LOS ANGELES – The team helming the redevelopment of the Stocker Street Creative (SSC) project in Baldwin Hills is excited to announce a return to its platinum sponsorship for the opening night festivities of the 31st annual Pan African Film Festival (PAFF). For a second year in a row, 4S Bay Partners LLC, based in Chicago, along with its Los Angeles-based project development consulting team, Pantheon Business Consulting LLC, readies to kick off a memorable night of Black culture at PAFF in a global celebration of Pan African culture during Black History Month.
For opening night, the festival will premiere CHEVALIER at 7 p.m. on February 9, 2023, at the Directors Guild of America (DGA) in Los Angeles. Directed by Stephen Williams, the film is inspired by the incredible story of composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges. Except for opening night festivities, screenings will be held at the Cinemark 15 Theatres, located at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza in Los Angeles. (The theatre is situated on the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Crenshaw Boulevard.)
Jessica Sarowitz is the woman behind SSC, set to redefine the landscape of LA's creative community through philanthropy, filmmaking, and social impact investing. “As a multi-racial woman of color, an immigrant, and a social impact investor, I am committed to projects that help level the playing field by providing economic development and growth to underserved communities around the country,” she said. This year, Sarowitz will be screening two powerful films at PAFF where she serves as executive producer – that is, IMAGINING THE INDIAN and WITH THIS LIGHT – under her shingle, Miraflores Films LLC.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2023 | 6:30 p.m. private screening for media and panel discussion to follow
CINEMARK15 AT PAN AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL
IMAGINING THE INDIAN | Runtime: 95 minutes | Movie synopsis
“IMAGINING THE INDIAN: The Fight Against Native American Mascoting” is a feature-length documentary film, which examines the movement to eliminate the use of Native American slurs, names, logos, images, and gestures that many Indigenous people and their allies find demeaning and offensive. The film investigates the impact of caricatures, such as Chief Wahoo, the cartoonish logo of the Cleveland Indians; gestures like the "tomahawk chop" of the Atlanta Braves; and sports teams branding and epithets like the former name of Washington NFL team, "Redskins;" and its effect on the Native American community, the sports community and society in general. Co-directed by Aviva Kempner and Ben West, IMAGINING THE INDIAN has been making the film festival circuit throughout the country, advocating for the end of the appropriation of Native American culture. For more information, visit ImaginingTheIndian.org. Please note: This is a private screening for media and invited guests only.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2023 | 6:30 p.m. screening and panel discussion to follow
CINEMARK15 AT PAN AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL
WITH THIS LIGHT | Runtime: 87 minutes | Movie synopsis
WITH THIS LIGHT follows Franciscan nun, Sister María Rosa Leggol, who for more than 70 years, helped more than 80,000 Honduran children escape abject poverty. Even into her 90s, as economic pressures intensified and gang violence threatened the very fabric of Honduran life, Sister Leggol never slowed down. At the age of 93, Sister Leggol tragically died in October 2020 after contracting COVID-19, but her legacy lives on. Co-directed by Nicole Bernardi-Reiss and Laura Bermudez, WITH THIS LIGHT follows two young women in Sister Leggol’s programs as they try to navigate the uncertainty and dangers of modern Honduras. The doc made its world premiere at the 2022 Austin Film Festival, winning the Documentary Feature Jury Award. In addition, the film was screened with the Embassy of the Argentine Republic to Italy, and producers were granted a private audience with Pope Francis. For more information, visit WithThisLight.com
For tickets, visit https://paffreimagined23.eventive.org/films/63ba4f54c7d8790036f48e86
“I am humbled to bring such impactful storytelling to the big screen for diverse audiences at the Pan African Film Festival,” said Sarowitz. “As we shed light on various issues impacting BIPOC communities, I hope the films will inspire social responsibility, raise awareness and serve as a call to action.”
Along with these powerful screenings, Sarowitz and 4SBay in conjunction with Pantheon Business Consulting will be inviting filmgoers to the Stocker Street Creative Gallery, an immersive salon where visitors and community members can view and share their thoughts on the direction of the SSC project. In addition, a variety of panel discussions will be held in the Stocker Street Creative Gallery, addressing topics such as schematic design, certified studio sustainability tax credit elements, negotiations and intellectual property, and virtual production. The gallery will also feature the panel -- “John Singleton …The Legacy Continues Navigating Film Production from Script to Screen” to encourage and ignite emerging Black filmmakers by providing them with the support and resources to create original and innovative film that echoes the cultural contribution of Singleton’s cinematic catalog. During the run of PAFF, the SSC Gallery will be open to the public from February 9 through February 20, 2023.
PAFF is the largest Black film festival in the United States and one of the largest Black History Month cultural events in the nation, attracting local, national, and international audiences. It presents and showcases a broad spectrum of Black creative works, particularly those that reinforce positive images and help to destroy negative stereotypes of Africans and African Americans. Since 1992, PAFF has remained dedicated to the promotion of Black stories and images through the exhibition of film, visual art, and other creative expressions. In addition, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has designated PAFF as an official qualifying film festival for live-action and animation short films.
By sponsoring PAFF, it gives 4S Bay Partners the perfect opportunity to introduce SSC to the entertainment and creative community. There is a synergy between the missions of both 4S Bay Partners and PAFF, which serve to amplify creative voices in underserved communities. Through the years, PAFF has stood as a pillar in the diverse Black community, welcoming filmmakers from across the world to showcase their pride, their voices, and their unique stories.
“For 30 years, the Pan African Film Festival has been plugged into Black culture and has not only given Black creatives a platform to showcase their impressive work but also, a seat at the table in reaching Hollywood and Nollywood,” said Stanley Washington, CEO of Pantheon Business Consulting. “We are excited to support PAFF for the second consecutive year to showcase our SSC design concept and host engaging industry panel discussions, garnering input and comments on the design of the project campus, along with insights into the creative industry ecosystem.”
“This partnership with SSC and PAFF is important for the African American community and the entertainment industry. SSC is building a state-of the-art creative space in the heart of Los Angeles’ Black creative community where Black creatives can tell their stories authentically. And PAFF believes film and art can lead to a better understanding, and foster communication between people of diverse cultures, races, and ethnicities in an entertaining way while serving as a vehicle to initiate dialogue on the important issues of our times,” said Marc Brogdon, head of marketing at PAFF.
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