BLACK VOICES SHORTS PROGRAM
Thursday, August 22, 2024 at 6:00 PM
SHORTS PROGRAM | 82.5 min
General Admission $10 | Student + Children $8

FREEDOM
MUSIC VIDEO| 3.5 MIN | ENGLISH | USA
Directed by Jamie Hoyt

The end credit song from the national and international multi-award winning "Funkumentary", "This Is Love" was made into a music video by Associate Producer, Jamie Hoyt. It is our responsibility to stand up for freedom, regardlesss of the cause. History has been full of unfair and unjust tragedies. The present time is no different. Filmed in Wichita, Kansas, Ashland, Oregon, and at the King Center in Atlanta, Georgia, along with the various historical film clips and pictures. The video was shot pre-pandemic but was edited together with newer clips in light of the current times.

“FREEDOM” shows a little of everything we’ve been fighting for throughout history: democracy, falling of communism, gay rights, voting rights for women, indigenous people fighting for their land, terrorism, and people of color being murdered in the hands of the law.

Director, Jamie Hoyt

Jamie achieved her AA in Theater and Bachelor’s Degree in General Studies in Literature, Psychology, and Communication from Wichita State University, while spending a semester in London studying literature and theater. Upon earning her undergrad, she obtained her MA in English and Creative Writing with a concentration in screenwriting from Southern New Hampshire University. A disabled veteran, she served four years in the United States Air Force in Security Forces, worked four years in the Juvenile Justice System, and many years in education as a substitute teacher, and teaching as an English College Adjunct Professor. A renaissance woman, who loves to travel (often solo), she has experienced many countries, cultures, and events in life (twice breast cancer survivor). Jamie has acquired credits in dancing (Weird Al Yankovic on four tours), writing television commercials, directing, producing music videos, and filming interviews with celebrities for film and television. Other credits have been attained in directing and acting for film and stage, modeling, and producing (Associate Producer of the national and international award-winning documentary, "This is Love.") She’s an advocate for helping strengthen the confidence in women as the co-founder/ producer of American Rose Theater, a vaudevillian performance troupe, and allied with "The Liberty Press" (an LGBT magazine) as a writer in Wichita, KS. Jamie currently lives in Kansas City, MO with her three black cats, Tolkien, Bastet, Magick, and her dog, Lucas.

CONVERSATIONS CENTERED AROUND BLACK BODIES: BLACK WOMXN
SHORT NARRATIVE | 9 MIN | ENGLISH | USA
Directed by Chris Jon Conti

When a white finger points accusation towards an influential Black man, these two Black Womxn fall on different sides of a debate around where guilt should land. This vignette explores the intersection of Blackness and Womxnhood and the different perspectives that can be borne by those sharing similar identities.

Director, Chris Jon Conti

New York born, Chicago based, Chris Jon Conti is dedicated to creating enjoyable and impactful content.

With over 15 years of experience working on short films, commercials, promotional material, music videos, and online content, Chris has developed a well rounded taste, which he brings to any project he is attached to.

He’s always looking for new opportunities to collaborate and make something special. He continues to lend his talent and support to various projects, big and small, because at the end of the day he understands and enjoys the art of storytelling.

NEVER EVEN
SHORT NARRATIVE | 8 MIN | ENGLISH | USA
Directed by Chasah West

An experimental short film told in reverse chronology about two classmates who get into an altercation right before their high school reunion over a reason that only becomes clear in time.

Director, Chasah West

Chasah is a screenwriter and director born in Lafayette, LA who spent her formative years in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Lusaka, Zambia. Along with her sister Charliese West, Chasah creates stories that explore themes of identity, power, choice, and family while using genre conventions to captivate an audience.

STALLED IN EIGHT ETUDES
SHORT NARRATIVE | 15 MIN | ENGLISH | USA
Directed by Kersti Bryan

Eight lives intersect in a municipal courthouse bathroom and find a surprising humanity.

Director, Kersti Bryan

From Golden, Colorado, Kersti works as an award-winning actor and filmmaker based in NYC. Recent acting credits include HBO's Perry Mason, AMC's Tales of the Walking Dead, Rachel Hendrix (dir. Victor Nunez), Hustlers with Jennifer Lopez, Ray Donovan and others. Kersti has been in residency at Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center and with Fresh Ground Pepper Theatre. She received a Theatre Communications Grant (TCG) for theatre work in Russia and was a TCG U.S. Delegate to Havana, Cuba.

Her first film that she co-wrote and directed, EGG PARTY, received the Panavision New Filmmaker Award and Audience Awards from Cinequest and Coven Film Festival in 2021.

Her production company, Violet's Umbrella Productions, is in pre-production on a documentary about aging geologists.

BLOED SUSTERS
SHORT NARRATIVE | 5.5 MIN | ENGLISH | USA
Directed by Briana Clearly

Bloed Susters is an experimental narrative film that explores and celebrates transformation, womanhood, and sisterhood through three young women experiencing pivotal physical and emotional transitions for the first time in their lives.

Director, Kersti Bryan

Briana Clearly is a director, screenwriter, and self-published author. Her works have been screened at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Gentleman Jack's Real to Reel Chicago 2018 & 2019, Big Shoulders International Student Film Festival 2019, and more.

NEW PANTHER: A CALL FOR ACTION
FEATURE DOCUMENTARY | 42 MIN | ENGLISH | USA
Directed by Sage Love and Nola D

New Panther: A Call for Action is an award-winning documentary independently produced and directed by Sage Love and Nola Asantewa. The film is focused on capturing the social views of people within their communities. These innovative people saw the need for change in their community and created the change they felt would be impactful.

Director, Sage Love and Nola D

Nola D is an honorable retired veteran. Upon leaving Army service, she ventured into business consulting but found her passion for producing films which has been her path since 2015. Nola D co-directed and co-produced the award-winning film New Panther A Call for Action. As an award-winning African American female cultural filmmaker, Nola D has traveled throughout the United States and internationally producing projects that educate the world about the contributions of Africans and African Diasporans. Currently, Nola D is the creator, director, and co-producer of the Diasporans Hidden Kulture film series. That series was recently featured at the Cannes Film Market in France, the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival and can be viewed on various streaming platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, Tubi, and Discovered TV.

Sage Love is an award-winning cultural filmmaker, entrepreneur, cinematographer, and photographer from Brooklyn, New York. After graduating with a film degree in producing/directing from the School of Visual Arts, Love embarked on a journey to bring creative kultural visions to life through visual storytelling. The first significant breakthrough came with the release of Ayiti: The Awakening, a short documentary that explored the Haitian revolution and highlighted some events that took place during the 2010 earthquake. The film earned critical acclaim at several prestigious film festivals and won many awards.

Sage directed and produced numerous films that have screened at film festivals both in the U.S. and overseas and are currently on streaming video-on-demand platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, Tubi, AppleTV, Discovered, KweliTV, and ShortsTV. Love’s success in making films has opened the doors to him working to produce commercials and marketing videos for renowned companies and organizations like Nationwide Mutual Insurance, Philips Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram, Ocala Community Foundation, Ocala Breeder's Sale, Advant Heath, and Mckenzie’s Moment. Love also worked on the production team at CBS Morning Show with Gayle King, Nate Burleson, Tony Dokoopil, and Vladimir Duthiers.