{"id":4227,"date":"2019-07-09T16:55:22","date_gmt":"2019-07-09T16:55:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/?p=4227"},"modified":"2024-12-30T16:38:50","modified_gmt":"2024-12-30T21:38:50","slug":"abff-highlights-exceptional-films-on-blackness-sisterhood-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/abff-highlights-exceptional-films-on-blackness-sisterhood-and-more\/","title":{"rendered":"ABFF Highlights: Exceptional Films On Blackness, Sisterhood, And More"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_4228\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4228\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4228\" src=\"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/abff.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"550\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/abff.jpg 800w, https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/abff-300x206.jpg 300w, https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/abff-768x528.jpg 768w, https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/abff-220x150.jpg 220w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4228\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Film poster for Tamara Bass&#8217;s &#8220;If Not Now, When?&#8221;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Screening the work of some of the most talented visual storytellers in the country, ABFF presented a curation of shorts, feature films, and documentaries that brought to life the multiplicities of blackness.\u00a0 The festival served as the world premiere for several films gaining the eyes and hearts of viewers and hopefully the attention of distributors. While it was impossible to see all the films, there were a few that I was able to catch and that I enjoyed.\u00a0 I am certain that these works will see success outside the festival and I encourage you to watch when you have the chance.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1><b>\u00a01.\u00a0<\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If Not Now, When?<\/span><\/i><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><iframe  id=\"_ytid_36833\"  width=\"800\" height=\"450\"  data-origwidth=\"800\" data-origheight=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OlG4w_bJCio?enablejsapi=1&#038;autoplay=0&#038;cc_load_policy=0&#038;cc_lang_pref=&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;loop=0&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;playsinline=0&#038;autohide=2&#038;theme=dark&#038;color=red&#038;controls=1&#038;disablekb=0&#038;\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  epyt-is-override  no-lazyload\" title=\"YouTube player\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><strong>Written by Tamara Bass, who co-directed the film with longtime friend Meagan Good,\u00a0\u00a0<i>If Not Now, When? <\/i>follows the sisterhood of four women as bonds are tested and strengthened by the challenges on their individual lives.\u00a0 Patrice (Bass) struggles to tell her new love interest about her personal battle with fertility. Tyra (Good) reluctantly undergoes rehab for a pill addiction after her teenage daughter finds her passed out on the floor.\u00a0 Deidre (Meagan Holder) has to decide whether or not she wants to reconcile with her husband who abandoned her once she started pursuing her career as a dancer. Suzanne (Mekia Cox) is forced to face the infidelity of her football player husband and the possibility of being a single mother.\u00a0 These friends challenge, support, and encourage one another as they figure out what they need to be happy and whole. <i>If Not Now, When? <\/i>Is a much-needed complex portrayal of black womanhood and sisterhood.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><strong>2.<\/strong><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Una Great Movie<\/span><\/i><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4231\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4231\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4231 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/unagreatmovie.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"550\" title=\"\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/unagreatmovie.jpg 800w, https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/unagreatmovie-300x206.jpg 300w, https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/unagreatmovie-768x528.jpg 768w, https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/unagreatmovie-220x150.jpg 220w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 800px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 800\/550;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4231\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Still from &#8220;Una Great Movie&#8221;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Writer and Director Jennifer Sharp offers a meta commentary on the film industry and the place of black women in romantic comedies.\u00a0 The film follows Zoe (JoNell Kennedy) as she attempts to sell her script about a black woman who travels to Mexico seeking closure from an old relationship.\u00a0 The narrative bounces between Zoe as she meets with industry executives and the main character of her film, Susan (Numa Perrier), who acts out the often-ridiculous script notes.\u00a0 Eventually Susan finds herself the only Black woman in Mexico surrounded by an all-white cast. Sharp\u2019s work is a comedic exploration of the problems of being black in Hollywood and looking for ownership of your creative expression.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>3.<\/strong><\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Chicago at the Crossroad<\/span><\/i><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4230\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4230\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4230 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/chicago.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"411\" title=\"\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/chicago.jpg 800w, https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/chicago-300x154.jpg 300w, https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/chicago-768x395.jpg 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 800px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 800\/411;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4230\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">&#8220;Chicago at the Crossroad&#8221; film poster<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Through a combination of archival footage and exclusive interviews, producer, writer, and director Brian Schodorf explores the many issues plaguing the city of Chicago and its black residents.\u00a0 Most importantly he carefully weaves together a narrative that illustrates how many of the city\u2019s issues such as violence, crime, joblessness, and de-facto segregation is systematic. By tracing the history of a landmark public housing unit and its residents alongside the city\u2019s neglect of the property and its eventual demolishment, Schodorf shows the inequality and dehumanization of people of color at the hands of the government.\u00a0 The second half of the documentary follows teenage father Edwin\u2019s journey from juvenile detention to earning his GED as well as the struggles that many young black men face growing up in Chicago. It is a compelling and insightful look into the problems and perils of a dynamic and complex city.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0 Screening the work of some of the most talented visual storytellers in the country, ABFF presented a curation of shorts, feature films, and documentaries that brought to life the multiplicities of blackness.\u00a0 The festival served as the world premiere for several films gaining the eyes and hearts of viewers and hopefully the attention of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4228,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[713,31,30,407,714,715,716],"class_list":["post-4227","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-film-tv","tag-abff","tag-featured","tag-film","tag-film-review","tag-if-not-now-when","tag-meagan-good","tag-tamara-bass"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4227","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4227"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4227\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4228"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4227"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4227"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4227"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}