Adinkra Films

WHY DID I GET MARRIED TOO? out on DVD Jan 17

2011-01-12T13:47:00.000-08:00

WHY DID I GET MARRIED TOO?

out on DVD Jan 17

A perfect romantic-comedy sequel to the fun WHY DID I GET MARRIED?, from the extraordinary actor and director Tyler Perry: WHY DID I GET MARRIED TOO? will be released to own and rent on DVD from the 17^th January 2011.

Gathered together in the Bahamas for their annual one-week reunion, four close couples look forward to a fun, relaxing holiday sharing time and experiences. But their intimate week in paradise is disrupted by the unexpected arrival of an ex-husband determined to break up a marriage! The fly in the ointment puts all four couples under strain and difficult questions about love and commitment are asked.

This exploration of modern relationships is warm, poignant and full of fun and showcases wonderful performances from its’ incredible cast: JANET JACKSON, JILL SCOTT, TYLER PERRY, CICELY TYSON and MICHAEL JAI WHITE.

DVD Special Features:

· Couples Character Guide Trivia Track

· Girl Talk: The Women of "Married"

Male Bonding: The Men of "Married"
Janet Jackson's "Nothing" Music Video

Lions Gate Home Entertainment, a Lionsgate company (NYSE and TSX:LGF). Lionsgate is the premier independent producer and distributor of motion pictures, television programming, home entertainment, family entertainment and video-on-demand content. Its prestigious and prolific library is a valuable source of stable, recurring revenue and is a foundation for the growth of the Company’s core businesses. The Lionsgate brand name is synonymous with original,daring,quality entertainment in markets around the globe. Lionsgate can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.lionsgatefilms.co.uk

AVAILABLE FROM PLAY.COM

SEE TRAILER

'FOR COLORED GIRLS' - UK RELEASE DECEMBER 10

2010-11-30T10:11:00.000-08:00

UK RELEASE - DECEMBER 10 2010-

FOR COLORED GIRLS brings to the screen Ntozake Shange's Obie Award-winning play, a poetic exploration of what is to be of color and a female in this world.

This will probably be the most talked about film in DECEMBER 2010. Written for the screen, Produced and Directed by TYLER PERRY, with a stellar casts such as KIMBERLY ELISE, JANET JACKSON, LORETTA DEVINE, THANDIE NEWTON, ANIKA NONI ROSE, KERRY WASHINGTON, TESSA THOMPSON, PHYLICIA RASHAD, WHOOPI GOLDBERG and MACY GRAY

DEFINITELY A MUST SEE FROM ADINKRA FILMS

Synopsis:
Adapted for the screen from Ntozake Shange’s Obie Award-winning play ‘For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf’, this reverent adaptation for screen is a poetic exploration of what it is to be of colour and female in this world.

The story, a milestone in American Theatre, speaks as powerfully today as when it was first performed in New York in 1975. Through this remarkable adaptation we are taught about existence and hardship from the perspective of 20 black women. Exploring themes of love, abandonment, rape and abortion the film’s outstanding ensemble cast deliver visceral and intense performances; including BAFTA winner Thandie Newton (Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Crash) and Oscar winner Whoopi Goldberg (Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Ghost.

Also have you seen the ESSENCE DECEMBER 2010 -Cover?
you can pick up a copy with a all female or all male cast front cover...

Don't miss the double treat!! - Who’s your favourite? and can you name all 15 cast members?

Tyler Perry's FOR COLORED GIRLS {OFFICIAL TRAILER}

WHAT ARE PEOPLE SAYING ABOUT TYLER PERRY FILMS IN THE UK?

2010-08-23T08:08:00.000-07:00

Adinkra Films is celebrating the launch of Tyler Perry's hits on DVD in the UK. The DVDs will be released on the 23rd August 2010 with a special offer!!Buy one DVD and get a free cinema ticket to see
Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Too?*”

Order your copies today of Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married?, Diary of a Mad Black Woman Madea’s Family Reunion please visit:

www.lovefilm.com/whydidigetmarriedtoo

Also Adinkra films is giving you the opportunity to win DVDs on facebookADINKRA FILMS on the 24th August 2010

But...

WHAT ARE PEOPLE REALLY SAYING ABOUT TYLER PERRY'S DVDs?

FINALLY........AND FREE CINEMA TICKETS FOR WHY DID I GET MARRIED TOO? 3 SEPT 2010

2010-08-14T15:29:00.000-07:00

TYLER PERRY UK DVD RELEASE - 23RD AUGUST 2010
For more details on Tyler Perry's DVD release and to purchase DVD's please visit
www.lovefilm.com/whydidigetmarriedtoo

you can also purchase DVD's from:

Amazon

Play

HMV

FACEBOOK PAGE

Death At a Funeral Movie feat Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence & Tracy Morgan

2010-06-02T10:08:00.000-07:00

Death At a Funeral Review:
This may come as no surprise, but Neil Labute’s Death at a Funeral is an American rehash of the 2007 British film of the same name that made little lasting impression before it quickly got pulled from the public’s radar. The big difference this time around is that the story has been treated with a predominantly African-American cast, with a splashing of a couple of easily digestible “big named” Caucasians actors and an obvious choice of veteran from the original thrown in for good measure.

