Xenon Pictures title suggestions for
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URBAN FEATURES
Joy Road
a film by HARRY DAVISWood Harris, Roger Guenveur Smith, Jaime Hector, N'Bushe Wright, Obba Babatundé, Christian Mathis
Directed by: Harry Davis
A burned out lawyer looking for a new direction in life has to put his plans on hold when his sister asks him to defend her fiancé, a gang kingpin who is under arrest for a triple murder that he says he didn’t commit. Suddenly the feds and a shadowy corporation get involved, along with a private investigator who seems to be working all sides.
“Directed with gritty authenticity… an extraordinary script” -Sundance Film Festival
Durdy Game: Director’s Cut
(Director's Cut)Tawny Dahl, Janisha Faith, Karima Holloway, Jay Barron, Najawaun Ali
Directed by: Mody Mod
Recognized by Variety for its raw street-level realism, Durdy Game follows three women who turn frustration, boredom, and betrayal into a dangerous hustle fueled by sex, money, and revenge. When robbery schemes, side relationships, and hidden motives collide, friendships crack and lives unravel in a hard-edged story of street survival, deception, and deadly consequences.
Three bitter young women involve themselves with a gang that targets well-to-do black men, leading ... Read more
“…the ultimate story of reaping what one sows.”—Variety
KLA$H
Jasmine Guy, Giancarlo Esposito, Paul Campbell, Carl Bradshaw
Directed by: Bill Parker
“The Mandalorian”, “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul”‘s Giancarlo Esposito stars in this action-packed, Reggae-soaked noir film set in Jamaica about a world-weary photographer who falls into the clutches of a sexy dance hall girl and her world of crime, deceit and murder. Features a box-office heist at a major Reggae concert…and was filmed during the actual event.
“An explosive sun-drenched, rum-soaked thriller.”—Sundance Film Festival
9th Ward Justice
Martin Bats Bradford, Samantha Beaulieu, Terence Rosemore, Morgan Glover
Directed by: Jason Affolder
Set in New Orleans’ legendary 9th Ward, 9th Ward Justice follows a gifted teenage pianist whose dreams of escape are shattered when she discovers her cousin is behind a brutal murder. With police closing in and a reward driving fear through the streets, she must choose between family loyalty and personal integrity — in a world where telling the truth could cost everything.
BLAXPLOITATION!
Coonskin
Barry White, Scatman Crothers, Philip Michael Thomas, Charles Gordone
Directed by: Ralph Bakshi
“The most incendiary work of the entire genre” – Quentin Tarantino
Starring Scatman Crothers, Phillip Michael Thomas, and soul legend Barry White. Originally reviled by activists (who had not seen the film), Coonskin has now been acknowledged by critics as the important masterpiece that it is. Rap superstars The Wu Tang Clan have expressed their love for the film, and want to produce a remake.
“Coonskin could be RALPH BAKSHI’S MASTERPIECE.”-New York Times
ABAR: Black Superman
Tobar Mayo, J. Walter Smith, Roxie Young, Gladys Lum, Tony Rumford
Directed by: Frank Packard
A black scientist moves his family into an affluent neighborhood, only to be greeted with threats and vandalism by their new white neighbors. When the bigotry turns murderous, the good doctor works to transform his militant bodyguard into a black superman with fantastic physical strength and mental powers that set the stage for a remarkable climax!
“Strike fear into the hearts of intolerant racists everywhere.” Rovi
BLAXPLOITATION: The Films of Rudy Ray Moore – DOLEMITE (more info!)
Dolemite
The CITIZEN KANE of kung-fu pimpin' films!Rudy Ray Moore, Lady Reed, Jerry Jones
Directed by: D'urville Martin
The legendary classic…the pillar of the ‘blaxploitation’ genre….Rudy Ray Moore is DOLEMITE! Filthy, fearless, and legendary, Dolemite launched Rudy Ray Moore’s reign as one of cult cinema’s most unstoppable icons and inspired a new generation of filmmakers. After being betrayed and wrongfully imprisoned, a street-level legend fights his way back to the top in a kung fu-fueled war against corrupt cops, rival pimps, and criminal kingpins. Loud, lawless, and packed with ... Read more
“The Citizen Kane of kung-fu pimpin’ films”—New York Times
The Human Tornado
(Dolemite II)Rudy Ray Moore, Lady Reed, Jimmy Lynch, Ernie Hudson, Lady Java
Directed by: Cliff Roquemore
In this sequel to the smash hit Dolemite, Dolemite is on the run from a redneck sheriff who has caught him with his woman. Dolemite and his posse (including a young Ernie Hudson) dodge the sheriff and his bullets in a high-speed chase that takes them to LA. Upon Dolemite’s arrival, he learns that Queen Bee (Lady Reed) and her Kung Fu Girls have been pushed out of the night-club business by a ruthless competitor who ... Read more
“The most essential Dolemite movie…”-ColeSmithey.com
Petey Wheatstraw: The Devil’s Son-In-Law
Remastered from Original Elements!Rudy Ray Moore, Jimmy Lynch, Leroy & Skillet, Eboni Wryte, Wildman Steve
Directed by: Cliff Roquemore
One of the classic films from Dolemite himself – Rudy Ray Moore! Gunned down by the mob, a comedian is given a second chance at life if he will marry the Devil’s hideous daughter.
