Reel Black Talk: A Sourcebook of 50 American Filmmakers

by Linda Allen, Spencer Moon

Overview

As evidenced in interviews included in this volume, many African American filmmakers consider themselves artists first, their ethnicity being only part of what influences their work. This is the first book by an African American on contemporary African American filmmakers. Here directors and producers speak for themselves, posing challenges to current thinking in the field. Special emphasis is given to the filmmakers' productions and their experiences. Essays on historic figures reveal the rich history of the African American contribution to cinema. From Oscar Micheaux and Spencer Williams to Neema Barnett and the team of George Jackson and Doug McHenry, this revealing reference work will enlighten scholars, students, and film buffs.

As early as 1899, African Americans were involved in the filmmaking industry. Oscar Micheaux took directing, writing, and producing to a higher level with the release of his first film in 1918; by 1948 he had made more than forty films. Currently, by international world cinema standards, the African American tradition rivals cinema from anywhere in the world, but these filmmakers face a quandary: whether to make films through the Hollywood system or follow an independent vision. This book presents a cross-section of filmmakers from each camp and also focuses on those who work in both arenas.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313298301
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	09/23/1997
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	416
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.06(d)
Lexile:	1000L (what's this?)

About the Author

SPENCER MOON is an Instructor of Black Cinema at City College in San Francisco. He has over twenty-five years of experience in independent filmmaking, broadcast production, curating and managing film exhibition programs, and writing on the filmmaking industry. He has been listed in Who's Who in Entertainment since 1989, and is coauthor (with George Hill) of Blacks in Hollywood: Five Favorable Years, 1987-1991 (1991).

Table of Contents

Foreword by George Hill
Preface
The Filmmakers
William Alexander
Madeline Anderson
Neema Barnett
St. Clair Bourbane
Charles Burbanett
Roy Campanella, II
Ayoka Chenzira
Francee Covington
Julie Dash
Ivan Dixon
Bill Duke
Jamaa Fanaka
Wendell Franklin
Carl Franklin
Reginald Hudlin and Warrington Hudlin
Albert & Allen Hughes
William Greaves
Henry Hampton
Hobart Harris
Wendell Harris
George Jackson and Doug McHenry
Ashley James
Avon Kirkland
Stan Lathan
Spike Lee
Louis Massiah
Oscar Micheaux
Floyd Norman and Leo D. Sullivan
Michelle Parkerson
Gordon Parks Sr.
Marlon Riggs
Matty Rich
Hugh Robertson
Jacqueline Shearer
Michael Schultz
John Singleton
Arlando C. Smith
Robert Townsend
Mario Van Peebles
Melvin Van Peebles
Mark Warren
The Wayans: Keenan, Damon, Shawn & Marlon
Spencer Williams
Allen Willis
Bibliography
Appendix
Index