The Urbanworld Film Festival is just days away, and the best of Black independent cinema will soon descend on New York City. One of the standout offerings at this year's festival is the short film Tonsure, produced by Malik Yoba and directed by Fred Bumaye.
The film follows a young girl named Zel as she attempts to hunt down the murderers of her family member. The New York Undercover star, currently in Chicago shooting for Lee Daniels's new series, Empire, recently spoke about the film and its director. "Fred Bumaye shows great promise as a young filmmaker with a passion for story and the cinematic language," says Yoba. "When I read the short, I thought it was a great subject matter...and I immediately wanted to be involved not only as an actor but as a producer."
Bumaye exclusively told BET.com, "I’ve always wanted to direct a unique crime drama that didn’t recycle the usual tropes.  Tonsure might look familiar to audiences at first glance, but by the end will expose them to a world they’ve never seen before."  He also added, "It's subject matter will help spark conversation about a real life global epidemic, and I'm honored that Urbanworld has selected Tonsure for their 2014 slate." 
Check out Tonsure at the Urbanworld Film Festival, taking place September 17 - 21 in New York City. Click here for tickets and more information.
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(Photo: Brim+Brew Productions)