PAFF: Blood Done Sign My Name

Blood Done Sign My Name had its world premiere at the Pan African Film Festival earlier this week. The film stars Nate Parker, Lela Rochon and Rick Schroder in a story about a racially divided smalltown in North Carolina in the 1970s. The town reaches its tipping point when a black soldier returns from Vietnam only to face a brutal death by a white store owner. Blood Done Sign My Name is based on a true story, from the accounts of Tim Tyson.

Nate Parker gives a solid performance as, Ben Chavis, an activist who helps organize the protest in Oxford, North Carolina. Parker has been on my radar since The Great Debaters and I hope he gets more leading roles. Other notable performances include Afemo Omilami as "the stoker", Gattlin Griffith as a young Tim Tyson and Milauna Jemai as the widow.

In theaters February 19th.