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00:00when we were segregated.
00:03Thank you, thank you.
00:04Can we briefly just introduce ourselves on the stage?
00:08Yes.
00:08Okay.
00:08We can start with, well, we'll start with him.
00:11We'll start with the lady.
00:12We'll start with the lady.
00:13Come on, let's start with the lady.
00:14Hi, my name is Taylor Lee Edwards,
00:16and I play Embalia in Black Terror.
00:19How you doing?
00:20My name is Tobias Trevelyan.
00:22I play K-U-S-A.
00:25Hello, my name is Terrell Deleuze.
00:27I play Geronimo.
00:30Hello, my name is Nia Miranda.
00:32I play, I actually get the opportunity of being
00:35the real-life protester in the beginning of the video.
00:38That was me.
00:38And I also play the character of Sister.
00:44Hi, I'm Michelle Morgan, Trevelyan.
00:47I play in Zynga.
00:49Right.
00:50You all did such a great job.
00:52Let me remind you that this is just a synopsis.
00:55This is not the whole film.
00:56This is just the hour of the film
00:58because I wanted to get people engaged in discussion.
01:02We wanted to have a panel discussion here
01:04rather than just a general discussion
01:07about the themes of the film.
01:10The film is coming.
01:12And hopefully, if there is a...
01:15What should be up here now
01:17is at the end of the movie,
01:19we had a QR code.
01:21And if you all can put that reel up there
01:26and at the end of the reel
01:27is the information about how to stay in contact with us.
01:31And they're going to put that up there now.
01:33I think they're looking forward to putting it there.
01:34Okay, good.
01:35It should be at the end of the movie
01:36as a part of the extension of the film.
01:39But if they don't, in case,
01:42if you just remember
01:43blackterrafilm.com
01:46blackterrafilm.com
01:49you'll be hearing about.
01:51So many messages in this film.
01:53So many different messages
01:54from even just extremes in the revolution
01:57and the perspectives of revolution.
01:59How some white folks feel about us
02:00as we saw at the end with the newscaster
02:02when everybody was like,
02:04oh, I know she didn't.
02:05So many different feelings and emotions.
02:07What do you want us to take away
02:09from this synopsis that we saw tonight?
02:12Well, the fact that,
02:14you know, as you can see
02:17they are like opposite ideologies
02:20in terms about how to approach a revolution.
02:22Not unlike the way that Martin and Malcolm was.
02:25They're sort of like a metaphor of Martin and Malcolm
02:29in terms of what is the answer.
02:31And we're 400 years into this.
02:34And so, you know,
02:36what we have been doing
02:38has been inching the ball forward
02:40and it seems to just get to the hump.
02:45And every time it feels like
02:47we're getting ready to go to the other side,
02:49you know, the tipping point falls back
02:51and we're sliding back.
02:52If we look at where we are right now,
02:54this is probably the most critical time
02:56in our history as a people.
02:59And it's imperative that we do recognize
03:05what's happening.
03:06If we don't do something now,
03:0820 years from now,
03:09you won't be able to recognize a black community.
03:12It will all be gentrified.
03:14People will be living everywhere else,
03:16but there will be no sense of community.
03:18So we need to find a way
03:22to figure out what we have to do
03:25in order to be able to solidify our own destinies.
03:29And one of the things that we're doing
03:31is that we're taking this to all the HBCUs.
03:34We started Howard.
03:38Because let's face it,
03:39it's the young people
03:40who are going to make the difference.
03:42Because the one thing
03:43that I don't want to even think about
03:45is what will my children,
03:46what kind of world am I leaving
03:48my children and my grandchildren?
03:49Not my children,
03:50because they're here now,
03:51but my grandchildren.
03:53What will the world be like?
03:54We got to do something
03:56and we got to take a responsibility
03:58for our own destinies.
04:00That's the first thing
04:01that I would like people to recognize
04:03is the importance of that.
04:05And then to activate discussions
04:08in terms of what we can do in our homes.
04:14You know, how we can teach each other.
04:15Like, for instance,
04:17you know, buying black.
04:18We have to understand
04:19we need to support black businesses.
04:21Yep.
04:21We have to know
04:25where black businesses are.
04:27We go to a new city,
04:28we have no idea
04:29where black businesses are.
