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Finding the right wooden baby crib for your child can be tough. Let us help you make the process easier!
Shopping for a crib can seem daunting, especially with so many options available. My first child had a bassinet, convertible crib, travel crib, AND a pack n’ play with removable bassinet and changing table. You might think that there’s no way I used all of those for one baby, but I did.
Each one had a different use. Even though I swear I’m a minimalist, I needed each one for a specific reason. So, using my experience with all the various cribs, I compiled a list to accommodate different needs, styles, and functionalities. In short, this list will help you find the perfect crib for your little one.
Filling a nursery with all the necessities? Make sure you get a comfortable nursing chair by checking out our list of the best nursing chairs for your baby’s room. And follow these links for even more nursery decor ideas, like Nintendo or Harry Potter!
All set? Then, here we go!
Wooden Bassinets
Bassinets are great for when you first bring baby home and are feeding often during the night. The lightweight and easy to move design, whether from the nursery to your bedroom or vice versa, makes those first weeks at home with the baby much less stressful.
This JPMA certified portable bassinet has a unique style with a wooden animal cub design and removable canopy. The frame is made of engineered wood, while the bassinet is plush and quilted inside for your baby’s comfort. Breathable mesh sides ensure ventilation, and the canopy is an excellent addition for those daytime naps. Comes with locking wheels to move to different rooms as needed, and an added storage basket underneath makes it convenient to store extra diapers and wipes for when your baby wakes up in the middle of the night.
In addition, if your little one likes being rocked to sleep, the bassinet can be easily swayed back and forth. This bassinet complements any nursery. Further, its compact enough to keep in an office if you work from home but want your baby nearby.
This size-adjustable crib is a unique convertible wooden baby crib crafted from durable beach wood. Firstly, the oval shape adjusts as your baby grows. Personally, I love a product that can grow with my child. Secondly, you can raise the mattress bottom, making it easier to lift your baby out or lower as your child starts to stand up in the crib. Lastly, one of the sides is removable, so when your child is old enough, they have that freedom of movement. This crib has a unique shape and appearance and will compliment most nurseries.
This smart bassinet has a beautiful, simple design that integrates the use of smart technology to soothe your baby to sleep. Protect your baby and encourage sleeping through the night, while the Smart Life app allows hands-free Auto Glide mode, nightlights, and sensory sounds. The legs are sturdy wood with a walnut finish that compliments the beautiful woven fabrics of the bassinet.
Although the SNOO Smart Sleeper bassinet is not wooden, I felt it would be a necessary addition to this list. The Bentley of cribs is the SNOO bassinet which is award-winning and will boost infant sleeping 1-2 hours. When your baby begins fussing, the SNOO responds with self rocking motions and sounds that mimic conditions in the womb. The SNOO is the first baby bassinet created to prevent accidental rolling over. It keeps your baby safely on their back, which the American of Pediatrics recommends for safe sleep. In addition to all these features, an app connects to the bassinet’s smart technology to track your baby’s sleep patterns and has a weaning option when preparing to move to a crib.
Portable Wooden Baby Cribs
A wooden baby crib that is foldable and portable is a great alternative to a pack and play. Usable at a second home or kept at grandma’s and folded and placed in a closet until the next visit. If you live in a metropolitan area and have limited space in your home, a portable crib can be a great alternative to a full-sized crib if your baby will be co-sleeping in your room or your nursery is on the small side.
Designed for convenience and space-saving, the folding mini crib has a foldable frame with removable and locking caster wheels for easy storage and transport. The low-profile design and adjustable mattress positions make it easy to lift your baby in and out of the crib. Made with sustainably sourced solid New Zealand pine wood, this crib has a classic look.
The portable folding crib is perfect for those families who travel or share the new baby with grandma and grandpa, so the parents can have a quiet night at home. The lightweight frame is made of solid birch wood, which makes for a reliable and durable crib. Further, the crib folds flat for storage, making it ideal to use for a weekend, then easily pack up and store until next use.
Convertible Wooden Baby Cribs
My favorite type of wooden baby crib is a convertible crib which is a great idea if you feel guilty spending hundreds of dollars on a crib. Usable for years and able to grow with your child, so they are well worth the price. Convertible cribs easily convert from cribs to toddler beds to daybeds and, finally, a full-size or twin-size bed for your child.
The 3-in-1 crib combines two of my favorite convertible and portable crib features. Firstly, it’s portable, so the uses for this crib are endless: grandma’s house, vacations, or as a great option if you have limited space but still want all the features of a convertible crib. Secondly, it can be easily folded up and stored when not used which means less room being taken up than a full-sized crib. This is also an excellent option for co-sleeping in your room until your baby is ready to be in a room alone.
