Category: Independent Films

Buffalo 8 “Along Came Wanda” on Tubi starting Friday, May 6th

Along Came Wanda Key Art

Director and Writer: Jan Miller Corran
Starring: Constance Brenneman, Cathy DeBuono, Isabella Hofman, Monica Young, Rich Ceraulo Ko, Adam Huss, Roberta Hanlen, Carly Frintner, Kyla Harris, Monica Young
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 1 hour 34 minutes
Rating: Not yet rated
Country: United States
Language: English

Available across North America (USA & Canada), the UK and Australia on all TVOD/Digital platforms.

Along Came Wanda” is an artful journey of self-discovery as love blooms from friendship. A stylist cinematic sibling in many ways to “Eat, Pray, Love” and “Imagine Me & You” this moving Lesbian love story is honest and genuine without needing to sell on sex, instead offering a beautiful, meaningful film for global audiences. “Along Came Wanda” emphasizes the true meaning of life and it’s often overwhelming lessons we must all know and learn. Through her journey, our central character displays resilience, humor (in moments artfully breaking the fourth wall to invite audiences into her dilemma’s) and strength as she moves through doubt, fear, loss, and uncertainty.

“Along Came Wanda” stars Constance Brenneman (“Alias,” “Batgirl Rises”), Cathy DeBuono (“And Then Came Lola,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”), Max Adler (“Glee,” “Love and Honor”), Isabella Hofmann (“Burlesque,” “The Flash”), Monica Young (“Modern Family,” Community”), Rich Ceraulo Ko (“Tenet,” “The Walking Dead”), Roberta Hanlen (“NCIS,” “Honey, I Blew Up the Kid”), Hank Matusek (“How ‘Bout a Cuppa Tea”), Carly Frintner (Operation Gratitude”), and Adam Huss (“Power,” “The Bold & The Beautiful”).

“Along Came Wanda” Synopsis
For many months, delivery person Wanda has been dropping off packages to Mary Beth Higgins during which they have developed a close friendship. With Mary Beth's divorce almost final, Wanda suggests a road trip in her RV which doubles as a Soup food truck. Hesitant at first, Mary Beth gives in and the journey begins. Along the way, Wanda takes Mary Beth to two notable destinations- one a spiritual retreat and the other a camping adventure complete with the famous psychic Davina Moonbeam. Throughout, both women are learning about life and each other. By the end of this journey, unexpected love for each other has arrived for both of them.

Gerard Damiano Sr.’s Controversial Film “Deep Throat” Returns to Cinemas for a Global Event Cinema Celebrating the 50th Anniversary

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The Zeitgeist of the Sexual Revolution and first adult film to debut in mainstream theatrical cinema breaking box office records in 1972, filmmaker Gerard Damiano Sr.’s controversial film “Deep Throat” had an unprecedented impact on popular culture and society. It changed the way we discussed sexuality and is still considered to be the most profitable film of all time.

 Damiano Films will tour the globe this year with this pop culture phenom timed to the film’s 50th anniversary for the first time in decades offering Q&As with the filmmaker’s son Gerard Damiano Jr. a filmmaker in his own right, and daughter Christar – who can offer illuminating context to the film that helped to create the Adult Film Industry, beginning with a sneak preview on June 10th, 2022, in New York. Damiano Films holds the rights to their father’s most important feature films. A documentary on “Deep Throat” director Gerard Damiano Sr. helmed by Damiano Jr. is currently in the works.

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In the summer of 1972 “Deep Throat” brought adult films into the mainstream and kick-started the Sexual Revolution. Its success was unprecedented, breaking box office records in its very first week of theatrical exhibition. Lauded as one of the first hardcore films to feature a plot, character development, and production values, it pushed the limits of what could be shown on screen and made an international celebrity of its star, Linda Lovelace. Busted by police, picketed, and banned, the ongoing persecution only added to the film’s popularity. It would help to create the Adult Film Industry and an audience hungry for feature length films with adult content. Celebrities, dignitaries, couples, and women joined the usual “raincoat crowd,” waiting in lines that wrapped around the block just to see it.

