Donté Clark to appear at Bailey Hall Screening of "Romeo Is Bleeding"

Young urban poet is subject of the film from executive producer Russell Simmons

Davie, Fla. (October 19, 2017) – From Executive Producer Russell Simmons and Director Jason Zeldes, the award-winning documentary  Romeo is Bleeding comes to Bailey Hall on Thursday, November 2 at 7:30 p.m. as part of the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers.

The film follows Donté Clark, a young poet who transcends the violence of a fatal turf war in his hometown of Richmond, California Clark struggles to maintain his idealism as he works with high school students to mount an urban adaptation of Shakespeare's  Romeo and Juliet to end Richmond's cycle of trauma.

"We are tremendously fortunate to have Donté here with us at the screening to discuss the film with our audience," said

Dr. Dan Barnard, Broward College associate dean of cultural affairs and director of Bailey Hall. "It is a rare treat to be able to hear directly from him and learn what has happened in his life since."

Romeo Is Bleeding received the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at the San Francisco International Film Festival, Audience Award Best Documentary at the Aspen Film Fest and Best Documentary Feature at the Napa Valley Film Festival, as well as other awards.

Zeldes notes that  Romeo is Bleeding is about what happens within everyone as they form their identity. "Will you let your constraints define you, or will you redefine them? It's a universal question, but when it plays out in poverty stricken communities, the stakes are high and the results are often tragic," he wrote. "Just as Donté inspired me to make a film I hope my film will inspire people everywhere to create beauty where they recognize the need, so that future generations can inherit a cultural fabric made of poetry and empowerment, rather than hatred and despair."

The trailer is available at  http://www.baileyhall.org/events/romeo-is-bleeding-film-2017/ .

The Bailey Hall Film Series is presented in the Bailey Hall Jazz Club format, offering a more intimate experience in which the audience sits on the stage for an 'up close and personal' interaction with the filmmaker. Ticket holders receive a complementary beverage to enjoy during the film to add to the casual lounge atmosphere.

The Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers is a program of South Arts. Southern Circuit screenings are funded in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The Bailey Hall Film Series continues with  DEEJ (Feb. 15);  Purple Dreams, (March 15);  Look and See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry (April 12); and  Pushing Dead (TBD).

Tickets are $10. Student and senior discounts are also available. Tickets are available by visiting  www.baileyhall.org  or contacting the Bailey Hall box office at (954) 201-6884. The box office and phone lines are open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and one hour prior to an event. The flagship venue of Broward College, Bailey Hall is located on the A. Hugh Adams Central Campus at 3501 Davie Rd. in Davie and offers free parking.

– BC  –