Monday, February 4, 2008

A 'Magic' project: New documentary explores historic effect of black colleges on basketball, the NBA

DURHAM, N.C. – Full Frame Documentary Film Festival (www.fullframefest.org), has announced that it will host the world premiere of the theatrical cut of “Black Magic”, a documentary directed by award-winning filmmaker Dan Klores.

The premiere will be held Monday, Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m. at the Carolina Theatre, located at 309 W. Morgan St. in Durham. “Black Magic,” which will air in its entirety as a four-hour, two-part commercial-free series on ESPN in March 16-17, 2008, features two prominent North Carolina basketball legends, Winston-Salem State University graduate, Earl Monroe and North Carolina A&T State University graduate, Al Attles.

Klores, director of “Black Magic” and the 2007 critically acclaimed film festival hit “Crazy Love”, will join Attles and Monroe for a panel discussion following the screening to discuss the history that inspired the film. “Black Magic” tells the story of the injustice that defined the Civil Rights Movement in America through the lives of basketball players and coaches who attended historically black colleges and universities. The film features interviews with Basketball Hall of Fame honoree Willis Reed; Earl Lloyd, the first black athlete to ever play in an NBA game, as well as John Chaney, retired basketball coach of Temple University. Other notable interviewees include Ben Wallace, Charles Oakley and Avery Johnson.

Individual tickets for the “Black Magic” World Premiere and panel discussion are $12 and may be purchased at the event or by visiting the Box Office at www.fullframefest.org. Tickets for both the pre-screening party and film are available to Full Frame members for $35 and $50 for non-members. The 2008 Festival Preview Benefit — "Black Magic" world premiere is sponsored by Duke University Office of the Provost, the Visiting Artist Fund of the Department of Art, Art History and Visual Studies at Duke University, North Carolina Central University and the City of Durham.

About Black Magic:

Directed by award-winning director Dan Klores and in collaboration with ESPN Original Entertainment and Shoot the Moon Productions, “Black Magic” is a new four-hour, two-part film scheduled to air commercial-free on ESPN in March 2008. The film will make its world premiere at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival on Monday, Feb 11. “Black Magic” is a story of the injustice that defines the Civil Rights Movement in America, told through the lives of basketball players and coaches who attended historically black colleges and universities.

The film is produced by basketball legend and Winston-Salem State University graduate, Earl Monroe, and narrated by Wynton Marsalis, Samuel L. Jackson and Chris Paul.

Feature interviews include Willis Reed, Avery Johnson, Ben Wallace, John Chaney, Bob Love, Al Attles, Pee Wee Kirkland, Earl Lloyd, Dick Barnett, Woody Sauldsberry, Cleo Hill, Bob Dandridge, Sonny Hill, Perry Wallace, Dave Robbins, Harold Hunter, Charles Oakley, Donnie Walsh, Bobby Cremins, Howie Evens, the widows of coaches Clarence “Big House” Gaines and John McLendon, and historians Skip Gates, Cleveland Sellers and Milton Katz.

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