The 21st Annual

Film Festival

Welcome to The 21st Annual Harlem Film Institute Film Festival. We kick off this years festival with my introduction to the world of professional film making. In 1986 i started out as a production assistant on the set of the  Heavy D and the Boyz music video,  “Mr. Big Stuff”.The video was produced by the Hudlin brothers, Reggie and Warrington Hudlin, founders of the Black Filmmaker foundation.

“Mr. Big Stuff”  Directed by: Reggie Warrington 1986

The second film was shot in 1998. “The Million Youth March 1998”  documents the rally led by the now deceased, Dr. Khallid Abdul Muhammad. This documentary was screened at the first film festival,  in 1999.

 

“The Million Youth March 1998”  Directed by: Melvin Best 1998

The final film was made my senior year,  at the City University of New York. “The Empty Garden”, my undergrad work, was done under the tutelage of my professors,  Kathleen Collins and Ayoka Chensira.

 

“The Empty Garden” Directed by: Melvin Best 1988

 The 2nd Annual Harlem Film Institute Film Festival

August 24th, 2000

 

HFI Hall of Fame

1999- Oscar Micheaux (1885-1951)

2000- Melvin Van  Peebles

2001-Gordon Parks (1912-2006)

2002 -Noble Johnson (1881-1978 )

2003-Spencer Williams (1893-1969)

2004-Ivan Dixon (1931-2009)

2005-Sidney Poitier

2006-Clarence Muse (1889-1979)

2006-Charles Burnett

2007-Kathleen Collins (1942-1988)

2007-William Greaves (1926-2014)

2008-Michael Schultz

2009-Maya Angelou (1928-2014)

2010-Spike Lee

2011-Julie Dash

2012-Robert Townsend

2013-Reggie Hudlin

2014-Steve McQueen

2015-F Gary Gray

2016-Barry Jenkins

2017-Albert Hughes

2018-Warrington Hudlin

2019-John Singleton (1968-2019)

2020-Ava DuVernay