Monday, June 3. 2024 - "Shut The Front Door Night"

The KC Morning Show

A Happy Monday From YOUR KC Morning Show AND HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!

On the show today, Fox 4 & KCMS Film Critic Shawn Edwards is back to chat about the 2nd Annual Juneteenth Film Festival in KC at Screenland Armour Theater in North Kansas City!

LINKS: Get Tickets: screenland.com

A Good Day To Be A Kansas Citian. Always

xoxo - Hartzell965, @holeyhearts, @kcmorningshow

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THE JUNETEENTH FILM FESTIVAL RETURNS TO KANSAS CITY FOR A SECOND YEAR

FESTIVAL TO HIGHLIGHT LOCAL BLACK FILMMAKERS INCLUDING OSCAR WINNER KEVIN WILLMOTT

The 2nd annual Juneteenth Film Festival returns to Kansas City on Wednesday, June 4th. This year’s festival will primarily feature films written, directed and produced by Kansas Citians including Oscar-winning filmmaker Kevin Willmott. All films will be screened at the Screenland Armour Theater in North Kansas City.

Curated by award-winning Fox 4 News film critic Shawn Edwards, the 2nd annual Juneteenth Film Festival will showcase feature films, documentaries and shorts.

“As we celebrate Juneteenth, one of the most important days in African American history, I felt it was important that we include groundbreaking cinema that embodies the spirit of the holiday,” said Edwards. “Kansas City has one of the longest running Juneteenth celebrations in the country. Now we have the only film festival in the country that honors the holiday by celebrating Black filmmaking.”

This year’s film festival is sponsored by the Black Movie Hall of Fame, Celebration of Black Cinema and Television, Wilson’s Industries LLC, House of Kush and the Kansas City Film Office.

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

Tuesday, June 4th: Black Filmmakers Happy Hour hosted by Film KC (Screenland Armour) 5:00PM

Tuesday, June 4th: Film KC presents “Underneath: Children of the Sun” Directed by David Kirkman (Screenland Armour) 7:00PM

Wednesday, June 5th: “The Pistol” Directed by Paul and Kenneth Rayford (Screenland Armour) 6:30PM and 8:30PM

Sunday, June 9th: Party Event “We Hanging with Clarence” Hosted by rapper Roblo da Star (The Velvet Freeze Daiquiris/Smaxx) 7:00PM

Wednesday, June 12th: “Kansas City Dreamin’” Directed by Diallo Javonne French (Screenland Armour) 6:30PM

Wednesday, June 12th: “What’s N Kansas City?” Directed by Skiem Heim (Screenland Armour) 8:30PM

Wednesday, June 19th: “Binding Us Together” Directed by Kevin Willmott (Screenland Armour) 6:30PM and 8:30PM

Wednesday, June 26th “Drout 2” Directed by Isiah King (Screenland Armour) 6:30PM

*The short film “BF” directed by Jamie Addison will screen before each feature every night of the festival.

MEDIA CLIPS

THE VOICE: Film Festival & Hip-Hop Forum Kick Off JuneteenthKC Early - The Community Voice (communityvoiceks.com)

KCUR: JuneteenthKC kicks off this year's celebrations with a film festival featuring Black directors | KCUR - Kansas City news and NPR

KANSAS CITY FILM OFFICE: KC Film Spotlight: Shawn Edwards - Kansas City Film Office (kcfilmoffice.com)

FILM SYNOPSIS

BINDING US TOGETHER

A heartfelt, inspiring narrative that is inextricably linked to the nation’s past and present, civil rights activist and public servant Alvin Brooks shares engaging, funny, and tragic stories of his life and career of advocacy in Kansas City.

DROUT 2

The sequel to the highly successful underground hit “Drout.” After King is released from prison he encounters a tragic event. The results of which start a revengeful war on the streets of Kansas City as he continues his struggles with the law while trying to finally get out of the game.

KANSAS CITY DREAMIN’

Kansas City Dreamin' is a documentary about the African American music history of the city. It features interviews with Melissa Etheridge, Tech N9ne, Bobby Watson, Oleta Adams, Lonnie McFadden, Oscar winner Kevin Willmont, and many more. With segments on Charlie Parker, Count Basie, Janelle Monae, Big Joe Turner, and other Kansas City natives. The film celebrates Kansas City's contribution to American music.

THE PISTOL

“The Pistol" is a gripping documentary that delves into the real-life accounts of notorious gangster Kenneth Rayford. Directed by Paul Rayford, the film details the exploits of Kenneth Rayford from his time as a youth growing up on the mean streets of Kansas City, Missouri up to adulthood when he ran the streets of Kansas City. Through interviews with Kenneth himself, his accomplices and actual news footage the documentary reveals the life of a real-underworld crime figure. “The Pistol" paints a compelling portrait of a man who literally dedicated his entire life to the criminal underworld, maintained a solid reputation and actually lived to talk about it.

WHAT’S N’ KANSAS CITY?

Skiem Heim, Kansas City's official street journalist, takes you on a guided tour of the places at the heart of Kansas City's Black culture.

UNDERNEATH: CHILDREN OF THE SUN

This mind-bending Afrofuturist story embarks on a breathtaking journey of galactic politics, heritage, and destiny. In 1857, a slave in Little Dixie, Missouri is thrust into an intergalactic crises after helping an alien from a crashed spaceship. An ultra-powerful alien artifact passes through generations of bloody fingers and inheritors here on Earth, including the present, and ultimately leads to an epic battle for control. "Underneath: Children of the Sun" is St. Louis filmmaker David Kirkman's feature film debut.

UNDERNEATH: CHILDREN OF THE SUN TRAILER:

https://youtu.be/LNY8B7qC2CI?si=TWHqoSLjWNTxlh4a

KEVIN WILLMOTT BIO

Kevin Willmott is a professor of film at the University of Kansas and a film writer and director. He is known for work focusing on black issues including writing and directing “Ninth Street,” “C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America” and “Bunker Hill.” His film “The Only Good Indian,” which he directed and produced, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2009. In 2013, Willmott’s films “Destination: Planet Negro!” and “Jayhawkers” were both released. He also served as a writer on Spike Lee’s film “Chi-Raq” and as a screenwriter on Lee’s film “BlacKkKlansman” which won an Oscar and BAFTA for best adapted screenplay in 2019.