Falaka Fattah and The House of Umoja
SYNOPSIS
In 1969, when gangs were forming throughout the United States as an act of resistance and protection from police brutality, Queen Mother Falaka Fattah and her husband David Fattah opened up their home to warring gangs in the Philadelphia area out of concern for the safety of her son. In the ensuing years the Fattahs worked with over 105 gangs, convincing them to a sign a pledge of peace, and eradicating almost all of the gangs violence in Philadelphia. As gun violence spurs in Philadelphia, Queen Mother Falakah Fattah urges today’s leaders to uphold the House of Umoja movement.
Falaka Fattah and The House of Umoja is a participant of the 2019 Nest Knight Fellowship, a pilot initiative generously supported by Knight Foundation.
ABOUT THE DIRECTORS
Jos Duncan is a multimedia producer, filmmaker, and social entrepreneur. She is the founder of Love Now Media, a social enterprise with a mission to build empathy through impact strategy, participatory design, and storytelling.
Jason Pollard’s introduction to film began at an early age through his parents. His mother, Glenda’s love for film exposed Jason to a variety of genres such as American and French classics, blaxploitation, and independent cinema. Jason would often accompany his father, acclaimed film producer/editor Sam Pollard, to the editing room and watch as his father magically turned strips of celluloid into complex and wonderful stories.
Frank Bey: You’re Going to Miss Me
SYNOPSIS
A feature documentary about an aging blues singer’s return to the stage 17 years after music broke his heart. Frank Bey’s incredible journey reaches a climactic year as he overcomes the loss of his backing band to record his dream album in Nashville.
Frank Bey: You’re Going to Miss Me is a participant of the 2019 Nest Knight Fellowship, a pilot initiative generously supported by Knight Foundation.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
A cinematographer and artist originally from the mountains of Appalachia, Marie Hinson moved to Philadelphia for an MFA in Temple University’s film program. In addition to freelance work for film, commercial and corporate clients, she is an instructor at Scribe Video Center and a member of the Vox Populi artist collective. Her solo and collaborative work has shown at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Crane Arts, RAIR, Pilot Projects, as well as Frameline, Montreal Underground, BlackStar, Athens International, and Hollyshorts film festivals.
Storming
SYNOPSIS
The quiet hum of an exercise bike, the diegetic clicking of machines, a sea of pills on the counter. When their 20-year-old son Ryan was found unconscious in a parking lot, Ken and Sue Diviney made a split-second decision to save him. Almost a decade later, they are trapped in a perpetual cycle of caretaking, still waiting for Ryan to wake up from a coma.
Storming intimately explores the realities of long-term caregiving and grief. Cycling through nuanced phases of hope and hopelessness, Ken and Sue reflect on what was forfeited in the hopes of their beloved son’s unlikely recovery after a senseless act of violence left their family and community reeling.
Viewers follow Ken, who delicately balances the physical and emotional tolls of 24-hour caretaking, and Sue, who works long hours to retain health insurance and pay the bills. Together, they’ve done everything possible to keep Ryan ready for the moment he might wake up–but at what cost? While Ken weighs the chances of Ryan’s recovery at home, Sue remains determined to keep hope alive.
Weaving together vérité and home-video footage, Storming sheds new light on the complex dialogue and often controversial decision-making required by families providing life-sustaining care.
Storming is a participant of the 2019 Nest Knight Fellowship, a pilot initiative generously supported by Knight Foundation.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Katrina Sorrentino is a commercial editor, producer, and director, making her directorial debut in documentary filmmaking with Storming. Katrina is seasoned in crafting stories in 30 seconds in the commercial space, and has shifted her life’s work to capturing human stories with the potential to enlighten our perception of the world and human connections around us through documentary film.