Jazz Saxophonist Shawn Raiford's New Single, "Forever," Is All About Love and Romance

SACRAMENTO (1 February 2023): Taking an ambitious approach to recording his second album, urban-jazz saxophonist Shawn Raiford is already thinking about legacy early in his recording career. With Valentine’s Day approaching, one could make the case that Raiford’s sultry new single, “Forever,” is all about love and romance, and it is in part, but the musician also has a deeper meaning in mind. The track written by Raiford, Ashley Jemison, and Grammy winner Derek “DOA” Allen (Lionel Richie, Janet Jackson, Tyrese) is crafted with the intention of being timeless and standing the test of time.

Produced by Allen, “Forever” is powered by a tight and prominent midtempo drum groove while nuanced atmospherics add to the amorous ambiance. Raiford’s alto sax coos impassioned come-ons, soloing ardently in the company of fellow saxophonist Andre Delano who adds backing harmonies. Vocalist Quintina Paris emotes lustfully on the breathy chorus.        

“It’s definitely a steamy track. I’m a huge fan of Sade, and I wanted a track on the new album that reflected that type of seductive groove. When we were working on it in the studio, it felt like a timeless piece that would last and stand the test of time, which is my real goal. So, we titled it ‘Forever,’” said Raiford about the first single to be issued from the forthcoming “The Next Step” album slated to release this summer.

Raiford has been performing contemporary jazz, R&B, gospel, rock, and pop music with his band throughout Northern California since 1999. He’s a dynamic entertainer, an award-winning performer who snagged the Best Live Performance title from the Sounds of Soul a decade ago, collected Hope Awards in the jazz and jazz performance categories, won Best R&B band at the Northern California Entertainers Music Awards, and is a Sammie nominated jazz artist.

On record, Raiford’s debut album, “Man With A Horn,” was released in September of 2020 spawning four charting singles – “All Systems Go,” “In The Moment,” “Good Vibrations” and the title track. The soul-jazz set finished on the year-end chart at No. 22. Last November, Raiford released the holiday single, “Santa Baby,” to help whet appetites for “The Next Step.” “Forever” is destined to feed that desire.    

Although presently focused on finishing the new album, Raiford is stepping out of the studio to perform with his Shawn Raiford Experience band. Catch them live on the following dates:

February 6                    Mack Powell Event Center                                          Sacramento, CA          

February 10                  Dante Club                                                                   Sacramento, CA

February 18                  Jade and Jora                                                                Duncanville, TX

March 3                        Rock & Brews                                                              Sacramento, CA          

March 11                      Black American Political Association of California    Sacramento, CA          

March 13                      Mulvaney’s B&L                                                         Sacramento, CA          

April 15                        The Miracle                                                                  Los Angeles, CA

April 16                        The Grand Ritz                                                             San Diego, CA

For more information, please visit https://shawnraifordsax.com. 

 

Ben Vereen Is 'Steppin Out' At Catalina Jazz Club

Ben Vereen

FEBRUARY 24, 25, 2023

The Cooper Company is pleased to announce the return of Ben Vereen, one of North America’s greatest entertainers performing his popular stage show, Steppin’ Out with BEN VEREEN at Catalina Jazz Club (6725 West Sunset Blvd.) in Hollywood. The strictly limited engagement plays two performances only on Friday, February 24, and Saturday, February 25, both shows are at 8:30 p.m. For the first time, each performance of Steppin’ 

Out with BEN VEREEN will feature a special ASL interpretation by Jeanette Lee (Mrs. Sweden World 2022) – Through the Hands of a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults). 

Steppin’ Out with BEN VEREEN is an evening filled with song, stories, and humor that takes you on a journey with tributes to Broadway, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Stephen Schwartz, and a splash of reggae and rock ‘n’ roll. The show features hit songs such as ‘Magic to Do’ from Pippin, ‘Defying Gravity’ and ‘For Good’ from Wicked, and ‘Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries.’ The show won the prestigious Cabaret Award after playing New York’s 54 Below in 2015.  

