FINAL WEEK FOR THE PAN AFRICAN FILM & ARTS FESTIVAL’S VIRTUAL ENCORE

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PAFF Virtual Encore Screenings to End Mar. 31

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Pan African Film & Arts Festival has announced this is the last week to watch films from its 2023 edition during its virtual encore.  The PAFF Virtual Encore will end Mar. 31. In addition to PAFF award-winning films, the PAFF Virtual Encore also includes this year’s audience favorites, including films screened to sold-out audiences giving another opportunity for viewing to those who missed the in-person screening. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at paff.org.  A PAFF Virtual Cinema pass is also available. For more information, please visit paff.org.

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Festival Press Contact:
press@paff.org

About the Pan African Film & Arts Festival

Taking place February 9-20, 2023, in Los Angeles, the Pan African Film & Arts Festival (PAFF) presents and showcases a broad spectrum of Black creative works, particularly those that reinforce positive images and help to destroy negative stereotypes of Africans and African-Americans. Since 1992, PAFF has remained dedicated to the promotion of Black stories and images through the exhibition of film, visual art, and other creative expression. Today, PAFF is one of the largest and most prestigious Black film festivals in the U.S. and attracts local, national, and international audiences. In addition, it is an Oscar-qualifying festival for animation and live-action films, and one of the largest Black History Month events in America.

PAFF is sponsored in part by the City of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell through the Department of Arts and Culture, LA Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson, LA Councilmember Curren Price, LA Councilmember Heather Hutt, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, LA Arts COVID-19 Relief Fund with the California Community Foundation, and the LA County COVID-19 Arts Relief Fund administered by the LA County Department of Arts and Culture.

This year’s PAFF is presented by Stocker Street Creative, Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, and FX Networks.

The Pan African Film Festival is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

For more information, please visit paff.org.

 

31ST PAN AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES JURY, AUDIENCE, PROGRAMMER, AND EXECUTIVE AWARDS

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The 31st Pan African Film Festival (PAFF), America’s largest Black film festival, today announced the winners of its 2023 edition in categories including Best Feature Narrative, Best First Feature Narrative, Best Feature Documentary, Best First Feature Documentary, Best Short Narrative, and Best Short Documentary.

LOS ANGELES, CA – The 31st Pan African Film Festival (PAFF), America’s largest Black film festival, today announced the winners of its 2023 edition in categories including Best Feature Narrative, Best First Feature Narrative, Best Feature Documentary, Best First Feature Documentary, Best Short Narrative, and Best Short Documentary. The Festival also announced their Audience Favorite Awards in four categories: Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, Short Narrative, and Short Narrative. PAFF’s Programmers’ Awards and Executives’ Awards (formerly Festival Awards) were also announced. All of PAFF’s awards are presented by Stocker Street Creative, Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, and FX Networks.

The 32nd PAFF will take place in Los Angeles February 7-19, 2024.

A special virtual encore of select films from this year’s Festival is available through March 31, 2023 on paff.org.

The full list of award winners at the 31st Pan African Film & Arts Festival includes:

 

JURY AWARDS

 

Best Feature Narrative
RYE LANE (UK)
Dir. Raine Allen-Miller
Yas and Dom, two twenty-somethings both reeling from bad break-ups, connect over the course of an eventful day in South London – helping each other deal with their nightmare exes, and potentially restoring their faith in romance.

Best First Feature Narrative
A SONG FROM THE DARK (Nigeria/UK)
Dir. Ogo Okpue
With striking visuals, suspense-filled scenes and engaging performances, this fantasy-horror offering is not your typical horror film. If anything, it embraces suspense and drama like the great horror classics so there is something in the story for non-horror fans as well. At its heart is a family drama and a cautionary tale with poignant social commentary. Nigerian-born spirit hunter Ashionye, now living in England, has been hired by her former guardian, Isioma, to investigate and expel a malevolent spirit that has been tormenting her family since the mysterious death of her husband. Ashionye reluctantly accepts the job as a way to repay the debt she owes Isioma. But as Ashionye digs deeper into Isioma’s family situation, she finds herself standing against a familiar force that has brought about her own trauma since childhood. This first feature filmmaker creates a confident blend of drama and multilayered subtexts that will leave viewers reaching for repeat viewing and post credit conversations.