The mattress platform has four adjustable positions as your baby goes from newborn to standing up. When the mattress is set to the highest setting, the crib can double as a bassinet that you can keep next to your bed. Once your baby has outgrown the crib, it easily converts to a twin bed, so it grows with your baby.
The 4-in-1 designer convertible crib is perfect for a contemporary-style nursery. The stylish espresso and white New Zealand pine wood will match the decor and style of any child’s room as they grow. In addition, this crib converts to a toddler bed, daybed, and a full-size bed. Further, this 4-in-1 convertible crib is beautifully crafted and will enhance the elegance of your baby’s nursery.
The 4-in-1 crib and changer combo is full of surprise storage areas that definitely come in handy with a new baby. The detachable changing station has convenient shelves and drawers for storage. In addition, a trundle storage drawer below the crib can store diapers, baby sheets, and onesies. Four adjustable mattress positions that lower as your baby begins to sit and stand. Further, as with most convertibles, this crib transforms into a toddler bed, daybed, and full-size bed.
Crib Accessories
Although this article lists the best wooden baby cribs, I wanted to add a small section of crib accessories that will make any parent’s life a little easier.
The crib tent is a must-have accessory for any crib. The high-quality mesh fabric provides a layer of protection from mosquitos, spiders, or other bugs that could crawl into your baby’s crib while asleep. The net is breathable and discourages toddlers from crawling out of their cribs and injuring themselves. The net covers the crib down to the mattress, so your child is prevented from getting hands and feet stuck between the crib bars and causing injury. I highly recommend this for all nurseries.
The anti-rollover swaddle blanket is a great safety accessory for your baby’s crib. This unique blanket comfortably secures your baby on their back during sleep (which is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics), allowing you to rest easy while your baby is asleep. The safe sleep swaddle blanket reduces the risk of rolling over, tummy sleeping, and falling or climbing out of the crib. Further, it can help reduce reflux if used with a crib wedge.
The post Best Wooden Baby Crib appeared first on Geek Baby Clothes.
Finding the right wooden baby crib for your child can be tough. Let us help you make the process easier!
Shopping for a crib can seem daunting, especially with so many options available. My first child had a bassinet, convertible crib, travel crib, AND a pack n’ play with removable bassinet and changing table. You might think that there’s no way I used all of those for one baby, but I did.
Each one had a different use. Even though I swear I’m a minimalist, I needed each one for a specific reason. So, using my experience with all the various cribs, I compiled a list to accommodate different needs, styles, and functionalities. In short, this list will help you find the perfect crib for your little one.
Filling a nursery with all the necessities? Make sure you get a comfortable nursing chair by checking out our list of the best nursing chairs for your baby’s room. And follow these links for even more nursery decor ideas, like Nintendo or Harry Potter!
All set? Then, here we go!
Wooden Bassinets
Bassinets are great for when you first bring baby home and are feeding often during the night. The lightweight and easy to move design, whether from the nursery to your bedroom or vice versa, makes those first weeks at home with the baby much less stressful.
This JPMA certified portable bassinet has a unique style with a wooden animal cub design and removable canopy. The frame is made of engineered wood, while the bassinet is plush and quilted inside for your baby’s comfort. Breathable mesh sides ensure ventilation, and the canopy is an excellent addition for those daytime naps. Comes with locking wheels to move to different rooms as needed, and an added storage basket underneath makes it convenient to store extra diapers and wipes for when your baby wakes up in the middle of the night.
In addition, if your little one likes being rocked to sleep, the bassinet can be easily swayed back and forth. This bassinet complements any nursery. Further, its compact enough to keep in an office if you work from home but want your baby nearby.
This size-adjustable crib is a unique convertible wooden baby crib crafted from durable beach wood. Firstly, the oval shape adjusts as your baby grows. Personally, I love a product that can grow with my child. Secondly, you can raise the mattress bottom, making it easier to lift your baby out or lower as your child starts to stand up in the crib. Lastly, one of the sides is removable, so when your child is old enough, they have that freedom of movement. This crib has a unique shape and appearance and will compliment most nurseries.
This smart bassinet has a beautiful, simple design that integrates the use of smart technology to soothe your baby to sleep. Protect your baby and encourage sleeping through the night, while the Smart Life app allows hands-free Auto Glide mode, nightlights, and sensory sounds. The legs are sturdy wood with a walnut finish that compliments the beautiful woven fabrics of the bassinet.
Although the SNOO Smart Sleeper bassinet is not wooden, I felt it would be a necessary addition to this list. The Bentley of cribs is the SNOO bassinet which is award-winning and will boost infant sleeping 1-2 hours. When your baby begins fussing, the SNOO responds with self rocking motions and sounds that mimic conditions in the womb. The SNOO is the first baby bassinet created to prevent accidental rolling over. It keeps your baby safely on their back, which the American of Pediatrics recommends for safe sleep. In addition to all these features, an app connects to the bassinet’s smart technology to track your baby’s sleep patterns and has a weaning option when preparing to move to a crib.
