Events in the Oakland Area --
PROMOTING
REEL AFRICAN IMAGES
(under re-construction)
STATEMENT
OF PURPOSE
PRAI
presents "The Best of the Best" films and videos in the African Diaspora, to Pan
African Film & Television Festivals throughout the world. FESPACO of
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso is the biennial film festival, at which PRAI premieres
the “Best of the Best” Films from the African Diaspora.
Our purpose is two-fold:
I PRAI enables the timely processing of film submissions to African Film
Festivals, by soliciting and curating films from the African Diaspora that are
qualified for consideration of their coveted Diaspora
Prizes.
II Once PRAI has made the selections and the winners established, by the
festivals, the PRAI strategic focus changes to become a distribution network,
for current winners and archived films of the “Best of the Best” Films from the
African Diaspora series. We are establishing affiliations with broadcast,
festival and online programming outlets for such
purpose.
The strategic focus is on Promoting Reel African Images. It is our intent to assist in the efforts of the organizers of African film and video festivals to insure that they present the quintessential awards program, for all African related cinematic offerings. We embrace the fact that Paul Robeson is one of the most visible, influential and admired artists, in history. His accomplishments as an actor, linguist, cultural scholar, international activist, author and sports legend brought him worldwide acclaim; and, we join in on the honoring of his contributions, by entitling our endeavor, the Paul Robeson Award Initiative. Many consider Mr. Robeson’s immense talents to be, "the Best of the Best" and so do we.
PRAI
OBJECTIVES
- To
assess films and television productions, by collaborating with existing
Diasporic Pan African and international film & television festivals,
independent filmmakers and African film enthusiasts to acquire submissions to
the “Best of the Best” archive.
- To
score by judging each submission not only on the technical and artistic
qualities, but on the content of the message. The chosen films must adhere to
the standards set by Paul Robeson, in being the best of the best. Therefore,
we score each submission based on whether, or not, it indeed upholds the
proper image of Africans and the Diaspora, by presenting clear images of
respect, love, tolerance; as well as, examples of how to uphold and build a
better society through the demonstration of enlightened people doing what they
do best shine their “little light” on relevant issues and events, for the
world to appreciate and enjoy!
- To
deliver such films to African Film Festivals, in consideration of their
Diaspora Prize, i.e., the Paul Robeson Award at FESPACO.
PRAI
SUBMISSION CRITERIA
There
are three (3) film / video categories for submissions:
1. FESPACO
DIASPORA PRIZE– PAUL ROBESON AWARD-Feature Length
2. PRAI –
SPECIAL PRIZE Documentary (long & short) Short Film (special
interest)
3. YOUTH WATCH Award - Short Narrative Film or Documentary (by first time filmmaker 25 years old or less)
DEADLINES:
8/31/06 & 12/30/06
If the submission has won an award, at a recent film or video festival
and the writer or director on the film/video project is of African descent, the
film/video is qualified to complete in the FESPACO Paul Robeson Award (Official
Application Form located on website).
Please mail VHS (NTSC), or DVD viewing copies, printed confirmation form
(receipt from online application), promotional materials and the appropriate
fee, if required to:
PRAI
POB
1134
We are actively pursuing programming
entities that would be favorable to our efforts; and, thereby willing to partner
with us in programming the “Best of the Best” series on television networks, or
festivals throughout the world. I urge your comments and suggestions in this
regard, as it still takes a village…in
One Aim…
C.Sade Turnipseed, Managing
Director
PRAI—the “Best of the Best”
Archives
www.PRAI.us (under re-construction)
662.285.9798