Milwaukee Film Festival Announces 2017 Black Lens Lineup
By Livia Peterson
Yesterday, Milwaukee Film announced the Black Lens Program film lineup – showcasing various stories from the African American point of view. In addition, there will also be a Black Lens Kickoff Party, presented by Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin. The party is free and open to the public, and will take place Saturday, Sep. 23 at 88Nine Radio Milwaukee.
72 Hours: A Brooklyn Love Story?
18-year-old Caesar Winslow is the larger-than-life leader of his crew. Unlike his friends, he has a chance to leave Brooklyn and attend a prestigious university. However, his girlfriend has broken up with him and there are guys in the neighborhood who are already positioning themselves to steal his crown. Over a period of 72 hours, Caesar finds himself torn between the world he knows and the potential of a brighter future.
ACORN and the Firestorm
When a few amateur journalists secretly record themselves posing as a pimp and a prostitute, the resulting firestorm threatens to destroy ACORN, America's largest grassroots anti-poverty organization. It also helps create the Breitbart News, directly affecting our deeply polarized present.
Black Lens Shorts: Family Matters
A series of short films that emphasize the importance of family and all the complicated ways it affects our lives.
- Amelia's Closet
- Cul-De-Sace
- Gema
- The Homecoming
- Night Shift
- New Neighbors
Black Lens Shorts: Lost and Found
These short films covers myriad topics, ranging from gun violence and love to classic folklore and the radical art of self-acceptance.
- 90 Days
- Dear Mr. Shakespeare
- The Forever Tree
- Hold On
- See You Yesterday
- #Where Is Beauty
- You Can Go
Destined
In Detroit, a childhood incident leads to two very different paths for one young man. In one, he is Rasheed, an ambitious architect, while in the other, he is a drug kingpin named Sheed. Sheed and Rasheed's (both portrayed by Cory Hardrict) stories mysteriously connect and diverge in this gripping urban crime thriller as they both ponder destiny and how one moment can change a life forever.
Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992
A documentary examining the Los Angeles culture in the years leading up to the 1992 uprising after police officers cleared of beating Rodney King. Director John Ridley avoids simplistic or comforting conclusions in his portrait of a system completely unable to deal with race or class.
Like Cotton Twines
An American teaching volunteer in Ghana tries to save one of his brightest students, a 14-year-old girl named Tuigi, from becoming a sex slave.
Love Jones
This 1997 gem follows two black artists, poet Darius and photographer Nina (Nia Long), as they both try to figure out if their relationship is purely physical or something deeper. This witty classic will screen in 35mm at the Oriental Theatre.
Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities
Previously announced, this documentary chronicles black colleges and universities educating architects of freedom and cultivated leaders in every field.
Unrest
When 28-year-old Harvard PhD student Jennifer Brea suffers a fever that leaves her bedridden, she discovers she has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, a disease that modern medicine forgot. You can watch her TED Talk here:
The 2017 Milwaukee Film Festival will take place at the Landmark Oriental Theatre (2230 North Farwell Avenue), Landmark Downer Theatre (2589 North Downer Avenue), Fox Bay Cinema Grill (334 East Silver Spring Drive), Times Cinema (5906 West Vliet Street), and Avalon Theatre (2473 South Kinnickinnic Avenue), from Thursday, September 28 to Thursday, October 12.