Portable Wooden Baby Cribs
A wooden baby crib that is foldable and portable is a great alternative to a pack and play. Usable at a second home or kept at grandma’s and folded and placed in a closet until the next visit. If you live in a metropolitan area and have limited space in your home, a portable crib can be a great alternative to a full-sized crib if your baby will be co-sleeping in your room or your nursery is on the small side.
Designed for convenience and space-saving, the folding mini crib has a foldable frame with removable and locking caster wheels for easy storage and transport. The low-profile design and adjustable mattress positions make it easy to lift your baby in and out of the crib. Made with sustainably sourced solid New Zealand pine wood, this crib has a classic look.
The portable folding crib is perfect for those families who travel or share the new baby with grandma and grandpa, so the parents can have a quiet night at home. The lightweight frame is made of solid birch wood, which makes for a reliable and durable crib. Further, the crib folds flat for storage, making it ideal to use for a weekend, then easily pack up and store until next use.
Convertible Wooden Baby Cribs
My favorite type of wooden baby crib is a convertible crib which is a great idea if you feel guilty spending hundreds of dollars on a crib. Usable for years and able to grow with your child, so they are well worth the price. Convertible cribs easily convert from cribs to toddler beds to daybeds and, finally, a full-size or twin-size bed for your child.
The 3-in-1 crib combines two of my favorite convertible and portable crib features. Firstly, it’s portable, so the uses for this crib are endless: grandma’s house, vacations, or as a great option if you have limited space but still want all the features of a convertible crib. Secondly, it can be easily folded up and stored when not used which means less room being taken up than a full-sized crib. This is also an excellent option for co-sleeping in your room until your baby is ready to be in a room alone.
The mattress platform has four adjustable positions as your baby goes from newborn to standing up. When the mattress is set to the highest setting, the crib can double as a bassinet that you can keep next to your bed. Once your baby has outgrown the crib, it easily converts to a twin bed, so it grows with your baby.
The 4-in-1 designer convertible crib is perfect for a contemporary-style nursery. The stylish espresso and white New Zealand pine wood will match the decor and style of any child’s room as they grow. In addition, this crib converts to a toddler bed, daybed, and a full-size bed. Further, this 4-in-1 convertible crib is beautifully crafted and will enhance the elegance of your baby’s nursery.
The 4-in-1 crib and changer combo is full of surprise storage areas that definitely come in handy with a new baby. The detachable changing station has convenient shelves and drawers for storage. In addition, a trundle storage drawer below the crib can store diapers, baby sheets, and onesies. Four adjustable mattress positions that lower as your baby begins to sit and stand. Further, as with most convertibles, this crib transforms into a toddler bed, daybed, and full-size bed.
Crib Accessories
Although this article lists the best wooden baby cribs, I wanted to add a small section of crib accessories that will make any parent’s life a little easier.
The crib tent is a must-have accessory for any crib. The high-quality mesh fabric provides a layer of protection from mosquitos, spiders, or other bugs that could crawl into your baby’s crib while asleep. The net is breathable and discourages toddlers from crawling out of their cribs and injuring themselves. The net covers the crib down to the mattress, so your child is prevented from getting hands and feet stuck between the crib bars and causing injury. I highly recommend this for all nurseries.
The anti-rollover swaddle blanket is a great safety accessory for your baby’s crib. This unique blanket comfortably secures your baby on their back during sleep (which is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics), allowing you to rest easy while your baby is asleep. The safe sleep swaddle blanket reduces the risk of rolling over, tummy sleeping, and falling or climbing out of the crib. Further, it can help reduce reflux if used with a crib wedge.
The post Best Wooden Baby Crib appeared first on Geek Baby Clothes.
The 2022 American Black Film Festival (ABFF) today announced its lineup of narrative and documentary features, and web series. This year’s festival format returns as a hybrid with live events June 15-19 in Miami, Fl., followed by virtual panels and screenings June 20-30 on the festival’s custom-built online platform ABFF PLAY (https://abffplay.com/).
The Features program includes Narrative competitions (U.S. and international), World Premieres and first-time directors representing a diverse group of independent filmmakers from around the globe. The lineup offers a mixture of thought-provoking, entertaining and authentic stories that uplift and highlight Black culture.
The festival opens with the documentary CIVIL, an intimate vérité look at the life of maverick civil rights attorney Ben Crump. Considered a trailblazer of his field, “CIVIL” gives viewers an inside look at Crump’s mission to raise the value of Black life. As the civil lawyer for the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Black farmers and banking while Black victims, Crump challenges America to come to terms with what it owes his clients. The film is directed and produced by award-winning filmmaker Nadia Hallgren (Becoming, After Maria, The Show). Produced by Kenya Barris, Roger Ross Williams and Lauren Cioffi. The Netflix release of CIVIL will premiere on Juneteenth (June 19) this year.