04:30So we got to fix that right away
04:32like they did with the Green Book
04:34back in the day.
04:36Which, by the way,
04:36New Orleans does have resources for that.
04:39Oh, that's awesome.
04:41Well, we have to find
04:41a national kind of black book.
04:44Into, yep.
04:44Yeah, so that we understand, you know.
04:46So what I'm interested to see
04:50is how people took
04:52the killing of the father.
04:56How people,
04:57there was such a reaction
04:58in the audience
04:59in terms of,
05:01and because we can't really
05:03open it up like that,
05:04let me just say
05:05that, you know,
05:07there's several reactions to it.
05:09One is,
05:10is that why we got to kill
05:11the black man?
05:12Mm-hmm.
05:12Why the father?
05:14Why the father figure
05:15killing the father figure
05:16is one philosophy.
05:20The other philosophy is,
05:21is that,
05:22is it killing
05:23an ideology
05:26that has us stuck?
05:30Is it,
05:30is it killing,
05:31you know,
05:33that,
05:33that concept
05:34of,
05:35of just getting along?
05:37He didn't want
05:38to change anything
05:40because he was,
05:40he was afraid
05:41to,
05:42to,
05:43to lose
05:45what he had gained
05:46in his life
05:46and not to make any ways
05:49because they are all powerful.
05:51And,
05:52and,
05:53you know,
05:54one sister said,
05:56you know,
05:56I saw it as killing
05:58old ideas
06:00that have us stuck
06:01if we look at the metaphor
06:02of the killing.
06:03Um,
06:04and,
06:05what's that?
06:06Say that?
06:07Clarence.
06:08Can we,
06:09you can talk in your mic.
06:10Can we get Clarence Thomas?
06:14We're not condoning
06:16the killing
06:16of anybody up here,
06:17but I hear you.
06:18Which,
06:19which that's ironic too
06:20because Clarence Thomas
06:21went to school
06:23on affirmative action.
06:24Yeah.
06:25Yeah.
06:27So,
06:28it is to activate
06:29discussion about,
06:31you know,
06:31how do we go forward?
06:33Mm-hmm.
06:34Mm-hmm.
06:34I want to advocate
06:35for Dillard University
06:36to be one of those schools
06:38that you bring it down to,
06:39just throwing it out there.
06:40Absolutely.
06:41I do want to ask
06:41each of the cast,
06:43what were the different
06:44messages or feelings
06:46that you all felt
06:47when you first read
06:48the script?
06:50We can start with you again.
06:54The script,
06:55I,
06:56when I first read the script,
06:57there was so much
06:59that I didn't understand,
07:00right?
07:01And there was just
07:02so much research
07:02that I had to do
07:04and just keep digging
07:05and asking the next question
07:06and,
07:07you know,
07:08leaning on Richard
07:08for information,
07:10him sending me
07:10towards books.
07:11I was reading up
07:12on Elaine Brown,
07:13the history of the
07:13Black Panther Party,
07:15and just even looking
07:18at the title,
07:19Black Terror,
07:19why that title?
07:20So many people
07:21that I've met this weekend
07:22have asked,
07:23was it,
07:23is it,
07:24what is it going to be,
07:24a horror film?
07:25You know?
07:26And in a way,
07:27it is a horror,
07:28right?
07:29The biggest fear.
07:30Yeah.
07:30Black people
07:32are waking up
07:33in terror
07:33every single day.
07:34When we screened it
07:34in Cannes,
07:35this woman was saying
07:36that she was a,
07:37a child during that attack
07:39on the Black Panther
07:40headquarters,
07:41and they woke up
07:42in terror
07:43that morning.
07:44You know what I mean?
07:45And we are still
07:46waking up in terror
07:47when Black people
07:48are being killed
07:48by the police
07:49every single day.
07:50So I think,
07:51really,
07:53that,
07:54it just,
07:54created a thought bubble
07:57in me.
07:57I just wanted
07:58to know more.
07:58What about you?
08:02Oh, man.
08:04Richard Wesley
08:06was the first monologue
08:08I learned,
08:09Mighty Gents.
08:11And when we got
08:12a chance
08:12to do Black Terror,
08:15it was like
08:15a mountain to climb.
