The 22nd Annual Urbanworld Film Festival (www.urbanworld.org), presented by AT&T’s The Humanity of Connection along with founding partner HBO, presented its 2018 festival slate today. The slate of 69 official selections and 7 spotlight selections represent inclusion BEYOND ethnicity. The annual showcase of diverse culture and sensibility will be experienced in Manhattan September 19-23, 2018 at AMC EMPIRE 25 on 234 West 42nd Street.
“As we continue to evolve our programming slate to reflect the broadest lens of inclusion across stories, characters, themes and cultures, we are thrilled to collaborate with our presenting partner AT&T and founding partner HBO to showcase a collection of films, web originals, screenplays and music videos that represent distinct voices from around the world,” said Gabrielle Glore, Festival Director & Head of Programming, Urbanworld Film Festival. “Each year, we welcome content creators, studios, networks and film enthusiasts into our festival family to experience the magical energy that is Urbanworld.”
Universal Pictures’ Night School will open the festival on Wednesday, September 19, at 7:30 P.M. at New York’s SVA Theater on 333 West 23rd Street. Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish star in the new comedy from director Malcolm D. Lee (Girls Trip) and producer Will Packer that follows a group of misfits who are forced to attend adult classes in the longshot chance they’ll pass the GED exam. Co- stars Rob Riggle, Taran Killam and Romany Malco join Hart and Haddish on-screen for the film that Hart produces for his Hartbeat Productions and Packer via his Will Packer Productions. Hart and Haddish are confirmed to attend the festival and a conversation with Lee will immediately follow the screening.
HBO will present two spotlight selections for festival-goers. The Sentence, screens on Thursday, September 20, 2018. Directed by first-time filmmaker Rudy Valdez, the documentary takes a searing look at the devastating consequences of mandatory minimum sentencing through the lens of his own family. Cindy Shank, sister of Valdez and mother of three, is taken from her family to spend 15 years in federal prison for conspiracy charges. Valdez copes with the tragedy by filming his nieces for over a
decade to capture the moments his sister misses. United Skates explores what happens when America’s last standing roller rinks are threatened with closure and a community of thousands battle in a racially charged environment to save an underground subculture. Co-directed and produced by Dyana Winkler and Tina Brown, the documentary screens on Friday, September 21, 2018.
Inspired by the life of Lil Rel Howery (Get Out), Fox’s “Rel” will debut at the festival on Saturday, September 22, 2018. The multi-camera comedy stars Howery as a successful, hardworking father and husband on the West Side of Chicago, whose life is perfectly on track. That is, until he discovers his wife is having an affair with his own barber – the worst person for your wife to sleep with, because as hard as it is to find love, it’s even harder to find a good barber. Howery will appear at the festival for a post-screening Q&A.
Along with founding partner HBO, key supporters include BET as prestige partner and NBCUniversal as premiere partner. Industry partners include AMC Independent, ARRAY, MPAA, Directors Guild of America, Producers Guild of America and Writers Guild of America East.
Passes for the festival are on sale now and tickets for official selections and spotlights will be available in September on urbanworld.org. Additional festival announcements will also be made in September. Follow @UWFilmFest and use #Urbanworld to join the conversation about Urbanworld on social media.
URBANWORLD 2018 FILM SLATE
*As of 08.28.18*
SPOTLIGHT PRESENTATIONS
“Night School” – Directed by Malcolm D. Lee (Presented by Universal Pictures)
“Rel” – Executive Produced by Lil Rel Howery & Jerrod Carmichael (Presented by 20th Century Fox)
“The Sentence” – Directed by Rudy Valdez (Presented by HBO)
“United Skates” – Directed by Dyana Winker & Tina Brown (Presented by HBO)
“Little Woods” – Directed by Nia DaCasta (Presented by NEON)
“Tyrel” – Directed by Sebastian Silva (Presented by Magnolia Pictures)
Jinn” – Directed by Nijla Mu’min (Presented by Orion Classics)
YOUNG CREATORS SHOWCASE
“Casey” – Directed by Shanrica Evans (New York Premiere)
