Fulton County District 5 Commissioner Marvin S. Arrington Jr. will host his annual Black History Film Festival this weekend. Films will highlight the unsung heroes and stories African-Americans in the struggle for civil rights and progress in America.
The festival begins with an opening reception on Friday, Feb. 21 from 6-8 p.m. at Wolf Creek Library. Screenings are planned for Wolf Creek Library (3100 Enon Road), Southeast Atlanta Library (1463 Pryor Rd SW) and ArtsXchange (2148 Newnan St.) on Saturday, Feb. 22 starting at noon.
Actor Lamman Rucker will emcee the opening reception, which will include a screening of “Building Atlanta: The Story of Herman J. Russell.” Additionally, awards will be presented to the student winners of the Unsung Black Heroes Film Competition.
The remaining films to be screened on Saturday will highlight the Black Power movement, cultural impact of slavery on American life and the creation of Black History Month, among other topics and themes. Films include “Black Power Mixtape,” “We the People: From Crispus Attucks to Barack Obama,” “Finding Oprah’s Roots: Finding Your Own,” “More Than a Month,””Slavery by Another Name” and “Dark Girls.”
The Black History Film Festival is produced in partnership with the Friends of Wolf Creek, Fulton Films and Urban Film Review. The event is free and open to the public. Registration via Eventbrite is requested.
Photo: Corro’ll Driskell, Commissioner Marvin Arrington, Jr. and Lamman Rucker along with one of the students honored during the Black History Film Festival weekend in 2019. (Credit: Office of Commissioner Marvin Arrington, Jr.)