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TV ONE SCREENPLAY COMPETITION WINNER TO BE ANNOUNCED AT THE AMERICAN BLACK FILM FESTIVAL'S AWARDS CEREMONY
Network to Debut Original Movies, Hold Celebrity Scene Stealers Event at ABFF, June 11-14
SILVER SPRING, MD. - JUNE 8, 2015 - TV One, the network dedicated to delivering real life and entertainment programming from the African American point of view, is proud to announce the three finalists - Brandi Ford (Los Angeles, Calif.), Kiki McKnight (Los Angeles, Calif.) and Chad Quinn (Fort Washington, Md.) - for its inaugural sponsorship of the American Black Film Festival's (ABFF) TV One Screenplay Competition today. In addition, TV One will be debuting two of its original movies, RUNAWAY ISLAND and GIRLFRIENDS' GETAWAY 2, as well as holding its first "Celebrity Scene Stealers" event, at ABFF in New York City, June 11-14.
Talent from TV One's films, including RUNAWAY ISLAND's Lorraine Toussaint (Orange Is the New Black), Thomas Q. Jones (Being Mary Jane), Aisha Hinds (Star Trek Into Darkness), A. Russell Andrews (Grey's Anatomy, House of Payne), and Erica Tazel (Justified), as well as GIRLFRIENDS' GETAWAY 2's Essence Atkins (Are We There Yet?), Garcelle Beauvais (White House Down), Terri J. Vaughn (Daddy's Little Girls) and Malinda Williams (Soul Food), will also be present throughout the festival.
The TV One Screenplay Competition finalists are receiving an all-expense paid trip to attend this year's festival, which includes directing a scene from each of their scripts being performed live by professional actors at the network's "Celebrity Scene Stealers" event. The finalists are:
· "Muted" by Brandi Ford: When their teenage daughter disappears, the Gladwells, an African American family, struggle to get support from both the media and local police. But when a missing teen becomes the center of a national maelstrom, the Gladwells find themselves on the outside looking in as they fight to find their daughter.
· "Deadbeat Dad Rehab" by Kiki McKnight: Four men in denial of their poor parenting skills attend a rehab for deadbeat dads that uses unusual methods to help them become true fathers and real men.
· "Sex, Politics, Race & Religion" by Chad Quinn: A comedian recounts episodes of his often humorless and tragic upbringing, as he battles through depression and self-reflection on stage one night. The chronology hops, skips and jumps between adolescent to adult years, covering topics such as depression to the struggles of Black in corporate America to the recent tension between people of color and law enforcement and politics.
The winner will be announced at "The Best of ABFF" Awards Ceremony on Sunday, June 14, and will receive a cash prize of $5,000. The screenplay will also be produced into an original, made-for-TV movie, which will premiere on TV One and at the 20th ABFF.
An overview of TV One's involvement at this year's ABFF is outlined below:
FRIDAY, JUNE 12
TV One's RUNAWAY ISLAND (2014 ABFF Screenplay Competition Winner)
World Movie Premiere/Director and Cast Q&A
Time: 3:20 p.m. ET
Location: AMC Empire 25 (Theater 12), 234 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036
Attendees: Lorraine Toussaint, Thomas Q. Jones, Aisha Hinds, A. Russell Andrews, Erica Tazel (Cast); Academy Award Nominee Dianne Houston (Director); Christopher Brandt (Screenwriter & 2014 ABFF Screenplay Competition Winner); Gingi Rochelle and Alison Wilmarth Kovak (Producers); D'Angela Proctor (SVP, Original Programming & Production, TV One); Brad Siegel (President, TV One)
Description: Directed by Academy Award Nominee Dianne Houston (Take the Lead) and written by Christopher Brandt, last year's ABFF screenplay competition winner, RUNAWAY ISLAND, is a unique story about a group of troubled strangers looking to escape their woes and end up sharing a transformational experience on an island steeped in African American heritage and culture. This poignant film made with love, laughter and tears also makes its TV One television premiere on Saturday, June 25 at 8 p.m. ET.
SATURDAY, JUNE 13
TV One at ABFF's Television & Media Expo
Time: 12-6 p.m. ET (Booth), 12:15-1 p.m. ET (Talent Appearances)
Location: New York Hilton Midtown (Grand Ballroom West, Booth No. 7), 1335 6th Avenue, New York, NY 10019 (between W. 53rd and 54th Streets)
Attendees: Aisha Hinds, Thomas Q. Jones, A. Russell Andrews and Erica Tazel
Description: Swing by from 12:15-1 p.m. ET for snapshots and autographs with cast members of the network's original movie RUNAWAY ISLAND: Aisha Hinds, Thomas Q. Jones, A. Russell Andrews and Erica Tazel. Throughout the weekend (12-6 p.m. ET), feel free to also stop in and spin TV One's prize wheel for a chance to win network swag or walk away with one of two grand prize opportunities each day: a TV One Bling Set (TV One Bling T-Shirt, an iPad Mini, Bling Case, Fitbit, and Tory Burch Fitbit accessory bracelet) or a TV One Digital Kit (Barnes & Noble Nook, Beats by Dr. Dre and TV One Swag).
