A documentary that uncovers the careers of a population of entertainers never heard from before: Black actors in Italian cinema. With modern day interviews and archival footage, the documentary discloses the personal struggles and triumphs that classic Afro-Italian, African-American and Afro-descendant actors faced in the Italian film industry, while mirroring their struggles with those of contemporary actors who are working diligently to find respectable, significant, and non-stereotypical roles, but are often unable to do so. Blaxploitalian is more than an unveiling of a troubled history; it is a call-to-action for increased diversity in international cinema through the stories of these artists in an effort to reflect the modern and racially diverse Italy.
Fred Kudjo Kuwornu is an Italian-Ghanaian filmmaker, producer, film curator and educator who holds both Italian and American citizenship, based in New York. He is best known as the director of critically acclaimed documentaries such as Blaxploitalian: 100 Years of Blackness in Italian Cinema, Inside Buffalo, and 18 Ius Soli. His documentaries deal with political and social themes, such as racism, interracial relations, diversity, Afro-Italians and Black diasporic identity in Italy, and the African diaspora in the world. He also teaches courses on production and digital filmmaking, and on Black Diaspora in Contemporary Italy and Europe. He has taught at University of Toronto, University of Minnesota, James Madison University, Middlebury College and Colorado College.
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