<html><head></head><body><div class="ydpecd24fd3yahoo-style-wrap" style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;"><div id="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091"><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydpeb3b53fayahoo-style-wrap"><div dir="ltr"><div><p class="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydp27577d38MsoNormal"><span>
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<p align="left" style="text-align:left;" class="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydp27577d38MsoNormal"><b>February 11, 2022</b><b> </b></p>
<p align="left" style="text-align:left;" class="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydp27577d38MsoNormal"><b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</b><b> </b></p>
<p align="left" style="text-align:left;" class="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydp27577d38MsoNormal"><b>Contact:<span> </span></b>Karen Prasser<br> Chagrin Arts Executive Director<br> <a href="mailto:kprasser@chagrinarts.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">kprasser@chagrinarts.org</a><br> 330.701.8513 </p>
<p class="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydp27577d38MsoNormal"><b>SOLON CENTER FOR THE ARTS PRESENTS CHAGRIN ARTS FILM FEST</b><b> </b></p>
<p align="left" style="text-align:left;" class="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydp27577d38MsoNormal"> On Friday, February 25, Solon Center for the Arts is
pleased to present the premiere of the<i> <a href="https://www.chagrinarts.org/events/chagrin-arts-film-fest" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chagrin Arts Film Fest: An Arts With A
Purpose Film Experience.</a> </i>This event is in support of Black History Month and
will feature three films beginning at 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm in the SCA Theater.
The event is free and open to the public, but reservations are required. <a href="https://www.chagrinarts.org/events/chagrin-arts-film-fest/form" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">RSVP Here.</a></p>
<p align="left" style="text-align:left;" class="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydp27577d38MsoNormal"> The opening two feature presentations are by
acclaimed documentary filmmaker and Ohio native Derrick Jones (djones). He is a
doctoral student in the School of Film, Media & Theatre at Georgia State
University. He also holds an MFA in film from Ohio University with a focus on
independent documentary. The first is called “631”. Members of the Jones family
offer a history of their lives at 631 Ridge Avenue, a house purchased in the
1950’s with four generations eventually living under its roof. Through personal accounts, photos and
film/video footage, a tapestry 50 years in the making is woven to illustrate
the impact a home can have on a family’s existence. </p>
<p align="left" style="text-align:left;" class="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydp27577d38MsoNormal"> The second djones film is called “2020AD”. Influenced
by the summer of 2020 – often labeled as the United States reckoning on race –
2020AD visualized the labor of engaging “the talk” while imagining an
alternative, more generative confrontation drawing from the archive, the
ancestors, and the anticipation of death in the midst of fighting for life. </p>
<p align="left" style="text-align:left;" class="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydp27577d38MsoNormal"><span> </span>The third feature film is “400: An Afrikan Epic”, a
documentary based on Dr. Mark Lomax’s 12-album cycle on Black America’s
400-year history. The making of this outstanding film occupied about three and
a half years of drummer and composer Lomax’s life. It traces Black America from
the beginning of the slave trade in 1619 through today and into the future
using a blend of classical, jazz, gospel and other music forms in solo, duo,
trio, quartet and larger ensemble arrangements. The acclaimed filmmakers are
Jason Wood and Charles Hairston. </p>
<div style="text-align:left;"><span> Following t</span>he djones films, a discussion with djones
in person will take place on the stage. Then following “400: An Afrikan Epic”,
both Jason Wood and Dr. Lomax will talk with the audience. The moderator for
the evening if Dani Jauk-Ajamie from the University of Akron and a Chagrin Arts
Advisory Board Member. </div>
<p align="left" style="text-align:left;" class="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydp27577d38MsoNormal"><span> </span>As a bonus for all who register for the Film Fest
online, you will receive a link to a Documentary Screening and Live Q&A of
“The Shadow of Lucasville”, another djones award0winning documentary. Meet Imam
Siddique Abdullah Hasan, Lucasville riot leader, educator, writer and activist
calling live from the Ohio State Penitentiary’s death row. </p>
<p align="left" style="text-align:left;text-indent:.5in;" class="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydp27577d38MsoNormal">Chagrin
Arts’ mission is to present inspiring arts programming and stimulating
conversations. Research shows that the arts have a deep, positive and healing
impact contributing to the overall enhanced quality of life for individuals and
their communities. Chagrin Arts’ <a href="https://www.chagrinarts.org/arts-with-a-purpose">“Arts With A Purpose”</a> aims to bring arts
programming to enrich lives and create conversations about social issues
promoting the betterment of humanity as part of Chagrin Arts’ core values.</p>