"We have succeeded in preserving our father's best known film in a complete 4K restoration so that it can be shared not only with his old fans, but with new generations. We are excited to present “Deep Throat” as a theatrical experience, the way it was originally shown, and add in-person talk backs to discuss its impact then, and its relevance today" shares Gerard Jr. of Damiano Films.

 Unsatisfied and unfulfilled, a young woman (Linda Lovelace), derives little pleasure from sex. She feels a lot of “little tingles”, but wants “Bells Ringing! Dams Bursting! and Bombs going off!” Her roommate (Dolly Sharp ) sends her to an unconventional therapist (Harry Reems), who discovers the root of her problem. Her clitoris is deep down in her throat! The solution: a technique known as “Deep Throat.” Once cured, she devotes herself to helping others to find the sexual satisfaction that she so desired. 

This light, campy, comedy was one of the first full length feature films to include hard-core sex and became an instant phenomenon. Made in 1972 for a mere $25,000, it was reported to have made over $600,000,000. It came to define what was known as “Porno Chic” reaching mainstream audiences.

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The response was not all positive. Conservative Christian groups and Anti-Porn Feminists sought to ban on the film. It was prosecuted on both local and federal levels resulting in many high-profile cases reaching all the way to the Supreme Court. “Deep Throat” became a household word and lent its name to the Watergate informant who brought down then President Richard Nixon. It enjoys a cult status today. “Deep Throat” has been referenced in all forms of popular culture from late night monologues to feature films. It has inspired songs, books, movies, musicals, even a rock opera. The acclaimed documentary “Inside Deep Throat” sought to tell the true story, while “Lovelace ” which starred Amanda Seyfried offered a fictionalized version. Burt Reynolds famously styled himself after Gerard Damiano Sr. for his appearance as porn director Jack Horner in Paul Thomas Andersons “Boogie Nights.” For those interested in booking “Deep Throat” in their markets, please contact bookings@damianofilms.com.

About Damiano Film, LLC
Noted auteur filmmaker Gerard Damiano Sr. is best known for the iconic film “Deep Throat, ” but went on to make some of the best and most critically acclaimed films of the genre. Damiano Films LLC was founded by his son Gerard Damiano Jr. and daughter Christar, to preserve their father’s legacy. They are lovingly restoring his most significant films such as “The Devil in Miss Jones, ” “Memories within Miss Aggie,” the cult classic “Let My Puppets Come,” as well as his masterpiece “The Story of Joanna.” The Damianos are joined by Robin Leonardi, daughter of legendary Porn Star and Activist Gloria Leonard. Together they represent the second generation of the pioneers of “The Golden Age of Porn.”

View Trailer for Gravitas Ventures and Emmett Adler’s Award-Winning Documentary END OF THE LINE

Gravitas Ventures logo
End of the Line

Director, Editor and Producer: Emmett Adler
Executive Producer: Emmett Adler, Ian Mayer
Producers: Emmett Adler, Ian Mayer
Co-Producer Mariah Wilson

End Of The Line Will Be Released On Digital And Cable On Demand Platforms In The United States On Tuesday, June 14 and VOD PLATFORMS INCLUDE: Apple/iTunes, Amazon, GooglePlay, Vudu, Microsoft and more.

Eric Adams in Emmett Adler's END OF THE LINE (Photo Credit_ Gravitas Ventures)
Eric Adams in Emmett Adler's END OF THE LINE (Photo Credit_ Gravitas Ventures)

Award-winning filmmaker Emmett Adler's feature documentary END OF THE LINE is a character-driven political drama about the New York City subway crisis and a long overdue reckoning on infrastructure. 

Establishing the vital economic importance and grandeur of New York City’s historic subway system, the film dives into its dire modern-day troubles picking up in the late 2010s when flooding, overcrowding, power failures, and derailments have become commonplace. After a particularly bad spate of disasters in the summer of 2017, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo proclaims a state of emergency and hires a new international wunderkind executive named Andy Byford to save the subways. Byford, an earnest Briton with an impressive resume, enters as a charismatic would-be hero.

As the political turmoil behind the subway’s decline comes into sharp focus, scenes in barbershops, bodegas, and bakeries show the frustration and devastation among business owners and residents who are caught in the middle. 

ltimately, the COVID-19 pandemic furthers this, and brings to light America’s need to shore up its infrastructure in cities across the country and the inequality struggles that are central to this debate. A heartfelt and scrupulous exploration, this film poses the question: what happens when the lifeline of a city goes flat?