Best Feature Documentary
KING OF KINGS: CHASING EDWARD JONES (France/US)
Dir. Harriet Marin Jones
Gangster to some, philanthropist to others, who was the real Edward Jones? One of the most powerful men of the early 20th Century, Edward Jones became one of the wealthiest men in America building a $25 million empire as the brains and brawn behind a Chicago “Policy” syndicate, an illegal numbers game in the 1930s and ’40s that ultimately became the modern-day State Lottery. The “Policy King” went head-to-head with Al Capone’s “Outfit” and the Feds, at the same time as he hobnobbed with celebrated artists including Josephine Baker, Frida Kahlo, and Duke Ellington. Using lively animated sequences and interviews with people who knew Jones, filmmaker Harriet Marin Jones delves deep into her family’s past to tell this remarkable and gripping story of this grandson of enslaved people and son of a preacher; a legendary African American who rose to the heights of financial and political prominence, reclaiming his legacy as a man fighting for respect for himself and his community in a racist society.

Best First Feature Documentary
WADE IN THE WATER: A JOURNEY INTO BLACK SURFING AND AQUATIC CULTURE (US)
Dir. David Mesfin
This documentary reclaims the 1,000-year-old tradition of Black surfing. Braiding historical accounts with modern-day testimonials, the film dismantles the racial barriers of conventional surf culture, delves into the overlooked history of Black surfing’s legacy, and honors its current movement—inspiring the next generation of Black surfers.

Best Short Narrative
TRUE STORY: GOD TELLS BAD JOKES (US)
Dir. Matthew Law
A therapist and his patient find empathy and the center of the storm as they work out the mental issues that plague them both. A very differently told story in that it shows men baring their weaknesses and problems and helping each other.

Best Short Documentary
AMERICAN JUSTICE ON TRIAL: PEOPLE VS. NEWTON (US)
Dir. Andrew Abrahams & Herb Ferrette
A therapist and his patient find empathy and the center of the storm as they work out the mental issues that plague them both. A very differently told story in that it shows men baring their weaknesses and problems and helping each other.

 

AUDIENCE FAVORITE AWARDS

 

Narrative Feature
FIRST (US)
Dir. Jahmela Yarbrough & Brandon Yarbrough
Filmed in the jazz clubs of New York, Los Angeles, Paris and across Mediterranean Europe on his unexpectedly final tour, HARGROVE shines a bright spotlight on the genius of Roy Hargrove and his enormous contribution to the art of jazz. Key conversations expand beyond Roy’s personal story and enter the terrain of what it means to be an artist in America. HARGROVE dives into the significance of Black music in America while offering a glimpse into the politics of power and race in the music industry. Roy’s narrative reverberates in today’s Black Lives Matter movement with issues of ethics, exploitation, and empathy called into question.

Documentary Feature
HARGROVE (France/Italy/US)
Dir. Eliane Henri
Filmed in the jazz clubs of New York, Los Angeles, Paris and across Mediterranean Europe on his unexpectedly final tour, HARGROVE shines a bright spotlight on the genius of Roy Hargrove and his enormous contribution to the art of jazz. Key conversations expand beyond Roy’s personal story and enter the terrain of what it means to be an artist in America. HARGROVE dives into the significance of Black music in America while offering a glimpse into the politics of power and race in the music industry. Roy’s narrative reverberates in today’s Black Lives Matter movement with issues of ethics, exploitation, and empathy called into question.

Short Narrative
PORT OF A PRINCE (Haiti/US)
Dir. JR Aristide
Tiyo and his best friend Jeff roam the streets of Port-au-Prince doing odd jobs for change. Upon running through the narrow corridors of a poor slum village, they come across a meeting that forever changes their fate. Entangled by the grip of his Big Brother’s gang, Tiyo is now faced with either pledging loyalty or losing the confidence of his grandfather. A decision that binds him to inevitable consequences.

Short Documentary
IFINE (US/Sierra Leone)
Dir. Adisa Septuri & Ebony Gilbert
Women bleach themselves and their children despite great health risks. Set in the Kono district of Sierra Leone, this docu-choreopoem captures the beauty of Blackness through the lens of the youth coming-of-age amid a skin-bleaching epidemic.

 

PAFF PROGRAMMERS’ AWARDS

 

Narrative Feature
THE HONEYMOON (S.A.)
Dir. Bianca Isaac
When Kat’s fiancé calls off their wedding the night before the big day, the ambitious but insecure Katya is devastated. Her long-time best friends, Noks and Lu, persuade her to go on her honeymoon to Zanzibar with them. What was meant to be a holiday away from their problems, soon turns to a holiday into their problems – but will their friendship survive a wild time in paradise? A wild, fun chick flick!

