Voodoo Macbeth, a film recounting Orson Welles’ 1936 production of Macbeth with an all-Black cast, will be an official selection at the 45th Cleveland International Film Festival in April.
The USC School of Cinematic Arts produced movie had its world premiere on February 28 at the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles.
The Cleveland festival, the largest movie fest in Ohio, will be virtual this year because of the pandemic. It will stream Voodoo Macbeth on April 8-20. Tickets for the general public start at $10.
The movie recalls how a 20-year-old Welles adapted and directed a Federal Theatre Project of Macbeth. He moved the Shakespearean play’s setting from Scotland to a Caribbean island. Before the play opened, Welles was criticized by those who feared he was creating a demeaning, burlesque production and not hiring enough Black crew. After its opening, he was hailed for championing African-American theater.
Jewell Wilson Bridges stars as Welles with Inger Tudor as Rose McClendon, the Broadway actress who supervised the Negro Theatre Unit of the Federal Theatre Project. June Schreiner co-stars as Virginia Nicolson Welles.
The film credits 10 directors and eight writers. John Watson, who holds the Broccoli Endowed Chair for Producing at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, was project supervisor for the film.
Full cast and crew credits, as well as production photos, can be found online at voodoomacbethfilm.com
Related content:
‘Voodoo Macbeth’ recounts landmark stage play (review)
‘Voodoo Macbeth’ to debut at Pan African Film Festival; trailer online
‘Voodoo Macbeth’ movie readying for release
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