NEW YORK (Top40 Charts/ BET Networks) The 15th Annual Urbanworld Film Festival (www.urbanworld.org), presented by BET Networks has added
Mario Van Peebles' "All Things Fall Apart" to its lineup. The film, starring Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson in a transformative role as a star college football player, joins a diverse slate of nearly 60 films that will be featured at the New York-based festival from
September 14-18, 2011 at AMC 34th Street in midtown Manhattan. The screening of "All Things Fall Apart" takes place Friday,
September 16 at 7:30pm, followed by a Q&A with director Peebles and actress Lynn Whitfield.
Additionally, comedian Chris Rock will be in attendance to support the world premiere of Diane Paragas' and Nelson George's Brooklyn Boheme (Spike Lee, Chris Rock, Branford Marsalis, Rosie Perez, Saul Williams), Urbanworld's Opening Night Selection.
Festival-goers this year will enjoy a variety of shorts and features dealing with relevant hot topics such as human rights (Kinyarwanda), war (Make a Movie Like Spike), prison (Love Lockdown), and the various perspectives of a "New York state of mind" (Brooklyn Boheme).
On Friday, Sept. 16, BET Networks will sponsor Live Screenplay Readings at the Paramount Screening Room. Directed by veteran acting coach Tracey Moore, the Screenplay Readings will be performed by Urbanworld's Acting Ensemble, who will deliver scenes from Urbanworld's five screenplay finalists.
Moreover, for the second year, HBO will host Urbanworld Digital, a one-day seminar on September 14 featuring seasoned industry players who will discuss topics such as web content creation and distribution, social media marketing, and digital promotions. New to the festival is Urbanworld Music, a series of performances and live entertainment from emerging and established artists that will take place at various venues throughout the week.
"Urbanworld Music is an opportunity to showcase the diverse talents of some of NYC's best performers," said Forrest Renaissance, creative director of Urbanworld Music. "We're excited to add this new entertainment element to a festival that for 15 years has honored the creativity of our culture's unsung artists."
Indeed, Urbanworld has a lot to celebrate this year, including a special honor from NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who in June honored Urbanworld founder Stacy Spikes along with the likes of Academy Award winner Matt Damon, actor John Leguizamo and the late director Sidney Lumet at the "Made in NY Awards" at Gracie Mansion. The "Made in NY Awards" are given to individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to New York's entertainment and new media industries.
For the complete slate of films or ticket information, visit www.urbanworld.org. For media inquiries, email [email protected].
About Urbanworld
The Urbanworld Film Festival is the largest internationally competitive festival of its kind. The five-day festival includes features, documentaries, short films, as well as panel discussions, live staged screenplay readings, and the 2nd Annual Urbanworld Digital, a 1-day Conference during the festival focused on digital and social media. Over the last fourteen years, Hollywood studios and talent-driven independent films have consistently chosen Urbanworld to premiere box office and award-winning hits. Urbanworld has also become home to some of today's top brands who wish to reach key influencers and media & entertainment leaders across the multicultural landscape. The Urbanworld Film Festival is an initiative of the Urbanworld Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit organization founded in 1997 by Stacy Spikes dedicated to redefining the multicultural roles in contemporary cinema, television, and online, by implementing programs and initiatives that support the development of the urban content creation community. Gabrielle Glore serves as Executive Producer of the Urbanworld Film Festival, as well as ancillary Urbanworld Foundation endeavors. For this year's 2011 festival, BET Networks returns as the Presenting Sponsor. HBO continues support as the Founding Sponsor. E&J Brandy and MoviePass join as Principal Sponsors. Media Sponsors include Vibe, Uptown, BET.com, TheUrbanDaily, Hello Beautiful, Essence, Rolling Out, Carter Magazine KISS FM, and HOT 97. Benefactor Sponsors include AMC Theatres, Directors Guild of America - New York, and Warner Bros. Entertainment. The festival website is www.urbanworld.org.
