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Cinematographer

Voodoo Macbeth

Based on the true story of Orson Welles, Rose McClendon and their revolutionary Shakespeare production!

Produced by the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts in association with Warner Bros., this 14x Festival Winner tells the dramatic story of when, in 1936, Broadway star Rose McClendon and producer John Houseman convinced a gifted but untested 20-year-old Orson Welles to direct Shakespeare’s Macbeth with an all-Black cast in Harlem.

Set in Haiti, the production first earned the nickname “Haitian Vodou” fulfilling the element of witchcraft contained in the Shakespeare original. It later became more famously known as “Voodoo Macbeth”.

A box office sensation, the production, which toured the nation, was regarded as a landmark theatrical event for its innovative interpretation of the play, its success in promoting African-American theater, and its role in the development of Orson Welles as a new and powerful theatrical force.

It was before Citizen Kane and before War of the Worlds. It was dynamic and included Orson and Rose – who also played Lady Macbeth – clashing over everything from scene blocking to crew hires, while Houseman contended with a congressman hell-bent on shutting down what he deemed to be communist propaganda. In the end, Welles and McClendon overcame the political pressure, personal demons, and protests to realize their groundbreaking vision.

This 2021 film / 2022 theatrical release tells the story how Voodoo Macbeth was conceived and developed. Its dramatic and theatrical style is due, at least in part, to the extensive collaboration that went into the production itself. The large cast, numerous directors, multiple producers and the USC/Warner Bros. relationship results not only in incredible storytelling, but also in a new and exciting style of production itself.

The Volume of Festival Wins to Date Speak Loudly. Here are a few…

WINNER

  • Best Film – Harlem International Film Festival
  • Best Production – Harlem International Film Festival
  • Best Actress – Harlem International Film Festival
  • Best Film – Vail Film Festival
  • Best Director, Charlotte Black Film Festival
  • Best Ensemble Cast – San Diego International Film Festival
  • Director’s Choice Award / Independent Spirit Award – Sedona International Film Festival
  • Best Director – Catalina Film Festival
  • Best U.S. Feature – Catalina Film Festival
  • Best Actress – Catalina Film Festival
  • Best Actor – Catalina Film Festival

“A moving tribute to an indelible slice of history, that is finally being shared and celebrated! One of Orson Welles’ most pivotal moments, right before Citizen Kane, brought beautifully to life. This story was hidden for far too long, along with Rose McClendon’s wonderful legacy. Some say better late than never, but this story should be shouted from the rooftops, uncovering one of America’s hidden jewels, that was always meant to shine!” – Suzanne Marques, CBS Los Angeles.

“Impressive…the film’s production is itself a collaborative effort in the spirit of the Harlem theatre…”– J. Paul Johnson, 25 Years Later.

“This retelling of a very innovative part of theater and African American history is precious.” – Dwight Brown, National Newspaper Publishers Association.

“A fantastic example of team unity as there is never a sense of multiple voices trying to steer this project…with solid production design up and down the line and never a sense of doubt in the story that it is trying to capture.” – Dave Voigt, In The Seats.

“By all odds, my great success in my life was that play, because the opening night there were five blocks in which all traffic was stopped. You couldn’t get near the theatre in Harlem. Everybody who was anybody in the black or white world was there. And when the play ended there were so many curtain calls that finally they left the curtain open, and the audience came up on the stage to congratulate the actors. And that was magical.” – Orson Welles (1982 interview)

BONUS MATERIAL ON THE DISC VERSIONS

  • Audio Commentary
  • Actual 1936 footage from National Archives of the play that toured the country to interracial audiences.

2021 / Drama / 108 minutes / Color / English Language / A film directed by Agazi Desta, Sabina Vajrača, Hannah Bang, Christopher Beaton, Dagmawi Abebe, Victor Alonso-Berbel, Tiffany K. Guillen, Zoë Salnave, Ernesto Sandoval, Roy Arwas, and produced by Xiaoyuan Xiao, Miles Alva , Jason Phillips, John Watson.