Few entertainers today are as accomplished or as versatile as Ben Vereen. His legendary performances transcend time and have been woven into the fabric of this country’s artistic legacy. His first love and passion is and always will be the stage. On Broadway, Vereen starred in Pippin, Wicked, Fosse, I’m Not Rappaport, Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, Grind, Jelly’s Last Jam, and A Christmas Carol. His role in Pippin garnered him both the prestigious Tony Award and the Drama Desk Award for “Best Actor in a Musical.” He performed his show An Evening with Ben Vereen to Jazz at Lincoln Center as an exclusive eight-performance run at Dizzy’s Club. The New York Times raved, “Everything finally coalesced in ‘Mr. Bojangles,’ when he became an archetypal vaudevillian:  singing, dancing, whistling – doing it all.”

“The theatre was my first training ground. It taught me discipline, dedication, and appreciation of hard work and values that will stay with me a lifetime,” said Ben Vereen. He added, “The stage sharpens the creative instrument and encourages you to go deeper inside and try new things.”

Vereen is also a force in film and television. His iconic character Chicken George created a veritable cultural tidal wave in the landmark ABC series Roots. He starred in the Chuck Lorre series B Positive on CBS and completed multiple episodes of The Good Fight, playing Frederick Douglas, also on CBS. Ben guest starred in Magnum P.I. and Bull for CBS; multiple episodes of Star for Fox; and the BET series Tales. He also co-starred with Richard Gere in Time Out of Mind, Chris Rock in Top Five, and was featured as Dr. Scott in the re-imagined The Rocky Horror Picture Show for 20th Century Fox. And he was picked by Bryan Cranston to co-star in Sneaky Pete for Amazon. Other film credits include Sweet Charity, All That Jazz, Funny Lady (Golden Globe nomination), and Why Do Fools Fall In Love, amongst many others. 

Ben was inducted into The Theatre Hall of Fame and The Dance Hall of Fame and is considered one of our nation’s most popular motivational speakers. He is an active member of American for the Arts, the largest arts organization in the country advocating for the advancement of the arts and art education. Ben’s passion is to educate and inspire children about the Arts. He was awarded the inaugural Juneteenth Legacy Award from the Broadway League, and the Hero’s Award from the First Responder's Children's Foundation due to his presence at Ground Zero in helping the first responders. He was recently honored with the Sidney Poitier Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Black Theatre Festival. 

In addition to his estimable artistic career, Vereen has devoted considerable time and energy to numerous nonprofit organizations. He has served on the boards of Ballet Florida, the American Red Cross and the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Association, to name a few. In 1989, he launched his own organization, Celebrities for a Drug-Free America, which raised funds for drug rehabilitation centers, educational programs, and inner-city community-based projects. In recognition of his humanitarian contributions, Vereen received the Community Mental Health Council’s 2004 Lifeline Celebration Achievement Award, Israel’s Cultural and Humanitarian Award, the NAACP Image Award, and the Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award. And in March 2022, Ben starred in the video/recording of a new song, “We Sing For Ukraine.” The proceeds from this song will benefit both UNICEF and Abundance International. 

Steppin’ Out with BEN VEREEN plays at Catalina Jazz Club, 6725 West Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood. Performances are Friday, February 24 at 8:30 p.m. and on Saturday, February 25 at 8:30 p.m. The doors open for dinner and seating at 7 p.m. Tickets are available online at www.TicketWeb.com (search Ben Vereen) and www.CatalinaJazzClub.com or by phone at 323.466.2210. Tickets are $40 on Fridays and $50 on Saturdays. Note: Dinner or a two-drink minimum, plus a $0.49 music royalty, is required per patron in addition to the ticket purchase. Seating is first-come, first-served. For general information, please call Catalina Jazz Club at 323.466.2210 or visit www.CatalinaJazzClub.com.

Honey Cone To Set Sail on Soul Train Cruise

Honey Cone

When Billboard hitmakers Honey Cone sets sail later this month aboard the hippest ship on the sea, the Soul Train Cruise, it continues a legacy between the R&B/soul vocal group and the landmark television series that dates back over fifty years. 

