Release Date: 1/5/16 (DVD); 2014 Genre: Drama Rating: NR Running Time: 91 mins. Studio: Maverick Entertainment Group; History In The Making Entertainment Director: Ramasses Head Cast:Sierra Mora, Angelica Marie, Foota Turner, Karen Cox Story: Phoenix, a young girl from humble beginnings is destined to be just another pretty face until she becomes a fashion model. She soon realizes that the industry is full of users and abusers, so she starts a modeling agency with her best friend Angel. Phoenix struggles to maintain her rise to fame as her relationships with friends and family are tested. Source: Maverick Entertainment.
Story: A young African American man, reeling from the tragic loss of his wife, travels to rural Maine to seek answers from his estranged mother-in-law, who is herself confronting guilt and grief over her daughter’s death. Source: IMDB. Photo Source: Thompson on Hollywood.
Release Date: 1/9/16 (TV One); 2014 Genre: Drama Rating: NR Running Time: 88 mins. Studio(s):LOT10 Productions, Studio 11 Films Director(s): LisaRaye McCoy, Avery O. Williams Cast: LisaRaye McCoy (Mother), Brad James (Michael), Jasmine Burke (Jolie), Cycerli Ash (Dr. Smith), Nicky Buggs (Nikki), Tasia Grant (Melissa), Kerri J. Baldwin (Aunt Mabel), Van Vicker (Bobby).
Story:Jolie is dark, beautiful, and appears confident at times, but her self-esteem is extremely low. This stems from the fact that she’s the object of childhood and adult cruelty concerning the darkness of her skin. Worse of all, her sisters are lighter in complexion and always considered the prettier ones. When Jolie gets to college she falls head over heels in love with Bobby, a light skinned swim star.
Bobby is the most popular guy on campus. Isabelle, a beautiful French Creole cheerleader, who would do anything to seduce Bobby, convinces Jolie that Bobby is only fond of light skinned girls. Out of frustration, Jolie is encouraged by a friend to begin bleaching her skin. After a little research, Jolie embarks on a mission to beautify herself and earn the attention of Bobby and the lighter girls on campus.
Fast forward 10 years later, Jolie is now married to Michael, an African business tycoon with a flair for light skinned women. When he questions her about the appearance of her skin at times, she lies and says that she has vitiligo. After 4 years of marriage, Jolie has not gotten pregnant. In an attempt to find out why, disturbing news turns affects their marriage and Michael begins spending lots of time outside of the home. Thinking that he’s having an affair, Jolie enters into a deep depression.
Things begin to unravel when Jolie’s depression gets worse and Michael suggests that she see a psychiatrist. Dr. Smith is a beautiful, confident, dark skinned sister. Through counseling, a friendship develops between Jolie and Dr. Smith as Dr. Smith assists Jolie in realizing her issues and insecurities with skin color. Dr. Smith takes Jolie to a dark time in her life where she discovers how and why she has ended up in a place of darkness and sadness. Source: skinnedthemovie, official site.
Release Date: 2015 Genre: Drama/Family Rating: NR Running Time: 112 mins. Studio(s):Atlanta Dream Team Productions, Distributors Signal 23 Television, Green Apple Entertainment. Director:Henderson Maddox
Release Date: 2014; 12/22/15 BET Genre: Drama/Romance Rating: NR Running Time: 112 mins. Studio(s): Cultivated Films Director: Kiara Jones
Cast: Kimberley Drummond (Andrea), Maba Ba (Brent), Sawandi Wilson (Gabriel), Maria Howell (Miranda), Lisa Arrindell Anderson (Lori), Frances Turner (Charlotte), Stephen Hill (Isaac), Jason Vendryes (Kendal).
Story: The film focuses on three sisters. The baby of the trio, Andrea is in town for her wedding to the wealthy Brent, but it’s clear something is amiss, as he’s been too busy to come for the pre-wedding preparations. This small town in North Florida doesn’t have too many professional photographers and Andrea’s ex Gabriel was hired by the wedding planner to effectively capture her beauty on this momentous occasion. Sparks fly between the two, compounding Andrea’s confusion. Does she do what her overbearing mom Miranda says and marry the “right man” or go with her heart…and what does that mean exactly?
Lori, is the oldest sister, and pregnant by a one-night stand to the chagrin of bratty and needy Andrea, judgmental mom Miranda, and middle sister Charlotte. Successful and adventurous, her decision to have a baby on her own doesn’t sit well with the rest of the clan because she lives life on her terms, something they can’t relate to, or in Miranda’s case, waited too long to act on.
Charlotte and her hunky baby daddy Isaac are in a rut. He has given up working as an international DJ and music producer to be the best stay at home dad to their two children while Charlotte focuses on her work as a daytime news anchor. As Isaac prepares to take their relationship to the next level, Charlotte entertains ideas of tasting the swirl with her white co-anchor. Source: Shadow and Act.
Release Date: 2013 Genre: Drama/Romance Rating: NR Running Time: 90 mins. Studio: Uptoparr Productions; TV One Director: Russ Parr
Cast: Lisa Arrindell Anderson (Pamela), Omari Hardwick (Earl James), David Banner (Charles), Jahnee Wallace (Kara).
Story: This moving family drama chronicles the parallel hardships of Pamela Cleveland (Lisa Arrindell Anderson), a mother of four whose husband, Charles (David Banner), has been killed in action while serving in Afghanistan, and Earl James (Omari Hardwick), a fresh divorcee. While Pamela combats immeasurable grief and a flood of concerns as a new widow, Earl combats anxiety and struggles to maintain custody of and contact with his two sons. Pamela and Earl’s lives are forever transformed when their seemingly separate paths intersect and together, they learn the realities of dating and single-parenthood, the importance of family and the true meaning of Christmas. Source(s): Shadow and Act; Moviefone. Photo Source: TV One.
Release Date: 1/5/16 (DVD); 2014
Black Cinema Connection 