LITTLE PERFORMERS: A documentary highlights the services provided by the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center.

PHOTO COURTESY OF AFRICAN HERITAGE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER

IT TAKES A VILLAGE – A documentary showcasing the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center was screened on the second day of Kwanzaa

MIAMI – The African Heritage Cultural Arts Center (AHCAC) in partnership with the Miami Media School Film Emphasis Project presented a free film screening in celebration of Kwanzaa: “It Takes a Village – A Documentary Showcasing the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center.” The center’s first documentary was shown last week at the AHCAC.

The documentary showcases the evolution of the African Heritage Cultural Center and its famous students, and it chronicles a six-week film writing and production class taught by AHCAC alumnus Tarell Alvin McCraney, the Oscar winning producer and writer of “Moonlight” (Academy award-winner of Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay). It also features the AHCAC Summer Arts Conservatory students, performances and class instruction.

Valerie Gammon, a veteran TV and entertainment executive serving as the Miami Media School Director of Education, arrived with students and teachers on the campus of the AHCAC in the summer of 2017 and launched the Film Emphasis Project, a six month advanced Film and Video Production curriculum that provided both theory and practical hands-on experience in filmmaking and television production.

The documentary is a co-venture and collaboration of Miami Media School and African Heritage Cultural Arts Center. “It Takes a Village” is a joint project created by the Miami Media School Film Emphasis Project students as a class project. It was written, directed and produced by Janice Brooks, Lisa Perez and Ricky Wiggins. The Miami Media School instructors were Ika Santamaria, Carlos Morgado and Dorjan Williams.

A premier arts training institution in Liberty City, the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center is nationally recognized for developing hundreds of outstanding artists in all arts disciplines over the last 33 years. The center’s other distinguished alumni include Robert Battle, Artistic Director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; Bianca Brewton, dancer (Janet Jackson and Beyoncé); Shareef Clayton, a jazz trumpeter (Arturo Sandoval and Stevie Wonder); and tap dancer Marshall Davis, Jr., associate choreographer of the Tony-nominated play, “Shuffle Along.”