Alile Sharon Larkin

African-American independent filmmaker.

Alile Sharon Larkin is an artist-educator and award-winning independent film and video maker. Larkin has been a public school teacher in Los Angeles for 25 years and has taught at 32nd Street/USC Visual and Performing Arts Magnet School since 1993. Her teaching experience ranges from pre-K to college and filmmaking is part of Larkin's interdisciplinary curriculum. She has received nine Video in the Classroom Awards for teacher-produced films, documenting students learning about textile arts, storytelling, yoga, jazz, women's history, Kwanzaa and African American dance.

Her film, Your Children Come Back To You (1979), presents a child's perspective on wealth and social inequality, and has screened throughout U.S. and Europe. A Different Image (1982), about an African American woman contemplating self-identity, heritage and perception, received critical praise and earned her first prize from the Black American Cinema Society, won Best Production of 1981 from the Black Filmmaker Foundation, and was named runner-up for best short film at FILMEX.

The screenplay of A Different Image was published in "Screenplays of the African American Experience" (Indiana University Press, 1991). Larkin's critical essay, "Black Women Filmmakers Defending Ourselves," appears in Female Spectators (Verso Editions, London). Larkin is currently working on a children's music DVD, "Tie-Dye."


Filmography

Films As Director:

1979: Your Children Come Back to You. 1982: A Different Image. 1984: My Dream Is to Marry an African Prince (for TV). 1986: What Color Is God? (documentary?for TV). 1987: Miss Fluci Moses (documentary?for TV). 1991: Dreadlocks and the Three Bears.

Other Films:
Films as Writer: 1956: Los Caminos de la vida (Corona Blake). 1957: Siempre estar? contigo (co).

Alile Sharon Larkin Career

1979 began filmmaking career with Your Children Come Back to You; co-founder of Black Filmmakers Collective; educator-writer-activist and advocate of children?s educational television; 1982?directed A Different Image; 1989?formed NAP productions.

Awards:
First prize, Black American Cinema Society, for A Different Image, 1982.

Alile Sharon Larkin Background

Born: Chicago, 6 May 1953.

Education:
* University of Southern California (USC), B.A. Humanities (creative writing) 1975;
* University of California (UCLA), Los Angeles, M.F.A., film and television production 1982.
* California State University, Los Angeles, M.A. Education 1991

Source:
www.filmdirectorssite.com/alile-sharon-larkin
www.cinema.ucla.edu/la-rebellion/alile-sharon-larkin