took place in 1974.

FC United: A Punk Football Fairy Tale

Daniel Colbourne, 2013, 35 min, England

A film about the past, present and future of FC United of Manchester. Formed in 2005, the club were promoted three times in their first three seasons. They now play their football in the Evo-Stik Premier Division. They are a club run by the fans, for the fans.

Skype Q&A with director Daniel Colbourne

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iwgdcBdMrM

BPT: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/613464

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/837256552957130/

Brothers Hypnotic

Monday, March 24th-Sunday, March 30th, 7:30pm

Brothers Hypnotic

U.S. Theatrical Premiere

Dir. Reuben Atlas, 2013, 84 mins.

At 6:00 a.m. sharp, the numerous children of jazz musician Phil Cohran began band rehearsal. A family of 24 living on Chicago’s South Side, the “brothers” of the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble were raised by their father and three mothers on a strict diet of jazz, funk and Black Consciousness. In this award-winning film from the festivals including SXSW, Urbanworld and HotDocs, the band works with artists including Mos Def, Blur and Prince, while struggling to maintain their own identity and bring their distinctive blend of jazz, hip-hop, and funk from the halls from Europe to the streets of New York City.

Friday, March 28th and Saturday, March 29th: Post-film Q&A with director Reuben Atlas and Hypnotic Brass members in person!

"Does an excellent job of capturing and contextualizing the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble’s brand of sinewy musical magic. Lively, funny and at times philosophical, Reuben Atlas' debut documentary chronicles the rise of the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble with great sensitivity." - Andrew Barker, Variety

"When a film successfully footnotes heavy-hitters like Prince, Mos Def, and Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz), the main subject's gotta be tight." - Kate Messer, Austin Chronicle

"Brothers Hypnotic will restore your faith in humanity, bring a tear to your eye, a heavy stomp to your right foot and, possibly, make you curse your parents for not forcing you to wake up at the crack of dawn for tuba practice." - Stephen Swanson, CBS

Presented by Documentary in Bloom

Curated by Livia Bloom

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH0_vUK6_Y4

BPT: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/572437

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/442898385837607

Film Voyagers

Sunday, March 23rd, 2:00pm

Sunday, March 30th, 2:00pm

Film Voyagers

A weekly program of films for younger children age 3 to 7 and their caregivers: films from around the world --most animation -- geared toward a young audience. $8 Suggested Donation.

Tell Me Who I Am

James E. Simon, 1997, 35 min.

Tell me who I am is an exciting animated video series with original stories and songs that will inspire your entire family! In the first episode, The Journey Begins, travel back in time to 14th century Timbuktu where Nia, a courageous young princess, and her comical, high-spirited pet, Funzi the Fuzzwuzz, escape an attack by the evil Komo.

BPT: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/584851

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/363240297150485/

Doc Watchers Presents A Women's History Month Special

Thursday, March 20th, 7:00pm

Doc Watchers Presents A Women's History Month Special

Curated by Hellura Lyle

The Exhibition

Damon Vignale,2013, 92 min.

In an attempt to deflect the public gaze away from Canada's most notorious serial killer and onto the lives of his victims, artist Pamela Masik creates paintings of the murdered women. However, her work is quickly met with a backlash from the victims' families and the Vancouver Aboriginal community. Over a six year period, The Exhibition follows Masik’s struggle to exhibit this collection of paintings, and the public outcry that ensued.  All of this amidst a shocking murder trial; an inquiry into the police department’s failed investigation; and the families’ search for answers in Canada’s largest serial murder case in history. Unafraid to confront moral ambiguity, The Exhibition examines every nuance of the debate over whether her work is art, tribute, or exploitation.

Q&A (via Skype) with director following the screening.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LUUpY1n2I0

BPT: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/584000

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/570360526394109/

Yuri Kochiyama & Assata Shakur: Revolutionary Womyn Warriors Together Again In Harlem

Sunday, March 16th, 4:00pm

Yuri Kochiyama & Assata Shakur: Revolutionary Womyn Warriors Together Again In Harlem

Co-Sponsored by The Guillermo Morales-Assata Shakur Center, Universal Zulu Nation, Sisters Circle Collective, CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities, and Peoples Survival Program

In Celebration of Women’s History Month

4:00pm

Lost Interview With Assata Shakur

5:00pm

Eyes On the Rainbow: The Story Of Assata Shakur

Gloria Ronaldo, 1997, 45 min.