<p align="left" style="text-align:left;" class="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydp27577d38MsoNormal"><span>
</span></p>
<p align="left" style="text-align:left;" class="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydp27577d38MsoNormal"><b style=""> </b><b style=""> </b><span style="text-indent:0.5in;">“The new
Chagrin Arts Film Fest (CAFF) is yet another way – along with <a href="https://patch.com/ohio/solon/shakespeare-comes-solon-july">Shakespeare at
Community Park</a> in the summer and various other programs throughout the year –
that we can connect our two communities through the power of the arts,” said Karen Prasser, Executive Director of Chagrin Arts. “I’m so excited to be
working again with the City, Tracy Sullivan at SCA and Rich Parker, the
Recreation Director to provide quality arts programming to the residents of
Solon and Chagrin Falls.”</span> </p>
<div style="text-align:left;"><a href="https://www.solonohio.org/257/Solon-Center-for-the-Arts">Solon Center for the Arts</a> is located at 6315 SOM
Center Road in Solon.<a href="https://www.chagrinarts.org/"> Chagrin Arts </a>is located at 88 N. Main Street in Chagrin
Falls. For more information and to reserve your tickets, visit chagrinarts.org
or call 440.247.9700.</div><div style="text-align:left;"><b style="text-align: center;"> </b></div><div style="text-align:left;"><b style="text-align: center;"><br></b></div><div style="text-align:left;"><b style="text-align: center;"> #####</b></div></div><br></div><div><br></div><div class="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydpeb3b53fasignature"><div style="font-family:new times, serif;font-size:16px;"><h2 style="margin:0px 0px 1px;line-height:24px;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed;" class="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydpe36e055cusername"><p class="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydpe36e055cMsoNormal"><br></p><table id="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydpe36e055cyui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1507408864587_11365" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:16px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);width:470px;" width="470" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" class="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydp9072cad0yahoo-compose-table-card ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydpeb3b53fayahoo-compose-table-card"><tbody id="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydpe36e055cyui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1507408864587_11364" style="width:470px;"><tr id="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydpe36e055cyui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1507408864587_11363" valign="top"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" id="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydpe36e055cyui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1507408864587_11362" style="padding-left:10px;width:10px;padding-right:10px;"><br></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="border-right:1px solid rgb(26, 117, 208);"><br></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" id="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydpe36e055cyui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1507408864587_11371" style="font-stretch:normal;font-size:14px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(100, 100, 100);padding:0px 10px;"><br></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydpd23f9624pasted-link"><br></div></h2><h2 style="margin:0px 0px 1px;line-height:24px;direction:ltr;unicode-bidi:embed;" class="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydpe36e055cusername"><font color="#652191"></font><br><p class="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydpe36e055cMsoNormal"><span style="font-size:medium;"><br><br></span><span style="font-size:medium;"><br><br></span></p><p style="background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;" class="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydpe36e055cMsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;"><br></span></p><p style="background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;" class="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydpe36e055cMsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;"><br></span></p><p style="background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;" class="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydpe36e055cMsoNormal"><br></p><p style="background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;" class="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydpe36e055cMsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;"><br></span></p><p style="background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;" class="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydpe36e055cMsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;"><br></span></p><p style="background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;" class="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydpe36e055cMsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;"><br></span></p><p style="background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;" class="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydpe36e055cMsoNormal"><br></p><p style="background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:Arial, sans-serif;" class="ydpecd24fd3yiv4960425091ydpe36e055cMsoNormal"><br><br><br></p></h2></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>