City World Film Festival and Innovation Summit will launch the powerful documentary “The Honorable Shyne” as the highlight and finale of the annual event.
The film captures Grammy Award-winning artist Moses “Shane” Barrow’s extraordinary, unusual transformation from rap star to respected politician. Barrow’s story will be told in an exclusive Q&A following the screening.
The festival returns to New York City November 13-17 and will continue its tradition of celebrating diverse voices and unique narratives. HBO will also celebrate its 28th anniversary as a founding partner.
Regal Union Square will host screenings from international filmmakers, while the Urban World Innovation Summit will kick off the festival on opening day at the Eleanor Bunin Munro Film Center at Lincoln Center.
The summit provides a space for creators to explore the changing landscape of digital content delivery, narrative arts and emerging technologies.
“We are honored to showcase films and projects from more than 15 countries that reflect the diversity and depth of the human experience,” said Karen McMullen, Director of City World Film Festival.
Other highlights include a screening of “Albany Road” starring Lynn Whitfield and Renée Elise Goldsberry, and Denzel Whitaker with co-director Yuki Maekawa-Ledbetter Co-produced the directorial debut “Brand New”. Directors Cudi and Chick will also host an “Edit and Conversation” session, delving into their cultural impact as filmmakers.
The five-day festival offers screenings, discussions and even live performances. ESPN Films will present a great presentation.
For more information, visit UrbanWorld: urbanworld.org
Here is the full roster for UrbanWorld 2024:
Confirmed partners:
Founding Partner: HBO
Notable Partner: Warner Bros. Discovery Channel
Support: Comcast NBCUniversal, MoviePass, New York State Council on the Arts
Industries: Motion Picture Association, Roku, The Handy Foundation, Walt Disney Pictures, ESPN Movies, Andscape, Hulu, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Amazon MGM Studios
2024 City World Film Festival itinerary:
Spotlight features:
“Unstoppable” (Amazon MGM Studios) stars Jarrell Jerome, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, Mykelti Williamson, Don Cheadle and Jennifer Starring Lopez and directed by Dream Hampton, it follows early hip-hop and stars Biggie Smalls, Method and more.
Highlights of the short film:
Fannie starring Aunjanue Ellis, a reimagining of Fannie Lou Hammer’s famous speech “Crime,” directed by Robe Imbriano and featuring live music by film collaborators Stew and Heidi
“It Just Happened,” a comedy short starring Denzel Whitaker, and “Brown Dog,” an animation featuring the voices of the late Michael K. Williams and Steve Buscemi Short film, directed by Nadia Hallgren and Jamie James Medina
Editing and dialogue:
Coodie & Chike, award-winning filmmakers and directors known for their compelling documentaries and music videos, including the critically acclaimed Jeen-yuhs: The Kanye Trilogy
American narrative characteristics:
Albany Road, director, Michael Swanson
Freight Director, J. Alphonse Nicholson
World narrative features:
Hello Spring (China) Director Ma Lanjuan
“Battle” (Brazil) Director: Vera Ejito “To the Unknown” (UK) Director: Mahdi Freifel
Documentary Features:
“Family Tree” directed by Jennifer MacArthur “Paint Me a Way Out of Here” directed by Katherine Gund “Sing Back to the Buffalo” directed by Tasha Hubbard
Song by Cave Director Contessa Gayles
American narrative short film:
night, director, zoe simon
August & Ebony, directed by Zhang Sunyin Bloomed In The Water, directed by Joanne Mony Park Border Hopper, directed by Nico Casavechia
Brand New, Co-Directors, Quincy Ledbetter and Denzel Whitaker Chimera, Director, Kryzz Gautier Chocolate with Sprinkles, Director, Huriyyah Muhammad
Drawn by, Claro de los Reyes Echoes of a Pomegranate, directed by Alex Bijan Zandi Fannie, directed by Christine Swanson
“In the Fold”, dir. Manuel del Valle “It Just Happened” dir. Steven Bennett Jamila, dir. Julia Freje
G-Baby’s Last Long Live, dir. DeeDee Casmir Leave On High, dir. Javier Ortega, Andrew Slane Marcel’s Piñata, dir. Adrian B. Herrera
Nwa (Black), directed by Hans Augustave Rites of Passage, directed by Grant Housley Side Roads, directed by Alvaro Nunez Sechi
Tender Thoughts, Andy Kinnell Liggett, The Terminal Ill, dir., Chris Cole The Adventures of Robin Hood, dir. Monica Moore-Surieger
Thomasville, director, Alex Woodruff Trends, director, Felix Martiz Winter is Coming, director, Yuan Yuan
World Short Narrative Films:
Daily Dawn, (Egypt) director, Amir Youssef Doris, (Ghana) director, Edem Dotse
Ebb & Flow, (Lebanon) dir. Nay Tabbara F**k Sisterhood, (France) dir. Gael Barboza The Future is Panoramic, (Syrian Arab Republic) dir. Muschirf Shekh Zeyn
If We Meet Now, (Canada) dir. Helen King My Son is Quiet, (Canada) dir. Ian Singh Barvasan, (Iran) dir. Samar Hossein Pour
The Backway, (UK) dir. Cherno Jagne The Cascade, (Mexico) dir. Pablo Delgado Sanchez
Short documentary:
All in the Family, Queens, dir. Billy Silva Race in the Sun, dir. K. Nicole Mills Betisard: Drifting into the Twilight Saga, dir. Kyle Provencio Ray Ingold
Color, Director, Toko Shiki Crime, Director, Robe Imbriano El Regresso (The Return) Director, Samantha Ramirez
Fenice, Director, Sterling Hampton IV Forget-Me-Not, Director, Tamika R. Guyihard Simi, Director, Maria Mayo
The Afro Mexpats, Director, Ebony Marie Bailey Archives: Queer Nigerians, Director, Simisolaoluwa Akande Can Mas Eshtete, Director, Laura Chechoway
“What Do You Mean” directed by Kevin Anthony Brooks “Speechless” directed by Gabriella Canal
Cartoon:
Baigal Nuur – Lake Baikal, directed by Alisi Telengut Dodo, directed by Yi Luo Pacemaker, directed by Brian Vincent Rhodes, Christopher Lennertz
Tehran Is Ours, dir., Hamideh Azimi The Brown Dog, dir., Nadia Hallgren, Jamie-James Median
Young creators:
Ayo, check it out! Director: Shanatan Frog Jump Director: Ian Linn Goodbye Train Director: Chioma Ejimofo
Moon in the Water, directed by Fang Jingwen Primero, Sueño directed by Andrés Lira Sunday August, directed by Troy Charbonnet
script:
En Root, Writer Rashmi Singh Fuego (2024), Writer Edwin FrankO
If I Die in America, written by Ward Kamel-Kevin, written by Camus Johnson, Shannon Walsh, and Jack Gorman Spitfire, written by Angie Comer