Honey Cone was riding high after scoring back-to-back Billboard No. 1 singles, “Want Ads” and “Stick Up,” when Soul Train debuted in 1971. The show’s creator and host Don Cornelius booked the award-winning trio to perform on the very first episode of the series. Although the show ended production in 2006, Honey Cone reestablished their relationship with the brand in 2014 by performing on the Soul Train Cruise. After a sweet year that included concert dates from Hollywood to Atlantic City and from the Rose Bowl to the Hard Rock Café, Honey Cone readies to return to play the tenth-anniversary Soul Train Cruise that sails January 29 through February 5.   

Original Honey Cone member Shelly Clark-White, who was in Chicago for the first Soul Train appearance, leads the group today. She’s joined by Kathy Merrick and Wendy Smith-Brune. Honey Cone will be backed by a band consisting of Earth, Wind & Fire’s drummer John Paris, guitarist Romeo Brune and musical director/bassist Tony Boyd. 

“We're blessed and honored to once again set it on fire on the Soul Train Cruise just as Honey Cone did in 2014. We're always treated like royalty on the cruise because they constantly run the original television footage of us on all the monitors since we were the very first artists to perform on Soul Train along with Gladys Knight and Pips,” said Clark-White, who was inducted into the Soul Music Hall of Fame with Honey Cone in 2021. 

In addition to performing their chart-topping, gold-selling hits and fans favorites from their catalog produced by the legendary team of Brian Holland-Lamont Dozier-Eddie Holland, including “Want Ads,” “Stick Up,” “While You’re Out Looking for Sugar,” “Girls, It Ain’t Easy,” “One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show” and “The Day I Found Myself,” Honey Cone plies their magic to reimagine vintage R&B/pop hits by artists such as Beyonce, Donna Summer, Teena Marie, The Emotions, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, and Earth, Wind & Fire. 

Last year, Honey Cone sold out Herb Albert’s Vibrato Grill Jazz, performed at the VIP-heavy Rose Bowl Party of the Century 100 Gala; the distinguished Heroes and Legends Awards, and at the fifteenth annual Classic R&B Music Festival. They’ll be back at Vibrato in April and will continue in the recording studio on work that began last year with the PWP production team that consists of Earth, Wind & Fire’s Verdine White, Paris, and Neal Pogue. A national concert tour is in the planning stages. But first, rehearsals are currently underway for the Soul Train Cruise. 

“This cruise will be special to each of us. Something fun and different that we are really looking forward to is hosting the Soul Train Cruise annual wine-tasting event. We thank Tony Cornelius for inviting Honey Cone to take part,” said Clark-White, who collected awards for Honey Cone from the National Association of Television and Radio Announcers, Rhythm & Blues Music Society, and a Heroes and Legends Lifetime Achievement Award. 

 

Pasadena Playhouse Announces Casting for Stephen Sondheim's 'Sunday in the Park'

PASADENA, CA (January 12, 2023) –  Danny Feldman, Producing Artistic Director of Pasadena Playhouse, the State Theater of California, announces casting for Sunday in the Park with George,  the first mainstage production of the theater’s six-month-long celebration of the works and impact of Stephen Sondheim, the first significant festival honoring his legacy since his passing in 2021.   

The cast of Sunday in the Park with George is led by Graham Phillips (Broadway’s 13, CW’s Riverdale, CBS’ The Good Wife) as George Seurat/George and Krystina Alabado (Broadway’s Mean Girls and American Psycho) as Dot/Marie. 

The production also features Michael Manuel (Our Town at South Coast Repertory, The Father at Pasadena Playhouse) as Jules/Bob, Emily Tyra (Broadway’s Nice Work If You Can Get It) as Yvonne/Naomi, and Liz Larsen (Broadway’s Beautiful, NBC’s Law and Order) as Old Lady/Blair. 

