Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival Returns With Star-Power From HBO, Amazon, Starz

The Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival recently announced its return which kick-off on Sept. 20. In its 4th year, the Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival including 110 films; nine panel discussions featuring producers, writers, directors, actors, student filmmakers; five Q&As; and a premier Pitch Workshop.

“The Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival has amplified its reach by implementing an influential external advisory board and developing purpose-driven community partnerships,” said Kara Walker, executive director of the MCHRFF. “This year’s festival will be a thought-provoking journey through film produced by a high caliber group of talent with diverse perspectives and backgrounds.”

Scheduled for Sept. 20-24, 2022 on the Morehouse College campus, the five-day event is presented by Chromatic Black in partnership with Rockstar Brothers with generous support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation through the College’s Movement, Memory, and Justice Project.

In addition to the film screenings occurring throughout the festival, below are a few key events with TV and film creatives, executives, and talent:  

• Tuesday, Sept. 20 from 1-2:30 p.m.– Pitch Workshop – Learn how to pitch your project to film executives. Hosted by writing and directing duo Harrison Chandler and Mavro Diamanti of Rockstar Brothers, who are best known for crafting unique stories that question the status quo and propel black culture forward.
• Tuesday, Sept. 20 from 3-5:00 p.m. – Student Showcase – During opening night, the showcase will feature films submitted by students and alumni from Morehouse College, Spelman College, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, the University of Southern California, and Loyola Marymount University. Student Q&A to immediately follow. Student Official Nominees screenings to occur from 8-10 p.m. the same evening.
• Wednesday, Sept. 21 from 4-4:45 p.m. – Writers Panel Discussion – Moderated by Charles “Cj” Sykes (Bessie, The Inspectors) with panelists Walter Allen Bennett, Jr. (The Cosby Show, The Steve Harvey Show), Brian Egeston (Perfect Harmony, The Quad), Morehouse alumnus Benjamin Cory Jones (05’) (Insecure, Underground), and Korstiaan “Kors” Vandiver (Underwater, The Birth of a Nation).
• Wednesday, Sept. 21 from 5:15-6:00 p.m. – Making Documentaries for Social Change –
  Sponsored by the Southern Documentary Fund, this panel will include documentary professionals coming together to discuss how they’ve carried their messages beyond the screen to create engagement from audiences and respond to social issues and injustices. Subjects that will be discussed include impact and outreach strategy, partnerships, and engaging with the media. Moderated by Christopher Everett (Grandmaster, Wilmington on Fire, Wilmington on Fire: Chapter II) with panelists Aalam-Warqe Davidian (Fig Tree, With No Land), Morehouse professor Mikki Harris, Hal Jacobs (Common Good Atlanta documentary), and Emmy Award-winning Daresha Kyi (The Thinnest Line, Land Where My Fathers Died).
• Wednesday, Sept. 21 from 7:15-7:30 p.m. – “Freedom” Musical Performance by Keri Nicole – Uniting the important role music plays in visual storytelling, artist Keri Nicole will perform her single “Freedom”, the first-ever official song for the Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival.

• Wednesday, Sept. 21 from 7:30-9:30 p.m. – The Missing Peace: The Willie Moore Jr. Adoption Story – Nationally syndicated radio personality and motivational speaker Willie Moore Jr. was adopted at the tender age of three months old by loving parents Willie and Flora Moore. After 40 years of never knowing, meeting, or encountering anyone in his biological family, Willie finally connects with his biological family. Post-discussion with Willie Moore Jr. and the hosts of the “Two Old Chicks” podcast, Tina McElroy Ansa and Wanda S. Lloyd, to follow.
• Thursday, Sept. 22 from 4-4:45 p.m. – Producers Panel Discussion – Dive into the multifaceted world of producers to learn the skills needed to get there and the mindset to thrive. Moderated by Maggie Bush (Jaded, Mixed Emotions Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, Mediator), Benjamin Cory Jones ‘05 (Insecure, Underground), Robyn Greene Arrington (Hav Plenty, Bobbi Kristina, When Love Kills), and Jash’d Belcher (A Boy. A Girl. A Dream.).
• Thursday, Sept. 22 from 7-7:45 p.m. – “Black Filmmaking in Hollywood” Panel Discussion – Join Insecure’s Deniese Davis, actor-producer Cory Hardrict, veteran talent manager Two Lewis, producer Kellon Akeem, and director-producer Kors Vandiver in conversation moderated by multi-hyphenated media personality Ray Cornelius for a spirited conversation on how to making in Black Hollywood in 2022 and beyond.

• Friday, Sept. 23 from 4-4:45 p.m. – “Next Up Directors” Panel Discussion – Moderator Emil Pinnock (Reading Rainbow, The Sixth Man, Beloved, Gridiron Gang) leads a discussion with up-and-coming and established directors on how to manage a cast, the set, and overall story from behind the lens. Panelists include Kiah Alexandria Clingman (Black Santa, Black Butterflies, Hard Drive), Aalam-Warqe Davidian (Fig Tree, With No Land), director-writer Elisee Junior St. Preux (Before We Had Insomnia, Amity Clark Sager), and Jeremy Thao (Covet, Wokman, Where Is Annie Overby?).
• Friday, Sept. 23 from 7-7:45 p.m. – The Making of a Maverick – David Wall Rice, professor of psychology at Morehouse College and principal investigator of the Identity, Art, and Democracy Lab, discusses charting one’s own course in the entertainment industry and in life with Akeem Browder, activist and CEO of the Kalief Browder Foundation; J. Alexander Martin, TV host, author, and public speaker; and Keith David, three-time Emmy Award-winning voice-over actor also known for his on-screen roles (ATL, Disney’s The Princess & The Frog, DC’s League of Super Pets, HBO’s Love Life).