South African actress Fulu Mugovhani (left) plays the titular character in "Ayanda."Photo courtesy of Array Releasing.
If you're a moviegoer hungry for films that reflect the breadth of experiences within the African Diaspora, then you're in luck.
The Ava DuVernay-founded distribution collective Array Releasing recently announced a special double feature theatrical opening for its Fall 2015 releases. Both Sara Blecher’s Ayanda and Takeshi Fukunaga’sOut of My Hand will open in New York City and Los Angeles beginning November 13, followed by a national tour to include Atlanta, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Seattle, Houston and Boston.
Ayanda premiered at the 2015 Los Angeles Film Festival, where the coming-of-age film won the special Jury Prize in the World Fiction Competition. South African actress Fulu Mugovhani stars as the title character, a 21-year-old entrepreneur who inherits a garage from her late father and struggles to revive it in Johannesburg’s Pan-African district, Yeoville.
Out of My Hand, which debuted at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, follows Cisco (Bishop Blay,) a Liberian rubber plantation worker who leaves his family and country to escape severe working conditions, failed unionization and corporate corruption. His difficult migration to New York City ultimately forces him to face his sense of isolation and belonging.
“Ayanda and Out of My Hand are films that represent the breadth and width of diverse filmmaking. A drama dissecting love in all forms directed by a South African woman and a story of migration and masculinity directed by a Harlem-based Japanese man, both starring all-black casts, prove to be a powerful duo,” explains Array’s Executive Director Tilane Jones in a press release. “These are the varied visions and voices that Array celebrates and amplifies through our releases. We’re thrilled to showcase these films together for film lovers who appreciate distinct, robust storytelling from underrepresented perspectives.”
To learn more about Ayanda and Out of My Hand and their theatrical releases, see the full list below and visit the official Array website.
Opening week theatrical releases for Ayanda and Out of My Hand:
November 13 at Downtown Independent in Los Angeles
November 13 at Imagenation RAW Space in New York
November 18 at Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York
One-night tour engagements:
Ayanda
November 13 at Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of African Art in Washington D.C.
November 14 at Georgia Pacific Auditorium presented by Bronzelens in Atlanta, GA
November 17 at the African American Museum presented by Reelblack in Philadelphia, PA
November 19 at the Houston Museum of African American Culture in Houston, TX
November 22 at Pure Artistry Literary Café in Montgomery, AL
November 24 at Ark Lodge Cinema in Seattle, WA
December 1 at South Brunswick Islands Center in Calabash, NC
December 5 at Arts Emerson presented by Reel Life Experience in Boston, MA
December 5 at The Artist Bloc in Greensboro, NC
Out of My Hand
November 14 at Georgia Pacific Auditorium presented by Bronzelens in Atlanta, GA
November 17 at the African American Museum presented by Reelblack in Philadelphia, PA
November 20 at Imagenation RAW Space in New York, NY
November 22 at Pure Art Literary Café in Montgomery, AL
November 24 at Ark Lodge Cinema in Seattle, WA
November 26 at Houston Museum of African American Culture in Houston, TX
December 1 at South Brunswick Islands Center in Calabash, NC
December 6 at Museum of Fine Art Boston in Boston, MA
December 8 at Anacostia Arts Center in Washington, DC
December 12 at The Artist Bloc in Greensboro, NC