Harlem Stage to Show 'Children of God,' 6/7 and 'The Black and the Green,' 6/9

Harlem Stage is proud to present NewFest at Harlem Stage. They launch this new partnership with a special New York premiere of "Children of God "directed by Kareem Mortimer on Monday, June 7 at 7:30pm.

Filmed in the breathtaking Bahamian islands, this love story is a groundbreaking look at the lives of three very different people- a young gay artist, a closeted musician and a conservative pastor's embittered wife- and the ramifications of living in a homophobic and violently repressive nation. For more, visit online at www.childrenofgodthemovie.com.

The evening will also include the featured short "Billy and Aaron" directed by Rodney Evans. Definitely a short about people of color, here is a synopsis from Tribeca Film Festival where it played this year:"Billy and Aaron is a drama about African-American composer Billy Strayhorn and the personal and professional consequences of his decision to live as an openly gay man within the homophobic jazz milieu of the 1940s."

The screenings will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers, Kareem Mortimer and Rodney Evans, and moderated by Thomas Allen Harris. There will also be a reception on The Harlem Stage Gatehouse terrace. Tickets cost $12 for NewFest members.

On Wednesday, June 9 at 7:30pm Join the Black Documentary Collective and Harlem Stage as they celebrate 10 years of the BDC with a tribute to St. Claire Bourne by screening one of his most rarely seen films. In 1983, Mr. Bourne produced and directed "The Black and the Green", which drew a parallel between the civil rights movement and the troubles in Northern Ireland. In the film, a group of American civil rights activists travelled to Northern Ireland and found that many Catholics there had been influenced by the civil rights movement. As "The Washington Post" reported then, "In the Belfast ghetto, the delegation members are strangers in a familiar land of crushed tenements, graffiti-stained walls and heavily armed law officers."

The movie, Mr. Bourne told "The Post," "ends up seeming pro-Irish Republican Army in the same sense that a film about Selma in the 60s might have ended up seeming pro-black, but then I'm a filmmaker from the 60s. I try to be humanistically political." His sister, Judith Bourne, is special guest.

Beginning Monday, May 10, 2010 and continuing through mid-2012, the intersection at Convent Avenue and West 135th Street, adjacent to the Harlem Stage Gatehouse and Aaron Davis Hall, will close to traffic for a lengthy utility repair project by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Harlem Stage fully supports DEP's work to improve the quality of our city's utility systems.
Performances and activities at The Gatehouse and Aaron Davis Hall during this period will not be affected by the DEP project, and we will not close at any time during the construction. DEP and Harlem Stage have worked together to make it as easy as possible to reach our venues. However, some pedestrian and vehicle traffic will be restricted, so plan a few additional minutes to get here. Patrons with questions regarding either venue should contact us at 212.281.9240, ext. 10. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience and continued support.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit online at www.harlemstage.org.