“We are thrilled to open the festival with CIVIL, a timely documentary bringing light to issues of social justice and equity in America,” said Nicole Friday, festival producer and president of ABFF Ventures LLC. “We’ve curated an entertaining and thought-provoking lineup of features, documentaries and web series and I am so excited to share our content with a live audience again.”
Universally considered the premiere festival for Black storytellers and storytelling, ABFF presents a wide range of independent films, studio and network previews, a series of talk events, master classes, live entertainment and more. The festival continues to spotlight talent both in front of and behind the camera and provide a platform for emerging artists to tell their stories.
The full feature, documentary and web series lineup is listed below and here https://www.abff.com/miami/2022-screenings/narrative-features/. Finalists for the HBO Short Film Award presented by Warner Bros. Discovery and HBO will be announced at a later date. For more updates on the complete list of programming of the 2022 American Black Film Festival, in the coming week, follow us. #ABFF2022 @ABFF on Twitter, @AmericanBlackFilmFestival on Instagram, Facebook and at https://www.abff.com/miami/
NARRATIVE FEATURES(U.S. & International)
A competitive section for U.S. and international feature-length films directed by or written and produced by persons of African descent. Films in this category are eligible to be nominated to compete for the following Jury Awards – Best Director (presented by Cadillac, $5,000 cash prize), Best Narrative Feature (presented by Sony, $2,500 cash prize), and Best Screenplay (presented by TV One, $2,500 cash prize). In addition, if a person of African descent has directed a film in this section and it is their first feature, they will be
eligible to compete for the John Singleton Award for Best First Feature (presented by Netflix, $5,000 cash prize). The following films represent the 2022 official selections in the Narrative Features category:
Between Sins *World Premiere
Faced with the responsibilities of an ill mother and estranged daughter, Coy searches for redemption for past sins while trying to avoid the pitfalls that could lead to repeating them.
USA | 83 min
Director: Carlos Miller
Writer: Carlos Miller
Producers: Tyler Cheatham, Carlos Gonzalez, Carlos Miller
Cast: George Taylor, Rigoberto Duval, Carolyn Johnson, Skyla Rain Rowe, Angela Kohn
Bite of a Mango *World Premiere
2020 comes with enough challenges of its own, but as four best friends each attempt to overcome their own trying situations, they are left unsure if the group can survive.
CANADA | 98 min
Director: Ron Dias
Writers: Joanne Jansen, Ron Dias
Producers: Joanne Jansen, Ron Dias
Cast: Jayne Kamara, Ryan Rosery, Orville Cummings, Nathan Taylor
Escaping Paradise *World Premiere
A young couples’ anniversary trip turns deadly in a foreign land.
PHILIPPINES | 91 min
Director: Paul Tanter
Writer: Deji LaRay
Producers: Thomas Q. Jones, Deji LaRay, DeNorvious Pickett
Cast: Deji LaRay, Simon Phillips, Shayla Hale
Feel Like Ghosts *World Premiere
Two recent exes with an undeniable connection confront what could have been if their
cultural differences hadn’t pushed them to new lives on opposite coasts.
USA | 100 min
Director: Kali Baker-Johnson
Writer: Kali Baker-Johnson
Producer: Lola Ridgell
Cast: Nican Robinson, Misha Molani
God of Dreams *U.S. Festival Premiere
Welcome to the future, where dreaming is Illegal.
USA | 104 min
Director: Jurian Isabelle
Writer: Jurian Isabelle
Producers: Jurian Isabelle, Joe Langford
Cast: Ann Nesby, Julia Reilly, Jessie Reeder, Keshawn Pettigrew, Omar Cook
Our Father, the Devil
An African immigrant’s quiet life in a small French town is upended by the arrival of a charismatic Catholic priest, whom she recognizes as the warlord who slaughtered her
family.
USA | FRANCE | 108 min
Director: Ellie Foumbi
Writer: Ellie Foumbi
Producers: Ellie Foumbi, Joseph Mastantuono
Cast: Babetida Sadjo, Souleymane Sy Savané, Jennifer Tchiakpe
Scheme Queens *World Premiere
Four friends who are down on their luck decide to rob a ruthless Rastafarian jewel thief by conning his second in command.
USA | 94 min
Director: Cas Sigers Beedles
Writer: Cas Sigers Beedles
Producers: Cas Sigers Beedles, Ernestine Johnson
Cast: B. Simone, Ernestine Johnson, Brii Reneé, Jacky Oh
Survival
A car-jacked mother and entrepreneur is forced to bond with her violent assailant in order
to escape.
