Movies: 'The Wiz' kicks off Twin Cities Black Film Festival

Article by: DANIEL GETAHUN , Special to the Star Tribune
Updated: September 17, 2009 - 5:40 PM

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Michael Jackson as Scarecrow in The Wiz." courtesy Universal Home Entertainment..

Photo: Feed Loader, Universal Studios Hollywood/pr N

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As summer ends a new movie season begins, bringing relief from overblown blockbusters in the form of award-worthy films and a number of series around the Twin Cities, including this weekend's seventh annual Twin Cities Black Film Festival at the renovated Capri Theater in Minneapolis.

The festival kicks off with "The Wiz," the 1978 musical reimagining of "The Wizard of Oz" directed by Sidney Lumet with an entirely African-American cast, including Diana Ross and the late Michael Jackson (7 p.m. today). It's a cult classic that has divided audiences, but many critics praised Jackson's acting.

Another retro film on the schedule is "Who Killed Doc Robbin?" A light-hearted murder mystery, it is culturally significant for the blatant racism it revealed in the pre-civil rights 1940s (12:10 p.m. Sat.). Showcased in the prime-time Saturday slot is "Diary of a Tired Black Man" (7 p.m. Sat.), a much buzzed-about docudrama that appears to be a winking response to Tyler Perry's "Diary of a Mad Black Woman."

Filmmaker Rachel Gardiner will appear following the screening of her documentary "Harlem Mart 125: The American Dream" (11:35 a.m. Sun.), which chronicles the history and gentrification of the historically black Manhattan neighborhood. Other highlights Sunday include a handful of shorts, including "Missing," a silent film about a young black couple's strained relationship (1:35 p.m. Sun.). The fest wraps up with the documentary "Barack Obama: The Man and His Journey" (7 p.m. Sun.).

TWIN CITIES BLACK FILM FESTIVAL

When: Fri.-Sun.

Where: Capri Theater, 2027 Broadway Av. W., Mpls.

Tickets: $10; $30-$50 for festival passes.

Info: www.tcbff.com or 612-309-3818.