Arts, Culture and Entertainment Festival Powered by the NAACP

The NAACP Hollywood Bureau and Netflix present a conversation with Director Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love Basketball, Beyond The Lights) and KiKi Layne (If Beale Street Could Talk), hosted by Entertainment Tonight's Nischelle Turner, about breaking boundaries, representation in Hollywood, and Black Girl Magic in Action.

Moderators

Nischelle Turner

ACE Festival Host, "Entertainment Tonight"

Nischelle Turner is an Emmy Award-winning correspondent and weekend co-host for four-time Emmy Award-winning show ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT.Turner is an award-winning journalist and a contributor for CNN where she is featured in entertainment segments on CNN Newsroom, New Day, CNN Tonight... Read More →

Speakers

Gina Prince-Bythewood

Director, "The Old Guard"

Award-winning director/writer/producer Gina Prince-Bythewood is one of the most versatile storytellers working in film and television. Known for her authentic character-driven work, Prince-Bythewood has directed and written such influential feature films as Love & Basketball, The... Read More →

KiKi Layne

Actor (Nile), "The Old Guard"

Breakout star KiKi Layne made her debut on the big screen as the female lead in Barry Jenkins’ film If Beale Street Could Talk for Annapurna and Plan B Entertainment. The film premiered to rave reviews at both the Toronto International Film Festival and the New York Film Festival... Read More →

Sponsors

Netflix

Monday August 3, 2020 3:00pm - 3:45pm EDT
NAACP Online

3:45pm EDT

Black Boy Joy (Short Film)

Black Boy Joy is about a multi-generational family struggling with the needs of a young son with autism, while adapting to their new normal after the recent death of a loved one.

KeyFilmmakers
Director: Martina Lee
Writer: Michelle Sam
Executive Producer: Elizabeth Franco
Producer: Nasir Kenneth Ferebee
Producer: Jhanvi Motla
Cinematographer: Morgan Cooper
Editor: Brandon Porter
Attached are the posters/key art for each film.

Sponsors

Film Independent

Monday August 3, 2020 3:45pm - 4:00pm EDT
NAACP Online

4:00pm EDT

Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Clips & Conversation)

Screening, Health; Civic Engagement; Arts

In the early 1970s, teenagers with disabilities faced a future shaped by isolation, discrimination and institutionalization. Camp Jened, a ramshackle camp “for the handicapped” (a term no longer used) in the Catskills, exploded those confines. Jened was their freewheeling Utopia, a place with summertime sports, smoking and make-out sessions awaiting everyone, and campers experienced liberation and full inclusion as human beings. Their bonds endured as many migrated West to Berkeley, California — a hotbed of progressive activism where friends from Camp Jened realized that disruption, civil disobedience, and political participation could change the future for millions. This generation of campers spurred today’s activists for disability rights and justice, embodied in the film’s impact campaign which elevates the issues and profiles of those continuing the fight for people with disabilities.

Co-directed by Emmy®-winning filmmaker Nicole Newnham and film mixer and former camper Jim LeBrecht, this joyous and exuberant documentary arrives the same year as the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, at a time when the country’s largest minority group still battles daily for equality and the freedom to exist. Crip Camp is executive produced by President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama; Tonia Davis and Priya Swaminathan; Oscar® nominee Howard Gertler (How to Survive a Plague) and Raymond Lifchez, Jonathan Logan and Patty Quillin; LeBrecht, Newnham and Sara Bolder produce.

Moderators

Holly Robinson Peete

Actress/Author/Activist/Philanthropist, HollyRod Foundation

Holly Robinson Peete is an actress, author, talk show host, activist, and philanthropist. She has consistently used her celebrity status as a platform to advocate for issues dear to her heart. Following her father's battle with Parkinson's disease, she and husband Rodney Peete, a... Read More →

Speakers

Vilissa Thompson

Ramp Your Voice!

A macro-minded social worker from South Carolina. Ramp Your Voice! is her organization where she discusses the issues that matter to her as a Black disabled woman, including intersectionality, racism, politics, and why she unapologetically makes good trouble.

