2023 Harlem International Film Festival Begins May 18 with ‘Blow Up My Life’ & ‘Paris Is In Harlem’
The 18th edition of the Harlem International Film Festival is taking place at AMC Magic Johnson Harlem 9 Theaters from May 18th to the 28th.
Opening on Thursday, May 18, the Harlem International Film Festival will present the New York premiere of Ryan Dickie and Abigail Horton’s Blow Up My Life. The homage to noir comedy thrillers follows a disillusioned pharmaceutical employee who becomes a reluctant whistleblower forced to go on the run when he accidentally discovers a deadly opioid conspiracy hidden by his former boss and the CEO of the company. The film will be preceded by Eunice Levis’ short film, InVade, which follows an undocumented scientist and his son trying to stop an environmental disaster.
The second screening of the Opening Night double feature will be Christine Kallas’ drama Paris Is In Harlem, which involves the lives of several strangers intertwining during a shooting a jazz club in Harlem on the eve of New York City's controversial "No Dancing" Lawn getting repealed. Preceding that screening will be Fany de la Chica’s short film Last Night in Paris Blues about a Latino flamenco-jazz immigrant singer who needs to decide between love and her career as an artist on the last day she performs at Paris Blues. Both screening presentations.
The Friday Spotlight Presentations on May 19 will be highlighted by the World Premiere of the first two episodes of STARZ’ Run the World series second season. Chronicling the euphoric highs and heartbreaking lows that three black women must endure in their pursuit of world domination, the dramatic comedy returns as they continue to not simply survive but thrive. Directed by Rachael Holder, the episodes will include “A Dream Deferred,” where Whitney anxiously awaits the fate of her relationship, while Sondi and Renee are reminded by Ella that it’s never a bad time to choose yourself, and “Honeymoon’s Over,” in which Renee hustles to get her agency some business, as Sondi and Whitney are forced to face the reality of their new living situations. Attending and participating in a special panel discussion following the screenings will be series stars Amber Stevens West, Bresha Webb, and Corbin Reid, with showrunner Rachelle Williams-BenAry.
Also featured on Friday’s Spotlight Presentations will be the World Premiere of Clayton P Allis and Doug E. Doug’s magical realism drama In The Weeds. In the film, a free-spirited girl from Harlem falls for a handsome transplant from London, whose mental scars have been awoken by the pandemic. The remedy, she believes, is outside, everywhere, from medicinal weeds sprouting out of sidewalks in the Bronx, to magic mushrooms in Queens. Meanwhile, her chronically suspicious father, with the help of two healing witches runs all over NYC looking for her, desperate to make amends. The screening will be preceded by Hans Augustave’s short film I Held Him, about a man’s decision to choose an uncomfortable solution to help his friend out of his pain and depression. Doug E. Doug will attend and participate in a post-screening Q&A with additional filmmakers moderated by Malik Yoba.