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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 7, 2015)
Entertainment Gil Robertson: African American Film Critics Show AAFCA Founder on the Organization’s Start and Progress Kam Williams: Why did you find it necessary to cre- ate the African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA)? Gil Robertson: AAFCA was started to address the need to advance diversity and inclusion in cinema, both in front and behind the camera. At the time the group was formed, I was a part of a very small commu- nity of black journalists who had relative good access to film properties and the talent starring in them. It was an extremely hard network to crack, but C ELEBRITY I NTERVIEW by Kam Williams part of this network each had our grievances about the studio system. First, there was a double standard at play with regards to black talent, unless they were A- list stars, who were seldom, if ever, invited to participate sible challenge to gain access to the elite ranks of film journalists. There was a need for advocacy on both sides of the table, and so the creation of AAFCA was essential to address these issues. KW: How has the organi- zation expanded over the years? GR: It’s been a long walk, but we’ve been steady in At the time the group was formed, I was a part of a very small community of black journalists who had relative good access to film properties and the talent starring in them. It was an extremely hard network to crack the access proved valuable in offering us a platform as entertainment journalists. It was a very small network and those of us who were in promotional activities except for “black-themed” movies. Secondly, next- generation black journalists were given a nearly impos- building relationships and infrastructure. We’ve estab- lished alliances with the Screen Actors Guild, the Writers Guild and the We honor the many accomplishments of African Americans. It is our primary goal as a labor union to better the lives of all people working in the building trades through advocacy, civil demonstration, and the long-held belief that work- ers deserve a "family wage" - fair pay for an honest day's work. A family wage, and the benefits that go with it, not only strength- ens families, but also allows our communities to become stronger, more cohesive, and more responsive to their citizens' needs. Our family wage agenda reflects our commitment to people working in the building trades, and to workers everywhere. In this small way, we are doing our part to help people achieve the American Dream. This dream that workers can hold dear regard- less of race, color, national origin, gender, creed, or religious beliefs. The Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters Representing more than 5.000 construction workers in Oregon State. Do you want to know more about becoming a Union carpenter? African-American Steering Committee at DGA. Over the years, AAFCA has been instrumental in getting our members placed on influen- tial Voting Blocs for the NAACP Image Awards and the BET Awards. We’ve also expanded our network of partners on the film festi- val circuit through the creation of partnerships with film events in Boston, Atlanta, Dallas, Nashville, Seattle and Los Angeles. KW: How did the AAFCA Awards come about? GR: One of the most vis- ible activities executed by film critics groups is announcing their annual year-end lists of their Top 10 films and other awards in high profile categories. From day one, AAFCA’s leadership wanted to for- mally present our annual awards list via a live event. In 2009, that idea came to fruition with an event held at the Ebony Theatre in LA. Since then, we’ve estab- lished the show, which now includes a full dinner, as an activity with a growing presence on the Hollywood Awards Calendar. The AAFCA Awards regularly attracts key A-list talent like Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, John Singleton, Paula Patton, Forrest Whitaker and other notable in front and through the executive ranks in Holly- wood. It’s been enormously hard work, but we’re getting it done. KW: What can we expect at this year’s show? GR: The AAFCA Awards is a really great event. We call it “A Special Evening in Cinema,” because it actual- ly is. It’s a dressy, red carpet ceremony that attracts the upper leadership ranks in Black Hollywood and also leading celebrity talent. The Gil Robertson program for our 6th annual live event will include spe- cial honors given to icons in the film community like producer Stephanie Allain [Hustle and Flow, Some- thing New and Dear White People] who is also the director of the LA Film Fes- tival; producer Debra Martin Chase who is responsible for a long list of films that includes The Cheetah Diaries, Sparkle and The Preacher’s Wife. Our other honorees are Franklin Leonard who is responsible for The Black List – a key indicator for which scripts will get the greenlit to go into produc- tion; Donna Langley, the Chair of Universal Pictures; and LA Times reporter Susan King. KW: What else is going with the organization? GR: We are always look- ing for new opportunities to expand AAFCA’s footprint in the marketplace. The AAFCA Screening Series was recently launched, con- ducting film screenings across America. More and more studios have also begun to license the KW: What are your plans for AAFCA in the future? GR: Television definitely. We are very close to finalize a partnership with a produc- ing partner to televise the AAFCA Awards. We are also very interested in creat- ing other special programs for TV audiences. The sky is literally the limit as far as opportunity and we plan to take it all the way. For more information about the African American Film Critics Association, visit www.aafca.com Movies continued from page 9 illustrates how it is never too late to reclaim one’s heritage. (In Hebrew, German and English with subtitles) Ode to My Father (Unrated) Coming-of- age saga revolving around a Korean War refugee’s (Jeong-min Hwang) attempt to provide for his mother (Young-nam Jang) and younger siblings as promised his dear- ly-departed dad. With Yunjin Kim, Dal-su Oh and Mi-ran Ra. (In Korean with subti- tles) Predestination (R for violence, profanity, nudity and sexuality) Ethan Hawke stars in this sci-fi thriller loosely based on “All You Zombies,” the Robert Heinlein short story about a bartender who travels back in time to thwart a terrorist attack. Support cast includes Noah Taylor, Sarah Snook and Elise Jansen. Page 10 The Portland and Seattle Skanner January 7, 2015 AAFCA Seal of Approval, which is a quality indicator for black consumers. Proba- bly the thing the organization is most proud is the AAFCA Student Internship Program that recently completed its 2nd year at Clark Atlanta Uni- versity and will launch fall 2015 at Howard University, Northwestern and a still undetermined college in Southern California. We have a few more projects expected to start in 2015 that will be finalized in the coming months. Preservation (Unrated) Hunters become the game horror flick about a woman (Wrenn Schmidt) whose hunting trip in the woods with her husband (Aaron Staton) and brother (Pablo Schreiber) turns into a har- rowing nightmare when they awaken to find their belongings stolen and their foreheads ominously marked with a big “X.” With Cody Saintgnue, Nick Saso and Michael Chacon. Valley of Saints (Unrated) Romance drama, set in Kashmir, about a civil war fugitive (Gulzar Ahmed Bhat) who takes temporary refuge at a seaside village only to become torn between a new life and a new love when he falls for a mysterious scientist (Neelofar Hamid) studying the lake’s pollu- tion levels. Featuring Mohammed Afzal. (In Kashmiri with subtitles)
