3rd Annual Queer Black Cinema International Fim Festival October 14th - 17th, 2010 Harlem, New York City

Official Website: Queer Black Cinema.org

QUEER BLACK CINEMA

OCTOBER 14TH - 17TH THE 3RD ANNUAL QUEER BLACK CINEMA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL CURATED BY ANGEL L. BROWN-ROSS. Join the longest running Black LGBT Film Festival in New York. Join the 4 day event as we bring you the best films from around the world about the Black LGBT experience. The four day industry based film festival will be filled with award-winning films, industry taught workshops, powerful panel discussion and of course parties including filmmakers networking mixers.

ENTIRE FILM SCHEDULE / BUY TICKETS

LOCATION:
Dr. Barbara Ann Teer's National Black Theatre
2031 5th Avenue (between 125th & 126th Streets)
Harlem, New York City 10035
Venue Phone: (212) 722-3800
GOOGLE MAP

TRAIN TRAVEL:
#2 or 3 train to 125th Street & Lenox Avenue or
#4, 5, or 6 train to 125th Street & Lexington

Join the mailing list at qbcfilmseries-subscribe[at]yahoogroup.com
Follow us on twitter.com/qbcfilmfest and Facebook

SPONSORSHIP Packages are available.
For info contact: info[at]queerblackcinema.org or
Visit the website at www.queerblackcinema.org





About Queer Black Cinema International Film Festival

Queer Black Cinema International Film Festival is a progressive socially conscious film festival that will bring you the best Black LGBTQ theme films from around the world. The four-day festival consists of not only ground-breaking films but also panel discussions with industry professionals and workshops.

QBC Int’l Film Festival is an entity of Queer Black Cinema, New York’s first and only Black LGBTQ monthly micro-cinema since 2006. Since the 2006 launch of the film series, the organization has expanded into several projects created by founder Angel L. Brown-Ross: QBC College Film Tour, Just|BE Black Gay Erotica 72 hour Poetry & Film Competition on HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness and Fades Of Black Women Film Showcase, honoring Black Lesbians Women Filmmakers.

QBC accept donations, grants and in-kind donations under 501 c-3 not- for -profit organization, Mix LGBT Experimental Film Festival. For more info on QBC projects including volunteering,internship and sponsorship, log on to: qbcfilmseries[at]yahoogroups.com or www.queerblackcinema.org

THE MAJESTICS Blast Off at NY Comic Con! The Jacob K. Javitz Convention Center in NYC October 8th, 9th & 10th, 2010

Official Website: mightymajestics.com

THE MAJESTICS is an action adventure tale about hip, young superheroes who discover their powers and their life's purpose through a family tragedy of global proportions.

Asha, Henry, and Stanley Crenshaw are cousins and heirs to the Crenshaw Family Foods empire. Their care-free, jet setting lives are dramatically and permanently transformed after their family is obliterated in a suspicious explosion during their 142nd annual family reunion at the Ravenwood compound.

Left orphaned, but now equipped with super human powers, the three cousins, along with their uncle, Fletcher Crenshaw and trusted family confidant, Omar, must tackle the challenges of young adulthood, while answering the call to be guardians of their family legacy in an as yet uncharted world.

As they embark on a mission of vengeance, Asha, Henry, and Stanley become THE MAJESTICS. While uncovering their enemies by piecing together clues from the tragedy with mysteries from their family's Camelot-like past, their quest for revenge is curbed and they embrace a greater destiny to which they dedicate their immense family fortune and their newly discovered super-human talents.

PRESENTING
THE MAJESTICS©
400 years in the making...
African-American super hero mythology
is here with the groundbreaking multimedia franchise
THE MAJESTICS©.

THE MAJESTICS© animation, comics, books, and films feature super hip, teenaged super heroes living on the cutting edge of technology, fashion, music and intrigue in a multicultural world of danger and adventure.

Move over Harry Potter...
Step aside Anakin Skywalker...
THE MAJESTICS© are officially next level!

