City Office of Arts, Culture, and Entrepreneurship partners with local film festivals on riveting looks back at history
- Freep Film Festival and Detroit Black Film Festival to offer more than 100 films and special events in their April and September runs
- The Office of Arts, Culture, and Entrepreneurship (Detroit ACE) is proud to join the Detroit Black Film Festival (DetBff) and Freep Film Festival in celebrating great documentary and narrative filmmaking this year
“Detroit has so much to be proud of with our growing film industry, and these two festivals reflect that,” said Rochelle Riley, the City’s Director of Arts and Culture. FreepFilmFest will open on April 27 with the first public screening of “Gradually, Then Suddenly: The Bankruptcy of Detroit,” a documentary that explores the city’s historic bankruptcy and its path forward. The film, which will premiere at the Detroit Film Theatre at the Detroit Institute of Arts, tells the dramatic story of Detroit’s 2013 bankruptcy. It frames the city’s dire financial situation as a canary in the coal mine for municipalities nationwide. From the controversial appointing of an emergency manager to the enactment of the so-called Grand Bargain — which helped protect the imperiled collection at the Detroit Institute of Arts and preserve city pensions — the film offers new insights and behind-the-scenes details of the critical juncture in the city’s history.
The fest also will host the world premiere Daniel Land’s “America, You Kill Me” about pioneering Detroit gay-rights activist Jeffrey Montgomery, who will attend the press conference. The film screens on Thursday, April 28 at the Redford Theatre.
The Detroit Black Film Festival (DetBFF) will host its opening night on September 21, 2022, by celebrating the 50th anniversary of the film, “Lady Sings the Blues.” The collaboration with the Motown Museum features an opening night gala at the Garden Theatre.
"Lady Sings the Blues" is a 1972 American biographical drama film directed by Sidney J. Furie about jazz singer Billie Holiday. The film stars Detroit's own Diana Ross along with Billy Dee Williams, Richard Pryor, James T. Callahan, and Scatman Crothers. Ross debuted as Billie Holiday in the film while under contract with Motown Founder Berry Gordy. At the time, she was emerging as a solo artist after years with The Supremes. The film was produced by Motown Productions for Paramount Pictures. Ross was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. And the soundtrack, which featured Ross singing Holiday's songs, was a hit. Both Ross and Williams won NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actor and Actress in a Motion Picture for their performances.
Co-founder Marshalle Favors said she and her husband, Lazar, chose the iconic film because “it’s a renowned classic, and the brilliant performance by made it to the big screen because of Motown.” The duo plans to announce special guests in September.
Motown Museum CEO Robin Terry said, “Motown Museum is delighted to partner with the Detroit Black Film Festival to recognize the contributions of Black independent filmmakers. We are particularly excited to co-host the festival’s opening event and special viewing of the iconic film, “Lady Sings the Blues”, a Motown Productions film produced by Berry Gordy starring Diana Ross in her feature film debut, now celebrating its 50th anniversary.”
DetBFF co-founder Lazar Favors said the film also fits DetBFF’s other goal to uplift fashion and music. “It is a natural fit that aligns with our film, fashion, and music theme for this year's festival,” he said. “And it gives a chance to support the Motown museum as it begins a new chapter in American history.”
The museum, which is visited by hundreds of thousands of music and history fans a year, is currently undergoing a major, $55 million expansion that will double its size, and host a permanent stage offer scheduled performances and pop-up music sets. The museum has already connected the three houses where Gordy nurtured young local talent into global stars — the Supremes, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, the Temptations, and Marvin Gaye among them.
The DetBFF team is reviewing films and touring venues to prepare for the festival, which in its first two years gave Detroit audiences 87 films and 20 workshops and panel discussions with vital Hollywood insiders. Among them was Detroit native Qasim Basir, director of the landmark film A Boy, A Girl, A Dream starring Omari Hardwick and Meagan Good.
Original source can be found here.
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