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Urbanworld Film Festival and Innovation Summit Unveils 2024 Lineup: Elevating Trailblazing Voices and Revolutionary Stories

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NEW YORK, NY (SMI-GLOBAL-ENTERTAINMENT OCT 26-NOV. 17, 2024)-The Urbanworld Film Festival and Innovation Summit returns to New York City from November 13-17, 2024, for its 28th edition, promising an unforgettable celebration of cinema, creativity, and cutting-edge ideas.
 
As one of the most highly anticipated events in the industry, this Academy Award® Qualifying Festival continues to lead the charge at the intersection of film, storytelling, and technology.
 
This year’s event will feature a captivating lineup of films, thought-provoking discussions, and transformative experiences. HBO proudly celebrates 28 years as a founding partner, with Warner Bros. Discovery joining as a prestigious partner, underscoring the festival's influential role in shaping the future of entertainment.
 

This year, the festival will feature an electrifying slate of screenings at Regal Union Square, Manhattan's iconic cinematic hub, where filmmakers and audiences will converge to experience stories from across the globe.

2024 URBANWORLD FILM FESTIVAL SLATE:

SPOTLIGHT FEATURES:

  • ●  Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios) starring Jharrel Jerome, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, Mykelti Williamson with Don Cheadle and Jennifer Lopez

  • ●  It Was All a Dream, Directed by Dream Hampton, following the early days of hip-hop and featuring Biggie Smalls, Method Man, and Ice-T

  • ●  Breakin’ on the One (ESPN Films)

  • ●  The Honorable Shyne (Hulu)

 

 

SHORT FILM HIGHLIGHTS:

  • ●  Fannie, starring Aunjanue Ellis, re-creating Fannie Lou Hammer’s famous speech

  • ●  Criminal, Directed by Robe Imbriano, with a live music performance by the film’s

    collaborators Stew & Heidi

  • ●  It Just Happened, starring Denzel Whitaker, a short comedic film

  • ●  The Brown Dog, an animated short featuring the voice talents of the late Michael K.Williams and Steve Buscemi, Directed by Nadia Hallgren and Jamie-James Medina

    CLIPS AND CONVERSATION:

● Coodie & Chike, award-winning filmmakers, and directors are known for their

compelling documentaries and music videos, including the critically acclaimed Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy

US NARRATIVE FEATURES:

  • ●  Albany Road, Director, Christine Swanson

  • ●  Freight, Director, J. Alphonse Nicholson

    WORLD NARRATIVE FEATURES:

  • ●  Hello Spring (China) Director, Lanjua Ma

  • ●  The Battle (Brazil) Director, Vera Egito

  • ●  To a Land Unknown (UK), Director, Mahdi Fleifel

     

  • DOCUMENTARY FEATURES:

  • ●  Family Tree Director, Jennifer MacArthur

  • ●  Paint Me a Road Out of Here Director, Catherine Gund

  • ●  Singing Back the Buffalo Director, Tasha Hubbard

  • ●  Songs from the Hole Director, Contessa Gayles

     

  • US SHORT NARRATIVE FILMS:

