Thursday, April 11, 2013

Black History Mumf Goes International

by Odienator

When Steven Boone started this website, he had world domination in mind. When he turned the website over to me, he was out of his damn mind. I tried to talk him out of it, but he said that, by virtue of the Black History Mumf series, Big Media Vandalism was mah woman now. 

Little did Boone know--or perhaps he knew all too well--that I would take Big Media Vandalism global. As you read this, I am in Krakow, Poland preparing for the Off Plus Camera Film Festival, which runs from April 12-21, 2013. I am presenting a sidebar on Black American Cinema. This sidebar features nine movies, eight of which I've covered here at Black History Mumf. I will be introducing each film at least once, so the good folks of Poland will get to see the face of Big Media Vandalism, and participate in a real life Causing Trouble With Odienator adventure. 

Since I don't speak Polish, I am being translated by my fellow Far-Flung Correspondent, Michał Oleszczyk. He works for the festival, and has translated me in print for the catalog. Michał is a crackerjack translator, so I'm fully confident that his compatriots will understand every detail I explain and every woof ticket I sell. 

The series has gotten a fair bit of press. I am interviewed in the April edition of Kino Magazine, the largest film magazine in Poland.(On newsstands now over here!) I did a video interview with the festival to discuss the films. I did another interview for the Polish blog, KLAPS, which writes about the festival..And I just found out I will be on Polish TV this coming Sunday. Apparently this is the biggest morning show in Poland, and I'll be appearing with Shade Rupe, who has his own festival sidebar here at Off Plus as well.

Here at Big Media Vandalism, we've got TV covered too. Resistance is futile!

Here are some pertinent links regarding the series. Some of this is in Polish, so you might need to mosey your lazy ass on down to Google Translate.

My essay on the series is here. This also appears in the English version of the catalog. 

Just to mess with you, here it is in Polish as well, translated by Dr. Oleszczyk.

My video interview with Off Plus is here. It's in English, with Polish subtitles. This video proves once and for all that:

a) Steven Boone and I are two different people
b) I'm not a bad interview
c) I know how to cater to an audience. There's a big nod to Polish childhood nostalgia in this interview. It's directly behind me.

I'm mentioned in a Polish newspaper too!

My KLAPS interview is here.

And if you happen to be in the neighborhood of Krakow, here's a list of all my appearances, including a panel I will be doing with the writer-director of Middle of Nowhere, Ava DuVernay.

But enough about me, here are links to pieces on the 9 movies I'm showing. 

Jackie Brown (2 part video essay: part 1 and part 2)

My purpose for doing this Black American Cinema series is the same as my purpose for the Mumf: To have fun while educating folks on the cinema I, and others like me, grew up watching. Some of these films have never played theatrically in Poland, so this really is Big Media Vandalism going global. 

Boone, your dream has come true! Today, Poland, tomorrow, the World!

Forgive me, Raisin in the Sun, but this is how we feel here at BMV.