Clear your calendars for the Charlotte Film Festival. Since 2006, the festival has celebrated indie films including features, documentaries and shorts. Award-winning documentary “This One’s for the Ladies,” directed by black filmmaker Gene Graham, is among the 87 selections at this year’s festival, which began on Sept. 26.
A recipient of the South by Southwest (SXSW) Special Jury Recognition award for best cast, “This One’s for the Ladies” is told through the lens of black male strippers and the community of women of color who support them. The film has received critical acclaim as its going through its festival runs.
“Honestly, I just want women of color to find this movie because it’s 100 percent judgment-free, nourishing and outrageously funny,” Graham said in an email.
It’s an exciting time to be a creator as well as a consumer. Screens are opening up to visionaries who are expanding our point of views as diversity becomes normalized in the media. “This One’s for the Ladies” joins the list of innovative films such as “Moonlight” and “Get Out” to bring topics often treated as taboo to the screen. Art has the power to encourage dialogue that’s uncomfortable yet necessary.
Moviegoers can catch the screening on Sept. 28 at 8:45 p.m. at Ayrsley Grand Cinemas. Graham will host a Q&A after the viewing. “This One’s for the Ladies” is set for theater release in December.
The Charlotte Film Festival wraps up on Sept. 30. General admission tickets are $10. Visit www.charlottefilmfestival.org for more information.
Jayda Brown is a junior at Queens University of Charlotte majoring in journalism and digital media.
