Celebrating Black Voices Film Fest

Past Event

In honor of Black History Month, BIMA will host Celebrating Black Voices Film Fest. Celebrate the rich contributions of Black filmmakers, both past and present, as we highlight their artistry, storytelling, and cultural significance. This one-day festival will showcase classic films that have shaped cinema and groundbreaking contemporary pieces by local filmmakers, offering a powerful reflection of Black experiences and creativity. Through these screenings, we aim to entertain, educate, and inspire audiences by honoring the profound impact of Black voices in film.

11 am – 12:05 pm: SURPRISE, IT’S JUST PEE (3 min)

This short film will be playing on a loop in the Auditorium prior to the start of the event.

Sometimes, it’s not our loving pets or children who need to change, it’s Us! Tangerine, Mandy, and Grandma Tee Tee, are a joyful trio sharing love, laughter and a little bit of patience. Snuggle with your fur babies and kids and learn how to LOVE and not shame wet accidents.

12:05 pm – 12:15 pm: Welcome

12:15 – 1:05 pm: Seattle Black Panthers Fight for Justice & Freedom (30 min)

*This is NOT the full film, but a 30-minute sampler film that has aided the organization’s fundraising efforts.

In 1968, the first chapter of the Black Panther Party outside of California was founded in Seattle, Washington. This is their untold story. There will be a post film talk with the co-founder of the Seattle Black Panther Party, Elmer Dixon & Filmmaker Marques DuPree. Elmer Dixon will be selling and signing copies of his latest book Die Standing.

1:05 pm – 1:55 pm: A-Train: New Beginnings Part Deux (25 min)

A-Train: New Beginnings Part Deux is a satirical exploration of fame and what happens when a superhero loses everything. This parody proves that even the fastest man alive can’t outrun the truth. Followed by a panel discussion about the film.

1:55 pm – 2:10 pm: Break

2:10 pm – 2:20 pm: All about Converge

2:20 pm – 4 pm: Converge Media Films

Nooksack 306

Dives into the struggle faced by Indigenous people who are being disenrolled by tribal politicians and threatened with losing their homes and being exiled from their homelands. Filmmakers spoke with members of the group known as the Nooksack 306, who shared the story of their family’s twelve-year political persecution and proclaimed their will to keep fighting.

FACING THE REIGN

Converge Media’s latest film, Facing the Reign, which premiered Sunday, August 25th, at 6 p.m. on FOX 13 Seattle, tells the inspiring story of Jessa Thomas, a 17-year-old cowgirl from Kittitas County, Washington. Jessa is the reigning Miss Teen Rodeo Washington 2024 and the first African American to hold this state title.

Jessa’s passion for animals and the rodeo shines through in the film. A natural caregiver, she raises miniature Herefords and tends to livestock on her family’s Windswept Farms. Her dream is to become a veterinarian, and her dedication to the equine world is truly remarkable.

RECONCILIATION Tour

The trip featured a baseball clinic, a tour of a Historically Black College/University – Jackson State University – and a trip to Montgomery, Alabama by way of Edmund Pettus Bridge, to visit the Equal Justice Initiative Museum and Memorial. We were accompanied by a host of friends and allies to find serenity in a sport and preserve the cultural legacy. Witness the sights and sounds of our journey to find healing through sports.

https://www.whereweconverge.com/reconciliation-tour

Finding Go

Finding Go is a film documenting the life and legacy of Broderick Adé Hogue. An art director, designer, and letterer, Hogue’s influence was felt in many spheres across the country and even around the world. One of Hogue’s crowning achievements was creating the lettering for Our Commitment, a specially-designed 737 commissioned by Alaska Airlines in partnership with the United Negro College Fund to showcase their commitment to racial equality and education. By the time of Hogue’s death in the fall of 2021, he had impacted countless individuals through his presence and work. He is described as a true friend, an outgoing soul, and someone with an energy that made people want to be around him. This film chronicles his life from his early years in Asheville, NC, his college days at UNC Charlotte, and his eventual move to Chicago as his development into one of the best hand letterers of his generation.

https://www.whereweconverge.com/finding-go

4 pm: Converge Film Discussion