One film, based on the works of the late playwright August Wilson, is produced by Denzel Washington and stars his son, John David Washington, and is directed and written by another son, Malcolm Washington.
It’s like a family affair, with Denzel behind the scenes. I was able to attend a press screening of “The Piano Lesson” on October 15, and the film 100 percent delivers.
Photo courtesy film website.
The film later opened the Festival on October 16, with two of the Washington men receiving awards.
A battle is brewing in the Charles household, tearing two siblings apart. At the center stands a prized heirloom piano: On one side, a brother (John David Washington) plans to build the family fortune by selling it. On the other, his sister (Danielle Deadwyler) will go to any lengths to hold onto the sole vestige of the family’s heritage. Their uncle (Samuel L. Jackson) tries to mediate, but even he can’t hold back the ghosts of the past.
“The Piano Lesson” explores the intergenerational dynamics of identity, resilience, and transcendence, revealing startling truths about how we perceive the past and who gets to define our legacy.
This is a struggle between legacy and greed, as John David, in his portrayal of Boy Willie, commands the screen.
This opening-night screening will be held at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave. There is also a screening on October 17 at 2:00 p.m. at AMC NEWCITY 14, 1500 N. Clybourn Ave.
“The Knife,” directed by Nnamdi Asomugha, will screen for free on October 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the Hamilton Park Cultural Center at 513 W. 72nd St.
Late one night, while Chris (Nnamdi Asomugha), his wife (Aja Naomi King), and their two daughters are sleeping upstairs in their home, Chris hears an intruder. Unsettled and scared, he warily investigates, and finds himself face-to-face with a stranger in his kitchen. Chris reacts impulsively to protect his family, and his response sets in motion a night that will have far-reaching consequences.
This stunning, compact thriller takes place over the course of a few hours. A frantic family takes quick action. Throngs of police arrive to investigate the scene. And a bullish white detective sets the family in her sights, willing to do whatever it takes to quickly resolve the case. As tensions escalate between the family and police, “The Knife” sharply explores the ways in which a Black family experiences a tenuous relationship with security, justice and the American dream.
This is part of the Festival’s Community Cinema screenings, and no registration is required. Doors open 30 minutes before each screening.
This film also screens with a paid admission on Saturday, October 19, at 4:00 p.m. at the Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St.
“Color Book” is a film about a single father named Lucky who decides to take his 11-year-old son Mason to experience an American rite of passage: his first baseball game. It seems simple enough. But Lucky, after a recent personal tragedy and navigating his son’s Down Syndrome, encounters a series of obstacles that will test his patience and his confidence as the two set out across Atlanta.
Photographed in vivid black-and-white with echoes of neorealist landmarks like Charles Burnett’s “Killer of Sheep,” David Fortune’s subtle and elegantly conceived feature debut is brimming with authenticity and heart.
Will Catlett delivers another magnetic and sympathetic portrayal of a strong, nurturing Black man.
This film was both heartfelt and triumphant, as the relationship between father and son unfolds. A great look at love and true kinship between the two in the face of adversity.
Screenings are on Friday, October 18, at 8:00 p.m. at AMC NEWCITY 14, and again on Saturday, October 19, at 1:00 p.m. at the Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St.
“The Light of Truth: Richard Hunt’s Monument to Ida B. Wells” should become a Chicago classic. Chicago icons past and present come together in this inspiring documentary about artistic practice and political activism. As the late celebrated sculptor Richard Hunt crafts his monument to Civil Rights icon Ida B. Wells, the film weaves together Hunt’s story with the captivating history of Wells. In connecting artist and activist through Hunt’s towering 35-foot-high Bronzeville-based sculpture, the film reveals their analogous missions to battle racism and forge new paths for Black Americans.
A moving testament to Hunt, an influential artist, and Wells, notable for her anti-lynching organizing and role in the suffragist movement, “The Light of Truth” is a monument to public art, the spirit of protest, and two essential Black Chicago pioneers dedicated to freedom and perseverance.
Screening on Sunday, October 27, at 12:00 p.m. at Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark St.
For complete information, visit chicagofilmfestival.com.
