HR 32

                                                                       *HR1528*
                                                  Introduced Version
                    HOUSE
               RESOLUTION No. ___
                       Introduced by: Smith V
                  ____________________________________
1A HOUSE RESOLUTION recognizing the 15th Annual
2    Bill Johnson Black Film Festival.
3Whereas, African American Achievers Youth Corps, Inc.,
4    partners with other local groups to sponsor a film festival
5    dedicated to Gary native William L. Johnson, which is hosted
6    by the actor;
7Whereas, William Johnson is a graduate of Emerson School
8    for the Visual and Performing Arts in Gary and has had
9    starring roles in many theatrically released projects, including
10    a lead role in "Blue Hill Avenue", which garnered top honors
11    at the Acapulco and Black Hollywood film festivals;
12Whereas, More than just an actor, William Johnson's goal is
13    to "reinvest the majority of his earnings into a structured
14    business that supports the advancement of the urban
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1    community. By spreading the message of self-reliance and
2    providing opportunities to qualified individuals from
3    disadvantaged backgrounds, he hopes to break the cycle that
4    keeps generations impoverished";
5Whereas, Equally important to William Johnson is his
6    passion to deliver conscious messages through his music using
7    his stage persona, "Brotha Bill";
8Whereas, William Johnson has been involved in more than
9    20 film projects and independent short films and features,
10    including "Motives 2", "The Mannsfield 12", "Crossover",
11    "Doing Hard Time", "Tears of a Clown", "Motives", "Move",
12    "Wanted: Soulful Energy Xchange", "Two Degrees", "Nothing
13    Like Thanksgiving", "Perfectly Single", "Bernie Problems", and
14    "The Black Hamptons";
15Whereas, The 15th Annual Bill Johnson Black Film Festival
16    will feature student films "Method Hero" by Marissa Baker,
17    "Taraji" by Davon Cecil, "A Father's Love" by Darrell Anthony
18    Reynolds Jr., "Right Hook" by Jaden Dueñas, "Black(out)" by
19    Auset Brooklyn Adams, "Beside With Death" by Cody D. Smith,
20    "Basement" by Keon Clardy, and "Runaway" by Donya A.R.
21    Conley, all premiering on the morning of Friday, February 20,
22    2026;
23Whereas, Friday evening will include "Unclaimed Seat" by
24    Maya and Mignon Pinson, "A Lovely Family" by Pat Battistini,
25    "Threads of Forgiveness" by Maya and Mignon Pinson,
26    "Becoming Sidney" by Ken Gregory, "The Before" by T. Marie
27    King, "Angeleno" by Gavin Chief Meredith and Mark D.
28    Bonner, and "Where Is Your Faith?" by M. Legend Brown as
29    the feature film;
30Whereas, The festival continues on Saturday, February 21,
31    2026, with the evening showings of "King's Betrayal" by
32    Johnathan C. Williams, "Frame of Evidence" by Maya and
33    Mignon Pinson, "The UNBecoming" by Kasim Hardaway,
34    "High Road" by Isaiah Francis, "A Night With No Gun Shots"
35    by Kathy O. Lofton, "Socrates" by Ken Sagoes, and "Absence
36    of Heart" by David Nguyen as the feature film;
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1Whereas, The Bill Johnson Black Film Festival came about
2    as an idea to provide wholesome entertainment for Northwest
3    Indiana, to expose the Northwest Indiana community to quality
4    Black films, to help Northwest Indiana come together to share
5    ideas, and to hold discussions surrounding film messages; and
6Whereas, The arts are a valuable tool in creating an
7    atmosphere of understanding and open discussions to help
8    bring communities together in a meaningful way: Therefore,
9Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the
10General Assembly of the State of Indiana:
11SECTION 1. That the Indiana House of Representatives
12    recognizes the value to the community of the 15th Annual Bill
13    Johnson Black Film Festival and thanks William L. Johnson for
14    dedicating his time and energy to this worthwhile project.
15SECTION 2. That the Principal Clerk of the House of
16    Representatives transmit a copy of this resolution to the African
17    American Achievers Youth Corps, Inc., and William L.
18    Johnson.
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