In honor of Black History Month, the Syracuse International Film Festival will be hosting its first-ever Honoring Outstanding Black Filmmakers event on Feb. 24, 2-7 p.m. at the Buried Acorn Restaurant & Brewery in Syracuse. The event will showcase four fantastic films created by Black filmmakers centering around the Black experience globally. It will conclude by honoring a local filmmaker Eric Jackson.
The first portion of the program will take place from 2-4:15 p.m. and features two documentaries.
“Guardians of the Flame” is centered around the multi-talented Harrison family of New Orleans who guard their legacy and define what Black masking culture means in the city today. Filmed over the course of 15 years, the documentary follows the family’s fight to recover from Hurricane Katrina and a history of cultural suppression, and introduces viewers to the family’s matriarch, Herreast Harrison, and her four talented children.
“If A Flower Bloomed” showcases the daily lives of Kenyan students and the challenges they face, as well as the origin story of a non-profit organization that helps children. The film features moving testimonies from past beneficiaries, highlighting the profound impact of education and hope on young lives.
The second portion of the program will take place 4:30-6:30 p.m. and features two films.
“The Poison Garden” a short film that features three true stories of acts of racial terrorism that occurred in and out of South Florida’s courts in the 1930s and draws parallels to the problems of law enforcement today.
“Kikum Spirit” is a narrative feature that tells the story of Fonyuy, who takes gifts from two explorers and sends his son Mumu to learn about their land. When Mumu does not return, the truth about the explorers’ initial visit and intentions is revealed, sparking a battle to preserve the village’s sovereignty and survival that spans centuries.
The fifth and final film to be screened is “Karen” at 6:30 p.m. It is a five-minute short film about the consequences of a white woman who calls the police on an unfamiliar man in her neighborhood. Shot during the pandemic, it examines white privilege in the context of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The event will conclude at 7 p.m. with honoring local filmmaker Eric Jackson. He is CEO and Co-Founder of Black Cub Productions, an independent communications agency based in Syracuse that aims to “give a platform for underrepresented cultures” and “be a safe space that is built for people to be expressive through art and storytelling.”
The Buried Acorn Restaurant & Brewery is located at 881 Van Rensselaer St, Syracuse, NY 13204.
Tickets are available on Eventbrite for $8 each or $20 for a family 4-pack. For questions, please contact the Executive Director, Michelle DiBernardo, at [email protected].
