Niva Dorell

Afrocentricity

Tanya Boyd, Jeffrey W. Byrd

On the surface, this collection of shorts by up-and-coming African American filmmakers arrived at a perfect time. The cutting-edge products of the New Black Cinema of the early '90s had disappeared, giving way to embarrassingly stereotypical, scatological fare such as Booty Call and Next Friday. This feature-packed compilation (which includes production notes, interviews with all of the filmmakers, and audio commentary by four) attempts to prove that African American cinema is intent on moving past the lowbrow humor, as six of the seven shorts steer clear of any comedy. Featuring: The Gift, directed by Tanya Boyd; Hip-Hop: The New World Order, directed by Muhammida El Muhaijr; Kings, directed by Niva Dorell; Breakfast at Ben's, directed by Chuck Wilson; A Gut Feeling, directed by Lee Davis; Breakdown, directed by Jeff Byrd; true., directed by Charles Stone III

Skid Row

Marshall Tyler, Ross Clarke

Pras Michel

A documentary that chronicles Pras Michel's 9-day experience as a homeless man in downtown Los Angeles. Given a dollar a day to live, his worldview is shattered as he sees firsthand the fight for survival on the violent streets.

What About Your Friends: Weekend Get-Away

Niva Dorell

Keshia Knight Pulliam, Angell Conwell

A rare original movie offering from the UPN network, What About Your Friends: Weekend Get-Away focuses on three high school girls: aspiring singer Temple (Keshia Knight-Pulliam) and her lifelong friends Alex (Angell Conwell) and Breena (Monica McSwain). Attending a weekend college-scholarship retreat, the three heroines endeavor to gain financial support for their chosen academic fields. Along the way, Temple squares off against longtime rival Doreen (Alexis Fields), Alex is distracted by a handsome frat boy, and Breena tries to prove that she's a lot more mature than her hip-hop image.