"Stomp The Yard..... is more than
a dance movie. It is a coming-of-age celebration of the
human spirit; how a positive change can be made in life
with the help of others. The film spotlights the power of
brotherhood and sisterhood found in Black fraternities and
sororities on Black college campuses and the ways the organizations
shape and nurture young men and women." - Clarence
Waldron, JET Magazine
Not since Spike Lee's School Daze has a
major motion picture focused on black college life, but
on January 12th STOMP THE YARD
will go one step further by delving into the black fraternity
and sorority world, and the traditional African-American
style of dance known as Stepping. STOMP THE
YARD follows a young man from a hard-luck
background in Los Angeles as he enrolls in an HBCU in Atlanta
and enters the world of black fraternity and sorority step
show competitions. The film stars Columbus Short,
Meagan Good and R&B/Pop sensations
Chris Brown and Ne-Yo.
The film was shot by Rainforest Films (The
Gospel) on location in Atlanta, GA on the campuses
of Morris Brown, Morehouse and Clark Atlanta Universities,
but it was the portrayal of real fraternities and sororities
that once generated controversy. "I'm happy that all
issues with the fraternities and sororities have been resolved."
states the film's producer Will Packer, a Florida A&M
grad and 13-year brother of Alpha Phi Alpha. "This
film was made to highlight the positives of these great
organizations and I know it will make their memberships
proud. In fact when the Alpha Phi Alpha rep watched the
film to verify removal of their references, he stated that
it made him proud. That was great validation."
In honor of the film's debut on Martin Luther
King, Jr. weekend, Sony Pictures recently made the historic
announcement that 2.5% of the proceeds from the film's opening
weekend gross will be donated to the Martin
Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington DC. The MLK
Memorial is the only Memorial on the National Mall dedicated
to an African-American.
Additional support for STOMP
THE YARD:
"This
film evokes strong discussion on the importance of education,
tradition and contemporary culture. It depicts the
college experience as a medium that can positively enhance
and transform the lives of youth ," said Rev.
Charles L. White, Jr. Director of the NAACP Southeast Region.
"The NAACP for over 97 years has been the champion
for human and civil rights of all Americans ensuring that
African Americans in particular are portrayed in a positive
light in the media. We recognize that when it comes
to forming ideas and establishing norms, nothing is more
influential than the images and concepts delivered into
our lives on a daily basis by radio, television, film and
the Internet. This film is a right step in a very
positive direction. "
"This
film stresses the value of unity while offering the world
an image of our community's best and brightest," said
John T. Grant CEO 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Inc.
"Our organization continues to provide educational
and enrichment opportunities to America's youth through
the united resources of a similar collective, and we are
truly pleased to support films that showcase the genuine
power of our collective spirit."
STOMP THE YARD
is the first film in contemporary cinema to take a peek
into black college life, black Greek life and the ultra-competitive
world of stepping. STOMP THE YARD
opens in theaters everywhere January 12th.
Click HERE to view an Exclusive Sneak Peek of the new movie STOMP
THE YARD.