Andraéa LaVant

Founder & President, LaVant Consulting, Inc. (LCI)

Andraéa LaVant is founder and president of LaVant Consulting, Inc. (LCI), a social impact communications firm that offers cutting-edge corporate development and content marketing for brands and nonprofits. LCI's specialty is helping brands "speak disability with confidence." As a... Read More →

Marjorie Innocent, Ph.D.

Senior Director, Health Programs, NAACP

As senior director of health programs, Dr. Marjorie Innocent leads the development and management of the NAACP’s program and policy agenda to advance equitable solutions to health disparities for African Americans. She also collaborates with internal and external colleagues to advance... Read More →

Monday August 3, 2020 4:00pm - 5:15pm EDT
NAACP Online

5:15pm EDT

A Conversation About Congressman John Lewis

Join Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP, and Courtland Cox, Chair of the SNCC Legacy Project as they both share stories and memories about the late Congressman Lewis, and what inspired them and a nation. They will also discuss how his legacy will live on and what we are doing to continue his work.

Speakers

Courtland Cox

Chair, SNCC Legacy Project

CONSULTANTCourtland Cox is President of CCAP Consulting, LLC, which was incorporated in the District of Columbia in July 2011.Presently, Mr. Cox is part of the DCPEP team that works with the Department of General Services (DGS) of the District of Columbia Government. As part of the... Read More →

Derrick Johnson

President & CEO, NAACP

A longstanding member and leader of the NAACP, Derrick Johnson is guiding the Association through a period of re-envisioning and reinvigoration.Born in Detroit, Mr. Johnson attended Tougaloo College in Jackson, MS. He then continued onto Houston, TX to receive his JD from the South... Read More →

Monday August 3, 2020 5:15pm - 5:50pm EDT
NAACP Online

Program, Civic Engagement; Arts & Entertainment

6:30pm EDT

John Lewis: Good Trouble (Limited to 200 People)

Screening, Civic Engagement; Arts & Entertainment

JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Dawn Porter (TRAPPED, GIDEON’S ARMY), chronicles the life and career of the legendary civil rights activist and Democratic Representative from Georgia. Using interviews and rare archival footage, JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE chronicles John Robert Lewis’ 60-plus years of social activism and legislative action on civil rights, voting rights, gun control, health-care reform and immigration. Using present-day interviews with Lewis, now 80 years old, Porter explores his childhood experiences, his inspiring family and his fateful meeting with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1957. In addition to her interviews with Lewis and his family, Porter’s primarily cinéma verité film also includes interviews with political leaders, Congressional colleagues, and other people who figure prominently in his life.

Monday August 3, 2020 6:30pm - 8:00pm EDT
NAACP Online

3:00pm EDT

Swim (Short Film)

A young athlete must decide whether her dream to win an athletic scholarship is really her own.

Director: Enrique Unzueta
Writer: Alicia Carroll
Creative Executive: Sydney Lowe
Producer: Steve Kim
Producer: Gia Rigoli
Cinematograher: Andrea González Mereles
Editor: Christine McAuliffe

Sponsors

Film Independent

Tuesday August 4, 2020 3:00pm - 3:15pm EDT
NAACP Online

3:00pm EDT

ESPN's Undefeated - Time for Change: We Won't Be Defeated

Screening, Civic Engagement; Sports & Entertainment

An ESPN Primetime Special, Time for Change: We won’t Be Defeated, explores black athletes’ experiences with injustice and the unifying role that sports continues to play in bridging the divide between law enforcement and people of color in America. SportsCenter anchors Elle Duncan, Michael Eaves and Jay Harris are joined by ESPN college sports reporter and NBA studio host Maria Taylor to host the show. Time for Change features a series of roundtable discussions with athletes and other leading voices in sports and culture.

