Blackout for Human Rights, a collective of actors, artists and activists speaking out for justice, will be holding a one-day film festival, the first Blackout Music & Film Festival, in downtown Los Angeles Saturday.
The festival, which organizers plan to host annually, will boast special film screenings, art installations, panel discussions and live musical performances in hopes of promoting a sense of community, creativity and culture.
The festival kicks off with a special screening of 3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bullets, a documentary by Marc Silver, which examines the shooting death of Jordan Davis in Jacksonville, Fla. The rest of the day will include a signature artist showcase from the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, a spoken-word performance by poet Leo Breckenridge and more.
"With Blackout Music & Film Festival, our goal is to create a space for the exhibition and exploration of art that provides a springboard for critical analysis, community building and creative collaboration," filmmaker Ryan Coogler, who is also a founding member of Blackout for Human Rights, said in a press release (pdf).
Danielle C. Belton, associate editor of The Root, proud media partners for the festival, will be featured in the social-justice panel, alongside Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors, American Civil Liberties Union lawyer Peter Bibring, Black Lives Matter activist Ashley Yates and Urban Cusp founder Rahiel Tesfamariam. There will also be a signature storytelling panel in which actress Tracee Ellis Ross will participate alongside others.
“We're excited to bring the Los Angeles community together to celebrate the power of storytelling in film, music and art in illuminating our shared humanity and the complex social issues of our time,” Michael Latt, director of the festival, said in the press release. “Centered on the intersection of social justice and storytelling, the Blackout festival reflects our commitment to the idea that all of our stories deserve to be told and all of our lives deserve to be valued and protected in policies and laws.”
Tickets to the festival, starting at $10, are available online.