Producers Seek Funding for Documentary, "Huey P. Newton and the Story of the Black Panther Party"

[Troy]

 

Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation
1015 Amador Street, P.O. Box 4423
Vallejo, CA 94590

June 30, 2012

PRESS RELEASE

The Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation, President Fredrika Newton (the widow of Huey P. Newton) and foundation executive director, David Hilliard, have selected Emmy award winning independent filmmaker Dante James to produce and direct a feature documentary, tentatively titled Huey P. Newton and the Story of the Black Panther Party.

According to David Hilliard a childhood friend of Newton, and a founding member and leader of the Black Panther Party, “This film will tell the story of the Black Panther Party (BPP) from inside the Party through the story of Huey P. Newton. Huey was a brilliant, complex man whose commitment to the humanity and dignity of Black people and all of humanity is well-defined in his books and essays but is little know to the general public.” Hilliard adds, “Dante James is our choice to make this film because his work is engaging and complex and he respects his subjects and the history. “

Producer director Dante James states, “Other films have explored the Black Panther Party from the point of view of fringe and short time members. This film will explore the inner workings and the evolution of the Party. Huey P. Newton’s story as leader and standard-bearer of the Party will be interwoven throughout the film. Intimate interviews, unseen film footage and unheard audio recordings will drive the narrative.”

The production team believes the philosophy of the Black Panther Party as defined in its 10-point program addressed the basic needs and desires of the community. The legacy of the Black Panther Party endures today, which is one of the reasons why the corporate mainstream media continue their efforts to distort and disfigure the Party’s’ legacy. But said media will not prevail. The people will! Hilliard states, “We need the publics’ support to tell this story outside of the forces of mainstream media including PBS.” The film will be distributed through independent theater release, video on demand and DVD sales in domestic and international markets.

Producer/director Dante James plans to complete the film by the summer of 2013. The producers are seeking investments from independent, private sources and start up funding through Kickstarter, the online financing website. Anyone seeking more information or wanting to support the project can contribute through Kickstarter or by contacting Dante James at djames2015@nc.rr.com or 919-475-9879 and David Hilliard at davidhilliard66@gmail.com or 510-507-3853.

Dante James
DMD Films, LLC
1612 Timber Wolf Dr.
Durham, NC 27713

919-475-9879

[Waterstar]

Thank you, Troy.

I really hope that this documentary does not gloss things over on either end, too much has been eliminated, demonized, minimized or romanticized. The people need to know. If Bro Huey's story is told as honestly and as openly as possible, it will open the door for more of the story to be told and received, which it never really has been. This will re-open (and in many cases "open") the door for the stories of so many to be told and considered. Our political prisoners who are still existing with U.S. bounties on their heads, our political prisoners who are serving

"life +" sentences for daring to be honest, for daring to help change the miserable conditions of a people and of humanity, their stories will start receiving more attention and consideration.

The realities of today, they will have to come out. Many of these realities that so many (both on domestic and foreign fronts) are oblivious to, these realities of today will have to come out.Then it will be understood what is meant by statements like "The struggle is not over; the struggle has just evolved...the struggle has just become much more sophisticated."

[Troy]

The Kickstarter Campaign for Dante's film was unsuccessful, raising less that 10% of the $40,000 goal.  It does not appear that the film was ever made.  I found the following video on Dante's Page

 

There is a new documentary film about the Black Panthers, The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution.