Big Daddy Kane and Glenn Plummer are featured in provoking’s new Film ‘ElemenTory’ from Vision Films directed by Terrence Arlyn.
A high-tension thriller that stokes fear and awareness of the flawed systems created to serve and protect,
Nationwide — Vision Films, Inc. (“Vision”) announces the Transactional VOD release of the suspenseful child abduction parable ElemenTory on February 13, 2024.
Written and directed by Terrence Arlyn, the film is produced by Mija Edwards from Arlyn Entertainment and executive produced by Charles Jenkins Jr from 784 Films in a deal with Cleo Flucker of RepMyFilm.
It features famous faces including rap superstar Big Daddy Kane, Glenn Plummer (ER, Sons of Anarchy), and in the title role of “Tory,” young Francesca Rain who recently sang with Steve Martin on Only Murders in the Building. The movie was filmed entirely on location in Philadelphia and New Jersey.
In ElemenTory, a young couple’s world is shattered when their child goes missing in broad daylight. Shortly after, another child mysteriously disappears from school. When the parents get no help from the police or the school, they band together to take matters into their own hands.
CEO/Managing Director of Vision Films, Lise Romanoff shares, “ElemenTory is an edge-of-your-seat-drama that keeps you guessing and has an unexpected twist at the end. It is also a unique vehicle to reinforce a message for child safety in schools.”
Writer/Director Terrence Arlyn shares, “When it comes to a child’s life, we must do something. This was my way of doing something. With the wide release of the film, we hope to reach and have the message resonate with audiences everywhere.”
STARRING: ShaunPaul Costello (Burn After Watching), Juliette Valdez (Love and Lust), Glenn Plummer (Speed), Big Daddy Kane (Rap Superstar, The Equalizer TV Series), Kenisha Pinckney (Myal Uprising), Tyrone Nathaniel Reeves (Last Shot)
ElemenTory will be available on major streaming and cable platforms across the US and Canada on February 13, 2024, followed by DVD at major online retailers.
Founder of Black-Owned Social Media Network, WeKinFolk, Celebrates 1.5 Million Visitors in Three Years
Nationwide — WeKinFolk, a digital diaspora is the online platform that celebrates over 500k site visits in 2023. It was launched in 2020 by IT Expert, Ernest L. Manning, fueled by his desire to celebrate Black culture and provide a launching pad for start-ups to grow their businesses organically. To date, the platform has seen over 1.5 million visitors and is supported by scores of active users who make daily posts.
Touted as the Black Facebook, WeKinFolk is rooted in Black culture and combines all the latest and best features of the most popular platforms to provide a one-stop shop for everything Black. Users engage the platform to connect with friends and family, share moments and inspiring messages, and promote their businesses.
With scores of dedicated followers and its magnetic appeal to startups, WeKinFolk is on a fast track to achieving its mission of becoming the go-to social media platform of the Black culture.
Ernest L Manning, the CEO of WeKinFolk, is excited about the growth and success of the platform. He encourages people to sign up, “If you’re a Black influencer and you’re not on WeKinFolk, then it’s your time to join and engage with us.”
Far from the average social media platform, WeKinFolk is an empowerment hub for its Black users Members treasure the exclusivity and freedom of expression without fear of judgment or backlash. One user summed up his overall experience with WeKinFolk. He said: “My wife and I are moving away from mainstream social media. I want something more personal and private. So I am asking my close family and friends to join me here. Let’s make the village feel more like a village and make the ancestors proud.”
For press inquiries, contact ernest@wekinfolk.com
Netflix Film Producer Takes Interest in Popular Black Book Series That Has Sold 12 Million Copies
Nationwide — Pierre Bagley, an independent filmmaker who has directed the likes of Taraji P. Henson and whose films have aired on Netflix, Bounce TV, TNT, and more, is now set to adapt and produce a film series based on the popular Bluford books series
written by a multiracial team of authors. To date, the books in that series have sold more than 12 million copies.
The Bluford books series has caught the industry off guard because of its massive and avid fan base. In 2001, an indie publisher disrupted the Young Adult market by rejecting the cynical, baseless notion that “black kids don’t read,” by publishing a 7-book YA series, set in an urban American high school. All the main characters were Black and Brown — unheard of at the time — and they were complex and multifaceted, their stories realistic and edgy but also uplifting. The Bluford Series was born.
Today, the series spans 23 titles and has sales of more than 12 million copies with readers in all 50 states and boasting a readership of more than 50 million. Bluford has achieved historic success in YA fiction (U.S. sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson is an avid fan). It has also fueled a vocal fanbase clamoring for a television/film series.
“For over two decades, the Bluford High Series has represented hope, resilience, compassion, and overcoming adversity, all hallmarks for creating captivating content, which is the sole focus of our creative team’s efforts,” says Pierre Bagley.
Mr. Bagley and Academy Award-winning producer David Dinerstein have joined efforts to bring Bluford to the screen and will be pitching the series to various streaming outlets (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc) as well as broadcast and cable.
The producers took an unconventional route of appealing directly to Bluford’s massive audience and asking the simple question: Why?… Why can’t this bright, passionate audience of millions have a TV/film series based on the books they read growing up? Why can’t they watch these stories that resonate for them? They asked the question and the response has been enormous.
Learn more about the Blueford Book series via its official website at bluford.org