Marking the start of the later part of his career, Sunday in the Park With George (1984), in which Sondheim's music brings the world of George Seurat to vivid life, is the first of three musicals  Sondheim created with James Lapine that include Into the Woods (1987) and Passion (1994). Sondheim and Lapine won the 1985 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the work, and while it was revived on Broadway in 2008, and again in a celebrated limited run in 2017 (helmed by Sarna Lapine), Sunday in the Park with George has rarely been produced in Los Angeles with the full-scale production it deserves—until now. Inventive, insightful, and in a class of its own, this ravishing, captivating masterpiece encapsulates the complexity of life—and the art of understanding it.  

One of the most acclaimed musicals of all time and Sondheim’s most innovative and groundbreaking musical,  Sunday in the Park with George is directed by Sarna Lapine, who helmed the most recent Broadway revival of the show, with choreography by Alison Solomon and musical direction by Andy Einhorn. 

Vanity Fair said, “By musicalizing the agonies of both George Seurat and the painter’s fictional great-grandson, Sondheim created what is perhaps the ultimate treatise on the stresses of pursuing a career in the arts. The piece holds such significance to Sondheim that he titled his two volumes of lyrics—Finishing the Hat and Look, I Made a Hat—after the central metaphor in one of its songs.” 

On a Sunday afternoon at La Grande Jatte, French artist George Seurat is hoping to find the inspiration to create a masterpiece. As the piece comes together, the people come alive; his mother, his friends, his critics, and the woman he loves. Stroke by stroke, dot by Dot, will George create something lasting, something new?  

Sunday in the Park with George is a shimmering tribute to “the art of making art “which takes on an even deeper and richer meaning since Sondheim’s passing.

The cast also includes Armand Akbari as Soldier #2/Ensemble, Jenni Barber as Celeste #2/Waitress, Allison Belinkoff as Female Swing, Pippa Blaylock as Louise, Brian Calì as Boatman/Lee, Marc Ginsburg as Ensemble, Jennie Greenberry as Nurse, Savannah L. Jackson as Ensemble, Trevor James as Soldier/Alex, Robert Knight as Louis/Charles, Deborah Lew as Frieda/Betty, Matthew McCoy as Male Swing, Alexandra Melrose as Mrs./Harriet, Brianna Pember as Ensemble, Juliana Sloan as Celeste #1/Waitress, Jimmy Smagula as Mr./Billy, and Jason Michael Snow as Franz/Dennis.

The design team features scenic design by Beowulf Boritt (Broadway's Sunday in the Park with George, 2014 Tony Award Winner for Act One), costume design by Clint Ramos (Broadway's Sunday in the Park with George, 2016 Tony Award Winner for Eclipsed), lighting design by Ken Billington (Broadway's Sunday in the Park with George, 1997 Tony Award winner for Chicago), sound design by Danny Erdberg and Ursula Kwong-Brown (Stonewall at NYC Opera, Head Over Heels at Pasadena Playhouse), projection design by Tal Yarden (Broadway's Sunday in the Park with George, Broadway’s Network) and wig design by Christopher Enlow (Broadway's The Inheritance, Broadway’s The Prom). The Production Stage Manager is Andrew Neal (Broadway’s King Kong, Broadway’s Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark).

Director Sarna Lapine says, “Sunday in the Park With George has been my favorite musical since childhood. How it resonates with me has changed over time, with age, and along the precarious path of pursuing a livelihood and life in the arts. I continue to be inspired by how personal this show feels to so many people and how like any great Classic, it ages well over time and continues to resonate. It’s one of those rare shows where even while working on it, from the inside, I continue to experience what the audience does as if the show erases the divide between creator and observer. It is a show that speaks to the creative burn in all of us. 

It is with tremendous love and gratitude, and joy that I find myself in Los Angeles now and am about to start rehearsals with an astonishing new cast, many of the same members of the creative team that I had the privilege of working with on Broadway, a crew of new collaborators, and under the guidance of a thrilling artistic director, Danny Feldman.  

May this production celebrate Mr. Sondheim and his dear collaborator, James Lapine. What they created stirs the mind and the heart; the experience of being in the audience (and in the show) illuminates that connection and community are always possible – even across the great chasm of time.”

Tickets for Sunday in the Park with George start at $39 and are available at pasadenaplayhouse.org, by phone at 626-356-7529, and at the box office at 39 South El Molino Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101.   

