NC State University logo
Happenings

The African American Cultural Center and Africana Studies Present: 12th Annual African Diaspora Film Festival

The Africana Studies Program and the African American Cultural Center present the Twelfth Annual African Diaspora Film Festival from October 1 - November 5, 2013. The film series continues to bring first-run and independent films focused on Africa and the African Diaspora of a genre that Dr. Craig Kwesi Brookins, the immediate past director of the Africana Studies Program, defined as "Afro-Optimism." All films will be shown in the Witherspoon Campus Cinema at 6:00PM.

This year’s festival opens on October 1st with Opening Doors: The Lives and Legacies of Dr. Lawrence M. Clark and Dr. Augustus M. Witherspoon (2013), a film focused on two men who literally changed the face of NC State University through the diversity programs and initiatives they established on campus. The film, directed by Dr. Sheila Smith McKoy, Director of the African American Cultural Center and the Africana Studies Program, narrates their powerful story through conversations with Chancellor Randy Woodson, Vice Provost Joanne Woodard, Dr. Tracey Ray, Chancellor Emeritus Larry Monteith, and a wide array of students, faculty and community members. The film short, Voting Rights and the 2012 Presidential Election, an Africana Studies Program student project, will also premiere. 

Africa

On October 8th, the Festival features Doctor Bello (2012), directed by Nigerian filmmaker Tony Abulu. Doctor Bello is the first Nollywood film to win a distribution deal with a major theater chain in the U.S. The Nigerian film industry, called Nollywood, is second only to the Bollywood film industry of India in film production, producing more films each year than Hollywood. The film focuses on a brilliant African American oncologist who travels to Nigeria  to find the source of a cancer cure, only to find that, through his journey, he is himself healed.  The film stars Isaiah Washington, Vivica A. Fox, Stephanie Okereke, Jimmy Jean-Louis, and Ebbe Bassey.

October 23rd is the North Carolina premiere of the award-winning Kenyan film, Soul Boy (2010), directed by Hawa Essuman and  Tom Tykwer. Set in Nairobi, Kenya, this wonderful film was nominated for a 2011 African Academy Award. Starring Samson Odhiambo and Leila Dayan Opou, Soul Boy focuses on the trails of a young boy who must save his father’s life by finding his soul.  

On October 29th, the ADFF pays tribute to the Civil Rights Movement and to Rev. Dr. C.T. Vivian, also the African American Cultural Center's 2013 Living Legends speaker, with Soundtrack for a Revolution (2009). Written and directed by Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman, Soundtrack features conversations with Civil Rights activists, including Rev. Dr. C.T. Vivian, Julian Bond, Andrew Young, John Lewis, and Coretta Scott King, and  performances by a host of award-winning singers including John Legend, Wyclef Jean, Joss Stone, Mary Mary, Blind Boys of Alabama, Anthony Hamilton, Richie Havens, The Roots, and Angie Stone.

The Festival concludes on Election Day, November 5th, with a screening of Residue: This Ain’t No Song and Dance (2013), directed by Wake Forest filmmaker Charles Martin. Inspired by the aftermath of the shooting of Trayvon Martin and the exoneration of George Zimmerman, this documentary seeks to start a conversation about race, voting rights, and America. 

Please join us for these free screenings!

Campus Climate for Interpersonal Violence Prevention: Your Opinion

The Women's Center is conducting a research study on the NC State campus climate for interpersonal violence prevention. It is seeking NC State undergraduate students to participate in a quick, online survey that should only take about 15 minutes. The deadline for completing the survey is October 17, 2013 at 5:00PM. Participation in the survey is completely voluntary and anonymous. It is important to have as much input as possible in making decisions that affect our campus community. Thank you for helping us better understand the climate for interpersonal violence prevention and the perception of the Women's Center here at NC State.