Thug Life Army

Hip-Hop has captured the fascination of young people from New York City’s South Bronx parks in the 70’s to the bullet trains of Tokyo today. These hip-hop youth can be seen and heard expressing themselves through the language, fashion and music that are Hip-Hop culture.

The Atlanta HipHop Film Festival is dedicated to creating an event that encompasses all these elements mentioned bonded by the common thread of social responsibility to ensure positive, beneficial messages are conveyed to Hip-Hop’s invaluable on-screen audience.

The Atlanta HipHop Film Festival is celebrating their second year by honoring the city’s industry tastemakers, welcoming the festival attendees, acknowledging this year’s sponsors and recognizing the accomplishments of this year’s honorees hip-hop legends, LAURYN HILL, LL COOL J, ICE T and F. GARY GRAY

The 2006 Atlanta HipHop Film Festival will host an opening night gala, Friday April 28th, with a fashion show featuring clothing lines from Ventige Soul Boutique and Makaveli Branded, the official clothing line for late hip-hop icon rap artist Tupac Shakur (2Pac).

The Air Brush Shop will be present to provide free airbrushing for guests. Networking and live music provided by Poseidon and Mr. Tariq

WHO:

The Air Brush Shop: Creates unique airbrush designs for T-shirts, jackets and jeans

Ventige Soul Boutique: Chic, unique and custom-designed apparel boutique for the urban women

Makaveli Branded: Tupac’s official clothing line

Poseidon: Four-man band that fuses together R&B, Soul and Hip-Hop

Mr. Tariq: Veteran DJ that plays R&B, and Hip-Hop

WHEN:

Friday, April 28, 2006 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.

WHERE:

The Compound, 1008 Brady Avenue Atlanta, GA 30318

The Atlanta HipHop Film Festival has also announced the 2006 screenings of films, taking place April 27-30, 2006, in Atlanta, GA. The festival will screen 2 feature films, 28 premieres (including 9 world premieres and 2 U.S. premieres), 4 shorts, and 3 music videos. For this year’s festival 78 films were submitted for consideration. This included 17 feature films, 24 documentaries, 13 shorts, 12 international feature films, and 12 music videos.

The festival opens on April 27, 2006 in Atlanta at the Auburn Research Library with the premiere of “K.O.S.- Determination,” written and directed by Jamaal Footman. “K.O.S. – Determination” is a story about two people, isolated by their knowledge of the world, who find each other through their mutual interest of literature.

Closing night, the “Starz InBlack® Orginal, ‘Dead Prez: It’s Bigger Than Hip-Hop’” will make its world premiere on April 28, 2006 at the Carter Center. Dead Prez, one of the nation's preeminent underground hip-hop groups, performs in the band's first filmed concert special. "Dead Prez : "It's Bigger than Hip-Hop" spotlights the people on the frontlines of a movement to reclaim hip hop culture from its bling infatuation. This one-hour original feature includes a never-before-seen live concert, including tracks like "I''m an African", "Turn off the Radio", and "Hell Yeah", plus intimate interviews with Dead Prez members politically charged rap artists M-1 and stic.man , who discuss such topics as world politics, urban poverty, Black pride, the current state of hip- hop music and how it can be reclaimed to aid the movement.

"Dead Prez: "It's Bigger Than Hip Hop" also features insights into the band and their movement from political activists, historians, and other hip hop artists. “Dead Prez: It’s Bigger Than Hip-Hop” is directed by John Threat, written and produced by Curtis Forristal. Ellen Rudolph Mednick is the Executive Producer and David Charmatz is the Executive in Charge of Production.

2006 AHFF Film Screenings

Thursday, April 27, 2006 10 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

* Scene Not Heard, directed and produced by Maori Karmael Holmes- documentary.

* Rhyme Spitters, directed by Thomas Horne and Rich Seng, produced by Rich Seng – documentary, Atlanta Premiere.

* Starvin, directed by Scott and Ryan Thiel- documentary, U.S. Premiere.

