On Sat., Oct. 25, 2015, 6:30 pm, Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival & Lecture Series will present the first Reel Sisters Hattie McDaniel Award to Jessica Williams, the beloved comedienne/actress on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and Ebony Jo-Ann, award-winning actress noted for her role as Ma Rainey in August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Join us for an evening of film, entertainment and fun! American Candy, an edgy and smart comedy act, will perform at the gala. Nancy Giles, the Emmy award-winning commentator of CBS Sunday Morning, will serve as Mistress of Ceremonies. Tickets: $35.
BUY TICKETS NOW! (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/reel-sisters-awards-ceremony-oct-25-2015-630-pm-tickets-18510505420)
The celebration will be held at Kumble Theater, LIU Brooklyn campus, on Flatbush Ave. between DeKalb Ave. and Willoughby St. In addition to the awards ceremony, Reel Sisters will screen more than 30 films produced, directed and written by women of color from Oct. 24-25, 2015. For information call: 212-865-2982 (tel:212-865-2982)/718-488-1624 (tel:718-488-1624).
“Actress Hattie McDaniel was the Viola Davis of her day — she used the limited roles given her to open doors for women of color to gain access to characters with greater depth and complexity,” said Carolyn A. Butts, Reel Sisters founder. “As Viola recently stated ‘you cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there.’ Hattie’s acting career was defined by Hollywood’s failure to cast African-American women beyond stereotypical roles but she persevered carving out a successful career in theater, film, radio and television.”
Jessica Williams and Ebony Jo-Ann (http://ejkdkd.wix.com/ebony-jo-ann-dot-com) are the first recipients of the Reel Sisters Hattie McDaniel Award (formerly known as our Pioneer Award). Reel Sisters renamed the award to honor a true pioneer who opened the doors for Black women and other women of color in film. Hattie was the first African-American woman to receive an Oscar in 1940 — overcoming the challenges facing Black actors in Hollywood where there were few acting jobs available to them and limited roles.
"Reel Sisters is excited about our future. Layered and complex stories are being written for Black women — they are just not being written by Hollywood. The independent film community is flourishing and offering opportunities for women of color to shine and showcase their acting skills, " said Reel Sisters Founder Carolyn A. Butts. The film festival is screening a wide and varied selection of narrative and experimental films featuring stories with rich characters for actors who want to explore the depth of their acting ability. Since 1997, Reel Sisters has showcased over 900 films produced by women of filmmakers in every genre.
Honoree bios:
Jessica Williams is a young writer/performer out of Los Angeles’ UCB system and a former cast member in The UCB Sketch pilot for Comedy Central. She grew up in Torrance, CA and starred in the Nickelodeon show Just For Kicks as a teenager. While she was studying Film and English at Cal State Long Beach and doing improv as a member of “ComedySportz: The College Team,” she landed the role as the newest correspondent for Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Recently, she was featured on Variety’s “Top 10 Comics To Watch” and this year will recur in the upcoming third season of HBO’s Girls.
Ebony Jo-Ann, an award winning actress and acclaimed vocalist from New York to South Africa, just released her latest CD Please Save Your Love For Me. She has a unique dynamic singing and performing style, which draws capacity crowds wherever she appears.
Ms Jo-Ann is the proud recipient of six Vivian Robinson AUDELCO Awards. As well as the National Action Network’s WOMAN OF EXCELLENCE award 2014 for her continuing and outstanding dedication through her artistic talents as well as her contributions to civil and human rights. Ms. Jo-Ann appeared in the role of Mama Ronzoni in Adam Sandler’s blockbuster movie GROWN UPS as well as the sequel GROWN UPS 2. Other released films are NOISE with Tim Robbins, KATE & LEOPOLD, MARCI X, THE ORPHAN KING, POOTIE TANG with Chris Rock, EDDIE with Whoopi Goldberg, THE OTHER BROTHER, OUR TIME AT LAST (African Burial Ground Museum) and FREDERICK DOUGLASS: AN AMERICAN LIFE, in the role of Harriet Tubman.
A Brooklyn-based film festival founded by African Voices magazine and LIU Brooklyn Campus, Reel Sisters is dedicated to supporting women of color filmmakers. The Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival is supported, in part, by Council members Laurie Cumbo (35 C.D.) and Jumaane Williams (45 C.D.), New York State Council on the Arts, New York City Dept. of Cultural Affairs, Centric/BET Networks, Brooklyn Arts Council and Brooklyn ALOFT Hotel.
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Click here to view the trailer from Across the Tracks (https://vimeo.com/126526514), one of the many films featured in Reel Sisters 2015!
Contact
Carolyn Butts
