OSCAR® WINNING ACTRESS MO’NIQUE, ISAIAH WASHINGTON AND ROBERT L. JOHNSON ATTENDED THE HARLEM PREMIERE OF PATRIK-IAN POLK’S NEW FILM BLACKBIRD with PRIDE

New York, NY -- (SBWire) -- 04/27/2015 --Harlem's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (515 Malcolm X Blvd, New York, NY 10037) was the venue for a premiere of Patrik-Ian Polk's Blackbird presented by Harlem Pride and DBQ Magazine. The star studded Wednesday, April 22, 2015 event kicked off with a Red Carpet and VIP Reception followed by the 7:30 PM Screening which was introduced by Robert L. Johnson (Chairman of RLJ Entertainment and founder of Black Entertainment Television). The director and cast members participated in a special Q&A, followed by a Blackbird after party at Harlem's Cove Lounge.

Mo'Nique, Isaiah Washington, Julian Walker, D. Woods alongside the film's producers Carol Ann Shine and Keith Brown. Special guests also include Tyson Beckford, Leon, Wade Davis,Harlem Pride's President Carmen Neely, DBQ Magazine Publisher David Bridgeforth and Recording Artist Monifah.

Blackbird tells the story of 17-year-old Randy Rousseau (newcomer Julian Walker), a devout high school choirboy struggling to come of age in the small religiously conservative Mississippi town he calls home. Randy juggles his role as star of the church choir with facing the everyday trials of a high school misfit- a misfit plagued by eerie visions and premonitions. Complicating matters, his little sister has gone missing and his parents have subsequently split up, leaving him to care for his heartbroken mother, Claire (Mo'Nique). When Claire discovers a shocking secret her son has been hiding, she blames him for the disappearance of his sister. Randy's father, Lance (Isaiah Washington), who has been keeping a watchful eye on his broken family, steps in to give his son a hand as he struggles to make the difficult transition into manhood.

Academy Award® winning actress and comedian Mo'Nique, veteran actor Isaiah Washington and newcomer actor Julian Walker star in this adaptation of Larry Duplechan's novel, with the script co-written by Polk and Rikki Beadle-Blair. Terrell Tilford, Gary L. Gray, Kevin Allesee, Torrey Laamar, Nikki Jane and D. Woods round out the cast.

Blackbird will be released theatrically on April 24, 2015 by Robert Johnson's RLJ Entertainment as well as on the subscription-based UMC: Urban Movie Channel this Summer in tandem with its VOD, digital and Blu-Ray/DVD.

Blackbird Trailer: www.vimeo.com/86641697
Purchase Tickets TONIGHT in Harlem: http://www.fandango.com/blackbird2015_182247/movieoverview

Social Media Hashtags: #HarlemPride2015, #BlackbirdHP, #WeAreBlackbird

Tagline: Will you choose to be what you had no choice in being?

About Patrik-Ian Polk
An award-winning filmmaker best known for creating the hit TV series "Noah's Arc" for MTV's Logo Network. His feature film credits include "Punks," which premiered at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award, "Noah's Arc: Jumping The Broom", nominated for three NAACP Image Awards (Outstanding Film, Outstanding Writing, Outstanding Directing) and winner of the GLAAD Award for Best Film (2008) and "The Skinny."

UMC: Urban Movie Channel
Robert L. Johnson's Urban Movie Channel has acquired U.S. rights to the coming-of-age film "Blackbird." Urban Movie Channel, a digital subscription based channel that will feature urban-themed movies. Programs previously released by RLJE under the One Village brand will be incorporated into UMC's library, which will also include titles from RLJE's existing Image independent feature film line.

Harlem Pride
Harlem Pride's founders saw an opportunity to celebrate not just our Same Gender Loving/LGBT community, but its role and contributions to Harlem's rich history and thus Harlem Pride was born.

The organization's mission is to advocate for, educate, promote, and unite Harlem's Same Gender Loving/LGBT individuals, organizations and supporters in cultivating a sense of honor, dignity and respect for our diverse culture and community.

About DBQ Magazine
DBQ Magazine is currently the fastest growing and most popular LGBT publication for people of color in the country. The DBQ brand is that of the critically acclaimed gay media personality, David Bridgeforth, which is a partnership of beauty, brains, and substance with a liberal sophistication. DBQ Magazine, because of the publication's unique ability to give readers what they want while leading them to what they need, has been nicknamed the 'Oprah Magazine for the gays'.

Richard E. Pelzer II & Ulysses Williams of Global Network of Black Pride with Camille Evans of CME Group were honored to produce and manage the red carpet presentations for the evening.