BFFNO Documentary Films
BFFNO Documentary block sponsored by Stella Jones Art Gallery will screen four short docs. Shahari Moore gains a best doc nod for her work about the life and impact of Gwendolyn Brooks. New Orleans filmmaker Carl Harrison explores the Mardi Gras Indian culture in his piece chronicling Spy Boy Dow.
Murder in Mobile 23:35- Adam Fischer
Brooks People 20:00- Shahari Moore
Jim Crow of the North 34:44- Daniel Bergin
Spy Boy Dow 15:53- Carl Harrison
AfroFutures Night
Another best doc nod opens our AfroFutures night by attending to our past. Sankofa is a poetic journey into the effects of our disconnect with Africa and the accompanying loss of identity. Also in this section are award nominees Mino: A Diasporic Myth which receives a best costume & Makeup nod for its portrayal of a future society where Men are no longer needed for procreation, and juxtaposed with that is Code Switch nominated for best music & sound design which tells the story of a future video game developer whose virtual reality system targets and harms female users. Filmmakers from both films are expected to attend the festival for Q&A. Local filmmakers Jonathan Isaac Jackson and John Slade will also be in attendance with their films. The Girl & Her Electric Sheep & Afro Brother Spacemen
The Girl and her Electric Sheep 8:20- Jonathan Isaac Jackson & Gian Francisco Smith
Mino: A Diasporic Myth 18:37 – Ashunda Norris
Code Switch 18:45- Sigin Ojulu
Afro Brother Spacemen 29:32-John Slade
Sankofa 27:53- Princess Garrett
Table Stakes 16:40- Khai Thu Nguyen
BFFNO Matinee Films
Headlining our Matinee Section are two award nominated films. The Mystery of Bwa Yen Yen receives a best sound design nod in this fun adventure through perspective as several groups with poor intentions cross paths. And Latasha Harlans: A Rose That Grew From Concrete stars Raven Symonne Ferrell nominated for best actress in her outstanding performance as the title character who deals with the same violent community that took her mother in this story based on real events.
The Sound Of Silence 6:00- Donald Wilson
Crescent 14:07 (some explicit content)-Edward Worthy
Lime 11:00-Dontai Storey
The Mystery of Bwa Yen Yen 26:37-Amingo Thora
The Wolf Comes at Night 8:40- Nathan Marquez
The Oddysey of Cleave Eaton-3:45 Kevin Webb
Latasha Harlans: A Rose that Grew From Concrete-33:38 Shannon Bennet (Explicit language)
Making Connections NOLA presents Young Filmmakers block
Our young filmmakers block will include a best actor performance in Furtherance from Chanceller Smith who plays a student on the autism spectrum trying to navigate friendships and bullies. This block also features the work of the St. Roch Film Academy. The collaborative efforts of BFFNO and Making Connections is a film project executed in an 8 week film bootcamp for New Orleans high school aged student filmmakers.
Furtherance 13:30- Chavez Caley
Miscommunication-4:00 MCnola
The Mark of the Saviour 14:00-Kieron Haynes
BFFNO Content Creators Block
The Content creators block features content intended for distribution on the web. Local filmmakers are well represented as Eritrea Pitts and Ben Donnelon team up in rom-com Terry & Sam which earns a double nomination for best web & Best New Orleans project. And BFFNO Alum Adrione Domino returns with a riveting exploration of film and music which brings together dance and the beautiful harmony of New Orleans songstress Mykia Jovan in this short but impactful piece. Sugar Maybe & We Fight We Love also receive nominations in the best content category.
Sugar Maybe 18:00 Adrianna Cherelle
Terry & Sam 5:45 Ben Donnelon & Eritrea Pitts
We fight, we love –Michael Artis
16 Shots- 5:28 Adrione Domino
Artist Talk Segment with Monty Ross
Acclaimed producer Monty Ross whose credits include Do The Right Thing, Mo Betta Blues, & Crooklyn brings his newest production to BFFNO. Building Minds with Chess boasts a local production combo of producer Ken Mask and Thunderlens Productions. Following the film There will be an extended Q&A with Monty who will discuss and advise on big budget and independent film production.
New Orleans Based Projects
Kenetha Lanee’s Madonna’s House receives nominations in two categories including Best costume & makeup in this story about a turn of the century New Orleans brothel starring Lakesha Glover and New Orleans Pelicans host Betsy Borrego. Its other nomination for best New Orleans project is shared with Seafood Gangsta which brings comedian Frank White’s hilarious imagination to life with filmmaking tandem Brandon Bolwat and Alejandro De Los Rios in this tale about a mob boss who controls the New Orleans seafood market. Jonathan Isaac Jackson adds a second piece to BFFNO in his short doc about New Orleans’ youngest Mardi Gras Indian chief and his testimony to the culture he is learning. And BFFNO newbie Jessica Johnson teams up with Gian Smith in Syrup, a short sketch about an acting prima donna starring New Orleans talent Rahim Glaspy, Bri Collins, Jessica Johnson and others.
Madonna’s house 25:23 Kenetha Lenee
Seafood Gangsta 10:00 Frank White
Chief Black Hawk 11:27 – Jonathan Isaac Jackson
Syrup 4:00- Jessica Johnson & Gian Smith
BFFNO Primetime
Primetime is the concentration of our award nominated films. Tulane University alum Bobby Yan comes back to New Orleans to receive a best director nomination with his newest short film, multiple nominee, Loreen’s Gotta Boogie, a story about an aspiring dancer trying to crack the disco TV dance scene. Former ABFF winner and HBO filmmaker Leron Lee nabs several nominations including best writer, best director and a few others for Catch a Girl which explores the dangerous precedents our children’s games set towards toxic traits of misogyny in this poignant yet lighthearted film about a boy liking a girl… or two. Yellow Girl and Me & Tagged both receive multiple nominations between the best writer, best director, and best cinematography categories. While ‘Yellow Girl’ boasts best actress nominee Dior Wilson for her portrayal of the young birthday girl who only wants the attention her sister has already focused on an abusive boyfriend, Tagged counters with previous BFFNO best actress nominee Shi Smith as the precocious graffiti artist pushing the limits of danger to deliver a message to the community. Other powerful films in this block are former New Orleans resident Jamey Hatley’s piece Eureka Hotel, Be A Fish nominated for best cinematography, Bloom also nominated for best cinematography and best actor, and other nominees MeMaw, Paris Blues in Harlem, and Seen Thru A’mira. Many of the filmmakers will be in attendance to speak about their films.
Paris Blues in Harlem 14:42 Nadhege Ptah
Honor 5:00 Toni Thai Sterrett
Memaw 14:04-Zanah Thirus
Til’ Death 6:44- Asha Flowers
Eureka Hotel 23:18 Jamey Hatley
Out The Box 4:47- Malachi Moore
Catch a Girl 14:45 Leron Lee
Loreens Gotta Boogie 14:53 Bobby Yan
Deep Space 6:40 Ashley James
Tagged 8:43 Daniel Ferrell
Be A Fish 7:00 Aisha Ford
Bloom 7:31 The Derrick Brothers
Seen Thru Amira 11:19 David Jones
Yellow Girl and Me 19:18 Isabella Issa
Festival Closing Film
Our final film is brought to you by Lanzardis productions. Zardis and Lance Nichols generously bring the just under two hour, feature length Documentary Digging for Weldon Irvine about the famous musician and his life in this Victorious DeCosta film project.