The ensemble is quite impressive, with a list consisting of who’s hot in Hollywood right now - Zoe Saldana and James Marsden - to the always enjoyable - Chris Rock, Keith David and Martin Lawrence - to the talent on their way up - Regina Hall, Tracy Morgan, Columbus Short - and the old school that can still give the young’ens a run for their money - Danny Glover.

Considering the size of the cast, each key player holds their own on screen, with Rock being just that for his eccentric extended family. He is the film’s lead, heavily sedated compared to his usual hyperactive self but easily likeable as the unacknowledged talented older brother trying to hold this unstable unit together long enough for his late father to be put to rest. Although Rock is the lead its actually Glover, Morgan and in particular, Marsden that steal the show purely because they produce the most laughs out of the group. This is a comedy after all. The only cast member who doesn’t really seem to have a place in the film is poor Luke Wilson. It’s sad that his presence seems to be more of a tactical move to entice the film’s key demographic who are aware of his previous comedies instead of the filmmakers having any real intention to use him in the film. If this theory is grossly untrue then his sole contribution to the narrative is to instigate a partial nudity scene in which Marsden and Short steal the limelight once more.

The biggest problem that Death At A Funeral faces is that it just isn’t funny enough considering the amount of talent on display. There is only so much that can be added through perfect comedic timing over a stale script that inspires more smirks that outright belly laughs; and when these laughs do eventually surface, the entire narrative is so predictable it somewhat taints the feeling you get from spewing these chuckles out. If you want to know which is better out of the original British version or the American remake, they’re almost identical it terms of the story so its purely down to personal taste. The remake doesn’t lose anything crucial from the original and has a much bigger and brasher cast that will surely appeal to a greater audience. Considering this is a comedy surrounding an event of great mourning, here was us hoping they would build on the first by adding more black humour. Who knew Neil LaBute would miss the point entirely by applying this literally.

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Review by Adinkra Films Critic George Sandilands "3 Stars"

Women beware.. Comedians are giving our secrets away!

2010-03-17T06:30:00.000-07:00

The AllStar UK Comedy Jam is the first ever comedy show I’ve been to. Of course I’ve seen quite a few on TV and online, but I was over the moon to actually attend a live one. As my friend and I sat in the filled O2 Brixton Academy, I felt a rush of happiness. It was lovely to be amidst hundreds of other Black men and women all having a good laugh. What could go wrong...?

The show finally started a couple of minutes after 7 pm, as there were still many guests arriving ‘fashionably’ late. Come on people, if we want these stereotypes to stop we can’t be strutting in 30 minutes late with an Aquafresh smile on our faces as if “It wasn’t me!”.

Anyway. The show started with Kevin J who was last year’s Best Newcomer. And boy, he’s not a newcomer anymore, but he was surely (one of) the best of the night. I’m sure he is somewhere on YouTube, so if you don’t believe me please check him out. This white guy –or light skinned guy as he referred to himself- did brilliant and genuine Jamaican and Nigerian accents. It was hilarious and I almost fell of my seat –unashamedly, as other people did worse.

After him came one of the few female comedians, Glenda Jackson. I really liked her calm style of comedy and I definitely liked the bling-bling she was wearing. I need to go shopping with this lady! One of the most memorable moments was when she referred to her microphone pole as her friend: “This is my friend. Cheryl Cole...She needs to eat.” I agree.

The show was interrupted with some singers who did not seem to capture the audience very much. Most people just began walking around and headed for the toilets. I bet they could have held their number 1s and 2s if Mrs Jay-Z had been shaking her thang on stage!

There was also a raffle competition for a trip to New York City, and my friend and I have never been so happy NOT to win. Four numbers were called forward. Three ladies and a gentleman with a broken ankle.. Little did anyone know they had to do a dance-off! The lucky lady who won was a Caribbean lady from Windsor who got up-close-and-personal with the male presenter..

After all the excitement it was back to the comedians. Richard Blackwood and Slim in particular had their ‘moan-of-the-week’ on that stage. Although Slim also spoke of cats’ disloyalty to Black people, their rants were mainly about women and our shenanigans. As Richard Blackwood said: “If you do something to a woman, she can’t hit you back. They have to use their brains! That’s why they’re smarter than us in so many things!”
And right he is! Wouldn’t we all like to literally kick that lying, cheating son-of-ahum to the kerb?

Richard told of women cleaning toilets with their men’s toothbrushes, poisoning their foods and sticking smelly fish in their curtains. A man should be extra careful if his lady lets him off ‘easy’ after catching him on his lies and cheating.

Slim also dished our secrets of ladyhood to the crowd. He revealed the reason why a man never knows when his Missus is doing a number 2, even after being with her for years. Don’t worry ladies. I’m not going to share our little secret of the trade on this blog. All I’m saying to the men is, we don’t make number 2s a showdown of noises and smells between us and the toilet, disabling others from entering for the next 30 to 45 minutes. We just make sure it looks and smells the same as how we found it, and we don’t make certain noisy announcements. That’s why we’re smarter in so many things.

