Award-Winning Short Documentary "Becoming Black Lawyers" to Screen at the Upcoming North Carolina Black Film Festival

WILMINGTON, N.C. - March 18, 2022 - PRLog -- The award-winning short documentary "Becoming Black Lawyers" will screen at the 18^th Annual North Carolina Black Film Festival set to take place in Wilmington, North Carolina from Friday, March 25^th to Sunday, March 27^th, 2022. So far, during its short run in the film festival circuit, the film has received more than 20 awards including over a dozen "Best Documentary Short" recognitions. The documentary shares the personal stories, perspectives, and experiences of five Black lawyers who discover that during the "process" of becoming lawyers, they must push through to overcome additional challenges beyond the rigors of studying the law in a hypercompetitive environment. They grapple with the contradictions of studying in an institution that idealistically represents "justice" for all but where not everyone is welcomed or treated equally.

According to the filmmaker Evangeline M. Mitchell, "I am so excited that "Becoming Black Lawyers" is screening at this year's North Carolina Black Film Festival - one of the best Black film festivals in the country. It is truly an honor for my film to have been selected and included in this wonderful event dedicated to showcasing the work of independent Black filmmakers." Evangeline, a lawyer and social entrepreneur who has been a tireless advocate for providing greater access to legal education for African Americans, is a current distance student in the Certificate of Documentary Arts program at Duke University's Center for Documentary Studies in Durham, North Carolina. She is set to graduate this year. "I've enjoyed visiting and studying here in the state of North Carolina throughout the years. I consider this my filmmaking home - the place where I first shared my ideas for my documentary projects with a group and found a community of other documentary filmmakers passionate about telling meaningful stories. I am overjoyed to be back for the festival and to have my first short film screened here."

"Becoming Black Lawyers" is a unique contribution to Black cinema in that it is currently the only documentary that shares the reflections of Black lawyers regarding the very real struggles of their lived experiences while attending predominantly White law schools in pursuit of earning their law degrees. It will screen on Saturday, March 26^th, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. on the Main Stage at the Community Arts Center. The running time for the short is 25 minutes. The film will be immediately followed by a Black lawyers panel.

The North Carolina Black Film Festival will feature screenings of a broad array of over 40 carefully selected films centering Black lives and experiences from various genres. The films will be hosted in different locations throughout the city of Wilmington including the University of North Carolina Wilmington's Upper African American Cultural Center, Jengo's Playhouse, the Community Arts Center, and the Cameron Art Museum. You can find the festival schedule online at www.blackartsalliance.org. Tickets are available for purchase via Eventbrite.

For more information about "Becoming Black Lawyers," please visit the official website at www.becomingblacklawyers.com. Updates regarding the film can be found on its social media channels via Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.