VIEW NEW TRAILER BELOW!

Eternal Spring (長春)” Hot Docs 2022 Audience Award Winner for Best Picture and the Rogers Audience Award for best Canadian film

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Jason Loftus latest film, the powerful animated documentary “Eternal Spring (長春)” winner of the Hot Docs Audience Award for best film and the Rogers Audience Award for best Canadian film at Hot Docs 2022.

This extraordinary harmony of animation & documentary has been awarded and acclaimed across Europe in its Film Festival run thus far for its groundbreaking animation – and of particular note, has been its incredible comic-book-style animation that transports the viewer into the brave and heroic world of a group of Falun Gong practitioners. “Eternal Spring ( 長春)” with its story of survival at all costs & battle for human rights continues to draw powerful comparisons to beloved Oscar nominee “Flee.”

This Canadian film was made for theatrical (it’s in 2.39 Cinema 4K and audiences are loving it on the big screen thus far from its international film festival run). The film will next screen after Hot Docs at the New York Human Rights Film Festival on May 23 rd at Lincoln Center & May 24th at IFC Center (one of 10 official selections and the US premiere), followed on Mat 31st & June 2nd at Krakow Film Festival  (Oscar-qualifying International Documentary Competition, Polish Premiere). Private screener links available upon request for review consideration. Many many thanks for your consideration and continued support of independent film!

  • New York Human Rights Watch Film Festival, May 23 @Lincoln Center and May 24 @IFC Center
    • (one of ten official selections, US Premiere)
  • Krakow Film Festival, May 31, June 2
    • (Oscar-qualifying International Documentary Competition, Polish Premiere)

“THE STORY WON’T DIE” Will be Released Theatrically in Los Angeles at Laemmle Cinemas on Friday, June 10th and in New York at Cinema Village, on Friday, June 17

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Director: David Henry Gerson
Producer: Odessa Rae (NAVALNY)
Co-Producers: Abdalaziz Alhamza (Subject of Matthew Heineman's CITY OF GHOSTS), Colleen Ritzau Leth and Martin Marquet (EPICENTRO, THE BALLAD OF GENESIS AND LADY JAYE)
Featuring: Medhat Aldaabal, Tammam Azzam, Diala Brisly, Abu Hajar, Bahila Hijazi, Omar Imam, Lynn Mayya, Anas Maghrebi and Mhd Sabboura (BBoy Shadow)
Genre: Feature Documentary
Rating: Not Yet Rated
Run Time: 1 hour 23 minutes
Country: USA/Germany

A WORLDWIDE VOD RELEASE ON MAJOR PLATFORMS WILL FOLLOW ON JUNE 21 (TIMED TO WORLD REFUGEE DAY)

VOD PLATFORMS INCLUDE: Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Google TV, Vimeo + and more

OFFICIAL SELECTION: Hot Docs, AFI Docs, Watch Docs and many more.

WINNER! Best Director at Doc LA and Best Feature Doc at FIC Autor Guadalajara. 

ETERNAL-SPRING-Photo: Lofty-Sky-Pictures
THE STORY WON'T DIE (Photo Credit RaeFilm Studios)
THE STORY WON'T DIE (Photo Credit RaeFilm Studios)

THE STORY WON’T DIE, from Award-winning filmmaker David Henry Gerson, is an inspiring, timely look at a young generation of Syrian artists who use their work to protest and process what is currently the world’s largest and longest ongoing displacement of people since World War II. The film is produced by Sundance Award-winning producer Odessa Rae (Navalny).

Rapper Abu Hajar, together with other celebrated creative personalities of the Syrian uprising, a post-Rock musician (Anas Maghrebi), members of the first all-female Syrian rock band (Bahila Hijazi and Lynn Mayya), break-dancer (Bboy Shadow), choreographer (Medhat Aldaabal), and visual artists (Tammam Azzam, Omar Imam and Diala Brisly), use their art to rise in revolution and endure in exile in this new documentary reflecting on a battle for peace, justice and freedom of expression. It is an uplifting and humanizing look at what it means to be a refugee in today’s world and offers inspiring and hopeful vantages on a creative response to the chaos of war. 

