San Francisco Black Film Festival Opening Night, June 8, 2005

Five days of cinematic celebration rockets off to a start with the Opening Night Gala on Wednesday June 8 at the AMC Kabuki 8 Theater. Prefaced by a 6:00 p.m. reception, the Opening Night film program begins at 7:00pm with the U.S. premiere of John ’Ecuyer’s “On the Verge of a Fever,” set in Haiti, 1971, the story of FanFan, a courteous fifteen year old with an over-protective mother who’s dying to get out of the house and experience life. But his desire to please his mother and the veil of a brutal dictatorship keep him on the straight and narrow. When a streetwise friend finally draws him out he begins his life in earnest and sets off on a roller coaster of fantasy and fear.

Taraji P. Henson is the opening night guest of the San Francisco Black Film Festival. Taraji is well remembered for her role as Yvette, the beautiful girlfriend of Jody (Tyrese) in Baby Boy, a Columbia Pictures feature, written, produced and directed by John Singleton. This summer, Taraji joins Terrence Howard and Ludacris in the ensemble drama Hustle & Flow produced by Oscar nominated filmmaker John Singleton which won the Dramatic Audience Award at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. It also marks the “largest deal ever closed at Sundance” (9 million dollars) to Paramount Pictures and MTV Films.