The Art and Culture Center/Hollywood’s documentary short film Open Dialogues: Black Voices | Black Stories was honored with the Biggest Social Impact Award at the recent FLOW Film Festival held at Cinema Paradiso in downtown Hollywood.
Black Voices | Black Stories was presented on May 27 as part of the Florida Film Leaders program at the weeklong FLOW Festival. Directed, photographed, and edited by award-winning Miami-based filmmaker Freddy Rodriguez, the 24-minute film focuses on what social justice looks and feels like for Black Americans, as told through the narratives and performances of eight community leaders in Broward County.
Filmed in black-and-white, Black Voices engages community members to describe openly and honestly, among other topics, 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.
Following the screening, FLOW Festival Co-Founder and CEO Kimberly Douglas led a discussion with Center’s Executive Director Joy Satterlee and Director of Development Jeff Rusnak, who are the Executive Producer and Producer, respectively, for Open Dialogues. The discussion engaged audience members in a wide-ranging conversation based on the themes in the film and how individuals can play a role in creating a healthier, more equitable community.
Ms. Satterlee accepted the Biggest Social Impact Award following the nearly one-hour talk. FLOW Film Festival & Market was founded by Hollywood film industry veteran Kimberly Douglas and Australian local film leader Tiffany Porter to confront discrimination and barriers that women face in the film industry.
Open Dialogues: Black Voices | Black Stories is funded by an Art of Community grant from the Community Foundation of Broward. Support was provided by the following Funds at the Foundation: Helen and Frank Stoykov Charitable Endowment Fund, Ruth H. Brown Fund for the Arts, Dot and Keith Cobb Fund, and Mary and Alex Mackenzie Community Impact Fund.
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