When the National Black Arts Festival wrapped in July, some walked away feeling a little short-changed.
A scant handful of films were screened this summer, a contrast to the festival's typically generous movie component.
“We have a die-hard film audience,” said Leatrice Ellzy, NBAF’s director of artistic programming. “A lot of our filmgoers were telling us, ‘What are you guys doing? What happened to our movies?’”
To make up for lost screen time, NBAF is hosting this weekend a three-day film series with titles that cut a wide swath through contemporary and historical African-Diaspora experience. The movies include features, documentaries and family films that touch on weighty issues, sometimes in playful ways.
“The First Grader” is based on the true story of a former Kenyan soldier in his 80s who controversially seeks reading instruction alongside 6-year-olds when the country began offering free education to select groups.
From the annals of how-soccer-explains-the-world, “Africa United” follows three Rwandan children as they walk 3,000 miles through seven countries to get to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
The series highlight is “Africa Unite,” a documentary and concert film about Bob Marley. Following the screening, Marley’s youngest child, Ky-Mani Marley, now 35, will be chatting with the audience and signing copies of his book, “Dear Dad.”
Other notable selections include a creatively timely documentary of rare footage of Fela Anikulapo Kuti, the Nigerian musical pioneer and activist that was filmed during his visit to New York in the ’80s. "Fela!," the Tony Award-winning musical about his life, comes to Atlanta on Oct. 11.
On that same day, NBAF will be co-sponsoring a post-series bonus of “Black Power Mixtape.” Produced by Danny Glover, the movie is a compilation of archival footage shot by Swedish journalists who set out to document the American Black Power movement between 1967 and 1975.
“There is enough conflict and darkness in this country and in the world right now, so I wanted to go with films that reveal a true slice of life but that also make you feel good,” Ellzy said.
If you go
Fall for Film Series. All films except “Black Power Mixtape” screen at Southwest Arts Center, 915 New Hope Road, Atlanta. $10 admission per film, $5 with student ID. Cash only at the door. Advance tickets at www.nbaf.org.
7:30 p.m. Friday: “The First Grader”
12 p.m. Saturday: “Africa United”
2 p.m. Saturday: “Louder Than a Bomb,” presented in partnership with the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival
4:10 p.m. Saturday: “Daughters of the Wind”
6 p.m. Saturday: “Fela NYC: Fresh from Africa”
3 p.m. Sunday: “Africa Unite.” Conversation with Ky-Mani Marley follows.
Post-series screening of “ Black Power Mixtape:” 6 p.m. Oct. 11. Free. Tull Auditorium, Emory University. Post-film dialogue with Kathleen Cleaver. Hosted by Dr. Earl Picard.
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