ONLY INDIE FILM & COFFEE
VENUE IN NYC!
FILM • VR • COFFEE • BITES • BEATS • DRINKS
2031 ADAM CLAYTON POWELL, JR. BLVD
NEW YORK CITY, 10027
VIRTUAL CINEMA
7PM, Thursday, November 19, 2020 - 1 Day Only
MUSE: Black Art Unseen
Various Directors, 90 MIN, US/South Africa
Exploring function, influence and inspiration, this program includes
short films in the genres of documentary, experimental and horror by celebrated filmmakers. MUSE delves into the heart of the Black artist to discover unseen influences and witness the tangible impacts of their work. Films include 2020 Tribeca Film Festival winner “My
Father the Mover”; 2021 Sundance Film Festival selection “A
Concerto is a Conversation” featuring Emmy Award winning, Grammy-nominated composer KRIS BOWERS; Kahlil Joseph’s “Music is My Mistress” starring TRACEE ELLIS ROSS, JESSE WILLIAMS, KELSEY LU and ISH FROM SHABAZZ PALACES and DIGITABLE PLANTS; and “Rhyme Animal” starring the late CRAIG “MUMS” GRANT and AL THOMPSON.
Followed by a talk with the directors, MUSE is dedicated to the late
Craig "muMs" Grant.
NOW PLAYING - US PREMIERE!
EVERYTHING: The Real Thing Story
Directed by Simon Sheridan, 93 min, UK, 2019
Dubbed 'the black Beatles' by the British tabloids, the 'other' four lads from Liverpool recount their incredible story from the tough streets of Toxteth to the bright lights of New York.
OUR RIGHT TO GAZE:
BLACK FILM IDENTITIES
Directed by Various Artists, 82 min
In this collection of six shorts, filmmakers gaze at themselves and their world, attempting to make sense of what they see reflected back. From gripping drama to heart-warming comedy, Our Right to Gaze: Black Film Identities features timely stories from Black artists that take us outside of the ordinary.
-
"Love in Submission" by Antu Yacob & Lande Yoosuf
-
"A Hollywood Party" by Toryn Seabrooks
-
"Nowhere" by Lin Que Ayoung
-
"The Black Banshee" by Kyla Sylvers
-
"Auntie Zariyah" by Zora Bikangaga
-
"Pandemic Chronicles" by Ya’ke Smith
NOW PLAYING
THE CHANGIN' TIMES OF IKE WHITE
Directed by Daniel Vernon, 78 min, UK, 2019
Serving a life sentence for murder in the early 1970s, music prodigy Ike White had plenty of time to perfect his musical talent, but no hope of putting it to use in the outside world. Ike's skills were exceptional enough, though, that his story captured the media's attention. From this notoriety, he was able to record an album inside the prison with big-time producer Jerry Goldstein (War, Sly and the Family Stone). Superstar Stevie Wonder lobbied successfully for Ike's early release from prison. With an acclaimed album under his belt and the support of Wonder and others in the industry, Ike was poised for stardom. But, instead, he went off the grid for over 40 years. Daniel Vernon's mesmerizing new documentary is unpredictable and moving, echoing the strange journey of Ike White.
NOW PLAYING
NATIONTIME
Directed by William Greaves, 80 min, USA, 1973
Nationtime is the long-lost film that William Greaves made about the National Black Political Convention of 1972, when 10,000 black politicians, activists and artists went to Gary, Indiana, to forge a national unity platform in advance of the Republican and Democratic presidential conventions. The delegates included a wide array of political thinkers - Black Panther co-founder Bobby Seale, Pan-Africanist Amiri Baraka, PUSH founder Jesse Jackson, elected officials Ron Dellums, Charles Diggs, Walter Fauntroy, Richard Hatcher, Carl McCall, plus key women in the fight for racial equality -- Coretta Scott King, Betty Shabazz, Fannie Lou Hamer and Queen Mother Moore (who was arguing for reparations). Entertainers Harry Belafonte, Isaac Hayes and Richard Roundtree lent their star quality and entertained the crowds. Sidney Poitier & Harry Belafonte narrate the film.
LIMITED RUN
CODED BIAS
Directed by Shalini Kantayya , 85 min, USA, 2020
Modern society sits at the intersection of two crucial questions: What does it mean when artificial intelligence increasingly governs our liberties? And what are the consequences for the people AI is biased against? When MIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini discovers that most facial-recognition software does not accurately identify darker-skinned faces and the faces of women, she delves into an investigation of widespread bias in algorithms. As it turns out, artificial intelligence is not neutral, and women are leading the charge to ensure our civil rights are protected.
Thursday, November 19, 2020 - 1 Day Only, Live Stream
BLACK LIFE MATTERS
68 min compilation, International
7 pm ET - Film Screenings • 8:15 pm ET
- Virtual Panel
Black Life Matters is a deeply introspective celebration of Black life, a grappling with our challenges, and a declaration of a brand new day.