By Aichel

100 PRINTS seminar for Scriptwriters - THREE DAYS TO GO

2010-02-23T09:25:00.000-08:00

Click on image to enlarge

The art of spoken word: The 14th Tale

2010-02-17T07:50:00.000-08:00

It must have been because of the freezing cold that night, but somehow I remembered the way from Waterloo Train Station to the National Theatre. I was only three buildings away when I asked some security people where the venue was. However, my journey -through what felt like Siberia to me- was not over yet. The space for Inua Ellam’s spoken word performance was around the corner. If only I had known that before ending up in the car park basement and climbing six staircases up.

Fortunately, I did not receive any hassle at reception and I could make my way into the theatre pretty quick. I squeezed past a lovely couple to my assigned seat. It was really cramp in between two other people, so I had the option of either punching someone in the face accidentally...or just keeping my jacket on. I chose the latter, although I did manage to free myself from the buttons. The back of the chair was also extremely uncomfortable. I had to give in sometimes and try to shovel to find a less painful position.

The play began about five minutes after I had entered to my luck. The 14th Tale features actor Inua Ellam telling a compelling story from his naughty childhood to manhood. I wonder if all his experiences and ‘scatter head’ antics really did happen, but it was all very convincing. I will have to ask the star himself when he visits one of Adinkra Film Nights again in the future.

The whole theatre darkens and Inua is sitting on a chair placed in the far right corner. There is a bright light shining on him. His head is on his knees, between his arms. Sounds of a hospital start to rise up. Inua lifts his upper body, raises his finger as though asking a question and walks to an imaginary desk –where there seems to be no one.
He starts talking so fast, that I’m concentrating on concentrating itself and loose the essence of his monologue.
I’m panicking inside, because I really don’t want to sit there for 55 minutes without understanding what the play is about.
He returns to his seat and returns his head on his lap. Once again he repeats the raising hand and walking to the ‘desk’. He begins talking fast again, but thankfully this time I understand him.
“I’m from a long line of trouble makers, of ash skinned Africans, born with clenched fists and a natural thirst for battle, only quenched by breast milk.”

The whole audience bursts into laughter when he pauses after the word ‘breast milk’ –how immature, but I join in. Inua continues speaking about his grandfather’s naughty ways as a child. Then about his father being a rascal in high school. And then himself growing up in a Nigerian boarding school. He gets into trouble so many times, that he creates strategies on escaping to do hard work and softening the blows of cane lashes by placing extra fabric in his pants. His father never gets angry, just laughs and says: “There is a vague connection to everything in life, son. Your time will come.” That’s not what many parents would tell their child...

At the age of twelve he leaves his best friend in tears, as he immigrates the UK with his family. Troubles start again at school when he learns that it’s illegal to beat children. He causes so much havoc in school that the teachers don’t even care or notice after a while. He finds himself a Chinese friend who shares the same tingling in his spine after they finish passing water (he used words much more extreme which I will spare readers from). He grabs his manly bits quite a few times when boasting. The audience found it quite hilarious, but I was quite shocked initially.

For the third time he returns to his seat, head on his lap. This time he gets through to a doctor and speaks with his friend lying on a bed. Apparently his friend –and Inua?- got into trouble and now the guy will never be able to walk again...

Growing up Inua moves from London to Dublin and back again. He falls in love with gorgeous girls, but then one he truly desires ‘doesn’t do relationships’. He still remains head over heels for her and finds her with another man one day. At night he decides to break into her house by entering through an open bathroom window... He grabs the showerhead, screws the top of and fills it with red paint. His phone suddenly rings and as he tries to whisper his ex catches him. He manages to calm her down and gets bad news on the phone...

His father is ill. Inua’s time has come. He sees the vague connection to happenings in life. He becomes a man. And wonders whether his own son would one day see the vague connection as well.

The 14th Tale with Inua Ellams will be at the National Theatre until March 13th. So make sure to go and see this amazing performance that will leave you mesmerized.

By Aichel Moreno Bautista

Princess & the Frog: don’t believe the non-stereotypical hype!

2010-02-09T14:35:00.000-08:00

Princess & the Frog was yet another happy-go-lucky, always-look-on-the-bright-side-of-life Disney animation. Adinkra Film Nights celebrated the first private screening of the Sankofa Membership Card with the animation. The trailer of Princess & the Frog portrays a Black young lady finally the star of the show. Not only is she the star… She’s royalty! However…

Caution: If you haven’t seen Princess & the Frog yet, you might not want to read further, because I am spilling the beans and revealing it all –about the plot that is!

Trailer: Disney's Princess & the Frog

Anyway, where was I? Yes! However… What the trailer doesn’t give away is that the lovely and pretty Tiana is not a princess at all! She is a waitress/ cleaner in a cafeteria run by a Black guy who won’t give her a break. A double-slap in the face, this cartoon kicks straight off with the tired stereotypes. Black person in low-paid job and Black person not helping another brother or sister. To make matters worse, some guests were still arriving stereotypically late. Thus I could not really watch much of the intro and the slaps-in-the-face.

Thankfully, Tiana was not stigmatically ‘loud and angry’. She proved to be a strong-minded, independent lady with ambitions to open her own glamorous restaurant. She works her socks off to pay off the building’s deposit, but a higher bidder could possibly spoil the party if she doesn’t pay the full sum by the next day. Unfortunately, there is another stereotype luring around the corner. The only way the lucky star in the sky can grant her all the money, is if she gets herself a rich man. Why can she not just have a good entrepreneurial head on her shoulders and come to an agreement with the sellers?

