Are you a Black filmmaker in Los Angeles wanting to raise your creative voice amid the cacophony? Join us on October 28 to 29 in the first-ever Black Horror Film Festival, produced by Tsalta Baptiste.
A census taker once tried to ask us “Where’s Johnny?”. We ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti…since after all… ”They’re here.”
“Do you want to play a game?”
Tell us all your favorite horror films and count how many black people were there (or lived). From screaming “it’s aliveeeee, it’s aliveeeeeee” to Dracula saying he “never drinks…wine.”, Black people have never really been truly represented in the horror genre. Is it because they wouldn’t go down with a nice red wine and some beans, or is it because they’ve never really had the chance to “see dead people”?
Now’s the time to change the story.
Globally acclaimed actor, producer, and composer, Tsalta Baptiste, announces the launch of the first Black Horror Film Festival on October 28 to 29.
The event seeks to elevate Black voices in the film industry by showcasing how people of color view horror and interpret their fears. The festival is a provocative movement that reflects the Black experience like no other, for good or for ill.
Read more about it at https://tsaltabaptiste.com
The festival highlights the struggles and mindset of the everyday Black person. It builds on traditional horror tropes in the 80s or 90s where the Black character was always the first to die, or needed to sacrifice themselves for the benefit of the white characters. With an entire generation of Black children influenced by these narratives, they may have inadvertently felt shunned from the film industry.
Instead, Tsalta Baptiste celebrates Black filmmakers by inviting them to participate in the first-ever Black Horror Film Festival in October. With the slogan “For us, by us”, Baptiste hopes to inspire young filmmakers of color to explore their creativity, find their voices, and be brave enough to showcase it to the world. Find more details athttps://blackhorrorfilmfestival.com
The film festival gives back power to Black filmmakers and Black characters. The earliest Black horror films date as far back as the 1960s, when Duane Jones, a Black man, successfully fought back against a horde of zombies in the “Night of the Living Dead”. Unfortunately, Duane was killed by a lynch mob at the end, even though he was the hero for most of the film.
Although this was filmed during a politically unsettled time, the cultural significance of the Black character dying carries on even today. The goal of the Black Horror Film Festival is to change the perception that the Black person is not as significant as their white counterparts, or that they need to die in the end.
One of the more beautiful examples of this is the 2017 thriller, “Get Out,” which won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay and was written by Black actor Jordan Peele. The film deconstructs racism against white people and openly displays white society as the conscious purveyors of evil. In the movie, the Black protagonist has to remain alert to benevolent racism to survive.
About Tsalta Baptiste
Tsalta Baptiste is a globally recognized digital and social architect. His latest project was “Until the End of Time,” an independent Black and Chinese film that depicted the life of influential American rapper, Tupac Shakur.
Reserve your spot at The Britely and enjoy the festival!
Go to https://www.instagram.com/tsaltabaptiste so you can learn more.
