JANUARY 27 - FEBRUARY 1, 2021 FILM | ART | MUSIC Denton Municipal SPOKEN WORD | DANCE Electric has been PANELS | WORKSHOPS Denton’s hometown Presented by Denton African American Scholarship Foundation, Inc. electric provider for over 110 years. DENTONBFF.COM ADA/ADEA/EOE TDD: (800) 735-2989 1/16 www.cityofdenton.com Every lens tells a story. Find the right one for yours. Cheers to the storytellers. www.panavision.com MESSAGE Our Presenting Sponsor On behalf of Panavision, I’m thrilled to welcome you to the seventh annual Denton Black Film Festival. Panavision is a global provider of camera equipment, lighting packages, and post production services. As a company, we are dedicated to equipping Every lens tells a story. filmmakers around the world to bring their visions to life. Since 2018, we’ve been proud to partner with and sponsor the Denton Black Film Festival. Find the right one for yours. The organization’s focus on building community, sharing Black culture, and addressing underrepresentation in film and media is both essential and inspiring. We are honored to support this event, which provides an audience Cheers to the storytellers. for Black stories, a platform for Black creatives, and a showcase for their work. At Panavision, we believe we have a responsibility to positively support and impact underrepresented communities. It is our goal to empower individuals from these communities who aspire to or already work in the film, television, and commercial arenas. Through the grants that we present to select award recipients at the Denton Black Film Festival, we aim to provide vital access to equipment and services so that Black filmmakers will have the tools they need to succeed in creating and sharing the diverse stories that need to be told. This seventh edition of the festival, taking place nearly 12 months into a global pandemic, will certainly be unlike any of the previous six years. Nevertheless, the festival continues to expand the scope of the work it spotlights and embrace new platforms to reach and connect with an ever-growing audience. Over its six days of programming, the festival will present more than 100 films along with art, music, screen dance, poetry, spoken word, panels, and workshops. www.panavision.com We’re excited about what’s to come, at this year’s festival and beyond, as Panavision and the Denton Black Film Festival continue to build upon our work together to support, encourage, and promote the work of Black storytellers. Enjoy the festival! Sincerely, Kim Snyder President and CEO, Panavision 3 ENGAGE DENTON ENGAGE DENTON is City of Denton’s ENGAGE DENTON is City of Denton’s mobile app that allows you to: mobile app that allows you to: • Request City services • Request City services • Report potholes and street issues • Report potholes and street issues • Submit property maintenance issues • Submit property maintenance issues • Sign up for weekly solid waste and • Sign up for weekly solid waste and recycling reminders recycling reminders • Pay your utility bill and more! • Pay your utility bill and more! It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3: It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3: 1. Download Engage Denton in the 1. Download Engage Denton in the App Store or Google Play App Store or Google Play 2. Select your request type 2. Select your request type 3. Add a picture and description 3. Add a picture and description wwThenw .engagedenton.comthe City will get to work! wwThenw .engagedenton.comthe City will get to work! www.engagedenton.com www.cityofdenton.com • ADA/EOE/ADEA • TDD (800) 735-2989 www.cityofdenton.com • ADA/EOE/ADEA • TDD (800) 735-2989 MESSAGE DAASF President and DBFF Festival Director On behalf of the Board of The Denton African American Scholarship Foundation and serving as festival director for the Denton Black Film Festival, I welcome you to our Seventh Annual Festival. As the sponsoring organization for the festival we are very excited to have Panvision as our 2021 presenting sponsor. They are the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of high- precision lenses for the motion picture and television industries, and one of the world’s leading providers of camera systems, including both film and digital cameras. Their support of filmmakers and impact in the industry is significant. We thank all our sponsors and volunteers that have made the festival what it is today, and due to COVID-19 we will be a virtual festival for 2021! We are a cultural festival which comprises many aspects of black culture that you will experience this week. There have been a number of major issues that have impacted all of us, and we decided this year we would “tell our stories” through film, art, music, spoken word, workshops, panels, tech