NICKEL BOYS
Opens January 31

Nominated for 2 Academy Awards including Best Picture!

Elwood Curtis' college dreams are shattered when he's sentenced to Nickel Academy, a brutal reformatory in the Jim Crow South. Clinging to his optimistic worldview, Elwood strikes up a friendship with Turner, a fellow Black teen who dispenses fundamental tips for survival. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead. Drama, 2 hrs 20 mins., PG-13.

Screening will be held all week in Theater 1, RFC’s 124-seat capacity theater and Theater 2, RFC’s 45-seat capacity theater.

Reel Progress: BEYOND GALILEE
6 p.m. January 31

Presented by Shreveport-Bossier African American Chamber of Commerce and Visit Shreveport-Bossier as part of 318 MLK DreamFest.

Join us for an inspiring event, Reel Progress: Exploring MLK’s Vision for Equality and Economic Growth, featuring a free screening of the documentary Beyond Galilee. This powerful film chronicles the rich history of Shreveport’s Galilee Baptist Church and its pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement. Immediately following the screening, a panel of community leaders will discuss the strides made toward Dr. King’s vision, the hurdles still facing our community, and practical paths to drive economic growth and equality. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn, share, and be part of the ongoing conversation around building a just and prosperous future for all. Documentary, 2012, 56 min., NR.

The screening will be held in Theater 1, RFC’s 124-seat capacity theater, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A. This is a free event, but space is limited. You must register in advance at the link above to attend.

Black Filmmaker Symposium for Young Creatives
2 p.m. Feb 1

Hear from a panel of black filmmakers from different countries about what it means to represent the African diaspora. Filmmakers will discuss their journey in the film industry and their experience as black creatives. Light bites and refreshments will be provided. 

The event will take place in Theater 1, RFC’s 124-seat capacity theater. Registration is free, but space is limited. You must reserve a ticket to attend.

Mason Richards is a writer/director/producer with over 20+ years experience in the entertainment industry. He was born in Guyana, South America and emigrated to Brooklyn, New York with his family at age 7, where he spent most of his youth and first discovered his talent for the arts. Mason is a graduate of CAL ARTS (California Institute of the Arts) with an MFA in Film Directing. His award-winning short thesis film THE SEAWALL, shot entirely on location in Guyana, South America, was an official selection for the Cannes Film Festival, the Havana International Film Festival in Cuba, and has screened at festivals, museums including LACMA, MoFA-FSU and universities in the UK, Toronto, Mexico and throughout the Caribbean - including the Trinidad & Tobago Film Festival and can currently be seen on Amazon Prime.

Mason is a professor of film directing, screenwriting and acting for the camera at Emerson College-Los Angeles, and is a regular ‘Filmmaker in Residence’ at Ithaca College. He has also guest lectured internationally at the University of Guyana, and in the United States at The New School, NYU and Columbia University among others. Mason is also the co-founder & owner of The A.M. Creative Agency, a full service creative agency and production house based in Los Angeles, New York, Miami & London -- creating inclusive content globally. 

Christopher Anthony Din Chong graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Physics from the University of the West Indies. He soon discovered his love and talent for writing. This new interest led him to pursue his Bachelor of Arts in Film Theory and Production, establishing himself as a film and television Producer.

In 2011 he also formed the Forward Ever Foundation (FEF) to tutor underprivileged children in story development and video production. FEF has conducted workshops all over Trinidad and Tobago as well as in Cuba with the support of the British Council. He wrote, produced and directed the animated pilot P’John’s Adventures and the International Inspiration documentary The Singapore Promise. In 2022, FEF conducted the Caribbean Pitch Tank, a film and music intensive funded by Caribbean Development Bank, guiding  young Caribbean creatives in the creation of film pitch decks and  accompanying music scores which they then pitched to regional and international film producers and executives.

Christopher helped produce documentary Coolie Pink and Green which won several awards at prestigious international film festivals. He founded his film production company 3 Line Studios in 2008, through which he produced, wrote and directed Supernatural Thriller 3 Line and Crime Thriller Sanskara. Christopher also produced the CARIFESTA Premiere Film Queen of Soca in 2019. Similar to Alfred Hitchcock, duality in society and the individual are recurring themes in his work.

