The Californer - Sons of Morehouse Carry the Light: David Roach and Larry Calhoun Keep Independent Black Stories Alive from Stage to Screen

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Amid a national debate over who tells American history, the founders of the Oakland International Film Festival and UGA's Black Theatrical Ensemble demonstrate the enduring power of independent Black narratives.

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"Et Facta Est Lux"—"And There Was Light."

The motto of Morehouse College takes on renewed meaning as two sons of Morehouse—David Roach, co-founder and director of the Oakland International Film Festival, and Larry Calhoun, founder of the Black Theatrical Ensemble at the University of Georgia—continue illuminating stories that might otherwise go unseen, unheard or untold.

Their work stretches from the West Coast to the South, from independent film screens in Oakland to theatrical stages in Georgia, but their missions intersect at a fundamental point: people must have the power to tell their own stories.

That mission resonates at a moment when the way American institutions present history is again the subject of national debate. Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, announced September 8 that he will retire at the end of 2026 following nearly four decades of Smithsonian service. His announcement comes amid continuing scrutiny by the Trump administration of how the Smithsonian presents American history.

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Against that backdrop, the work of independent cultural institutions becomes increasingly significant.

Like the rare slave narratives that preserved first-person accounts of lives and history that others might have distorted, diminished or erased, independent Black theater and film provide something indispensable: the opportunity for communities to speak for themselves.

Larry Calhoun: Creating a Stage Where There Was None

In 1976, while a graduate student at the University of Georgia, Larry Calhoun founded the Black Theatrical Ensemble (BTE), establishing a creative and cultural home for Black students and others committed to storytelling, artistic expression and social engagement.

Fifty years later, BTE's impact can be measured not simply in productions, but in generations...

David Roach: Creating a Screen for Independent Voices

More than 2,000 miles away, David Roach has spent nearly a quarter-century building another platform for independent storytelling for people from around the world and all walks of life.

The Oakland Film Society grew from the filmmaking experiences of the Roach brothers and their desire to bring the cultural energy of film festivals to Oakland. The first Oakland International Film Festival (OIFF) was held at the Grand Lake Theater in 2002.

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OIFF should not be characterized as a "Black" film festival although themes from the African Diaspora are represented. Today, OIFF has presented thousands of films from more than 50 countries, creating a platform for feature films, documentaries, shorts and experimental works—and particularly for independent filmmakers from all walks of life whose stories might never receive conventional Hollywood distribution.

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