*HR1529*
Introduced Version
HOUSE
RESOLUTION No. ___
Introduced by: Smith V
____________________________________
1 A HOUSE RESOLUTION recognizing the 13th Annual
2 Bill Johnson Black Film Festival.
3 Whereas, African American Achievers Youth Corps, Inc.,
4 partners with other local groups to sponsor a film festival
5 dedicated to Gary native William L. Johnson, which is hosted
6 by the actor;
7 Whereas, William Johnson is a graduate of Emerson School
8 for the Visual and Performing Arts in Gary and has had
9 starring roles in many theatrically released projects, including
10 a lead role in "Blue Hill Avenue", which garnered top honors
11 at the Acapulco and Black Hollywood film festivals;
12 Whereas, More than just an actor, William Johnson's goal is
13 to "reinvest the majority of his earnings into a structured
14 business that supports the advancement of the urban
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1 community. By spreading the message of self-reliance and
2 providing opportunities to qualified individuals from
3 disadvantaged backgrounds, he hopes to break the cycle that
4 keeps generations impoverished";
5 Whereas, Equally important to William Johnson is his
6 passion to deliver conscious messages through his music using
7 his stage persona, "Brotha Bill";
8 Whereas, William Johnson has been involved in more than
9 20 film projects and independent short films and features,
10 including "Motives 2", "The Mannsfield 12", "Crossover",
11 "Doing Hard Time", "Tears of a Clown", "Motives", "Move",
12 "Wanted: Soulful Energy Xchange", "Two Degrees", "Nothing
13 Like Thanksgiving", and "Perfectly Single";
14 Whereas, The 13th Annual Bill Johnson Black Film Festival
15 will feature student films "Beauty Mark" by Sanaa Wilkins, "La
16 Mulatresse Solitude" by Brittany Denise, "Une La Meilleure"
17 by Billyne Francois, "Take My Hand" by Eric Bailey Jr., and
18 "The Conversation: Unprotected" by Shanese Shields, Naja
19 Small, and Joe James, all premiering on the morning of Friday,
20 February 16, 2024;
21 Whereas, Friday evening screenings will include "The
22 Payout" by Andrew Essig, "The Invitation" by Paula Wills,
23 "Intersectionality" by Diane Powell, "Lovebugs" by Aaron J.
24 Davis, "They Don't Live Long" by Adrian Priut, "Huey" by Ken
25 Gregory and Dave Mack III, and "A Heart That Forgives 2 -
26 The Battle Within" by M. Legend Brown as the feature film;
27 Whereas, The festival continues on Saturday, February 17,
28 2024, with the evening showings of "On Deaf Ears" by Ty Hunt,
29 "Scars" by Lilton Stewart III, "Col-ored Tags" by Malik J. Ali,
30 "Death & Taxes" by Matthew Morris, "Teddy" by Eddie Kane
31 Baker, "One Thousand Negative Confessions" by Mark
32 Spencer, and "Recession Proof" by Arthur Muhammad as the
33 feature film;
34 Whereas, Finally, Thursday, February 22, 2024, and Friday,
35 February 23, 2024, will be the student documentary festival
36 with showings of "Get on the Bus" by Justinian Matthew
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1 Dispenza, "Mosiah" by Jirard, "Interception: Jayne Kennedy -
2 American Sportscaster" by Safiya Songhai, and "Harriet
3 Tubman - From the Railroad to a Spy" by Luana M. Graves
4 Sellars;
5 Whereas, The Bill Johnson Black Film Festival came about
6 as an idea to provide wholesome entertainment for northwest
7 Indiana, to expose the northwest Indiana community to quality
8 Black films, to help northwest Indiana come together to share
9 ideas, and to hold discussions surrounding film messages; and
10 Whereas, The arts are a valuable tool in creating an
11 atmosphere of understanding and open discussions to help
12 bring communities together in a meaningful way: Therefore,
13 Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the
14 General Assembly of the State of Indiana:
15 SECTION 1. That the Indiana House of Representatives
16 recognizes the value to the community of the 13th Annual Bill
17 Johnson Black Film Festival and thanks William L. Johnson for
18 dedicating his time and energy to this worthwhile project.
19 SECTION 2. That the Principal Clerk of the House of
20 Representatives transmit copies of this resolution to the African
21 American Achievers Youth Corps, Inc., and William L.
22 Johnson.
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