11th Annual Baltimore International Black Film Festival
Oct 3 - 7, 2024
Luther: Never Too Much
Location: SNF Parkway Theatre
Friday, October 4, 2024, T:BDpm
Synopsis
“Luther: Never Too Much,” the documentary film, chronicles the story of a vocal virtuoso. Using a wealth of rarely seen archives, Luther tells his own story with assistance from his closest friends and musical collaborators including Mariah Carey, Dionne Warwick, Valerie Simpson and Roberta Flack.
The film relives the many stunning moments of Vandross’ Grammy award-winning musical career, while exploring his personal life, health struggles, and a lifelong battle to earn the respect his music deserves.
Director’s Bio: Dawn Porter
Dawn Porter is an American documentary filmmaker and the founder of the production company Trilogy Films. Her award-winning films include “Gideon’s Army”, about three black public defenders working in the southern United States, “Trapped”, about the impact of antiabortion laws on abortion providers in the South, and “Bobby Kennedy for President”, which debuted on Netflix.
As a two-time Sundance film festival director, Porter’s work has been featured on HBO, Netflix, CNN, PBS, MSNBC, MTV Films, and other platforms. Porter’s latest documentary, “The Lady Bird Diaries”, an all-archival documentary about Lady Bird Johnson debuted at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival where it won the Lone Star Prize. After a successful festival run, the film made its broadcast debut on Hulu.
BLACK AMERICA IS…
SNF Parkway Theatre
Sunday, October 8, 2023 5:50pm
Synopsis
Reclaiming our narratives from monolithic stereotypes, Black America Is… defies the idea that there is a singular experience of being Black in America. Instead, highlighting diverse Black stories, we explore the richness and complexity of our culture to create a more authentic portrait of Black identity.
Weaving together storytelling and social context, Black America Is… documents joyful, nuanced, and self-defined stories of Black identity.
In mainstream culture, media, and even academia, stereotypes have largely influenced opinions about Black Americans. Therefore, we need every opportunity to expand that lens and redefine ourselves.
Director’s Biograhy: Loria King
Loria King is an independent documentary filmmaker and photographer with an M.F.A. in film from Columbia University. She began her filmmaking journey as a stills photography intern on Forty Acres and a Mule Filmworks’ production of “Clockers.” She has gained credits as a screenwriter, producer, director, and editor on various projects. She is on the advisory board for the Global Institute for Black Girls in Film & Media and a Changemaker for Black Stock Footage.
Loria’s passion for her craft led her to share her real-world experience with students as a film professor in the classroom. She also taught outside the classroom in Africa, Asia, and South America, guiding college students as they produced narrative-based documentaries for national government organizations. Her project, “Black America Is…,” an exploration of Black identity, was selected as part of the 2020 Film Independent/CNN Docuseries. Loria’s work challenges and examines false narratives regarding women, Blacks, Indigenous peoples, and people of color.