Eyes on the Rainbow deals with the life of Assata Shakur, the Black Panther and Black Liberation Army leader who escaped from prison and was given political asylum in Cuba, where she has lived for close to 15 years.  This film also covers Afro-Cuban beliefs and culture, including the Yoruba Orisha Oya, goddess of the ancestors, of war, of the cemetery and of the rainbow.

6:00pm  

Dinner

6:30pm

Yuri Kochiyama: Passion For Justice

Pat Saunders and Rea Tajiri, 1994, 57 min

Yuri Kochiyama is a Japanese American woman who has lived in Harlem for more than 40 years with a long history of activism on a wide range of issues. Through extensive interviews with family and friends, archival footage, music and photographs, Yuri Kochiyama chronicles this remarkable woman’s contribution to social change through some of the most significant events of the 20th century, including the Black Liberation movement, the struggle for Puerto Rican independence, and the Japanese American Redress movement. In an era of divided communities and racial conflict, Kochiyama offers an outstanding example of an equitable and compassionate multiculturalist vision.

Panel Discussion with Meejin Richart, Pamela Hanna and Cleo Silvers.

Meejin Richart is a Member of CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities, CAAAV representative to the Peoples' Justice for Community Control and Police Accountability coalition, co-coordinator of Poongmul Movement Builders, member of the Bushwick CopWatch team, and works at the Center for Constitutional Rights. Her work is committed to building power in queer, trans, and people of color communities to achieve racial and economic justice through community engagement. She works toward peace in Korea and anti U.S. militarism around the world.

Pamela Hanna is a former member of The New York State Chapter Of The Black Panther Party who has personally worked together with both Assata Shakur & Yuri Kochiyama. A Co-Host for WBAI's internationally acclaimed "Where We Live" radio show; She continues to advocate and organize as a supporter and personal advisor for the many forgotten parents, children, grandchildren & family members of U.S. government held Political Prisoners, POW's & Political exiles from the Black Liberation movement of the 60's, 70's & 80's. Pam also serves as the Co-Chairperson for the Campaign To Free BPP/BLA Political Prisoner Kamau Sadiki.

Cleo Silvers is a former member of both the Young Lords Party and the New York State Chapter of the Black Panther Party who worked with their medical cadre as a Community Mental Health Worker at Lincoln Hospital and served as co-chairperson of the Health Revolutionary Unity Movement (HRUM).  She helped organize two militant takeovers of Lincoln Hospital which led to the formation of the Lincoln Detox Center (a non-methadone based treatment) and an increase of the quality of healthcare available to the South Bronx & Harlem communities. Cleo currently works as the Director of Outreach for The Mount Sinai Irving J. Selikoff Center For Occupational And Environmental Medicine and states that the focus of her life .. "continues to be the improvement of conditions for working people in every aspect of their lives including housing, healthcare, education, culture, integrity, peace, justice, criminalization of youth in communities of color."

BPT: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/607573

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/470912713009042/

Doc Watchers Presents A women History's Month Special

Thursday, March 13th, 7:00pm

Doc Watchers Presents A Women's History Month Special

(A Special Co-Presentation with the New York African Film Festival)

Curated by Hellura Lyle

Joy, It’s Nina

Jane Thorburn, 2012, 34 min

Shot in England and Nigeria and performed and written by Joy Elias-Riwan, this evocative and original film builds on the experiences and emotional lives of West African women living in the UK separated from their families. The stories are based on news and court reports and Joy Elias-Rilwan's own life, including voicemails left on her answer-machine by the legendary singer Nina Simone, her friend and self proclaimed 'Spiritual Mother'.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibmmCjHCtJs

Menstrual Man

Amit Virmani, 2013, 63 min

There are men who squirm at the mention of a woman’s period, and then there’s Arunachalam Muruganantham. Considered a madman and pervert by his community, he ignored his detractors and made his dream—low-cost sanitary pads made by and for rural Indian women—a reality. Menstrual Man is the inspiring story of a hero who rises above poverty and a lack of education to become a superstar social entrepreneur in the business of breaking cultural taboos and re-inventing the economic pyramid. Muruganantham is leading a movement, not a company. And it’s spreading.

Q&A (via Skype) with director Amit Virmani following the screening.