DAVID HENRY GERSON is a filmmaker whose work has won prizes from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Sundance Film Festival, and has been acquired into the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in NY. He is a graduate of Columbia University and the American Film Institute, where he was the recipient of the AFI Richard P. Rodgers Award for Creative Excellence. His film, ALL THESE VOICES, won the Student Academy Award®. David’s spec screenplay, ABOVE KINGS, was nominated to the Tracking Board Hit List and was a semifinalist for the Academy’s Nicholl Fellowship. His documentary film ULTRA VIOLET FOR SIXTEEN MINUTES (“Totally engaging” - Al Maysles), screened at festivals worldwide, the Pompidou Museum in Paris, and was acquired into the permanent collection of the MoMA. THE STORY WON’T DIE is his debut feature.

“18½” Opens Across 50 Markets in North America on May 27th

Director: Dan Mirvish Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Comedy, Drama
Writers: Dan Mirvish, Daniel Moya
 Cast: Willa Fitzgerald, John Magaro, Vondie Curtis Hall , Catherine Curtin , Richard Kind, Sullivan Jones, Alanna Saunders, Claire Saunders, and the legendary voices of Ted Raimi , Jon Cryer,, and Bruce Campbell
Release Date (Theaters): May 27, 2022 Limited
Original Language: English
Run time: 1h 28m

The film "18½" humorously crafts its own narrative into the notorious gap in Nixon’s Watergate scandal. Taking place in 1974, "18½" is about a fictional  White House transcriber finds the only copy of the infamous 18½-minute gap in Nixon's Watergate tapes but her attempts to leak it to the press run afoul of hippies, swingers and nefarious forces. 

About Adventure Entertainment:
Sydney-based, and operating in 28 countries on 5 continents, Adventure
Entertainment is making literal and metaphorical waves in the adventure film world with over 10 film touring platforms, and dozens of feature films in recent distribution. Specializing in producing live, eventized, theatrical film screenings, AE is leading the way in innovative, community-based marketing and generating pre, and post-show buzz in the entertainment industry. In addition to "Rookie Season," other 2021/22 titles include National Geographic's" Torn, " Red Bull Media House's "La Liste: Everything or Nothing, " and "Buried, ” from Oscar-winning producers Evan Hayes and Michael Sugar. See more at   adventureentertainment.com

END OF THE LINE Out on Digital and Cable On Demand in U.S. June 14th

POSTER-END OF THE LINE (Gravitas Ventures)

Director, Editor and Produced: Emmett Adler
Executive Producer: Emmett Adler, Ian Mayer
Producers: Emmett Adler, Ian Mayer; Co-Producer Mariah Wilson
Genre: Feature Documentary
Rating: Not Yet Rated
Run time: 1 hour 5 minutes

End Of The Line Will Be Released On Digital and Cable On Demand Platforms in the United States On Tuesday, June 14 

VOD PLATFORMS INCLUDE: Apple/iTunes, Amazon, GooglePlay, Vudu, Microsoft and more.

OFFICIAL SELECTION: DOC NYC

Andrew Cuomo in Emmett Adler's END OF THE LINE(Photo Credit_ Gravitas Ventures)
Andrew Cuomo in Emmett Adler's END OF THE LINE(Photo Credit_ Gravitas Ventures)
Eric Adams in Emmett Adler's END OF THE LINE (Photo Credit_ Gravitas Ventures)
Eric Adams in Emmett Adler's END OF THE LINE (Photo Credit_ Gravitas Ventures)

Award-winning filmmaker Emmett Adler's feature documentary END OF THE LINE is a character-driven political drama about the New York City subway crisis and a long overdue reckoning on infrastructure. 

Establishing the vital economic importance and grandeur of New York City’s historic subway system, the film dives into its dire modern-day troubles picking up in the late 2010s when flooding, overcrowding, power failures, and derailments have become commonplace. After a particularly bad spate of disasters in the summer of 2017, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo proclaims a state of emergency and hires a new international wunderkind executive named Andy Byford to save the subways. Byford, an earnest Briton with an impressive resume, enters as a charismatic would-be hero.

