We were thrilled to welcome Ghanaian-Italian filmmaker Fred Kuwornu for two great events in November, 2015. While here, Fred shared an extended rough cut of his near-complete documentary Blaxploitalian: 100 Years of Blackness in Italian Cinema, and spoke to a packed room about diversity and media in Italy and beyond. Later that same evening, he also screened and discussed his 2012 documentary, 18 IUS SOLI: The Right to be Italian, which looks at issues of citizenship and identity. It was a great day dedicated to important cultural work and we can’t wait to have Fred back when Blaxpoitalian is complete.
Bio: Director Fred “Kudjo” Kuwornu, an activist-producer-writer-director, was born and raised in Italy and is now based in Brooklyn NY. After his experience working with the production crew of Spike Lee’s Miracle at St. Anna in Italy, Fred decided to research the unknown story of the 92nd Infantry “Buffalo Soldiers” Division, which led him to produce and direct the Award-winning documentary Inside Buffalo (2010). In 2012 he released 18 IUS SOLI, which examines multiculturalism in Italy and the question of citizenship for the one million children of immigrants born and raised in Italy who are not yet Italian citizens. He is the founder of the Association Diversity Italia, promoting the importance of racial and ethnic diversity in Italy and Europe through film and other art forms as tools for building a more inclusive society.