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EXCLUSIVE: Black Press Screens Two Films Headed for Major Festivals

NNPA NEWSWIRE — This week, Mahmud-Bey previewed two riveting short films that are sure to grab the attention of judges and those fortunate enough to see them. He has several potential blockbuster feature-length films he also plans to release this year and in 2021.

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Shiek Mahmud-Bey (seated, wearing the patterned hat), is the head of 25th Frame Films and Char'Actors. An actor and filmmaker, Mahmud-Bey starred alongside Andy Garcia and Richard Dreyfus in "Night Falls on Manhattan," and he starred with Joaquin Phoenix and Ed Harris in "Buffalo Soldiers." He also had a lead role in NBC's detective show, "Profiler." Others in the photos are actors, writers, and producers who are a part of Char'Actors.

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Any studio would rarely provide media access to films that it plans to enter into several prestigious film festivals, like the New Orleans Film Festival and the American Black Film Festival.

Char’Actors and 25th Frame Films granted the Black Press that access. Both companies are helmed by New York-born actor Shiek Mahmud-Bey (“The Profiler,” “Night Falls on Manhattan,” and “Buffalo Soldiers”).

This week, Mahmud-Bey previewed two riveting short films that are sure to grab the attention of judges and those fortunate enough to see them. He has several potential blockbuster feature-length films he also plans to release this year and in 2021.

The first is “Unrequited Love,” written and starring Katja Sarkish Stewart, who plays opposite Nefertiti Warren (“Dari Ji Mi,” and “Reparations”).

The film serves up nine minutes and 11 seconds of raw emotion as the two sisters have just buried their father. They eventually, and reluctantly, meet inside a church, and it soon becomes evident that they hadn’t seen each other or been in contact for years.

But, they must confront a couple of family secrets that threaten to rock their lives further.

The second film previewed by The Black Press is “My Father’s Son,” written and directed by Mahmud-Bey and includes the cinematic efforts of Sean Snider (“Honour Among Thieves,” “Leak,” and “Chasing After You.”).

“My Father’s Son” stars Malachi Anderson (“Affliction,” “The Fatal Flaw,” “Extrinsic Truth,”), Carol Towns (“Little Church,” “Why Do Men Cheat”), and Aqeel Ash Shakoor (“Batwoman,” “Chicago Med,” and “Iced Out”). James Alexander serves as the photographer.

The 24-minute short chronicles life’s ups and downs for Barry Collins (Anderson), who suffered the tragic loss of his mother when he was a child.

On that faithful day, Barry’s father (Shakoor) left him alone, forcing his Auntie Pamela (Benita Hughes) to raise a conflicted and angry young man.

While Auntie Pamela leans on her faith, Barry is disenchanted, wondering what kind of God would “take his mother and his father” at the same time.

Later, when happiness in the form of a promising job offer arrives, things get even more complicated.

While he angrily rejects Auntie Pamela’s request to read letters his had father sent over the years, Barry’s juggling a girlfriend and another woman with whom he’s fallen in love.

An unexpected pregnancy brings more complications for Barry, and his actions leave everyone afraid of what’s to come.

The general contours of “My Father’s Son” brings to the screen the sometimes-rocky path traversed by men and their fathers in what some psychologists call one of the most complex relationships in a man’s life – that of father and son.

It’s a relationship that can affect others, and unless Barry gets the closure he needs, it could have a devastating impact on all of the women in his life and a newborn baby.

“Unrequited Love,” and “My Father’s Son,” also underscore the resurgence of the short film that accompanied feature-length movies in theaters decades ago.

Pixar remains the only major studio that routinely airs original short films to go along with its feature-length movies.

Char’Actors, a company of artists dedicated to acting and filmmaking and an objective to advance careers and create opportunities for members to write, produce, and direct their own works, and 25th Frame Films are jumping into the genre with other promising shorts, including “Dilemma,” a drama in which Mahmud-Bey said should reach completion soon.

“Dilemma” is a story about a woman named Lisa (Shannon Weiss) who suffers from schizophrenia. Lisa controls the condition well with her medication, but all of that changes when her brother, Joseph (Rayan Lawerance), moves in with her.

When Lisa realizes that her brother is planning to get married, Lisa stops taking her medicine and chaos ensues. What comes next is a dilemma for Lisa, Joseph and Joanne (Warren), his fiancée.

While Char’Actors and 25th Frame Films are scheduled to go into pre-production on another film titled, “Thought,” the companies are expected to release a 7-episode web series titled “Interface,” which Mahmud-Bey said contains a rare multi-cultural cast with a demographic that pleases those from 12 to 70.

“I will find a way or make one,” Mahmud-Bey stated.

