When Friday the 13th creeps on the calendar this month, it will mark a lucky day for black cinema.
Why?
Because five – that’s right, five – films will hit theaters in April that were produced by, for or about African Americans.
Bishop T.D. Jakes kicks things off with a follow-up to his 2004 movie, Woman Thou Art Loosed, starring Kimberly Elise.
Jakes’ latest installment in the Loosed franchise is titled, On the Seventh Day, and is a psychological thriller about a serial killer who murders children on the Sabbath, hence the film’s title.
When the killer abducts a young girl, an investigation into the crime uncovers secrets about her parents that could determine whether she lives or dies.
The subject matter is timely considering African Americans comprise 14 percent of the nation’s population yet account for more than 40 percent of all missing persons cases.
TV One, a cable network, sheds light on the subject in their new series, Find Our Missing, that highlights cases of missing blacks.
The film also stars blaxploitation film legend Pam Grier and relatively newcomer, Sharon Leal (Why Did I Get Married).
Not your cup of tea?
Then wait, there’s more!
Actor/Director Mario Van Peebles also has a movie debuting on Friday.
Dubbed, We the Party, the movie is a coming of age comdey set on a fictious college campus and stars Peebles, rapper Snoop Dog and actor Michael Jai White.
Three other films with predominately black casts also debut this month. They are:
- Think Like a Man, which will be released on April 20th and is a dramedy based on the relationship book by comedian Steve Harvey. It features Hollywood’s A-listers Taraji P. Hall, Michael Ealy and Gabrielle Union.
- Kevin MacDonald (Last King of Scotland) will release his long anticipated feature documentary about Reggae legend Bob Marley on April 20th.
- Andrew Dosunmu round things off with Restless City, a film about an African immigrant trying to survive New York City‘s mean streets. It hits theaters on April 27th.