Secretary of State Nina Mitchell Wells and distinguished guests will proudly host the final week of the 2008 Newark Black Film Festival

FROM THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE

July 31, 2008

Trenton, NJ – Secretary of State Nina Mitchell Wells and distinguished guests will proudly host the final week of the 2008 Newark Black Film Festival (NBFF) Thursday, July 31 at 6 p.m. at the State Museum Auditorium in Trenton. Hosted by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Celebrate NJ, the Capital City Redevelopment Corporation and the Mercer County Cultural and Heritage Commission, the final week will highlight the 2008 Paul Robeson Award winners – a biennial competition established in 1985 to honor the spirit of the renowned activist, performer and athlete. Admission for the 2008 Newark Black Film Festival is free.

The winners will be shown in four categories: Documentary, Short Narrative, Long Narrative and Experimental. The winning films are as follows:

• Documentary: “Prince Among Slaves” (Unity Productions Foundation) – The true life story of Abdul-Rahman Ibrahima Sori, the prince of a large African Kingdom and Captain of his father’s armies, who was captured in battle in 1788 and sold into the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.

• Short Narrative: “Reflections” (Keyana Ray) – The story of three best friends who learn to take the HIV/AIDS epidemic seriously as they navigate relationships in an urban environment.

• Long Narrative: “Algeny: The Genetic Factor” (Andrew Burroughs) – The tale of Justin Thomas, a young man trying to make a life for himself in adulthood until he discovers secrets of his past, secrets that cast doubts on his life and hopes for the future.

• Experimental: “Birthmarks” (Naima Lowe) – Told by Naima and Bill Lowe, it tells the story of how fathers and daughters make beauty out of trauma and art out of living.

Made possible by a grant from Bank of America, the Festival is celebrating its thirty-fourth year as the oldest running black film festival in the United States. Dating back to 1974, and growing considerably thanks to the generous support of Bank of America, the Festival expanded to Trenton under the auspices of the New Jersey State Museum in 2003; to Asbury Park, presented by the Monmouth County Arts Council, in 2005; and this year to Camden, presented by Rutgers University – Camden Center for the Arts. For more information on the history of the Newark Black Film Festival, the films and their filmmakers, visit http://www.newarkmuseum.org, http://www.newjerseystatemuseum.org, http://www.monmoutharts.org, and http://www.rutgerscamdenarts.org, respectively.

For more information about the diverse array of services offered under the Department of State, visit http://www.state.nj.us/state. ,