Movie Directors Blacks

Deresha Kyi took the top prize of $3,000 in the ninth annual Black Filmmakers' Grants Program with her "Lands Where My Fathers Died," a brief, beautifully acted vignette in which a young, ambitious couple are awkwardly confronted with a heritage of defeat during a family reunion. Second prize of $2,000 went to Ronald Armstrong for "Cuny Island," a sly, witty allegory on racism, and Richard C.

Controversial director Spike Lee is calling on African-Americans to send Hollywood a message by taking a day off from work and keeping children home from school on Nov. 20, when his movie "Malcolm X" opens. "We're telling them they've got to turn out to support this film and support Malcolm," said Lee, who accused the film industry of discriminating against black filmmakers after Warner Bros. initially failed to back him when he exceeded his $28-million budget by $5 million.

Controversial director Spike Lee is calling on African-Americans to send Hollywood a message by taking a day off from work and keeping children home from school on Nov. 20, when his movie "Malcolm X" opens. "We're telling them they've got to turn out to support this film and support Malcolm," said Lee, who accused the film industry of discriminating against black filmmakers after Warner Bros. initially failed to back him when he exceeded his $28-million budget by $5 million.

Deresha Kyi took the top prize of $3,000 in the ninth annual Black Filmmakers' Grants Program with her "Lands Where My Fathers Died," a brief, beautifully acted vignette in which a young, ambitious couple are awkwardly confronted with a heritage of defeat during a family reunion. Second prize of $2,000 went to Ronald Armstrong for "Cuny Island," a sly, witty allegory on racism, and Richard C.