Trailer: http://youtu.be/S3567Hx_U98

BPT: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/583980

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/349371178539007/

Ikland

Wednesday, March 12th, 7:30pm

Ikland

Sponsored by the New York Amsterdam News

Cevin Soling and David Hilbert, 2012, 88 min

The Ik were described as sadists who starved their own children and relieved themselves in front of each others’ homes for fun. They were reviled as the worst and most depraved beings on earth, and it was recommended that their culture be destroyed for its own good. No one has dared to film them in the 40 years since they were first studied. Ikland recounts a quest to re-connect with a lost corner of humanity.  For producer Cevin Soling, they represented the last outpost of imagination in a world devoid of myth. Soling and his crew risked their lives, by traveling through war-ravaged northern Uganda to reach them. Their experience was alien and surreal in ways only Jonathan Swift might have imagined.

Q&A with directors Cevin Soling, and David Hilbert to follow the film.

Trailer:  https://vimeo.com/22586318

BPT: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/578097

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/635860549795641

Visible Man: Ellison on Film with Paul Devlin

Tuesday, March 11th, 7:00pm

The National Jazz Museum Presents Jazz on Film

Visible Man: Ellison on Film with Paul Devlin

In Honor of the Centennial of Ralph Ellison's Birth

(March 1, 1914-April 16, 1994)

Paul Devlin will host a screening and discussion of Ralph Ellison’s most important appearance on film in which he discusses and reads from his work, along with filmed discussions of Ellison’s friends discussing his life and work, and film adaptations of his work. This evening will be a rare opportunity to see the outstanding and seldom-viewed 1999 film adaption of Ellison’s story “King of the Bingo Game.” Paul will also discuss the important role of movie-making in Ellison’s fiction. Paul may also play and discuss rare audio of Ellison reading from his work.
 

Paul Devlin is a literary and cultural critic whose work has appeared in Slate, The Root, The Daily Beast, the San Francisco Chronicle, Capital New York, the New York Times Book Review and other publications. He is the editor of Rifftide: The Life and Opinions of Papa Jo Jones as told to Albert Murray (University of Minnesota Press, 2011), which was a finalist for the Jazz Journalists Association book award in 2012. He teaches at St. John’s University and is a Ph.D. Candidate at Stony Brook University. Paul has hosted programs and discussions at The National Jazz Museum in Harlem, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and D.C. Moore Gallery. He is a member of the National Book Critics Circle and the Jazz Journalists Association.

BPT: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/584704

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/258178581016735/

ReelAbilities: NY Disabilities Film Festival

Sunday, March 9th, 7:30pm

ReelAbilities: NY Disabilities Film Festival

Sounds for Mazin

Ingrid Kamerling, 2012, 19 min

In this documentary short the Sudanese/Dutch Mazin (12) is deaf from the day he was born. But now he faces an operation that is supposed to make him hear.Excited about all the new things he might discover, Mazin is looking forward to it. How will a dog sound? And fishes, do they make any noise? But he keeps on having second thoughts. For one of his closest classmates a similar operation turned out to be a disaster. And even if he succeeds, the world as he knows it might never be the same again, he feares. Will he get used to this whole new universe, or will it make him go crazy?

Lost & Sound

Lindsey Dryden, 2012, 76 min

1 in 7 of us will experience some kind of deafness in our lifetime. So what would happen to the

music you love, if your hearing was lost? Made by a partially deaf filmmaker after the future of

her own hearing was called into doubt, Lost and Sound is a moving and fascinating documentary

that follows music critic Nick Coleman, dancer Emily Thornton and pianist Holly Loach over 2

years, as they journey deep into sound and silence to re-discover music after deafness. The film

weaves its way through a startling world of altered sound. It combines intimate filming with

original animation, a rich musical soundtrack (often manipulated to reveal what deafness actually

sounds like), and new insights from the world’s top neuroscientists, to tell the story of the great

human love affair with music. Features New York Times bestseller Dr David Eagleman, composer Professor Nigel Osborne, Dr. Katie Overy, Professor David Huron, Dr Robert Zatorre and science writer Philip Ball.

Q&A with Alexandria Wailes

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WIKBmWn22U

ReelAbilities: NY Disabilities Film Festival is the largest festival in the country dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories and artistic expressions of people with different disabilities. Initiated in NY in 2007, the festival presents award winning films by and about people with disabilities in multiple locations throughout each hosting city. Post-screening discussions and other engaging programs bring together the community to explore, discuss, embrace, and celebrate the diversity of our shared human experience.

