PURCHASE TICKETS

The annual Bull Durham Blues Festival celebrates Durham’s rich musical heritage as an important center of Carolina or Piedmont blues. Since 1988, St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc. has presented the festival at the historic Durham Athletic Park, past home of the Durham Bulls Baseball team and site of the hit movie “Bull Durham”. Today, the event has become North Carolina’s largest celebration of the blues attracting fans from over 175 cities throughout North Carolina, 25 different states, and 5 countries in the world.

For 23 years the St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc. (SJHF) has presented the annual Bull Durham Blues Festival to the joy and pleasure of fans from across the globe here in Durham, NC, the home of the “Piedmont Blues”. Again, on September 10 & 11, 2010, SJHF will present a stellar line up of national, regional and local blues musicians in the usual format, but in a new venue, the new Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) and at our home base historic St. Joseph’s Performance Hall at Hayti Heritage Center. The decision to relocate the Festival was a difficult one for the Foundation, but because of production cost implications at our previous site, the current economic climate and opportunities for new and broader partnerships, now was the time.

We recognize that change is difficult and growing pains even more so. This change in venue is an opportunity for the Foundation to revamp the festivals traditional format to encompass other venues within the City of Durham, particularly our vibrant downtown area. In the years to come, we will get back to an outdoor setting, but our plans are to expand the BDBF to multiple locations, both large and small, with shows throughout the week. As we regroup and adapt to current state of affairs, we will take this opportunity to strengthen current partnerships and develop new ones.

You, our fans have trusted us over the years and we say thank you! You have shared with us, the richness of the blues heritage here in Durham for over 22 years. Join with us as we grow, expand and diversify the Bull Durham Blues Festival, something for everyone to enjoy with family, friends and other Blues Lovers!

The festival have showcased some of the finest contemporary blues artist today including Bo Diddley, Taj Mahal, Etta James, Ruth Brown, Aaron Neville and Charles Neville, Bobby Blue Bland, Denise LaSalle, Tyrone Davis, KoKo Taylor, Shemika Copeland, Buddy Guy, Dr. John, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Keb’ Mo, Janiva Mangus, Otis Rush, Hank Crawford, Deborah Coleman, Johnny Clyde Copeland, and Alberta Adams. In addition, the distinctive blues of the Carolinas have featured traditional artists each year such as Moses Rascoe, John D. Holeman, Etta Baker, Lightnin’ Wells, Big Boy Henry, John Jackson, Algia Mae Hinton and harmonicas/guitar duo of Phil Wiggins and the late John Cephas.

See you at the festival…

View Event Sponsor Listing

Celebrating BIMBÉ Festival 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010 8:00 PM
Tickets $10 adults/ $6 students and Sr. Citizens
[Purchase Tickets]
St. Joseph’s Performance Hall at Hayti Heritage Center

We invite you to take a journey back in time to discover the personal life of an exceptional legendary jazz artist who rose to fame form abject poverty, racial struggles, jealousy and heartbreak with Danny Mullen’s “A Tuff Shuffle: Backstage with Louis Armstrong”.

A Tuff Shuffle takes place in Satchmo’s dressing room after a concert, where he typically held court before a crowd of friends and fans of all types and descriptions. ‘A Shoeshine Boy, a Mayor, a Priest, a Prostitute, Detectives, the Hustlers, all of em.’ His words: ‘I’d be sitting there on a stool, with my head all wrapped in a white towel, sweating like a dying gladiator; and they’d all be in a circle, and I could feel every eye in the room focusing right down on me. And none of ‘em saying a single word.’ In this context, playwright Danny Mullen has contrived a collection of anecdotes and reflections that reveals the rich and complex story of the man behind the horn. The play premiered at the Black Repertory Group Theatre in San Francisco and has received rave reviews in New Orleans and Buffalo.

“It is a fascinating tale of the musical genius who influenced a generation and did more for America than just give us great music.” – Ambus Magazine

DANNY WALTER MULLEN is an actor, a writer, and an oral historian. A native of Buffalo, NY, he studied sociology, taught public school, wrote poetry, fiction, and articles for local papers, and ultimately became involved with the Ujima Theatre Company. His debut was the title role in Purlie Victorius, followed by acclaimed performances in The Colored Museum, Ceremonies in Dark Old Men, Wine in the Wilderness, and Dunbar. He also wrote plays (Mine Eyes, A Holiday Gift, Wilfred) and staged managed Indesha Holland’s performance of her one-woman piece on Ida B. Wells. This inspired him to write The President’s General: Marcus Garvey, his first one-man show, and perform it in Chicago and New York. He then returned to SUNY for an MA in American Studies, and remained to teach a course in Writing Dramatic Biographies, before migrating south, five years ago, to focus on A Tuff Shuffle. To stay alive, he teaches social studies and theatre at Albemarle Road Middle School in Charlotte.