THE MAJESTICS©
NY Comic Con
Jacob K. Javits Center
Booth ● 2261
655 West 34th Street
(between 34th & 35th Streets / 11th & 12th Avenues)
New York City, NY 10001

October 8-10th, 2010

Admission:
-Weekend pass ● $50.00
-Friday October 8 ● 1PM - 7PM● $30.00
Saturday October 9 ● 10AM- 7PM ● $40.00
-Sunday October 10 ● 10AM – 5PM ● $30.00
Children under 12 years old FREE ● Sunday ONLY
with proof of I.D.

New York Comic Con Website

THE MAJESTICS© is a multimedia action adventure franchise about a family of super hip young superheroes, whose life purpose evolves through the confrontation of a personal tragedy with global implications. The care free, jet setting lives of Asha, Henry and Stanley Crenshaw -- cousins, American Royalty and teenaged heirs to the Crenshaw Family Foods fortune -- are dramatically transformed after most of their family is killed in a suspicious explosion during the 145th Annual Family Reunion at their family compound, leaving them orphaned yet armed with superhuman powers.

For more information, please check out www.mightymajestics.com If you are a member of the media please direct all queries to Michelle Pascal at michelle[at]mapunlimitedpr.com

powered by:

Yolo Akili's Purple Galaxy Spoken Word CD And His Preachers & Power Video Blog Commentary

Spoken Word (SGL) Artist Yolo Akili

I found out about Yolo Akili through the progressive and well put together Black SGL blog called Wandering Caravan.

BronzeBuckaroo, who runs the blog always has some interesting pieces on there, but I wanted to hi-lite Yolo Akili (a young, mad cute & attractive, and progressive-minded brutha) who's a spoken word artist.

Official Website: yolothepoet.com

And check out Yolo's website, too. I went to Amazon.com and downloaded Yolo's new CD Purple Galaxy. CDBaby.com and iTunes also has his music as well.

Also, below is his first video-blog and where he speaks out about Eddie Long the preacher down Atlanta. However, regardless of the outcome of the allegations against Eddie Long case, the point of Yolo's video is that there are larger issues that he touches on regarding the African community here in America. It's a very good 5 minute listen for sure.

Yolo Speaks Out On Preachers & Power

Egbe JagunJagun Presents An African Cultural EventSunday, September 26th, 2010 / 2PM - 6PMHarlem, New York City

Click Image To Enlarge


Egbe JagunJagun
Will Sponsor An
African Cultural Event

Singing, Drumming and Dancing
(Bembe)

In Honor Of
Elegba, Ogun & Ochossi

Sunday, September 26th, 2010
2PM - 6PM

Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. State Office Building
Ar Gallery - 2nd Floor
163 West 125th Street
(Between Lenox Avenue & Adam Clayton Powell Blvd)
Harlem, New York City
GOOGLE MAP
(PHOTO ID IS REQUIRED TO ENTER THE BUILDING)

For More Information
Please Call 212/283-4035
email: egbejagunjagun[at]yahoo.com

Fact Sheet From The White House On The Affordable Care Act

www.whitehouse.gov/HealthReform

A New Patient’s Bill of Rights

On September 23rd 2010, critical new consumer protections in the new law – a Patient’s Bill of Rights -- begin to take effect. The Patient’s Bill of Rights puts an end to some of the worst insurance company abuses, and puts consumers, not insurance companies, in control of their health care. These new protections include:

Ban on Discriminating Against Kids with Pre-Existing Conditions:
Before reform, tens of the thousands of families had been denied insurance each year for their children because of an illness or condition. Starting September 23rd, plans cannot discriminate against kids with pre-existing conditions. In 2014, no one seeking coverage can be discriminated against because of a preexisting condition. Up to 72,000 uninsured children are expected to gain coverage by banning insurers from refusing them coverage due to a pre-existing condition. Coverage for up to 90,000 children will no longer exclude benefits because of a pre-existing condition.

