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This film from 2001 contains topical ideas and material, but its repetitiveness and lack of cinematic style make it clear why it hasn’t found a wide audience

As an Act of Protest premiered at the American Black film festival in 2001, but only now has it received distribution. In retrospect that’s no great mystery: it’s a self-consciously confrontational “cinematic poem” about a difficult subject. It’s also possible that director Dennis Leroy Kangalee would have considered it selling out to court a wider audience, at least based on the disgruntled theatre-group leader he plays on screen.

Kangalee a real New York dramatist and poet, who worked with politically progressive theatre groups in the years leading up to 9/11. From the poorly lit shots and awkward editing, it’s clear that theatre, not film, is his first creative language. The script’s digs at “Hollywood directors” suggest this may even be a point of pride.

That's the set up, which I'm sure got you're attention!  I'll be brief, in the interest of time, and also given that this is a project I've touted on this blog a number of times in recent months, and simply *hand the mic* over to the filmmaker to speak directly to you (via the project's Kickstarter page, I should note). Numa Perrier, whose name I'm sure many of you are very familiar with (see Black&SexyTV to start), is now starring in the project (previously, "Newlyweeds" co-star Trae Harris was attached) from Dennis Leroy Kangalee ("As an Act of Protest"), titled "Octavia: Elegy for a Vampire." I profiled the project and...

A reminder, with not much time left before the campaign ends... "Newlyweeds" co-star Trae Harris stars in the title role of Dennis Leroy Kangalee's (previously, Dennis Leroy Moore's) latest, "Octavia: Elegy for a Vampire (or Endless Shards of Jazz for a Brutal World)." I profiled the project and filmmaker a month ago; catch up here, so that I don't have to rehash that somewhat lengthy piece. The official description for "Octavia: 'Elegy for a Vampire (or Endless Shards of Jazz for a Brutal World)" reads: "Octavia:Elegy for a Vampire (or Endless Shards of Jazz for a Brutal World)," is film about a 150 year-old black vampire whose...

In the interest of time, I'll save all the formalities and just present the fundraising campaign of a project I previously expressed much excitement over, and which I alerted you to a few weeks ago, informing you of its then upcoming crowdfunding campaign.  Well, it's officially here, so it's time for you to act accordingly. "Newlyweeds" co-star Trae Harris stars in the title role of Dennis Leroy Kangalee's (previously, Dennis Leroy Moore's) latest, "Octavia: Elegy for a Vampire (or Endless Shards of Jazz for a Brutal World)." I profiled the project and filmmaker a month ago; catch up here, so that I don't have to rehash that somewhat lengthy...

The name Dennis Leroy Moore (he goes by Dennis Leroy Kangalee now) may not immediately sound like a filmmaker whose work you are already familiar with; but, that wouldn't be too much of a surprise, because, although he's a life-long artist (a renaissance man, really), he's written and directed just one feature film - the explosive 2000/2001 drama As An Act Of Protest. The film was never formally released. I would know, because, 10 years ago, I formed a distribution company with 2 partners - the goal being to release independent black films, starting with those ultra lo-budget, but still relatively strong works by promising filmmakers - and Dennis' As An Act Of Protest was the 3rd film...