Bimbe Cultural Arts Festival activities begin Monday, May 17 – May 23 throughout Durham:

May 17th

Heritage Rhythms Dance Class-Hayti Heritage Center 6pm – 8pm-$5 per person
Boxing Aeorbic Class- Hayti Heritage Center, 6pm – 8pm- $5 per person

May 18th

Teen Summit
NCCU Education Building, 7pm-9pm (FREE)

May 19th

Poetry Slam
Marvell Event Center, 119 W. Main St., 7pm-10pm

May 20th

“Bring It To The Floor” Teen Talent Showcase, Downtown Durham Amory, 7pm -10pm

May 21st

3rd Friday Gospel Concert, CCB Plaza -Downtown, 6pm – 8pm
Jazzy Friday Gallery Opening, Lyda Moore Merrick Gallery, Hayti Heritage Center, 804 Old Fayetteville Street, 6pm – 8pm, “New Spirit, New Energy” -Works by Malkia Harvey- (FREE)
A Tuff Shuffle: Backstage with Louis Armstrong featuring Danny Mullen (writer & director), St. Joseph’s Performance Hall @ Hayti Heritage Center, 8:00 pm, Tickets $10 adults/$6 student and Sr. Citizens.

May 22

BIMBE Festival, CCB Plaza downtown Durham 12 noon – 9pm (FREE)

Download full schedule.

Thursday, February 18th – COMMUNITY NIGHT

6:00pm – Reception
6:30pm – Human Relations Department Awards
7:15pm – Featured Film - Providence Effect

The Providence Effect is the story of an individual man, the inner city Chicago school he founded, and the student lives the school has changed and saved. The school, Providence St. Mel, has a 30-year 100% college placement record; with an “old school” approach to learning — “Do the work.” — and a dedicated corps of teachers and administrators, Providence St. Mel can serve as a model for revamping all of American education.

COST: Free

Co-Sponsored by Durham Human Relations Department and Chapel Hill/Carrboro Area Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc.

Friday, February 19th – OPENING NIGHT

7:15pm – Featured Film – Mississippi Damned

Filmed in North Carolina and winner of multiple film festival awards. Wanting to escape was the easy part. Taking place in 1986 and 1998 and based on a true story, three poor, Black kids in rural Mississippi reap the consequences of their family’s cycle of abuse, addiction, and violence. They independently struggle to escape their circumstances and must decide whether to confront what’s plagued their family for generations or succumb to the same crippling fate, forever damned in Mississippi.

Filmmaker Tina Mabry and Producer Morgan Stiff will be in attendance. (Inappropriate for children under 15).

10:00pm-2:00am – Party at the Cotton Room

Join filmmakers in celebrating at The Cotton Room in Golden Belt 807 East Main Street featuring live Jazz
music by Kim Pacheco followed by Joey the DJ.

COST $15.00 includes opening night screening and reception. Festival Passes are $50.00 for the entire weekend (savings of $35 off individual block tickets). [Purchase Tickets]

Saturday, February 20th – FULL DAY OF SCREENINGS

9:00am – Registration opens/Pick up Passes/Tickets

Festival Passes are $50.00 for the entire weekend (savings of $35 off individual block tickets).
Each Film Block is $8.00.

Block 2 – 9:30am

Feature Film Screening
Obama in North Carolina: The Path to History documentary by
Cash Michaels
Location: Theatre
Cost: $8 per person [Purchase Tickets]

This documentary film explores the unforgettable people and events of 2008, capturing the historic path carved in North Carolina that made the election of the President possible. Stories from post-Reconstruction and black disenfranchisement of early 1900s through the tumultuous 1960s civil rights movement and beyond frame this historic achievement.

Short Films Screening
Free Meal dramatic short by Eva Castine 4 min
Hug dramedy by Khary Jones 16 min
Wedding Day dramatic short by Dilsey Davis 15 min
Corporate Politics dramatic short by Ablavi Gbenyon 16 min
Brother’s Incorporated dramatic short by Michael Johnson (Encore presentation winner best student film HHFF, 2009) 23 min

Block 3 – 11:00am

Cost: $8 per person  [Purchase Tickets]

Feature Screening
Tribute to Haiti – The Agronomist
Directed by Jonathan Demme
A profile of Haitian radio journalist and human rights activist, Jean Dominique. It includes: historical footage of Haiti’s vivid and tumultuous past; interviews with Dominique, himself and with Michele Montas—his heroic wife, life-long love, and extraordinary partner; and incorporates footage shot before Dominique’s assassination on April 3, 2000.
Co-sponsored by the Duke African and African-American Studies Working Group
Location: Theatre