Ban on Insurance Companies Dropping Coverage:
Before reform, insurance companies could cancel your coverage when you got sick and needed it most because of a simple mistake on your application. Starting September 23rd, insurance companies are banned from cutting off your coverage due to an unintentional mistake on your application. Approximately 10,700 people’s coverage, whose coverage is dropped each year because they get sick or make a technical mistake on their application, will be protected under the new law.

Ban on Insurance Companies Limiting Coverage:
Before reform, cancer patients and individuals suffering from other serious and chronic diseases were often forced to limit or go without treatment because of an insurer’s lifetime limit on their coverage. Starting September 23rd, insurance companies can no longer put a
lifetime limit on the amount of coverage they provide, so families can live with the security of knowing that their coverage will be there when they need it most. Up to 20,400 people who typically hit their lifetime limits on the dollar amount that can be spent on coverage,
along with the nearly 102 million enrollees who have policies with lifetime limits, will no longer have to worry about hitting their benefits caps. The use of annual dollar limits will be restricted, and in 2014will be banned completely. By 2013, up to 3,500 people will gain coverage as a result of the ban on annual limits that insurers impose on nearly 18 million people today.

Ban on Insurance Companies Limiting Choice of Doctors:
Before reform, insurance companies could decide which doctor you could go to. Starting September 23rd, if you purchase or join a new plan you have the right to choose your own doctor in your insurer network. Up to 88 million people will benefit from the provision that protects primary care provider choice by 2013.

Ban on Insurance Companies Restricting Emergency Room Care:
Before reform, insurance companies could limit which emergency room you could go to or charge you more if you went out of network. Starting September 23rd, if you purchase or join a new plan, those plans are banned from charging more for emergency services obtained out of network. Up to 88 million people will benefit from this provision.

Guarantee You a Right to Appeal:
Before reform, when insurers denied you coverage or restricted your treatment, you were left with few options to appeal. Starting September 23rd, if you purchase or join a new policy, you will be guaranteed the right to appeal insurance company decisions to an independent third party. Up to 88 million people will benefit from the new appeals process provisions by 2013.

Covering Young Adults on Parent’s Plan:
Starting September 23rd, young adults will be allowed to remain on their parent’s plan until their 26th birthday, unless they are offered coverage at work. Up to 2.4 million young adults, up to 1.8 million who are uninsured and nearly 600,000 who purchase coverage in the
individual market, could gain coverage through their parents.

Covering Preventive Care With No Cost:
Starting September 23rd, if you join or purchase a new plan, you will receive recommended preventive care with no out-of-pocket cost. Services like mammograms, colonoscopies, immunizations, pre-natal and new baby care will be covered and insurance companies will be
prohibited from charging deductibles, co-payments or co-insurance. Up to 88 million people will have access to preventive care with no out of pocket costs.


Six Months of Progress

In addition to implementing the Patient’s Bill of Rights, the Obama Administration has worked to deliver other benefits of reform to the American people. In the last six months, the Administration has:

Fought Waste, Fraud and Abuse: The Affordable Care Act includes robust new tools that will help fight fraud and protect taxpayer dollars. Using these new tools, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has pledged to cut Medicare’s error rate (the percentage of claims paid inappropriately) in half by 2012. A proposed regulation that implements the first round of Affordable Care Act policies to combat Medicare and Medicaid fraud was issued on September 17.

Helped Fight Premium Increases: The Affordable Care Act also includes critical new resources and authorities to crack down on unjustified rate hikes. Today, 46 states are using resources under the new reform law to pass or strengthen premium rate review laws which will have a significant impact on keeping year-to-year increases in premiums low. In a number of states (California, Massachusetts, Maine) regulators have already reviewed and rejected these proposed increases. We expect this pattern to continue. The Administration has also been working on rules that require insurance companies to spend at least 80 percent of premium dollars on health care instead of overhead, salaries or administrative expenses, in 2011. If they fail to do so, they will be required to provide rebates to consumers.