What is also weird is that most of the other characters in the animation are not Black. The only ones are her mother, late father, the voodoo lady and… the animals. All others are White or Hispanic-White. It would have been far more interesting and educational to our children if there were more serious Black characters. And the prince could have been a lovely Black man too. If they can draw a pretty Black female, why not vice versa? But I guess that would just be too much and Disney would lose more of its White audience –if not all. The film industry policies for distributors would never allow it. Examples are comedy spoof-film Scream where the Wayans brother were the only two Black lead persons allowed to appear on the cover and posters. Not to mention Couples’ Retreat where the only Black couple was completely removed and deleted on British posters, unlike the American posters on which they DO appear.

The rest of the film is merely a continuous chasing, escaping and running like many other Disney animations. There are a few wonderful songs as well like "Almost There", but some others are so cheesy that I could have ran out of the cinema.

To my surprise Tiana’s ghetto-esque best friend does not mind at all that Tiana hooked up with her former prince charming. In real life she would have probably squashed both frogs like meaningless bugs.
The film ends when Tiana becomes a real princess after marrying and kissing the prince. Hereafter they both transform back to their human bodies.

After the film there was also an interesting Q&A in which both children and adults participated. Like me, the adults had their ‘moan of the week’ on the and picked the animation apart. Nevertheless, the children apparently did not notice the stereotypes. They commented on their favourite characters in Princess & the Frog and about the loving and kissing! Children watch movies with innocent eyes, but when does this innocence disappear for them to detect what the real world is indirectly telling them?

Is Black hair Black people’s business? - "Good Hair" Chris Rock documentary

2009-11-24T12:20:00.000-08:00

Before I had even seen the trailer of ‘Good Hair’ or even heard the title ‘Good Hair’ I was exited to see it. Anything with Chris Rock in it is bound to be hilarious and that’s exactly what this documentary was. Very informative and educational too, I must add. I discovered more hazardous side effects of relaxing Black hair. Thankfully I haven’t gone through the gruesome ordeal of perming my hair for the last three years. For the ladies out there (and probably gentlemen as well): make sure to cover your nose when using this creamy poison if your lungs are dear to you. Make sure it doesn’t touch your scalp, because IT WILL LEAK through your hair follicles and land on your skull developing gangrene –scientifically proven. And please, please, please… DO NOT use it on young girls –anything under the age of sixteen! Especially little girls are not fond of it and you guessed it! It is very bad for their growing heads and lungs.

Moving on, I also learnt that even baby Indian girls hairs are shaven to make weaves from them, although the length should be between 10” and 14”… Indian women are invited to the cinema to enjoy their hair being cut-off. And if they want to wake up with their long locks, they better cover their heads when sleeping!

Besides from the ridiculous Bronners Brother hair show in the United States Chris Rock briefly mentions the stigma of having natural hair in the Black community. Five permed and one natural graduating college students are asked about the job market and employers’ views on hair. These girls call themselves friends, but one had the audacity to inform her natural friend: “I think your hair is cute and all, but I wouldn’t employ someone wearing a suit with an Afro. It’s a contrast.”
What a bold thing to say, especially concerning your ‘friend’. However, this is only a mild example of what some Black people have to say about those wearing their hair without chemical applications or foreign-grown hair. Unfortunately, Chris did not go deeper into these issues. It would have been good, because daughters have even been disowned by their mothers for going natural.

What shocks me most is that the Black hair industry has little to do with Black people. Once again we are at the other end, spending our salaries, but benefiting other communities. The majority of manufacturing companies of relaxers are White-owned and as we all know, most Black hair shops are owned by Asians. Mr Dudley, one of the mere four Black manufacturers noted that Black people would be naked if they had to take off everything created by other communities. Except for their hair -if Black people are using Dudley’s relaxers, that is… Nevertheless, he makes a good point. Surely we as Blacks should be more in control and owning things that have to do with us, right? This would empower us so much. It works for the Asian community and it’s the only thing the White community has ever known. And if we do, please let it be something that is mentally and physically healthy for both Black people and those of other races. Caribbean and African restaurants for example, are fortunately still Black-owned and everyone can enjoy our food.

Mr Dudley has also been kind enough to look past his fortunes and establish schools and colleges for the Black community. Although his curriculum consists of mainly Black hair craft, it is still a step in the right direction. Upon graduation his students even wear gowns to make them feel proud of themselves. With more Black entrepreneurs like Dudley and even the Bronners Brothers we would definitely own all that is ours and be as successful as other communities.

By Aichel
Adinkra Films

10 November 2009

Recession-proof budgeting?

2009-09-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

Wednesday the 23rd of September was the day for an outing with the internship team, to the Square Meal events. After waking up really early I still found myself running on my two-inch heels to be on time. The free, pre-booked Addison Lee car was already awaiting outside the office. My last colleague arrived –also running. Maybe we should have made it a marathon to Old Billingsgate Walk. We were ready to go and chatted happily to one another. I decided to involve the driver a bit so he would not feel like the male outcast. After the second question we discovered he was grumpy and so an outcast then. Thankfully our journey ended five minutes later when we got to the venue. Thanks, Mr Grumpy!
Inside the building we received passes with our names and big, pink bags to collect folders and goodies in. As we walked around to figure our ways around we couldn’t help but to desperately look back at the cafeteria. Square Meal would provide all visitors with free breakfast and lunches. However, we had come to gather information and not fill our stomachs –although we came close with the cupcakes, Turkish delights, free lunch pack, juice, water, popcorn and chocolate. Okay, we stuffed our faces!
The first seminar was about new venues at 11 am. We were shown various hotels, The Cooking Academy, museums, Parklife (a large outdoor square), screening rooms, conference spaces and even a ‘boat venue’ called On The Water. How do all these humongous buildings fit into London, Manchester, Leeds and Edinburgh?

