Award-Winning Documentary Premieres In Hollywood

The Center will present a premiere theatrical screening of its new documentary short film Open Dialogues: Black Voices | Black Stories on Thursday, March 31 at the Hollywood Central Performing Arts Center, 1770 Monroe Street in Hollywood. The evening begins at 6:30 p.m. with a reception with the film’s cast members, followed by a screening of the short film at 7.

Directed by award-winning filmmaker Freddy Rodriguez, Open Dialogues: Black Voices | Black Stories features interviews and performances by eight leaders from Broward’s Black community. Photographed in black-and-white, the 24-minute film engages these leaders to describe openly and honestly their first awareness of being Black, the degrading impact of racism and discrimination, creating empathetic listening practices, Black resilience, and “The Talk,” in which Black parents prepare their children to be targeted based on the color of their skin.

The eight community leaders interviewed in Black Voices | Black Stories represent a diverse range of work/life experiences from such fields as law, education, medicine, public policy, and the arts. They are Darius V. Daughtry, Henry Graham, Yolanda Cash Jackson, Esq., Rudy Jean-Bart, Niki Lopez, David Weaver, Venis Wilder, M.D., and Natacha J. Yacinthe, Ph.D. The film includes a performance by violinist Ian Mann, written works by Daughtry and Jean-Bart, and music by Dr. Wilder performing as V. Tiarra.

“The Center is thrilled to build upon the success of our Open Dialogues film project with our second film, Black Voices | Black Stories,” said Joy Satterlee, the Center’s Executive Director. “With this powerful new film, the Center seeks to inspire audiences to take part in open and constructive dialogue that promotes justice and respect for all members of our community.”

Open Dialogues was created to engage residents of South Florida in honest and often revealing discussions that advance acceptance and inclusion for all members of our community. These black-and-white short films help build collaborative networks among artists, writers, community members, nonprofits, businesses, schools, and government agencies seeking to address discriminatory practices and social injustice.

“I have a lot of hope for the future. I hope that people normalize listening to other people. And it’s not just a black-and-white thing. Everyone has to do it because it impacts everyone. So everyone has a role to play to find what can they do to bring about justice and social justice in their environment in small and large ways.” – Niki Lopez, from Open Dialogues: Black Voices | Black Stories.

Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door the night of the event. Parking is available on site. Call 954.921.3274 or visit www.artandculturecenter.org for more information.

Open Dialogues screenings may be presented live via Zoom, and in person in our galleries or at off-site facilities with partnering organizations. To learn more about presenting an Open Dialogues screening and moderated talk for your organization, contact Jeff Rusnak, Director of Development, at jeff@artandculturecenter.org or call 954.921.3274, ext. 222.