Documentary Feature
THE AFRICOLOGIST: THE CHRONICLES OF AFRICA (Cape Verde/Egypt/Ghana/Guinea Bissau/Kenya/Morocco/Senegal/
S.A./Tanzania)
Dir. Valerio Lopes
Africology is an interdisciplinary academic study of the history and culture of African people. This futuristic, highly original documentary swings between two distinct canvases – on the one hand, there is the science-fictional, 3D animated realm of the Africologist, a computer-generated fictional woman; and on the other hand, is the real-world, scientific and factual representation of Africa researched by director Valerio Lopes himself through his travels to sixteen African countries. Together they delve into the true history, science, and technological achievement of Africa. Viewers voyage through space and time discovering Africa’s true past and contributions to humankind. The destination of the journey is an authentic and accurately crafted interpretation of our world constructed from an African point of view.

Short Narrative
RAW MATERIALS (Jamaica)
Dir. Sosiessia Nixon-Kelly
A coming-of-age drama in which an impoverished fashion prodigy living in an abusive and homophobic community with a toxic alcoholic father must thread a thin needle to find his direction and fully embrace his talent and identity.

Short Documentary
TEAM DREAM (US)
Dir. Luchina Fisher
Friends Ann and Madeline are on their journey to the National Senior Games, where they compete in the swim events. Nothing — not age, race or history — will stand in their way.

 

PAFF EXECUTIVES’ AWARDS

 

Narrative Feature
DANCING THE TWIST IN BAMAKO (Senegal/Mali/Italy/France/Canada)
Dir. Robert Guédiguian
It’s 1962 and Mali has just gained its independence from France and established a socialist government. The youth of Bamako dance the twist to rock & roll music newly imported from the West and dream of political renewal. In this environment, a passionate and impetuous love affair evolves between two youths, Samba, an idealistic young socialist, and the spirited Lara who is running from an abusive arranged marriage. Through the filter of their affair, viewers witness the many tensions in the society at this little-known moment of social change: socialism and the introduction of communal farming (for village tax purposes) versus the powerful capitalist interests of the traders; women’s rights versus traditional arranged marriages where ‘rape does not exist within marriage’; the authority of the elders versus that of the new order. Uncoupled from Western ideas about the evils of Socialism, the film gives a voice to both sides: both systems are Western imports from a Malian point of view. The story was inspired by the photographs of 1960s Malian photographer Malick Sidibe and is nourished by the enthusiasm and naivety of youth set against the political realities of the time.

Documentary Feature
FANTASTIC NEGRITO: HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND YET (US)
Dir. Yvan Iturriaga & Francisco Nuñez
Beyond the bombastic stage persona of Fantastic Negrito lies a 51-year-old survivor, hustler, and self- described ‘recovering narcissist’ named Xavier Dphrepaulezz. After his improbable midlife transformation from busking bluesman to back-to-back Grammy winner, Xavier is now ready to face his demons. Follow Xavier in his Oakland studio as he creates his newest album, laying bare his extraordinary journey and the many “hallucinations” he has experienced along the way. Following the structure of an album track list and featuring intimate and often hilarious interviews with philosopher- poet Xavier and his brilliant band of collaborators and close friends, the film traces his journey from early isolation as a Black Muslim kid in rural Massachusetts to Bay Area star with a global fanbase. Punctuated with a great soundtrack, this astonishing Madhatter ride transports the viewer through a uniquely mind-bending journey that thoroughly entertains.

Short Narrative
WE WERE MEANT TO (US)
Dir. Tari Wariebi
In a world where Black men have wings and their first flight is a rite of passage, Akil must defy fears, insecurities, and societal barriers while discovering his perfect launch into manhood.

Short Documentary
IFINE (US/Sierra Leone)
Dir. Adisa Septuri & Ebony Gilbert
Women bleach themselves and their children despite great health risks. Set in the Kono district of Sierra Leone, this docu-choreopoem captures the beauty of Blackness through the lens of the youth coming-of-age amid a skin-bleaching epidemic.

Festival Press Contact:
press@paff.org

About the Pan African Film & Arts Festival

Taking place February 7-19, 2024, in Los Angeles, the Pan African Film & Arts Festival (PAFF) presents and showcases a broad spectrum of Black creative works, particularly those that reinforce positive images and help to destroy negative stereotypes of Africans and African-Americans. Since 1992, PAFF has remained dedicated to the promotion of Black stories and images through the exhibition of film, visual art, and other creative expression. Today, PAFF is one of the largest and most prestigious Black film festivals in the U.S. and attracts local, national, and international audiences. In addition, it is an Oscar-qualifying festival for animation and live-action films, and one of the largest Black History Month events in America.