Pasadena Playhouse’s Sondheim Celebration is made possible through the generous support of Pasadena-based East West Bank and the Helen and Will Webster Foundation.

 

ABOUT PASADENA PLAYHOUSE

Pasadena Playhouse is where people have gathered for 100 years to experience bold and important theater.  It is one of the most prolific theaters in American history with a legacy of profound theatrical impact and courageous new work. In 1937, the Playhouse was officially recognized as the State Theater of California for its contribution and commitment to the dramatic arts. Today it continues that tradition of excellence under the helm of producing artistic director Danny Feldman. Dedicated to enriching lives through theater, community programs, and learning initiatives, Pasadena Playhouse is a living force in the community. 

Calendar Listing for Sunday in the Park with George

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

Book by James Lapine

Directed by Sarna Lapine

 

Music Direction by Andy Einhorn

Choreographed by Alison Solomon

 

Originally Directed on Broadway by James Lapine

Orchestrations by Michael Starobin

 

Venue: Pasadena Playhouse, 39 South El Molino Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101 

Dates: Tuesday, February 14 to Sunday, March 19 

Performance Schedule: 

Tuesday-Friday evenings at 8 p.m.

Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.   

Tickets: Prices start at $39

Online – PasadenaPlayhouse.org

By phone at 626-356-7529 

In-person – Pasadena Playhouse Box Office, located at 39 South El Molino Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101 

Information:   For more information on all productions at Pasadena Playhouse visit PasadenaPlayhouse.org.

Description:    One of the most acclaimed musicals of all time, Sondheim’s most innovative and groundbreaking musical has rarely been produced in Los Angeles with the full-scale production it deserves—until now. Inventive, insightful, and in a class of its own, this ravishing, captivating masterpiece encapsulates the complexity of life—and the art of understanding it.

2023 Pan African Film & Arts Festival Line Up

LOS ANGELES — Today, the PAN AFRICAN FILM & ARTS FESTIVAL (PAFF) announced its full lineup for its upcoming in-person festival on Feb. 9-20, 2023.  Now in its 31st year, the Festival is returning to the Cinemark Baldwin Hills and XD and the adjacent Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza will host its renowned fine art show featuring over 100 established and emerging fine artists and quality craftspeople from all over the Black Diaspora. 

This year’s film festival features over 150 films from 40 countries, in 19 languages, including 50 World and 22 North American premieres.  Of the films selected for the Festival, 39% are helmed by female, queer or non-binary filmmakers. 

The Festival film guide is available here.  Passes are on sale now and can be purchased at paff.org. Individual tickets go on sale on January 31, 2023.

Also announced was NFL-Pro turned actor Thomas Q. Jones as the Pan African Film & Arts Festival’s 2023 celebrity host. As host, Jones, who has been a captivating force on and off the field, will help bring awareness among Black Hollywood to the 2023 PAFF, which is Los Angeles’ largest Black History Month event.

Presented by Stocker Street Creative and Searchlight Pictures, CHEVALIER will open PAFF on Feb. 9, 2023, at the Directors Guild of America. 

Inspired by the incredible story of composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges. The son of an enslaved African woman and a French plantation owner, Bologne (Kelvin Harrison Jr. in a tour de force performance) rises to improbable heights in French society as a celebrated violinist-composer and fencer, complete with an ill-fated love affair and a falling out with Marie Antoinette (Lucy Boynton) herself and her court.

CHEVALIER is directed by Stephen Williams and stars Kelvin Harrison Jr., Samara Weaving, and Lucy Boynton. The film is written by Stefani Robinson and features music by Kris Bowers.

Tickets to the Opening Night red carpet gala are on sale at paff.org.

HIGHLIGHTS

Highlights from this year’s lineup include the Oscar-nominated (Best Short Documentary) AMERICAN JUSTICE ON TRIAL: PEOPLE V. NEWTON (US) in which Black Panthers co-founder Huey Newton is accused of murdering a white policeman after a car stop in 1967 Oakland. A landmark trial ensues and Newton's defense team calls out racism in the judicial system. With the death penalty looming, a shocking verdict is delivered that still reverberates today.

