September 7, 2007 – (New York City) The Hip-Hop Association [H2A] is proud to partner with the bfm International Black Film Festival (BIFF) to provide a diverse segment of global Hip-Hop film programming from throughout the African Diaspora. The bfm International Film Festival is taking place from September 7–14 in London, England at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) and Stratford Circus.

BIFF is one of the premier black events held in London each year. The festival was established in 1999 with the aim of filling a void within London’s film exhibition scene. The work of many filmmakers had become virtually marginalized, and audiences, particularly within the African-Caribbean community, were eager to see films that reflected the cultural experience of the UK’s black communities. The festival’s purpose was, and still is, to make a difference by “bringing the unseen to light”.

This year, the festival will showcase at least a dozen of the films from the 2007 H2O International Film Festival. They will be presenting the UK premieres of Bling: A Planet Rock, I Love Hip Hop Morocco and the H2O award-winning films: for Best Feature Narrative, Wholetrain (Germany), and Best Feature Documentary, Wu: The Story of the Wu Tang Clan, (US) and the Freshest Youth Award Winner, The Hip-Hop Project (US). The creator of the Hip-Hop Project, Chris “Kazi” Rolle, will participate in a Q&A and will do special performance.

Other films screening include: H2O’s winner of the Best Feature Documentary, Mr. Devious (South Africa); Best Music Video, When the Gun Draws (Pharoahe Monch) (US); Best Short Documentary, Guilty or Innocent of Using the N Word; Like an Ambassador For His People (Senegal/Germany), B.L.A.C.K.: An Aboriginal Song of Hip-Hop (Australia); and a special screening of Charlie Ahearn’s, Bongo Barbershop (US/Tanzania).

Mona Ibrahim, the Hip-Hop Association’s Director of Community Building and Program Development says “Once again, we are proud to partner with BFM this year to present a myriad of stories celebrating the rich diversity within our Hip-Hop community, globally. The voice of the Hip-Hop filmmaker echoes loudly, resonating throughout the world. We have been blessed to provide a forum of exhibition for these films not only at our own festival, but also at other festivals, conferences, museums, and educational forums worldwide. We are excited to team up with BFM to help facilitate their mission of bringing the unseen to light and look forward to continued partnerships in the UK.”

For more information about the BFM festival and a complete schedule, please visit www.bfmmedia.com.

About the H2O:
H2O [Hip-Hop Odyssey] is the media initiative of the Hip-Hop Association. Our media activities includes the H2O [Hip-Hop Odyssey] International Film Festival, the Odyssey Awards, and the Defuse Media Lab, its mission is to support the use of Hip-Hop culture as a tool for social awareness and youth empowerment. Through the development of innovative technological tools, the Hip-Hop Association has created opportunities for media distribution and information dissemination.

SANTA MONICA, CA-Xenon Pictures announces the home entertainment release of the Urban horror anthology SNOOP DOGG’S HOOD OF HORROR. The film, which features the legendary rapper as the “Crib Keeper”, presents three grisly morality tales that blend horror, anime, live action and a strong dose of gallows humor. The Xenon Pictures release, produced by Social Capital, BloodWorks, and Snoopadelic Films, which opened nationally in theaters in May, makes its long-awaited DVD launch on September 11th. SNOOP DOGG’S HOOD OF HORROR will be available nationwide in all major retail stores and on-line merchants for $26.98 (SRP). The DVD is rated R.

Inspired in part by the classic “Tales from the Crypt” comic book series, SNOOP DOGG’S HOOD OF HORROR takes the urban nightmare into the realm of the supernatural and the bizarre. Take, for example, the tagger who’s given the power of life and death by a shamanistic stranger, the son of a Texas oil millionaire who never fought in a war, steals from veterans, and doesn’t care if somebody has to get killed, or the rap star whose skeletons come out of the closet-literally. Hip-hop icon Snoop Dogg stars as Devin, a slain gangster forced to atone for his misdeeds by ushering his fellow sinners to their infernal “rewards”, accompanied by his posse of scantily-clad sucubi. Described by Variety as “gleefully disgusting”, this darkly comical gorefest boasts a stellar cast from the worlds of film and TV, hip-hop and pro sports, including Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters, “Desperate Housewives”), Danny Trejo (The Devil’s Rejects), Lin Shaye (There’s Something About Mary), Anson Mount (In Her Shoes, City by the Sea), PlaymateÆ Brande Roderick, Daniella Alonso (The Hills Have Eyes 2), Pooch Hall (The Game), Sydney Tamiia Poitier (Grindhouse), WWF superstar Diamond Dallas Page, Aries Spears (Mad TV) and NBA star Tayshaun Prince. Also featured are Billy Dee Williams, Jason Alexander (Seinfeld), rapper Method Man (The Wire), NBA star Lamar Odom and NFL stars Teyo Johnson, Justin Fargas and Glenn Cadrez.

In addition to its eye-catching foil-embossed packaging and 24-page booklet, the DVD is packed with great extras, such as the featurette Inside Snoop Dogg’s Hood of Horror, where members of the production team and cast discuss how the film came to be, what the characters are about and, even better, how they created some of the incredible makeup effects, including the notorious 40-ouncer-through-the-head”. Another feature, Bringin’ the Gore, gives a behind-the-scenes look at how many of the visual effects were created, while H.O.H.: The Anime shows the painstaking work that went into creating the film’s electrifying anime sequences. Also included are the Snoop Dogg video Welcome to the Hood, an interview with sexy actress Brande Roderick, footage of the film’s Los Angeles premiere, and much more!