Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival: shining light on black indie movies, building community – cleveland.com
By John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer | Posted September 12, 2019 at 12:39 PM
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Black cinema has always been an independent movement.
For a century, African-Americans have struggled to get into movies, let alone become part of the Hollywood mainstream. Countless independent films, actors and directors have paved the way, slowly, over decades.
There were “race films” of the 1920s; Blaxploitation cinema of the 1970s; Halle Berry becoming the first black woman to win an Academy Award for best actress in 2003.
The Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival has more modest goals, but the spirit is the same. The fest will host a marathon of African-American films in Atlas Cinemas at Shaker Square Sept. 12 through Sept. 20.
Story by John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer
Photo by Vince Robinson
“We’re trying to bring attention to an underserved community,” says GCUFF co-founder Donna Dabbs. “You have a lot of people out there making films and trying to get into the business, but it’s hard to get distribution or even see themselves as part of a larger community.”
Since 2012, Dabbs and Alton Tinker have worked to show African-American filmmakers and movie fans that, yes, there is a community.
Courtesy Greater GCUFF
GCUFF has grown from a four-day, 20-film celebration to a full-fledged festival with 85 films over nine days that is shooting for 5,000 attendees. This year’s festival rolls out features, documentaries and shorts, as well as panel discussions and meet-and-greats with actors and filmmakers. It will conclude with a closing awards ceremony and a screening of “Amazing Grace,” a documentary about Aretha Franklin.
Photo courtesy GCUFF
The Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival runs Sept. 12 through Sept. 20. The Opening Night Event & Reception will feature film and television actor and East Cleveland native Yvette Nicole Brown. It takes place at the Breen Center for the Performing Arts at St. Ignatius High School, 2008 W 30th St, Cleveland. The event begins at 6 p.m.
A still from ‘Belly Flop,’ an animated short from Argentina that screens in the ‘Hollywood Kids’ shorts series at 11 a.m. Saturday. (Photo courtesy GCUFF)
The growth of the GCUFF parallels the rise of African-American festivals around the country, which took off in the 1990s.
“Alton and I were doing networking events in the area 15 years ago and then starting thinking: Why not provide a hub for artists and movie fans?” says Dabbs. “There were all these artists and film fans out there; they just needed to plug into something.”
Dabbs and Tinker didn’t have any experience in the film industry, but they had enthusiasm – for film and also to do something for the community.
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