Category Archives: film

Attend World Premier Of ‘American Beatboxer’ at Harlem’s Schomburg Center May 15

Harlem, we are all cordially invited to attend the V.I.P. reception of the world premier screening of the film, “American Beatboxer” The documentary hits the stage at the Schomburg Research Center on May 15th in Harlem, NYC.

“American Beatboxer” tells the story of the first ever, American Beatboxing Championship, shot during the summer of 2010, at Littlefield Performance and Art Space in Brooklyn. Contestants of all races from the United States competed, down to eight finalists. This documentary honors the evolution of Beatboxing juxtaposed against the final day of competition to crown the first American beat boxing champion.

The event is free by RSVPing in advance to AmericanBeatboxerRSVP@gmail.com. Below are all the details to attend:

DATE: Wednesday, May 15th
TIME: Reception–5:30-6:30 pm; Screening–7-8:30 pm; Q&A–8:30-9:30pm
LOCATION: The Schomburg Center, 515 Lenox Avenue & 135th St.

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Things to do with kids in Harlem: Film in Action at Maysles Institute

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Know any 7-11 year olds that love movies? Then you may want to tell them about Film in Action created by Harlem’s Maysles Institute. Film In Action is an eight-week film club program for children to begin thinking critically about what they watch, and to have fun and develop an appetite for something other than the usual. The program starts April 21 and runs to June 16 from 1 pm to 3 pm. The costs per person is $200. See additional details below or go to Maysles Institute’s website to learn more.
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Support Changing Face of Harlem, film in final stretch of completion

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Changing Face of Harlem, a documentary about Harlem’s ongoing transformation told from the voices of longtime residents, business owners, politicians, developers, and clergy, is in the home stretch to complete the film. This month they have launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise $30,000 to meet final post-production costs. Post-production costs cover final sound mixing, edit, color correction, and costs of archival footage, graphics and music.

To help Changing Face of Harlem meet their goal, go here to donate. The campaign runs for the month of March.

Read prior posts here on Changing Face of Harlem.

Free screening in Harlem of The Central Park Five

The LeRoy Neiman Art Center in Harlem will present a free screening of The Central Park Five on Saturday, February 16th at 4:00 pm. The celebrated documentary, created by Ken Burns, David McMahon and Sarah Burns, bears revealing facts about the 1989 case in which five Harlem youth were falsely accused and convicted of a crime that Mayor Koch coined “The Crime of the Century.”

This screening allows the community an opportunity, not only to examine facts and fiction, but to engage in creative exploration, and dialogue with the men at the center of the storm-who are still fighting for justice some twenty years later.

The two-hour screening will be followed by a Q&A and Open Mic Poetry Jam led by Yusef Salaam, who has been writing poetry since age 11. RSVP is recommended by calling 212.862.2787

The Central Park Five Screening
Saturday, February 16, 2013
4:00-8:30pm
LeRoy Neiman Art Center
2785 Frederick Douglass Blvd near 148th Street
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Attend the Athena Film Festival in West Harlem, four academy award nominated films to be featured

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Now in its third year, the Athena Film Festival, a celebration of women in feature films, documentaries and shorts that highlight women’s leadership in real life and the fictional world will be held in West Harlem at Barnard College from Feb. 7-10. The four-day festival, which includes conversations with directors and Hollywood stars and workshops for filmmakers, has built a reputation as one of the most prestigious festivals of its kind that focuses on women and leadership. The following are big highlights of the Festival.

FOUR ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATED FILMS:
BRAVE: Saturday, February 9 at 12PM
Directed by: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman
Location: Diana Event Oval – LL 100 Diana Center
Director Brenda Chapman will join the audience for a Q&A session following the screening

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD: Saturday, February 9 at 6PM
Directed by: Benh Zeitlin
Location: Diana Event Oval – LL 100 Diana Center

INOCENTE: Sunday, February 10 at 3PM
Directed by: Sean Fine, Andrea Nix Fine
Location: Held Auditorium – 304 Barnard Hall
Producer Yael Melamede will join the audience for a Q & A session following the screening.

THE INVISIBLE WAR: Sunday, February 10 at 12PM
Directed by: Kirby Dick
Location: Diana Event Oval – LL100 Diana Center
Executive Producers Maria Cuomo Cole and Regina Kulik Scully will join the audience for a Q & A session following the screening.

4 PREMIERES:
GRANNY’S GOT GAME: Friday, February 8 at 6PM (World Premiere)
Directed by: Angela Alford
Location: Held Auditorium – 304 Barnard Hall
Director Angela Alford and Team Captain, Judy Barton will join the audience for a Q&A session following the screening.

WOMEN AREN’T FUNNY: Saturday, February 9 at 9PM (World Premiere)
Directed by: Bonnie McFarlane
Location: Diana Event Oval – LL 100 Diana Center
Director Bonnie McFarlane will join the audience for a Q&A session following the screening.

I STAND CORRECTED: Saturday, February 9 at 9PM (NY Premiere)
Directed by: Andrea Meyerson
Location: Held Auditorium – 304 Barnard Hall
Director/Executive Producer Andrea Meyerson and film subject Jennifer Leitham will join the audience for a Q & A session following the screening

FAST GIRLS: Sunday, February 10 at 3PM (US Premiere)
Directed by: Regan Hall
Location: Diana Event Oval – LL 100 Diana Center

SNEAK PREVIEW & CLOSING NIGHT FILM:
BRAVE MISS WORLD: Sunday, February 10 at 6PM
Directed By: Cecilia Peck
Location: Diana Event Oval – LL 100 Diana Center
Q&A Cecilia Peck (Director) & Inbal Lessner (Producer/Editor) will join the audience for a Q&A session following the screening.