08:17And you think
08:17about the idea
08:19that this came
08:20from a table read,
08:21and here we are
08:23at Essence Film Festival.
08:26Right, right.
08:27On the stage.
08:27The Essence Music Festival.
08:30It's an amazing journey.
08:32And,
08:32it was just
08:34an idea for me
08:35to be able
08:36to get back
08:36into the theater
08:37and pay respect.
08:39I worked with
08:40Mr. West,
08:41Mr. Lawson
08:42a few times
08:43on a couple
08:44of different projects.
08:44and I always
08:46wanted to be
08:47in the theater company
08:47and wanted to do readings
08:49and get involved.
08:50And it was a collaboration
08:51between
08:52the Waco Theater
08:53and Newark Symphony Hall
08:56where I reside
08:57in Newark, New Jersey.
08:58And they needed
09:00some actors
09:01to be a part
09:01of this partnership.
09:03And the script
09:04was amazing.
09:05The idea
09:05of being a part
09:06of the legacy
09:08of Richard Wesley again
09:09and then being able
09:10to join forces
09:11with Mr. Lawson.
09:12and I was all in.
09:14Climbing that mountain
09:15it was amazing
09:15because I had just
09:16come in off
09:17another project
09:18and it was like
09:20let's go.
09:21Let's get into it.
09:22And as I plowed
09:23through it
09:23there was a lot
09:24of discovery
09:25and it was things
09:26that I already knew
09:27but it was just
09:28a beautiful journey
09:30and I enjoy it.
09:31And thank you
09:32for everybody
09:32that came out
09:33and viewed it
09:34just now
09:35at the Essence
09:35Film Festival.
09:36I appreciate it
09:37because we poured
09:38our heart into it.
09:39We could tell.
09:40It was great.
09:41One of the things
09:41that you should know
09:42is that
09:43this was a play
09:4650 years ago
09:47that was inspired
09:48by the attack
09:49on the Los Angeles
09:52chapter of the Panthers
09:54December 8th
09:56I believe
09:571969
09:59I believe it was
10:00they attacked
10:01and Richard Wesley
10:02was inspired.
10:03He wrote this play.
10:04It was done
10:05at the Public Theater
10:06in 1971
10:07and it was
10:09an award winning play.
10:10so the play
10:11what you're seeing
10:12are words
10:13from 50 years ago
10:14and it's more relevant
10:18to now
10:18than it was then.
10:20Was anything
10:20adapted at all?
10:22Nothing.
10:22Oh.
10:23Nothing.
10:24The only thing
10:24that's a
10:25well the news reporter
10:28no the news reporter
10:31the white news reporter
10:33is in it
10:33the news reporter
10:34is
10:35everything is in it.
10:36The only thing
10:37that I added
10:37was the visuals
10:38like the police
10:40what happened
10:41at the police station
10:42that was added
10:43but all of the dialogue
10:44between the main characters
10:46was in the play
10:47That says a lot.
10:49Oh yeah.
10:4950 years.
10:50Oh yeah.
10:51One thing
10:52that was changed
10:53by Mr. Lawson
10:54was the original character
10:56of Nzinga
10:57was a man
10:58Antar.
10:59Ah
10:59I like this.
11:00I like that.
11:01I like that.
11:03Yeah.
11:03Yeah that was changed.
11:04It was a man
11:05character's name
11:07Antar as she said
11:08and I just thought
11:09it was going to be
11:10more powerful
11:10for
11:12for a woman
11:14that character
11:15to be a woman
11:16and that the characters
11:17in the play
11:18that I wanted
11:20to accelerate
11:21the
11:22women being
11:24as equally powerful
11:26in the movement
11:27and the actions
11:28in this film
11:29because
11:30because if we look
11:31at history
11:31we look at all
11:33the women
11:33who were powerful
11:36in our history.
11:37That's right.
11:37That's right.
11:38Girl.
11:38What did she say?
11:40Fool around the world.
11:41Girl.
