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Contact: Alexus Rhone
Email: info@alexusrhone.com  
       

Faith, Philosophy & The Mental Health of Black Americans 
DIGITAL STORYTELLING SERIES Featured in 2024 IBTF Film Fest
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RALEIGH, NC, July 11, 2024] -  "Religion, Philosophy, & Mental Health in Black Americans" will be featured in the 2024 International Black Theatre Festival's (IBTF) Film Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Three storytellers - a Christian pastor, a Muslim, and a First Lady - share the everyday experience of being mentally and emotionally taxed by 'life on life's terms.' Yet, they find their way to firmer ground through a twisted maze of religious ideology, philosophical thought, and the playfulness of the Divine Mystery. The showtimes are 12:15 PM, Tuesday, July 30, and 10:15 AM, Thursday, August 1, at a/perture cinema (Studio 1). All IBTF Film Festival screenings are free. 

 

Director and executive producer Alexus Rhone is thrilled to have this documentary/digital series in the IBTF Film Festival. "I am beyond excited to see this project on the big screen!" The series features three storytellers - Star Robinson-Russell (Charlotte, NC), Ruben Morales (Houston, TX), and Ghazi Muhammad (Villa Rica, GA). Robinson-Russell uses humor to describe the three times she planned to remove herself from the land of the living. Morales takes us on a wild ride through law enforcement and ministry and its traumatic effects on police officers and preachers who seek to do good. Muhammad tells a beautiful redemption story about abuse, the perils of being born to a teenage mother, and the impact of embracing a philosophy that mended their relationship. 

 

According to Rhone, a story is the most palatable way to reach across ideological lines. "Truth, when dressed in a story, expands empathy," the founder of Truth Meet Story, LLC, insists.

 

"Religion, Philosophy, & Mental Health in Black Americans" began as part of an ideation process with a Midwest Christian seminary. "The organization received a grant to explore creative approaches to talk about faith with people who don't trust faith-oriented people or faith-based organizations. The committee wanted to explore ways to use digital spaces. We bantered back and forth about how to get eyeballs on content without being overly religious - or religious at all."

 

That is where things got tricky. Rhone said delivering the final product was where the wheels fell off the cart. "It's funny to think about now. But I was livid when it happened, specifically why they feared these stories. I remember being catatonic for a few moments, and when I finally came to myself, the head of the committee asked me what I was thinking, and I answered, 'That it's not smart to trust Christians.'"

 

Looking back on her comments, while harsh, she says it was the awakening that the seminary team needed to hear. "How can you train people to go into the world to minister when you're afraid of the lived realities of people who don't match your religious sensibilities?" 

 

The seminary decided to "gift" Rhone the footage, provided they could access it to use in their evangelism courses. "I love to use this series to help train ministers to hear complex and messy stories, sort of like life."

 

The documentary/digital storytelling series has already been screened in several film festivals this summer. The 14th Charlotte Black Film Festival kicked off the first public screening, followed by the WRPN Women's International Film Festival in Delaware and The Oscar Micheaux Black Film Festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee. 

 

To promote the IBTF Film Festival screening, Rhone is hosting her acclaimed faith and adult storytelling series "Jesus, Jazz & Dessert Wine: A Tribute to Nina Simone," on Sunday, July 28, at Melrose Coffee & Wine Bar in Winston-Salem. Lynnette Barber, the JJDW minister of flava & musical vibes, will provide jazz vocals accompanied by keyboardist phenom Samuel Obie of Durham, NC. Following the storytelling set, Barber and Obie will perform a musical tribute to North Carolina native Nina Simone. "It's an homage to our native daughter who battled mental illness later in life. The tribute will celebrate Nina's musical brilliance."  It will also continue the conversation on the importance of mental health and the dangers of creating a one-size-fits-all narrative about its challenges.

 

A graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary in Los Angeles, CA, and a former Seeds Project Fellow with Luther Seminary, Rhone creates content and live experiences that appeal to people turned off by religion but who value philosophical thought and creative gatherings that allow everyone to be themselves. "Perfect self-expression is my daily practice. Curating space for others to enjoy perfect self-expression is a goal for my events."

 

A brief talk-back will follow both screenings. 

 

For more information about the film, email Rhone at info@alexusrhone.com. 
 
   

EVENT DETAILS:

“Religion, Philosophy, & Mental Health in Black Americans”
2024 International Black Theatre Festival’s Film Fest 
12:15 PM, Tuesday, July 30
10:15 AM, Thursday, August 1
a/perture cinema (Studio 1)
https://ncblackrep.org/2024-ibtf-film-fest/

 

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