“Kinto” – Directed by Joshua Paul (New York Premiere)
“Same, Old” – Directed by Haya Alghanim (World Premiere)
“Silvia In The Waves” – Directed by Giovana Olmos (New York Premiere)
“Sugar” – Directed by Emiliana Ammirata (New York Premiere)
Three In Stride – Directed by Sasha Whittle (World Premiere)
Woke – Directed by Venk Potula (New York Premiere)
U.S. NARRATIVE FEATURES
“1 Angry Black Man” – Directed by Menelek Lumumba (New York Premiere)
“Flavor of Life” – Directed by Rajesh Golla (East Coast Premiere)
“It’s A Party” – Directed by Weldon Wong Powers (New York Premiere)
“PIMP” – Directed by Christine Crokos (World Premiere)
“Skin In The Game” – Directed by Adisa (World Premiere)
WORLD CINEMA NARRATIVE FEATURES
“El Chata / The Sparring Partner” (Puerto Rico) – Directed by Gustavo Ramos (U.S. Premiere)
“The Burial of Kojo” (Ghana) – Directed by Blitz Bazawule (World Premiere)
“Three And A Half” / “Teen aur Aadha” (India) – Directed by Dar Gai (U.S. Premiere)
“Respeto” (Philippines) – Directed by Alberto Monteras II
DOCUMENTARY FEATURES
“21 and Done” – Directed by Kiara C. Jones (World Premiere)
“Don’t Be Nice” – Directed by Max Powers (New York Premiere)
“Mr. Soul!” – Directed by Melissa Haizlip
“She Did That.” – Directed by Renae Bluitt
“The Pushouts” – Directed by Katie Galloway (New York Premiere)
NARRATIVE SHORTS
“8 Million Miles from Hintahood” – Directed by Justin Luis Denis (New York Premiere)
“Are We Good Parents?” – Directed by Bola Ogun (East Coast Premiere)
“Blood Runs Down” – Directed by Zandashé Brown (East Coast Premiere)
“Cross My Heart” – Directed by Sontenish Myers (New York Premiere)
“French Fries” – Directed by Janine Sherman Barrois
“Hunger” – Directed by Wesley Wingo (World Premiere)
“I Am My Own Mother” – Directed by Andrew Zox (U.S. Premiere)
“Jitters” – Directed by Otoja Abit (New York Premiere)
“Kyenvu” – Directed by Kemiyondo Coutinho (New York Premiere)
“LABOR” – Directed by Cecilia Albertini (East Coast Premiere)
“Let Them Die Like Lovers” – Directed by Jesse Atlas
“Mama Said No White Barbies” – Directed by Tiye Amenechi
“Myself When I Am Real” – Directed by Nefertite Nguvu (New York Premiere)
“Piu Piu” – Directed by Naima Ramos-Chapman (New York Premiere)
“Salam” – Directed by Claire Fowler
“Shame” – Directed by Anusha Bose
“Sin Cielo” – Directed by Jianna Maarten
“Sojourn” – Directed by Jonathan Lewis (World Premiere)
“Somebody’s Daughter” – Directed by Shalini Adnani (World Premiere)
“The Announcement” – Directed by Attika J. Torrence (World Premiere)
“The Hangman” – Directed by Zwelethu Radebe (New York Premiere)
“The Mute” / “Câm L?Ng” – Directed by Pham Thien An (East Coast Premiere)
“Time 2 Surrender” – Directed by Elvis Nolasco (New York Premiere)
“Unspoken” – Directed by Danae Grandison (World Premiere)
“Wale” – Directed by Barnaby Blackburn
“We Know Where You Live” – Directed by Honora Talbott
“What Happened to Evie” – Directed by Kate Cheeseman (East Coast Premiere)
“Wolf” – Directed by Brittany Ballard (East Coast Premiere)
LATE NIGHT SCREENING
“Asian Mob” – Directed by Hezues R (World Premiere)
DOCUMENTARY SHORT
“Pa’lante” (Puerto Rico) – Directed by Ramón Rodríguez (New York Premiere)
ANIMATION SHORTS
“iRony” – Directed by Radheya Jegatheva (New York Premiere)
“Lazare” (France) – Directed by Mélisandre Hennuyer, Pierre Chupeau, Victor Besseau, Cassandra Haulot & Cyprien Beyaert
“Riot” – Directed by Frank Ternier (New York Premiere)
WEB ORIGINALS
“40 and Single” – Directed by Leila Djansi (East Coast Premiere)
“Brooklynification” – Directed by Keith Miller
“F*N Your Life Up” – Directed by Fredrick Leach
“Frank and Lamar” – Directed by Fred Soligan
“I Used to Love Her” – Directed by Steven Chew (World Premiere)
“Otis” – Directed by Alexander Etseyatse (New York Premiere)
MUSIC VIDEOS
“New Phone, Who Dis?” (Featuring Cyanca) – Directed by Alexander Hall
“Pa’lante” (Featuring Hurray for the Riff Raff) – Directed by Kristian Mercado Figueroa
“Panic” (Featuring Pablo Nouvelle and Fiona Daniel) – Directed by Maximilian Speidel (U.S. Premiere)
“Run This” (Featuring Vinida + DJ Mustard) – Directed by Arden Tse (East Coast Premiere)
“Scandal” (Featuring Bashton and Maya Azucena) – Directed by Pablo Mengin
SCREENPLAYS
“A Precise Understanding of Darkness” – Written by Robin Shanea Williams
“Johnny Ace” – Written by Moon Molson
“Northern Cross” – Written by Melody Cooper
“The Mujahid’s Bride” – Written by Rafa Russo
