The 24th Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival continued on Wednesday evening with a screening of Boo-Yah: A Portrait of Stuart Scott presented by ESPN 30 for 30.
The screening was followed by an on-stage conversation moderated by former Boston Globe Today Television host Segun Oduolowu, with festival founders Floyd and Stephanie Rance, and Stuart Scott’s ex-wife, Kimberly Scott.
After the screening, the festival founders remarked on the journey the festival has taken, both in their lives and in the lives of those who have participated in and attended the event for nearly a quarter of a century.
Mr. Rance recalled that when they first started the festival, their son was almost one-year old, and their daughter was born two years later.
“This is kind of like our third child,” Mr. Rance said.
Ms. Rance told the audience that she enjoys seeing the widespread impact that the event has.
“It’s always amazing when people come up to us and say, ‘We’re so grateful; this changed my life. I got proposed to at your festival. I decided to start a career in film because of your festival. My film got picked up because of your festival.’”
This year’s festival opened on August 7 and continues through August 15, bringing with a full schedule film screenings, discussions and creative inspiration every day. It has become an essential gathering each August on the Vineyard.
Wednesday’s screening was yet another example of the power of storytelling.
“Everything landed the way it was supposed to land,” Mr. Rance said. “I feel that is a measure of success right there. You convey the message that needs to be conveyed.”
Mr. Scott was a well-known ESPN sportscaster and television personality, and one of the first news anchors to bring hip-hop culture into sports journalism. “Boo-Yah” was an iconic phrase of his.
However, in 2007, he was diagnosed with appendix cancer and died seven years later in 2014.
Mr. Oduolowu, who worked as a television host, began the panel discussion by crediting Mr. Scott for his own journalism career.
“I would not have been able to do that if it hadn’t been for Stuart Scott,” he said. “Stuart gave people in our business the ability to be unapologetically ourselves.”
The 79-minute documentary, directed by Andre Gaines, took five years to create. The film featured extensive home-video footage of the Scott family, including their two daughters, Taelor and Sydni.
The couple got married in 1993 and divorced in 2007, but remained amicable. Ms. Scott was the first person Mr. Scott called when he was diagnosed with cancer.
Ms. Scott told the film festival audience the three things he said to her during his cancer battle: “Take care of yourself, take care of the girls, and ask for help.”
Ms. Scott said those words are what eventually led to making the documentary. After Mr. Scott died, his oldest daughter, Taelor Scott, worked as an intern with the Rances at the film festival. Ms. Rance, who is an executive producer of the film alongside her husband, recalled the summer Taelor worked for them.
“I always told her, make sure no one tells your father’s story; make sure you tell your father’s story.”
Now, Taelor Scott’s name rolls in the credits as an executive producer on the documentary.
The film festival concludes on Saturday with an advanced screening of the HBO Max series Lanterns, staring Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre, and a documentary about nine-time Grammy-award winning band Earth, Wind & Fire. Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson directed the film and will take part in a discussion after the screening.
A closing party takes place Saturday night at Noman’s in Oak Bluffs.
Comments
Comment policy »