For additional information, please visit: http://athenafilmfestival.com/.

VH1′s Love & Hip Hop filming at Harlem Food Bar tonight, Jan 15

Walking along Frederick Douglass Blvd in Harlem tonight, I noticed a bunch of TV cameras inside and outside Harlem Food Bar, which is on FDB between 113th and 114th Street. This is the scoop. VH1 is at Harlem Food Bar this evening taping the Love & Hip Hop reality show.

VH1 was also at Harlem Food Bar not too long ago filming Black Ink Crew - not to mention Cedric French Bistro as well.

Harlem is even more popular with the entertainment industry. Every time you turn, the film and TV industry is in our Harlem backyard filming/taping something. Pretty cool.

As for tonight, Harlem Food Bar is open to the public, not just to the reality show, so stop on by order some food and have a drink! Cheers!

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MIST Harlem launching new series this month

MIST Harlem (My Image Studios, LLC), the country’s first minority-owned entertainment center, has released their schedule to us announcing new series this month. Check out the details below on the upcoming series:

Uptown Thursday Nights Comedy Series
This series will begin Jan 17 with a headline event that launches a 16-week series of premiere local comedians. To purchase tickets, go here.

MIST Inspirations
The first and third Mondays at MIST will be reserved for Monday Inspirations. This series will launch similarly with a headlining Gospel artist in a full MIST house, Monday, Jan 21. The bi-weekly series will then run for 16-weeks on first and third Mondays, in the center MIST Theater from 7:30-9:30 pm. Gospel artists for the series will be booked from premier local artists (tri-state) and special guests who may be in the area for other engagements and promotions. For tickets, click here.

Creatively Speaking Film Series
Creatively Speaking is a curated film series offering a diverse forum that highlights independent film by and/or about people of color. The film series began early December 2012 and will run monthly at MIST Harlem with a collection of shorts, documentaries and narrative films that tell stories that present realistic portrayals of people of color rarely seen in the media, and appeal to varied audiences, crossing multiple cultural, geographic and socio-economic divides.

Hue-Man Bookstore Pop Up at MIST
Hue-Man enjoys the reputation as a top-flight organization and was the go to place for any and every author of Color. Visit the Pop Up inside MIST on West 116th Street between Lenox Ave and Fifth Avenue.

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My Image Studios Harlem officially opens November 28, view upcoming events


The New York Times reports today (Nov 26) that MIST Harlem, aka My Image Studios, located at 40 West 116th Street will open Wednesday, November 28. MIST Harlem is the “20,000 sq. ft. cultural entertainment center that features a 130-seat restaurant (Harvist) and three performance spaces presenting the best in film, live music, spoken word, comedy and more-performed by top established and emerging black & Latino artists from around the world.” Here’s an immediate list of upcoming events , which starts tomorrow, November 27. Take a look .

11/27 Middle of Nowhere Film Event
Special private screening and Q & A for the NY Women in Film and Television of Sundance Award winning director Ava DuVernay film, Middle of Nowhere.

11/28 Otelo Film Premiere
Otelo Burning directed by Sara Blecher, an award-winning documentary director and producer. Somewhere between City of God and Blue Crush, the film tells the story of a group of township kids who discover the joy of surfing. Filmed in Zulu with English subtitles, the film also includes music from South African Hip Hop artist Reason.
http://www.charged.fm/userevent/item/637/otelo-burning-premiere-event-at-mist-harlem

11/29 Elza Film Premiere
Elza, by Mariette Monpierre, is the first narrative feature film by a female filmmaker from Guadeloupe, the West Indies. It tells the universal story of a family in turmoil. Filmed in French with English subtitles, the film also includes music from French neo-folk-soul artistStévy Mahy.
http://www.charged.fm/userevent/item/642/elza-film-premiere–november-29-at-mist-harlem

12/3 Vaughn Harper Toy Drive and Benefit Concert
Celebrity toy drive and jazz concert fundraiser for Harlem Downing, a foster care agency. It is set for Monday, December 3. It is being organized by WBLS 107.5 radio personality Vaughn Harper.

CBS’ Person of Interest filming along Harlem’s Frederick Douglass Blvd

If you want to get a peak of the handsome actor Jim Caviezel, today maybe the day! The CBS television show Person of Interest is filming all along Frederick Douglass Blvd in Harlem from 113th to 116th Street. When I was heading to work, there were several movie trucks parked along FDB.

Also, I saw signage that said ABC’s show titled Elementary is filming on FDB and 119 Street as well.

It’s a busy day today in Harlem in the entertainment area!

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Attend Maysles Members Night Out in Harlem

Listen up! The Maysles Institute in Harlem will be hosting an exclusive event soon for its members. It’s one you don’t want to miss if you love Cuban history as I do (see blog post on visit to Cuba). And if you’re not a member, you may want to become one to meet fellow members from the Harlem and NYC area.

Maysles Cinema, which is located at 343 Lenox Avenue between 127th and 128 Street, is having a reception for members only on Monday, October 15 at 6:30 pm. After the reception, Maysles Cinema will be screening the film titled Cuba: An African Odyssey at 7:30 pm. “Cuba: An African Odyssey explores the 300,000 Cubans who fought alongside African revolutionaries: from Che Guevara’s military campaign to avenge Lumumba in the Congo up to the fall of apartheid in South Africa. Cuba, an African Odyssey is the previously untold story of Cuba’s support for African revolutions, one of the Cold War’s most vigorous contests over resources and ideology.” Click here to watch a trailer of the film.

As mentioned,  this event is exclusive to Maysles cinema members and requires a reservation to attend. To RSVP email member@mayslesinstitute.org and to become a member go to mayslesinstitute.org/membership.

Hope to see you there!