Short Films Screening
Wake a dramedy by Bree Newsome (NC Filmmaker) 21 min
Lost Colony a short form documentary by Carolyn Stephenson (NC filmmaker) 15 min
The Jewelry Box a drama by Rayana Thomas (NC filmmaker) 25 min
Sparkling Wrath a drama by Abosede Copeland (NC filmmaker) 14 min
Location: Dance Studio

Panel Discussion
1:00pm – 2:25pm – Behind the Scenes – From A to Z – The Anatomy of Making a Film

Directors and producers will talk about the process of moving from an initial idea to the actual creation of a feature film. They will discuss challenges and rewards of making a film, including pitching, fundraising, hiring talent, festival screenings, and distribution. Panelist include Tina Marbrey and Morgan Stiff (Mississippi Damned), Hannah Sink and Michelle McGrier (the upcoming “Kaffir Boy”) and Gary Hooker (Sister’s Keeper).
Free with any block ticket purchase or festival pass.
Location: Theatre

Block 4 – 2:30pm

Cost: $8 per person [Purchase Tickets]

Feature Film Screening
American Violet– Narrative
This fact-based drama about an innocent Texas mother caught up in a high-profile drug raid, and unjustly accused due to the uncorroborated testimony of a single informant. Dee Roberts (Nicole Beharie) is a young single mother of four living in a small Texas town. Arrested during a drug raid and accused of a crime she didn’t commit, Dee goes against the wishes of her mother, Alma (Alfre Woodard), and rejects the plea-bargain that would free her from jail, but brand her as a felon for life. As word begins to spread that similar incidents are occurring in poor communities all across the country, Dee realizes that there are more mothers out there like her, and decides to take a stand against powerful district attorney Calvin Beckett (Michael O’Keefe).
Location: Theatre

Short Films Screening
Amazon Woman dramatic short by Kiara C. Jones 14 min (inappr. for children under 15)
Cuts dramatic short by Rashaad Ernesto Green 16 min.
Malicious Intent work-in-progress by Karim Shyllon 25 min.
Lady in My Life dramatic short by Malik Aziz 6 min.
The Hands dramatic short by Charise M. Studesville 11 min.
Location: Dance Studio

Panel Discussion
4:15-5:20pm – Working as an Actor in Today’s Market
The internet is not only changing the way distribution and marketing work in the film business, it is also changing how actors are hired to work in film and television. Panelist will discuss the current trends in casting and getting the job. Casting Director, Tracy Kilpatrick Actor, Vaughn Wilson (One Tree Hill) and Rasool J’han are invited to participate.
Cost: Free with any block ticket purchase or festival pass. [Purchase Tickets]

Block 5- 5:30pm
Cost: $8 per person [Purchase Tickets]

Feature Screening
Tribute to Haiti – The Other Side of Water: The Journey of a Haitian Rara Band in Brooklyn
Co-sponsored by the Duke African and African American Studies Working Group
Location: Theatre

Short and Feature Film Screening
5:30pm
Hug a dramedy short by Khary Jones 16 min.
Don’t Blame the Lettuce – Dramatic Feature a work-in-progress Don’t Blame the Lettuce is the first feature by North Carolina Filmmaker David Jones. A relationship drama and love story about the finding and losing
of one’s way in love and relationships. The film reflects the contradictions, insecurities, and loneliness in life and in love.
Filmmaker David Jones will be in attendance.
Location: Dance Studio

Block 6 – 7:30pm

Cost: $8 per person[Purchase Tickets]

Feature Film Screening
Sister’s Keeper – Suspense Drama by Kent Faulcon
Jacob Tate (Kent Faulcon), a tormented hired assassin with a sudden case of conscience, is dispatched to kill a small town, school teacher, Diane Mulberry (Denise Boutte). Conflicted about his assignment and ready to walk from the profession, he reluctantly goes to complete this final job when things go unexpected and Diane mistakes him for her long lost brother.
Executive Producers Lisa Hooker and Gary Hooker will be in attendance.
Location: Theatre

Short Film Screenings
Amazon Woman dramatic short by Kiara C. Jones 14 min (inappr. for children under 15)
Cuts dramatic short by Rashaad Ernesto Green 16 min
Malicious Intent a work-in-progress by Karim Shyllon 25 min
Lady in My Life dramatic short by Malik Aziz 6 min
The Hands dramatic short by Charise M. Studesville 11 min

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

Block 7 – 1:00pm

Cost: $8 per person [Purchase Tickets]

Feature Film Screening
Bass Reeves – Narrative based on a true story
Bass Reeves was one of the first Black Federal Deputy Marshalls. He arrested more than 3,000 outlaws in his career as Deputy Marshal. A former slave, Bass fled to Indian Territory during the Civil War where he learned over 12 languages and studied land until he knew the territory “like a cook knows her kitchen”.
Location: Theatre