As the political turmoil behind the subway’s decline comes into sharp focus, scenes in barbershops, bodegas, and bakeries show the frustration and devastation among business owners and residents who are caught in the middle. 

Ultimately, the COVID-19 pandemic furthers this, and brings to light America’s need to shore up its infrastructure in cities across the country and the inequality struggles that are central to this debate. A heartfelt and scrupulous exploration, this film poses the question: what happens when the lifeline of a city goes flat?

Cynthia Nixon in Emmett Adler's END OF THE LINE (Photo Credit_ Gravitas Ventures)
Cynthia Nixon in Emmett Adler's END OF THE LINE (Photo Credit_ Gravitas Ventures)
Bill de Blasio in Emmett Adler's END OF THE LINE (Photo Credit_ Gravitas Ventures)
Bill de Blasio in Emmett Adler's END OF THE LINE (Photo Credit_ Gravitas Ventures)

This film is dedicated to the heroic New York City transit workers who lost their lives to the COVID-19 pandemic.

EMMETT ADLER is an Emmy-winning filmmaker who has taught art in Shenzhen, China, was once a chess champion in the state of Illinois and can juggle pins while walking on stilts. He has over a decade of experience as a freelance documentary and commercial film editor. In 2021, he made his directorial debut with the feature documentary END OF THE LINE which premiered to sold out audiences at DOC NYC film festival. 

ABOUT GRAVITAS VENTURES

Gravitas Ventures is a leading all rights  distributor  of independent  feature  films  and  documentaries. Founded  in  2006,  Gravitas  connects independent filmmakers and producers with distribution opportunities across the globe.  Working  with  talented  directors  and  producers,  Gravitas  Ventures  has  distributed thousands of films into over a hundred million homes in North America - over one billion homes worldwide. Recent releases include Queen Bees directed by Michael Lembeck, Our Friend directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, starring Casey Affleck, Dakota Johnson, and Jason Segel,Vanguard, directed by Stanley Tong and starring Jackie Chan, The Secret: Dare to Dream, directed by Andy Tennant and starring Katie Holmes; For more information, please visit www.gravitasventures.com, and follow @GravitasVOD on Twitter and @gravitasventures on Instagram.

ABOUT ANTHEM SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT, INC.

Anthem Sports & Entertainment Inc.  is a global multi-platform media company with offices and studios in Los Angeles, Denver, Nashville, New York, Kansas City and Toronto. Anthem's portfolio includes AXS TV,  a leading music, entertainment and lifestyle television channel and digital media company; global film distribution company Gravitas Ventures;  Fight Network, the world's premier combat sports channel; IMPACT Wrestling, one of the world's leading wrestling organizations specializing in original programming and live events; Invicta Fighting Championships, the world’s premier all-women mixed martial arts promotion; Game+, the leader in Esports and gaming content; GameTV, the home of game shows and competition-based reality series; and HDNET MOVIES, which features theatrically released films and documentaries. Anthem also has a significant ownership interest in Pursuit Channel, one of the top outdoor channels in the U.S. For more information, please visit anthemse.com .

W: www.endoftheline.doc
F: https://www.facebook.com/endoflinedoc
T: https://twitter.com/endoflinedoc
I:  https://www.instagram.com/endoflinedoc/

VMI Worldwide Presents “RANDY RHOADS Reflections of a Guitar Icon” Available on Video On Demand May 6th

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A FILM BY ANDRE RELIS

A look into the life of legendary guitarist Randy Rhoads best known for his gut-wrenching guitar solo in Crazy Train with Ozzy Osbourne.

AVAILABLE ON VIDEO ON DEMAND
FRIDAY, MAY 6th

Randy Rhoads, the legendary guitarist known for his unmatchable guitar riffs, re-shaped rock’n’roll as the lead guitarist for Quiet Riot and Ozzy Osbourne. After forming Quiet Riot with bandmates Kelly Garni, Drew Forsyth, and Kevin DuBrow in the 70s, the band quickly became one of the most popular acts in the Los Angeles club circuit. However, their music failed to land them a legitimate record deal. After playing with Quiet Riot for over 10 years, Randy received an opportunity to be the lead guitarist for former Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne. Randy played with Ozzy for a few short years, recording legendary songs such as Crazy Train, which includes Randy’s groundbreaking guitar solo. After touring with Ozzy in the early 80s, Randy was tragically killed in a plane crash on March 19, 1982 at the young age of 25. His body died that day, but his soul and music live on forever.   

