Film Fest Brings Tri-State Talent To Audubon St.

Clotilda was the name of the last known slave ship to bring African captives to the U.S. just over 160 years ago. 

It is also the title of Isaiah Providence​’s newest film, which grapples with the ​“underlying history that goes on in the Black community” — and which was recently screened as part of a short film festival at an Audubon Street arts hub.

Providence’s ​“Clotilda” debuted on Jan. 28 at a festival showcasing the works of independent moviemakers from the tri-state area. Providence organized the fest around the premiere of his film and selected other works based on their investigation of a contemporary social issue.

Attendees came from all over the East Coast to convene at the Arts Hall at ACES Educational Center for the Arts (ECA) at 55 Audubon St., which is the alma mater for both Providence and for the movie’s lead actress, Chavon Hampton.

The film follows a dancer, played by Hampton who finds strength in her art form to ​“overcome the trauma that has plagued her people,” in Providence’s words. 

Clips of Hampton dancing in a modern-day ballet studio are interspersed with footage depicting an enslaved woman, also played by Hampton, running from a white male capturer. As the enslaved woman tries to escape, she enjoys brief moments of safety, and performs movements parallel to those of the woman in the studio.

As slow piano music soundtracks the film, so do audio excerpts of interviews from the mid-twentieth century that feature Black people discussing their experiences with racism in America. Providence emphasizes that these clips serve to demonstrate how little has changed between then and now:

“The feeling is still the same.”

While Providence’s film faced head on some harrowing subject matter, the film fest itself buzzed with excitement, anticipation, and overall good cheer among those who were screening movies they had made and those who had come out to support friends and family and take in some local art. 

The hundreds of attendees who turned out for the festival were dressed for the occasion: velour suits and jumpsuits, stilettos, leather loafers, suede oxfords, floor-length dresses, knee-high boots.

Joseph Bush took his seat at the piano bench and underscored the pre-show chatter with jazz renditions of crowd favorites by the likes of Alicia Keys and Frank Sinatra. As audience members filtered in, they paused along a red carpet at a ​“step-and-repeat” to capture the moment with an on-site professional photographer.

Among the audience members included Shem Providence, Isaiah’s older brother, and his wife Ed’Ana Taylor-Davis. The two could not contain their smiles as they expressed their excitement for Isaiah. 

“I was raised with him, so I was there when he first picked up the camera. I was in his films growing up,” said Shem. He added that he had seen an earlier version of the film, and was looking forward to seeing what adjustments his brother had made to progress his vision.

Before taking their seats, audience members made tough choices among an array of raffle baskets, which Hampton said were inspired and donated from Black-owned businesses throughout the city, like El Segundo and Trachouse. They also chatted with the nonprofit service vendors on hand to table at the event, including WFC Sexual Assault Crisis Services, Love146, and MJA Behavioral Health and Wellness, which sponsored the event alongside Q River Grill.

By the time Providence took the mic to welcome the crowd, there were almost 300 people in the theatre, and an extra row had been added to accommodate the overflow of spectators. He expressed sincere gratitude for the turnout before providing an overview of what was to come next. 

The films would span different genres — psychological thriller, drama, documentary — but all center on various aspects of mental health. All of the pieces, he said, use the art form as a tool to raise awareness for the ways these struggles affect people in our communities.

Providence introduced Erik Champney, the creator behind the first film, ​“Tuesday,” who described his film as the day a boy grows into a man. The film told the story of a son grappling with his father’s dementia, and the barriers it creates between them. 

Next to screen was ​“The Story of Love 146,” a documentary by Josh Stasko, that details the origin of international human rights organization Love 146, which seeks to end child trafficking worldwide. 

The last film to be shown before the premiere of ​“Clotilda” was ​“Far From Ordinary,” a 2019 film by Paul Bugarin, who was unable to make the event and introduce his film. Instead, the lead actor Dylan Goodwin spoke to the content, which he said is a ​“dark look at too much social media, isolationism, and addiction.” 

Following Bugarin’s film, Providence took to the microphone again to introduce ​“Clotilda.” He thanked the cast and crew, naming everyone individually, and his family members for their support. 

The film opens with audio of news radio telling the story of Daunte Wright, who was murdered by police officer Kim Potter in April 2021 during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, Minn. The tone remains heavy, with audio of emotional testimony of Black Americans sharing stories of the violence that racism inflicts upon one’s humanity. 

Following the screening was a Q&A with Providence, during which he talked about another work of art that inspired his film, ​“The Cage” by Ricky Staub. Providence admired the poetic format of the film, which, like his own, featured little-to-no actual dialogue other than voiceover. 

He also talked about his creative process, and told the audience that the film was shot over just a few days. The audience laughed as he joked about the extreme heat of the shooting days, and as he impersonated himself running backwards through the woods over tree stumps to capture certain scenes.