USA | 90 min
Director: Damon Jamal
Writers: Damon Jamal, Dave Eisenstark
Producers: Leah Daniels Butler, Henry Black Butler, Damone Smith, Damon Jamal
Cast: Elise Neal, Demetrius Grosse, Dylan McNamara, Miguel A. Nuñez Jr.
The Threesome *World Premiere
A sex comedy told in three ways.
USA | 92 min
Director: Jamal Dedeaux
Writer: Jamal Dedeaux
Producers: Jaleel Ghafur, Rebecca Haze, Jamal Dedeaux
Cast: Andrea Lewis, Brittany S. Hall, Jerrel O’Neal
You Married Dat
Two happy brides, one dead guy!
USA | 114 min
Director: Dame Pierre
Writers: Byron Manuel, Curtis L. Ellison Jr., Tarek Abdelkhalig
Producers: Timothy Christian, Sherah Rider, Elijah Kelley
Cast: Juhahn Jones, Apryl Jones, LisaRaye, Audra Kinkead, Michael Colyar
DOCUMENTARY FEATURES
A competitive section for nonfiction feature films directed by persons of African descent or centered on the culture and experiences of persons of African descent. Films in this
category are eligible to be nominated to compete for the Jury Award for Best Documentary (presented by Amazon, $2,500 cash prize). The following films represent the 2022 official selections in the Documentary Features category:
A Woman on the Outside
Kristal is a young, ambitious Philadelphian driven to keep families connected to their incarcerated loved ones. But when her father and brother return from prison, she confronts the ultimate question: can she reunite her own family?
USA | 85 min
Directors: Zara Katz, Lisa Riordan Seville
Writer: Kiara C. Jones
Producers: Kiara C. Jones, Zara Katz, Lisa Riordan Seville
Cast: Kristal Bush, Nyvae Scott, Kristal Speaks
American Immigrants *World Premiere
Being homeless is an experience not a person.
USA | 60 min
Director: Ken Miles
Writer: Ken Miles
Producer: Ken Miles
Cast: Jorge Colina, Nathan White
Black As U R: a micheal rice film
Micheal Rice’s kaleidoscopic journey through the fault lines of race, gender and
sexuality in America.
USA | 87 min
Director: Micheal Rice
Writer: Micheal Rice
Producer: Edward Radford
Executive Producers: Micheal Rice, Gerald Oxford
Cast: Micheal Rice, Dr. Charlene Sinclair, Michael Roberson
Blind Eye Artist *World Premiere
The origin story of painter Justin Wadlington, blind in his left eye.
USA | 76 min
Director: Ashwin Chaudhary
Producers: Ashwin Chaudhary, Jonathan Korn, Justin Wadlington
Cast: Justin Wadlington, Glenn Fuhrman
Drowning in Silence
A mother goes on a healing journey to investigate the silent epidemic of childhood
drowning after losing her son.
USA | 81 min
Director: Chezik Tsunoda
Writers: Chezik Tsunoda, Claire Ave’Lallemant
Producers: Hill Harper, Joe Beshenkovsky, Chezik Tsunod
Let The Church Say *World Premiere
In a time of racial upheaval and a multitude of woes affecting marginalized communities, a young African American filmmaker journeys to the heart of the Black experience to find the answer to a daunting question: Is the Black church dead?
USA | 70 min
Director: Rafiq J Nabali
Writer: Rafiq J Nabali
Producers: Joe Howell, Nancy Howard, Danielle Nebeliuk
Cast: Jekalyn Carr, Dr. Teresa Fry Brown, Dr. Walter Fluker, Darlene McCoy
Lovely Jackson *World Premiere
America’s longest wrongfully held exonerated prisoner, Rickey Jackson, returns to the prison where his 39-year journey of survival began and guides his younger self from death row to freedom.
USA | 104 min
Director: Matt Waldeck
Writers: Rickey Jackson, Matt Waldeck
Producers: Rickey Jackson, Matt Waldeck, Jillian Wolstein, Ben Hecht, Travis Killian
Cast: Rickey Jackson, Edward Vernon, Pr. Anthony Singleton, Mario Beverly, Devito Parker Jr.
The Young Vote *World Premiere
Filmmaker Diane Robinson follows a diverse group of students and activists during the 2020 election to understand young peoples’ perceptions of voting and civic engagement.
USA | 67 min
Director: Diane Robinson
Writer: Diane Robinson
Producer: Diane Robinson
Cast: Ariana Tulay, Dariel Cruz Rodriguez, Elena Ashburn, Liz Magallanes, Sophia DeLoretto-Chudy, John King, Bradley Tusk, Jeremy Gruber
WEB SERIES
A competitive section for short-form episodic television directed by or produced and written by persons of African descent. Each series in this section will compete for the Jury Award for Best Web Series (presented by Comcast NBCUniversal, $2,500 cash prize). The following are the 2022 official selections in the Web Series category:
Bourn Kind: The Tiny Kindness Project
A Black/Jewish artist creates a project of kindness to celebrate connection in his community.