RT: 85 Minutes | Not Yet Rated

Genre: Documentary

RANDY RHOADS: Reflections of a Guitar Icon is directed by Andre Relis. Narrated by Tracii Guns. Written and edited by Michael Bruining. Produced by Relis and Jessica Bennett. Executive Produced by Relis and JD Beaufils. Cinematography by Rich Buhrman. Music by Sean Kelly. A VMI Worldwide production.

Interviews: Delores Rhoads, Kelle Rhoads, Laura 'DuBrow' Mandell, Rudy Sarzo, Drew Forsyth, Eddie Van Halen, Lori Hollen, Jodi Vigier, Kim McNair, Brian Reason, Peter M. Margolis, Frankie Banali, John Donais, Joel Hoekstra, Bruce Kulick, Doug Aldrich, Gary Moore, Dweezil Zappa, George Lynch, and Ozzy Osbourne.

AN ACT OF WORSHIP World Premiere at Tribeca Film Festival 2022

Photo 3-(L-R) Khadega in Nausheen Dadabhoy's AN ACT OF WORSHIP (Photo Credit_ Capital K Pictures)

Director: Nausheen Dadabhoy
Producer: Sofian Khan, Kristi Jacobson, Heba Elorbany
Running Time: 1 hour 23 minutes
Language: English, Arabic
Country: USA

PUBLIC SCREENING SCHEDULE
Thursday, June 9 at 5:00PM at Village East - WORLD PREMIERE
Friday, June 10 at 6:00PM at Cinepolis - 2nd Public Screening
Sunday, June 12 at 8:15PM at Tribeca Film Center - 3rd Public Screening

(L-R) Aber and her mother in Nausheen Dadabhoy's AN ACT OF WORSHIP (Photo Credit_ Capital K Pictures)
(L-R) Khadega in Nausheen Dadabhoy's AN ACT OF WORSHIP (Photo Credit_ Capital K Pictures)
(L-R) Aber in Nausheen Dadabhoy's AN ACT OF WORSHIP (Photo Credit_ Capital K Pictures)
(L-R) Aber in Nausheen Dadabhoy's AN ACT OF WORSHIP (Photo Credit_ Capital K Pictures)

AN ACT OF WORSHIP is a polyphonic portrait of the last 30 years of Muslim life in America. Told through the lens of Muslims living in the United States, the film offers a counter-narrative of pivotal moments in U.S. history and explores the impact of anti-Muslim rhetoric and policy on young Muslims who came of age after 9/11. Due to their first-hand knowledge and intimate access to the Muslim community, the filmmaking team is able to take charge of the account, which has previously been shaped by outsiders.

ABER’s father was deported when she was 16. Now, she’s a community organizer leading a sanctuary city initiative in New York. KHADEGA is an 18-year-old Sudanese immigrant living in Michigan. While she feels compelled to advocate for her community, she struggles to overcome society's expectations of her and find her own way. AMEENA is a civil rights lawyer in California, but as a mother, she’s conflicted between caring for her three young children or sacrificing her time with them to fight for change.

Weaving together observational footage of these three women with community home videos, and evocative recollections from individuals impacted by incidents of Islamophobia, AN ACT OF WORSHIP opens a window into the world of Muslim Americans through collective memory. 

NAUSHEEN DADABHOY, is a director and cinematographer whose work spans fiction and documentary. She lensed an Oscar nominated film, an Emmy winning documentary, and films that have played at Sundance, TIFF, Locarno and on Al Jazeera, HBO and PBS. Her directorial debut THE GROUND BENEATH THEIR FEET premiered at IDFA.

TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL 2022

Link to buy tickets: https://tribecafilm.com/films/act-of-worship-2022 #Tribeca2022

Basketball Legend Dick Barnett’s Long, Challenging, And Historic Journey to Get His College Team Inducted into The Hall Of Fame is the Subject of Inspiring New Documentary

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Dick Barnett spent three seasons with the Lakers before helping the Knicks beat L.A. twice in the NBA finals.

