September 21st, 2011
The 15th Annual Urbanworld Film Festival, presented by BET Networks, was held in Manhattan on September 14-18. Urbanworld, which screened 59 films this year (including 17 world premieres), is the largest internationally competitive festival dedicated to the exhibition of independent cinema by and about people of color and showcases features, documentaries, short films, as well as panel discussions, live staged screenplay readings, and Urbanworld® Digital, a 1-day conference during the festival which focuses on digital and social media. I had the pleasure of attending the first Urbanworld Film Festival and have watched it grow over the last fourteen years. This year’s festival winners are: Mamitas – best narrative feature; Wake – best narrative short; Zero Percent – best documentary feature; Love Lockdown – best documentary short; After The Storm – best screenplay; Whitehall – best teleplay; and the Audience award went to Life Love Soul.
Every year the Urbanworld Film Festival is a star studded event but it is also the energy and networking of up & coming filmmakers, actors, producers and writers that keeps everyone coming back. Here are a few photos from this year’s red carpet — Nelson George and Chris Rock – stars of the festival’s opening night feature Brooklyn Boheme; directors Spike Lee and Jerry Lamothe; actors Giancarlo Esposito, Hassan Johnson, Tami Roman and Sonia Sanchez were among the many that posed for pictures and interviews.. Mario van Peebles, 50 Cent, and Lynn Whitfield – stars of All Things Fall Apart (NY premiere) – were also in attendance. For more information on the Urbanworld Film Festival, please visit www.urbanworld.org.
September 9th, 2011
On September 5, the 44th Annual West Indian American Day Carnival was held on Eastern Parkway. Two million revelers filled the parkway and despite all the news reports of violence – that is not what Labor Day is about. This is the day that the West Indian/Caribbean American community comes out to represent and support our pride, beauty and vibrant culture – and I am proud to be one of them! In the immortal words of the Mighty Sparrow, “Let me tell you something about Labor Day in Brooklyn. Everybody jumping! Labor Day in Brooklyn – hey! Every West Indian jumping up like mad – just like a carnival day in Trinidad!”
I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with the Band of the Year – Sesame Carnival (sesamecarnival.com) and want to thank the spectacular masqueraders for allowing me to photograph them.
September 4th, 2011
For the past 44 years, The West Indian American Day Carnival Association (wiadca.com) has hosted the Labor Day festivities in Brooklyn, NY – celebrating Caribbean American people and culture. On Saturday, September 3 the Junior Mas Bands or “Kiddies Carnival” as it is commonly called was held – children carrying on the tradition of their parents – proudly parading through the streets in “mas bands” and at the Brooklyn Museum stage. The colors of the costumes and children’s smiles shone brightly under the clear skies and was a true feast for my eyes and heart.
August 25th, 2011
On Saturday, August 13, I had the pleasure of photographing Def Dance Jam Workshop’s “Lunch n’ Launch” summer fundraiser. It was a beautiful day in Harlem and the community was treated to a lovely lunch and performance of “Versed in 4 Give Ness” – a work in progress that illuminates the purpose of forgiving. Def Dance Jam Workshop (DDJW) is an inter-generational dance company and performing arts and academic program that brings together youth and adults with and without “different-abilities.” Striving to create a community of equality for those who are deaf, hearing and physically or developmentally challenged in a non-competive learning environment, DDJW seeks to empower its members artistically, academically and culturally, and to strengthen the relationship between the “differently able” community and “conventionally able” community. Please visit www.defdancejam.org to learn more about them and to support their wonder-full efforts.
August 4th, 2011
On Saturday, I had the pleasure of photographing Tessa and Machli’s lovely wedding and reception at Dumbo Lofts in Brooklyn.
Family and friends celebrated and truly had a fun time. I loved capturing those moments and am thankful to Tessa and Machli for allowing me to photograph their day and agreeing to be my first blog post. Congratulations, Tessa & Machli!