Speakers

Elle Duncan

SportsCenter Anchor, ESPN

Television sports veteran Elle Duncan joined ESPN as an anchor for SportsCenter, the network’s signature news and information program in May of 2016. In February 2020, she began hosting the noon edition alongside co-anchor Matt Barrie. In the fall of 2019, she also began co-hosting... Read More →

Michael Eaves

SportsCenter Anchor, ESPN

Michael Eaves joined ESPN in May 2015 as a studio anchor following more than two decades of journalism experience in television and radio. He is most often seen anchoring nighttime editions of SportsCenter from the studio but has also anchored from the road at the Masters and other... Read More →

Jay Harris

SportsCenter Anchor, ESPN

Jay Harris joined ESPN in February 2003 as a SportsCenter anchor, and is most often seen as anchor of the Saturday and Sunday morning editions of the program. Harris also often anchors the Monday edition of SportsCenter at noon ET, especially during the NFL season.Harris came... Read More →

Maria Taylor

College Sports Host & Reporter, NBA Countdown Host, ESPN

Maria Taylor joined ESPN as a college analyst & reporter in 2014. One of the network’s most versatile commentators, Taylor was named a reporter for College GameDay Built by Home Depot and ABC Saturday Night Football in 2017. She added NBA Countdown hosting duties to her roster... Read More →

Sponsors

ESPN

The Walt Disney Company

Tuesday August 4, 2020 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
NAACP Online

4:00pm EDT

A Conversation with Content Creators: Sports & Activism

The platforms of athletic competition are typically recognized as even playing fields, where outcomes are determined by effort and rewards are earned through merit. For African Americans, the road to fairness in sports has been a meandering journey, and for many who persevere, a deeper calling often leads to an even greater struggle.

How can the African American athlete utilize the prominence of their sport to advance the cause of their people? How can storytellers employ the power of media to highlight the emergence and advocacy of African American athletes who contribute their voices and influence to causes of activism?

A Conversation with Content Creators: Sports & Activism will be a discussion with a few content creators and providers who have illuminated the growing numbers of athlete activists in film and television programs.

Speakers

Rob Hardy

Director, "All American"

Jamal Henderson

President, Springhill Entertainment

Jamal Henderson is the President of SpringHill Entertainment. In his role, Henderson oversees the development and production of original content for television and film. Since joining in 2015, Hendersonhas successfully led the charge in setting up films Space Jam (Warner Bros.) and... Read More →

Kyle Bowser

NAACP Hollywood Bureau

For nearly three decades, Kyle Bowser has worked as an entertainment industry executive.His experience spans theareas of film, television, music, theater, radio, and new media. Thisvocational variety has provided him with unique insight into the intersecting parameters of thearts... Read More →

Tuesday August 4, 2020 4:00pm - 4:30pm EDT
NAACP Online

4:30pm EDT

A Most Beautiful Thing Documentary Screening w/Q&A (Live)

Screening, Civic Engagement Health; Economics; Sports & Entertainment

Called one of the best documentaries to unveil at South by Southwest by Brian Tallerico of Roger Ebert, A MOST BEAUTIFUL THING, narrated by the Academy-Award/Grammy-winning artist, Common; executive-produced by NBA Stars Grant Hill and Dwyane Wade along with Grammy-award winning producer 9th Wonder; and directed by award-winning filmmaker (and Olympic rower) Mary Mazzio, chronicles the first African American high school rowing team in this country (made up of young men, many of whom were in rival gangs from the West Side of Chicago), all coming together to row in the same boat. An amazing story.

A MOST BEAUTIFUL THING explores not only the safety these young men found on the water (where, as the captain reflected, “we were in a place where we could not hear the sound of sirens”), but the trauma of violence and cyclical poverty, examining how these young men were able to support each other in reimagining a different future for themselves, and how rowing and the water provided the backdrop for that opportunity. These young men came together, after 20 years out of the boat, to race this past summer, not only to celebrate the team’s founding, but the fact that they are still alive. This is their story.

