The Hip Hop Film Festival Announces Its Line Up For The 2020 Season
NEW YORK, July 27, 2020 — The Harlem Film House’s Hip Hop Film Festival (HHFF) returns for its fifth season, featuring a robust programing of LIVE! events attendees can enjoy from home and nine themed private cinemas powered by 247films.tv.
OMARI HARDWICK is this year’s Icon Living Award recipient and will speak at a special Master Cypher with actor, producer and entrepreneur, Theo Rossi on Sunday, August 9th at 6pm. The cypher is to benefit the Harlem Film House.
Watch his announcement below:
Passes available at https://2020hhff.eventbrite.com
The festival’s theme this year is STORIES THAT MATTER, putting a special focus on the many genres that filmmakers from the culture cover. Over 200 films and screenplays made the cut.. here are some special features from each category.
Special Features:
ZULU RETURN:
A movie celebrating the accomplishments of Africa Bambatta, turns in to a voyeuristic documentation of a man trapped in the middle of a heinous scandal.
PROSECT PARK:
A modern-day quirky comedy following the misadventures of a group of millennials as they navigate life, love, and careers in the Prospect Park area.
Categories:
BLACK STORIES THAT MATTER: The best directors from the culture bring you stories highlighting the politics, pain and joy of Black life.
AFRO: After multiple encounters with her bully and a little academic inspiration, an African-American teen girl finally stands up for herself against classmates that question her cultural identity.
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SAFE SPACE: Filmmaker Leon Oldstrong takes viewers on a deeply personal journey through his experiences with racism.
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WOMAN-LED STORIES THAT MATTER: The best female directors from the culture bring you stories on from every theme in the human spectrum.
BROKEN BIRD: A biracial girl caught between two worlds prepares for her Bat Mitzvah and adulthood.
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HOUSE OF BALLS: After dumping her fiancé, Sam discovers a female dodgeball league that makes her face her biggest threat: herself.
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SCARY STORIES THAT MATTER: The best directors from the culture bring you social horror stories that will chill you to the bone.
MOURNING MEAL: After the tragic loss of her son, Cheryl, a grieving mother, adopts a new philosophy, one that changes her outlook on life and grief. One where suffering has become a dear friend… that must be shared.
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BLIGHT: A grieving young girl with supernatural abilities seeks vengeance after the racially charged officer-involved shooting of her teenage brother.
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DRAMATIC STORIES THAT MATTER: The best directors from the culture bring the drama.
WASHED: Desperate, pressed and #WASHED up, a group of aging millennials attain everything they NEVER wanted — their dreams.
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DOPE COUNTY: This film explores the life of Money Jit, a young black man from an underserved community in central Florida, confronted by the ongoing struggles of being targeted by the criminal justice system.
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REAL STORIES THAT MATTER: The best directors from the culture bring real life front and center with these amazing documentaries.
THE PURSUIT OF GREATNESS: A glimpse into the digitalization of hip hop culture.
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IN SEARCH OF RUN DMC: Nick Light and Andrew Katz meet in Hollis, Queens to explore the neighborhood and rediscover notable locations that factored into the mid-1980s emergence of Hip-Hop supergroup Run DMC.
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SCI-FI STORIES THAT MATTER — The best directors from the culture take you to another world with thrills, chills, super powers and some aliens thrown in for good measure.
THE GOLDEN RECORD: Taino, an eager extraterrestrial, embarks on a personal journey with his doubting best friend to find his lost family.
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JUST A PHASE: A low-level JPL researcher must figure out the strange powers of a mysterious device found hidden in her car to save herself from the deadly government forces that are now targeting her.
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Other categories include: Funny Stories That Matter, Lit Stories That Matter and Global Stories That Matter.
More information regarding the festival and festival passes, visit hiphopfilmfestival.org.
Complete official listing below:
Afro
After multiple encounters with her bully and a little academic inspiration, an African-American teen girl finally stands up for herself against classmates that question her cultural identity.
K.I.N.G.
A troubled Caribbean teenager ventures into an unfamiliar city seeking a bond with his estranged father.
Prince of Pools
Newly sober and hella awkward, a lazy freestyle rapper juggles his dreams of superstardom with treading water at his family’s pool business when a waterside diss-rap goes viral for all the wrong reasons.
Late for the Funeral
3 Burglars rob a famous painter on the same day of his wife’s funeral, while the husband is committing suicide.
Hype Man: A Break Beat Film
A hip hop playwright searches for his audience while reflecting on his career.