Finally… Lunchtime! Our anticipations were high. When we got to the bar there were only overly, buttery almond croissant and chocolate muffins. Disappointed I returned with two croissants and a pure orange juice. Anticipations were risen again when announced that lunch would be served soon. There was a choice of chicken, vegetarian and lamb. I chose the latter which consisted of a few pieces of cold, shish lamb in between grass, a small pot of fruit salad, tiny bits of pita bread and more hummus than could actually fit on the pita bread. Not really what you call a proper meal. Ooh well, at least it was better than nothing..

The second seminar at 1pm proved more interesting and was called ‘Make Your Event Budgets Work Harder’. Some information is also online at www.squaremeal.co.uk/feature/reap-you-sow-14-good-reasons
The first tip was to stick to the budget and being aware that 20% of guests will generally not show up. One should also not be afraid to negotiate with suppliers or venues for discounts or extras. Moreover, be flexible on dates and don’t go for the traditional weekend or dinner hours. Combining your events and actually making it into a day out can really impress your guests and save you on costs. Or you can get together with another event and share the costs. Maintain what is really important when cutting corners. Remember that the first and last impressions are the ones that count to guests. When choosing a venue, pick the right one for your event and negotiate on deals with the venue owner or manager. Always taste and ask for samples when dealing with caterers and suppliers. Think local and be economical, but also ecological. On http://www.usedeventstuff.com/ you can even bid for items used during other events and shows for a lower price. When it comes to the food you can always fill your guests’ bellies, without emptying your own pockets too much. Be ingenious and create your own punch or cocktails instead of spending money on dear champagne. Load bowls of food with carbs such as pasta and potatoes or create a buffet to avoid waste.
For entertainment always spend wisely. Check what is at the venue already and what you can create around it to draw attention. Depending on what you want your guests to do at the event, be aware that bands, DJs and iPods each get different responses. A good band can make a party, whilst a DJ can get people to dance.
The most important piece of advice in my opinion, was the last one: Make sure the people are enjoying themselves!

The third seminar at 2 pm was also informative, but a bit boring. That probably had more to do with the fact that I was getting extremely sleepy. And the presenters voice sure could have taken me to lala land. I managed to stay focused though and gathered his advice on Christmas parties. Christmas parties at the office are essential for team building, staff retention and a good morale. Therefore the boss should not skimp. There is not much reason to as a company receives £150 for each employee to spend on their Christmas party. So if you ever wondered how your greedy boss can always afford an expensive box of chocolate from Tesco. Come to think of it, where does the rest of the £140 go?
As in the second seminar it was mentioned again to think about the timing of the event. Does it really have to be in the evening, or can in also be during lunchtime? Can spouses come too (if not, then I would suspect something fishy was going on at the Christmas party). Don’t take risks, but do shop late to get bargains. On the other hand, get out early to find the best dates before someone else books it.

Make your invitations very attractive and give plenty of notice. Even after all this ‘advertising’ do not expect attendance to equal invites. Still, get feedback after the party and improve next year.
Always expect there to be pitfalls and try to avoid them. Confirm costs and times beforehand. Even better: get them in writing. Insist on a tasting. If the caterer or supplier refuses, you should consider if it’s a wise idea working together with them. Don’t run out of liquor, but also make sure your staff gets home safe and sound at the end of the event (whether that is day or night). And also very important: don’t do it for the directors. Go with what the employees are into, because the party is for them and about them.

The fourth seminar at 3 pm did not grab our attention for long as we implemented the exit-plan after a few minutes. I don’t know what this seminar had to do with budgeting. It was called ‘Hospitality for Every Budget’, but I don’t think the ridiculously high prices were of use for anyone in the room. The presenter even had the cheek to call a hotel bedroom at £95 a night inexpensive.

All in all it was a good fun day where we gathered loads of business contacts for our internship events and leaflets. We played a little game of bowling and entered a competition to win a black shiny bag worth £650. The bag also comes with a death threat from one of my fellow interns if one of us wins it. So if you are missing me for too long, you know that I won. Watch this space!

By Aichel

Adinkra Films

Why Will Smith is my FCF (Favourite Celebrity Forever)

2009-09-21T15:27:00.000-07:00

By Aichel Moreno Bautista

Yes, he is mighty good-looking. And yes he is very rich. So are many other black, male actors, singers and rappers. Still, not many of them have been able to inspire me in the way Mr Smith has. Although his good looks are down to DNA, he has earned his wealth fair and square virtually on his own. I say virtually, because behind every great man stands a great woman –and some other good people.