  • ●  At Night, Director, Zoe Simone

  • ●  August & Ebony, Director, Sunyin Zhang

  • ●  Bloomed In The Water, Director, Joanne Mony Park

  • ●  Border Hopper, Director, Nico Casavechia

  • ●  Brand New, Co-Directors, Quincy Ledbetter and Denzel Whitaker

  • ●  Chimera, Director, Kryzz Gautier

  • ●  Chocolate with Sprinkles, Director, Huriyyah Muhammad

  • ●  drawn, Director, Claro de los Reyes

  • ●  Echoes of Pomegranate, Director, Alex Bijan Zandi

  • ●  Fannie, Director, Christine Swanson

  • ●  In the Fold, Director, Manuel Del Valle

  • ●  It Just Happened Director, Steven Bennett

  • ●  Jamila, Director, Julia Freij

  • ●  Last Hoorah at G-Baby’s, Director, DeeDee Casmir

  • ●  Leave On High, Director, Javier Ortega, Andrew Slane

  • ●  Marcel’s Piñata, Director, Adrian B. Herrera

  • ●  Nwa (Black), Director, Hans Augustave

  • ●  Rites of Passage, Director, Grant Housley

  • ●  Side Roads, Director, Alvaro Nunez Sechi

  • ●  Tender Thoughts, Anndi Jinelle Liggett

  • ●  Terminally Ill, Director, Chris Cole

  • ●  The Adventures of Robin Hood, Director, Monica Moore-Suriyage

  • ●  Thomasville, Director, Alex Woodruff

  • ●  Trending, Director, Felix Martiz

  • ●  When Winter Comes, Director, Yuan Yuan

  •  

  • WORLD SHORT NARRATIVE FILMS:

  • ●  Dawn Every Day,(Egypt) Director, Amir Youssef

  • ●  Doris, (Ghana) Director, Edem Dotse

  • ●  Ebb & Flow, (Lebanon) Director, Nay Tabbara

  • ●  F**k Sisterhood, (France) Director, Gael Barboza

  • ●  Future is Panorama, (Syrian Arab Republic) Director, Muschirf Shekh Zeyn

  • ●  If We Met Now, (Canada) Director, Halen King

  • ●  My Son Went Quiet, (Canada) Director, Ian Singh Bawa

  • ●  Son, (Iran) Director, Sama Hosseinpuor

  • ●  The Backway, (UK) Director, Cherno Jagne

  • ●  The Cascade, (Mexico) Director, Pablo Delgado Sanchez

  •  

  • SHORT DOCUMENTARY FILMS:

  • ●  A Family Portrait, Queens, Director, Billy Silva

  • ●  A Race in the Sun, Director, K. Nicole Mills

  • ●  Betye Saar: Drifting Toward Twilight, Director, Kyle Provencio Reingold

  • ●  Complexion, Director, Toko Shiki

  • ●  Criminal, Director, Robe Imbriano

  • ●  El Regresso (The Return) Director, Samantha Ramirez

  • ●  Fenice, Director, Sterling Hampton IV

  • ●  Forget-Me-Not, Director, Tamika R. Guyishard

  • ●  Simi, Director, Maria Mayo

  • ●  The Afro Mexpats, Director, Ebony Marie Bailey

  • ●  The Archive: Queer Nigerians, Director, Simisolaoluwa Akande

  • ●  The Can Mas Eshtete, Director, Laura Chechoway

  • ●  What Were You Meant For, Director, Kevin Anthony Brooks

  • ●  When There Are No Words, Director, Gabriella Canal

  •  

  • ANIMATION:

  • ●  Baigal Nuur - Lake Baikal, Director, Alisi Telengut

  • ●  Dodo, Director, Yi Luo

  • ●  Pacemaker, Directors, Brian Vincent Rhodes, Christopher Lennertz

  •  Tehran is Ours, Director, Hamideh Azimi

  • ●  The Brown Dog, Director, Nadia Hallgren, Jamie-James Median

  • YOUNG CREATORS:

  • ●  Ayo, Check Up! Director, Natan Xia

  • ●  Frog Jumping, Director, Ian Linn

  • ●  Goodbye Train Director, Chioma Ejimofo

  • ●  Moon in the Water, Director, Jingwen Fang

  • ●  Primero, Sueño Director, Andrés Lira

  • ●  Sunday in August, Director, Troy Charbonnet

  • SCREENPLAYS:

  • ●  En Root, writer Rashmi Singh

  • ●  Fuego writer Edwin FrankO

  • ●  If I Die in America, writer Ward Kamel

  • ●  Kevin writers Camrus Johnson, Shannon Walsh & Jack Gorman

  • ●  Spitting Fire, writer Angie Comer


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