In observance of Black History Month, The Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival will present a film event series celebrating Black heritage in the arts, entertainment, and in civil rights history during the month of February. The program will be held at the festival's year-round art house, conveniently located in downtown Fort Lauderdale at 503 SE 6 Street, on the South bank of the New River, just east of Broward County Courthouse. Parking is free in the courthouse garage and meters.
Below is the schedule of film events. For tickets and additional information please visit http://www.FLIFF.com or call 954-525-FILM (3456).
Monday, February 12
The Highwaymen - 6:30pm
Gainesville native Julia D'Amico's film tells the story of the young black men who quickly painted and cheaply sold colorful scenes of Florida in the 1960s. Because they sold them alongside Florida roads, they have been dubbed "The Highwaymen." The paintings originally sold for $10 to $45, but now go for up to $10,000 on the secondary market. D'Amico lets the painters tell their stories in their own words.
Purvis of Overtown - 7:30pm
In a Miami ghetto, ex-con Purvis Young paints. Mountains of paintings. Walls of paintings. He paints about social injustice, racial inequity, and economic hardship. He painted for no one but himself and his neighbors, until art dealers and gallery owners from across the globe discovered him. They wanted a piece of his raw, authentic creations. Purvis is now an internationally known icon of black history and culture. Does art change us? Does fame change art? Does the price of art change the artist? What is the price of public adoration? Through interviews with Purvis, his neighbors, and the art world's elite, a portrait of the artist emerges. Purvis is not quite as simple as he seems. Stunningly shot, this film weaves a 30 year story about an obsessed soul who owns no property, has no driver's license, and rarely travels outside his neighborhood. The film is as powerful as the man and his work. (66 minutes)
African American Research Library will be distributing a limited supply of complimentary tickets donated by AutoNation.
Prior to the screenings, there will be a complimentary Wine and Cheese reception with the purchase of a ticket to the films.
Tickets: $8.00 General Admission / $7.00 Seniors and Students / Free for FLIFF and MOAFL members. (One admission for both films)
February 15 and 21
Home of the Brave - 7pm
Viola Gregg Liuzzo was killed in 1965 shortly after participating in the historic Voting Rights March headed by Dr. Martin Luther King in Montgomery, Alabama. She was killed in a car on a deserted highway while driving between Selma and Montgomery with a black teenage boy as a passenger. Liuzzo was shot in the head by one of four riders in another car who were active members of the Klu Klux Klan; that is, all except one. That person was an agent of the FBI. The chilling story that documents one woman's tragic contribution to the American civil rights movement of the 1960s, is told through the eyes of her children and narrated by Stockard Channing.
Tickets: $8 General Admission / $7 Students and Seniors / $5 FLIFF Members
Monday, February 26 and Tuesday February 27
Tribute to Bill Robinson - featuring:
2/26 - 6pm: Just Around the Corner (1938)
Shirley Temple stars and Bill Robinson is featured as Cpl. Jones
2/26 - 8pm: Swing Time
Starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers star. Features "Bojangles of Harlem," a tribute to hoofer Bill Robinson
2/27 - 6pm: The Little Colonel
Starring Shirley Temple and Lionel Barrymore star in this Civil War Era classic.
2/28 - 8pm: Stormy Weather
Lena Horne and Robinson star in this Musical Romance.
Following the film presentations, join popular photo-journalist and lecturer, Kevin Lane; who is considered one of the world's leading authorities on Robinson, for rare film clips, photos and lively anecdotes about Robinson's life and the Golden Era of Entertainment in which Robinson was a super-star.
Tickets: Free to FLIFF members and $5.00 for General Admission (each night)