Hip-Hop Education Center Launches 50 For 50 Film Series w/Biz Markie Doc To Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th

NEW YORK - Aug. 23, 2023 - PRLog -- Hip-Hop Education Center (HHEC) kicks off its 50 for 50 Film Series on August 31st, partnering with ImageNation's Soul Train Tribute, InJoy Enterprises, Biz Markie's Just A Friend Foundation, Mass Appeal and Showtime to host a free outdoor screening of "All Up In The Biz '' at  Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem. Preceding the screening will be special performances from the legendary group The Last Poets, celebrating their 55th anniversary, and The Hip Hop Symphony. The event will also include special guest DJ's, The Legendary DJ Hollywood and DJ NoHandz, a Hip-Hop fashion show, and special proclamations to honor the Just A Friend Foundation and Biz Markie Day.

With its 50 for 50 Film Series, HHEC is partnering with filmmakers, non-profit organizations, cultural and educational institutions and festivals to screen 50 films from around the world to celebrate 50 years of Hip-Hop. This series will also commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Hip-Hop Odyssey (H2O) International Film Festival.

The brainchild of Martha Diaz, The H2O International Film Festival was the first and largest festival of its kind. Together with the support of filmmakers, industry professionals, activists, and educators, H2O was a pioneer platform in showcasing and celebrating the culture, history and artistry of Hip-Hop through filmmaking while serving to elevate the global understanding of Hip-Hop's profound impact in media and on society as a catalyst for change, social justice, unity and artistic expression.

"Our 20th-anniversary celebration is not just a milestone for H2O but also a grand homage to the pioneers and visionaries of Hip-Hop who laid the groundwork for a cultural movement," said Martha Diaz, the Festival Founder.

HHEC will continue to work with its longtime partners Schomburg Center and Third World Newsreel (TWN) to  support filmmakers through archival preservation and educational distribution. The H2O Collection, the largest Hip-Hop film archive, is preserved at the historic Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, housed within its Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division, where it can be accessed for research and reference purposes. Beyond diverse locales throughout the United States, the collection includes works from across six continents, including countries such as Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Curacao, Japan, Palestine, and South Africa. Additionally, the collection includes flyers, posters, programs and magazines.

H2ONewsreel, the first distribution label dedicated to offering the educational market the best in Hip-Hop Media, Education and Culture, was established in partnership with Third World Newsreel in 2008. To date, H2ONewsreel has distributed a diverse global selection of 42 Hip-Hop films to the educational market.

For more information, please visit http://www.hiphopeducation.org