LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The four-day Las Vegas Black Film Festival at Suncoast Casino will culminate in a star-studded evening Saturday as nominated African American filmmakers walk the "orange carpet" ahead of the announcement of nominated award winners.
A nominated screenplay, written by Pamela Richardson, examines one former slave's history.
"Tal Jones: A Black Oil History" recounts the life of a man who discovered oil on his Oklahoma property in the early 1900s and the legacy of Black wealth that helped create.
Richardson said wiring the screenplay allowed her to examine her own family's history.
"A lot of us might have wealth that was taken from us," she said, "and this is an example of something that has been perpetuated throughout history. Black people really end up on the short end of the stick, and it's really up to us to rise above it."
Richardson said she hopes to turn the screenplay into a television miniseries.
It has already been nominated at several film festivals around the country.
The "orange carpet" walk will begin at 6 p.m. followed by the awards ceremony.
Learn more about the festival on lasvegasblackfilmfestival.com.