Sweet Nothings
A young woman tries to open herself up to love and realizes that the only obstacle standing in her way is herself.
Switch
A couple, Nessa and Camden continue their tradition of looking through each others phones once a month but, questionable text messages reveal the truth.
Waves The Series
Nia is forced to open her doors to her dysfunctional sister Jean for the summer but, a secret from Jeans past could change their relationship forever.
Bleed Just Like Us
Set at an HBCU, a conflicted student struggles to find his purpose while those closest to him find themselves staring down the barrel of a gun.
The Fix
A man (Marcus) struggles with addiction stemming from a tragic loss in his family. His purpose in life dissipates after losing everything important to him.
RAISING NIA
His love for daughter forces him to make a decision that could change the lives of them both forever.
The Walk Home
A coming of age story set in Harlem about an overprotective father that won’t let his teenage daughter, Kae, walk home from school. And the consequences that follow as Kae deals with conflicts surrounding friendships at school.
On The Floor
After his first major tour, a strung out SoundCloud rapper retreats to an isolated treehouse, where he is visited by the three people closest to him.
#WASHED
Desperate, pressed and #WASHED up, a group of aging millennials attain everything they NEVER wanted — their dreams.
How Ya Like Me Now
Based on the real life story of Kool Moe Dee, a hip hop pioneer who struggles to keep his music relevant with the emergence of a new rival on the scene, LL Cool J.
Fienyx — Just Us
A true story of two brothers struggling to overcome mental health issues, from childhood through adulthood, with their mother serving as a saving grace throughout.
Daddy’s Home
Daddy’s Home follows the life of John Mallory, a crew member who works in the TV & FilM Industry that loves his job, but juggles working consistently excessive hours, being home with his family and the long term effect the long hours may have on his job performance, health and family life when safety precautions are not taken or sometimes too late.
Raparations
The story of a group of students retracing their history through the Underground Railroad, Jim Crow, and Mass Incarceration in order to provide reparations to their future selves. An unbelievable story told through HipHopED and using hip hop as praxis. A fast paced, informative, opinion piece that makes the case of reparations from a child’s eyes.
COLORS
A troubled girl’s psychedelic high takes you through the social issues and injustices of residents who live in the Harlem Housing Projects.
The Unwilling
Six men recently released from prison try to change their futures by mending their pasts.
Unspittable
In the hour before a gig, Amplify, an Indigenous hiphoppa and member of the Edmonton based hip-hop group Unspittable, remembers the three years of struggle that led to tonight.
Hollywood Star
“Struggling Black Actors” find himself in a one sided audition and gets deterred from dream role. Trying to avoid stereotypical Black figure roles, he finds himself forced to be what he disdains when he knows he can be more.
The Pursuit of Greatness
A glimpse into the digitalization of hip hop culture.
Round Table
When the black sterotypes leader come together for an emergency board meeting and keeping it real.
Crow HIll: Prelude
A viral mutating pandemic has overtaken the city, in Crown Heights Brooklyn the hood forms a militia with one goal: To Survive.
Set Life
A comedy that follows the rarely dull lives of Television/Film Production Assistants as they deal with life, work, and the people they work with.
A Rhyming Portrait
As many New Yorkers remain indoors due to COVID-19, Djaco uses the time to revisit an old interest.
The Dancer
A story about a woman reclaiming the sport of skateboarding for herself
Clout
James reprimands his rapper friend Craig for his music representing a street lifestyle that he does not live.
Life of Bern
Bern, a teen who was diagnosed with Selective Mutism as a child, but after winning a rap freestyle contest, learns how to navigate the challenges of his new fame.
Unrequited
After an old flame comes into his life, Jacques, a Haitian writer living in Brooklyn, seeks some clarity with his feelings.
Harmonal Imbalance
Back in the 90s, R&B girl group Harmonal Balance almost made it to the top. Now 20 years later they’re back to give stardom another try…if they don’t kill each other first.
Bound
An honor student, his drug dealing brother and two Atlanta police officers are forced to look at the connection between themselves and the world.
Angels in Hip Hop Land
Word, a gifted young pianist from the “hood” attracts a manipulative demon posing as a producer and her deadly social media manipulating posse and is about to lose his soul until a “street savvy” Angel appears.