Moderators

Marvin Owens

Deputy Chief Development Officer/Sr. Director of Corp. Affairs and the Senior Director of Economic Programs, NAACP

Marvin J. Owens, Jr. serves as the Deputy Chief Development Officer/Sr. Director of Corp. Affairs and the Senior Director of Economic Programs for the NAACP. In this role, Mr Owens is responsible for the NAACP's national Economic Inclusion agenda which includes Asset and Wealth Creation... Read More →

Speakers

Grant Hill

Executive Producer, "A Most Beautiful Thing"

A seven-time NBA All-Star and recent Hall of Fame inductee, Grant Hill is a household name across the country. Now retired from basketball, Grant is an owner of the Atlanta Hawks. He continues to excel off the court - from sports broadcasting, to real estate, to founding a private... Read More →

9th Wonder

Music Producer, "A Most Beautiful Thing"

Patrick Douthit, known professionally at 9th Wonder, is a Grammy Award-winning producer who has worked with Mary J. Blige, Destiny’s Child, Kendrick Lamar, and Jay-Z, among many others. The focus of two documentary films, 9th Wonder has long been acknowledged for his cultural impact... Read More →

Mary Mazzio

Director/Producer/Writer, "A Most Beautiful Thing"

In all of her films, Mary Mazzio (an Olympian and recovering lawyer), explores the concept of overcoming obstacles, whether it is a fight for social change (A Hero for Daisy, I Am Jane Doe), or issues of poverty and lack of opportunity (Ten9Eight, The Apple Pushers, Underwater Dreams... Read More →

Arshay Cooper

"A Most Beautiful Thing"

Arshay Cooper grew up on the West Side of Chicago. In 1997, he joined (and later became captain of) the first African American high school rowing team. After dedicating two years of his life to AmeriCorps and then attending Le Cordon Bleu, Cooper returned to his true passion: working... Read More →

Tuesday August 4, 2020 4:30pm - 6:30pm EDT
NAACP Online

4:30pm EDT

Woke (Pilot)

Screening, Civic Engagement; Arts & Entertainment

Inspired by the life and work of artist Keith Knight, comedy series Woke takes an absurdly irreverent look at identity and culture as it follows Keef (played by Lamorne Morris), an African-American cartoonist finally on the verge of mainstream success when an unexpected incident changes everything. With a fresh outlook on the world around him, Keef must now navigate the new voices and ideas that confront and challenge him, all without setting aflame everything he’s already built. The series stars Morris, T. Murph and Blake Anderson.

Woke is developed by Marshall Todd and Keith Knight. The co-creators serve as executive producers alongside showrunner Jay Dyer, Maurice “Mo” Marable, Aeysha Carr, Richie Schwartz, John Will, Will Gluck, and Eric Christian Olsen. Kate Schumaecker will serve as executive producer on the pilot. The comedy is a co-production between ABC Studios and Sony Pictures Television Inc.

Moderators

Tiffany Dena Loftin

National Director, Youth & College, NAACP

Tiffany Dena Loftin serves as the National Director for the Youth and College Division at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Her mission, is to train, organize and uplift young Black leaders everywhere who fight for the racial, social, and economic... Read More →

Speakers

Lamorne Morris

Actor (Keef), "Woke"

Lamorne Morris (“Keef”) was tapped as the lead of the hybrid live-action/animated Hulu series Woke, inspired by the life and art of cartoonist Keith Knight. Morris most recently appeared in the Netflix comedy film DESPERADOS alongside Anna Camp, Robbie Amell, Nasim Padrad and... Read More →

Keith Knight

Co-Creator/Executive Producer, "Woke"

Keith Knight is an award-winning cartoonist whose “Knight Life Chronicles,” and “(th)ink” strips ran for more than a decade in such newspapers as the Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle and the Boston Herald. Knight’s funny yet hard-hitting cartoons fuel a comic... Read More →

Marshall Todd

Co-Creator/Executive Producer, "Woke"

Marshall Todd currently serves as Executive Producer and co-creator of the Hulu series Woke.Todd’s big break came after the sale of his screenplay TWILIGHT'S LAST FADING (aka ONE NATION) to producers Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich. Since then Todd has become a highly sought-after... Read More →

Maurice “Mo” Marable

Executive Producer/Director, "Woke"