In Will’s case that great woman was his late grandmother. Upon reading one of his first rap lyrics that was rather vulgar, she tactfully reminded him to clean up his act. That is the reason we know Will Smith as one of the ‘nicest’ rappers in the game. We also know Will as a true gentleman and that, he learnt from his late mother and grandmother too. Furthermore, both his parents saw it relevant for their children to get good education. Therefore, Smith might pretend to goof around sometimes, but he is surely no dummy. He spoke to his father about patterns of life and how these could be utilised in achieving great things. Basically, in most people’s life things that go wrong always build up in practically the same way. To break that vicious cycle, one must change the pattern.

This might involve taking calculated risks and it definitely involves being clever.
Willard Smith was given a gap year by his father to pursue his rap-career after he finished school. If he didn’t succeed it meant back to his studies. Fortunately everything worked out and things got better and better for him. He also went on to acting in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (Quincy Jones) and other films featuring big stars like Whoopi Goldberg. Making it big also meant moving on and a split from his music partner DJ Jazzy Jeff. The two have both done well ever since, although Jazzy Jeff’s career has not been in the limelight as much.

How come Will is in so many blockbuster movies? Well, he discovered that sci-fi action films with a love-story were very popular with the public. Aren’t Men in Black, Independence Day and even Wild Wild West all of that –although Sci-Fi a few centuries ago meant pushing his luck. Thankfully, he showed his major acting talent in other movies. He inspired me in Ali with the way he managed to build his body to Muhammed Ali’s equivalent. I almost shed tears when watching I Am Legend when he was forced to kill his zombie-transformed dog. Again in The Pursuit of Happyness when he had to spend the night in a metro station toilet with his son (the story of Chris Gardiner). Not to mention the many times he made me laugh in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

The father, husband, son, rapper, actor and damn good man that he already is, he has not forgotten his roots with all these responsibilities. He owns one of the few Black film production and development companies in the United States. It’s called OverBrook Entertainment and the firm is responsible for the making of The Secret Life of Bees, Hancock, Showtime and the Oscar-winning play Jitney. OverBrook Entertainment are also working together on a show with Alfonso Ribeiro (yes, the one-and-only, Tom-Jones-loving, finger-snap-dancing Carlton Banks!). Furthermore, there are plans on making a movie about Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath on the New Orleans population.

So how many other Black celebrities are as hard-working, respectful, caring, inspirational, clever and forward-thinking as Will Smith? I must say that this man can put a smile on people’s faces just by mentioning his name, because he is so happy, funny and friendly. He has always been my favourite celebrity and if I ever got to meet him I would probably start behaving very groupy-ish –something I don’t see myself doing with any other celebrity. However, I think he deserves the admiration I have for him.

Presenting the Presentation

2009-09-21T14:59:00.000-07:00

by Aichel Moreno Bautista

Many people moan and sigh at the hearing of the word ‘presentation’. Standing in front of an audience will mean people staring at your figure or listening to your stuttering voice. It may mean staring back at a hundred odd people with serious and unfriendly faces. You might suddenly hear someone giggling with their friends in the background and you are sure it’s due to your braces. Others were born for the stage and look forward to wowing their public with their findings. With a smile and some confidence they sail through their subject and often manage to provide a bit of entertainment. To be frank, the chances of embarrassment and clumsiness only increase at the same rate of your pessimism. And if you’re really scared of hecklers, rehearse some responses in advance. With this in mind, I stepped to the front after my two fellow interns finished their presentations. Unlike university or school I did not have to prepare any reply-heckles. Our audience did not contain of bored or noxious students but entrepreneurial adults with a sense of etiquette.

My subject was about the importance of the three-day box office grossand what the best release times for movies are. Researching the second part proved quite tricky as I did not find the information immediately. Google did not seem to understand English all of a sudden. I was also desperate for some sleep. After a while I did succeed in cracking the ‘code’ to the answers I needed. Besides the stares, giggles and heckles it is also disturbing not to have anything to say yourself! I commenced my speech with an introduction of what was to come. As the presentation was about cinemas, the background of my PowerPoint consisted of a big empty movie screen with some front row seats. For the presentation I added text on the ‘screen’. Hopefully this could give the audience the feel of actually being in the cinema. I spoke about the three-day being the opening weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) for a film. The revenue before tax gained in these three days measures how well a film is doing. If the film is not as successful as predicted it will receive less screenings in the following weeks or no more screenings at all –if the film is really THAT bad.

Furthermore, movie distributors often wish to receive as much money as possible for the screenings and want to open in as many cinemas as possible. This is where they clash with the competing exhibitors who want to be one of few –or the only one- releasing the movie to attract all public and thus all ticket sales. I continued with statistical tables depicting the best opening weekends in the UK and the USA for Black and general movies in 2009 and in history. As best release months I found that the wintery December, January and February and the warmer July did best. The reason being the school and work holidays in which friends and families can go out together in these months. The best day to release a film is Friday as this is a nice moment to unwind directly after a hectic week working or studying. Another table followed revealing the North-American and British films released in December 2008 and July 2009.

The next point was to identify the impact of social media on the box office gross’. Cinema chains are getting involved with sites such as Facebook and MySpace. The tweets on Twitter are often about upcoming releases, competitions or some pretentiously funny thought... By being involved cinema marketers can get customer reviews as well on what to improve. In my views people will still be attracted to visiting cinemas as this going-out feeling cannot be recreated online. Slumps in box office revenues are often due to factors like the economic recession. I finalised with a brief summary of all information. Moreover, I related the findings to the Adinkra Film Nights re-launch. Since this will happen in the last weekend of November I feel it is a good move for attracting an audience wishing to relax and socialize. November is also a good month statistically for visiting cinemas.