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Tiguan’s AI Touchscreen & Gear Shift: VW Just Changed the Game! #2

Explore the Tiguan’s cutting-edge 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen featuring wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, voice control, and a new AI assistant. See how VW innovatively moved the gear shifter to the steering column, enhancing the center console and navigation system! #AutoNetwork #Tiguan #Infotainment #AppleCarPlay #AndroidAuto #AISystem #NavigationSystem #CarTech #TechReview #CarInnovation #Automotive

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https://youtube.com/watch?v=0xUKM6U2Lpc&autoplay=0&cc_lang_pref=en&cc_load_policy=0&color=0&controls=1&fs=1&h1=en&loop=0&rel=0

Explore the Tiguan’s cutting-edge 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen featuring wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, voice control, and a new AI assistant. See how VW innovatively moved the gear shifter to the steering column, enhancing the center console and navigation system! #AutoNetwork #Tiguan #Infotainment #AppleCarPlay #AndroidAuto #AISystem #NavigationSystem #CarTech #TechReview #CarInnovation #Automotive

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IN MEMORIAM: Legendary Funk Pioneer Sly Stone Dies at 82

Sly Stone’s musical approach radically reshaped popular music. He transcended genre boundaries and empowered a new generation of artists. The band’s socially conscious message and infectious rhythms sparked a wave of influence, reaching artists as diverse as Miles Davis, George Clinton, Prince, Dr. Dre, and the Roots.

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Sly and the Family Stone play the Opera House in Bournemouth. Mojo review. Photo by Simon Fernandez.
Sly and the Family Stone play the Opera House in Bournemouth. Mojo review. Photo by Simon Fernandez.

By Stacy M. Brown
BlackPressUSA.com Newswire

Sylvester “Sly” Stewart—known to the world as Sly Stone, frontman of the groundbreaking band Sly and the Family Stone—has died at the age of 82.

His family confirmed that he passed away peacefully at his Los Angeles home surrounded by loved ones, after battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other health complications.

Born March 15, 1943, in Denton, Texas, Stone moved with his family to Vallejo, California, as a child. He began recording gospel music at age 8 with his siblings in a group called the Stewart Four. By his teenage years, he had mastered multiple instruments and was already pioneering racial integration in music—an ethos that would define his career.

In 1966, Sly and his brother Freddie merged their bands to form Sly and the Family Stone, complete with a revolutionary interracial, mixed-gender lineup.

The band quickly became a commercial and cultural force with hits such as “Dance to the Music,” “Everyday People,” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—all penned by Stone himself.

Their album “Stand!” (1969) and live performances—most notably at Woodstock—cemented their reputation, blending soul, funk, rock, gospel, and psychedelia to reflect the optimism and turmoil of their era.

Sly Stone’s musical approach radically reshaped popular music. He transcended genre boundaries and empowered a new generation of artists. The band’s socially conscious message and infectious rhythms sparked a wave of influence, reaching artists as diverse as Miles Davis, George Clinton, Prince, Dr. Dre, and the Roots.

As the 1970s progressed, Stone confronted personal demons. His desire to use music as a response to war, racism, and societal change culminated in the intense album “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” (1971). But drug dependency began to undermine both his health and professional life, leading to erratic behavior and band decline through the early 1980s.

Withdrawn from the public eye for much of the 1990s and early 2000s, Stone staged occasional comebacks. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys in 2017, and captured public attention following the 2023 release of his memoir “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—published under Questlove’s imprint. He also completed a biographical screenplay and was featured in Questlove’s documentary “Sly Lives!” earlier this year.

His influence endured across generations. Critics and historians repeatedly credit him with perfecting funk and creating a “progressive soul,” shaping a path for racial integration both onstage and in the broader culture.

“Rest in beats Sly Stone,” legendary Public Enemy frontman Chuck D posted on social media with an illustrative drawing of the artist. “We should thank Questlove of the Roots for keeping his fire blazing in this century.”

Emmy-winning entertainment publicist Danny Deraney also paid homage. “Rest easy Sly Stone,” Deraney posted. “You changed music (and me) forever. The time he won over Ed Sullivan’s audience in 1968. Simply magical. Freelance music publicist and Sirius XM host Eric Alper also offered a tribute.

“The funk pioneer who made the world dance, think, and get higher,” Alper wrote of Sly Stone. “His music changed everything—and it still does.”

Sly Stone is survived by three children.

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PRESS ROOM: Clyburn on 10th Anniversary of Mother Emanuel AME Church Shooting in Charleston

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.

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By Congressman James E. Clyburn

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CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.

“Over 6 years ago, the House first passed my Enhanced Background Checks Act to close the Charleston Loophole that allowed a white supremacist to obtain the gun he used to murder nine worshipers at Emanuel AME Church on June 17, 2015.

“I’ll never stop fighting to pass this law.”

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