Fall River Filmmaker’s work headed to International Film Festival in Las Vegas

FALL RIVER, MA – From local writer-director Raeshelle Cooke, along with her cast and crew, comes the film “WOKE”, a sci-fi short that makes social commentary on interracial relationships in the United States, and the black woman’s complex role within it.

“WOKE”, along with other films, will screen in Las Vegas at the Action On Film International Film Festival Tuesday July 27th at 5:15pm – on Galaxy Theater Blvd.

The film stars Teajuana Scott as ”Danai” and Sam Krueger as “Sydney”; the cinematographer is Ric Murray. “WOKE” is a relevant and timely sci-fi short that gives a rhetorical solution to long-standing frustrations faced among black women as it relates to love, dating, marriage, abuse and abandonment.

Movie reviewer Colette Byfield of blog Do Write By Colette writes of the film: “‘Woke’ is the first true breakout sci-fi film from a Black female director that deserves a serious look by a larger audience. It offers both die hard sci-fi fans and socially conscious audiences a fresh and dynamic piece with plenty of unexpected twists and turns to keep anyone excited and involved.”

The film’s themes include that of vulnerability, childhood trauma, survival, loneliness, and sexuality; but also, and most importantly, hope, and empowerment.

The goal of the film is to uplift American black women to stop being everyone’s superwoman but their own; the film encourages black women to do what makes them happy, and to block out any outside noise and generations-old judgements that may come from it. The film showcases the ways in which black women are abandoned and oppressed, but also how black women can break free, not only from the chains by which their own community binds them, but from the prison of their own minds too. The film does it in a futuristic, unique way with a surprising twist ending that will make everyone think.

Director Cooke says it’s an honor to screen the film publicly after a whole year of production, and another full year in the festival circuit. She says she is humbled by the opportunity to have screened at film festivals around the country. The film has been nominated twice for Best Sci-Fi at 2 film festivals, and won ‘Meritorious Appreciation’ at the Boston Science Fiction Film Festival. Cooke’s goal for showing the film at Las Vegas’ Action On Film International Film Festival is to spread the message to a wide range of movie watchers, and to enlighten and teach; to start a conversation; to begin a dialog that many are too afraid to have: in Vegas!

Raeshelle Cooke is a 4-time award-winning independent filmmaker and founder of production company RMC Pictures. She likes to tell the black woman’s story and put them in lead roles on screen. She likes to write and direct love stories about the male-female dynamic, stories that are narrated by music, and social commentary on race relations, with science fiction and some horror elements infused. Cooke is highly inspired by music, Alfred Hitchcock, and Rod Serling’s ”The Twilight Zone”.

You can purchase tickets to attend the “Woke” screening at the Action On Film International Film Festival’s ticket link: https://www.actiononfilmfest.com/product-page/woke-tues-7-27-21-5-15pm-block