Montgomery’s Black Film Festival made its debut in 2003 with one screening of one film.
Since then, however, the festival has evolved into an all-day event with multiple films, a Q&A session with the subject of a new documentary, pre- and post-film discussions and more.
The seventh annual Black Film Festival, which is from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday at the Capri Theatre, will open with a short presentation followed by the 1943 classic musical “Stormy Weather,” starring Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Lena Horne, Cab Calloway and Fats Waller.
It seems appropriate as it has rained each year of the festival, said Joseph Trimble, the film festival’s founder and director.
“Last year, it stormed from beginning to end,” he said. “We decided to plan a pre-emptive strike and get it out of the way early with ‘Stormy Weather.’ ”
Besides, he said, many of the people who saw the film when it was originally released saw it in segregated theaters, and so much has changed since then. It may also be the first opportunity for younger people to see the film on the big screen.
But that is only one of the highlights on this film-packed day.
“One of the things I am most excited about is the fact that we have an Alabama State University alumnus and his debut film, which was shot on a shoestring budget and shows great promise,” Trimble said, referring to 2008 ASU graduate Jurian Isabelle’s new hour-long flick, “Veils of Color.”
A struggling filmmaker and an unhappy wealthy woman cross paths by fate and change each other’s lives forever. Written, Produced, & Directed by Jurian Isabelle.
Starring Angela Whitt, Jurian Isabelle, Derek Carter, Kevin “KT” Thomas, Douglas Washington, Tammy Salazar-White, Carolyn Lewis, Ashley Brody Vaughn, and Kathy Shea, with Chris Gordon, Adrian Hill, Aleshia Green, and Diane Keenan.
Being part of the festival and having an opportunity to present his first film is a dream come true for the Huntsville native, who will lead a post-film discussion with some of his cast and crew. He’s been shooting “films” since he was 6 or 7 years old, using his father’s video and feeding lines to his siblings.
When Trimble called to say “Veils of Color” had been selected for this year’s festival, Isabelle didn’t know what to think.
“I was floored,” he said, with a hearty laugh. “I believe that film — if used correctly — can change people or at least give them something to think about.”
“Veils of Color,” a semi-autobiographical piece, stars Isabelle and Angela Whitt, a Huntsville area actor and real estate agent. Trimble described it as a modern take on “Driving Miss Daisy.”
Isabelle said it’s about a young black man and well-to-do white woman and how their worlds collide.
“When Johnathon’s well-to-do mother, Catherine, falls ill, he finds himself traveling back home to his Southern roots in Huntsville to find a caretaker for her. Fireworks fly when he hires a young black college graduate and struggling filmmaker to fill the position. It then chronicles our journey in discovering and learning from each other,” said Isabelle, who also works as a videographer, editor and writer at WHTN-TV in Huntsville.
Writing, directing and starring in “Veils of Color,” Isabelle’s goal was to make it as real as possible, to communicate his message of love and understanding without sugar-coating it.
His title symbolizes the fact that people tend to judge others from the outside.
“But when we lift that veil up, we can see who they really are,” he said.
Trimble said the film’s message is a good fit for this festival, which was established to show works that deal with modern-day issues that affect society, particularly African Americans. And he expects great things for this young, up-and-coming filmmaker.
In fact, things are really starting to happen for Isabelle, who learned a few days ago that “Veils of Color” has been accepted for the International Black Film Festival in Nashville.
Trimble said it’s all very exciting.
But there’s more, he added.
The festival will also feature:
The premiere of “Proceed and Be Bold,” a documentary focusing on the socially and politically charged artwork of Amos Paul Kennedy, an Alabama-based letterpress printer.
Also on the schedule are two critically acclaimed feature films:
“American Violet,” a film starring Alfre Woodard that is based on a poverty-stricken African-American mother from Texas who was unfairly arrested in a drug bust that took place in her housing project. There will be two screenings of this film.
And the day will include “The Express,” an inspirational movie about Ernie Davis, the first African-American man to receive the Heisman Trophy.
Trimble said he is delighted to have so many wonderful films on this year’s schedule.
“I’m really excited about them for different reasons,” he said. “Oh, and there will be several surprises, too.”
Additional Facts
What: 7th annual Black Film Festival, sponsored by the National Center for the Study of Civil Rights and African-American Culture at Alabama State University
When: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday
Where: Capri Theatre, 1045 Fairview Ave.
Schedule:
9 a.m.: Opening remarks
9:30 a.m.: “Stormy Weather”
11:30 a.m.: Pre-film discussion with Ernest Hodge on “The Express”
Noon: “The Express”
2 p.m.: “American Violet”
3:45 p.m.: “Veils of Color”
4:45 p.m.: Post-film discussion with “Veils of Color” filmmaker Jurian Isabelle and cast
5:30 p.m.: “Proceed and Be Bold”
7:45 p.m.: Q&A session with Amos Kennedy
8 p.m.: Pre-film discussion with ACLU representative
8:15 p.m.: Second screening of “American Violet”
Admission: Free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served throughout the event, and the first 100 guests will receive free soda and popcorn
Robyn Bradley Litchfield, Montgomery Advertiser, Ala.
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