Words can pack a punch yet also reveal the most profound truths in this powerful program
of African-American, Caribbean and black British gay shorts which pull the rug out from
under homophobia, bigotry, stereotyping, and racial profiling. Director Kareem Mortimer
(Float) will attend the screening to introduce his film.
Attack,Dir. Timothy Smith, United Kingdom, 2005, 35mm, 7 min. FLORIDA PREMIERE. A neo-
Nazi skinhead is apprehended because he has attacked two black teenage boys. As we flash
back through the story we realize that things may not be as “black and white” as they initially
appear.
Blood, Dir. Kolton Lee, United Kingdom, 2005, video, 17 min. FLORIDA PREMIERE Danny, a
champion amateur boxer is about to compete in his first professional fight. The odds are
stacked in Danny’s favor, but as everyone is soon to discover, passions burn deep outside of
the ring and sometimes you have to lose to win.
Testify, Dir. Darius Monroe, U.S. 2006, video, 12 min. FLORIDA PREMIERE. Cyrus Biggs, a
Southern Baptist Pastor is a powerful motivational speaker, but the truth about oneself is
often painful to articulate in this moving tale about a broken relationship between father
and son.
The Preacher and the Poet, Dir. Dean Hamer, U.S. 2006, video, 10 min. FLORIDA
PREMIERE. While one man of god delivers a graphic sermon about the evils of
homosexuality, a poet vows to fight for justice and equality in memory of a gay young man.
Black Men and Me, Dir. Michele Clarke, Canada, 2006, video, 6 min. U.S. PREMIERE. Shot in
a barbershop, a traditional gathering place for black men, the Director reflects on her
masculinity while having her head shaved .
Float, Dir. Kareem Mortimer, Bahamas, 2006, video, video 33 min. WORLD PREMIERE. Set
in the picturesque but homophobic small island of the Bahamas, Johnny, a young Caucasian
painter, travels to an artists’ retreat to seek clarity and vision and finds instead unexpected
love and adventure in the shape of Romeo, a handsome and sexually ambiguous Bahamian.
Beautifully shot with luscious underwater inematography, Float shares a valuable lesson
about love, friendship and the risks you navigate to find your own freedom.
Total running time: 85min. |
