Features

The Ru Report #141

Making Moves
The always lovely Stephanie Frederic isn't resting on her laurels. She's making some major moves.

The veteran Black Entertainment Television correspondent is stepping away from the spotlight and into the background--and calling all the shots for a change--with her directorial debut, From Darkness To Light…The Donnie McClurkin Story, which will hit the masses in late October.

"This chapter of my life is so new and exciting," revealed Ms. Frederic, who is also an Emmy Award winning producer and the owner of FGW Productions--a full service TV production company based in Los Angeles.

FGW produced Black Entertainment TV's award winning biography series, "Journeys in Black" as well as behind-the-scenes movie specials and one-hour network TV specials for NBC, HGTV and BET.

"Donnie McClurkin has a story that everyone needs to hear," she added. "I honestly believe this film will inspire many people. We plan to take it around the world."

The "enlightening" documentary chronicling the life and times of the now- "delivered" Grammy Award winning gospel superstar will become available on home video formats via Image Entertainment. As the only film authorized by Mr. McClurkin and his family, the music takes on a new significance as he talks about his tumultuous childhood, including twenty years of struggling with his homosexuality. His family, friends and other gospel greats, such as Bishop T.D. Jakes, Marvin Winans, Andrae Crouch and Kirk Franklin share their insights into his world throughout the flick.

"This project was two years in the making," the Alexandria, Louisiana native told "The Ru Report" earlier this week. "He gave us unprecedented access--we literally followed him and his family everywhere. I'm sure [they] were happy when we stopped following them," she quipped, then added, "They were fantastic to work with and quite candid."

Undeniably candid.

Before he reached adolescence, Mr. McClurkin's childhood was mentally ravaged by the tragic death of a younger sibling and the subsequent eternal heartbreak of his mother. He was then molested by several male relatives and later witnessed the debilitating drug abuse of family members. This was all before he became the singing and swinging "tall skinny boy" who wound up being mentored and later kicked out of the house by Marvin Winans. Such a harrowing tale. It's a story of true fortitude, from tragedy to triumph, indeed.

"I've always wanted to be a documentary filmmaker," the director continued. "Working years as a news reporter, I have met some great people with great stories that need more time than one minute and thirty seconds--the average time of a news story."

"Watching fabulous documentaries is a passion of mine and quite frankly--it gives me great joy to produce them and own them."

Ms. Frederic, who is an esteemed founding member of the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA), has also been honored five times by the National Association of Black Journalists with a first place Salute to Excellence Awards. Other professional commendations have come from the Radio-TV News Directors Association, The Houston Press Club, the Houston International Film Festival and the San Francisco Human Rights Commission.

"I love covering news from a Black perspective--stories about us and for us--so I've always worked overtime to bring those stories to BET," she said. Over the years, the former "Inside Edition" correspondent has covered the death of Black Panther Party Leader Huey Newton, the first Democratic Elections in South Africa, earthquakes in Nicaragua, San Francisco and Los Angeles, drug dealing in America's inner cities, savings and loan failures throughout the South, South African President Nelson Mandela, Michael Jackson, O.J. Simpson, President Clinton and the first interview with Deathrow Records CEO Suge Knight following the death of Tupac Shakur, among other "gets."

Although a major marketing initiative is being mounted to get the church community involved in the release of the DVD, there are still bigger and bolder ideas for the "…Story." "We're actually pushing for theatrical distribution," the University of Oklahoma alum revealed. "Considering the success of other spiritual films like The Passion [Of The Christ] and documentaries like Fahrenheit 9/11, we believe we're a combination of the two and there's a mega-audience that Hollywood is missing and not serving. Sometimes I call this film, The Passion of Donnie McClurkin--when you consider everything this man has been through.

"Hollywood now understands what movies like 'The Passion' can mean--thanks to Mel Gibson. But remember--Mel had to put out his own money and he proved audiences will support this genre of films."

Good point.

"As for home video DVD's are big business now--so eventually The Donnie McClurkin Story will be on DVD."