This collection of eight short films will be followed by a spirited discussion on cinema, filmmaking and the future of Black film. After the screening, stay for an in-depth conversation with several of the evening’s filmmakers who are some of today's brightest and innovative artists on the scene.
Post film discussion immediately the film featuring the following panelists : Nefertite Nguvu, Thati Peele, Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi, Marshall Tyler, Christine Turner and Shawn Batey.
Wednesday, September 16, 2020 - 1 Day Only, On Demand
RESIDUE
Directed by Merawi Gerima, 90 min., USA
RESIDUE chronicles aspiring filmmaker Jay (Obinna Nwachukwu) who returns to his native Washington, DC to find his old neighborhood is gentrified beyond recognition. Dealing with alienation from his friends, troubled by the disappearance of a loved one and unsure of his place in this new community, Jay confronts issues of identity, isolation and loss on a tumultuous personal journey.
NOW PLAYING - ON DEMAND
MR. SOUL!
Directed by Melissa Haizlip
From 1968 to 1973, the public television variety show SOUL!, guided by the enigmatic producer and host Ellis Haizlip, offered an unfiltered, uncompromising celebration of Black literature, poetry, music, and politics—voices that had few other options for national exposure, and, as a result, found the program an improbable place to call home.
The series was among the first to provide expanded images of African Americans on television, shifting the gaze from inner-city poverty and violence to the vibrancy of the Black Arts Movement. With participants’ recollections and a bevy of great archival clips, Mr. SOUL! captures a critical moment in culture whose impact continues to resonate.
.png)
POTTY BREAK
Directed by Toni Thai Sterrett
Sōl Cinema Cafe present: 'POTTY BREAK' Virtual Sneak Preview Screenings + Q&A w/ director Toni Thai Sterrett, cast and surprise celebrity guests. On the surface, Potty Break looks like the adventures of two "loose" party girls and their escapades in the bathroom at their favorite nightclub. Beneath the surface, you have two broken women who struggle to be OK and are not dealing with their pain in a healthy way. Women who are typically discarded because of their appearance or lifestyle. Each episode has a drop of social commentary. Touching on the topics such as the pain of colorism or being taken advantage of by predatory men. Two women who haven't quite acquired the wisdom that comes with age, similar to Sex In The City. Season 1 serves as a "slice of life" look into the complicated lives of these two aging party girls. Like Insecure, it's a comedy, but deeper.
THIS IS AMERICA: A LOOK AT VIOLENCE AND RACISM SAT. JULY 25TH, 2020 - 3 PM EST
The Facebook Live event will take place Saturday, July 25th, 2020 at 3PM EST and be the first edition of a quarterly discussion series that takes a close look at America from different perspectives. The recent George Floyd national uprisings greatly influenced the topic of the first event. THIS IS AMERICA: A LOOK AT VIOLENCE AND RACISM will be a multi-city discussion on violence and racism in America with policy makers, law enforcement, community leaders from across the country and a film component. The 3 initial cities selected are New York City, Chicago and Indianapolis with many additional other cities across America participating. The event will be streamed on Facebook Live and accessible to all 3.5 billion Facebook Live broadcast viewers.
LIMTED RUN
GOOD TROUBLE: JOHN LEWIS
Directed by Dawn Porter, 96 min., USA
Using interviews and rare archival footage, JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE chronicles Lewis’ 60-plus years of social activism and legislative action on civil rights, voting rights, gun control, health-care reform and immigration. Using present-day interviews with Lewis, now 80 years old, Porter explores his childhood experiences, his inspiring family and his fateful meeting with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1957. In addition to her interviews with Lewis and his family, Porter’s primarily cinéma verité film also includes interviews with political leaders, Congressional colleagues, and other people who figure prominently in his life.
Immediately following the feature, there will be a pre-recorded discussion between Representative Lewis and Oprah Winfrey, filmed last month and being made available exclusively for virtual cinema and in-theater engagements of the film. This is a wide-ranging, informal, 16-minute conversation that’s a perfect follow-up to the documentary.
1-Day Only | Friday, May 1, 2020 - ON DEMAND
About the Film
SHOGUN ASSASSIN
Directed by Kenji Misumi, Robert Houston, 85 min., USA
A medieval samurai known as Lone Wolf wanders the countryside with his young son to seek revenge against those who murdered his wife.
About the Experience
This Sunday, May 24th at 9:15pm EST, participate in the live stream of "Shogun Assassin". RZA—acclaimed rapper, producer, director and co-founder of 36 Chambers—and Dan Halsted—head programmer at the Hollywood Theatre—will provide live commentary during this special Memorial Day Weekend presentation. Their collective knowledge and personal stories related to "Shogun Assassin" will give viewers a deeper appreciation for the movies we love.
"Shogun Assassin" is well known within the hip hop community as it was heavily sampled in GZA's platinum album "Liquid Swords." The album is considered one of the best albums in hip hop history on account of GZA's complex lyricism and RZA's dark atmospheric production.