USA | 12 min
Director: Rachel Myers
Writer: Rachel Myers
Producer: Tamika Lamison, Connie Jo Sechrist, Rachel Myers
Cast: Bourn Rich
Dreamers
The zany misadventures of two sisters navigating the ups and downs of life, as artists, in the wild and unpredictable streets of La La Land.
USA | 7:30 min
Director: Kimberly Dooley
Writer: Kimberly Dooley
Producer: Kimberly Dooley
Cast: Kimberly Dooley, Dayna Dooley
I am Mara *World Premiere
Striving to break free from a life of espionage, murder and destructive family ties, Mara sets out to fabricate a new life for herself, but soon realizes the truth will always reveal itself and all sins must be atoned for.
USA | 14:33 min
Directors: Cody Duncum, Demetrius Feaster
Writers: Candace West, Clarinda D’Cruze
Producer: Candace West, Demetrius Feaster, Clarinda D’Cruze
Cast: Candace Kirstin West, Keith Elgin Douglas, Alek President, Jose Navarro, Virginia Elliot, David Chin
Jonathan’s World *U.S. Festival Premiere
Boy genius sips magical potion causing him to obtain enhanced capabilities.
USA | 14 min
Director: Tyler D. Lambert
Writer: Tyler D. Lambert
Producer: Tyler D. Lambert
Cast: Tyler D. Lambert
Last Name Unknown *World Premiere
Beyond Hope Youth Shelter’s homeless youth beat the odds, and find their place in society.
USA | 15 min
Director: Dui Jarrod
Writer: Dui Jarrod
Producers: Kevin “Coach K” Lee, Pierre “Pee” Thomas, Dui Jarrod, Chris Hicks,
David Blackman
Cast: Chakeefe Gordon, Erika Norrell, Braxton Jordan, Lindsey G. Smith
Layered, “Stalker” *World Premiere
A series following three black women from Philadelphia, two of them Muslim, trying to break into the media industry while being met with challenges in mental health, faith, and loss due to gun violence.
USA | 12:57 min
Director: Zareefa Abdul-Adl
Writers: Arraiyan DuBose, Aiko Brown, Zareefa Abdul-Adl
Producers: Aiko Brown, Arraiyan DuBose, Zareefa Abdul-Adl
Cast: Merceedes White, LaPorscha Rodgers, Aisha Saran
Little Lawyer *U.S. Festival Premiere
A six-year-old girl with aspirations of being an attorney puts her little brother on trial after she discovers her toy is inoperative.
USA | 12 min
Director: Sam Buckner III
Writer: Sam Buckner III
Producers: Sam Buckner, Samantha O. Buckner
Cast: Sophia Dejesus, London Sinead, Wyatt Hinz, Ayani Tamar, Brandon. L Ward,
Alex Jackson
Mine
When the sudden disappearance of water — their main life source — threatens to
upend a vibrant utopia, an intrepid teen named Blaze must save their community
before it’s too late.
USA | 12:30 min
Directors: Randall Dottin, Luisa Dantas
Writers: Randall Dottin, Angela Tucker, Paige Wood, Luisa Dantas, Rise-Home Stories
Project
Producers: Randall Dottin, Angela Tucker, Paige Wood, Luisa Dantas,
Rise-Home Stories Project, Anna Lee, Russell Hornsby
Cast: Russell Hornsby, Denny Dillon, Imani Russell, Kaya Fraites, Sunni Patterson
The Green Couch (Ep. 2) *World Premiere
Psychologist Dr. Rhemington Lee engages patients in an unwitting experiment of truth as each convene on The Green Couch.
USA | 14:08 min
Director: Mirlande Amazan
Writer: Mirlande Amazan
Producer: Mirlande Amazan
Cast: Mirlande Amazan, Antuone Torbert; narrated by Gordon Greene
The Whippersnappers *World Premiere
OG, Big Mama and Foegy, aka “The Oldheads,” growing tired of the same routine, decide to use technology to become younger.
USA | 4:56 min
Director: Ryan Cole
Writer: Ryan Cole
Producer: Ryan Cole
Cast: Ryan Cole
ABFF 2022 sponsors and partners to date include Warner Bros. Discovery & HBO® (Founding); Cadillac, City of Miami Beach, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB), Sony Pictures Entertainment, Prime Video (Presenting); American Airlines, Comcast NBCUniversal, Meta, IMDb (Premier); ALLBLK, Prudential Financial, Variety, TV One, Netflix, Starz, Disney+ (Official); Accenture, Motion Pictures Association (MPA), A&E Indie Films, Springhill Company, The Boston Globe, Color of Change, Confluential Films (Supporting).