France’s OUR FATHER, THE DEVIL (MON PÈRE, LE DIABLE) tells the story of Marie, an African refugee, working as the head chef at a retirement home in a sleepy mountain town in the south of France. Her simple but satisfying life is upended by the arrival of Father Patrick, an African priest who she recognizes as the warlord who slaughtered her family. As he further endears himself to her community and within the place she now calls home, Marie must decide if she will exact her revenge or cling to the new life she’s built. A provocative and daring exploration of fear, trauma, and revenge, this masterfully told story with brilliant performances, is a fearless and explosive modern-day thriller examining human complexities.

In DANCING THE TWIST IN BAMAKO (Senegal/Mali/Italy/France/Canada), it’s 1962 and Mali has just gained its independence from France and established a socialist government. The youth of Bamako dance the twist to rock & roll music newly imported from the West and dream of political renewal. In this environment, a passionate and impetuous love affair evolves between two youths, Samba, an idealistic young socialist, and the spirited Lara who is running from an abusive arranged marriage. Through the filter of their affair, viewers witness the many tensions in the society at this little-known moment of social change: socialism and the introduction of communal farming (for village tax purposes) versus the powerful capitalist interests of the traders; women’s rights versus traditional arranged marriages where ‘rape does not exist within marriage’; the authority of the elders versus that of the new order. Uncoupled from Western ideas about the evils of Socialism, the film gives a voice to both sides: both systems are Western imports from a Malian point of view. The story was inspired by the photographs of 1960s Malian photographer Malick Sidibe and is nourished by the enthusiasm and naivety of youth set against the political realities of the time.

Africology is an interdisciplinary academic study of the history and culture of African people. THE AFRICOLOGIST: CHRONICLES OF AFRICA (Cape Verde/Egypt/Ghana/ Guinea-Bissau/Kenya/Morocco/Senegal/South Africa/Tanzania) is a futuristic, highly original documentary that swings between two distinct canvases - on the one hand, there is the science-fictional, 3D animated realm of the Africologist, a computer-generated fictional woman; and on the other hand is the real-world, scientific and factual representation of Africa researched by director Valerio Lopes himself through his travels to sixteen African countries. Together they delve into the true history, science, and technological achievement of Africa. Viewers voyage through space and time discovering Africa’s true past and contributions to humankind. The destination of the journey is an authentic and accurately crafted interpretation of our world constructed from an African point of view.

In FANTASTIC NEGRITO: HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND YET? (US), beyond the bombastic stage persona of Fantastic Negrito lies a 51-year-old survivor, hustler, and self-described ‘recovering narcissist’ named Xavier Dphrepaulezz. After his improbable midlife transformation from busking bluesman to back-to-back Grammy winner, Xavier is now ready to face his demons. Follow Xavier in his Oakland studio as he creates his newest album, laying bare his extraordinary journey and the many “hallucinations" he has experienced along the way. Following the structure of an album tracklist and featuring intimate and often hilarious interviews with philosopher-poet Xavier and his brilliant band of collaborators and close friends, the film traces his journey from early isolation as a Black Muslim kid in rural Massachusetts to Bay Area star with a global fanbase. Punctuated with a great soundtrack, this astonishing madhatter ride transports the viewer through a uniquely mind-bending journey that thoroughly entertains.

GOD SAID GIVE 'EM DRUM MACHINES (US) is a vibrant and nostalgic music documentary that showcases the beginnings of techno music and how Detroit was the creative and cultural hub for the creation and development of these beats. This lively exploration takes viewers from Detroit to Chicago to London and Berlin, tracing techno’s origins in the African American community and not the German community, as is now mistakenly thought. Focusing on the talent of a group of young Black artists — including Juan Atkins, Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, Blake Baxter, Eddie Fowlkes, and Santonio Echols — “God Said Give ‘Em Drum Machines” is a compelling, rarely showcased the history of mismanaged success, damaged friendships, ascendant beats and raw inspiration detailing how the innovation and artistry of these Detroit musicians led to one of the most celebrated and profitable musical genres in the world.

