Pro-Black Sheep (2009)

For the NY Daily News write up on
PRO-BLACK SHEEP and the director
CLICK THE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE




I bought and read a book titled “Enough,” by Juan Williams in 2006. It was a great read, obviously inspired by Bill Cosby’s famous and controversial speech at the NAACP gala celebrating the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka. At the time, I was celebrating the birth of my first child, mourning the death of my best friend and was desperately thinking of ways to get my desired career as a filmmaker off the ground while dealing with feelings of abandonment and loneliness. My family needed me to get my act together. There was no time to waste with safe, easy to execute film projects. I remained optimistic while finding fortuitous inspiration in Williams' thought provoking book about phony leaders, dead-end movements and a culture of failure that undermine Black America. Before finishing the book, I started imagining a young black man sharing the views of Cosby and Williams, but being ostracized as a “sellout” in the black community for that. I envisioned his deepest fear of being cast out as a “closeted conservative,” a fear so strong that he works too hard at being “blacker than the blackest” black man. Then I thought, “Is there a story here?”

While writing the screenplay for “Pro-Black Sheep,” a title I had before the script, I found myself wanting to tell a story that inspired individualism through dramatic satire. All too often we get caught up in the mob mentality or following the masses. We see this in the current United States presidential election. These days, it seems as if thinking outside the box can cost you everything. I wanted to show how we must dare to be true to ourselves if we want to make a real difference in our own lives and the lives of others.

"Enough" redirected me to other sources for research. Through facts and figures, I found myself wanting a representative from as many aspects of the struggle as the story can handle: the black elitist in the upper class, the single parent in the ghetto, the regretful hooligan, the resented, guilt-ridden white man wanting to help, the phony black leader, the dedicated, unappreciated high school teacher and the student flunking out. The more I developed the characters and the further I mapped out the main character's journey, the more the story started coming to life with its own voice.

We had no money but were determined to shoot the micro-budgeted film. We decided on August 24, 2007 as the first day of production. We were within days of this date and still didn’t have all the actors, locations and the rest of the budget needed to complete the projected seventeen day production. Crew people were quitting on us. Despite all of this, we persevered and wrapped production on time. The many positives that happened for us, and the little ironies, made me recognize something bigger than us was at work, ushering this film into fruition.



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ALFRED E. RUTHERFORD as Rashad
Alfred E. Rutherford was born in Delray Beach, Florida and raised in Abaco, Bahamas where his quest to be an actor began. Upon returning to the U.S.A. Alfred attended Saint Peter’s College in Jersey City where he received a B.A. in Philosophy. Alfred graduated and started out in his pursuit of an acting career. Shortly after arriving in New York City, he quickly secured leading roles in several Short and independent Feature films such as Better Dayz, Empty Hands, Swine, Liquor and White Women with an appearance in the major motion picture, “The Interpreter”.

Within the past five years Alfred has been featured in the August 2006 Kung- Fu magazine for his esteem athleticism in the Martial Arts short film he stared in. Alfred’s most recent acclaim is his starring role in Martha’s Vineyard Winner of HBO’s Best Feature Film “Algeny”, along with the much anticipated independent feature film “Pro Black Sheep” which Alfred is also starring in. Alfred’s combining confidence, talent and charisma makes him one of the most ambitious rising stars in the entertainment world today. Alfred shines through the screen as a fresh face that delivers a spectacular performance in each and every project he performs in. _________________________________________________________________

SHANNON FOSTER as Dina
Shannon Foster has been studying acting and dance since the age of three. With a focus in ballet, jazz, and theater, Shannon has recently graduated from the School of Communications and Theater at Temple University. Her off Broadway debut consists of comedies such as Pasta & Pigskin, Dinner Guest, The Newlywed Game, and A Day at the Beach, she has also performed in dramas such as The Life Miles and Love, Greed, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Her TV experience includes reenactments on the Maury Povich Show, as well as appearances on Law & Order, and Sex and the City. Shannon is currently in production for the feature film The Grasslands, and has recently completed a feature entitled Pro-Black Sheep, along with the short Apt 309. She can also be seen in an online sitcom at marcushateshisjob.com. _________________________________________________________________