For festival information and to obtain an ABFF pass, visit www.abff.com. Pre-registration closes May 13. Press interested in media credentials to cover ABFF go to https://www.abff.com/miami/press-room/media-credentials/.
Your business and book are titled It’$ My Money. Why did you decide on that name and what do you want people to think about when they hear it?
It’$ My Money is just that. I want people to think about it — it’s their money. They should want to be the best stewardesses of their money. They should want to know how to treat their money well. How to make their money grow. How to make their money work for them. And how to earn more money passively. The mission is to provide them with the tips, tools, and strategies to do just that.
Being that it’s Financial Literacy Month, what does financial literacy mean to you and why is it important?
It means being educated, being very literate in financial topics so that you can be the best stewardess of your money. I was not financially literate when I was young. If I had been given financial literacy at home or at school, I would have started on my financial journey much sooner. What I understood about money was to go to work, make it, and pay the bills. I didn’t know there were other things to do with your money, to make the same money that you earn. I thought it was the people who grew up with money and inherited things who made the home purchases and did the investing.
You’ve mentioned being a single mother before you were a financial coach and how money was not a part of regular conversations with your daughter.
I kept the money conversation to myself. I didn’t want to burden my daughter with money topics. I was the adult, the one who needed to take care of the finances.
She understood to go to the machine and get the money, but she never understood how to get the money out of the machine. I never went inside the bank with her. She didn’t know that my company directly deposited the money into the account.
Do you feel there is a particular age when people should start receiving financial education?
When we are repetitive about anything in our homes, I think young people pick that up. I know people as little as two and three can repeat words to songs. The way they can do this is because they’re hearing the song over and over again. That’s when we start picking things up. I feel like financial literacy can begin at whatever age that a child is beginning to recite songs. So constantly saying that money is a good thing, saving money is good. The age really depends on the child, when they are able to retain and recite the information. [Dixon also has coloring books on her website to support early financial literacy.]
What are the barriers preventing people from becoming financially independent?
The information is not readily available to people who need it. A lot of people do not know what they don’t know. Some people aren’t great with money because they haven’t been taught how to do so. I think the barrier is being in underserved areas and in environments that don’t provide the information to young people. Young people learn that they must go on to higher education to get a profession that makes a certain amount of money. But they must understand what to do with the money. They have to understand what not to do with the money. You must teach them how to manage the money before they start earning larger sums of money.
You hear a lot on social media about influencers earning six figures. But revenue and how much you made from it are two different numbers. You didn’t see the expenses it took to make it and how much money they have leftover to pay their bills. My mission is to teach people the fundamentals: how to budget, how to track your income versus your expenses, and how to earn more money by doing things you like. You can’t start building a house with a roof.
What would you say to a person that is hesitant to work on their finances?
“Just do it. I’m doing what I’m doing today because my finances were jacked up. If I let that hinder me from trying to learn, I wouldn’t be where I am today. There are a bunch of people in the world who don’t have it all together. There are people who have gotten it right and messed up again. If you’re reading this, know that you’re not alone.”
Dixon further encourages you, the use free sources like her podcast called The Money Exchange or her blog, to help you on your financial journey. Although working with someone like an advisor or coach will help you get where you want faster, there is no excuse for getting started.
How can someone stay on track with their finances?
“Houses are built brick by brick, don’t try to put all the bricks on at the same time on a rainy day. Often people are trying to climb out of debt. If it took you some time to get into debt, it’ll take you some time to get out. Go step by step and stay committed to the process. And once you get it down packed, trust me you’re not going to want the house to fall. So, if you take it brick by brick and understand how your placing each brick and monitoring it before you know it you’ll have a finished product. Don’t compare yourself to others, stay at your own pace. “
What do you hope people gain from reading and using your book?
“I hope you would gain a deeper understanding of the various financial fundamentals. Budgeting, when and how to do so. Where to save and why. I also give information on how to best choose a side hustle. It’s a guide, it’s written in journal format so you can write your answers for what’s best for you. It has a robust glossary so it can help you with some of the terms. You want to fully understand what you’re reading. My goal is for you to pass on what you’ve learned to others or pass the actual book on. Revisit the book regularly to remind yourself of the areas you might not be great at, so you can get the tips again and remind yourself of why you started. “
Any other financial advice you have for our readers?
“Pay yourself first. Automate your savings and forget about it. And that’s the definition of paying yourself first. If you’re reading this and you haven’t started yet, don’t start with $500 every paycheck. Start with $20 and do that across 2 months or 4 months and if that’s not blowing your paycheck, then increase it. Start small, stay consistent, and increase while you go along.”
“The only situation that can place a limitation on your elevation to your destination is procrastination. All you can do is be intentional about the future.”
Here’s the thing about reviewing Con Air: it’s impossible to define it in terms of “good” or “bad” filmmaking.
