Photography by Yuvie Styles.
Photographer and filmmaker Don Tortellini, the visionary behind “Village Oak Cliff,” recently received first place at an international film festival.
The MY HERO International Film Festival shines a light on the unsung and well known heroes that inspire with their stories of resilience and hope, according to their website.
Tortellini submitted God’s Sons, a short film highlighting Oak Cliff’s Red Bird Raiders, which won Best College Documentary. He currently attends the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts as a graduate student studying film, cinema and video studies.
As Dallas’s oldest and still active youth football team, the Red Bird Raiders program helps shape the lives of local youth, with coaches serving as a role model and mentor for young boys in football and young girls in cheer.
The film is told through the perspective of Coach Earl Thompson, who highlights how the team serves the community as more than just a sport.
This Saturday, Jan. 31, Tortellini will join other Dallas directors and filmmakers for the Dallas Film Showcase with the Dallas International Film Festival at the Dallas Museum of Art. The showcase is a part of the Second Annual Black History & Culture Celebration that will also include a Pan-African Connection Drum Circle. All events are free to attend.