In 1957, nine years before Texas Western's NCAA title victory over Kentucky, there was the Tennessee A&I (now known as Tennessee State University) Tigers.  And while Texas Western became the first team to win the NCAA title with an all Black starting lineup, Tennessee A&I was the first Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to win a national championship tournament.  Led by Hall of Fame coach John McLendon, and future NBA players Dick Barnett and John Barnhill, Tennessee A&I closed out the 1950s winning the NAIA Tournament in 1957, 1958, and 1959, the first college team, on any level, to win three consecutive national titles.

 Fittingly, in the 65th anniversary year of the Tigers' first national championship of that historic run, comes the 2022 release of The Dream Whisperer (The Dream Whisperer Trailer - YouTube).  Eleven years in the making, the documentary chronicles New York Knicks legend Dick Barnett's long and often frustrating journey to have his team recognized for its achievement at the highest level -- induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.  The Dream Whisperer, which will first be playing the festival circuit, is a not only a homage to a historic team from a small HBCU school which won three consecutive national championships in the midst of segregation in the Jim Crow South, but a testament to Barnett's persistence and perseverance to make sure the Tigers' legacy would be honored and remembered.

 "This is a story about the first college basketball team to win three consecutive national championships.  A team that almost was lost to history until I decided to do something about it," said Barnett, who is now 85.  "It's about a legacy that needs to be protected and passed on."   

Narrated by Dr. Barnett, The Dream Whisperer features interviews with: John Thompson, Hall of Fame coach; Julius Erving, Hall of Fame NBA player; Walt Frazier, two-time NBA Champion; Bill Bradley, two-time NBA Champion; Phil Jackson, Hall of Fame coach;  David Stern, Hall of Fame NBA Commissioner; Joanna McLendon, Coach McLendon's widow; Jim Satterwhite, Tennessee A&I championship team member; Harry Carlton, Tennessee A&I championship team member; Howard Gentry, former Tennessee State University Athletic Director; Dr. Harry Edwards, Civil Rights activist; John Doleva, President, Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame; and George Willis, sports journalist.  

 Barnett, known as the Skull during his college days, was selected by the Syracuse Nationals in the first round (No. 5 overall) of the 1959 NBA Draft.  The Nationals made the playoffs in Barnett's first two years before he jumped to the American Basketball League in 1961, where he led the Cleveland Pipers, owned by George Steinbrenner, to the ABL title.  Barnett and his Fall Back Baby jump shot returned to the NBA in 1962, playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, a team that made it to the NBA Championship Finals in two of the three years he played for them.

He was traded to the New York Knicks in 1965 and was a member of the 1970 and 1973 NBA Championship teams.  The Knicks retired his No.12 jersey, which hangs in honor with those of his teammates inside Madison Square Garden.  Barnett, who holds a master's degree in public administration from New York University and a PhD in education administration and supervision from Fordham University, continues to champion the battles for equity and social justice by telling his story, and the story of the courageous and talented Tennessee A&I team, on which he played, to students, of all ages, around the country.

The Dream Whisperer is executive produced by Ed Peskowitz, Penelope Peskowitz, Eric Drath, George Willis, and Grammy Award-winning hip hop producer 9th Wonder, produced by Danielle Naassana, Aaron Cohen, and directed by two-time Emmy winner Eric Drath.   

The Dream Whisperer will have its world premiere at the 30th Annual Pan African Film & Arts Festival on Sat., Apr. 30th at 7 p.m. with Dick Barnett in attendance.

Tickets are available here.

Who:  Pan African Film & Arts Festival and Dick Barnett

What:  The 30th Pan African Film & Arts Festival

When: Saturday, April 30, 2022, Red Carpet at 6 p.m., Screening at 7 p.m., Q&A to follow screening

Where: Cinemark Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza 15 and XD, 4020 Marlton Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90008 

PAFF30 is taking place in-person through May 1, 2022, at the Cinemark Baldwin Hills and the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza. The Festival will showcase nearly 200 films, as well as a slew of accompanying filmmaker Q&As and audience engagement opportunities. In addition, PAFF’s renowned Black art show will take place at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza.

For additional information about PAFF visit paff.org.