Langston Hughes African American Film Festival 2009

An Ethiopian man marries a woman so she can get him a green card. During the year-long naturalization process the marriage of conveneince becomes complicated by love, jealousy, and clashing cultural values. Solomon has integrated into American society, but can he succeed? Hanna wants to be a fashion model, but the work makes her question her values.

Mike Dennis of Philadelphia, Pa., followed his 90-year-old grandmother on her trek to vote for Barack Obama in the 2008 Pennsylvania primary. The film, depicting the lifelong voter's first opportunity to cast a vote on behalf of a black man for U.S. president. In comments about "13th Amendment," film reviewer Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times said: "In less than five minutes, Mike Dennis tells a complete story with an inspirational message. I was impressed by all the entries, and I'm sure I'll see many of these names on feature-length films and documentaries in the years to come." Mike Dennis will be in attendance and screening a second film, "Ursula Rucker:Poet"

Local filmmaker Georgio Brown takes a detour from 18 years of producing Coolout TV to create an intimate look at hip hop and social justice collective, the 206 Zulu Nation. The 206 Zulus are multicultural family of artists who form the Seattle chapter of the larger 206 Zulu Nation, and international social justice hip hop movement founded by Afrika Baambata. Candid discussion, performance and interviews with members of the collective. Post Screening discussion with filmmaker Georgio Brown.

Originally conceived as a 2-screen projection, this experimental work revisits the 1967 Newark Riots. Photos by Benedict Fernandez.

Upward mobility of Blacks in Youngstown, OH -- financial security, the deterioration of a city, and the meaning of owning a home as a Black American.

Justin Thomas is a walking mystery. An orphan trying to make a life for himself in adulthood, he yearns to create the family he never had. But when he discovers the secrets of his past, his hopes for the future and his life are put in jeopardy. Justin finds out that his body is an experiment that could change the nature of the world for good or ill. Those who want him will stop at nothing. The chase begins. When it ends, Justin will either assist mankind or help along its ultimate destruction. Which way will be a way out? Either way, his world will be forever changed in this all-too-present-day thriller.

Opening Night Film -Starring Nicole Beharie and Alfre Woodard, American Violet is based on the astonishing true story of Regina Kelly, a waitress wrongly arrested during a disastrous drug sweep in Hearne, Texas. Her refusal to accept a plea bargain eventually helped expose the District Attorney's case a sham, based almost entirely on the word of a pathological informant. This is a must-see film about the insidious criminalization of Black people. Opening night reception follows.

In the thirty-plus years of development of Hip Hop, usually women faced the certainty of being the lone female of an all boy crew, serving as the oddity or the novelty. Because of this, women created global networks as a method of gendered solidarity. B-Girl Be recognizes and celebrates the role of women in hip hop, and seeks to empower future generations of girls and boys alike to claim their place by experiencing, visualizing, interpreting and organizing hip hop on their own terms. Features west coast hip hop diva Medusa.

Adapted from Richard Wright's short story. Olaf, an old white hotel porter is challegned to face his deepest fears when a big, Black man wants to check into his hotel.