AGAINST ALL ODDS
As community’s face hindrance and Politicians struggle to elucidate international and social injustices, a student athlete journalist battling adversity inspires to make change.
Therapy
A young, black therapist uses an unconventional method of therapy in assisting his clients. Through doing so, he rediscovers a deeply repressed traumatic event in his own past, and he too will have to find a way to heal.
The Last Sound
When the word “cancer” hits the household, Jennifer and others must find out how to deal with such a difficult situation.
In the year 2055, a Caucasian rebellious teenager, Kathy Paterson tries to help a lost and broken hearted black teenager, Jamal Sullivan find his way back home in a segregated New America.
REAL MEN
After being suspended from his job and thrown out by his wife, a pitifully irresponsible husband suckers his best friends into joining him on a risky journey to become a real man of responsibility.
Vessel
Vessel follows Benjamin, a promising black screenwriter and his manager, Jackson’s journey to enter the white-dominant film industry. The rise of extraterrestrial activity in New York city poses a greater problem for the two, specifically when one imprints on Benjamin.
Techniqolor
Your transmission of dope vibes, music videos, ill clipart and some of music’s newest emerging artist all in one space… creative space. Welcome to Techniqolor.
LEGENDARY
The story of Earl Legend who dreams of being a hip hop artist but still hold on to his family.
“Don’t Tell Nobody”
On the eve of her 14th birthday Ariel is at a crossroads; continue to live in pain or let it all go forever.
ADULTIN’
ADULTIN’ is an avant-garde digital anthology series that highlights the niche scenarios millennials face as they transition to adulthood. Each episode highlights a unique adult experience through a scripted and unscripted lens.
Inside
In the midst of the world going through a global pandemic all are issued to stay inside. An individual is quarantined at home and is forced to be alone with his own thoughts away from a world that is full of noise and distractions.
The Biggest Mistake
After a school shooting, a town is thrusted into recognizing that bigotry is closer to home than they would like to admit
On My Mind
ON MY MIND is an abstract, Afro-cosmic film, aesthetically and symbolically grounded in African culture and New York history, based on Marcus Strickland’s track “On My Mind remix.”
Not Daddy’s Girl
A shameless and unrestrained young woman is forced to have a relationship with the father who abandoned her.
To Touch
Sometimes the Father has to learn from the Son…..To Touch.
Thousand Lights of Sun
On the night of his son’s 10th birthday, Jeremy’s struggle to provide for his family lands him in a predicament that will change him forever. Thousand Lights of Sun is a story of trauma, perseverance, and family told through the lens of a young black father.
AMERICA
Take a realistic look at the land of the free through the eyes of confinement, fear and oppression. AMERICA!
Meetcute on Danceworld
In a world where no one speaks verbally, one woman will try to get laid through the complex and sweaty language of DANCE
COPE
Three best friends bond over their struggles of navigating through life and finding a means to COPE within their relationships, careers, and everyday life, as a result of their unresolved “daddy issues.”
Jabari Keating
Upon making a life altering decision, Jabari Keating explores his personal reflections, life experiences and trials and tribulations as an African American in present day America.
Kinky
After straightening her natural hair behind her mother’s back, Maybelline a 14-year old Brooklyn teen who experiences the pressure of looking beautiful must decide rather remain straight or return to her natural state.
Crush
In a society enslaved by phones, Natalie eyes a young man on the subway. They begin an unlikely connection that leads them down the path of a happy marriage. But is it all real?
Innerverse Web Series
Innerverse presents various characters, and explores how their personal life experiences shape their belief systems and perception.
Still Got The Juice “When I Knew You” Episode 5
Two sisters find themselves longing to be loved as they face the possibility of being separated from an abusive household.
Sheep In the Outhouse
Terrence, an aspiring rapper and college dope dealer finds himself astray struggling to finish a verse for a cypher and establish his identity in an intimate relationship.
Able Bodies
What happens when your destiny intervenes with your love life? Kenya Shoffner is trying to let go of her past. Unfortunately her past doesn’t want to let go of her.
The Opportunist
Pro is the definition of a opportunist. But when his moral compass is in the mix, which path will he go down?
Woke
A “Woke” African-American woman wakes up in a post-apocalyptic world where all black women are extinct. A pair of futuristic news goggles tell her how it happened — and why.
Monday
There will be moments in life that will leave you emotionally scared… Friends and Family will offer encouragement but honestly, your healing process is a solo mission. Coming to grips with your new reality…
Some people are such a driving force in your life that when removed it feels like you lose your purpose… Life hasn’t been the same… yet I remain.
