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Montreal, July 10, 2014 – The Montreal International Black Film Festival (MIBFF), presented by Global Montreal and created by the Fabienne Colas Foundation, will celebrate its 10th anniversary from September 23 to 28, 2014. Beginning this summer, it will be associated with Fantasia to pay homage to African-American cinema from the 1970s known as BLAXPLOITATION. The MIBFF is happy to be a part of Fantasia’s initiative, which gives Montrealers the chance to discover an important part of black cinema. This homage, previously unseen in Montreal, will take place as a part of the Fantasia Festival from July 22 to August 5, 2014, as a part of Celluloid Soul.

Celluloid Soul is an ambitious project that brings together DJ XL5’s BLAXPLOITATION ZAPPN’ PARTY, a new collage of festive excerpts from over 60 films from the period, and a screening of a number of films at the Cinémathèque québécoise. Each of the five feature-length films exemplifies an emblematic genre of the period: the political manifesto, Western, comedy, urban drama and martial arts film. On the big screen, see: Melvin Van Pebbles’ SWEET SWEETBACK’S BAADASSSSS SONG (1971), a revolutionary cinematographic manifesto that virtually created the genre, Jack Arnold’s BOSS (1975), a revisionist Western with Fred Williamson, iconic star of the genre and ex-football champion, William Witney’s DARKTOWN STRUTTERS, a surrealist musical comedy with a soundtrack provided by the mythical label STAX, Horace Jackson’s TOUGH (1974), a remake of François Truffaut’s 400 COUPS transplanted in LA’s WATTS neighbourhood, and NERFS D’ACIER, GANTS DE VELOURS, the French version of Cesar Gallardo’s BAMBOO GODS AND IRON MEN (1974), a martial arts film, a popular genre with the African-American audiences at the time. For a preview of DJ XL5’s BLAXPLOITATION ZAPPN’ PARTY, visit http://youtu.be/MK-Z8mIILdg.

Get all details on the Fantasia Festival’s website.

 

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

Cinémathèque québécoise:

July 22 at 7 p.m. – Nerfs d’acier, gants de velours, French version of Bamboo Gods and Iron Men (Cesar Gallardo, 1974)

July 23 at 7 p.m. – Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (Melvin Van Pebbles, 1971)

July 27 at 7 p.m. – Darktown Strutters (William Witney, 1975)

July 28 at 7 p.m. – Tough (Horace Jackson, 1974)

July 29 at 7 p.m. – BOSS (Jack Arnold, 1975)

 

Concordia Theatre Hall:

August 3rd at 9:30 p.m. – DJ XL5’s Blaxploitation Zappin’ Party

 

Theatre DB Clarke (Concordia)

The MIBFF is also happy to co-present Ian Gabriel’s film FOUR CORNERS about rivalry between gangs in Cape Town, South Africa: July 30 at 9:40 – Four Corners (Ian Gabriel, 2014).

 

ABOUT THE MONTREAL INTERNATIONAL BLACK FILM FESTIVAL

Presented by Global Montreal, the Montreal International Black Film Festival (MIBFF) was created in 2005 by the Fabienne Colas Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting cinema, art and culture. The mission of the Montreal International Black Film Festival is to stimulate the development of the independent film industry and to foster the creation of more films on international black realities. The festival wants to promote a different kind of cinema: cinema that hails both from here and abroad, that is not always on the silver screen. We showcase ground-breaking films that moves us, raises awareness and takes us by surprise. MIBFF films deal with issues and raises questions that provoke us, make us smile, leave us perplexed and shock us. Join us for a fresh look at black cinema from all four corners of the globe!

10e Montreal International Black Film Festival | September 23 to 28, 2014

www.montrealblackfilm.com | www.facebook.com/blackfilmfestival | www.twitter.com/filmblackmtl

Contact: Joyce Fuerza |Programming Coordinator and Programmer | joyce@montrealblackfilm.com | 514-882-3334