Maurice “Mo” Marable is an experienced Emmy® nominated producer and director. Marable most recently executive produced and directed the entire last three seasons of IFC’s Brookmire with Hank Azaria. He spent several years working as HBO’s in-house Creative Director where... Read More →

Jay Dyer

Executive Producer / Showrunner, "Woke"

Jay Dyer began his career as a development executive at Walt Disney Feature Animation, where he helped shepherd multiple projects to the screen and stage. Dyer has written for numerous television series, including Californication, Half and Half, Andy Richter Controls the Universe... Read More →

Sponsors

Hulu

Wednesday August 5, 2020 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
NAACP Online

5:30pm EDT

It’s Not All Black and White (Short Film)

In Glastonbury, CT, thousands of people joined forces to participate in a Black Lives Matter march organized by several of the town’s high school alumni. The peaceful protest not only empowered many to rise up in the Black Lives Matter movement, but it also taught them about the strength and effortlessness of love. The march allowed people to fully understand that the color of one’s skin does not determine the true colors that shine from within. In other words, everything is not always black and white.

Artists

Erin Cabana

Filmmaker

Erin Cabana is a determined, passionate seventeen year old student who believes no dream is too big. From creating the first ever sports show at Glastonbury High School, to being a sports intern at Trinity College, her aspirations to be a female sports reporter on ESPN have already... Read More →

Wednesday August 5, 2020 5:30pm - 5:35pm EDT
NAACP Online

5:30pm EDT

The Good Lord Bird (Clips & Conversation)

Clips & Conversation, Civic Engagement; Arts & Entertainment

THE GOOD LORD BIRD, a new limited series starring Ethan Hawke as abolitionist John Brown, will premiere this fall on SHOWTIME. The series is told from the point of view of Onion (Joshua Caleb Johnson), a fictional enslaved boy who becomes a member of Brown’s motley family of abolitionist soldiers during Bleeding Kansas – a time when the state was a battleground between pro- and anti-slavery forces – and eventually finds himself participating in the famous 1859 raid on the. U.S. Armory at Harpers Ferry. Brown’s raid failed to initiate the slave revolt he intended, but was an event that hastened the Civil War.

THE GOOD LORD BIRD weaves a humorous, dramatic and historical tapestry of Antebellum America, spotlighting the complicated and ever-changing racial, religious and gender roles that make up the American identity.

THE GOOD LORD BIRD also stars Ellar Coltrane, Nick Eversman, Beau Knapp, Mo Brings Plenty, Jack Alcott, Mo Brings Plenty, Jack Alcott and Hubert Point-Du Jour. It also features a roster of talented guest stars including Daveed Diggs as abolitionist Frederick Douglass, David Morse as Dutch Henry Sherman, and Steve Zahn as Chase.

Moderators

Regina Robertson

REGINA R. ROBERTSON is an award-winning author, journalist, editor and dreamer.In March 2006, five years after declaring herself a freelance writer on her tax return, Robertson was named west coast editor of Essence magazine. Along with writing cover and feature stories, representing... Read More →

Speakers

Ethan Hawke

Actor (James Brown), "The Good Lord Bird"

“Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,” is a phrase a young ETHAN HAWKE took to heart while filming Dead Poets Society, the Academy Award winning drama that launched his career as an actor. Thirty years and several Tony® and Oscar®nominations later, he has emerged a multifaceted... Read More →

Joshua Caleb Johnson

Actor (Henry “Onion” Shackleford), "The Good Lord Bird"

JOSHUA CALEB JOHNSON is currently recurring on Black-ish. He starred in the independent feature It’s Just a Gun (awarded the Narrative Silver Medal at the 43rd Student Academy Awards). Johnson Joshua co-starred in the feature Ray Meets Helen opposite Keith David, Keith Carradine... Read More →

Daveed Diggs

Actor

Tony and Grammy Award winning actor, rapper and producer Daveed Diggs is widely known for originating the dual roles of Thomas Jefferson and Marquis de Lafayette in the Broadway sensation, HAMILTON.Diggs can now be seen starring in TNT’s futuristic thriller series, “Snowpiercer... Read More →

James McBride

Executive Producer, "The Good Lord Bird"

