Who knew that Sir Sidney Poitier's daughter Anika Poitier was a director? I didn't.
He has 6 daughters from 2 marriages by the way, with the youngest, Sydney Tamiia, likely the most familiar given her recent onscreen credits – Deathproof notably.
I've been informed that a short film Anika recently directed will make its world premiere at the prestigious AFI Women's Film Showcase next month, at the Directors Guild in Los Angeles.
The film is called Black Irish, and centers on a young man who's struggling to take care of his family, and chooses to hide his true identity in order to get a much needed promotion.
It'll be one of 8 films that will screen at the AFI showcase on May 8.
Of course I did some digging on Anika's history and learned that this isn't her first film; it's her 3rd. In fact, in addition to another short film, as well as several web projects and spec commercials for Nike, Stella Artois, and Converse, Anika directed a feature film in 2003 titled The Devil Cats, which she and her younger sister, Sydney Taniia, both co-starred in.
Described as a "hilarious Mocku-Rocku-Dockumentary" that "follows The Devil Cats, LA's first fake all-girl rock band, who do every thing a band does except play music… until now. This is the journey of six rockin' girls in search of something real."
The film toured the film festival circuit in 2003/2004, but there's absolutely no indication that it was ever properly released – not in theaters, and not on home video. Not on Netflix, nor Amazon.
Anyone happen to catch it while it screened at festivals in 03/04?
I'll hopefully be able to find out more, as I'm definitely curious.
Until then, her latest work, Black Irish, will make its debut at The AFI Women's Film Showcase in LA, on May 8. Click HERE for more on the all the films in the showcase.
Watch a preview of it below, courtesy of its old Kickstarter page (she already raised the money she needed), where I also learned that she's currently writing her next feature film, while in post-production on Black Irish:
