TITLE VII Hosting Live Chat with Director Nicole Franklin & Dr. Jeff Gardere about Pyschosocial Consequences of Same-Race Discrimination

    NEW YORK, NY, June 23, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Award-winning filmmaker Nicole Franklin (Little Brother, The Double Dutch Divas!, Journeys in Black: the Jamie Foxx Biography) and Dr. Jeff Gardere, known as "America's Psychologist" will be talking about the psychosocial consequences of #SameRaceDiscrimination during a #TITLEVIIFilm live chat on Friday, June 24, 2016 at 11:30 EDT on Facebook Live and Periscope @Nicoleedits. Questions can be submitted on Twitter @NicoleFilmsTV. The event is part of a series raising awareness of this prevalent, yet rarely discussed issue in conjunction with Franklin's first narrative feature film Title VII, which focuses on the problem.

"I am honored that Dr. Jeff Gardere--one of the most widely sought-after experts in the mental health field--will be joining me," said Franklin. "We will be exploring the far-reaching effects suffered by those who have experienced same-race discrimination and look forward to sharing personal stories in an effort to move toward healing."

Dr. Jeff Gardere has a private practice in Manhattan. He is also a top motivational and keynote speaker and empowerment and media coach. Most recently, he served as the relationship expert on VH1's Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta. He makes regular appearances on Today (NBC), Good Morning America (ABC), CBS This Morning, CNN, MSNBC, Nancy Grace (HLNtv.com) and NewsOne Now, hosted by Roland Martin, on TV One. Learn more about Dr. Jeff on Twitter and Facebook.

Title VII, a micro-budget feature, is executive produced by Franklin's multimedia company EPIPHANY, Inc. and Stuart Films, with Co-Producer Lisa Durden in collaboration with FDUFilm, the film program of Fairleigh Dickinson University. The multicultural production will include a professional crew staffed by female department leaders including Director of Photography Cybel Martin. Franklin's IndieGoGo campaign has raised more than $15,000 and is currently the platform for the TITLE VII Street Team, supporters on a mission to keep the conversation going. The TITLE VII film team has also implemented social media campaigns--including the live chat series--that reflect the film's resonance. Title VII will be shot July 2016 on the FDU campus in Florham Park, NJ and will serve as a learning laboratory for FDU film students.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned employment discrimination based on sex, race, color and national origin. Yet, discrimination is still part of US corporate culture 52 years later.

ABOUT
Nicole Franklin is an award-winning filmmaker and news director of kweliTV, the interactive streaming platform and app that covers the global black community. Her 25 years in the industry encompass being a television director, stage manager, editor, educator, public speaker, web event host and contributing writer to such publications as The Good Men Project, Toronto-based ByBlacks.com and NBCBLK. For 16 years, her company EPIPHANY Inc. has been producing independent films for cable networks including BET, FUBU TV, IFC, Nickelodeon, Showtime, and Sundance Channel. She has been a member of Emmy-winning news teams on stations, as well as programs for CBS News and NBC News.

Emelyn Stuart is the founder of Stuart Film Group and the Oktober Film Festival in New York City. Her producing credits include the award-winning short film "Wings and Beer," the network broadcast of the short film "Heads or Tails," and the wildly successful award-winning web series "12 Steps to Recovery" (Punch TV). Slated for production in 2016, "You Only Live Twice" is a gritty tale full of hardship and pain. It features former boxing champion Meldrick "The Kid" Taylor, and boxer turned actor, Gary Stretch. Another project, "Street Life" illustrates how one's spiritual faith can enable one to overcome tough times to finally see victorious results. Jason Hendrickson, a rising star in the world of Gospel music, is the subject of the pilot episode.

In 2013 Emelyn decided to launch the Ocktober Film Festival in New York City. The festival was a huge success with over 3000 people in attendance during its first year. The festival is dedicated to educating, empowering and inspiring filmmakers. Emelyn continues to sponsor many community initiatives and small businesses through Stuart Films. In addition to being gifted in the world of business, Stuart strives to shatter the entertainment glass ceiling.

FDUFilm approaches teaching film/TV/original content production from both the artistic and professional point-of-view. FDUFilm students work with the most up-to-date professional industry equipment from HD digital cameras and industry standard lighting and grip equipment to Avid, Premier and Final Cut editing software, as well as AfterEffects and Entertainment Partners production software. Intimate classes and a low student-to-faculty ratio allow students to shoot films in their freshmen year. The program is adapted to better reflect the reality of the industry, resulting in a higher percentage of FDUFilm graduates finding professional work within a year after graduation.

Title VII Partners include:
Creatively Speaking
Harlem Brewing Company
Imagenation Cinema Foundation
Minority Women Veterans
NDolo Films

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