The complete film guide is available at paff.org. 

About the Pan African Film & Arts Festival

Established in 1992 by Hollywood veterans Danny Glover (The Color Purple, Lethal Weapon), the late Ja’Net DuBois (“Good Times”), and Ayuko Babu (Executive Director), the Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that has remained dedicated to the promotion of Black stories and images through the exhibition of film, visual art, and other creative expressions. PAFF is one of the largest and most prestigious Black film festivals in the U.S. and attracts local, national, and international audiences. In addition, it is an Oscar-qualifying festival for animation and live-action films, and one of the largest Black History Month events in America.

PAFF is sponsored in part by the City of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell through the Department of Arts and Culture, LA Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson, LA Councilmember Curren Price, LA Councilmember Heather Hutt, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, LA Arts COVID-19 Relief Fund with the California Community Foundation, and the LA County COVID-19 Arts Relief Fund administered by the LA County Department of Arts and Culture.

The 31st Pan African Film & Arts Festival's major festival sponsors include Stocker Street Creative and Searchlight Pictures.

The Pan African Film Festival is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

For more information, please visit paff.org.

About Stocker Street Creative

Stocker Street Creative is working to build a transformative state-of-the-art creative campus for studio and sound stage production, creative industry office spaces, business, and technology incubation, and industry-specific job development within a collaborative ecosystem designed to drive economic development within the South and Southeast Los Angeles communities while leveraging the greater Los Angeles County creative industry. Learn more at stockerstreetcreative.com. 

About Searchlight Pictures

Searchlight Pictures is a global specialty film company that develops, produces, finances, and acquires motion pictures for both worldwide theatrical and streaming releases. It has its own marketing and distribution operations and is part of The Walt Disney Studios, a division of The Walt Disney Company. Founded in 1994 as Fox Searchlight Pictures, the company’s titles have grossed over $5 billion worldwide, amassing 43 Academy Awards including five Best Picture winners since 2009: Slumdog Millionaire, 12 Years a Slave, Birdman, The Shape of Water, and Nomadland; 49 BAFTA Awards, and 28 Golden Globe Awards. Searchlight recently released Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley, Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch, Scott Cooper’s Antlers, Michael Showalter’s The Eyes of Tammy Faye, as well as Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s award-winning documentary feature Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) with Hulu and in partnership with Disney’s Onyx Collective. Upcoming releases include the Hulu Original Limited Series “The Dropout” by Michael Showalter, Tom George’s See How They Run, and Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins. The company includes Searchlight Television, which develops and produces series for streaming, network, and cable partners.  searchlightpictures.com

Sundance Film Festival Adds NBA Star Stephen Curry's Documentary To 2023 Fall Lineup

 

Today, Sundance Film Festival announced its 2023 fall lineup which included NBA star, Stephen Curry’s newest documentary, Underrated. Directed by award-winning filmmaker, Peter Nicks, the documentary also features Producers world-renown Ryan Coogler (Black Panther) and Erick Peyton. 

The documentary provides an intimate look at NBA superstar Stephen Curry’s improbable coming of age at tiny Davidson College, where, under the wing of coach Bob McKillop, the team made a thrilling run in the 2008 NCAA tournament. With access to Curry throughout the 2021 season, the film also weaves the Golden State Warriors’ attempt to win another NBA championship following one of the worst seasons in franchise history. 

As one of the most influential, dynamic, and unexpected players in the history of basketball; the documentary reveals Curry’s rise from an undersized college player to a four-time NBA champion; with intimate cinematic video, archival footage, and on-camera interviews. 

Stephen Curry: Underrated gives us a glimpse into Curry’s personal life as he juggles the demands of his professional career to fulfill a promise he made to his mother when he left Davidson early to declare for the draft: he would get his college degree. Nicks successfully weaves the parallels he finds in video footage of Curry, as an aspiring athlete and as a professional basketball star, to tell the remarkable story of a kid who rose from an undersized and inconspicuous high school basketball player to an NBA icon.