“…[Moore] delivers his particular brand of humor forcefully…” – Variety
Disco Godfather
Remastered from Original Elements!Rudy Ray Moore, Carol Speed, Lady Reed, Jimmy Lynch, Jerry Jones
Directed by: D'urville Martin
In the fourth film of Rudy Ray Moore’s legendary run of cult classics, a retired cop turned nightclub owner goes to war against a mysterious new street drug in this wild, funk-soaked cult classic. Fueled by kung fu brawls, streetwise swagger, and pure 1970s grindhouse energy, Disco Godfather follows a one-man crusade through the criminal underworld as he takes on dealers, pimps, and predators in a relentless fight to clean up his streets.
American Genre Film Archive calls it “the shimmering finale in the cycle of Rudy Ray Moore’s blaxploitation gems… with a gritty PSA twist.”
INDIE / CULT
Hunting Bigfoot
John Green, Ben Cockman, Monica Sarah Lynn
Directed by: Taylor Guterson
Did he really see it? Or was it just in his head?
As he emerges from yet another long slog in the Northwest wilderness, John’s resolve remains undiminished. Long estranged from his family, John checks in to grab some provisions and touch base with some fellow sympathizers and true believers before resuming his all-consuming quest—to verify the existence of a Sasquatch he claims to have witnessed.
In Hunting Bigfoot, Seattle-based filmmaker, ... Read more
“Perhaps the greatest sasquatch movie ever made…”
– Michael Medved
Dante’s Inferno
A film by SEAN MEREDITHDermot Mulroney, James Cromwell, Martha Plimpton
Directed by: Sean Meredith
“…feels like the unholy offspring of Mike Judge and Robert Crumb.”
– Robert Abele
GENERAL AUDIENCE
Pure White B*tch
A film by DAVID POMESAnson Mount, Xander Berkeley, Ryan Donowho, Polly Cole, Rutherford Cravens
Directed by: David Pomes
Pure White B*tch unflinchingly tells a raw story of rural life where crystal meth dictates the family dynamic.
After a stint in prison, Sonny (Xander Berkeley -Air Force One, Terminator 2) returns to his home in East Texas, determined to repair his relationship with his son, Abe. Standing in his way is his brother Bump (Anson Mount -“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds”, Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), who ... Read more
A Day Without A Mexican
Yareli Arizmendi, John Getz, Maureen Flannigan, Muse Watson
Directed by: Sergio Arau
A bold, satirical classic that imagines a mysterious day when the Latino population of California vanishes without warning, throwing the state into chaos and revealing just how deeply woven their lives are into every corner of society. Smart, fearless, and sharply observed, the film delivers humor, tension, and social bite while letting the story’s startling premise do all the talking.
MUSIC & CULTURE Documentaries
Plaster Caster
Cynthia Plaster Caster, Noel Redding, Eric Burden, Jello Biafra, Pete Shelley
Directed by: Jessica Villenes
Artist-turned-groupie or groupie-turned-artist? Decide for yourself as Cynthia Plastercaster tells her amazing story with the help of some of the famous rockers whose “members” she has immortalized.
“Superb. Hilarious”—San Francisco Chronicle
Slippin’: 10 Years with The Bloods
a film by TOMMY SOWARDS and JOACHIM SCHROEDERMembers of L.A.s Rollin’ 20s Bloods
Directed by: Tommy Sowards and Joachim Schroeder
Over a period of 10 years, filmmakers Joachim Schroeder and Tommy Sowards hit the streets to follow a group of teenagers from L.A.’s Rollin’ 20s Bloods documenting the violent and troubled lives of one of the toughest gangs in the country.
“No preaching or moralizing…JUST STRAIGHT FORWARD TRUTH.”
-New York Times
Welcome to Death Row
Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Suge Knight, Tupac Shakur, Kevin Powell, Eazy E
Directed by: Leigh Savidge
The true story of the rise and fall of Death Row Records. As told in the words of the people who lived it, Welcome to Death Row tells the story of this enigmatic enterprise, its shadowy origins, and how it forever changed American business.
“Riveting”—The San Francisco Chronicle
Straight Outta Puerto Rico: Reggaeton’s Rough Road to Glory
Daddy Yankee, Tego Calderon, Luny Tunes, Don Omar, Ivy Queen, Mexicano 777
Directed by: Leigh Savidge, Jim Chankin
STRAIGHT OUTTA PUERTO RICO explores the burgeoning Reggaeton music scene, from its roots in Jamaican Reggae and Latin American Soca rhythms to its meteoric rise in popularity and the multitude of artists that are the driving force behind this scorching musical phenomenon. Features top Reggaeton stars Daddy Yankee, Tego Calderon, DJ Playero, The Luny Tunes and many more!
Eminem AKA
Marshall Mathers (a.k.a. Eminem), Treach, Debbie Mathers, Kim Mathers, Todd Nelson
The story of rap superstar Eminem and his rise to fame, as told through interviews with family and friends. Featuring extensive interviews with his mother (the notorious Debbie Mathers who sued her son for defamation of character), his grandmother and his late Uncle Todd, as well as music industry colleagues and others who knew him in his formative years, here at last is the real 8 Mile.
Mahalia Jackson: The Power & The Glory
MAJOR HOLLYWOOD BIOPICS in the works!Mahalia Jackson, Studs Terkel, Jessie Jackson, George Avakian, Brother John Sellers
Directed by: Jeff Scheftel
Meet the gospel great who has influenced many of today’s pop superstars. This special edition DVD combines the outstanding documentary Mahalia Jackson: The Power & the Glory, with over two hours of vintage kinescope performances from the 1961 series, “Mahalia Jackson Sings”.
“An incredible film” – Paul McCartney



















