How does a one-of-a-kind program of Afrofuturist experimental shorts come into being? In this case, LA-based filmmaker and artist Erin Christovale recorded a podcast discussing Afrofuturism for her artistic collective Native Thinghood, an endeavor “inspired by youth culture and the black experience”. It inspired filmmaker-curator Amir George and the two began to work together on assembling a program of short pieces: a mix of narrative, experimental film, and video art engaging with the concept of Afrofuturism, an emerging aesthetic which blends science fiction, fantasy, magical realism, and, most importantly, reflects the creators’ shared interest in imagining and evoking possible Black futures out of experiences of the African diaspora.
Their primary objective was to showcase this futurist aesthetic, while addressing their own questions about the restrictions and limitations historically placed on people of color in film and performance. After seeking out a wide range of artists working in various media, Christovale and George assembled a lineup of experimental shorts touching on themes of identity, self-image, and the power of owning and expressing one’s story. At the core of these works is each artist’s vision of the state of Black culture in a rapidly changing world.
Black Radical Imagination is a touring program and has already been enthusiastically received in cities worldwide. This screening is their last this year, so make sure you don’t miss this opportunity to experience these works and the conversations they provoke between the audience and the talented individuals behind the scenes. For a preview of the showcase, check out this video.
A still from AFRONAUTS
Program:
AFRONAUTS by Cristina De Middel (Spain, 2012, 5 min.)
REIFYING DESIRE 2 by Jacolby Satterwhite (US, 2012, 9 min.)
MAE’S JOURNAL by Amir George (US, 2012, 12 min.)
SPLIT ENDS, I FEEL WONDERFUL by Akosua Adoma Owusu (US, 2012, 5 min.)
THE CHANGING SAME by Cauleen Smith (US, 2001, 9 min.)
QUIESCENCE INTERRUPTED… ADUMBRATE by Anansi Knowbody (US, 2013, 6 min.)
GOLDEN CHAIN by Adebukola Bodunrin & Ezra Clayton Daniels (US, 2013, 6 min.)
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Museum of Fine Arts
Alfond Auditorium, G36
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
$9 students or MFA members / $11 nonmembers
Discussion with curators Erin Christovale & Amir George, SMFA student Ximena Izquierdo Ugaz, and filmmaker Adebukola Bodunrin follows screening. Co-presented by the American Studies Program at Tufts University. For more information and film summaries, read the MFA’s program description.
