Krewe of Zulu Documentary
The 35th annual New Orleans Film Festival
announced A King Like Me, a documentary about the Krewe of Zulu, as
its opening night film.
A King Like Me follows members
of Zulu, the Crescent City's first Black Mardi Gras krewe, as they work to
bring the parade back for the 2022 Mardi Gras. Along the way, they face
adversity from the COVID-19 pandemic, Hurricane Ida, and the loss of krewe
members to both COVID and gun violence. Director Matthew O. Henderson expressed
delight over the announcement his film would open the festival.
"Premiering A King Like Me at the New Orleans Film Festival feels like a dream come true," Henderson said in a press release. "At its heart, our film explores the complexities of tradition and the impact that the search for belonging, identity, and worth has on the Black community. Our incredible team worked tirelessly to highlight how cultural expression can be a powerful force for unity and empowerment in a city."
The film festival received over 3,200
submissions from 100 countries. Programmers selected 136 films for the fest.
Films from directors based in the American South represent 56% of the lineup.
Louisiana-made films represent 26% of the lineup. Directors from the LGBTQ+
community account for 33% of the lineup.
Other announced highlights include the
North American premiere of the documentary Blue: The Life and Art of George
Rodrigue, the story of the famous Blue Dog artist, as well as the world
premiere of the documentary Ghetto Children about the sons of legendary
Southern rap icons Juvenile, B.G., and Soulja Slim.
"This year's lineup
really demonstrates our festival's commitment to Southern stories," Clint
Bowie, artistic director for the NOFS, said in a press release. "This region is rich
with talented filmmakers, and we are thrilled for the festival to once again
congregate audiences, artists, and industry against the backdrop of
extraordinary cinema."
This year's festival marks a return to
October after the festival spent three years in November following the COVID-19
pandemic. The in-person festival dates will be October 16-22 with the virtual
festival continuing until October 27. All-access passes are on presale through
August 29. All pass types will be on sale starting August 30. The schedule will
be announced on September 20. Closing night and spotlight films will be
announced soon as well.
For more information, visit NewOrleansFilmFestival.org.
