The Denton Black Film Festival rolls out the red carpet for the 12th year with a lineup of movies and events that spotlight Black culture and creativity, and a theme that embraces hope and courage.
"We believe that putting hope and courage together was not onlygoing to inspire people but create a call to action," Harry Eaddy, executive director of the DBFF, said.
The festival also leans into history this year with several documentaries and feature films that take a deep dive into the past.
KERA’s Alexsis Jones and I took a closer look at three of these films, starting with Quakertown USA, a film that brings a little-known part of Denton’s history to light.
DENTON HISTORY UNCOVERED
The film is about Quaker, an African American community in Denton that functioned as a self-sufficient town-within-a-town, but in 1921, the city forced residents out to create a park. Homeowners were pressured to sell their land for pennies on the dollar and then relocated to property that was undeveloped and inferior.
Telling the story of Quakertown has been a two-year process for co-filmmakers Lindell Singleton and King Hollis. As a Denton native, Hollis learned about the community from stories his grandfather told him as a child.
Eaddy says it’s storytelling that drives the Denton Black Film Festival.
“Much of the history in the black community is oral,” Eaddy said. “The exciting thing for us is really to be able to have an opportunity to showcase these stories, let people understand them, share them, and even think about their own families and what has happened.”
Quakertown, U.S.A. screens Feb. 1 at 3:40 p.m. at the Campus Theatre in Denton. Post-screening Q&A with co-directors, writers and producers, King Hollis and Lindell Singleton and Dr. Malcolm Foley, Special Advisor to the President for Equity and Campus Engagement at Baylor University.
THE BIRTH OF MEMPHIS SOUL
Another film with historical roots is the HBO documentary series Stax: Soulsville U.S.A.
The film tells the story of a tiny record label in Memphis, that's credited with the creation of the Memphis soul sound and the discovery of artists like Issac Hayes, Booker T and the MGs, Sam & Dave and of course, Otis Redding.
The evolution of Stax Records takes place during the height of the civil rights movement, so their history, the history of soul music and the history of race in America are all woven together. Even if documentaries aren't your thing, you're going to like this one. The music and the personal stories against the backdrop of the '60s will completely draw you in.
Staxs: Soulville U.S.A. screens Jan. 30, 5:30 p.m. at the Campus Theater in Denton. Q&A following the screening with Jamila Wignot, director of the series, hosted by Deanie Parker, former Vice President of Publicity and Promotions at Stax Records and co-founder of the Soulsville Foundation and the Stax Museum of American Soul Music.
A '90s STORY OF HOMELESSNESS AND HOPE
Moving from documentaries to feature films, Alexsis screened the drama Outdoor School. Based on the true story of African American actor/storyteller Vin Shambry, it tells the story of a 12-year-old boy who experiences homelessness in 1990s Portland. The film focuses on his struggle to find shelter and the life-changing experience of attending a week-long outdoor camp, which provides him with a temporary escape.
The story highlights the profound power of being seen and explores how a tree can be a home and a forest is a school.
Alexsis loved the cinematography’s warm lighting and soft film grain and remarked that the film felt like getting dropped straight into the ‘90s.
“The message was heartbreakingly beautiful,” Alexsis concluded. “It perfectly captured the festival's theme of hope and courage.”
Outdoor School screens Feb 1st, 12:15 p.m. at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Theater # 1 in Denton. Post-screening Q&A with director/writer/producer Ime N. Etuk and actor Cycerli Ash.
The Denton Black Film Festival runs through Sunday, Feb. 1, at venues around Denton. If you can't make it in person, you can catch a virtual option Feb. 1-8.