James McBride is an accomplished musician and author whose books have been translated into 19 languages and sold millions of copies around the world. He is the author of the National Book Award-winning and New York Times-bestselling The Good Lord Bird; the bestselling American... Read More →

Wednesday August 5, 2020 5:30pm - 6:30pm EDT
NAACP Online

6:30pm EDT

Black Lives Matter by Bebe Winans

Artists

Bebe Winans

Artist/Singer/Songwriter

Benjamin, "BeBe" Winans, the six-time Grammy Award winner, is the seventh child and youngest male of the Detroit based first family of gospel music. BeBe is best known as an inspirational, R&B, and popular vocalist/songwriter, who along with his musical partner and sister CeCe Winans... Read More →

Wednesday August 5, 2020 6:30pm - 6:36pm EDT
NAACP Online

Performance, Arts & Entertainment

3:00pm EDT

It’s Not All Black and White (Short Film)

Artists

Erin Cabana

Filmmaker

Thursday August 6, 2020 3:00pm - 3:04pm EDT
NAACP Online

3:00pm EDT

"The Proud Family" Reunion

Nearly two decades after its Disney Channel debut, “The Proud Family” is coming back in an all new revival now in production for Disney+. Join the cast and creative team from the groundbreaking animated series for a look back and a taste of what’s to come in the upcoming Disney+ Original “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.”

"The Proud Family" stars Kyla Pratt (Penny Proud), Tommy Davidson (Oscar Proud), Paula Jai Parker (Trudy Proud), Jo Marie Payton(Suga Mama) and Cedric the Entertainer (Uncle Bobby), reunite with creator/executive producer Bruce Smith and executive producer Ralph Farquhar to reminisce about the groundbreaking animated series 18 years after its Disney Channel premiere and introduce the upcoming revival "The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder" on Disney+ along with moderator and super-fan Keke Palmer.

Moderators

Keke Palmer

"Maya", "The Proud Family"

Speakers

Kyla Pratt

"Penny Proud", "The Proud Family"

Cedric The Entertainer

"Uncle Bobby", "The Proud Family"

Actor and comedian Cedric "The Entertainer" reprises his role as Uncle Bobby in Disney+'s "The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder," the long-anticipated revival of the groundbreaking animated series "The Proud Family." Cedric is simultaneously starring in and executive-producing the... Read More →

JoMarie Payton

"Suga Mama", "The Proud Family"

Actress and singer Jo Marie Payton reprises her role as Suga Mama in Disney+'s "The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder," the long-anticipated revival of the groundbreaking animated series "The Proud Family." Best known for her role as Harriette on the hit series "Family Matters," Payton's... Read More →

Tommy Davidson

"Oscar Proud", "The Proud Family"

Actor and comedian Tommy Davidson reprises his role as Proud patriarch Oscar Proud in Disney+'s "The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder," the long-anticipated revival of the groundbreaking animated series "The Proud Family." Best known for his comedic talents as a cast member on the... Read More →

Paula Jai Parker

"Trudy Proud", "The Proud Family"

Actress, comedian and singer-songwriter Paula Jai Parker reprises her role as Proud matriarch Trudy Proud in Disney+'s "The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder," the long-anticipated revival of the groundbreaking animated series "The Proud Family." Parker's television credits include... Read More →

Bruce Smith

Creator/Executive Producer, The Proud Family

Academy Award winner Bruce W. Smith is creator and executive producer of Disney+'s "The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder," the long-anticipated revival of the groundbreaking animated series "The Proud Family."An accomplished director, producer and animator, Smith has been part of... Read More →

Ralph Farquhar

Executive Producer, "The Proud Family"

Sponsors

Disney+

The Walt Disney Company

Thursday August 6, 2020 3:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
NAACP Online

Screening, Arts & Entertainment

3:30pm EDT

"Maurice Hines | Bring Them Back" (Clips & Conversation)

Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back is an intimate portrait of the charismatic song-and-dance man from his tap-dancing childhood to today. Hosted by Hines and his adoring dancer/director friends Debbie Allen and Charles Randolph Wright, this clips and conversation session explores a seven-decade career, including Broadway shows, a co-starring role in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Cotton Club, and a loving yet complex relationship with Maurice’s superstar brother, the late Gregory Hines. Ever battling the challenges of being a gay, black man in show biz, Maurice shares his story with humor and grace.

