This summer Afro-Punk, BAMcinematek and Toyota’s/The 5th Door.com will present the 5th annual Afro-Punk Festival in the heart of Brooklyn. The festival is the definitive destination for the global Afro-Punk community.
In 2002, Matthew Morgan and James Spooner joined forces to give a voice to thousands of multi-cultural kids fiercely identifying with a lifestyle path-less-traveled. The result was 2003’s Afro-Punk, the seminal cult classic film spotlighting Black Punks in America. Since then Afro-Punk has become a cultural movement strongly reminiscent of the early days of Hip-Hop, and a touchstone for tens of thousands of Alternative urban kids across the globe who, tired of feeling like outsiders, have joined the Afro-Punk community.
Ground Zero for this movement is the annual Afro-Punk Music and Art Festival, launched in Brooklyn in 2005. Co-curated by Morgan and Spooner, the festival celebrates and unified the cultural cornerstones of Afro-Punk: music, film, skate, and most importantly, the fiercely independent and influential individuals that are the lifeblood of the Afro-Punk community. Afro-punk has featured an intensely diverse group of artists over the years, including The Noisettes (London), The Dirtbombs (Detroit), Saul Williams (Los Angeles), and The Apes (Washington DC), as well as trend-spotting recent Grammy nominees Janelle Monae and Little Jackie at last year’s festival.
The 2009 Afro-Punk Festival will spotlight some of the most exciting young artists and bands from the US and abroad, presenting live music and films every night throughout the festival, along with several other key events.
* * * The Films * * *
27th June — PREMIERE: What’s On Your Plate? — You’ve read Omnivore’s Dilemma and Fast Food Nation and you try to buy local and organic produce at your neighborhood farmer’s market. But do you really know how what you’re eating ended up on your table? Through the eyes of two intelligent and inquisitive eleven-year-old girls from New York City, we follow the many paths, the conflicting economics, and the disparate decision makers who all play a part in what we eat. Ideal for families to watch together, the film presents a variety of perspectives on how food reaches our urban community and its associated challenges.
3rd July — Adjust Your Color: Petey Greene, Faubourg Treme: The Untold Story Of Black New Orleans, A Man Named Pearl, Eventual Salvation, Favela Rising and Hoods To Woods
4th July — The Anderson Platoon, Fred Hampton: Black Panthers In Chicago, Afro-Saxons and Attica
5th July —Â Spike Lee All Day — Joe’s Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads, Making of Do The Right Thing, A Huey P. Newton Story, Do The Right Thing
6th July — A Man Named Pearl, Revolution ‘67, Afro-Punk, White Lies Black Sheep
7th July — When We Were Kings, What’s On Your Plate?, The Night James Brown Saved Boston
8th July — Adjust Your Color: Petey Greene, Faubourg Treme: The Untold Story Of Black New Orleans, The Two Towns Of Jasper, Medicine For Melancholy
To purchase film tickets, click here.
* * * The Music * * *
4th July — Pure Hell, Whole Wheat Bread, American Fangs, Game Rebellion, The Objex, Joya Bravo and more
5th July — Living Colour, Earl Grey Hound, Tamar Kali, The London Souls, Apollo Heights, Sabatta and more
6th July — Saul Williams, Janelle Monae, The Dallas Austin Experience, Elevator Fight, Chewing Pic’s, Peekaboo Theory, Blackie and more
* * * The Skate Park * * *
The Afro-Punk Skate Park will be erected in GGMC parking lot adjacent to BAM at Lafayette Avenue and Ashland Place. The skate park is open for three days of the festival. Staffed by BMX and pro skaters who will give demonstrations, the skate park will provide free instruction for youth of all ages along with boards, pads, and helmets. Rounding out the skate park will be a music stage hosting a high-energy series of DJ sets and musical performances, and various contests including:
5th July — BMX Bulldog Bikes / Afro-Punk presents: Urbanx – Battle For The Streets-Best Box Jump Contest, $5000 IN PRIZES include all expenses paid trip to the XGAMES Courtesy Of ESPN
6th July — Afro-Punk presents: Urbanx – Battle for the Streets – Best Trick Contest, $5000 IN PRIZES including all expenses paid trip to the XGAMES Courtesy Of ESPN
NIKE SP SPONSORED SKATE CLINIC Run by Billy Rohan of OPEN ROAD — Open Road leads skateboarding programs in schools, after school, in city-wide events, and builds parks that are open to the public for free skating. We create free skateboarding physical education programs in response to several interrelated needs and opportunities. Open Road offers skateboarding sessions for all ages. Our sessions are lead by male and female instructors trained by Billy Rohan. We offer beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. Beginner and Intermediate sessions begin with warm up stretches in a sequence developed by Billy. Safety/equipment care is covered in every session.
For full details about the festival, click here.
