Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, November 11, 2009, Page 8, Image 8

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    Vk Career Education
PageA S
■ ^ S P E C I A L
Happy 21 st
Birthday
November II, 2009
E D IT IO N '
IMIIIMNHIM
Spinning Straw into Gold
Shay Washington
from your family
and friends
Tears of Joy
presents
German tale
Happy
^Birthday
Gaelan
What does a girl do when
faced with the impossible? She
spins straw into gold.
Tears of Joy Theatre presents
Rumpelstiltskin, a sparkling ad­
aptation of the classic German
tale by the Brothers Grimm.
In the original tale, the cen­
tral female figure is not even
given a name. The heroine is
this production not only has a
name, Lola, but also manages
9 years old on
November 14
from the Booker Family
The ones who love you.
to solve her own problems. The
songs and magic of this time­
less story will delight and en­
thrall audiences of all ages.
S h o w s b e g in T h u rsd a y ,
Nov. 12 and continue through
Nov. 29 at W inningstad T he­
atre, 1111 S.W. Broadw ay.
Puppet making activities will
be available before all Satur­
day an d S u n d a y p e r f o r ­
mances. Showtim es on Satur­
days are at 11 a.m. and Sun­
days at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Tickets are $14 for children
and $16 adults, plus service
charges. For more information,
photo by E mily A lexander call 360-695-3050 or 503-248-
0557 or visit tojt.org.
Kathleen "Kat" Reid is giving Rumpelstiltskin a new spin.
In Focus: Blacks and the Film Industry
continued ^ ^ fr o m Front
Since 1984,
we have
been playing
the great
sounds of
jazz & blues
music!
film that I've liked.”
Columbia University School
of the Arts faculty member and
Screen Writer Trey Ellis seems
to agree.
“L ike every m iddle-class
black person I have ever spo­
ken with, I have a problem with
Tyler Perry’s overly simplistic
aesthetics.”
Craig, takes a slightly differ­
ent stand. He believes Perry
must be doing something right,
as he is garnering the funds
needed to produce his films.
“You’re not going to satisfy
everybody,” he said.
Remarks such as these left me
wondering where the state of
black film currently lays.
Portland State U niversity
Black Studies Professor, David
Millner stated, “What 1 see is
black film going backwards.”
A ccording to M illner, the
most successful participants of
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African
American
films from
the 1920s
to 1980s
speak to
life in
America.
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this arena are throw backs to
the once imposed typecasts of
blacks, which they are now at­
taching to themselves and thus
preserving those negative ste­
reotypes and experiences.
The roles these thespians
take on are “not solely for a
personal destiny, but also a ra­
cial context," continued Millner.
“ [If sj not a [credit or dis­
credit) to their own success, but
to the legacy of how blacks
have been [treated] in this in­
dustry.”
Craig gives the state of black
cinema an 8 out of 10. But urges
“ th ere sh o u ld be m ore
mentoring going on.”
W alker has w orked exten­
siv ely w ith the W illam ette
Week, and produced a number
o f independent film s, w hile
Craig has produced television
commercials for the state of Or­
egon, his own films, as well as
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Friday to Saturday 9am - 2am
Sunday 9am - 1pm
Happy Hour Monday - Friday 4pm - 7pm
Weekend Breakfast Friday - Saturday - Sunday 9am-2pm
New Menu - Daily Lunch Specials:
Catfish • Shrimp • Tilapia • Oysters • Chicken Wing Baskets
Friday & Saturday $3.00 cover charge - Free before 9pm
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Dress Code Enforced:
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Coming Soon: Live hands, pool tourna­
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»1 annual Astoria International
the
Film Festival and Portland Afri­
can American Film Festival,
h o ste d by M cM en am in s,
which will have its inaugural
kick off this weekend.
The Nov. 13-15 festival will
showcase films from the 20’s
through the 80’s. Films such as
Guess W ho’s Coming to Din­
ner, Do the Right Thing, Super
Fly, and Imitation of Life. The
festival will also host a forum
on the 14th to provide insight
on what it takes to be in this
business.
“[The festival will be) both
entertainment and education,"
said Craig.
To further encourage African-
Americans in the film industry,
the Oregon Arts Commission
(O A C ) sponsor the O regon
M edia Arts Fellowship grant
p rogram , o ffe rin g m ultiple
g ra n ts such as sta rtu p and
completion grants, and a cash
rebate incentive program to en­
courage film production and the
arts in Oregon.
“We are not at liberty to tar­
get any one particular [group
within this] industry,” stated
Vince Porter, OAC executive di­
rector.
“It’s entirely a first come, first
served [basis].”
While they are unable to mar­
ket sp ecifically to any one
group classification, with new
grant opportunities coming in
January, African Americans are
encouraged to apply and pay
interest in the commission and
their offerings.
So, since the emergence of
black film, some well and not so
well-crafted black movies have
been birthed. But despite the
quality and maybe even ques­
tionable content and humor, as
individuals, we like what we like.
And any opportunity I get to
sit dow n and enjoy a good
movie, heck, just to sit down, I
relish the moment. And it is es­
pecially poignant when I am able
to see a reflection of myself on
that screen.