The Q&A time was even more un-student like. I received many questions from my boss’ business partners –and my fellow interns. One question was regarding the movie The Secret Life of Bees and why it did not have a big box office sell-out. In my own experience I have not seen many advertisements in the United Kingdom about The Secret Life of Bees and supposed that was the main reason.

Another query involved the success of Orange Wednesdays whereas most movies were released on Fridays. Not all releases happen on a Friday although it is the best timing possible. Moreover, one must not underestimate the power of advertising. However, Orange Wednesdays are not about movie premières. The campaign involves two tickets for the price of one to see any film in cinema.
I was asked who the most important factor was to a large gross at the box office: the distributor, the exhibitor or the audience? In my opinion that is the distributors. It is up to them to create the right marketing and promotional campaign for their films and choose the best cinemas, cities and dates to release their work. If all this is done in a clever manner the audience will follow.
I was also questioned about Men in Black and Independence Day being Black films. I did mention them alongside Dance Flick and Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail as best opening weekends for Black screenings. It is very true that those two movies starring Will Smith are not at all Black movies. Nevertheless, as it was very hard to find any data of successful one in the past fifty years I picked something that came close. I do know that Will Smith helped create both of those movies. A true Black movie in my opinion is one that speaks about issues in the race or whose cast is at least75% Black. Still, it is hard to define and many people may have different views of what a Black movie is.
Another question was what big distributors thought about independent cinemas. Whereas multiplex cinemas (with five or more screening rooms) are interested in blockbuster movies for young people, independent cinemas cater for the thirty-plusses who are more curious about serious, adult films. Distributors must not shun or derogate independent cinemas, because they provide an audience for movies that multiplexes may not wish to screen.
A question that involves one of the reasons Adinkra Films exists was why Black movies entering the United Kingdom often are not screened in cinemas and go straight to DVD or are bootlegged. The British film societies such as the BBFC disregard there is an audience for these films. The ones that make it to the cinema screens are often the ones that star big names like Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Eddie Murphy and Beyoncé –regardless of the acting talents of the latter two. Or as a Twitterer tweeted @Adinkra_Films: “why no UK release because it don't feature Smith, Washington or Berry; aint got a Rapper; don't have guns drugs”
What an interesting statement; as I only asked why Good hair did not have a UK Release date? So the feeling -it seems- is very much mutual across the world.
So I survived the presentation and the grilling afterwards. Apparently we will have another presentation later this year. I sighed and moaned. Not because I am scared of standing in front of an audience. No, it’s because I am predicting more sleepless nights and new altercations with Google...

Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams story at the "I Will Tell" London Black Film Festival by Karen Turner

2009-06-20T11:16:00.000-07:00

During the second week of May, London played host to the Black Film Festival. For one week a carefully selected collection of films were shown across two cinema venues in London.

From a personal aspect, I didn’t think the event itself was publicised very well, I myself had not seen any press regarding it, and If I am honest, had I not been asked to attend I probably would never have even known the event took place. The lack of press and buzz surrounding the event was made more apparent judging by the number of empty seats left in the cinema- which was a great shame.

I attended the viewing of Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams story, starring Jamie Foxx. The evening itself was very well organised; there were lots of friendly and highly enthusiastic representatives about. There was an opening speech from one of the key event organisers and the evening closed with a live discussion about some of the prevalent themes in the film; discussion was led by two individuals who themselves like the film character Stan had partaken in gang warefare to some extent during their lives. This rounded off a really great and insightful evening as it gave the audience a chance to interact with each other,

‘Redemption’ tells the real-life story of Stanley ‘Tookie’ Williams; a man who gained notoriety for orchestrating and founding the Crips’; one of the largest and most violently active gangs in the world. Most of the films action takes place from inside of Stan’s cell where he is serving life imprisonment whilst awaiting death by lethal injection for his part in the murder of four men. From within this confined space we see Stan undergo a sort of metamorphosis as he renounces his former gang affiliation and becomes an anti-gang activist. He comes in to contact with the journalist Barbara Becnel, who wants to research and write a story about him. It is from the interaction between these two that we learn more about Stan’s life, his childhood and the events that led to his involvement with the Crip’s movement. From behind bars Stan sets about wholly redeeming and reforming himself-with great effect. He dedicates his time to creating children’s books written with the intention of discouraging young kids from getting involved in gangs, violence and drugs.

The books are a world-wide success and even earn Stan a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. As a result there was much controversy about his story in the media with a large group of protesters believing that his death sentence should be lifted; however various appeals were applied for and subsequently rejected.

Jamie Foxx delivers a powerful and emotionally charged performance. The fact that you find yourself warming towards and feeling for a character that has done so much to tear apart and destroy a generation of young black men is a testament to Jamie’s performance; he gets the balance just right. I do think that the film would have benefited from a more enriched and detailed account of the reasons behind Stan’s destructive gang affiliation; why did he choose that route in life, why at such a young age did he see this as his only option in life, and what could have prevented him from making such life choices?

