Damon Dash Helps Bring Independent Film To Harlem
New York's Harlem neighborhood is preparing to open it's first independent movie theater My Image Cinema next year, with the help of supporters like Damon Dash, Erykah Badu, producer Lee Daniels and actor Danny Glover who all serve on the theater's advisory board.
Moikgantsi Kgama is founder and executive director of Imagenation, a Harlem company that promotes positive images of people of color in media. Nine years ago she started the business, which she currently runs with husband Gregory Gates. Last year Imagenation's weekly screenings at a Harlem brownstone brought in large crowds, inspiring the couple to push to build the My Image Cinema on 116th Street between Lenox and Fifth Avenues.
"It's time for cinema to reflect the culture of the community," Kgama told the Daily News.
My Image Cinema will screen films about the African, African-American, Caribbean and Latino experience. Movie snacks offered will include chicken patties, empanadas, plantains and grapefruit soda as well as popcorn. The theater will host concerts, red carpet premieres, private functions and a meet-the-filmmaker series in addition to films. My Image also plans to offer second-run releases at half-price to attract families and senior citizens.
While Kgama believes My Image Cinema would help the few black distributors "who have no mechanism to distribute films," the theater would not exclude Hollywood films as well.
The theater is planned as to be attached to the $120 million, 250-unit Kalahari condominium complex being built on a former city owned site by Full Spectrum of New York, who partnered with Imagenation this June.
The 14-story condo development will offer 120 affordable units, and is being financed by J.P. Morgan Chase and Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group. Other subsidies were provided by New YorkState's Affordable Housing Corp.
While Kgama and Gates believe they can currently deliver $5 million from an out of state source toward making the venue happen, Carlton Brown, COO at Full Spectrum says it will take another $3 million to get done. Kgama, Gates and Full Spectrum CEO Walter Edwards are hoping to receive the rest of the funds from banks.
Filmmaker/producer and theater advisory board member Lee Daniels has pledged the support of his team, telling the Daily News, "We must do this for ourselves."
Moikgantsi Kgama is founder and executive director of Imagenation, a Harlem company that promotes positive images of people of color in media. Nine years ago she started the business, which she currently runs with husband Gregory Gates. Last year Imagenation's weekly screenings at a Harlem brownstone brought in large crowds, inspiring the couple to push to build the My Image Cinema on 116th Street between Lenox and Fifth Avenues.
"It's time for cinema to reflect the culture of the community," Kgama told the Daily News.
My Image Cinema will screen films about the African, African-American, Caribbean and Latino experience. Movie snacks offered will include chicken patties, empanadas, plantains and grapefruit soda as well as popcorn. The theater will host concerts, red carpet premieres, private functions and a meet-the-filmmaker series in addition to films. My Image also plans to offer second-run releases at half-price to attract families and senior citizens.
While Kgama believes My Image Cinema would help the few black distributors "who have no mechanism to distribute films," the theater would not exclude Hollywood films as well.
The theater is planned as to be attached to the $120 million, 250-unit Kalahari condominium complex being built on a former city owned site by Full Spectrum of New York, who partnered with Imagenation this June.
The 14-story condo development will offer 120 affordable units, and is being financed by J.P. Morgan Chase and Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group. Other subsidies were provided by New YorkState's Affordable Housing Corp.
While Kgama and Gates believe they can currently deliver $5 million from an out of state source toward making the venue happen, Carlton Brown, COO at Full Spectrum says it will take another $3 million to get done. Kgama, Gates and Full Spectrum CEO Walter Edwards are hoping to receive the rest of the funds from banks.
Filmmaker/producer and theater advisory board member Lee Daniels has pledged the support of his team, telling the Daily News, "We must do this for ourselves."
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