SAVE THE DATE:
March on Washington Film Festival Returns to DC for Sixth Year
The festival features award-winning artists and activists to honor the untold stories and unsung heroes of the civil rights movement.
On July 12, the March on Washington Film Festival returns to Washington, D.C. for its sixth year. Founded in 2013 in Washington, DC to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, the Festival uses film screenings and the performing arts as a platform for discussions featuring filmmakers, academics, activists and artists to discuss the groundbreaking social engagement of the 1960s as well as the movement’s current work towards justice and equality.
The Festival’s opening weekend will kick-off on July 12 at Studio Theater with a tribute to Sonia Sanchez, where we’ll celebrate her pivotal role as a poet, playwright, teacher and activist and hear a spoken word performance by Amanda Gorman, National Youth Poet Laureate. On July 13 we’ll hold a special preview screening of the narrative film, A Boy. A Girl. A Dream: Love on Election Night and a discussion with the film’s director, Qasim Basir. Also that evening we’ll showcase the film In Her Footsteps – The Life and Legacy of Madam C.J. Walker, which will be followed by a riveting discussion with her biographer and descendant, A’Lelia Bundles, and the award-winning Hollywood hair designer for the blockbuster film Black Panther, Camille Friend.
The 2018 Festival will also present screenings of several acclaimed films from HollyShorts Films, an organization devoted to showcasing the best and brightest short films and filmmakers from around the globe. And we will present a group art exhibit from Black Art In America, curated by founder and visual artist, Najee Dorsey.
We’ll round out opening weekend with a screening of the Rise and Fall of the Brown Buffalo, which takes an innovative look into the life of radical Chicano lawyer, author and counter cultural icon, Oscar Zeta Acosta; and a profile of the long running TV show, Gospel Jubilee Showcase produced by Sid Ordower, with a panel including legendary composer, producer and musician Richard Smallwood.
The full schedule for the March on Washington Film Festival will be made available in the coming weeks.
WHAT: The 2018 March on Washington Film Festival
WHEN: July 12-21, 2018
Times vary depending on event. Full schedule will be made available in the coming weeks.
WHO: Select speakers include:
Amanda Gorman, National Youth Poet Laureate
Sonia Sanchez, poet, author and activist
Camille Friend, Hollywood film and television hair designer
Qasim Basir, director, A Boy. A Girl. A Dream: Love on Election Night
Richard Smallwood, gospel music producer, composer and performer
WHERE: Venues throughout Washington, D.C. include: Studio Theater, the Navy Memorial Heritage Center, the Washington National Cathedral, the National Museum for Women and the Arts, and the Holocaust Museum.
Contact: Ryan Daniels, rdaniels@rabengroup.com
The March on Washington Film Festival increases awareness of the untold events and unsung heroes of the Civil Rights Era and inspires renewed passion for activism. The Film Festival leverages the power of film, music, scholarship, and the arts to share these important stories. It was founded in 2013, on the 50th anniversary of the original March on Washington