talks, and we are introducing screen dance and traditional poetry to the festival. Our goal is to help you “experience culture” through storytellers from all backgrounds and disciplines. The virtual world is new to us but we are finding our voice, and we have much to share with you. There is over 100 hours of content for you to see and just 6 days to experience it! Did anyone say binge watch? Going virtual has allowed us to share most of the content to you by video on demand (VOD) so you can view at your leisure. We will have some suggested screening times with live Q&A’s and many of the (free) workshops, panels and tech talks will have schedule times. We will screen 138 films with over 62 hours of film content from some of the best independent filmmakers from around the world. We have expanded the Institute’s workshops & panels including social and environmental justice topics and tech talks. Tatiana “Lady May” Mayfield will perform at the legendary Dan’s Silverleaf and what a voice! Betelhem Makonnen, a nationally recognized artist is our featured visual artist along with a collection of Dick Hendricks works, and we are very excited to share their works with you. continued on page 4 5 MESSAGE continued Although we have created this special week for you, the real reason for the event is our graduating high school seniors who are seeking scholarships to help pursue their dreams of a college education, as many of us were at one point in our life. Last year, we celebrated 36 years of service to the community. We are passionate about making a difference in the lives of students, and we know education is the great equalizer. Thank you again for supporting us and attending our virtual event. We hope you have a great time this weekend and please consider helping us make a difference with a donation to our 2021 festival and scholarship organization. Sincerely, Harry Eaddy President DAASF, Inc. 6 Delamar Place 116 W. College St., Denton TX 76201 (940) 323 – 2656 www.delamarmarketing.com Where community, inspiration, and creativity connect COMING SPRING 2021 7 NOTABLE LOSSES of 2020 Although there are many others that we lost during 2020, the Denton Black Film Festival would like to recognize these monumental people for their contributions to the entertainment industry, as well as society. Their talents, witnessed by many, will be remembered. * indicates complications due to COVID-19 Chadwick Boseman, died on August 28 at *Toots Hibbert, the reggae icon Frederick age 43 following a secret four-year battle with “Toots” Hibbert died in Kingston, Jamaica on colon cancer. September 11 at the age of 77. Attorney Bruce Boynton, Civil rights activist Jarad Anthony Higgins, an American rapper and Selma native, died on November 23 at popularly known as Juice WRLD, died on age 83. December 8. Bobby Brown Jr., the son of singer Bobby Pamela Hutchinson, 61 year old R&B singer Brown died in his Los Angeles home on on September 18 succumbed to health November 20. challenges that she had been battling for several years. Kobe Bryant passed away in a helicopter crash on January 26 in Calabasas, California, Bashar Barakah Jackson, up and coming alongside his 13-year-old daughter Gianna. He Brooklyn rapper popularized as Pop Smoke, was 41. died on February 19. Fred L. Davis, civic leader and businessman Wilson Roosevelt Jerman, an American died in Memphis, TN on May 12. He was 86. butler who served may presidents in the White House died on May 16. Chi Chi DeVayne, known for her appearances on “Rupaul’s Drag Race” died after a battle Katherine Johnson, the pioneering “Hidden with pneumonia. She was 34. Figures” NASA mathematician died February 24 at 101 years old. Ja’Net DuBois, the actress who played the role of Willona Woods on “Good Times,” died Rocky Johnson died January 15 of a heart February 18 at the age of 74. attack at the age if 75. John “Ecstasy” Fletcher, founder of the John Lewis, Georgia Representative and 1980s hip hop group Whodini died December iconic civil rights pioneer died on July 17 at 23 at 56. the age of 80 following a battle with Stage IV pancreatic cancer. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Supreme Court justice and civil rights leader, died on September 18 Doreen Montalvo, actress died at age 56 on from complications of metastatic pancreas October 17 after a sudden ailment. cancer. She was 87. 8 Johnny Nash, singer-songwriter died on B. Smith, celebrated restaurateur and model, October 6 at the age of 80 at his home in died February 22 after struggling with early Houston. onset Alzheimer’s disease. *Charley Pride, country superstar died in *Carol Sutton, actress, died in New Orleans Dallas on December 12 of complications of on December 10 after a month long battle with coronavirus, he was 86 years old.