SF Black Film Fest presents: Black Boys Don’t Talk

Attending Filmmakers: Writer Cat Brooks, Director Elizabeth Carter, and Actor Margo Hall from the film Bottled Spirits and Director Marc Stallion from the film Black Boys Don’t Talk.

San Francisco Black Film Festival’s mission is to celebrate African American cinema and the African cultural Diaspora and to showcase a diverse collection of films – from emerging and established filmmakers. This is accomplished by presenting Black films, which reinforce positive images and dispel negative stereotypes, and providing film artists from the bay area in particular and around the world in general, a forum for their work to be viewed and discussed. SFBFF believes film can lead to a better understanding of and communication between peoples of diverse cultures, races, and lifestyles, while simultaneously serving as a vehicle to initiate dialogue on the important issues of our times.

SF Black Film Festival has selected the following films:

Film: Bottled Spirits
Directed by: Elizabeth Carter
Starring: Margo Hall
Runtime: 34m
Synopsis: 50-something Louise is a native of West Oakland, California; a community once known as the Harlem of the West, and which gave birth to the Black Panther Party. Gentrification has turned her beloved community into unfriendly and unrecognizable territory and the weight of being Black in America now threatens to crush her. She straps on the daily armor of alcohol, cigarettes and a sharp tongue to block out the constant ache of losing everything that ever mattered. On this day however, a door she has been banging on for years magically opens, an ancestor arrives to help and Louise battles her demons – and herself – in a desperate attempt to find the courage to walk the difficult path toward redemption.

Film: Black Boys Don’t Talk
Directed by: Marc Stallion
Starring: Jordyn Elaynee
Runtime: 59m
Synopsis: Lynn, a rookie journalist, gets assigned on her first week to do an exclusive with Duffman Brown, a failed college football star. The narrative that her boss gives her to follow quickly falls apart as Duffman sees right through her attempts to make him look like a bad guy. Lynn learns who Duffman really is and changes the narrative of his article, her boss isn’t happy about this or Lynn’s new attachment to Duffamn. After Duffman attempts to use Lynn as a suicide note, the two of them build a friendship while he’s in recovery. They agree to embark on a journey together to ensure that this will not happen to any other black boys like Duffman, suffering from mental health challenges.

Director Statement: I lied. When people ask me if this story reflects my life, I’ve told them “no”—proving the very reason why I think that this project is vital. We don’t talk. This project is indeed a part of me. I wrote this film to shed light on the silence that plagues our communities. I have grappled with internal struggles, battling suicidal thoughts and questioning the meaning of existence in my own life. However, through my experiences, I have become an unexpected voice of reason, talking individuals out of hard decisions and suicide. This dichotomy has been my silent burden, one that I’ve concealed for so long. This conversation is deep, it’s sensitive, it’s unfamiliar and fragile. Who wants to talk about this shit? No one! Especially in the black community, and even worse… young black boys. The innumerable emotions and feelings that remain buried inside the minds of young black boys manifest through poor decision-making. Through this project, I aim to break the stigma and silence surrounding mental health in the black community, especially among young black boys. I want to foster a space where open, honest conversations about our experiences, flaws, and emotions are not just welcome but celebrated. The character of Duffman Brown is not a reflection of who I am, but a representation of the collective experiences and struggles within our community. I believe this film is a vital platform to encourage our younger generation to speak up, to embrace their voices, and to find strength in their stories. This project is not just an artistic endeavor but a call for growth and understanding.