In honor of Black History Month and in celebration of FAMU’s 125th anniversary, the university's Lyceum Series, Office of Student Activities, Tallahassee Film Festival (TFF), Tallahassee Film Society (TFS) will present "A Tribute to African-American Film" beginning February 3 through February 29, 2012."We have been working in conjunction with several local groups to not only pay tribute to a segment of African-American culture, but to highlight FAMU alumni and staff contributions to the entertainment field as we celebrate FAMU’s 125th anniversary," said Sharon Saunders, executive assistant for Communications at FAMU and the Tribute to African-American Films Planning Committee Chair. “We believe that we have movies and events the entire community will enjoy.”
One of the most anticipated events will be the red-carpet, advance screening of FAMU alumni Will Packer and Rob Hardy's upcoming film “Think Like a Man.”
Other scheduled events include a lecture titled “African-Americans and the Oscars: Decades of Struggle and Achievement” by noted author and professor Edward Mapp and screenings at All Saints Cinema of Alley Pat and Dare Not Walk Alone, with Producer/Editor Tom Roche in attendance for Q & A.
Additionally, there is a panel discussion February 8 at Turner Auditorium on the Tallahassee Community College campus titled “Succeeding in the Film Industry.” The panelists include Anthony B. Major, former director/stage manager/actor and current director of the Zora Neale Hurston Institute for Documentary Studies at the University of Central Florida; Lewis "Jiggs" Walker, props manager; Melvin Johnson, film and television casting director; Valerie Scoon, professor, former producer with Harpo Studios and current Florida State University College of Motion Picture Arts faculty member; Akil DuPont, a student Emmy-winning short film director/co-writer; Rosalind Stephenson, long-time, award-winning publicist; and Robert Stephenson, hair stylist for major motion pictures and personal stylist to Samuel L. Jackson.