PAFF Presents ‘Love Jacked’, Fuses Father-Daughter Dynamics with Comedy
Thursday, February 8, kicked off the opening of the 2018 Pan African Film Festival at the historic Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza in Los Angeles, California. Being just a few days away from Valentine’s Day, ‘Love Jacked’ was the perfect film to not only open up the festival, but to kick off a week of love.
The night started off with a celebrity studded red carpet where other Hollywood stars came out to support the film. They included: Danny Glover,Garcelle Beauvais,Jeanté Godlock, Timon Kyle Durrett and several others.
“We’ve done a lot of dramas,” Alfons Adetuyi, director, explained on what inspired them to do this film. “This gave us something to do something and actually laugh. We wanted to have some fun, so this was it. Also being able to work with these actors was a real treat.”
‘Love Jacked’ is a romantic comedy written by Robert Adetuyi and Linda Eskeland, and directed by Alfons Adetuyi. The film follows the love story, or lack thereof, of Maya (played by Amber Stevens West) who takes a trip to Cape Coast, South Africa where she ends up falling in love with after capturing the attention of a handsome African man. Only to later be disappointed by what was supposed to be the most exciting time of her life. Upon returning back home to Los Angeles tries to make things seem glorier than what they are to impress the likeness of her father Ed (played by Keith David).
“If any dad that has daughters you understand that you just want the best for her,” Keith explained on why he believes this movie is one to see. “And if you have a daughter like mine that you sometimes butt heads with they don’t always agree with you in that moment, so you have to have words about it. But in time they come around.”
To piggyback off of David’s statement, the father-daughter dynamics displayed in this film is one that I feel every female can relate to (well every woman that has her father in her life). As woman when we find that ‘perfect guy’ one of the things that we hope to accomplish is that he is someone that our father would also pick out for us as well. This goes to follow that saying that woman tend to go after the guy that has similar traits to her father since she admires and looks up to him in some shape or form. After seeing this film, it is definitely one that I would treat my own father too.
In addition to the father-daughter moment in the film, the real-life mother-daughter duo of Marla and Angela Gibbs, were able to work on set together for the first time in theory careers.
Other cast members that helped in bringing this film life include: newcomer Shamier Anderson, Mike Epps, Lyriq Bent, Marla Gibbs, Angela Gibbs, Demetrius Grosseand Nicole Lynn.
“I adore this film,” Marla Gibbs stated. “It is so fun. This is the second time I’ve seen it and I enjoy it just as much as I did the first time. We had a lot of fun. Of course Mike Epps isn’t here, but when he went dancing down the aisle I said ‘This is what happens’ when you don’t give an actor enough to do [laughs]. He is truly a comedian. I love this cast.”
For those that are interested in catching ‘Love Jacked’ while it’s screening in PAFF, it will be playing on Wednesday, Februaury 14 at 8 p.m. and Monday, February 19 at 8:55 p.m. at Cinemark Rate 15 Theatres located at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, 3650 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Los Angeles, California.
To purchase tickets, please visit www.paff.org/films.
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