HaMafilms Antigua’s Deep Blue plays in Atlanta and Toronto for Black History Month

HaMafilms Antigua screened its film Deep Blue in Atlanta, Georgia, and at The Linden School in Toronto, Canada, as part of North America’s Black History Month celebrations. 

On February 9th, HaMafilms screened ‘Deep Blue’ in Love Joy, Atlanta, Georgia hosted by the Love Joy Youth Council. The screening included a talkback session with the writer/director Howard Allen and producer Mitzi Allen.  While in Atlanta,  HaMafilms also attended the Love Joy High School Black History Month celebrations organized by Councilwoman Roseannette Kirby. The event was attended by the Mayor of Love Joy, Marci Fluellyn, and State Representative,  Robert Flournay Jr.  The weekend of activities was designed to showcase Black Excellence in music, dance theatre arts, and fashion.

Kirby noted that “all the attendees were truly focused and engaged in watching the movie” and that she “appreciated the different issues showcased in the movie – the exploitation of land and the deception; the selling our Heritage for wealth; the personal political gain; and the Rastafarian culture.”

Later in the month, on February 20th, Hamafilms screened ‘Deep Blue’ at The Linden School, a private all-girls school in Toronto, Ontario. Deep Blue was screened for the student population and included a question and answer with the filmmakers and Deep Blue actors, Ryan Singh and Rhoma Spencer, who are based in Toronto. 

Beth Alexander, of The Linden School administration, explained that the school was introduced to ‘Deep Blue’ by a parent in their school community and that “the themes of environmental justice and conservation, combined with an opportunity to introduce our student to Antiguan and Barbudan voices made it a good fit for our social justice mission at The Linden School.”

Writer/Director Howard Allen says, “Deep Blue transported the students to a space they have never been before, which helped to spark discussions about the environment and storytelling as activism.”

HaMafilms also supported other Black History Month activities by attending the launch of several independent black Canadian films in the cinema. Producer Mitzi Allen says “It was both inspiring and validating to see space being created for independent black voices and stories in the cinema.”

There are plans to continue screening Deep Blue in Antigua and Barbuda as early as Saturday, April 5th at Julees Restaurant on Tanner Street in St. John’s. This event will be a dinner and a movie with limited tickets available in advance and at the door. 

About HaMafilms: Director Howard Allen and Producer Mitzi Allen is the team behind HaMafilms productions like “The Sweetest Mango”, Antigua’s first locally produced feature-length film, and the first Indigenous film for the Eastern Caribbean. Over the last 30 years, HaMafilms has made films such as “The Skin” and “No Seed” as well as TV series such as “Paradise View”. Their work ranges from romances to political dramas to folklore horror. 

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