NBAF and Elevate Atlanta Presents "Black To Life" Film Fest

236 Auburn Avenue Northeast,Atlanta GA 30303

01 October, 2022

Description

NBAF and Elevate Atlanta present the “Black To Life” Film Fest. This festival sets the stage to celebrate Short Black and White films composed of narratives that reflect the physical, mental and spiritual spaces from black creatives transitioning through day-to-day obstacles, moments of joy, and self-awareness during our global post-pandemic. Please enjoy complimentary beverages and light bites. Enjoy melodic sounds from our special guest performance by the Piedmont Strings. Please be aware of pre-paid lots and on-street parking. NBAF Guests are encouraged to ride share. Black to Life Short Film Fest is a free public art program. We will be screening 6 Black & White films and will award the top 3 films. Festival Screening Line-up Spirit Never Dies, Only Transitions - This body of work serves as documentation of the existence of Black folks and its communities in parts of Atlanta, GA, and north Florida. This 10-minute piece displays slow-moving Black and White imagery, accompanied by mixed audio of natural and altered sounds, instrumentation, a phone conversation, as well as silence in itself. Despite all the many things Black folks have experienced throughout the centuries, we’ve still managed to keep our spirit alive and moving through time and space. There’s debate (including in the Black community as a whole) about what is appropriate and are traditional practices. Regardless of what negative connotations are placed, these rituals remain generation after generation. Logan Burroughs - @logan_lynette Straight, Yet Narrow - Straight, Yet Narrow is a dance film about a young black woman who is faced with the decision to undergo a procedure that would permanently alter her hair follicles causing her hair to grow straight. This film sparks conversation surrounding black communities’ convoluted relationship to their hair, discrimination against those with tightly coiled hair, and against what darker-skinned people face within their own spaces. - Danie Etienne Heart of the City - be true to your 'hood, your friends or yourself, what is a young man to do these days? "Heart of the City" recounts the experiences of a young man from a neighborhood in Atlanta called Mechanicsville as he remembers the good, bad, and ugly of growing up in a marginalized community. Artemus Jenkins is inspired by a desire to make work his former and future self would be glad exists. His current projects involve translating a 10-year archive of images and sound into an edutainment public TV network. This network of short films and multimedia will equip a new generation of polymath creators with culturally relevant concepts and insight into participating in and documenting the world around us. - Artemus Jenkins @artemusjenkins Day Black - Day Black is the story of a former slave who was bitten by something in the cotton fields. Three hundred years later, he works as a tattoo artist in the small town of Day Black. Day Black is about one man's grappling with humanity and existence. The urban philosopher Merce pokes holes in our social constructs and questions our cultural norms through Keef Cross' signature wit.- Justin Jordan @artistdirector @dayblackcomic US - A devoted father experiences the highs and lows of teaching his son with down syndrome the sweet science of baseball. However, his patience is stretched as his child struggles to grasp the basic fundamentals of the sport they love. "Us" not only visualizes the intimate story of a father and his son but also immerses viewers into the world of an eight-year-old child with down syndrome. Through his life, we are introduced to his struggles, wounds, and triumphs as he learns the fundamentals of baseball. The film collaborates with the special needs community to present an honest depiction of those living with down syndrome. We recognize that protest art does not have to be loud, but it can be humble, poignant, and graceful as it explores different sides to our humanity that exist.- David F. Fortune @bydave_fortune Young Kings - From Ponce De Leon to Ralph David Abernathy, bike culture is pumping hard through the heart of Atlanta. Whether pulling clutches or pushing pedals, "Poppin' wheelies" through the concrete jungle is an authentic, unapologetic form of self-expression. It's art. Culture. Freedom. Escape. Bike life. - Jonathan Banks @journeybrave