To celebrate the kickoff of its 30TH annual festival, the Pan African Film and Arts Festival held its opening night Tuesday, April 19th, 2022 at the Director’s Guild of America located on the famous Sunset strip of West Hollywood. The theme of the night chose to honor Mahalia Jackson by premiering a film written by Erica Nicole Malone and directed by veteran actor/ director Denise Bowse named ‘Remember Me. The Mahalia Jackson Story’. As described on IMDB, the film “follows the successful career of Jackson as well as her unique friendship and devotion to Martin Luther King Jr. and her unsung contribution to the civil rights movement”.
The film boasts a legendary star-studded cast with Grammy Award winning Ledisi starring in the lead role as Jackson alongside Columbus Short as Luther King Jr., Janet Hubert as Aunt Duke, Wendy Raquel Robinson as Cylestine, Keith David as Ink Williams, Corbin Bleu as Cab Calloway, Keith D. Robinson as Thomas Dorsey, Sha’Leah Nikole Stubblefield as a teenage Mahalia, Vanessa Estelle Williams as Lucille, Latonya Black Gilliard as Charity Jackson, Ava Cherry as Mahalia the child and more.
Always on the scene, SHEEN was present to cover all the festivities and not only did we get to interview the main cast listed above, we also caught up with several other legends and noteworthy industry players including actress Elise Neal, comedienne Luenell, comedian Shang Forbes, celebrity Vegan chef Tabitha Brown, famed Nollywood Actor Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, Attorney and media expert Areva Martin, Actress and producer April Q. Russel, Film Composer Rob Leopold, art directing duo Spencer Michael Collins IV and Anthony Bawn and Australian actor, director and film maker Kulan Farah.
Watch the glamorous red-carpet interviews below!
Correspondent: Rachel Mbuki
Filmed and Directed by Mark G Photography
Produced and edited by Rachel Mbuki
Written by Rachel Mbuki
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