Tag Archives: Films

See ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’ in Harlem this weekend


Beasts of the Southern Wild ,” the fantasy drama film that Oprah Winfrey has praised and learned about from President Barack Obama, will be showing for the first time in Harlem this weekend. The film has been out for sometime showing in limited locations in New York City. However, no need to go downtown ’cause it starts playing uptown starting tomorrow, Friday, August 31.

Magic Johnson Theater, located at 124th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd., will be showing the award-winning film over the Labor Day weekend holiday. The film received the top prize at Cannes Films Festival and Sundance Film Festival. And online reviews give the film four out of five stars.

If you’re having a stay-cation in Harlem this weekend, like I am, put seeing this PG-13 film on your to-do-list! I know I am! Click here to buy tickets.

Harlem plays a role in ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’

“The Amazing Spider-Man” movie opens today. If you’re planning on seeing the film you just might recognize our Harlem in the background. The New York Daily News has an article in today’s (July 3) paper highlighting the various areas of NYC that were used in the film. And one of those areas is West Harlem! This site caught up with the filming in Harlem last year, which was happening under the viaduct near Fairway.

This new film to the Spider-Man franchise looks pretty exciting based on the trailers. I plan on going to the movies to watch it. How about you? Are you going to go watch “The Amazing Spider-Man?”

See Changing Face of Harlem May 19 at Maysles in Harlem

We all know Harlem has been rapidly changing in the last ten years and there is one filmmaker that I am aware of that’s been documenting our change for quite sometime. It’s Shawn Batey. Batey is the documentary filmmaker behind Changing Face of HarlemChanging Face of Harlem takes a critical look at how Harlem has undergone its transformation.

There is an opportunity to see the film, in its current stage, which is a work in progress, Saturday early evening, May 19 at Maysles Cinema, located at 343 Lenox Avenue. Changing Face of Harlem is showing during The People’s Film Festival, a festival that “celebrates the power of the media when placed in the hands of the people.”

To purchase ticket to see Changing Face of Harlem, go to the Maysles website.

Reminder: ‘Act of Valor’ film screening February 16 in Harlem

There are still tickets available to see ‘Act of Valor’ Thursday, Feb. 16 at the Magic Johnson Theater in Harlem. The event starts at 7:30 pm. And remember this is a free event! To receive your ticket for the free screening of ‘Act of Valor, click here and enter the code HLMGAL9RBE

‘Act of Valor’ takes audiences deep into the secretive world of the most elite, highly trained group of warriors in the modern world. When the rescue of a kidnapped CIA operative leads to the discovery of a deadly terrorist plot against the U.S., a team of SEALs is dispatched on a worldwide manhunt. As the valiant men of Bandito Platoon race to stop a coordinated attack that could kill and wound thousands of American civilians, they must balance their commitment to country, team and their families back home.

Available tickets are on a first come first serve basis!

See ‘Act of Valor’ in Harlem…for Free!


We have heard a lot about the U.S. Navy Seals in the news recently. They are the ones that President Obama sent on a mission to catch and kill Bin Laden. Now there is a feature film about our Navy Seals called ‘Act of Valor’ presented by Relativity Media. The film actually stars real Navy Seals and opens February 24th. There is an opportunity to see the film in Harlem before its opening date.

HarlemGal Inc. invites you to a FREE screening of ‘Act of Valor’ on February 16th at 7:30 pm at Magic Johnson Theater in Harlem. To receive your ticket for the Feb. 16 free screening of ‘Act of Valor, click here and enter the code HLMGAL9RBE. And remember, available tickets are on a first come first serve basis! See you at the movies!

Changing Face of Harlem Director looking for photos of Harlem artist from the 1930s or 1940s


The Changing Face of Harlem documentary, which is capturing Harlem’s rebirth of the last decade needs our help. The director of Changing Face of Harlem is looking to use photos-and maybe film footage-of an artist/performer who performed in Harlem during the 1930s or 1940s. If you know of someone who has photos of a Harlem artist from that time period, please go to the Changing Face of Harlem Facebook page or contact the director at shawn@changingfaceofharlem.com. Another option is to email harlemgalinc@gmail.com with your suggestions and HarlemGal Inc. will make sure it get’s passed on to the director.

The second option is to find the family of a Harlem artist/musician/dancer/singer etc. Maybe this amazing person who performed in Harlem back in the day continued their personal legacy through family? If you know of someone who had a mother or father that performed in Harlem the 30s or 40s, the director is looking to use those photos and film footage for her documentary. Again, if you know of someone, use the contact information above.