PAFF is sponsored in part by the City of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell through the Department of Arts and Culture, LA Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson, LA Councilmember Curren Price, LA Councilmember Heather Hutt, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, LA Arts COVID-19 Relief Fund with the California Community Foundation, and the LA County COVID-19 Arts Relief Fund administered by the LA County Department of Arts and Culture.

The 31st Annual PAFF was presented by Stocker Street Creative, Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, and FX Networks.

The Pan African Film Festival is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

For more information, please visit paff.org.

 

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2023 OSCAR Winners

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A List of 2023 Oscar Winners

BEST PICTURE

All Quiet On The Western Front

Avatar: The Way Of Water

The Banshees Of Inisherin

Elvis

Everything Everywhere All At Once - Winner

The Fabelmans

Tár

Top Gun: Maverick

Triangle Of Sadness

Women Talking

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Austin Butler, Elvis
Bill Nighy, Living
Brendan Fraser, The Whale: Winner
Colin Farrell, The Banshees Of Inisherin
Paul Mescal, Aftersun

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Ana de Armas, Blonde
Andrea Riseborough, To Leslie
Cate Blanchett, TÁR
Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans
Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All At Once: Winner

DIRECTING

Martin McDonagh, The Banshees Of Inisherin
Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All At Once: Winner
Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans
Todd Field, TÁR
Ruben Ostlund, Triangle Of Sadness

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees Of Inisherin
Brian Tyree Henry, Causeway
Judd Hirsch, The Fabelmans
Barry Keoghan, The Banshees Of Inisherin
Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All At Once:  Winner

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Hong Chau, The Whale
Kerry Condon, The Banshees Of Inisherin
Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All At Once: Winner
Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All At Once

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio: Winner

Marcel The Shell With Shoes On

Puss In Boots

The Sea Beast

Turning Red

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM

All That Breathes

All The Beauty And The Bloodshed

Fire Of Love

A House Made Of Splinters

Navalny: Winner

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

An Irish Goodbye: Winner
Ivalu

Le Pupille

Night Ride

The Red Suitcase

CINEMATOGRAPHY

All Quiet On The Western Front: Winner

Bardo

Elvis

Empire Of Light

Tár

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

All Quiet On The Western Front

The Batman

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Elvis

The Whale: Winner

COSTUME DESIGN

Babylon

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever: Winner

Elvis

Everything Everywhere All At Once

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

All Quiet On The Western Front: Winner

Argentina, 1985

Close

EO

The Quiet One

DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM

The Elephant Whisperers: Winner

Haulout

How Do You Measure A Year

Stranger At The Gate

ANIMATED SHORT FILM

The Boy, The Mole, The Fox And The Horse: Winner

The Flying Sailor

Ice Merchants

My Year Of Dicks

An Ostrich Told Me The World Is Fake And I Think I Believe It

PRODUCTION DESIGN

All Quiet On The Western Front: Winner

Avatar: The Way Of Water

Babylon

Elvis

The Fabelmans

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)

All Quiet On The Western Front: Winner

Babylon

The Banshees Of Inisherin

Everything Everywhere All At Once

The Fabelmans

VISUAL EFFECTS

All Quiet On The Western Front

Avatar: The Way Of Water: Winner

The Batman

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Top Gun: Maverick

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)

The Banshees Of Inisherin

Everything Everywhere All At Once: Winner

The Fabelmans

Tár

Triangle Of Sadness

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)

All Quiet On The Western Front

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Living

Top Gun: Maverick

Women Talking: Winner

SOUND

All Quiet On The Western Front

Avatar: The Way Of Water

The Batman

Elvis

Top Gun: Maverick: Winner

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)

“Applause”

“Hold My Hand”

“Lift Me Up”

“Naatu Naatu”“This Is A Life”: Winner

FILM EDITING

The Banshees Of Inisherin

Elvis

Everything Everywhere All At Once: Winner

Tár

Top Gun: Maverick

 

Winners Announced for PAFF Audience Favorite Awards

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The 31st Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) announced the winners of the Audience Favorite Awards in four categories: Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, Short Narrative, and Short Documentary.

The 31st Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) announced the winners of the Audience Favorite Awards in four categories: Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, Short Narrative, and Short Documentary. The Festival’s Audience Favorite Awards are presented by Stocker Street Creative, Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, and FX Networks.