HOW TO ORDER:

Public Performance and Digital Site Licenses are available through Soundview Media Partners. To inquire or to place an order, write to info@soundviewmediapartners.com or simply choose from the options below:

License Options

In-home/personal use copies are available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3fjerzW

WATCH THE TRAILER

Samira’s Dream

“Directed with shrewdness, empathy, and delicate intimacy.” – Sudestival.

In Samira’s Dream, a Zanzibari woman aspires to have a family like all of her friends, but is also determined to pursue higher education and a career.

Samira aspires to have a family like all of her friends, but is also determined to pursue higher education and a career. Throughout seven years of her life, amidst social pressures and the ever-present need to respect traditions, it seems she must choose one life over the other.

A brilliant look at the inspiring trajectory of a modern, young African woman’s goals and ultimate freedoms. Filmed with a sensitive eye that imbues Samira’s story with the context of day-to-day life in urban Zanzibar Town, compared to the many nuances of life in the fishing village of Nungwi.

“A magnificent film spanning many years that follows and documents, with an elegant detachment and respect, the life of the protagonist, who… transform[s] what at first seems like a documentary into an authentic narrative-driven film.” – Babel Film Festival

A condensed list of Festival Critical Acclaim includes but is not by any means limited to:

  • WINNER – Merit Award – Docs Without Borders Film Festival
  • WINNER – Best Documentary – iFest International Film Festival
  • WINNER – Best Outstanding Documentary – Kaduna International Film Festival
  • WINNER – Best Documentary – Matera International Film Festival
  • WINNER – Best Feature Documentary – Boden Film Festival
  • OFFICIAL SELECTION – Rome Independent Film Festival
  • OFFICIAL SELECTION – Socially Relevant Film Festival
  • OFFICIAL SELECTION – Pan African Film Festival

Beautifully shot and eloquently executed… this honest documentary proves that if you dream big enough, you can escape what the world expects from you.” – SJ Portelli, International Film Critic.

2020 / Documentary / 88 minutes / Swahili w/English subtitles / A film by Nino Tropiano.

HOW TO ORDER:

Public Performance and Digital Site Licenses are available through Soundview Media Partners. To inquire or to place an order, write to info@soundviewmediapartners.com or simply choose from the options below:

License Options

For group screening prices, please inquire.

In-home/personal use copies are available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Pq22Xj

Watch the trailer

Renaldo & The Loaf – 23rd Century Giants

They Survived Together

“I had my red hat. It was like… like something that kept me safe.”– Hanka Neiger Ablin.

Winner for Best Historical Documentary, New York Emmy’s 2022 following its WNET-NY Broadcast Premier (Dec. 2021). They Survived Together is a true story of endurance, unity and hope…

“Horrifying eyewitness accounts of the Holocaust eventually lead to an inspiring story of one family banding together to survive the evils of Nazism. [An] extraordinary story of strength and courage.” – Irv Slifkin, Film Critic

“They Survived Together” is the incredible, true story of the Neiger family as they desperately tried to stay alive… and together… as a family with four small children, escaping certain death at the hands of the Nazis.

When Nazi soldiers forced them from their home in Krakow and into the harsh life of the Ghetto, the elders of the family made a vow… they would somehow escape together and survive as a family.

How the family escapes is extraordinary. Their trek to freedom involved forged documents, help along the way from non-Jews who risked their lives to protect them, and a difficult journey to Hungary where they they ended up imprisoned. Ultimately, the Niegers beat the odds and became the one of the few families to survive the Holocaust intact.

  • Broadcast Premier via WNET NY (Dec. 2021) resulted in an EMMY Nomination (results coming October 2022)
  • Winner: Best Documentary Feature – Chicago Indie Film Awards
  • Winner: Best Directors – Euro Film Festival Geneva
  • Winner: Best US Documentary – International Golden Age Festival
  • Winner: Best Documentary Feature – SoCal Film Awards

2021 / 75 minutes / Color and Black & White / English / A film by John Rokosny.

HOW TO ORDER:

Public Performance and Digital Site Licenses are available through Soundview Media Partners. To inquire or to place an order, write to info@soundviewmediapartners.com or simply choose from the options below:

License Options

For group screening prices, please inquire.

In-home/personal use copies are available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3GHH7vD

Watch the trailer

Ferlinghetti: A Rebirth of Wonder