11:43And then
11:44I'll take it
11:45a step further
11:45in the sense of
11:47and this is always
11:48interesting argument
11:49with people
11:50who are traditional
11:51in their thinking
11:51but
11:52when
11:53I look at
11:55how women
11:56have been left out
11:57of so many things
11:58including
11:59the Bible
12:01because
12:01there's not
12:02one story
12:03in the Bible
12:04written
12:04by a woman
12:06there
12:07there is
12:08there are references
12:09to women
12:10but there's not
12:11one
12:11you don't see
12:12no account
12:13you know
12:13Mabel chapter 16
12:15verses 27 and 28
12:16you know
12:17and so
12:18so just in terms
12:20of history itself
12:21the only thing
12:22that we can do
12:23is balance this world
12:24by dealing with
12:25the fact that
12:26if there
12:27that it's
12:28it's equal
12:29it's a balanced world
12:31there's 24
12:32there's 12 hours
12:33of light
12:33and 12 hours
12:34of darkness
12:34that's man
12:36and woman
12:36and so therefore
12:38in this
12:38the women
12:39characters
12:40are strong
12:41and they're
12:42leaders
12:42and
12:43you know
12:44she
12:45she's
12:46my inspiration
12:47for this character
12:47was Elaine Brown
12:48who ran
12:49the Panther Party
12:50for three years
12:51while Huey
12:52was in Cuba
12:53well thank you
12:55so very much
12:56blackterrorfilm.com
12:58correct
12:58and then they can
12:59give their feedback
13:00to that website
13:01I would love
13:02for you to go there
13:02because there's
13:03a survey on there
13:04I want your feedback
13:06because I see this
13:08as the people's film
13:09and I want to
13:10get your ideas
13:12and what you thought
13:13and what you feel
13:14and also in terms
13:16of your ideas
13:17about how we go forward
13:18thank you all
13:19so very much
13:20such a wonderful job
13:22thank you for bringing
13:23this to the Essence
13:23Film Festival
13:24thank you all
13:25for watching
13:25and make sure
13:26you give your feedback
13:27back at
13:27blackterrorfilm.com
13:29thank you very much
13:30thank you
13:31thank you
13:33you guys
13:34we'll see you
13:40next time
13:41I ain't gotta dance cuz
13:45Fresh from the toes up, fresh from the toes
13:47Fresh from the toes up, fresh from the toes
13:49I ain't gotta dance
13:51I ain't gotta dance cuz
13:57They make you scream
13:59They make you wanna sing
14:01Family dream, family
14:03Brow, brow, family
14:05You and me
14:07We'll always be tied
14:09Every single day and night
14:11Even when you start to actin' like a fool
14:13You know I'm lovin' every single thing you do
14:15Know that I can always be myself
14:17Around you more than anybody else
14:19Every day as I'm headin' on to school
14:21You know there's no one I love as much as you
14:25You and me
14:27You and me
14:29You and me
14:31You and me
14:33We're having an award ceremony
14:35Or something I mean right
14:37There's no
14:39There's no
14:41Hi, everyone. We're going to have our award ceremony starting in about two minutes.
14:46So if you would like to stay and find out who won in our competitive categories, please stay.
14:53We are going to start our award ceremony.
15:11We are going to start our award ceremony.
15:41We are going to start our award ceremony.
16:11We are going to start our award ceremony.
16:41We are going to start our award ceremony.
16:43I'm about to do it. I'm about to. I can't. I'm about to. I'm about to get on the stage.
16:48Thank you. Okay. Where's Hakeem? Yeah, I don't see Hakeem. Where did he go?
16:56Oh, he's sitting down. Okay.
17:00Okay. So basically, my boss, can people come in that way?
17:05Yeah, people can come in that way.
17:06Huh?
17:06I can get you mic 10 hours.
17:08For how long?
17:09You just told me.
17:09How long will we say?
17:12Oh.
17:17Oh, there he is. Okay.
17:21Huh? It's on? Okay.
17:22In the right order, he says the first one.
17:26Hakeem is not.
17:42Okay.
17:44Hi, everyone.
18:00We're going to have Hakeem Holmes open up our award ceremony.
18:04So if you could all take your seats, then we can get started.
18:07Good afternoon, everyone.
18:26Thank you all for being here with us.
18:28I just wanted to welcome you all to the 2023 Essence Film Festival Awards.
18:34As Lamonia mentioned, my name is Hakeem Holmes,
18:37and I am the vice president of the Essence Festival Culture.
