Filmmaker of the Month
Kwame Edwards, a member of the Bulldog One Chapter of Groove Phi Groove S.F.I., was recognized as the July 2019 Filmmaker of the Month for his work on his web series “Black in China 黑人 在 中国” and his recent first feature length film “68.” “Black in China 黑人 在 中国” is a guerrilla style ethnographic series that chronicles firsthand experiences of western Black people of living in the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong, which lasted for 3 seasons and lives in perpetuity on YouTube. “68” s an exploration of the physical barriers that manifest as symbols of oppression for Black people in Washington DC. “68” was featured for during Busboys & Poets monthly produced Focus In! Film series: “Cinema for a Conscious Community” which screens films focused on social justice, peace, art, music, and/or community value. “68” is currently under review for several international film festivals
The District of Columbia Office of Cable, Television, Film, Media, & Entertainment [OCTFME] launched the “Filmmaker of the Month” initiative as a vehicle for highlighting the talents and creative contributions of filmmakers that make the District of Columbia their home. The “Filmmaker of the Month initiative” is part of OCTFME’s mission to elevate the national and international profile of the District’s talented filmmakers.
Each month, the OCTFME features a District-based filmmaker who exemplifies the vast amount of talent and creativity based in the nation’s capital.
The District of Columbia has a diverse group of filmmakers who are producing films locally, as well as nationally and internationally. The purpose of this feature is to bring attention to this wide range of artistry that has so long been untapped and overlooked.
Kwame is an aesthetic engineer, ethnographic filmmaker and sociology professor, who became a Groove during the fall of 2007 semester through the Bulldog One Chapter at Bowie State University. He served as Dean of Membership Orientation for the charter line of the Retriever Chapter at the University of Maryland Baltimore County.
