The festival of work by black artists from around the world continues Friday, August 12, through Wednesday, August 31, at the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State. Unless otherwise noted, tickets are $9, $5 for Film Center members; for more information call 312-846-2800. Following are the programs scheduled for August 12 through 18th; a complete festival schedule is available online at www.chicagoreader.com.
After a few hundred Somali refugees settle in economically troubled Lewiston, Maine, the locals complain that their new neighbors are poorly educated and rely on government aid, claims that are neatly refuted by director Ziad Hamzeh in a point-by-point montage. Two racist hate groups schedule a rally, other groups plan counterrallies–and the mayor decides to take a vacation in Florida. The most telling moments in this 2003 video documentary aren’t the statements of the neo-Nazis, a tiny minority who get way too much screen time, but the lies and bigotries of the ordinary citizens. 76 min. (FC) Fri 8/12, 6:15 PM; Mon 8/15, 8:15 PM
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
Runt
Chatham and Avalon Park provide an effective backdrop for this 2004 indie drama by writer-director Deri Tyton. A single mother (Jaye Mitchell) who’s just finished a prison term for drug dealing hits the streets again to support her young son, but her plans are complicated by the boy’s strung-out father, two crooked detectives, and a struggling poet (Jayson Smith) who’s smitten with her. The energetic camerawork can’t compensate for the dodgy sound, and the happy ending isn’t entirely believable, but these are minor flaws beside the discovery of Mitchell, a strong and appealing actress. 100 min. (AG) Tyton, Mitchell, and Smith will attend the screenings. Fri 8/12, 8 PM; Wed 8/17, 6 PM
