21st Annual African-American Film Marketplace and S.E. Manly Short Film Showcase to Feature Gina Prince-Bythewood & Michael Schultz

(Hollywood, CA) – The Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center (BHERC) hosts its 21st Annual African American Film Marketplace and S.E. Manly Short Film Showcase January 16-18, 2015 at Raleigh Studios, 5300 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, California 90038.
Presenting 52 short films, youth films, documentaries and animated shorts, featuring over 45 Filmmakers from all over the country, Q&A after selected blocks of films, and an evening with famed director Michael Schultz and special surprise guest filmmakers.

On Friday, January 16, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. at the Opening Night Reception, BHERC will host a conversation with Schultz as it presents the best BHERC independent short filmmakers of 2014.
Schultz, an alumni of Princeton University, the Negro Ensemble Company, and an inductee into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame, is best known for his direction of “Cooley High,” “Car Wash” and “Which Way Is Up?”, and most recently “Woman Thou Art Loosed.”  Some of his episodic television direction includes “Arrow,” “Single Ladies” and “Black-ish” to name a few.
Gina Prince-Bythewood (Writer/Producer/Director) wrote and directed the widely-acclaimed feature film “Love & Basketball,”  which premiered at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. Prince-Bythewood won an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay and a Humanitas Prize for her work on the film.
She followed that success with the HBO film “Disappearing Acts.”  In 2008, she wrote and directed the celebrated adaptation of the best-selling novel, “The Secret Life of Bees.” The all-star cast included Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah, Paul Bettany, Jennifer Hudson, Sophie Okonedo and Alicia Keys. The film won two People’s Choice Awards and two NAACP Image Awards.
Her third feature, “Beyond the Lights,” was released on Nov. 14, 2014. The love story set in the music world, stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Nate Parker, Minnie Driver and Danny Glover. It received rave reviews and landed on a number of top critics Best of 2014 lists.
Prince-Bythewood studied at UCLA Film School, where she received the Gene Reynolds Scholarship for Directing and the Ray Stark Memorial Scholarship for Outstanding Undergraduate.  Upon her graduation, she was hired as a writer on the television series “A Different World.”  She continued to write and produce for network television on series such as “Felicity,” “South Central,” and “Sweet Justice”  before making the transition to directing.
Her television directorial debut was the CBS Schoolbreak Special “What About Your Friends,” which won Prince-Bythewood an NACCP Image Award for Best Children’s Special and two Emmy nominations for writing and directing.  She also won a Community Service Emmy for her work with the “Rap-It-Up” campaign.
Prince-Bythewood obtained her first feature film producer credit in 2003 on “Biker Boyz,” a Dreamworks film which was co-written and directed by her husband, Reggie Rock Bythewood.  She is proud to fund an annual scholarship for African American students in UCLA’s film program.
On Saturday, January 17, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. to noon, founder, Sandra Evers-Manly is delighted to present the Annual Youth Diversity Film Festival showcasing the talents of young aspiring filmmakers who currently attend Washington Prep High School.  This portion of the Festival is Free to the Public for supporting our youth.
On Saturday, January 17 and Sunday, January 18, 2015 from 12:30 noon until 8:00 p.m. each day, the S.E. Manly Short Film Showcase will feature the artistry of emerging African American Filmmakers by screening short films.
The screenings will include blocks of short films with an extensive Q&A with directors, cast and crew immediately following.
The 21st Annual African American Film marketplace and S.E. Manly Short Film Showcase will close with a Soul Food & Film Reception at 9:00 p.m.  For a complete screening schedule, visit www.BHERC.org
Founded in 1996 by Sandra Evers-Manly, the Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center is a nonprofit, public benefit organization designed to advocate, educate, research, develop, and preserve the history and future of Blacks in film and television.  Through film festivals, award ceremonies, book signings, script readings, contests, scholarships, other programs and special events, BHERC recognizes the contributions of African-American men and women in front of and behind the scenes in the entertainment industry.
The costs include:  Opening Night Festivities $25; a Block of Films is $15; All-Day Pass $25; Closing Night Reception $25 (Soul Food & Film); and Weekend Pass (includes Opening Night, All Day Pass for films and Closing Night Reception) $100.
For complete information, please visit: www.BHERC.org  or call (310) 284-3170.
article via eurweb.com