New Urban Comedy from MEE Films Uses Entertainment to Inspire Urban Youth to Pursue Their Dreams Conceived and produced by MEE Films, Up Against the 8-Ball was created to inspire urban youth and young adults (of all races)to pursue their dreams in spite of challenges they might face. According to MEE President, Ivan Juzang: "To counteract some of the movies out there that portray African Americans in a less-than-positive light, this is one of the few R-rated films where you will hear the word education more throughout the script than curse words." Up Against the 8 Ball is an urban comedy-drama about a pair of self-supporting female co-eds at a Black college suddenly strapped for cash to pay their last year of college tuition. In a pinch, they must rely on their pool-hustling skills to earn the money, and wind up on the journey of their lives.
Directed by Troy Curvey Jr., with creative guidance from actor Miguel A. Nunez Jr. (Juwanna Mann, Life, BET's Sparks) 8 Ball was shot on location in Los Angeles, Compton and Las Vegas. Up Against the 8 Ball features a cast of some of today's hottest, up-and-coming entertainers, including Arnez J. (BET's Comic View), Kym Whitley (Deliver Us From Eva), Iva La'Shawn (Comic View, The Wash), Tawny Dahl (Baby Boy), rap artist Lady May (May Day, Crazy Cat Records) and Jay Cooper (BET's Teen Summit). The film received positive responses in previews with urban youth, who said it exceeded their expectations. They also felt that a story like 8 Ball's could help to motivate young people to "hang in there" with whatever they want out of life. Juzang credits MEE's proprietary audience research in the film's early development stage as one of the reasons for its success: "We went directly to youth and asked them if this movie is something they would see and recommend to their friends. They told us the real deal, and we revised our script to reflect scenarios that were both funny and authentic to the streets." Up Against the 8 Ball has been screened at several film festivals in its premier year, including: the 12th Annual Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles, February, 2004; the Spaghetti Junction Urban Film Festival in Atlanta, February, 2004; the Third Annual Cine Noir: A Festival of Black Film in Wilmington, NC, March, 2004; and Through Her Eyes: Women of Color Film Festival in New York City, June/July, 2004. The film has also been selected for inclusion in the 27th Annual Mill Valley Film Festival in the Bay Area of California. To realize its goal of inspiring urban youth, MEE has partnered with BEYOND Z Commercial Entertainment to promote Up Against the 8 Ball and its messages. To tie-in with multi-market theatrical screenings in September (see schedule below), BEYOND Z will produce the Up Against the 8 Ball Virtual Pool Tournament. The competition will be syndicated on Websites that appeal to young urban audiences, including colleges (especially Historically Black Colleges and Universities), inner city community-based organizations, and hip-hop/urban radio stations and entertainment portals. Participating brands will fund tournament prizes ranging from on-line access to SAT preparation classes to college scholarships, through organizations such as the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund. The film is scheduled to be screened in the following markets, theaters and dates: Baltimore, MD - Heritage CinemaPlex - 1045 Taylor Ave. - September 17-19, 2004 Columbus, OH - The Ohio State University - Independence Hall -September 22, 2004 Philadelphia, PA - International House - 3701 Chestnut Street - September 25, 2004 Washington, DC – American Film Institute – Silver Spring, Md –September/October, 2004 Marie Onwuachi Associate Producer MEE Films Inc. 202-296-2601 www.upagainstthe8ball.com Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news from the sport of billiards and pool.
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