Speakers

Maurice Hines

"Maurice Hines | Bring Them Back"

Debbie Allen

"Maurice Hines | Bring Them Back"

Charles Randolph Wright

"Maurice Hines | Bring Them Back"

Thursday August 6, 2020 3:30pm - 4:00pm EDT
NAACP Online

4:00pm EDT

The Mud (Short Film)

A dancing man of clay tries to escape his identity only to later realize its true beauty.

Writer/Director/Animator: Brandon Omari Lake
Producer: Valerie Castillo Martinez
Producer: Carolyn Mao
Cinematographer: Farhad Ahmed Dehlvi
Editor: Brandon Omari Lake and Emily Chiu

Sponsors

Film Independent

Thursday August 6, 2020 4:00pm - 4:07pm EDT
NAACP Online

4:00pm EDT

Creating the "SOUL" of Joe Gardner

Join filmmakers from Pixar Animation Studios as they discuss Disney and Pixar’s SOUL, including the main character, Joe Gardner (voiceof Jamie Foxx). This includes the responsibilities they assumed to ensure authentic representations of diversity in New York City and how they also created a fantastical world we have never seen –The Great Before. In addition, meet some of the cultural consultants who helped bring Joe and his community to life.

Moderators

Kyle Bowser

NAACP Hollywood Bureau

Speakers

Pete Docter

Director, Disney & Pixar’s “Soul"

PETE DOCTER (Director/Story by/Screenplay by) is the Oscar®-winning director of “Monsters, Inc.,” “Up” and “Inside Out,” and chief creative officer at Pixar Animation Studios. Starting at Pixar in 1990 as the studio’s third animator, Docter collaborated and helped develop... Read More →

Kemp Powers

Co-Director, Disney & Pixar’s “Soul"

KEMP POWERS (Co-Director/Story by/Screenplay by) is an award-winning playwright, television and film screenwriter and journalist. His play “One Night in Miami...” received three LA Drama Critics Circle Awards and four NAACP Theatre Awards. He adapted it into a feature film, which... Read More →

Dana Murray

Producer, Disney & Pixar’s “Soul"

DANA MURRAY, Producer p.g.a joined Pixar Animation Studios in June 2001 as a production assistant on “Finding Nemo.” She has worked on several short films and held various department manager positions on the Academy Award®-winning feature films “Ratatouille,” “Up” and... Read More →

Kiri Hart

Executive Producer, Disney & Pixar’s “Soul"

KIRI HART joined Pixar Animation Studios as a creative consultant in January 2019. She is currently the executive producer and a creative consultant on Disney and Pixar’s feature film “Soul.” Prior to Pixar, Hart was the Senior Vice President of Development at Lucasfilm for... Read More →

Daveed Diggs

Actor

Sponsors

The Walt Disney Company

Thursday August 6, 2020 4:00pm - 4:45pm EDT
NAACP Online

Program, Arts & Entertainment

4:45pm EDT

Counter (Short Film)

A battle of the wills ensues in a small-town diner when the waitress refuses to serve a patron.

Director: Nicholas Bouier
Writer: Q. Terah Jackson
Producer: Elliott Williams
Cinematographer: Alan John Torres
Editor: Fernando Viquez

Sponsors

Film Independent

Thursday August 6, 2020 4:45pm - 4:56pm EDT
NAACP Online

5:00pm EDT

A Conversation with Dario Calmese: Exploration of Black Imagination hosted by Nischelle Turner

Dario Calmese is a multidisciplined creative who recently made history as the first Black photographer to shoot a cover of Vanity Fair magazine. However, his work extends far beyond fashion and photography. An artist, writer, director and storyteller – Dario is also the creator and host of the Institute of Black Imagination podcast.

