by GERARD DEE

For the second year in a row, The Iced in Black Film Festival returns to Montreal, featuring a host of films from and about the African-Canadian perspective. From February 21–23, over 20 films will be screened at Leacock-26 in McGill and the DeSeve Cinema at Concordia, in a broad range of styles and genres, from documentaries to dramatic short films. This year’s theme, “Soul on Ice: A Celebration of the Arts” puts the focus on the contributions of blacks in the development of the fine arts in Canada.

Like last year, the subject matter is diverse, ranging from black drag queens in Toronto to West Indian fables to slice-of-life films about everyday struggles. Montreal director Milan Liam’s Show Girls: Celebrating Montreal’s Legendary Black Jazz Scene is a fascinating look at our city from the ’20s to the ’60s, a time when this city was a hot bed for jazz. The film is worthwhile for the priceless vintage footage of Montreal’s black entertainers, who experienced both fame and prejudice in the industry.

Jazz is also the focus of Concordia film graduate Stefan Verna’s Chocolate City. The story centres on local jazz musician Scorpio, who decides to take his career to the next level. Problem is, that involves leaving Montreal and moving to New York, a change that some people close to Scorpio aren’t exactly thrilled about.

Anyone who missed Toronto photographer Michael Chambers’ recent exhibition as part of the MAI series “Black Body: Race, Resistance, Response,” have a chance to see his work, as well as a more intimate picture of the man himself, in Anton Wagner’s film The Photographer: An Artist’s Journey. The Jamaican-born photographer discusses his use of the nude, particularly of the black male, in the context of larger issues such as racism and the cultural reaction to images of the nude in the black community.

Wagner is also at the helm of Divas: Love Me Forever, which follows the lives of six black Toronto drag queens. He and co-director Edimburgo Cabrera go beyond the makeup and great performances to examine issues of gender-identity, homophobia and, most importantly, self-acceptance.

Renowned filmmaker Clement Virgo offers the festival’s only feature-length film with The Planet of Junior Brown. This quirky film centres on the life of an overweight teenager who finds solace and acceptance through his love of classical piano. It’s a story of mind over matter, and how a well-developed imagination can save the day.

On the lighter side of the spectrum is Talespinners, a collection of short children’s animation. Two of the animation shorts focus on the life of a little boy named Christopher, who struggles with everything from his name to keeping his room clean. The hero of the third animated short is a legendary character in West Indian folklore: Anansi the Spider. In The Magic of Anansi, the fabled spider works to get the respect of his fellow jungle animals. Seems even a magical spider knows a thing or two about life struggle. :

Iced in Black screens from Feb. 21–23 at McGill (Leacock-26) and Concordia (DeSeve Cinema). Info: 848-3530 or www.icedinblack.ca

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