Feature Film on Trinidadian War Hero Opens New York African Film Festival

New York (May 16, 2019) – Director Frances-Anne Solomon’s acclaimed feature film HERO inspired by Trinidad and Tobago war hero Ulric Cross will have its U.S premiere at the 26th New York African Film Festival’s (NYAFF) Opening Night at the prestigious Film at Lincoln Center on Thursday, May 30 at 6:30 pm at the Walter Reade Theater, 165 West 65th Street, NY.

“We are honored to be opening this important festival,” says Solomon. “This is a story that resonates with audiences around the world.  From his career in the Air Force to his time as a lawyer and judge working behind the scenes in the independence movements of Ghana, Cameroon, and Tanzania, Ulric’s life blazed a trail that inspires us all.”

HERO headlines NYAFF’s recognition of the 100th anniversary of the first Pan-African Congress with a showcase of films about Pan-Africanism and global game-changers.  Cross left Trinidad in 1941 to become the RAF’s most decorated West Indian navigator. But his life took a different course when, along with a number of other notable West Indians, he followed the call of history and joined the Pan-African and independence movements sweeping the world in the ’50s and ’60s.

Since the HERO World tour began in February, the film has received rave reviews from audiences and critics alike in Toronto, Trinidad, and the UK:

HERO is an electrifying, dramatic motion picture, filled with twists and turns that will thrill audiences across the globe.” – Stephen Weir, Caribbean Camera “Filmmaker Frances-Anne Solomon …deserves lavish praise for showcasing a historical legend, and for helping to change the negative stereotypical portrayal of people of African descent on the screen.”   Learn more here

HERO boasts an all-star international cast that includes Trinidad and Tobago’s Nicolai Salcedo, in the lead role of Ulric Cross, alongside UK stars Joseph Marcell (Fresh Prince of Bel Air), Fraser James (Resident Evil), Pippa Nixon (John Carter), Canada’s Peter Williams (Stargate SG1), and Ghanaian superstars John Dumelo, Adjetey Anang, and Prince David Oseia.

The New York African Film Festival is co-presented by Film at Lincoln Center and African Film Festival, Inc., and runs May 30 to June 4; more information at filmlinc.org.

About African Film Festival, Inc.

For 29 years, the African Film Festival, Inc. (AFF) has bridged the divide between post-colonial Africa and the American public through the powerful medium of film and video. AFF established the New York African Film Festival (NYAFF) in 1993 with Film at Lincoln Center and is presented annually by the African Film Festival, Inc. and Film at Lincoln Center, in association with the Brooklyn Academy of Music. AFF also produces a series of local, national, and international programs throughout the year. More information about AFF can be found on the web at www.africanfilmny.org.

About Frances-Anne Solomon

Frances-Anne Solomon

Frances-Anne Solomon is an award-winning filmmaker, producer, curator, and entrepreneur in film, TV, Radio, and new media. Following a successful career as a TV Drama Producer and Executive Producer with the BBC in England, she launched the CaribbeanTales Media Group in Canada and Barbados, which now includes production/distribution, and training worldwide. Learn more at www.francesannesolomon.com  

For media inquiries and interviews with Frances-Anne Solomon contact – Fennella Bruce – 647.290.76.10 | [email protected]

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