TV One's Celebrity Scene Stealers
Time: 1:30-3 p.m. ET
Location: New York Hilton Midtown (Grand Ballroom East), 1335 6th Avenue, New York, NY 10019 (between W. 53rd and 54th Streets)
Attendees: Lamann Rucker (Meet the Browns), Keith Robinson (Dreamgirls), Aisha Hinds, Thomas Q. Jones, A. Russell Andrews, Erica Tazel, Essence Atkins, Malinda Williams, Brad Siegel (President, TV One), D'Angela Proctor (SVP, Original Programming & Production, TV One), Brandi Ford, Kiki McKnight and Chad Quinn (TV One Screenplay Competition Finalists)
Description: Cast members of TV One's original movies RUNAWAY ISLAND (Aisha Hinds, Thomas Q. Jones, A. Russell Andrews, Erica Tazel) and GIRLFRIENDS' GETAWAY 2 (Essence Atkins, Malinda Williams) and other celebrities perform scenes from TV One's First Annual Screenplay Competition.
SUNDAY, JUNE 14
TV One at ABFF's Television & Media Expo
Time: 12-6 p.m. ET (Booth), 12:15-1 p.m. ET (Talent Appearances)
Location: New York Hilton Midtown (Grand Ballroom West, Booth No. 7), 1335 6th Avenue, New York, NY 10019 (between W. 53rd and 54th Streets)
Attendees: Essence Atkins, Garcelle Beauvais, Terri J. Vaughn and Malinda Williams
Description: Swing by from 12:15-1 p.m. ET for snapshots and autographs with cast members from the network's original movie GIRLFRIENDS' GETAWAY 2: Essence Atkins, Garcelle Beauvais, Terri J. Vaughn and Malinda Williams. Throughout the weekend (12-6 p.m. ET), feel free to also stop in and spin TV One's prize wheel for a chance to win network swag or walk away with one of two grand prize opportunities each day: a TV One Bling Set (TV One Bling T-Shirt, an iPad Mini, Bling Case, Fitbit, and Tory Burch Fitbit accessory bracelet) or a TV One Digital Kit (Barnes & Noble Nook, Beats by Dr. Dre and TV One Swag).
TV One's GIRLFRIENDS' GETAWAY 2 Featured Alumni Screening
Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
Location: AMC Empire 25 (Theater 12), 234 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036
Attendees: Essence Atkins, Garcelle Beauvais, Terri J. Vaughn and Malinda Williams (cast), Roger M. Bobb (Director), D'Angela Proctor (SVP, Original Programming & Production, TV One), Brad Siegel (President, TV One)
Description: Directed and produced by Roger M. Bobb (Why Did I Get Married?, Madea Goes to Jail, Girlfriends Getaway), GIRLFRIENDS' GETAWAY 2, the sequel to last year's popular TV One film, is about four girlfriends who travel to Puerto Rico for a destination wedding, only to face chaos when a simple affair turns into extravagant, expensive nuptials. The film also premieres Aug. 29 at 8 p.m. ET on TV One.
Best of ABFF Awards Ceremony
Time: 8:15-10 p.m. ET
Location: New York Hilton Midtown (Grand Ballroom East), 1335 6th Avenue, New York, NY 10019 (between W. 53rd and 54th Streets)
Attendees: Brad Siegel (President, TV One), D'Angela Proctor (SVP, Original Programming & Production, TV One), Brandi Ford, Kiki McKnight and Chad Quinn, (TV One Screenplay Competition Finalists)
Description: Hosted by Chris Spencer (Born Again Virgin, Real Husbands of Hollywood), the "Best of ABFF Awards Ceremony" is a star-studded event where official selection filmmakers and talent contest winners are honored alongside actress Jenifer Lewis, the 2015 ABFF Career Achievement Award recipient. At the ceremony, TV One will announce the winner of its first annual screenplay competition.
ABOUT ABFF:
The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) is a four-day event dedicated to showcasing quality film and television content by and about people of African descent. Annually held during the month of June, the ABFF is committed to the belief that black artists and content creators deserve the same opportunities as their mainstream counterparts. ABFF Founder Jeff Friday conceived the idea for the festival in 1997 as a vehicle to promote diversity in the motion picture industry. Today, the festival is widely recognized for showcasing established and new black talent, both in front of and behind the camera, and is regarded as one of the leading film festivals in the world. The ABFF is produced by Film Life Inc. and BLACK ENTERPRISE.
ABOUT TV ONE:
Launched in January 2004, TV One (www.tvone.tv) serves 57 million households, offering a broad range of real-life and entertainment-focused original programming, classic series, movies and music designed to entertain and inform a diverse audience of adult Black viewers. The network is the exclusive home of News One Now, the only live daily news program targeting Black viewers. In December 2008, the company launched TV One High Def, which now serves 14 million households. TV One is solely owned by Radio One [NASDAQ: ROIA and ROIAK, www.radio-one.com], the largest radio company that primarily targets Black and urban listeners.
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