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Tuesday, July 6, 2010

THE NEWARK BLACK FILM FESTIVAL CELEBRATES 36TH YEAR

Wednesdays, June 30–August 4, 2010

The Newark Black Film Festival (NBFF), celebrating its 36th Anniversary as one of the nation's defining voices on behalf of independent film, opens in Newark with adult screenings beginning on Wednesday, June 30, with a six-week run ending on August 4.

Youth Cinema will be held on Mondays at the Newark Public Library starting on July 12, and at the Newark Museum on Wednesdays beginning July 7.

The festival is a showcase for films focusing on the experiences and concerns of contemporary African Americans, as well as an outlet for films about the African American experience from earlier eras. The six-week festival is free to the public and provides emerging filmmakers, writers, directors and producers with a high profile outlet for their work.

The festival features the Paul Robeson Awards in 2010, a biennial competition established in 1985. The Robeson Awards honor the spirit of Paul Robeson—renowned activist, scholar, performer and athlete. Winning films will be shown on August 4 at Newark Screens on Springfield Avenue, Newark, NJ.

The Newark Black Film Festival also repeats in Trenton, NJ, Thursdays at 6:00 PM at the New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, NJ. Call 609.292.6464 for more information.

The Festival receives funding in the form of special grants from foundations and corporations. The 2010 Festival season is made possible by a grant from Bank of America. It is administered by the Newark Museum and planned by a Selection Committee, which includes such notables as screenwriter and playwright Richard Wesley, who wrote the screenplays for Let's Do It Again, Uptown Saturday Night, Native Son, Deacons for Defense and Mandela & DeKlerk. Other Committee members include Jeff Friday, CEO and Co-founder of Film Life's American Black Film Festival, and Dr. Clement A. Price, noted historian, author and educator.