Rehoboth Beach African-American Film Festival returns Feb. 17-19
The Rehoboth Beach African-American Film Festival will take place from Friday to Sunday, Feb. 17 to 19, to celebrate the trailblazing work of Black artists in shaping American culture, while taking an unflinching look at the roadblocks that may still exist.
“The festival reveals the forgotten history of the African American contributions,” said Murry Gatling, planning committee member. The program is intended to be a fair and unbiased effort to expose any remaining violence still perpetuated against Black communities while showing a hopeful way forward through justice and reconciliation.
The 2023 festival marks the fourth anniversary after a two-year hiatus due to COVID.
Rehoboth Beach Film Society Executive Director Helen Chamberlin said, “Our intention is a desire to connect with people of all ages and ethnic backgrounds regardless of socioeconomic status. We will do so by providing free admission to students who would like to attend.”
Thought-provoking discussions will be scheduled for a deeper dive on film topics.
A post-screening reception for ticket holders will be held Feb. 19.
Festival films include the following:
“Streetlight Harmonies” will be screened at 7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 17. An entertaining documentary and journey through the bands, songs and harmonies of doo-wop, the film uncovers a definitive period of music and the artists who defined it. Millions know the music, but few know the artists and their history that laid the foundation for rock ‘n’ roll, and rhythm and blues, and built a bridge to the civil rights movement. No other genre of music can conjure up the innocence of a nation, or the pangs of love quite like the timeless sounds of doo-wop. “Streetlight Harmonies” features interviews from artists Brian Wilson, Lance Bass, The Drifters and more.
An after-film discussion will be held with Lois Powell of The Chantels pop music group.
“A Most Beautiful Thing” is set for 2:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 18. Based on the memoir by Arshay Cooper and narrated by rapper/actor Common, the enlightening documentary chronicles the first African American high school rowing team in the United States. The team comprises young men, many of whom were in rival gangs from the West Side of Chicago, coming together to row in the same boat.
The film explores not only the safety these men found on the water, but also the trauma of violence and cyclical poverty. It examines how they were able to support each other in imagining a different future for themselves, and how rowing and the water provided the backdrop for that opportunity. The men came together to race again in summer 2022, after 20 years out of the boat, to celebrate the team’s founding and the fact that they are still alive.
“Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America” will be screened at 7 p.m., Feb. 18. The galvanizing documentary interweaves lecture, personal anecdotes, interviews and shocking revelations. ACLU Deputy Legal Director Jeffery Robinson draws a stark timeline of anti-Black racism in the United States, from slavery to the modern myth of a post-racial America. The film also explores the enduring legacy of white supremacy and the collective responsibility to overcome it.
A selection of six film shorts will be screened at 2 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 19, in a 60-minute presentation.
“A Vanishing Legacy: Black Captains of the Chesapeake” is a compelling news story from WUSA9, Washington, D.C., about an African-American head boat captain and black woman oyster farmer who fight to preserve a minority presence in aquaculture on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard.
“Black Swimmers Overcome Racism and Fear, Reclaiming a Tradition” is a fascinating documentary short about a new movement across the country that is reintroducing Black Americans to swimming. Studies have shown that decades of segregation, discrimination and lack of access have led to an alarming disparity: Black children today drown in swimming pools at a rate far higher than white children do. The film tells a story of liberation and a reconnection to a rich history of swimming through the voices of people seeking to change the pervasive myth that Black people don’t swim. New programs are working to overcome barriers and get everybody into the pool. This video was produced in collaboration with the Columbia School of Journalism.
“Black Jockeys and the Kentucky Derby: A History of Race and Racism” is an intriguing short news story from WAVE News, Louisville, Ky. It tells some of the history of African American riders who once dominated the sport of horse racing and how learning about this part of history may light a spark in generations to come. The story carries viewers through the years with interesting footage of actual races, and into the Kentucky Derby Museum with amazing photos and memorabilia. The “Black Jockeys” traveling exhibit from the Kentucky Derby Museum will be on display in the CAT lobby.
“Street Nights” is a documentary short directed and edited by Matt Baron of Baron Films. It dives into the world of street chess hustlers in Washington Square Park, New York.
“A Concerto is a Conversation” centers on Kris Bowers, one of Hollywood’s rising young African American composers. At age 29, he scored the film “Green Book” in 2018, and in 2020 he premiered a new violin concerto, “For a Younger Self,” at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. Yet for all his success, he said, “I’ve been wondering whether or not I’m supposed to be in the spaces that I’m in.”
In Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers' documentary short, Bowers traces the process of breaking into new spaces through generations of sacrifice that came before him, focusing on the story of his grandfather Horace Bowers. As a young man, Horace left his home in the Jim Crow South, eventually ending up in Los Angeles. Encountering discrimination at every turn, he and his wife Alice navigated a path to become lifelong business owners in Southern California. Today, their legacy lives on through their family and community in South Los Angeles, where a stretch of Central Avenue was recently designated Bowers Retail Square – just in case any question remained about whether it’s a place where they belong.
An inspirational musical documentary by local musician Brian Russo, “Mr. Tindley” features news footage dedicated to the incredible life and legend of Charles Tindley, known as the Grandfather of Gospel and Prince of Preachers. Tindley was born nearly 200 years ago in the quaint town of Berlin, Md., when slavery was practiced as he faced impossible odds. Preaching was not his sole passion; he was also a lyricist and dedicated much of his time to composing powerful gospel music. Russo will lead a discussion after the film.
For updates, go to rehobothfilm.com.
