ENGLEWOOD —The fifth annual Englewood International Film Festival will be back this weekend and new this year is an acting workshop co-led by actress Naturi Naughton.
Naughton "will take the actors through the fundamentals of acting,” said Mark Harris, the film festival’s founder. “She’s booking roles so it would be beneficial for actors to look at what she’s doing. Chicago has a lot of talent and we’re bigger than just extras and TV shows.”
Naughton is known for her roles as Lil Kim in "Notorious" and Tasha in the Starz drama "Power." She has starred in other projects such as "Lottery Ticket," "The Playboy Club" and "Fame."
The international film festival will screen movies Friday through Sunday at Studio Movie Grill, 210 W. 87th St. The Power of the Actor Workshop will be taught by Naturi Naughton and Wendy McKenzie on Saturday. The $135 class will offer training and coaching, plus participants can submit their bios and headshots for consideration by Swirl Films and In the Wink of an Eye Casting. People can sign up online here.
Harris is an Englewood native and a Hollywood movie director, writer and producer. He said the film festival screen movies from all walks of life and different countries. When it comes to the films with African-Americans, he said organizers do their best to select ones with positive portrayals instead of the stereotypes oftentimes attached.
“We purposely shy away from films that portray black people in a negative light,” he said.
The film options vary, and most of them are family friendly, he said. This year, the lineup includes the feature film "The Man in 3B," starring Lamman Rucker, Christian Keyes, Brely Evans, Anthony Montgomery, Marla Gibbs and Billie Dee Williams. It will screen on Friday 7:30 p.m. with a Q&A. Tickets are $35, which include the red carpet and opening film.
To see the full list and all ticket prices, visit www.eiff.org.
“This weekend is going to be a very exciting,” Harris said. “We just want to let people know that everyone is welcome. We always have a great time.”
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