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*Danny Glover joins the Jazz Foundation of America (JFA) to kick off the 5th Annual “Great Night in Harlem” benefit in support of nearly 900 New Orleans musicians who suffered losses in Hurricane Katrina. JFA sets an unprecedented goal of raising $1.5 million dollars from the 5th annual event, which will be hosted by Bill Cosby and held Thursday, May 5 from 8 to 10 p.m. at Harlem’s Apollo Theater. The “Kick-off Celebration,” hosed by Richard Parsons, will take place Monday, April 24 at One Time Warner Center (10th Floor Park Café) from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased ($100-$1500) by calling the Jazz Foundation at 212-245-3999 Ext. 29. For more information on JFA, visit http://www.jazzfoundation.org.
*The 2006 Hollywood Black Film Festival (HBFF) will be held June 13-18, 2006 in Beverly Hills, California and will showcase the work of 102 filmmakers from around the world – including 13 features, 49 short films, 6 world cinema short films, 11 student films, 17 documentaries, 2 music videos and 4 animation films. The festival lineup will feature 40 world premieres and 2 U.S. premieres. In its seventh year, the HBFF has introduced the public to nearly 300 film and video projects showcasing some of the most spectacular images and stories created by filmmakers of color. Films will screen at the Fine Arts Theatre, 8556 Wilshire Blvd. in Beverly Hills, California. A complete list of HBFF 2006 films is available at www.hbff.org.
*Black Filmmaker Foundation President Warrington Hudlin, rap duo dead prez and filmmaker Thomas Allen Harris will be honored at Imagenation's 2006 REVOLUTION! Awards at the Apollo Theater on June 2, reports AOL Black Voices. Hosted by former “Honey” magazine editor Michaela angela Davis and M1 of dead prez, the benefit event honors artists and industry leaders of color who use their works to inspire social change and help foster solidarity throughout the African Diaspora. Previous awards recipients include Chuck D, Erykah Badu, Roger Guenveur Smith, Talib Kweli and Joe Brewster. The concert and award ceremony will feature performances from dead prez, and Martin Luther. Proceeds from REVOLUTION! will go towards opening the Imagenation Soul Cinema; Harlem's first independent art house cinema and the nation's only cinema dedicated to films from the African Diaspora, scheduled to open later this year.