Prized Pieces Film Festival in NY

The National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC), in partnership with the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, announces the 2004 New York debut of the Prized Pieces Film Festival commencing October 8th through October 11, 2004. The four-day festival, held for the first time in New York City at Harlem’s famed Schomburg Center, celebrates the 25th Anniversary of the NBPC and its long-standing commitment to the preservation, funding, production and promotion of independent films and videos of African-Americans and the African Diaspora. Showcasing the seminal works supported by the non-profit national media arts organization over the last 25 years, the festival also includes panels, workshops and discussions with some of today’s most highly acclaimed Black filmmakers.

In the 25 years since its inception under the leadership of founding President and CEO Mable Haddock, the NBPC has helped to launch the careers of over 100 producers and directors, dispersing over $6 million in funding to support research, production and outreach activities. Of the films being screened at this year’s Festival, three are by MacArthur “Genius” Fellows: Charles Burnett, Louis Massiah and Stanley Nelson, all of whom will be in attendance.

The festival opens Friday, October 8, with the long-awaited world premiere documentary of Parliament Funkadelic: One Nation Under A Groove (Yvonne Smith, 2004, 60 min)which explores the transformation of The Parliaments, a Sixties doo-wop group led by George Clinton, into Parliament Funkadelic – the seminal funk band of the Seventies. * Director Yvonne Smith will be in attendance.

The Festival will also present a special retrospective in honor of legendary documentary filmmaker Marlon Riggs including a filmmakers forum-- “Riggs Remembered” and a screening of his shorts, No Regret and Anthem, alongside the controversial Tongues Untied as well as Black Is…Black Ain’t and Color Adjustment, commemorating the 10th anniversary of his death and the tremendous impact he had on documentary filmmaking and public television.


Other film highlights include: Brother to Brother (Rodney Evans, the 2004 winner of the Sundance Special Jury Prize which follows the emotional and psychological journey of a young black gay artist as he discovers the hidden legacies of the subcultures within the Harlem Renaissance. The world premiere of Trumpetistically Clora Bryant (Zeinabu Irene Davis, 2004, 57 min), portrays the life and work of “trumpetiste” Clora Bryant, who during her 60-year career blazed up a storm on the Central Avenue Los Angeles jazz scene in the 1940’s & 1950’s playing along side Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday and Josephine Baker, but with little recognition. 70 year old Clora Bryant will be in attendance for the screening.


Charles Burnett will personally introduce his rarely seen African-American film classic Killer of Sheep (Charles Burnett, 1977, 87 min) a film which hauntingly evokes the physical detail and bittersweet emotions of working class life with compassion and honesty. There will be a special free screening of the soulful Wattstax (Mel Stuart, 1973, 117 min) presented in partnership with P.O.V. on Saturday October 9th.

Prized Pieces Film Festival was created 20 years ago to serve as NBPC’s major outreach activity. It has been an effective vehicle for identifying new talent and for recognizing and honoring non-commercial, independent African-American and Diaspora films and videos. Future plans to take Prized Pieces to other urban cities and rural areas with limited access to alternative images in Black programming are underway.

Sat. October 9: NBPC Then and Now: 25 Years of Film

Killer of Sheep (Charles Burnett, 1977, 87 minutes) Will be in attendance for screening

Malcolm X: Make It Plain (Orlando Bagwell, 1994, 150 minutes)

Daughters Of The Dust (Julie Dash, 1991,113 minutes)

From These Roots:A Review of the Harlem Renaissance (William Greaves, 1974, 29:44)

The First World Festival of Negro Arts (William Greaves, 1967, 40 minutes)

Trumpetistically, Clora Bryant (World Premiere) (Zeinabu irene Davis, 2004, 57 minutes)

* Filmmaker Zeinabu Irene Davis and Clora Bryant will be in attendance for the screening.



Sun. October 10: SEXUALITY, SELF & THE SCREEN

Color Adjustment (Marlon Riggs, 1991, 88 minutes)

Litany For Survival: Audre Lourde Story (Ada Griffin and Michelle Parkerson, 1995, 60 minutes)

The Taste Of Dirt (Yvonne Welbon, 2003, 12 minutes)

notsoprivate (Sandye Wilson, 2004, 32 minutes)

Black Is…Black Ain't (Marlon Riggs and Christine Badgley, 1995, 87 minutes)

Brother Outsider, The Life Of Bayard Rustin (Nancy Kates and Bennett Singer, 2003)

No Regret (Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien) (Marlon Riggs, 1994, 38 minutes)

Anthem (Marlon Riggs, 1994, 10 minutes)

Tongues Untied (Marlon Riggs, 1990, 55 minutes)

Finding Christa (Camille Billops and James Hatch, 1991, 55 minutes)



Day 4 - Mon Oct. 11: (DIS) PLACEMENT & DEVELOPMENT

Homecoming:… (Charlene Gilbert

TheBombing of Osage Avenue (Louis Massiah, 1986, 58 minutes)

Bamako Sigi-Kan (Manthia Diawara, 90 minutes)

A Place Of Our Own (Stanley Nelson, 2004, 58 minutes)

10 Days In Africa (Regi Allen, 2004, 40 minutes)

Two Towns of Jasper (Whitney Dow and Marco Williams, 2002, 83 minutes)

Flag Wars (Linda Goode Bryant, 2003, 90 minutes)


All screenings will be held at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Langston Hughes Auditorium, 515 Malcolm X BLVD (135th St & Lennox)