Beginning in the late 1960s and continuing through the 70s and 80s, a group of Black filmmakers at the University of California Los Angeles film school created a Black cinema challenging the traditions in Hollywood films. Against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War, filmmakers including Charles Burnett, Julie Dash, and Zeinabu Irene Davis contributed to what would come to be known as the LA Rebellion Film Movement. A member of the second wave of the movement in the early 80s, S. Torriano Berry’s films explore everything from coming-of-age as a young Black man in the 80s to urban horror. As a cinematographer, Berry worked on Zeinabu irene Davis’ iconic documentary, Trumpetistically, Clora Bryant (1989). For his lecture, Berry will screen his film Rich (1983) and discuss the conceptual underpinnings that drove his early work as a UCLA MFA student. 

ABOUT

Torriano Berry is an award-winning independent filmmaker who has created, and executive produced the anthology series Black Independent Showcase, and Black Visions/Silver Screen: Howard University Student Film Showcase for WHUT-TV 32, in Washington, D.C. His feature films include Rich (1982) and Embalmer (1996). 

As a writer, Berry co-authored the film resource books, The 50 Most Influential Black Films (Citadel Press, 2001)  and Historical Dictionary of African American Cinema (Scarecrow Press, 2007 & 2015). Berry is Professor Emeritus at Howard University’s Department of Media, Journalism, and Film. He received his BA in Art/Photography from Arizona State University and earned his MFA in Motion Picture Production from the University of California, Los Angeles. He lives in Coralville, Iowa.

ACCESS INFORMATION: This program is free and open to the public. For questions and access accommodations, email gallery400engagement@gmail.com.