 

Narrative Feature

First
(US)
Directors: Jahmela Yarbrough & Brandon Yarbrough

Documentary Feature

Hargrove
(France/Italy/US)
Director: Eliane Henri

Short Narrative

Port of a Prince
(Haiti/US)
Director: JR Aristide

Short Documentary

 

Ifine
(US/Sierra Leone)
Directors: Adisa Septuri & Ebony Gilbert

Ifine is featured as a part of PAFF’s Virtual Encore and can be accessed here.

 

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Cannes Award Winner ‘THE WORST ONES’ New Clip-Opens March 24th

KINO LORBER PRESENTS

WorstOnes_poster_KL_675x1000

 

OFFICIAL SELECTION: CANNES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2022 (WINNER! GRAND PRIX- UN CERTAIN REGARD), TORONTO FILM FESTIVAL 2022, RENDEZ-VOUS WITH FRENCH CINEMA 2023 AND MANY MORE.

OPENS FRIDAY, MARCH 24 IN NEW YORK (THE QUAD) AND ON FRIDAY, MARCH 31 IN LOS ANGELES (LAEMMLE SANTA MONICA) WITH A NATIONAL RELEASE TO FOLLOW

Set in the suburbs of Boulogne-Sur-Mer in northern France, THE WORST ONES  captures a film within a film as it follows the production of a feature whose director turns to the local Cité Picasso housing project for casting. Eager to capture performances of gritty authenticity, the director selects four working class teenagers to act in the film to the surprise and consternation of the local community, who question the director’s choice of “the worst ones.” As the director and crew audition, rehearse, film, and interact with their hand-picked cast, jealousies are stoked, lines are crossed, and ethical questions arise, with thought-provoking and at times darkly funny results. Winner of the top prize in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, THE WORST ONES  announces directors Lise Akoka and Romane Gueret as exciting new voices in French cinema.

ROMANE GUERET studied cinema at the Sorbonne and then took her first steps towards directing as an assistant director, casting assistant, and cameraman.

LISE AKOKA completed a university course in Psychology and professional training in acting (Les Ateliers du Sud and the Studio-théâtre d’Asnières). She then discovered, in casting and coaching children for film, a way of bringing her two interests together.

In 2014, Romane and Lise met during casting for a feature film, for which they auditioned more than 4000 young non-professional actors for several months.In 2015, they co-directed the short film Chasse Royale, which won awards at several festivals, most notably the Illy Prize at the 2016 Cannes Directors' Fortnight.In 2017, the film was nominated for a César Award for Best Short Film. In 2018, they co-directed the documentary Allez garçon! for the Hobbies collection, which was broadcast in 2019 on Canal+. In 2020, their web series Tu préfères was  broadcast on Arte and then selected for the Sundance Film Festival. In summer of 2021, they made their first feature film, THE WORST ONES, which was shot in Boulogne-sur-Mer and won the Grand Prix at Un Certain Regard at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.

ABOUT KINO LORBER

With a library of over 4,000 titles, Kino Lorber Inc. has been a leader in independent art house distribution for 35 years, releasing 30 films per year theatrically under its Kino Lorber, Kino Repertory and Alive Mind Cinema banners, garnering seven Academy Award® nominations in nine years. In addition, the company brings over 350 titles yearly to the home entertainment and educational markets through physical and digital media releases. With an expanding family of distributed labels, Kino Lorber handles releases in ancillary media for Zeitgeist Films, Milestone Films, Cohen Media Group, Greenwich Entertainment, Artsploitation, Palisades Tartan, Menemsha Films, Raro Video, and others, placing physical titles through all wholesale, retail, and direct-to-consumer channels, as well as direct digital distribution through over 40 OTT services including all major TVOD and SVOD platforms. In 2019, the company launched its new art house digital channel Kino Now which features over 1300 titles from the acclaimed Kino Lorber library. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kino Marquee initiative was launched pioneering "virtual cinema" releases of art house films with revenue shares that allow audiences to support almost 500 local independent theaters. Kino Lorber was honored with a Special Award from the New York Film Critics Circle for this effort. In 2021, the company launched Kino Cult, an AVOD channel specializing in new and rare, acclaimed genre films. In 2022, Kino Lorber acquired streamer MHz Choice, the leading North American destination for acclaimed international TV.