AWAKEN
RichMo, a famous musician struggling with the suicide of his wife, goes insane and decides to kill himself to end the nightmare.
Dropouts
After catching his cheating girlfriend having sex with their boss at the nightclub where they all work, college dropout Rhad sets out to exact revenge on them by joining fellow dropouts to tranform a struggling Chinese restaurant into a rival nightclub.
Delete
An emotionally impulsive guy discovers every time he unfriends someone from facebook, they die.
Monday
There will be moments in life that will leave you emotionally scared… Friends and Family
will offer encouragement but honestly, your healing process is a solo mission. Coming to grips with your new reality.
Just A Phase
A low-level JPL researcher must figure out the strange powers of a mysterious device found hidden in her car to save herself from the deadly government forces that are now targeting her.
Safe Space
Filmmaker Leon Oldstrong takes viewers on a deeply personal journey through his experiences with racism.
The Black Baptism
Informed by a mysterious voice, an imprisoned young woman must pass a series of enigmatic tests or face a terrifying death.
ANNA
Living in war-torn Eastern Ukraine Anna is an aging single mother who is desperate for a change.
Broken Bird
A biracial girl caught between two worlds prepares for her Bat Mitzvah and adulthood.
Ghettocyrano
Too many women and too little money lead to deadly consequences for a young rapper and his ghostwriter friend when they both fall in love with the same woman.
So I Married My Best Friend
Two best friends wake up from a night of partying with no memory of what events transpired the night before, to discover that they are married.
In Search of Run DMC
Nick Light and Andrew Katz meet in Hollis, Queens to explore the neighborhood and rediscover notable locations that factored into the mid-1980s emergence of Hip-Hop supergroup Run DMC.
Shituations
3 eccentric friends must find a way to come up with 50 thousand dollars to pay the ransom for their best friend after he’s kidnapped. In doing so, they will get involved in the criminal underground
Small and Mighty
A young veteran coping with PTSD finds himself wanting to be the superhero his niece believes him to be, but will his self-doubt make him the villain of his own story again?
Barista Baby
A woman finds herself immersed in the crazy world of espresso, lattes and eccentric people at a local coffee shop.
Raparations
The story of a group of students retracing their history through the Underground Railroad, Jim Crow, and Mass Incarceration in order to provide reparations to their future selves.
CITY
Camden, New Jersey, is amid a state takeover with different political forces vying for power; meanwhile, Spark and his crew plot on taking over the city’s lucrative drug trade.
Reyna
The finesse life finally catches up with Reyna…on the night she decides she no longer wants anything to do with it.
90’s R&B
This is a short film parody of reminiscent memories of KSsense’s teen-age hood and her love for 90’s R&B.
I Hate This Fkn’ Job
A well poised and professional Naima is aiming to win at Winning Magazine. Yet she encounters the daily systemic experiences many people of color can relate to.
Female
Female | Tamil Short Film| Nakshatra | 10 International Awards| Male Domination family sentimental story | A Karthik Siva/N.SIvaruban Film
Jahan Nostra: Welcome Home (The Return) 2020
Determined to succeed in boxing, an amateur boxer begins a rigorous workout regimen with a new trainer to prepare for his first big fight.
Da Big Zip
The life of an unknown aspiring rapper and drug dealer becomes more complicated after he misplaces his fanny pack containing money and weed.
Dear Congo, I Miss You
Munta Eric Mpwo recounts his transitions from war torn Congo to the United States as a child to finding his calling as a Breakdancer/Graffiti artist as a teenager.
Rest Of Us
A teenage boy seeks a day to escape from his reality but, his reality is harder to escape than he thought.
Guys Like Us — Rhyme Va-Lor feat. E-Lux
Visually striking, graphically intense intense music video ‘Guys Like Us’ by Rhyme Va-Lor of HorrorCity feat. E-Lux of Quiet Mob
Blight
A grieving young girl with supernatural abilities seeks vengeance after the racially charged officer-involved shooting of her teenage brother.
Breaking Culture
The man who brought breakdancing to Ukraine 25 years ago faces the fact that times have changed.