And last, if you’re wondering why the Changing Face of Harlem director is looking for these photos and film footage, she is working on strengthening the history section of Harlem in her film.

Hope we can help! Have a wonderful day Harlem!

‘Changing Face of Harlem’ reaches goal

Jun 12, 2011 @ 14:40

By HarlemGal
I wanted to share some good news with you. Remember how I told you about a film titled Changing Face of Harlem and how the filmmaker was trying to raise funds to get into the editing booth to finish the film! Well, Shawn Batey, the documentarian and the brainchild behind this film, reached her goal! That’s awesome news! Below is one of the notes I received from Shawn confirming the goods news. Shawn also sent out a separate note thanking select social networks,such as HCL and WeHarlem.com, and many others for helping to spread the good word about her film. To me, this is what makes blogging rewarding and what social networking is all about, i.e. sharing insightful information that can help make a difference.

A big congrats to Shawn and her film, Changing Face of Harlem. Can’t wait to see the final product!

June 10, 2011

I am happy to announce that we reached our $5,000 goal. THANK YOU so much to everyone who’s been so generous and helped us get there. We had 31 new backers come on board this week…that’s amazing! Thanks to you all we breezed past the goal 4 days ahead of the deadline!! The Kickstarter project for CHANGING FACE OF HARLEM runs until 12 noon on June 14. So please continue to share the campaign with family and friends who may have been waiting until the last minute to pledge. What is wonderful is that 88 backers from all over the world joined together to support this film!

THANK YOU to everyone who donated, tweeted, emailed and posted our campaign to help reach the goal!

Weekends at Bellevue is filming weekdays in Harlem

Apr 7, 2011 @ 13:24
By HarlemGal
The cast of ‘Weekends at Bellevue,’ a Fox TV pilot based on the same titled book by Julie Holland, is actually spending weekdays in Harlem-at least since Wednesday from what we hear from a fellow HCL blogger. The pilot, which centers on the character Ellie, a psychiatrist in charge of the weekend shift of Bellevue Hospital psychiatric unit, is currently being filmed at the former North General Hospital at 122nd and Madison Avenue. The crew is expected to be at the old hospital until tomorrow, according to our peeps!

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Harlem student and well-known educator featured in ‘Waiting for Superman’

Sep 21, 2010 @ 6:55

By HarlemGal
There are plenty of films that open every weekend in New York City. There are so many that it is hard to decide what to see in the movie theaters at times. However, this weekend is different. There is only one film to see and that’s “Waiting for Superman,” which opens in the Big Apple on September 24. “Waiting for Superman” is a new documentary by Davis Guggenheim, Academy Award-winning director of “An Inconvenient Truth,” that covers our public education system and it features individuals  from or connected to Harlem.

In the film, Guggenheim’s cameras follow Bianca, who is now a second grader, lives in Harlem with her mother Nakia and is trying to get into a charter school. Geoffrey Canada, CEO of the Harlem’s Children Zone, is also featured in the film as well as the charter school he founded right here in Central Harlem. And last, the film’s title came from Canada. “The title refers to a Harlem educator’s childhood belief that a superhero would fix the problems of the ghetto.”

According to some reviews, the film is expected to rattle some boots, i.e. charter vs. no charter schools, and potentially start a revolution about public education. For me, anything that provokes some rattle and a little bit of revolution about a topic and situation that affects us all, I am so there. I can’t wait to see “Waiting for Superman” in theaters this weekend. Join me?

Harlem’s El Museo del Barrio and Havana Film Festival New York present Uprooted and El Play

Mar 15, 2010 @ 12:50
By HarlemGal
Looking for interesting films to see right here in Harlem and for FREE? Then save the evening of April 7, 2010. That’s when El Museo del Barrio in collaboration with Havana Film Festival New York will be showing two short films titled: Uprooted and El Play.

Uprooted, directed by Juan Mejia Botero of Colombia, “takes an intimate look at the aspirations of an Afro-Colombia women, one of the more than a million people displaced by Colombia’s violance since 1990.”

El Play “follows the hard knock journey of a Dominican teen hoping to make it into baseball’s major leagues.” This film is directed by Pablo Medina from the Dominican Republic.

Again, this event is free and it will also give you a sneak peak at some of the fascinating films that will be showing during the Havana Film Festival New York, which starts April 16-23, 2010.

Uprooted and El Play
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
6:30-8:30 PM
El Cafe in El Museo del Barrio
1230 Fifth Avenue at 104th Street
Admission: Free