Eye-Opening Exhibition of Posters, Stills and Lobby Cards Chronicles Eighty-Five Years of Black Film

San Francisco Black Film Festival Presents Rewind A Retrospective of Black cast Movie Memorabilia 1920-2005

San Francisco, Calif. (PRWEB) April 30, 2006 -- Highlighting films embedded in the African-American experience, the eighth annual San Francisco Black Film Festival (SFBFF) proudly presents “Rewind”, a collection of movie memorabilia representing 85 years of Black filmmaking. Launching with an opening night reception on June 1, 2006, the exhibit runs June 1 through July 1 at the Sargent Johnson Gallery and Hall of Culture at the African American Art and Culture Complex, 762 Fulton Street in San Francisco.

This provocative exhibition of rare posters, stills, lobby cards and books from the collection of Alden and Mary Kimbrough of Los Angeles documents the breakout efforts of Black independents in the ‘20s, the “blacksploitation” films of the ‘70s and today’s mainstream megahits. “Rewind” emphasizes the importance of documenting, preserving and interpreting the richly diverse creative contributions of Black filmmakers for the cultural benefit of future generations.

Chronicling films from 1920 to 2005, the “Rewind” exhibit includes: The Bull Dogger (“Featuring the Colored Hero of the Mexican Bull Ring in Death Defying Feats of Courage and Skill”), Oscar Micheaux’s The Girl from Chicago (1932), 1946’s Midnight Menace (“Voodoo that is Hoodoo! Murder that Mystifies!”), 1957’s Satchmo the Great (“America’s Ambassador Satch Conquers the World!”), Lillies of the Field (1963), Gordon Parks’ The Learning Tree (1969), The Watermelon Man (1970), 1971’s Shaft (“The Mob Wanted Harlem Back. They Got Shaft…Up to Here.”), Cleopatra Jones (1973), Cooley High (1975), 1981’s Ragtime (“A Black Man Said, ‘Respect Me or Kill Me’”), She's Gotta Have It (1986), Hollywood Shuffle (1987), Thelonious Monk Straight No Chaser (1988), Boyz N the Hood (1991), Crooklyn (1994), Soul Food (1997), Tupac Resurrection (2000), Monsters Ball (2001) and Hotel Rwanda (2004).

The Beginnings of Black Film

From the first minstrel shows in the early 1800s, African-Americans have been depicted as racial inferiors. Hollywood films picked up the thread, perpetuating the stereotype that Blacks were lazy, ignorant and shiftless people who did not take advantage of available opportunities. These films attempted to justify the widely-held view of Blacks as less than human and helped solidify the American caste system.

Winds of change began to stir in 1915 when African-Americans protested the racist film “Birth of a Nation.” Soon after, members of the black community decided to set the record straight and started their own film companies. The first was Bill Foster of Chicago, who founded the Foster Photoplay Company. Brothers Noble and George Johnson launched the Lincoln Motion Picture Company in Los Angeles, while Oscar Micheaux opened the Micheaux Film and Book Company in Chicago. These pioneering filmmakers wrestled with issues such as lynching, upward mobility and passing for white, reflecting the values and concerns that resonated with African-Americans. Commonly referred to as black cast “race” films, their works were intended to be shown in all-Black segregated theaters across the country. The films exposed the harsh realities of America’s social and political environment in an effort to lift the collective level of consciousness.

About the Sargent Johnson Gallery and Hall of Culture

The “Rewind” exhibit runs June 1st through July 1st at the Sargent Johnson Gallery and Hall of Culture at the African American Art and Culture Complex, 762 Fulton Street in San Francisco’s Fillmore District. Tickets for the “Rewind” opening night reception on June 1st are $10.00 and may be purchased in advance at http://www.sfbff.org. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more details about the exhibit or the Sargent Johnson Gallery and Hall of Culture, please call Tamika Chenier at (415) 921-8382.

About the San Francisco Black Film Festival (SFBFF)

Founded in 1998, the San Francisco Black Film Festival (SFBFF) has been a driving force facilitating the integration of Black film into the mainstream. Presenting diverse works from around the world with particular emphasis on independent cinema, the SFBFF focuses on films embedded in the African-American experience. This year’s eighth annual San Francisco Black Film Festival expands to six days, running June 6th through 11th, 2006 at a variety of venues.

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