AN ACT OF UNITY
Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, Latino, and White protesters of all ages demonstrate their resolve to show unity against the face of the police killing of, Micheal Brown, by putting their bodies on the line. The short film An Act of Unity shows that people in the USA recognize that the more they resemble Black Americans, physically and socioeconomically, the more likely they are to be "killed by some cop." The Act of Unity demonstrators chose to honor Michael Brown's life, showing the participants are, to quote Howard Beal in NETWORK (1976), "Mad as hell and they are not going to take it anymore.
(This film is in English and closed-captioned as well as in English and Spanish translated (AI) with Spanish Subtitles.)
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Cedric O'BannonDirectorACT OF UNITY (2021), AN EXERCISE IN EMPATHY (2020), EXPEDITION AYAHUASCA (2004), MALCOLM X: SOLDIER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (1998)
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Cedric O'BannonWriterACT OF UNITY (2021), AN EXERCISE IN EMPATHY (2020), WINE COUNTRY: TORRES VEDRAS (2017), MONSANTO HILL PORTUGAL (2017), CONTRACT (2014), EXPEDITION AYAHUASCA (2004), MALCOLM X: SOLDIER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (1998)NITY (2021), AN EXERCISE IN EMPATHY (2020), EXPEDITION AYAHUASCA (2004), MALCOLM X: SOLDIER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (1998)
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September WilliamsProducerBACKLASH (2021), WHEN WE ARE ASKED: ABOUT CROSSING OVER (2016, 2021), DANCE FOR JOY (2008)
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Cedric O'BannonProducerACT OF UNITY (2021), AN EXERCISE IN EMPATHY (2020), WINE COUNTRY: TORRES VEDRAS (2017), MONSANTO HILL PORTUGAL (2017), CONTRACT (2014), EXPEDITION AYAHUASCA (2004), MALCOLM X: SOLDIER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (1998)
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MLK Day Action CoalitionKey Cast"Federal Building Protesters"
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Emmette CookMusicInvisible (2021), Broken Birds 2020 (2020), Opera (2020), Toast (2020),Vital Sign (2020), Madagasikara (2018)
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Harpo MarksMusicChamp (2019)
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Beau SpinksVoiceoverThe Life of Michael Lange (2014)
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Project Type:Documentary, Experimental, Short
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Runtime:7 minutes
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Completion Date:April 21, 2021
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Production Budget:6,000 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital Video
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
Distribution Information
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Ninth Month Productions/Cedric O'BannonDistributorCountry: United StatesRights: All Rights
Cedric O'Bannon is a Black freelance video journalist and documentary filmmaker. A member of the National Writers Union/International Federation of Journalists, O'Bannon's work advances humanitarian goals by clarifying the past in support of a better future. Cedric O'Bannon's journalistic focus clarified in 2012. That was the year unarmed 17 year old, Trayvon Martin, was fatally shot, walking to his father's home in a closed community in Florida.
By 2016, O'Bannon was filming political rallies of the man who would soon become the chief executive officer of the United States.
Cedric O'Bannon's formal film and journalism education evolved from 1991 to 2000. Its venues included the National Broadcasting School, City College of San Francisco, San Francisco State University, and the Academy of Arts University, San Francisco. Director O'Bannon's work in motion pictures, and membership in the International Alliance of Theater and Stage Employees ( IATSE) as an archivist, and numerous theatrical settings, define his exquisite representations of the intersection between eras in history and contemporary events.
It was June of 2016, while working as a video journalist, that Cedric O'Bannon was stabbed by a Neo-Nazi, wielding a spear at the end of a flag pole—which still bore an American flag. And so—history handed Cedric O'Bannon his documentary film and journalistic destiny, well before the siege on the USA capitol building in January, 2021. Filmmaker Cedric O’Bannon is based in Oakland, CA.
This decade (the 2020s) already demands a rapid turnaround of creative information exchange. It is an era which out of necessity is dominated by screen narratives. From the analog world of motion picture film to the world of digital cinema, and journalism my multidisciplinary experience has given me insight into film, television, and live theatrical workflows that not only save money but can save a production.
Since the murder of Travon Martin in the United States, my work has been focused entirely on documenting the history and resurgence of fascism- and the subsequent anti-fascist movement.
I have worked to develop as a quintessential filmmaker, with a bent for team building, and a focus on organization, journalistic reflection, and rapid project turnover.
My goal is continual growth in the audiovisual arts and science—collaborating with others to do the same—at a time in history when this is not optional but essential.