Finally – and just in time for Kwanzaa – the last of the 3 commercials for fictional toy “Black Moses Barbie”

This mock commercial for a Black Moses Barbie toy is the 3rd & final in a series of 3 celebrating the legacy of Harriet Tubman. It is part of Pierre Bennu’s larger series of paintings and films deconstructing and re-envisioning images of people of color in commercial & pop culture.

Click the pic to hear our recent interview on NPR’s Maryland Morning – we talk about film, family, and the future! (ok, not so much the future. but because of the rules of alliteration, we had to say that.)

This interview was taped before a Live! Studio! Audience! immediately prior to a screening of a selection of Exittheapple short films. It was part of a monthly series of interviews with Baltimore/Maryland filmmakers called Screen Test. Learn more at the link!

I hope this awesome mantra of a song and its accompanying animation are as inspirational to you as they were to me while i worked on this piece to the exclusion of almost all else in my life for the past 3 months. (lol) For more info on the musician/songwriter, visit http://stevenwesleyguiles.com

I Will Not Be Defeated from pierre bennu on Vimeo.

Have you ever been eating with somebody & then they taste something disgusting and immediately offer it to you to share in the experience? “YUK! Here, taste this!” I have never understood that exchange.

I also have never understood why so many folks claim to despise negative stereotypical images fed to us, but continue to support them.

I believe Melvin Van Peebles was the one that once said Hollywood has an Achilles wallet: if it makes money no matter what it is they will make it. So it could be said that Hollywood and televison are artistically/politically/morally neutral – they couldn’t care less if it’s a movie about Madea or Mumia as long as it makes money. Examples range from corporate support and wide distribution of Michael Moore’s antiestablishment documentaries, to the Kwanzaa cups at McDonald’s. It could be further said that the responsibility lies with the audience then, to make quality decisions that in turn effect the quality and content of the material. But it seems to me that every time there is an award show on BET or a racist misogynistic reality show or a poorly written melodramatic farce celebrating contemporary coonery, folks FLOCK to it in unprecedented numbers.

Some claim intellectual curiousity, some say they can’t comment unless they see it, some just love it as a guilty pleasure – all of which are fine. My issue comes with the fact that if you put money into supporting these projects then they will continue to make them – even bigger and more frequently. My greater issue comes with the fact that we collectively as audience members don’t find and support the alternatives with the same amount of enthusiasm. We don’t search out and support and vote with our dollars for the films, shows, movies and art that enhance and cleberate our mythology.
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TALKBACK THEATER – interactive community cinema
Second Saturdays @ WESTNORTH Studio (September 11th)
106 W. North Ave. Baltimore MD. 21201
8-10 pm

This week we cap off the season with a selection of short film and avant-garde music videos. The program will include many of Pierre Bennu’s award-winning shorts. Including the clip of the soon to re-released “Red Bone Guerillas” & and very special NEVER seen before episode of the series “story” that was too crazy to post.

Snacks will be provided!
come yell at the screen with your friends one last time

for more info call: 410 962 1475

I just found a lost episode of our on going series “STORY” please enjoy & feel free to share.

Red Clay: High and Low from Shawn Peters on Vimeo.

“A new performance art project that we have been working on with RED CLAY called High and Low, the name is based on the Kurosawa film with the same title. We take High art to common places and see what reactions we get.” – Shawn Peters

TALKBACK THEATER! July – 10th. 8.pm, 106 W. North Ave Baltimore, Maryland

Come join us for a movie night featuring offbeat 2007 indie flick Great World of Sound: directed by Craig Zobel. As always: FREE movie, light snack, loose and comfortable mood.

“Great World of Sound” follows Martin (Pat Healy), as he applies for a job at a company training prospective “music producers”. During training he pairs up with another new employee, Clarence (Kene Holliday), a middle aged man trying to change his career path. As record producers, the two travel to towns where the company has placed newspaper ads to find undiscovered musicians. They are seeking talent for the record label- signing new artists and giving them a chance to let their music be heard… for a small fee. It’s going great at first, but soon Martin and Clarence begin to question whether the company is as virtuous as it promises to be in its promise to give people their dream.This film evokes the image of the traveling salesman- a talent salesman- to address the increasing trend of people looking for a shortcut to fame. The film also examines the people who promise such an easy path- commenting that a “scam artist” rarely believes they are one, and that often the scam artist is being scammed himself.

This event is brought to you by exittheapple in conjunction with Westnorth Studio and is sponsored by Station North Arts Inc.

How come no one called me for this article? lol –pb

The Black Box: Baltimore’s African-American indie filmmakers search for an audience | Baltimore City Paper.

WARNING: This video contains “bad” words, brief nudity & graphic violence towards the end…However if you can get past that I feel this is an interesting commentary considering recent political events. I would love to hear your thoughts on this.-pierre bennu

‘Born Free’ song by M.I.A
Directed by Romain Gavras
Director of photography André Chemetoff

M.I.A, Born Free from ROMAIN-GAVRAS on Vimeo.