Indie Filmmaker Bobby Mardis addresses black homicides through films

 

Filmmaker Bobby Mardis

Nationwide (BlackNews.com) — Bobby Mardis, a native Hammond, Indiana filmmaker, now based in Los Angeles will be screening the first in a series of projects called Peace on the Streets at the Hollywood Black Film Festival (HBFF). This music video features various Bay Area artists who have joined in the fight against violence on the streets that have plagued not only their neighborhoods, but also most major metropolitan cities around the country. The HBFF searches, acquires and programs the best films that stand out from the pack, in a week-long event which features African American filmmakers.

Peace on the Streets is a part of The Black Male: An Endangered Species slate of projects geared to create an awareness of the problem and make a difference in the number of young Black men that we are losing. Mardis’ recognizes the problem as being intricate and complicated, but after years of seeing young black men gunned down on the streets by not only the authorities, but by themselves, the problem is now at epidemic proportion. Chicago alone has seen over 400 homicides by September 2012 and on the path of reaching 500 by the end of the year. This problem affects all communities but significantly impacts the African-American population, productivity and future of Black teenagers and their potential contributions to society.

The Black Male: An Endangered Species series of projects include one sixty minute television special, one documentary feature, six music videos, a book and a free self help website which will feature support material. Although the website is in beta test, interested ones can go to the site (www.brotha2brotha.com) and view solutions, celebrity appeals, resource information, audio messages, over six hundred links, success stories, and a host of other information that is all geared to uplift the young Black male. Interested ones can also support this movement by going to the site and clicking on “support,” and by attending the screening. Money raised will complete the slate and fund a national media & billboard campaign.

The Festival will start October 25 and continue until the 28th. Visit www.HBFF.org and find out all information about the festival including all the films being screened. Peace on the Streets will be screened as part of the “Black Men in Film Series” on Saturday, October 27 at 4:30pm at the Montalban Theater, 1615 Vine Street, Los Angeles, CA 90028.

For more information about the film or to schedule an interview, please call Bobby Mardis at (323) 882-4130 or email at bobmardis2@aol.com