Take, for instance, its Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score. 55% is about what I’d expect from this film. It so divided critics that there’s apparently an equal amount of goodwill and disgust for this film. Look at the legacy of its soundtrack’s centerpiece, Trisha Yearwood’s version of LeAnn Rimes’s “How Do I Live.” Like the film for which it was penned, the song has a divisive legacy. In 1997 it was nominated for both an Academy Award and a Golden Raspberry for Best Original Song and Worst Original Song respectively. Sadly (?), the song lost in both categories.
So, no, a typical review will not do for this particular film. What will be more interesting, at least for me, is to figure out why and how this film can seemingly be two things at once: namely, the best action film ever or a prime example of Hollywood’s contempt for basic intelligence.
Looking at the evidence, I will determine whether or not this film is bad on purpose, or if there’s a reason John Malkovich and John Cusack have all but disowned it. In short, I believe this film is bad to the point of being camp. Not “campy.” Pure, unadulterated “camp.” But unlike the queer-centric camp of old, Con Air is something new, something preposterously fantastic. Con Air, my friends, is straight-boy camp.
To prove this, however, I’ll first have to define what “camp” is.
In general, as previously stated, camp is generally associated with queer culture — drag, Cher, and the films of John Waters. It is ostentatious and bombastic. It’s so bad that it’s good. In a New York Times interview, “Notes on ‘Camp’” author Susan Sontag describes a campy mood as one that is “serious about the frivolous [and] frivolous about the serious.”
So, the question now becomes, does Con Air fit these criteria? Well, it’s honestly hard to say.
On the one hand, it is certainly serious about its ludacris content. Take its inciting incident. The film asks us to wholeheartedly believe that former U.S. Army Ranger Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage) would spend even half a minute in a holding cell after such a clear-cut case of self-defense.
It expects us to believe that a staunchly red state like Alabama — where the law allows the use of deadly physical force in the case of usually non-violent crimes like burglary — would convict a VETERAN of murder after a man pulled a knife on him and his PREGNANT wife. If you believe that setup, I have a lovely beach house in Idaho to sell you.
No, Con Air doesn’t treat Poe’s conviction with winks and nods at the silliness of it all. It asks us to sympathize with a man caught in a bad situation that’s about to get worse. Allegedly, producer Jerry Bruckheimer loved the script but wanted to add “more heart.”
What he got were scenes so saccharine that I actually identified more with Cyrus the Virus (Malkovich) as he’s mocking the letters Poe’s daughter sent. The heart-on-its-sleeve approach the film opts to take is perhaps why it is so cheesily campy, or, at least, why it can be perceived as being so.
Unlike other action flicks of the 80s and 90s, this film seems to want to be more. It wants one-liners, boom-bang shootouts, and even a “hilarious” dose of transphobia like those other films might have. It also wants teary eyes in the crowd as Poe finally reunites with his daughter.
How can you square these impulses? You can’t. Not unless you’re willing to say that it is straight-boy camp — camp made for the “drinking Mountain Dew and eating Doritos in front of 7/11 at 10pm” crowd.
Con Air is straight-boy camp because it never laughs at its audience for wanting to see things as hokey as a stuffed suit’s prized Corvette being dropped from an airplane and crushed. It provides viewers with the, um, fun(?) of being on a plane full of freshly escaped convicts rocking out to “Sweet Home Alabama” thinking they’ve finally gotten away.
It ends not with one, but with two separate climaxes. One where a plane lands on the Las Vegas strip, and another where the leads get into a motorcycle/firetruck chase wherein the good guys get into a shootout/water-hosing with the main bad guy.
If the movie fails at certain camp criteria, it’s because it refuses to pick apart its “serious” scenes.
We aren’t meant to laugh at Poe and his family reuniting. We aren’t meant to laugh at Cage’s dramatic line readings, and especially not at his actually hilarious “I’m gonna show you God does exist” scene. It’s all really supposed to be oh-so-serious.
In a movie where Pinball’s body hitting an elderly couple’s car is played for laughs, and Malkovich seems to be having the time of his life, what are we to do with these disparate and seemingly incongruent parts?
The only thing I can say is its camp, or at least something akin to it.
Con Air exists as a divisive film because it puts as much attention into being cheesy as it does to being sincere without ever letting on which tone it actually aims to achieve. Witness: the heavy metal score and its juxtaposition with an admittedly fine vocal performance by Yearwood; the tonal whiplash of asking us to watch a man’s head get crushed by a hydraulic press and then weep tears of joy at Poe’s meeting his daughter for the first time; the requiring us in general not to think Cage’s Snoop from The Wire accent is peak comedy. Combine that with its heteronormativity, its explosions, and its essential Boys Club mentality, and you have a prime example of what I would call straight-boy camp.
Then again, there’s always the chance that this movie just sucks. At this point, I hardly even know myself.
Con Air is available on Amazon Prime Video.