It’s an idea beautiful in its simplicity: ask 22 successful African-American individuals from diverse fields (some hugely famous cultural icons, others simply talented and successful) to sit for interviews in a photographer's studio, with film critic Elvis Mitchell asking questions. Photograph them impeccably. Finally, distill the interviews by removing the questions, and reducing the 45-minute or so length of each interview to its 4-7 minute essence.

 

The result is wildly entertaining, and anything but simple. We get relaxed insights–some of them very funny, some of them very moving–into life in black America as seen by those who’ve made it big. Though we’re not actually in the conversation, it feels intimate in the way a really great dinner party can. Some preconceived notions are confirmed; others are challenged or even shattered, with humor and pathos arriving at unexpected moments. It’s a wonderful, important conversation, and you’ll wish it lasted longer. (Jed Dietz)

Timothy Greenfield-Sanders is a contributing photographer for Vanity Fair who is renowned for his portraiture. His prior films include Lou Reed: Rock and Roll Heart, which played Sundance in 1998 and won a Grammy, and Thinking XXX, based on his best-selling book, XXX: 30 Porn-Star Portraits. The Black List premiered at Sundance 2008, and was immediately bought by HBO.

 

Elvis Mitchell has been a film critic for a variety of newspapers in cities across America, most recently for the New York Times. He has made several guest appearances as himself on television, most recently on the hit series "Entourage."He follows film and other aspects of modern culture for KCRW’s “The Treatment,” and occasionally appears with Scott Simon (Guest Host at MFF 2001) on NPR’s “Weekend Edition.”