MIA Magazine American Black Film Festival June 2016 | Page 9

MONDAY, JUNE 13, 2016

AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MIA MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS GROUP TO THE SUN SENTINEL

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Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson Action Comedy
"Central Intelligence" Debuts at ABFF
The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) announced the lineup of over 25 narrative features, web
originals, short films and documentaries that will be showcased at the Olympia Theater, Colony Theatre
and Regal Cinemas in Miami Beach, Florida, June 15-19.
Director Rawson Marshall Thurber’s Central Intelligence, presented by the Motion Picture Association
of America (MPAA), courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures, will make its debut at the festival opening night,
Wednesday, June 15, at 7:45 p.m. at the Olympia Theater, located at 174 East Flagler Street.

Starring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, the action
comedy is one of the most talked about film releases of
the 2016 summer season.

The film also stars Amy Ryan, Aaron Paul and Danielle Nicolet.

The movie follows a one-time bullied geek, Bob (Dwayne Johnson), who grew up to be a lethal CIA
agent, coming home for his high school reunion. Claiming to be on a top-secret case, Bob enlists the help
of former “big man on campus,” Calvin (Kevin Hart), now an accountant who misses his glory days. But
before the staid numbers-cruncher realizes what he’s getting into, it’s too late to get out, as his
increasingly unpredictable new friend drags him through a world of shoot-outs, double-crosses and
espionage that could get them both killed in more ways than Calvin can count. This film is packed with
tons of laughter and action.
Explore more at www.CentralIntelligenceMovie.com

By Zach Rinkins

Local Filmmaker Launches the Elijah Wells
Youth Indie Film Festival

Elijah Wells

It has been nearly four years since
MIA’s sister publication Legacy Magazine
recognized a then 14-year-old Elijah
Wells as its youth achievement honoree.
Since then, the teenaged filmmaker has

created more films and had his movie
screened at the White House Student
Film Festival. The past ABFF youth
showcase recently premiered his
self-titled Elijah Wells Youth Indie Film

Festival at Overtown’s Lyric Theater.
“I experienced a lot of film festivals as
a young person. And, most of the time I
saw adults that were much older than
me,” said the newly-minted Miami Arts
Charter graduate. “I was comfortable in
my own environment., but, it was difficult
to converse with people in their 30s and
40s. So, I created the film festival to give
young people a platform and foundation
to showcase their work and to have
conversations with each other.”
The festival featured a number of
youth-powered community films and
held a short-film competition that
presented two $500 awards. Film
submissions explored topics like
international disease epidemics, local
neighborhoods, and child and physical
abuse. The eight-year film veteran has
come a long way since independently
premiering, The Gift (2010), yet his
enthusiasm remains.

“I’m never going to lose
my passion for film. I am

going to always have it,”
Wells revealed. “Anytime I
feel like I might lose it, I
think back to my talks
with directors and it
excites my curiosity. I
wonder how to make
movies better and how to
capture certain angles.”
Wells is looking forward to honing his
skills this fall at the New York Film
Academy. He hopes his festival supports
young filmmakers.
“I was able to accomplish everything
in film because so many people helped
me,” he shared. “So, I want to give back
to them people by helping others.”
You can connect with the burgeoning
multimedia mogul at
www.Facebook.com/ElijahWellsFilms/