The Stolen From Africa RealTV Pilot is a television documentary about a two-way exchange between young adults from Canada and the US. Even though they come from completely different worlds, they will soon realize they share a collective history of being Stolen From Africa. SFA REAL TV

THE PILOT

This pilot will follow two young adults, a Canadian from Toronto and an American from Atlanta, as they travel together to each other’s cities for one week each. Aside from highlighting their diverse, cultural exchange as they experience the eventful happenings of their castmate’s everyday life, they will visit and explore local African Heritage sites once occupied by their enslaved ancestors.

ABOUT Donisha:
Twenty-five year old Donisha Prendergast is the granddaughter of Rita and Bob Marley. She is, at heart, a true artist. Her fresh and vibrant talent spans many disciplines. She is an accomplished actor who has already had a wide range of starring roles in a number of major Jamaican television productions. She has also enjoyed leading roles in a several live stage productions, which have successfully toured the Eastern Caribbean, The United States and the UK.

At 12, Donisha along with a few of her cousins, performed background vocals on theme song for the popular children’s animation series, Arthur, with her uncle Ziggy Marley as the lead. She went on to travel extensively with her mother, Sharon Marley, while she was a member of the Melody Makers; and to Japan, Ghana, South Africa and the United Kingdom with her grandmother, Rita Marley. She recently toured France with Shaggy and Rik-Rok as dancer/choreographer. Donisha plays the piano and African drums.

Donisha and her production partners, Falani Spivey and Serita Stewart of Sumthing F.E.R.T.I.L.E (For Every Revolutionary Truth that Inspired Leaders to Educate) Productions have begun shooting a documentary about the links between Blacks in the Diaspora and Africa.

SFA is looking for 15 energetic and enthusiastic youth between the ages of 15-22 who are interested in participating in a series of summer work shops with regards to filming and editing video production.
Sessions begin July 12th and run every Monday and Wednesday until September 1st.
Participants must commit to the entire 8 weeks of programming. Lunches and TTC assistance provided.

Key Activities:
-Providing workshops and resources to teach the basics of equipment usage, editing and filmmaking skills, in addition to critical thinking skills.
-Providing youth with information on mainstream and alternative media systems
-Support groups of youth to produce 3 independent film projects to be posted on the Stolen From Africa website and shared with other outlets

Key Objectives:
- To support youth to develop filmmaking skills that will allow them to have a voice in society
-To promote alternative sources of media and provide youth with training in these areas
-To educate youth about the histories of oppressed communities, particularly African Canadian

Program will be held @ 358 Dufferin St, Toronto ON (Mondays & Wednesdays)

All applicants MUST respond with a short bio and expression of interest by e-mail to sfafilms@gmail.com no later than 5pm on July 2, 2010.
Selected participants will be contacted by e-mail on the 6th of July

Producer, entrepreneur Russell Simmons as featured in The Black List. As a new chapter begins in this country, The Black List offers a dynamic and never-before-heard perspective from achievers of color. This series of inspired—and inspiring—observations on African-American life in the 21st century forms a roll call of some of the most compelling politicians, writers, thinkers and performers ever to tackle their fields of endeavor. Watch the interview-portraits and get a sharper snapshot of where this country has been and where its headed. Directed by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, Interviews by Elvis Mitchell. Stars Collin Powell, Toni Morrison, Sean P Diddy Combs, Slash, Chris Rock, Susan Rice, Lou Gossett Jr., Russell Simmons and many more. The DVD of The Black List Volume One is available at

The Canadian Black Film Festival (CBFF) is dedicated to promoting both African-Canadian and media/film content from around the Diaspora and overseas communities. Established in 2009, CBFF serves the African-Canadian film community through educational and youth development activities, artistic collaboration, sharing of resources, screenings and professional development and seeks continuously to welcome and host filmmakers, distributors and production companies from Canada and overseas to its annual festival.

CBFF is currently welcoming submissions from new, aspiring and established filmmakers, companies and artists from across the globe to participate in its 2010 festival.

Submissions will be accepted until July 16, 2010 and further details can be found by visiting http://www.cbff.ca/film-festival-schedule/submissions/

Please can you also kindly distribute this e-mail to any organizations, filmmakers or parties you feel would be interested in participating in our 2010 event.

new Trailer from SFA fam “Amaziyah” out in Spanish Town, Jamaica is at it again with another production!! Take it in!

“This is also a reference to the John F. Kennedy assassination.

Erykah falls at the same spot, where JFK was shot, except it’s on the sidewalk.

When the camera turns after she’s down, you can see the the “X’ on the street. That “X” markes where Kennedy was shot in the car.

Reference also goes for the title “Window Seat”, the video intro and the “Group think” speculations about the assassination.

THE BLUE LETTERS FORM THE WORD…
::::GROUPTHINK::::
Groupthink is a type of thought exhibited by group members who try to minimize conflict and reach consensus without critically testing, analyzing, and evaluating ideas. Individual creativity, uniqueness, and independent thinking are lost in the pursuit of group cohesiveness, as are the advantages of reasonable balance in choice and thought that might normally be obtained by making decisions as a group. During groupthink, members of the group avoid promoting viewpoints outside the comfort zone of consensus thinking. A variety of motives for this may exist such as a desire to avoid being seen as foolish, or a desire to avoid embarrassing or angering other members of the group. Groupthink may cause groups to make hasty, irrational decisions, where individual doubts are set aside, for fear of upsetting the groups balance. The term is frequently used pejoratively, with hindsight.

Nova Scotia in black context:
People of African descent have been living in Nova Scotia for almost 300 years. In Acadia, from the early to mid 1700s, there were more than 300 people of African descent in the French settlement at Louisbourg, Cape Breton.

In Halifax in 1751 there were 15 Black people. Between 100 and 150 people of African descent were among the new settlers, now known as the Planters, who came from New England after the British gained control over Nova Scotia in 1763.

Over 3,000 Black people came as part of the Loyalist migration between 1783 and 1785.

In 1796, 550 people, known as the Maroons, were deported from Jamaica to Nova Scotia. In 1800 they were relocated to Sierra Leone.
Some 2000 escaped slaves came from the United States during the War of 1812, under conditions similar to those of the Black Loyalists. They had thrown in their lot with the British between 1812 and 1816 and were offered freedom and land in Nova Scotia. They moved into the Halifax area to settle at Preston, Hammonds Plains, Beechville, Porter’s Lake, and the Lucasville Road, as well as the Windsor area.
In the early 1900s Black immigrants were actively recruited from Barbados, West Indies to work in Cape Breton for the Dominion Coal Company. This community survives to the present day in Whitney Pier, Glace Bay and New Waterford.
People of African descent continue to immigrate to Nova Scotia today.