UPDATE 7/5/2011: Officially confirming yesterday’s video announcement, I added the press release which I received yesterday. Watch the clip, and then read the press release.
As promised on Jun 14th, the 2nd film to be distributed theatrically via AFFRM (the African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement) was to be announced Independence Day, July 4, 2011!
Well… it’s July 4th, 2011. First, as we all should know by now, Ava DuVernay’s I Will Follow was the first film to be released by AFFRM (a movement she spearheaded).
So, what film and filmmaker has been blessed with the title of AFFRM release #2? And when will the film be released?
For answers to both, watch Ava make the announcement in the video below and read the press release underneath (my commentary on the selection later):
Theatrical Distribution Collective Dedicated to
Black Independent Cinema Announces Second FilmKINYARWANDA
Sundance Audience Award Winner To Be Released November 2011
Los Angeles, CA (July 4, 2011) – AFFRM, the African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement, has acquired U.S. theatrical rights to the 2011 Sundance Audience Award winner for World Cinema Drama, KINYARWANDA. Written and directed by Alrick Brown, KINYARWANDA is the first film conceived within Rwanda and produced by Rwandans regarding the 1994 genocide that saw one million lives lost in 100 days. KINYARWANDA interweaves six true tales into one epic narrative, confronting the realities of forgiveness in the face of vengeance. The film will be released in theaters November 2011.
KINYARWANDA will mark the second feature from AFFRM, the theatrical distribution entity powered by the nation’s top black film festival organizations. The collective activates quality black independent films with simultaneous theatrical engagements in select cities. AFFRM’s inaugural feature was the critically-acclaimed drama, “I Will Follow,” released in March 2011 to an opening weekend per screen average of $11,428 without a formal advertising or marketing budget.
“We’re truly honored to release KINYARWANDA with Alrick Brown and his amazing producing team. AFFRM’s mission is to shine a light on the work of black filmmakers and to meaningfully connect their films to both black consumers and filmlovers of every hue,” explained Ava DuVernay, Founder of AFFRM. “This project is an exquisite, important piece of filmmaking that deserves to be seen in a theatrical environment and promoted with the vigor and passion that AFFRM offers.”
KINYARWANDA is produced by Darren Dean and Tommy Oliver with executive producer Ishmael Ntihabose. Alrick Brown directs from his screenplay, with story by Ntihabose. Cassandra Freeman, Edouard Bamporiki and Cleophas Kabasitain star. Cinematography by Danny Vecchione, with editing by Tovah Leibowitz.
ABOUT AFFRM
AFFRM is the African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement, a distribution collective dedicated to the domestic theatrical release of quality black independent films. Founded in 2011 by Ava DuVernay, AFFRM is a collaboration of like-minded black film organizations, including founding festivals Urbanworld Film Festival, Imagenation, Langston Hughes African American Film Festival, ReelBlack Film Series and BronzeLens Film Festival. For more information, please visit www.affrm.com.