Short Film Screenings
Wake dramedy by Bree Newsome (NC filmmaker) 21 min
Lost Colony short form documentary by Carolyn Stephenson (NC filmmaker) 15 min
The Last One Standing drama by Roderick Shepard (NC filmmaker) 10min
The Jewelry Box drama by Rayana Thomas (NC filmmaker) 25 min

Block 8 – 3:00pm

Feature Film Screening
Sisters in Cinema – Documentary by Yvonne Welbon
Sisters in Cinema is a seminal work that pays homage to African American women, who against all odds made history. The careers, lives and films of inspirational women filmmakers, such as, Euzhan Palcy, Julie Dash, Darnell Martin, Dianne Houston, Neema Barnette, Cheryl Dunye, Kasi Lemmons and Maya Angelou are showcased within the film. Interviews are interwoven with film clips, rare archival footage and photographs and production video of filmmaker at work.
Cost: $8 per person [Purchase Tickets]
Location: Theatre

Guest Speaker
4:30pm – Yvonne Welbon
Yvonne Welbon is an award-winning independent filmmaker and freelance producer. Since 1991, she has made eight films and produced a dozen others. Her independent films have screened on PBS, Starz/Encore, TVONE,
IFC, Bravo, the Sundance Channel and in over one hundred film festivals around the world. Ms. Welbon is currently the Department Chair and Professor of the Journalism and Media Department at Bennett College in Greensboro.
Cost: Free with any block ticket purchase or festival pass
Location: Theatre

Awards Ceremony
5:30pm
Location: Theatre

Filmmaker Eligibility:

The Hayti Heritage Film Festival is currently accepting applications and submissions for films and videos, both short and long form. Films can be of any genre including drama, comedy, horror, adventure, animation, romance, experimental and science fiction. These works must be made by and/or about people of African descent and includes domestic and international films. (African Descent is inclusive of all people who are or whose ancestors are from Africa (i.e. African America, Latino, African, Caribbean, etc). Films can be turned in separately from the film application if they are works in progress, however all materials must be received by January 16, 2010. Please include a 50 work synopsis, photo stills, and biographies. Notification of acceptance will be determined within 7 days of the completed film submission (application and film). Films must have been completed and copyrighted no earlier than 2008.

The winner of the competition will have their film screened as part of the closing awards ceremony at the festival and will receive a cash award and may also have the opportunity to have their film showcased both regionally and nationally. Applications and Films must be received by February 1st, 2010.

Download Application

Invitation to Students

Competition:
All films submitted and accepted to the festival are eligible for the competition categories. Films requested for special screenings are not eligible for competition. The competition categories are as follows: Best Long Form (narrative/documentary), Best Short Film (narrative/documentary), Best Acting Ensemble, Audience Choice Award, Best Student Film – General Submission, and Best Student Film – Financial Film Challenge. With the exception of the Audience Choice Award, all films will be judged by an independent jury panel.

General Filmmaker Guideline Checklist

Submission Procedure:

• The preferred format for submission is DVD, however Digi-Beta Video, Beta SP will also be accepted.
• There are two opportunity to submit your film. Early-bird submission, December 16, 2009 – fee $25 or final deadline January 16, 2010- fee $35 filmmaker fee submission/application fee for the 2010 Hayti Heritage Film Festival. This fee is waived for students. Please make checks/ or money order payable to St. Joseph Historic Foundation. You may also pay on line through Paypal.
• Films for the competition must have been completed after January 1st, 2008.
• Long Form Submission – Films 45 minutes and longer.
• Short Film Submission – Films 44 minutes or less.
• For General Film Submission, the films/videos must be made by and/or about people of African descent. The filmmaker does not have to be of African descent if the subject matter is about people of African descent. Also, if the filmmaker is of African descent, the subject matter can be inclusive of all subjects, topics, or audiences.
• The 3 out of 6 rule applies to student film categories only. Three of the following six key roles in the project must be of African descent: Director, Producer, Screenwriter, Director of Photography, Lead Actor, Lead Actress.
• Filmmaker accepted into the Festival will receive two festival passes which includes access to all films, panels, access to the filmmaker lounge, opening and closing receptions, and awards ceremonies.
• Please send a stamped self-addressed postcard with your application if you would like to receive notification that we received your entry and film.
• Please include a stamped self-address envelope with your application if you would like to have your film returned.

All Films and Applications must be submitted to Hayti Heritage Film Festival, 804 Old Fayetteville Road, Durham, NC 27702
www.haytifilmfest.org
Email: haytifilmfestival@yahoo.com
Fax: (919) 667-1558 or (919) 682-5869 (Hayti)