The new voices of black film
(Page 3 of 3)
There are more African- American directors than ever before but many of them choose to work on big studio films since there's not as much money in low-budget, independent films. John Singleton, director of "Boyz N the Hood," recently made "2 Fast 2 Furious," for instance. Albert and Allen Hughes, the team behind "Menace II Society," moved on to "From Hell" with Johnny Depp. "Friday" director F. Gary Gray scored a recent hit with a remake of "The Italian Job." Another black director, Antoine Fuqua ("Training Day") is due to release the blockbuster "King Arthur" this summer.
"Many filmmakers want to follow the footsteps of the Hughes brothers and make studio movies because there are bigger directing fees involved for making a mainstream movie," says Gilula.
Some argue that this leads to a homogenization of the types of films that black directors make, since they have to conform to studio expectations of what might be commercial.
"When you go out with a script of brothers in baggy pants shooting each other up in the 'hood ... you can get financing. But when you try to go out of that, it's a lot tougher," says Van Peebles.
"The reason I did 'The Hollywood Shuffle' is because as an artist I was dying," says director Townsend. "A lot of times people of color are stuck in a box. They're forced to only play certain roles and to uphold certain images, and that's how the game works. But these images shape the way people think and also the way people act."
A few black actors say that they, too, are looking for stronger and more diverse African-American roles in film.
"I'm constantly looking for good material, but most of what's out there is not good because most screenwriters are only reading other screenplays," says actress Alfre Woodard, who starred in Spike Lee's "Crooklyn," among others. "They need to read books - they need to read real writing - and they need to read more stage plays. "
Many black actors and producers are looking for a fresh take on relationships in the African-American community, a shift that will certainly be a point of discussion during Sundance's panel on black film.
"One film which I thought really pushed the envelope was 'Drumline,' a movie that talked about African-American youth without resorting to hip-hop cliché or issues of urban pathology, which are kind of the recurring themes in many other films," says Hudlin. "And since it was successful at the box office ... it becomes a model for other writers and directors to follow. The problem with Hollywood is that everyone wants to be second. It's the courageous company that decides to be first with a film like 'Drumline' that can help point the way for others."
Melvin Van Peebles, whose "Sweetback" will enjoy a special screening at Sundance, is cautiously optimistic about the future of black cinema. "When I started out at this, there were a number of people in front of the camera acting, but they really weren't telling their own stories," says Mr. Van Peebles, who is considered to be the grandfather of independent black film. "There weren't any directors. Today, I see some."