Do Not Open
Fred is stuck in a compromising situation as he deals with a demanding boss and accusations from a co worker
BronxBerlinConnection
Over the last 11 years the BronxBerlinConnection has brought young people from different countries and cultures together in order to give them the opportunity to go abroad. All part of the same artistic culture, all talented, this homage is to the young people who discovered each other, discovered themselves, and to this project that brings a glimpse of unity into a world that desperately needs it.
Bumpy Rhodes
Kendrick helps in a scheme to score drugs with his best friend Darrin Bumpy Rhodes, who is triggered to get high the day before his final drug test and parole hearing after finding out his girlfriend is his half-sister.
Fear
A young man struggles between religion, relationships and his mental head space.
Head Top
A lighthearted open conversation with NYC’s up and coming influencers on everything black hair.
BRODER
Brother and sister move to the Buenos Aires suburbs, right next to El Triángulo studio. There they will meet the rules of the street and, above all, the rules of hip hop.
Amāre Web Series
Ajani and Cairo teach one another about love in ways that both challenge their vices and help in their journey to finding true love.
Dope County
This film explores the life of Money Jit, a young black man from an underserved community in central Florida, confronted by the ongoing struggles of being targeted by the criminal justice system.
House of Balls
After dumping her fiancé, Sam discovers a female dodgeball league that makes her face her biggest threat: herself.
Kahleo
Kahleo brings hiphop to surf culture. And shows us that music is The language of the world.
Jones Cafe
The Bermuda Triangle of Love…
We Dont Play
We Don’t Play is an innovative new wave introduction of young, energetic hyphy Chicano style Hip-Hop!
The Company You Keep
A painfully shy woman is pushed to the brink by a friendship she should have let go long ago.
The Company You Keep
A painfully shy woman is pushed to the brink by a friendship she should have let go of long ago.
The Golden Record
Taino, an eager extraterrestrial, embarks on a personal journey with his doubting best friend to find his lost family.
NEWCOMER: A Seattle Hip-Hop Mixtape
An intimate introduction to Seattle’s vibrant hip-hop underground, assembled from hundreds of tiny performance clips into a single, continuous concert mosaic.
Naked Ambition
Zarah dreams of being an actress, but when her side hustle as a stripper steals her confidence she must find the ambition to channel her rage, shame, and talent if she hopes to land the role of a lifetime.
Junior
A young family’s parenting is called into question when their four year old son challenges traditional gender norms.
This is why I’m single
A relationship without communication can lead to alot of things….even death
10 Years in 40 Seconds
For three kids, a day selling water on the corner turns into a bloodbath when a zombie apocalypse breaks out in Atlanta. They must adapt quickly and leave childish things behind to survive.
Mic Check (Queen of MC’s)
Two female battle rappers with one common goal. But in the end, there can only be one.
Mourning Meal
After the tragic loss of her son, Cheryl, a grieving mother, adopts a new philosophy, one that changes her outlook on life and grief. One where suffering has become a dear friend… that must be shared.
Quota
Years after going to Jail, Shaw finds himself still paying for his mistakes, as potential employers avoid him like the plague. Racked with shame and frustration, he turns to a desperate scheme in order to feed his newborn baby.
The Miracle Twerker
Carla, a stripper, discovers she has the power to resurrect the dead.
Modern Day Slavery: From Plantations to Prisons
A documentary film which explores the racial disparity and corporate exploitation of African-American and Latino prisoners within the United States Justice System.
Planet Rock Pt 2
“Planet Rock Pt 2” is both directed and performed by Austin Spruill AKA RayZa. The video pays tribute to the original “Planet Rock” by mixing live performance with breakdancing I’n the Bronx.
Love Boom Bap
A story about navigating the boundaries of the heart through the artistic paradigms of music, poetry and dance.
We Are The Endless Roar
We Are The Endless Roar takes 2 Harlemites on an immersive cultural, spiritual and business journey to Nigeria. Their visits to sacred waters lead to amazing self-discoveries.
About the Hip Hop Film Festival NYC
Out of over 5,000 festivals in the world, the Hip-Hop Film Festival is the only festival to focus on writers, directors and producers who grew up in the global culture of Hip Hop. This season the festival hosts over 100 directors, producers and screenwriters from the United States, France, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Canada, the UK, Russia, Switzerland, South Africa, India, Japan, Portugal, Argentina and more. The Hip Hop Film Festival features every genre (mystery, sci-fi, horror, action, romance, etc.) of story from filmmakers who live across the world. It is also the only film festival that shares the profits from the festival with the filmmakers selected to participate.