"I just want the world to see it"

Film File
During this year's American Black Film Festival (ABFF), Martell Cognac hosted an invitation-only event at the ultra chic Sagamore Hotel in Miami honoring Lee Daniels, best known for producing the critically acclaimed film Monster's Ball, which netted Halle Berry the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2002. Drawing celebrity notables including Rosario Dawson, Farnsworth Bentley, Boris Kodjoe and Mo'Nique, guests at the event enjoyed poolside cocktails, delicious delicacies and danced the night away to the infectious grooves spun by New York's popular DJ Goldfinger. The ambiance of the entire event (which took over the hotel's entire ground floor--from front to back) was very elegant. Outfitted with placards of Mr. Daniels' work, accentuated with crafty lighting and an ice sculpture that sat in the pool and reflected the titles of his works (the upcoming The Woodsman and the forthcoming Shadowboxer). It was decadent. This isn't the first time that the French fine Cognac brand has gotten into bed with the bold and unconventional filmmaker. Last fall, Martell honored Mr. Daniels, along with others, at a fab New York reception launching its well received "Rise Above" campaign, which celebrates African Americans who achieve success independently and who always rise above the competition, any obstacles and most importantly one's own expectations.

Filmmakers Spike Lee, Bill Duke, Ernest Dickerson and actor LeVar Burton will direct one or more episodes of the forthcoming six-episode mini-series, "Miracle's Boys," which will debut in February 2005, on The N network. Based on the novel, The Miracle Boys, by award-winning, young adult author Jacqueline Woodson, the series will be shot entirely on location in the Big Apple through September 24. The half-hour, character-driven series revolves around three half- Puerto Rican, half-African-American, orphaned teenage brothers living in Harlem and their struggle to hold their family together."Miracle's Boys" will be executive produced by Nikki Silver, Orly Wiseman and David C. McCourt for On Screen Entertainment in conjunction with Spike's gorgeous wife Tonya Lewis Lee--who's also a lawyer, an author and producer. The N, the nighttime network for tweens and teens, is a programming arm of MTV Networks and is currently available in 41 million households via cable, digital cable and satellite television. The N's mission is said to be the authentic voice for teens and help them figure out their lives with relevant, topical programming on-air and online at the network's web site The-n.com. The N airs everyday from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. (ET).

The name of Mo'Nique's Beauty Shop project has been re-weaved into Hair Show and will have a limited theatrical release on October 1. According to Los Angeles-based independent Black film publicist Ava Duvernay, the film is produced by Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Jeff Clanagan of Urbanworks Entertainment, and stars Kellita Williams, Taraji Henson, Joe Torrey, along with Serena Williams and Vivica A. Fox. Ms. Duvernay also handled media chores for the straight-to-video Norah's Beauty Salon, starring Tatiyana Ali, Bobby Brown, Jennifer Lewis and Tamala Jones, which retailed in May.

Pages
BET Books celebrated the 10^th anniversary of the birth of Arabesque, its popular line of African American-themed romance novels, last week at New York City's swanky PM lounge. Darrin DeWitt Henson, a star of the critically-acclaimed dramatic series "Soul Food," hosted the invitation-only event, which featured special honorees Walter Zacharius, founder and chairman of Kensington Publishing, and Monica Harris, the exceptional editor that launched the imprint.

With a wide distribution to independent African-American bookstores, along with major booksellers, including Walden Books, Barnes & Noble, and Wal-Mart and Target stores, BET Books have published more than 450 titles in the past decade. The imprint also boasts production of 13 Arabesque Book titles as made-for-TV movies for the BET network, including 10 in 1999 – the largest single slate of African-American films ever produced. These movies are now available on VHS and DVD.

"To say it has been a wonderful ride so far is only a mild descriptor at best," proclaimed Linda Gill, Vice President and Publisher of BET Books. "The success of the Arabesque imprint has been nothing short of amazing. When BET Books purchased the imprint in 1998 from Kensington Publishing, we knew we had the opportunity to continue building something special." William Cox, founder and publisher of "Black Issues Book Review," and industry insiders such as "106th & Park" Talent Executive and Industry Everywoman Kimberly Cooper and marketing maven Tamara Francois, were also be in attendance. The Legendary Chris Washington spun on the wheels of steel.

"No, no regrets …No, let there be no regrets."

©2003 The Ru Report™. All Rights Reserved~~P.O. Box #25 Bushkill PA 18324

Message Karu F Daniels or email him directly at therureport@aol.com