The film does however raise the important issue of ‘redemption‘; and although Stan does succeed in turning his life, values and attitude around for the better by using his predicament to help prevent others from the same fate, I couldn’t help but ask was it ever possible that he could wholly redeem himself and correct the ills he had wrought on society?

This is a thought-provoking, emotional and sad film, and given the current state of teen gang violence rife in the UK at the moment, the themes apparent in this film appear all the more poignant. Over the past few years the rise in black on black teen violence has reached terrifying heights and for this reason more than any other I think this film deserves and needs a lot more exposure, especially in the UK and I think that it was a very worthy film to be shown during the British Black Film Festival.

I would certainly recommend that everyone see’s this film; indeed it does have a very strong, specific identity that perhaps only certain groups, from certain areas, cultures and lifestyles could truly relate to, but the idea of ‘Redemption’ and changing one’s life around for the better is universal and with that in mind everyone can take something away from this film, making it a cinema ‘must-watch’.

'I Will Tell' Film Festival - Adinkra Film Reviews by Eleni Schmidt

2009-05-27T07:34:00.000-07:00

What Black Men Think

Are there more Black men in jail than in college? Who's the most popular iconic figure today, TUPAC or Dr. Martin Luther King? Where did the Civil Right movement go? What do Black men think of themselves? And how do media portrait them and why? Director Janks Morton digs deep into what is troubling him about the American media, and the situation for Black males today. He interviews a lot of Black men, academics, writers, and community leaders, as well as 'man on the street' interviews. Some of his ideas are controversial, particularly that the 'Civil Rights movement went wrong in the sixties, when the black community lost its values, resulting in broken families' and that the 'media make money on promoting the Black man in a bad light'.

On one hand, this is a very interesting movie, that is very enjoyable to watch, with an important message. On the other hand, it is a documentary, and hardly mainstream, since it's rather provoking. It might be best as a DVD edition. The screening ended with an audience discussion featuring two guest speakers; community leader Tony Warner, Director of an education program, and Claudette Williams, a Minister. Emotive subjects discussed were moral guidance, spiritual life and a lack of positive role models for young people.

This is not a bleak movie - it's raw, funny, interesting and challenging. It engages you, and provokes you. There's not a boring moment, and the movie stays with you for quite some time.

Adinkra Films Newsletter

2009-03-06T13:50:00.000-08:00

ADINKRA FILMS INTRODUCES
ADINRKRA FILM NIGHTS & LOUNGE
'A Celebration of Black Films'

In these turbulent times of global financial meltdown we must be inspired by change. A mix of innovation and expertise is the call of the day along with the embrace of possibility and the unknown. In America, the bastion of social empowerment and democracy, the public have just elected their next leader. For the first time its 232-year history, the US will be led by a black man. The film industry has always portrayed the possibilities of the world with more eloquence than real life could. From James Earl Jones' foray as Commander in Chief in The Man (1972) to Morgan Freeman as the leader of the free world in Deep Impact (1998), the movies have dared to believe. Black cinema is a burgeoning business. Black written, produced, directed and acted films are at a distinct minority and research shows nearly 90% of these films head straight to DVD. We at ADINKRA plan to change that. Our mission is to create space for these films in the UK market and increase the awareness of them in the film industry. We will play new and classic movies, documentaries and short films about history and culture. We aim to work with independent black film directors and producers, providing them with a platform to showcase their work. We will be supporting black film festivals and assisting independents with screening their work at festivals. Rather than limiting our range, we will forge cohesive links with other black film societies, which will enable us to reach the wider audience.

With Nollywood going from strength to strength after winning the right to screen movies on Digital TV, the future is bright. It is clear the audience is out there and our objective is to keep the public abreast of any movements in black film. Luminaries such as Spike Lee, Noel Clarke and Tyler Perry will be showcased, along with the best that black cinema worldwide has to offer.

Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson, multiple Grammy award winner Alicia Keys, Academy Award nominees Queen Latifah & Sophie Okonedo, British star Paul Bettany and, in her most mature role to date, Dakota Fanning, star in the touching coming-of-age drama THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES.

We are honoured to be among the first groups in Europe to show the film on the 30th November @ the Rex SOHO- before the December national release date.

For Editor
Contact:Editor E-mail: http://cp.perfora.net/X?p=&v=00000000158CB0F032E88CD1&t=redir&dest=687474703A2F2F756B2E6D633238362E6D61696C2E7961686F6F2E636F6D2F6D632F636F6D706F73653F746F3D656469746F72406164696E6B726166696C6D732E636F6D

INFO ON SCREENING The screening will be on Sunday 30th November at:

REX CINEMA & BAR, 21 Rupert Street, London, W1V 7FE

Tickets: £10 for Film and Lounge and £5 for Lounge Tickets Hotline: 0845 680 1597 E-mail: http://cp.perfora.net/X?p=&v=00000000158CB0F032E88CD1&t=redir&dest=687474703A2F2F756B2E6D633238362E6D61696C2E7961686F6F2E636F6D2F6D632F636F6D706F73653F746F3D7469636B657473406164696E6B726166696C6D732E636F6D

Tickets will be available from Monday 10th November 2008 from http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/

"Building more platforms for cinematic experiences of black films within the UK"

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