From February 14 – 17 we will be putting on the African American Multimedia Conference (AAMC) and a film festival called Beyond Us: Black Minds in Horror, in Berkeley, California, and have several prominent guests, including Afrosurrealist Artist Reshawn Goods, our Artist Guest of Honor, the first African American Stoker Winner, Linda Addison, our Literary Guest of Honor, Multimedia Guest of Honor Crystal Connor, an author and video blogger out of Seattle who is putting on the Beyond Us: Black Minds in Horror film festival which she curates.

Description:

Suffering from multitudes of negative stereotypes minorities have not traditionally fared well in horror movies. While these negative interpretations still exist things have begun to improve. Thanks to creators of color and voices from other marginalized communities we are now the heroes of our own stories and no longer are we the first to die.

The films selected for Black Minds in Horror, from Myth, Magic, and Misinformation: Reclaiming African-based spirituality, Dystopia: The imaginary undesirable and frightening place in which African America’s are currently living in and The Rules of hard play: Nothing is out of bounds when it comes to love … or war are being told from a Black point of view.

AAMMC Presents:

Beyond Us: Black Minds in Horror

Event Dates:

Friday, February 14, 2020

Saturday, February 15, 2020

Sunday, February 16, 2020

Films:

How to get out of the Friendzone

Run time: 5:12

This trilogy by Wil Aime follows a young man who took a college course on how to get out of the Friendzone, and how that class changed the rest of his life.

L’ art de la Tromperie 1 (The Art of Deceit)

Run time 5:20

L’ art de la Tromperie 2 (The Art of Deception)

Run time 7:58

Colors in Darkness

Colors in Darkness is an experimental award winning documentary by Sy Shanti is entirely composed of stock footage, stock images, stock sounds, and self-recorded interviewee videos of African American authors, writers, and content creators discussing the genre of Horror in books, TV and film. Featuring Colors in Darkness.

Run time: 1:01:51

In Danger World

In Danger World by Luchina Fisher A 13-year-old girl and her grandpa struggle to survive in a zombie infested world.

Run time: 18:41

White by A. Sayeed Clark

It’s another 120-degree day with five more days to Christmas and hot is the only season left in New York City. Global warming has become a tangible threat and everyone is creating new ways to protect themselves from the sun. Bato and his wife Gina are expecting a baby, but they weren’t expecting it so early. Although they planned to have the baby at home, Gina now requires the services of a clinic for the premature delivery. With no money for the clinic, Bato enters into a race against the sun, the birth, his community and even his own identity to save his family.

Run time 15 minutes

Creatures from the Pink Lagoon

Chris Diani’s Horror/Comedy Creatures from The Pink Lagoon is set in 1967, where a chemical plant near a discreet roadside restroom causes an outbreak of gay zombies. At a nearby beach cottage a group of best friends must fight off the undead.

Run time 71 minutes

Penelope

Penelope, dreamed up by Maris Wilson is a modern day witch – a Venefica, to be exact. Today, in the middle of an isolated forest, she must endure the mystical rite of passage that determines whether her abilities will be used for good or for evil.

Run time: 7:29

Wake

Wake by Bree Newsome tells the tale of a repressed woman murders her domineering father, then using a local folk magic called “root work”, she conjures a demon to aid her in creating the man of her dreams— but soon finds herself in a waking nightmare.

Run time: 21:29

Gorenos

In Clarence Williams’ Gorenos a young man that becomes haunted by a supernatural entity in the wake of his 18th birthday. Influenced by films like Scream, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Paranormal Activity, Gorenos is a fresh and self-aware entry into the horror genre that boasts a hip and diverse cast of new and established talents

Run time 1:21:29