BPT: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/578081

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/415495318585011

Film Voyagers

Sunday, March 9th, 2:00pm

Sunday, March 16th, 2:00pm

Film Voyagers

A weekly program of films for younger children age 3 to 7 and their caregivers: films from around the world --most animation -- geared toward a young audience. $8 Suggested Donation.

The Legend Of Ngong Hills

Kwame Nyong'o, 2011, 9min, Kenya

Based upon a Maasai folktale, 'The Legend of Ngong Hills' is the creation story in which the humongous and frightful Ogre of the forest, who has a habit of attacking the Maasai village, falls in love with the beautiful young maiden. A story of greed, tyranny and courage.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuAHyx3iY1s

Bino and Fino

Adamu Waziri, 2011, 30 min.

Bino and Fino features an adorable sister and brother as they go about their daily life in Nigeria. Produced in Abuja, Nigeria, under the direction of its creator, architect turned animator, Adamu Waziri. Thanks to Adamu and his team for their generous permission to show Bino and Fino at Maysles Cinema. Suitable for all ages.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRsYNNZiuQc

BPT: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/583961

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/600725266676295/

Doc Watchers Presents: A Women's Hostory

Thursday, March 6th, 7:00pm

Doc Watchers Presents A Women's History Month Special

(Presented in association with Asian Cinevision, producer of the 37th Asian American International Film Festival, July 23 - August 2, 2014), Third World Newsreel, the Guillermo Morales-Assata Shakur Center, the Sisters Circle Collective, Universal Zulu Nation and the Peoples Survival Program

Curated by Hellura Lyle

American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs

Grace Lee, 2013, 82 min

When we think of the Civil Rights Movement, we tend to overlook leaders like 98 year-old Chinese American Grace Lee Boggs. As an activist, writer and philosopher, Boggs was not only deep in the trenches during the Civil Rights Movement, but continues to be a pivotal figure in minority rights to this day. Much of Boggs’ work has centered on Detroit and the racial discrimination that plagued the city.

As she wrestles with a Detroit in ongoing transition, Boggs emerges with an approach that is radical in its simplicity and clarity: revolution is not an act of aggression or merely a protest. Revolution, Boggs says, is about something deeper within the human experience — the ability to transform oneself in order to transform the world. In an age when seemingly insurmountable injustices and contradictions face us, American Revolutionary inspires concerned citizens and dreamers of all ages with new thinking to sustain their struggle and engagement.

Angela Davis, Bill Moyers, Bill Ayers, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, Danny Glover, Boggs’s late husband James Boggs and a host of Detroit comrades across three generations help shape this uniquely American story.

Skype Q&A with director Grace Lee followed by a reception.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNTDB_mBTeA

BPT: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/583974

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/405037942973964/

Friends of Appalshop NYC Presents: Sludge

Wednesday, March 5th, 7:30pm

Friends of Appalshop NYC Presents: Sludge

Dir. Robert Salyer, 2005, 45 min

Shortly after midnight on October 11, 2000, a coal sludge pond in Martin County, Kentucky, broke through an underground mine below, propelling 306 million gallons of sludge into the rivers and creeks below.  Sludge is a documentary that investigates this coal waste disaster and examines the role of federal regulatory agencies in the coalfields. Filmed over four years, the documentary chronicles the aftermath of the spill, the "whistleblower" case of Jack Spadaro, and the looming threat of coal sludge ponds throughout the region.

Along with Sludge, we're excited to be screening an exclusive first look at The Sweet Taste of Freedom,  a work in progress by independent producer Jason Myer that documents the 2014 Freedom Industries MCHM chemical spill in the Kanawha Valley of West Virginia that has contaminated the water supply of upwards of 300,000 people. Myer is providing a compelling ground-level view of this ongoing disaster, and we're excited to present this footage publicly for the first time in NYC.

Q&A with filmmaker, Robert Sayler, to follow screening.

Appalshop was founded in 1969 as the Community Film Workshop of Appalachia, one of a group of workshops around the country established through a War on Poverty funding initiative.  The workshops were intended to train minorities and the economically disadvantaged in the production and use of film so that they could address the needs of their communities.  

50 years after Johnson announces the War on Poverty, we revisit the work of Appalshop through this series, January-March 2014.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dluZ-ThLQo4

BPT: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/591517

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/601898563222546/