Father Geek with another bit of NY news. If you're in town for the Fest and have time drop in and check this one out.
On one of the toughest weekends for film releases in New York City-with the New York Film Festival beginning and a reported 16 films opening-Bridgett M. Davis' NAKED ACTS made a stunning debut, with the line of nearly 600 ticket buyers outside The Thalia Theater snaking down 95th Street and around the corner onto West End Avenue. The opening night's first show sold out, despite a power failure that caused the screenings to be delayed by 90 minutes. Thanks to strong word-of-mouth and grassroots marketing, tickets sold briskly throughout Friday, Saturday and Sunday. With such clear public support, the film's run has been extended for an additional week.
The first African-American female director to write, produce, direct and self-distribute a film, Davis has hit a nerve with female audiences by intricately exploring a virgin territory on the big screen: the issue of black women and body image.
Called "fresh, funny and original" by Variety, "smartly written and charmingly neurotic" by New York Magazine and "a brilliant gem" by The Amsterdam News, NAKED ACTS tells the story of Cicely, an actress, who has recently lost 57 pounds and has landed her first role in a low-budget art film. She soon learns that the role requires a nude scene. Her dilemma: How to keep her clothes on AND keep her part? Cicely launches on a personal journey that unveils a secret she once kept hidden beneath her girth. Along the way, she discovers that emotional nakedness is far more revealing than taking her clothes off could ever be.
The film is featured on the premium cable Sundance Channel; was named Best Feature Film '97 by the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame; and was a "Best of the Fest" Selection at the Minneapolis International Film Festival. Further, NAKED ACTS has been an official selection at a host of international festivals, travelling to several countries in North America, South America, Africa and Europe, where it has shown before multicultural audiences that connect to its universal themes.
The Thalia Theater is located at 250 West 95th Street at Broadway. For updated showtimes, call 212.802.7247
A 14 yearold Azrael shoved out of the way
