This Wednesday marks the 17th annual Urbanworld Film Festival in New York City. The five day international festival — showcasing some of the world’s best in short films, documentaries and narrative features — has boasted an incredible line-up in the past, and fortunately this year is no different. Here’s our top picks of films to catch at this year’s festival.
They Die by Dawn
Screening: Friday September 20 7:30PM
Starring: Isaiah Washington, Giancarlo Esposito, Rosario Dawson, Michael K Williams, Erykah Badu, Nate Parker and Jesse Williams
They Die by Dawn is a film based on the true life African American Cowboys of the old west. After a tense card game leads each player to reveal his hand – a bounty on each of their heads, they are to have a shootout, with the last man standing taking the collective bounty of $80,000.
Gun Hill
Screening: Friday September 20 8PM
Starring: Larenz Tate
In the film Gun Hill, Larenz Tate stars as Bird and Trane, identical twins on opposite sides of the law. Bird is an undercover agent in a secret task force, while his brother Trane is an ex-con. When Bird is brutally murdered, his twin brother Trane pretends to be him in hopes of solving his brothers murder.
Home Again
Screening: September 20 8:45PM
Starring Tatiana Ali
Home Again tells the story of three young people deported ‘home’ to Jamaica after being raised abroad since infancy. Once they arrive in Kingston they’re forced to find a way to survive.
In Search of the Black Knight
Screening: Saturday 2:30PM
In Search of the Black Knight is a relationship documentary that takes a humorous look at one of the biggest struggles for professional black women everywhere: the shortage of black men. Director Tamarat Makonnen travels across the country in an attempt to find the truth behind the hot button topic.
Little Ballers
Screening: Saturday 9/21 5:30PM
Little Ballers tells the story of four 11-year old boys living in New York City and their legendary coach as they set out to win an AAU National Championship. To them, basketball is more than just a game, it offers them hope. The documentary features interviews with NBA players Amar’e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, Russell Westbrook, Steve Nash and more.
Full Circle
Screening: Saturday September 21 7pm [86mins]
A young pizza delivery boy, Anthoni, faces a life-changing crisis when his curiosity pulls him away from his delivery order into an adjacent apartment’s open door. He cannot resist temptation when he stumbles across a large sum of money in the aftermath of what seems to be a drug deal gone bad. After taking the money, his life is thrown into turmoil as everyone he knows and cares about is put in jeopardy.
Brothers Hypnotic
Screening: Friday September 20 5PM
Brothers Hypnotic is the coming-of-age story of legendary jazz artist Phill Cohran’s eight sons, members of the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble.
For the full lineup at this year’s Urbanworld Film Festival, click here.