Offered Support for Small Businesses: Under the Affordable Care Act, up to 4 million small businesses nationwide could qualify for a small business tax credit this year, which will provide a total of $40 billion in relief for small firms over the next 10 years. Small businesses have been notified of these tax credits and can make plans knowing the credits will help bring down their health care costs.

Helped Make Prescription Drugs More Affordable: More than 1 million seniors who have fallen into the prescription drug coverage gap known as the donut hole have received $250 rebate checks. The checks are the first step toward closing the donut hole in 2020.

Launched a New Website to Make it Easier to Find Coverage: On July 1, the Administration launched www.HealthCare.gov. www.Healthcare.gov is a new, easy to use website that helps consumers take control of their health care and make the choices that are right for them by putting the power of information at their fingertips. The website is the first of its kind to bring information and links to health insurance plans and other coverage options to one place, making it easier for consumers to learn about their insurance options. The site includes extensive, easy to understand information about patients’ rights, how to navigate the current insurance market, and how the Affordable Care Act will help them. A Spanish language version – www.CuidadodeSalud.gov – was launched on September 8th, 2010, and additional pricing information will be added on October 1th, 2010.

Started Covering Individuals With Pre-Existing Conditions: On July 1, the Administration announced the establishment of the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Program to provide coverage for eligible Americans who have been uninsured for six months because of a pre-existing condition. Coverage started in 47 states by August, and will be provided in all states by the end of September.

Provided Employers Support to Cover Early Retirees: On August 31, the Administration announced that over 2,000 employers and unions across all fifty states had been approved to receive help to pay for their early retirees’ health care through the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program. This program will help many older Americans, who are not yet eligible for Medicare, continue to have quality affordable coverage through their employer.

www.whitehouse.gov/HealthReform

African Animation: The O Twins By Michael Tokunbo Akindele of Fusion Media (Nigeria, Africa)

I have this very intense interest in African animation (Kirikou, Zambezia, Khumba).

I found The O Twins through the pro-Africentric website Shadow & Act which I read religiously just about everyday.

Check out this trailer. this particular production is by Michael Tokunbo Akindele of Fusion Media from Nigeria, Africa.

Theater Play: THROUGH THE NIGHT Written & Perfomed ByObie Award Winner Daniel Beaty Beginning Sept. 10th, 2010 Union Sq. Theatre (NYC)

THROUGH THE NIGHT OFF BROADWAY
at the UNION SQUARE THEATER

Six characters. Three generations.
One extraordinary performance.

Obie Award Winner Daniel Beaty shines as writer and performer of a range of characters from hopeful, wide-eyed child to admired, elder preacher, spinning a tale where lives collide to show how hope, faith and love have the ability to pull anyone Through the Night.

Supported by some of the country's most revered performers and respected educators, including Bill Cosby, Ruby Dee, and Henry Louis Gates Jr., Through the Night is "a thing of beauty, wit, grit and piercing lyricism" [The New York Times].

To View Excerpts From THROUGH THE NIGHT:


THREE WAYS TO GET TICKETS:

1. ONLINE. Visit Ticketmaster.com by clicking here, select the performance date you wish to attend and enter code DBLAST in the “Promotions and Special Offers” area.

2. Call Ticketmaster at 1-800-982-2787 and mention code DBLAST.

3. IN PERSON. Bring a print-out of this offer to the Union Square Theatre Box Office (100 East 17th Street, NYC).

PREVIEW PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
Friday, September 10 at 8 pm
Saturday, September 11 at 3 pm & 8 pm
Sunday, September 12 at 7 pm
Thursday, September 16 at 8 pm
Friday, September 17 at 8 pm
Saturday, September 18 at 3 pm & 8 pm
Sunday, September 19 at 3 pm & 7 pm
Wednesday, September 22 at 8 pm
Thursday, September 23 at 8 pm
Friday, September 24 at 8 pm
Saturday, September 25 at 3 pm & 8 pm
Sunday, September 26 at 7 pm


REGULAR PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
Beginning September 29, 2010
Wednesday - Friday at 8 pm
Saturday at 3 pm & 8 pm
Sunday at 3 pm & 7 pm

FOR GROUPS, please call 646-624-6678.