PR CONTACT:
Emma Griffiths (EG PR)
E: emma@eg-pr.com

‘Elemental: Reimagine Wildfire’ Exclusive Trailer – Narrated by Acclaimed Actor David Oyelowo – Opens Theatrical April 7th

Elemental poster A

Director and Co-Writer: Trip Jennings
Genre: Documentary
Country: U.S.
Language: English

Directed by Portland filmmaker Trip Jennings (“Rewilding A Mountain,” “Postcards From Climate Change”) and produced by Ralph Bloemers (“Trout On the Wind”) the critically acclaimed documentary “Elemental: Reimagine Wildfire” will release in theaters nationwide beginning April 7, 2023.

Filmed in fire-impacted communities across the West and narrated by iconic, award-winning actor David Oyelowo (“Selma,” “Nightingale”), and featuring interviews with Dr. Beverly Law, Professor Emeritus, Global Change Biology, Oregon State University; Margo Robbins, Yurok, Cultural Advisor; and Dr. Jack Cohen, Research Physical Scientist, US Forest Service (Ret.), Scientific Advisor, among others, “Elemental: Reimagine Wildfire” takes viewers on a journey with the top experts from across the nation to better understand wildfire. The film starts with the harrowing escape from Paradise, California as the town ignited from wind-driven embers and burned within a few hours of the fire's start and then continues to recent record shattering fires. “Elemental: Reimagine Wildfire” includes the voices of the top forest and climate experts, Indigenous prescribed firelighters, and fire survivors, and helps reimagine our relationship with fire as we prepare for an increasingly hotter, drier future.

 

“California is severely affected by these fires. I did not realize how much can be done by hardening one’s home. I did not realize that embers are more dangerous than the fires,” said David Oyelowo. “It was a huge honor and a pleasure to do this documentary, it is not only informational, I think it is lifesaving. I hope it will inspire you to take some of the steps advised, and some of the steps that I am taking myself.”

In the wake of the slew of deadly fires in Oregon, California, Colorado, Washington, Montana, Arizona, and New Mexico, “Elemental: Reimagine Wildfire” is an important look at discovering how we can all reimagine our relationship with wildfire, and prepare to live with this powerful force. This insightful documentary is good medicine for everyone in the West and it has screened to numerous sold-out audiences at special events and been selected for over 30 film festivals and won numerous awards. The film poses the critical question of how can we coexist with extreme wildfires?

Former United States Forest Service Chief Michael Dombeck says of the documentary, "Elemental is an outstanding film that deserves the widest possible viewing. In a visually stunning manner, it distills what we’ve learned about wildland fire over the decades and provides a roadmap for badly needed changes that will benefit thousands of people, particularly in fire prone communities.”

Elemental: Reimagine Wildfire” is for everyone living in the western United States who wants to better understand the challenges wildfire poses and the solutions to keep our homes and communities safe. The film challenges conventional wisdom and superficial talking points, while providing a revealing historical view of how we got to where we are today. The film takes viewers into the field with indigenous fire managers and top fire and climate scientists to explore how wildfire, healthy forests and communities can coexist.

Trip Jennings founded Balance Media and has worked with National Geographic for over a decade. His films have won dozens of awards around the world and have aired on major networks on every continent. He is the producer of the PBS Digital Series “Weathered.”  For nearly two decades, Ralph Bloemers has worked on wildfire and community safety, protected and restored burned landscapes, and assisted the scientific community with bringing their knowledge and research to the public.  “Elemental: Reimagine Wildfire” received support from National Geographic Society, Patagonia, Pacific Northwest Foundation, and the American Red Cross for the production and distribution of the film.

The “Elemental: Reimagine Wildfire” filmmaking team is led by Director, Co-Writer & Editor Trip Jennings (“Rewilding A Mountain,” “Pebble Redux,” “Chuitna: More than Salmon on the Line”), Executive produced by Ralph Bloemers (“Trout On the Wind,” “Decades: Born in Fire”), co-produced & edited by Sara Quinn (“The Reluctant Radical”) with animations by Aaron Keuter and Ryan Walsh, and musical score composed by Nick Jaina (“Smartass,” “Shotgun Boogie”).

The film has been accepted into festivals in USA, Canada, Europe, Australia and is being booked in theaters worldwide by Henry Lystad of Adventure Entertainment.  Thus far the filmmakers have received over 400 unique inquiries for the film.

The release is being done in collaboration with firefighting organizations, community fire wise groups, non-profits, schools, universities, businesses, including California Fire Safe CouncilWestern Fire Chiefs Association, the American Red CrossInsurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, Underwriters Laboratory, Casualty Actuarial Society, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Oregon State University, University of Oregon, Boise State University, University of California at Davis, University of Idaho, University of Colorado at Boulder, and many more.