Global Peace Film Festival and UrbanFest 360. Just the event titles alone may spark conversation as our culture grapples openly with its identity around these concepts, in our backyards and across the world. What did the names bring up for you?
Orlando’s 22nd annual GPFF has a new partner this year in UrbanFest 360. They have similar aims: cultivating connection and wider shared understanding through the art of movies grounded in universal experiences.
And celebrities! Along with films and discussions about everything from handling pregnancy as a sponsored Olympic athlete to aging in place to Judaism in space, celebs come with film fest territory. In this case, Leon from the Five Heartbeats and Cool Runnings, Kellita Smith from the Bernie Mac Show, and others.
Veteran urban film festival creator Timothy Starks now heads up UrbanFest 360. He’s happy to be back in Orlando, this time at AFRO-TV studios on I-Drive and with GPFF as a partner.
“These films that we're bringing in, it's like an all-star game right now,” said Starks. “A lot of these films, they're winning awards everywhere. My job as a curator is to make it hard for the judges!”
Also part of Starks’ job, he said, dovetails with GPFF’s vision to serve “as a framework for channeling, processing and resolving conflict through respectful and non-violent means.”
Starks said film offers an especially immersive way for audience members to walk the proverbial mile in someone else’s shoes.
“I think these are the stories that were shown at the festival that everybody can relate to. And it's important right now to know that this is what brings us together,” said Starks. “You will cry with some of these movies. You will relate to all of them. I mean, there's a student film called Kool-Aid Stand. Who doesn't know about a Kool-Aid or lemonade stand?”
After the films, there are opportunities for dialogue, discussions and even panels related to movie topics.
“One panel is called Women in law enforcement and the clergy and how they can help heal the community,” said Starks. “Former Congressman Val Demings is going to be on that panel, so that's going to be a great panel.”
Starks is straightforward about the purpose of the word “urban” in the title of this film festival.
“Urban is diversity,” said Starks. “Urban is as diverse as you can get, and that's why it's important that we don't lose that focus. It's not something bad - like I tell people, urban is diversity. Diversity is community. That's sharing.”