A Conversation with Dario Calmese: Exploration of Black Imagination reveals the inspiration behind Dario’s work as a photographer and beyond as well as his philosophy around Black Imagination – and what it means to our future.

Speakers

Dario Calmese

Sitting at the nexus of art, fashion, and academia, Dario is an artist, writer, director, and brand consultant currently based in New York City. He received his master’s in photography from the School of Visual Arts and his bachelor's in psychology at Rockhurst University in Kansas... Read More →

Nischelle Turner

ACE Festival Host, "Entertainment Tonight"

Thursday August 6, 2020 5:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
NAACP Online

Program, Arts & Entertainment

6:00pm EDT

A Musical Medley by Tim Wortham

Artists

Tim Wortham

Artist/Singer/Songwriter

Raised in Philadelphia, Tim Wortham was born the same day his mother sang in the church choir, so it should be no surprise that he gravitated toward music. Tim's passion for the arts was identified early, as he was cast in numerous musical productions during elementary school. He... Read More →

Thursday August 6, 2020 6:00pm - 6:05pm EDT
NAACP Online

Performance, Arts & Entertainment

6:00pm EDT

"Genius - Aretha" (Clips & Conversation)

“Genius” is an Emmy-winning anthology series that dramatizes the fascinating stories of the world’s most brilliant innovators, exploring their extraordinary achievements along with their volatile, passionate and complex personal relationships. The third season will explore Aretha Franklin’s musical genius, incomparable career and the immeasurable impact and lasting influence she has had on music and culture around the world.

Franklin was a gospel sensation, outspoken civil rights champion and one of the most gifted singers of her generation. She will be portrayed by Oscar-nominated Cynthia Erivo (“Harriet,” “The Color Purple”) and Emmy-winning Courtney B. Vance will play Aretha’s father, C.L. Franklin.

Our acclaimed panelists will explore the craft and care that goes into honoring her legacy and bringing her story to life. And in these days of social unrest, how do they, as creatives, amplify this in their own storytelling?

Moderators

Gia Peppers

Moderator

Gia Peppers is a multi-talented entertainment journalist and on-air talent from Washington, DC. At 26, the budding media phenom has worked on-camera and behind the scenes with BET, the NBA, Essence Magazine, Billboard, Complex, Hot 97 and more – usually at the very same time. When... Read More →

Speakers

Suzan-Lori Parks

Executive Producer/Showrunner, “Genius: Aretha"

Tony Award-winning Parks is the first African American woman to receive a Pulitzer Prize in Drama, for the 2001 play “Topdog/Underdog.” The distinguished author was named among Time magazine’s “100 Innovators for the Next Wave” and is a MacArthur “Genius” Grant recipient... Read More →

Anthony Hemingway

Executive Producer/Producing Director, “Genius: Aretha”

Prolific producer and director Anthony Hemingway will serve as an executive producer and producing director of the upcoming season of GENIUS: ARETHA. Hemingway directed and executive produced “Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G.,” “The People v. O.J. Simpson... Read More →

Jennifer Bryan

Costume Designer, "Genius: Aretha"

Jennifer Bryan has been bringing her talents to the film and television arts.Growing up in Jamaica, she was drawn to the history of clothing, style, fashion and design. Her passions brought her to New York’s FIT and Pratt Institute, in Brooklyn, where she earned her degree in fashion... Read More →

Dondracio Johnson

Creative Director, Choreographer, Actor and Dancer, “Genius: Aretha”

Dondraico Johnson has inspired and collaborated with many of the entertainment industry’s top influential performing artists. Being no stranger to performing in front of the camera, he set his sights to choreography and creative direction. His expertise has afforded him the opportunity... Read More →

Tim Galvin

Production Designer, "Genius: Aretha"

Tim trained as a stage designer and worked in New York theatre before moving into film. He has served as the Production Designer, Art Director or Set Designer for more than forty feature films or television shows.Tim’s film production designs include David Mamet’s mystery “The... Read More →

Sponsors

National Geographic

The Walt Disney Company

Thursday August 6, 2020 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
NAACP Online