USC African American Cinema Society reflects on DEI at F.R.O. Festival
Amidst diversity erasure, USC AACS showcased what it means to be a Black creative.
On the final day of Black History Month, USC African American Cinema Society held their 7th annual F.R.O. Festival. The Center for Black Cultural and Student Affairs (CBCSA), USC Fisher Museum of Art and USC School Of Cinematic Arts (SCA) collaborated to host the event and provide a platform to celebrate Black stories.
F.R.O. Fest, which was held at the USC Fisher Museum, stands for ‘Films Reflecting Ourselves.’ It is a dedication to the contributions of Black creatives: writers, producers, directors and actors at USC. Most importantly, it was an evening that provided space to acknowledge Black creativity with undivided attention.
Before the event, Desa Philadelphia, AACS Advisor, took time to address the importance of the festival amidst the erasure of diversity and inclusion initiatives from the Trump administration.
Eleven student filmmakers presented thought-provoking films that illustrated kaleidoscopic perspectives on Black identity based on a range of pivotal experiences.
Some films dealt with heavy themes like grief and death stretched across time. “Where We Go From Here” by junior Mikayah Lee captures the conflicted grief of a teenage girl after the death of her mother. Whereas “Many Thousands Lost” by MFA student Jehan Patterson, explored an inevitable collision as a young girl comes to terms with losing her father once she learns he has been sentenced to death.
MFA student filmmaker Jehan Patterson alongside his childhood friend Justin and his editor, Johnna. (Photo by Tare Ebimami)
Both films explore a brutal reality of infinite loss and echo tragedies that have impacted the Black community. Patterson pays tribute to the recent death of Marcellus Williams as well as his uncle who died in similar circumstances. In poignant yet heartwarming style, they both shaped surrealist reality where love valiantly triumphed over loss.
Other films, like “CPT” by MFA student Ambi Rachelle, and “The Host” by senior Tyler Holmes (who was not in attendance) ignited the audience with blends of relatable Black comedy. Rachelle played on the African American expression CPT,” which refers to being ironically late, through the morning tribulations of a female medical student.
Meanwhile Holmes leans into suspenseful horror as what began as an inconvenience turns into a chilling nightmare. Likewise, both films not only succeeded in entertaining but also sparked laughter and black joy that fondly resonated with the audience.
Nyawech Tut, a first-year master of public diplomacy student at USC, wanted Black boys and girls to love and appreciate their skin identity through her films “Dear Dark Skinned Black Girl” and “Black Boy.”
“My goals are diverse. I just know I want to make films that have something at stake, that say something important. If that is more poetry visuals then great, if it is documentaries, then even better. But I am sure that I want to continue in production, maybe non-profit production, creating films for NGOs that support human rights,” Tut said.
Guests sit, wait and chat before the event began (Photo by Tare Ebimami)
Tut also commented on how her racial background influenced her work. “Being a South-Sudanese American has shaped my experiences which has influenced my writing and filmmaking. My parents are refugees and hearing their stories has made me believe we have a social responsibility when storytelling and I have always wanted to create meaningful visuals that discuss a range of societal issues,” she said.
Alaina Werge is a freshman majoring cinema and media studies. Her film, “January 20th” interweaves her personal experiences as a mixed girl and Jan 20, which celebrates MLK but was also the inauguration of President Donald Trump.
“I actually made this project for my CTCS 150 class. I make a lot of documentary-style films to certain songs that I like. I used ‘Blackbird’ by The Beatles and I feel like it’s a song that allows people to reflect on their lives and goals. Additionally, using photos of me and my family in this film means a lot. It’s incredibly personal to me, but also speaks to issues I believe a lot of people are grappling with at the moment,” Werge said.
Werge also spoke on the importance of diversity inclusion. “AACS is especially important now because the voices of marginalized groups are being actively ignored, and film can be a tool to bring those voices into the limelight,” she said.
After the screening, the filmmakers spoke about the development process of their films, what inspired them and what the film means to them as a Black artist paving the way for others. Many highlighted their struggles and personal experiences as motivators of filmmaking.
From Left to right: Mikayah Lee, Nyawech Tut, Venus Lordson, Jehan Patterson, Alaina Werge, Ambi Rachelle, Tomiko Younge, Robyn Nelson and Sydney White (Photo by Tare Ebimami)
“I took the story of my little brother Taylor who has autism. Growing up next to him really opened my eyes to stories that we don’t usually see. I wanted to represent that as well as the Black experience through that,” said Venus Lordson, creator of “Make a Scene,” which showed a talented autistic teenager who must overcome his father’s rejection to seize a life-changing audition.
As the event came to an end, the other filmmakers came quickly to adopt a quote from Nyawech’s movie, which read “the opposite of humanization is criminalization.”
In a time that appears to promote an institutional effacement of diversity, it is clear that these filmmakers won’t halt their galvanizing efforts to continue humanizing the Black experience.
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