SPOTLIGHT PRESENTATIONS

Devotion
Logline:
Devotion, an aerial war epic based on the bestselling book of the same name, tells the inspirational true story of two elite US Navy fighter pilots who helped turn the tide in the most brutal battle in the Korean War: Jesse Brown, the first Black aviator in Navy history and his fellow fighter pilot and friend, Tom Hudner. Their heroic sacrifices and enduring friendship would ultimately make them the Navy’s most celebrated wingmen.
Director’s Bio:
JD Dillard is a feature, television and music video director based in Los Angeles. JD has directed in both television and film, including his feature SLEIGHT — and the upcoming Blumhouse release SWEETHEART, starring Kiersey Clemons (Dope). Next up, JD is slated to direct a remake of THE FLY at Fox and MASTERING YOUR PAST at Legendary.
Year: 2022
Rating: PG-13
Note: Based on the book by: Adam Makos
Director:
JD Dillard
Screenwriter:
Jake Crane, Jonathan A. H. Stewart
Producer:
Molly Smith, Rachel Smith, Thad Luckinbill, Trent Luckinbill
Executive Producer:
JD Dillard, Glen Powell, Robert Simonds, Adam Fogelson, John Friedberg
Cast:
Jonathan Majors, Glen Powell, Christina Jackson, Thomas Sadoski, Joe Jonas

The Inspection
Logline:
Ellis French is a young, gay Black man, rejected by his mother and with few options for his future, decides to join the Marines, doing whatever it takes to succeed in a system that would cast him aside. But even as he battles deep-seated prejudice and the grueling routines of basic training, he finds unexpected camaraderie, strength, and support in this new community, giving him a hard-earned sense of belonging that will shape his identity and forever change his life.
Director Bio:
Elegance Bratton is an award-winning and boundary-breaking director, writer and producer. He began making films as a US Marine after spending a decade homeless. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, his work captures stories untold with an intention to show the universal power of our shared humanity. Bratton’s films have played in over 200 film festivals worldwide including Sundance, Outfest, BFI, Doc NYC, and BlackStar Film Festival. In 2021, Bratton won the Film Independent Truer Than Fiction Spirit Award which is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition. His nonfiction feature debut, Pier Kids made its television and streaming debut in August 2021 on PBS/POV. He was a Sundance 2020 Native Lab mentor, and a 2022 Outfest Screenwriting Lab mentor.
Year: 2022
Runtime: 95 minutes
Language: English
Director:
Elegance Bratton
Screenwriter:
Elegance Bratton
Producer:
Effie Brown, Chester Algernal Gordon
Executive Producer:
Kim Coleman, Gabrielle Union, Regina K. Scully, Nina Sing Fialkow, Valerie Steinberg, Jamie Wolf, Holly Shakoor Fleischer, Melony Lewis, David Paradice, Chris Quintos Cathcart
Co-Producer:
Ciara Boss, Sam Denny, Connor Brimelow
Cast:
Jeremy Pope, Gabrielle Union, Bokeem Woodbine
Cinematographer:
Lachlan Milne
Editor:
Oriana Soddu
Production Design:
Erik Louis Robert, Tommy Love
Composer:
Animal Collective

Loudmouth
Logline:
Loudmouth documents the winding road that is Al Sharpton’s life story as an iconic activist and spiritual leader. Viewers peek under the fold and witness the unrestricted details of Sharpton’s development from an 8-year-old preacher to a (sometimes painted as controversial) civil rights figure. Along with his history in the public eye, the good and the bad, the film offers behind the scenes insight into Sharpton’s experience as a presidential candidate advisor and racial justice advocate during the volatile climate of 2020.
Director’s Bio:
Josh Alexander’s recent films include writing Oscilloscope’s Jay Myself, writing and producing Cinema Guild’s I’m Leaving Now and executive producing HBO Documentary Films’ United Skates. Previous credits include writing CNN Films’ The Reagan Show, writing and co-directing Samuel Goldwyn Films’ Prescription Thugs, and writing/producing HBO Documentary Films’ Southern Rites.
Rating: PG-13
Language: English
Country: United States
Director:
Josh Alexander
Screenwriter:
Josh Alexander
Producer:
Daniel J. Chalfen, Mike Jackson, Kedar Massenburg, Josh Alexander
Executive Producer:
John Legend, Ty Stiklorius, Austyn Biggers, Salman Al- Rashid, Sam Frohman, Aaron Gilbert, Brenda Gilbert, Josh Miller, Jim Butterworth, Michael Cho, Tim Lee, Brenda Robinson
Cast:
Reverend Al Sharpton
Cinematographer:
Graham Willoughby, Clemson Brown
Editor:
Armando Croda
Composer:
Jessie Montgomery & Joel Goodman

Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues
Logline:
An intimate and revealing look at the world-changing musician, presented through a lens of archival footage and never-before-heard home recordings and personal conversations. This definitive documentary honors Armstrong’s legacy as a founding father of jazz, one of the first internationally known and beloved stars, and a cultural ambassador of the United States. The film shows how Armstrong’s own life spans the shift from the Civil War to the Civil Rights movement, and how he became a lightning rod figure in that turbulent era.
Director Bio:
Native New Yorker Sacha Jenkins came of age while in the throes of the cultural phenomenon called hip-hop. In his teens, Jenkins published his first magazine—Graphic Scenes & X-Plicit Language (a ‘zine about the graffiti subculture). Jenkins would co-found Beat Down, the first-ever hip hop newspaper. From there he moved on to Vibe magazine, serving as both staff writer and music editor; Jenkins would pen seminal articles on artists like Sean “Puffy” Combs, 50 Cent and Bone Thugz N Harmony. In 2000, Jenkins was awarded a fellowship to the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University (The National Arts Journalism Program). It was Jenkins’ vast knowledge of the history of New York subway graffiti would deliver him to the Ivy League.
Jenkins’ first feature-length documentary, Fresh Dressed–which tells the tale of hip hop fashion–premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Jenkins’ next film, 2017’s Burn Motherfucker, Burn!, unpacks the Los Angeles “riots” of 1965 and 1992. Most recently, Jenkins directed Wu Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men” (2019) and Bitchin’: The Sound and Fury of Rick James (2021). Jenkins’ band, The 1865, were the first punk band to play outdoors on the grounds of Lincoln Center. He lives in upper Manhattan with his wife, author and filmmaker Raquel Cepeda and their son Marceau. In his spare time, Jenkins likes to spy on the woodpeckers, blue jays, rabbits, deer, coyote and assorted other wildlife that populate the family’s Upstate New York home. During the work week, Jenkins is the Chief Creative Officer at Mass Appeal.
Year: 2022
Runtime: 104 minutes
Language: English
Country: United States
Rating: R
Director:
Sacha Jenkins
Producer:
Sara Bernstein, Justin Wilkes, Sacha Jenkins, Julie Anderson
Executive Producer:
Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Michele Anthony, David Blackman
Cinematographer:
Ed Lachman
Editor:
Jason Pollard, Alma Herrera-Pazmiño
Animator:
Hectah Arias
Composer:
Terence Blanchard

Say Hey, Willie Mays!
Logline:
Say Hey, Willie Mays! follows Mays’ life both on and off the field over five decades as he navigated the American sports landscape and the country’s ever-evolving cultural backdrop, all while helping to define what it means to be one of America’s first Black sports superstars.
Director’s Bio:
Nelson George is an established author and filmmaker with a passion for telling stories of the black experience in America. George is the author of several ground breaking histories of African American music, including Where Did Our Love Go: the Rise and Fall of the Motown Sound, The Death of Rhythm & Blues and Hip Hop America. He has directed a number of documentaries including Finding the Funk, The Announcement (ESPN), and Brooklyn Boheme (Showtime). George was a producer on the award winning documentary on black music executive Clarence Avant, The Black Godfather (Netflix). His theatrical documentary on ballerina Misty Copeland is called A Ballerina’s Tale. He was a writer/producer on the hip hop inspired series The Get Down (Netflix) and he directed The Real MVP television movie (Lifetime).
Year: 2022
Runtime: 99 minutes
Language: English
Country: United States
Director:
Nelson George
Producer:
Colin Hanks, Sean Stuart, Glen Zipper
Executive Producer:
LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Jamal Henderson, Philip Byron, Nick Trotta
Cinematographer:
Henry Adebonojo, Steve Lamme