18:41So working, it's been a great honor partnering with Lamonia
18:44on this year's planning for the film festival
18:47and seeing all the great things that you brought together
18:50with you and your team.
18:51So thank you all.
18:52I hope you enjoyed over the course of the weekend
18:54all of the programming across all of the many rooms.
18:58And I just wanted to thank you all for being here
19:00and for supporting the film festival.
19:02And we look forward to seeing you all join us next year.
19:05And I also just wanted to share
19:06that the film festival stands in solidarity
19:09with the current writer's strike.
19:11So this evening's presentation is not scripted
19:14and we will simply hand you your awards
19:17in celebration of your wonderful work.
19:20So thank you.
19:21And Lamonia Brown will now join me here on the stage.
19:23Hi, everyone.
19:35Oh, I'll take a photo.
19:53Give it up again for Hakeem, everybody.
19:55Without him, none of this happens.
19:57And I mean none of this.
19:58Not just the film festival,
20:00but everything you see
20:01in the whole Essence Festival culture,
20:03everything you see at the Superdome,
20:06everything you see after dark,
20:08all of that is Hakeem home.
20:10So a really big, loud round of applause for him.
20:14Oh, close the mic.
20:19Sorry, you didn't hear me.
20:20So we're going to go ahead
20:21and start with this year's awards.
20:25So we have awards in both a jury category
20:27and an audience awards.
20:29Those are the ones that you voted on.
20:31So we're going to start with our jury awards.
20:35So the first jury award
20:36is in the best documentary feature category
20:39and it goes to Gaining Ground,
20:41the Fight for Black Land.
20:44Oh, they had a flight out.
20:53So we will humbly accept the award on their behalf.
20:58Our next jury award is for best short
21:00and that goes to on the eight count.
21:10Oh, I see you coming.
21:11Okay.
21:14Oh, Matt.
21:24I'm going to take a photo.
21:27I can.
21:31I can.
21:35Yeah.
21:35Mm-hmm.
21:35Our next jury award is for best animation
21:57and the winner is Glass Doll.
22:00Oh, here she comes.
22:08Oh, here she comes.
22:10One little one.
22:15Oh, here she comes.
22:30And now we have the jury award
22:39for our best social impact story
22:41and the winner is Onboard.
22:44Is anyone here from Onboard?
22:59Okay.
22:59We'll accept that one on their behalf too.
23:02Jury award for the best in the episodic
23:06goes to the table.
23:07Is Caroline here?
23:17Caroline may not be here,
23:18but we will again accept the award on her behalf.
23:20And then the jury award for best screenplay
23:24goes to Girl of the House.
23:26All right.
23:37And the jury award for best narrative
24:05feature is also the audience award
24:12for the best narrative feature,
24:14and that goes to the movie first.
24:51The best, the audience award for the best feature documentary goes to Fast Dreams.
25:53The audience award for the best short goes to Birth of the Black Underworld.
26:21The audience award for best animation goes to My Asian.
26:42Is anyone here from the movie?
26:49Okay, we'll accept on your behalf.
26:54Audience award for best indie episodic goes to The Greener Grass Experiment.
27:01Audience award for best social impact story goes to Bamber Bridge.
27:16Audience award for best social impact story goes to Bamber Bridge.
27:46And our final award is for the best stage play reading, stage reading, and I hope many of you went to the stage readings this weekend.
27:55And that goes to The Pact.
27:56Anybody here?
27:57So we'll accept on his behalf as well.
28:02And that concludes our award ceremony.
28:03That will conclude our award ceremony.
28:09Thank you all for coming to the Essence Film Festival.
28:10This is our second year.
28:11We're happy you're here.
28:12Please keep supporting us.
28:13And we'll see you in 2024.
28:14Thank you all for coming to the Essence Film Festival.
28:15This is our second year.
28:16We're happy you're here.
28:17Please keep supporting us.
28:18And we'll see you in 2024.
28:19We're going to have the last laugh, hands up, cash out, here to take on your ass.
28:26And we'll see you in 2024.
28:29We're going to have the last laugh, hands up, cash out, here to take on your ass.
28:34Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, cash out.
29:02All right.
29:05Hi, guys.
29:09All award winners, please come see me at the stage.
29:12We're going to give you back the box that came with the award.
29:32And what were you here?
29:46We'll try a little bit.
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