Christopher is presently producing, writing and directing several television, web based, novel based, film and theatrical productions including Bois, Lynch, Folk Warz and Carnival of the Dead. He is currently developing a slate of thriller, fantasy and family friendly projects.

Kristi Woodard is a Shreveport native, Byrd High alum, and lifelong creative. Her media career started in high school, as a member of the student TV station, KBYRD. After getting a Bachelor's degree in Mass Communication from LSU-Baton Rouge, Kristi spent 5 years as a Morning News Producer here in Shreveport, and 2 years producing a radio morning show for KDKS 102.1 FM. 

When the film industry came to Shreveport, after Hurricane Katrina, Kristi left the newsroom and became a full-time Creative. She got her first film gig as a Production Assistant for “Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins” and began freelancing as a photographer/videographer under the brand Mahogani Media. Kristi then relocated to Newark, NJ, pursuing her MFA in Motion Pictures and Television Directing.  While in film school, she wrote and directed her first short film. Since graduating in 2018, Kristi has directed nearly a dozen short films, and an award-winning web series called #Situationships (2021).

Along with providing visual media services and creative consulting through her company, Kristi also freelances in the film industry -- mostly as #KristiTheScripty. She has become a constant presence on sets for Louisiana Film Prize contenders. She has also been able to add a few feature films to her resume. Kristi continues to write and direct her own projects and hopes to release some new short films within the coming year.

In the meantime, Kristi is a strong advocate for minorities and women in film. She curates a showcase at RFC for women directors called StoryTellHERS, and is the co-curator of our CineNoir: Black Voices in Film series.

SANSKARA
5 p.m. Feb 1

Directed by Christopher Anthony Din Chong

In Port-of-Spain, where the Black Rose crime family controls most nefarious and deviant activities in the city, a young boy longs for a normal life and a loving family. After being adopted into the household of a ruthless man and his unstable wife, he quickly learns that they are on a revenge killing spree against the powerful crime family and his new home is not as normal as he hoped. Thriller, 2016, 1 hr 34 min., NR.

The screening will be in Theater 2, RFC’s 45-seat capacity theater followed by a Q&A and discussion with Christopher Anthony Din Chong led by Kristi Woodard and Wendell Riley.

HE ONLY FELL
7:30 p.m. Feb 1

Written & Directed by Latasha Henderson

A working woman (Shana) currently resides in Nigeria while rediscovering herself through styling & poetry. Two best friends (Akin & Ayo) are at odds with each other due to Akin's taste in women. Somehow, things work out, or not! Romance/Comedy, 2022, 1 hr 42 min., PG-13.

The screening will be in Theater 2, RFC’s 45-seat capacity theater followed by a Q&A and discussion with Latasha Henderson led by Kristi Woodard and Wendell Riley.

THE BOOK OF ELI
7 p.m. Feb 4

A post-apocalyptic tale starring Denzel Washington, in which a lone man fights his way across America in order to protect a sacred book that holds the secrets to saving humankind. Action, 2010, 1 hr 58 min., R.

The screening will be in Theater 2, RFC’s 45-seat capacity theater followed by a Q&A and discussion led by Kristi Woodard and Wendell Riley.

African-American student Malik is on a track scholarship; academics are not his strong suit, and he goes in thinking that his athletic abilities will earn him a free ride through college. Fudge, a "professional student" who has been at Columbus for six years so far, becomes friendly with Malik and challenges his views about race and politics in America. Crime/Thriller, 1995, 2 hrs 8 min., R.

The screening will be in Theater 2, RFC’s 45-seat capacity theater followed by a Q&A and discussion with the Centenary Black Student Union led by Kristi Woodard and Wendell Riley.

Throwback Thursday:
THE LAST DRAGON
7 p.m. Feb 6

A young man searches for the "master" to obtain the final level of martial arts mastery known as the glow. Along the way he must fight an evil martial arts expert and rescue a beautiful singer from an obsessed music promoter. Comedy/Action, 1985, 1 hr 49 min., PG-13.

The screening will be in Theater 2, RFC’s 45-seat capacity theater followed by a Q&A and discussion led by Kristi Woodard and Wendell Riley.