The Best Film I Saw At The 2011 Maryland Film Festival…

Before I get to that film (I know I’m worse than Ryan Seacrest with his “we will reveal who’s eliminated…right after the break”, but give me one (a break) LOL. Allow me to digress for a moment.

Every year I try to see all of the black films I’m interested in. Not all of the films I see are black films, but the majorities are. I take this opportunity to see films I most of the time would not get from Netflix, Red Box or more than likely would not watch on Cable if I’m channel surfing. Sad to say, a lot of films must get media attention or a lot of attention through my grassroots networks for me to see it. Another reason why marketing and distribution is important. I saw a truly bad independent film because a friend of mine heard about it through marketing (I spoke of that film, though NOT by title, here ). Film festivals are also important for filmmakers, like me, and film lovers alike to seek out what a festival’s staff choose to put on. Don’t get it twisted I’ve seen movies at the festivals that wasn’t that great, but you can’t like everything ESPECIALLY a discerning chap such as myself.

So the Best Film I Saw At The 2011 Maryland Film Festival was…

Here’s what I said on our ‘Nother Brother Entertainment Facebook page-

I really enjoyed this documentary for it did what the best docs, which are not about really dense subjects; do…be informative, sometimes amusing, and sometimes tense. It also had an inventive visual style that I will not give away, but is clever. In the end this documentary was fun and informative about what it’s like to be in a band that throughout its history, while influential, has been teeter-tottering on success.

Of the five films I saw this year, this was easily my favorite. I liked all of the films I saw this year (not always the case), but this one was a whole buncha fun. From the very beginning with the “inventive visual style” I thought “this is good”. The first time I even heard of Fishbone was in the Damon Wayans comedy special ‘Damon Wayans: The Last Stand?’ (1990). He talked about this black rock group Fishbone and the only one I ever heard of before was Living Colour (NOT related to the television show ‘In Living Color’).

At the Q&A after the film, the directors Lev Anderson & Chris Metzler said that while Fishbone won’t necessary make money from their film, they do allow the group to show the film at their concerts for free and hopes that it will prompt interest in their music and that’s true. Even though punk-funk is not my cup of tea, after the movie I did check out their music at online music stores.

As a fan of “all black everything” I wanted to see this film and discovered that the group did indeed strive to combat racial stereotypes. A black punk group? Who ever heard of that? You mean “P-Funk”? No PUNK, as in a form of rock music. Black people play that? Yes and its name is Fishbone.

See what my favorite film from the 2010 Maryland Film Festival, a film you can see for FREE NEXT WEEK right here here

I wrote about ALL the films I saw at the 2011 Maryland Film Festival EXCLUSIVELY at our Facebook page and Twitter feed. Click the buttons below to check them out @ http://bit.ly/2011MFF

Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone Official Website
http://www.fishbonedocumentary.com/

Watch their 'Everyday Sunshine' trailer below
(WARNING: Brief nudity (buttocks))

"Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone" - documentary trailer

UPDATE 2012
You can see direct links to ALL the films I saw at the 2011 Maryland Film Festival HERE