KEITH STONE as Mr. Eli Duke
KEITH STONE is an Actor, Teacher, Director and Musician. Mr. Stone has been performing professionally in theater, film, television and radio for over 30 years. He's known for his reoccurring role as the UPN anchorman on HBO's "Chris Rock Show", Winston in the original cast of the off-Broadway hit "Ave X" and several regional productions of "Spunk" as Guitarman. Musically and theatrically Keith has toured the world performing with such artists as Jon Hendricks, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, Living Color, Brian McKnight, Shirley Murdock and Olu Dara. He is part of the "NYC Reggae Collective" and the neo-jazz quartet "Color 4" and can be heard on both CDs.

Among his many accomplishments Keith is the Co-founder of Back-A-Yard theatre and the Artistic Director of the American Theatre of Harlem since June 1997 producing Cultures Collide Film Festival, Seasons one-act festival, plays, short films, readings and actors workshops. He studied fine arts and graphic design at Kingsborough Community College and School of Visual Arts. He holds a BA in Creative Writing from NYU, and studied music and drama at Henry Street Settlement, Brown University, Jazzmobile, HB studio and the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music.

Keith has been working for the Creative Arts Team since 1992. He is the co-founder of the Parent Team and Program Director for Adult Services. He has directed and conducted interactive workshops throughout NYC's school system, Shelters, Rikers Island, Corporations, Conferences, New York University, and Seeds of Peace. He wrote, directed and co-produced a film series for NYU's Child Study Center called "Thriving Teens". Mr. Stone is the first to bring the interactive arts to the "Black Male Initiative" throughout CUNY Campuses and devised and implemented workshops and lectures addressing HIV, parenting and violence for the B.E.S.T. project in South Africa's Townships, Colleges and Universities. "Heal the World with Art" _________________________________________________________________

ELLIE FOUMBI as Tamika
Ellie Foumbi started her acting career, soon after graduating from Fordham University, with an industrial for the American Bar Association based on a real case, where she portrayed a young illegal immigrant seeking asylum in the United States. This project gave her the courage to pursue her dream of performing in films. Since then, she has taken the one year acting conservatory at the New York Film Academy and studied the method with Thurman E. Scott. She has been cast in several off-Broadway productions including The Pain Bearer by Jude Albert and When Turtle Flies by Marcie Langsford. This summer, she was among the select few chosen to participate in Alec Baldwin's theatre master class at the Ross School in East Hampton. Next year, she will be going on a European and African tour with Laurent Gaude's "Salina" directed by renowned international actor Sotigui Kouyate.
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CHRISTINE TRACY as Niema Parker (Rashad's mother)
Christian Tracey is so pleased to be a part of this important film. Some of her credits include Ruth in “ A raisin in the sun”, Sojourner in “Stealing Home” , Cypress in Saphiress Kiss, Carmen Miranda in “Outting Wiggenstien”, Lady in Brown in For Colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is not enough” Honey in Whose afraid of Virginia Woolf. Christine thanks her husband Carl and her Joshua for all of their love and support. She also gives praise to the most high.
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MICHAEL BERNSTEIN as Lazer
Film: Josh in AdultNY (Allen Hotchner), Michael in Triton Capital (Matt Musselman), Pete in Chew Chew Train (David Brenner/NYU), Joel in Waldo (Peter Rinaldi). Stage: Andrei in The Three Sisters (Stomping Ground), George in StopKiss (Outrageous Fortune), Aguecheek in Twelfth Night (The Merry Month of May), Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet and Angelo in Crime at Goat Island (both with The Upstart Crow). Michael narrates books and magazines on tape at JBI International, performs with comedy groups Punching Hal and Friends with Deficits, and made (in 2006) ten films in ten weeks. www.michaelbernstein.biz.