* Representando, directed by Antonio Jose Guzman and Patricia Lesage – documentary, Atlanta Premiere.

* Sisterz of Underground, directed by Karl Lind –documentary.

* Hip Hop Exposing Headshots Below Zero, produced, directed and edited by Austyn Steelman- documentary, U.S. Premiere.

* Who is Jeff Stephens? directed by Jeff Stephens-documentary, World Premiere.

* APT 36 D is Michael's Place, directed by Christopher "Play" Martin- short, World Premiere.

* Cock Block, directed by Raymond Lynch and Renny Rugah – music video, World Premiere.

* Just To Get Rep, directed by Peter Gerard- documentary, Atlanta Premiere.

* Hip Hop Resurrection: From NY to New Zealand, directed by Michael Deet- documentary, World Premiere.

* Respect the Game- Gangsta Grillz, directed by Juwan Lee- documentary, Atlanta Premiere.

* Dirty States of America, directed by FLX- documentary, Atlanta Premiere.

Friday, April 28, 2006 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

* Hip Hop Business or Art?, directed and produced by DCTV's PRO-TV- documentary, Atlanta Premiere.

* Welcome to Durham, directed by Christopher “Play” Martin- music video World Premiere.

* One Love 2: True Ballin, directed by Sean Dougherty, co-directed and produced by Glen Cowen, hosted by Bobbito Garcia- documentary, Atlanta Premiere.

* New Flavors: The Emergence of Southern Hip- Hop Documentary, directed and produced by Brian Bentley and Vernon Clarke –documentary, World Premiere.

* Game, directed by JJ Goldberg- feature, Atlanta Premiere.

* Beef III, directed by Peter Spirer- documentary.

* Bullets in the Hood, directed by Terrence Fisher and Daniel Howard- documentary, Atlanta Premiere.

* Hip-Hop Colony- The African Hip-Hop Explosion, directed by Michael Wanguhu- documentary.

Saturday, April 29, 2006, 2 p.m.-8 p.m.

* Wanna Be, written and directed by Shani Harris Peterson, produced by Sherri Daye Scott- short, Atlanta Premiere.

* The Sun Will Rise, directed by Byron Horne-short, World Premiere.

* Finally Saying What I Really Mean, directed by Monique Woods – documentary, World Premiere.

* SlingShot Hip-Hop: The Palestinian Lyrical Front (Trailer), directed by Jackie Salloum. Presented in collaboration with the Hip-Hop Association.

* Bling: Consequences and Repercussions, directed by Kareem Edouard, produced by Ashley Queen and Lathan Hodge- documentary, Atlanta Premiere. Presented in collaboration with the Hip-Hop Association.

* The Beat, written, directed and produced by Brandon Sonnier- feature, Atlanta Premiere.

* Black & Blue- Legends of a Hip Hop Cop, directed by Peter Spirer- documentary.

* Beyond Beats and Rhymes: A Hip-Hop Head Weighs In On Manhood In Hip-Hop Culture, directed by Byron Hurt- documentary.

Sunday, April 30, 2006

* Holy Hip Hop, The Movie, directed by Christopher "Play" Martin- documentary, World Premiere.

* 6 In The Morning, directed by Christopher "Play" Martin- music video, World Premiere.

* The Passion of Black History directed by Hakeem the Great- documentary.

* Hali Halisi, directed by Martin Meulenberg, produced by Thomas Gesthuizen- documentary, Atlanta Premiere.

The 2006 Annual Atlanta HipHop Film Festival will take place from April 27-30, 2006. The Festival's screenings will take place at the Auburn Research Library in Atlanta with a special screening of “Dead Prez: It’s Bigger Than Hip-Hop” at the Carter Center at 2:30 p.m. on closing night, April 30, 2006. The Awards Ceremony will be held at the Carter Center, following the special screening, at 7 p.m. with Red Carpet arrivals beginning at 6 p.m.

Website: http://www.ATLHipHopFilmFest.com