*Offer expires 10/10/2010. Blackout dates may apply. Schedule and cast subject to change. Offer subject to availability. Normal service charges apply to online and phone orders. No exchanges or refunds. All sales are final. Cannot be combined with other offers. Not valid for prior purchases. Limit of 8 tickets per order. Offer may be revoked at any time.

Daniel Beaty Performs The Powerful "Knock Knock"

Daniel Beaty On Facebook

Marriage Equality: Byron Rushing And The Fight For Fairness A Documentary Film On Same-Sex Marriage From An African-American Perspective

Denise & Mattie's Wedding Day

Dear Rod,

How are you? Hope you are having a great summer. We were hoping you could help regarding our new project.

I am an associate producer on Thomas Allen Harris' new upcoming documentary project about Same Sex marriage from an African American perspective entitled Marriage Equality: Byron Rushing and the Fight for Fairness. The film was commissioned by Tribeca All Access Program and the Nelson Mandela Foundation in South Africa to highlight individuals who embody the principals of Nelson Mandela. We chose to focus on Massachusetts State Representative and Civil Rights Movement veteran Byron Rushing, who together with a group of progressive Black leaders, successfully confronted African American clergy to win hearts, minds and votes on the emotionally divisive issue of same-sex marriage, which is now legal in Massachusetts. Byron, who is heterosexual, is perhaps an unlikely same gender loving hero.

Byron Rushing

Although we have made great progress we are still trying to reach our fundraising goal of $10K with only 6 days left via the United Artists website listed below. You can view a clip of the film (below)...

Arnold & Joseph
(Together For 40 Years, Married 5 Years)

Any mention on your blog would help us greatly as did a recent mention in Indiewire's In The Works. Can you do this? Any support would be greatly appreciated.

Please feel free to contact me with any other outreach suggestions as well, thanks.

greg

Chipanzee Productions
68 East 131st Street, Suite #700
Harlem, NY 10037
(212) 281-6002 Office
(212) 234-7032 Fax
(917) 312-1433 Cell

Fashion REVOLUTION Pictures The 20th Annual House of Latex Ball (2010) At The Roseland Ballrooom (NYC)

Hey African FAM,

I finally got around to picking and editing some pics from the 20th Annual House of Latex Ball @ the Roseland Ballroom in New York City on Saturday, August 21th, 2010.

It was a tough shoot as I was far from the stage and located on the balcony/mezzanine (aka less light) though I was lucky to sneak upstairs using a friend's pink wrist band (who left for the evening - THANKS, "D"!), however I had a nice angle overlooking the stage...

New and Upcoming R&B Music Artist Shyori (left)
And
My Homie And Renaissance Brutha Artist Baron (right)

Artist Baron

With His "Shade" Shield Wrist Bands On - LOL!
If You're At A Ball Scene You Unfortunately
May Need Them To Block "Shade"!

I Don't Particularly Like Showcases Like This
As It Is A Painful Reminder Of Slavery In My Mind,
But It's Someone's Artist Statement...

It Barely Makes It Onto Nubian Knights Network

Beautiful Chocolate Leopard Bruthaz! LOL!

These Three Bruthaz Asked Me If I Could Take Their Pictures
And I Obliged. These Guys Look Funky Fresh With Their Look.
I Really Like This Pic...
Now If Only I Had Their E-mail Addy To Get Them This Picture

One Can Never Go Wrong Snapping Pics Of Beautiful Bruthaz..

I Was Getting Ready To Wrap Shooting For the Night.
Using The Bathroom Before I Left,
A Few People Were Getting Their Outfit Ready For The Show.
I Took This Pic Of One Guy Getting Ready.

Vogue, Baby, Vogue!