VANISHING PEARLS
DIRECTED BY NAILAH JEFFERSON



Nailah Jefferson's VANISHING PEARLS chronicles the untold story of personal and professional devastation in Pointe à la Hache, a close-knit fishing village on the Gulf coast, following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. This 2014 Slamdance Film Festival Official Selection delves into the worst environmental disaster in American history just as news cameras leave the scene of the crime. While 49 million barrels of oil settle in the once vibrant coastal waters, a generations-old community of black fishermen pledge to fight for justice, accountability and their way of life.
RELEASED BY ARRAY IN THEATERS APRIL 18, 2014
REQUEST A SCREENING HERE.
CITY | THEATER | DATE OPENS | |
NEW YORK |
IMAGENATION RAW SPACE |
COMPLETED |
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LOS ANGELES |
DOWNTOWN INDEPENDENT |
COMPLETED |
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MONTGOMERY |
PURE ARTISTRY LITERARY CAFE |
COMPLETED |
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ATLANTA |
MOREHOUSE COLLEGE |
COMPLETED | |
BOSTON |
ARTSEMERSON |
COMPLETED |
|
SEATTLE |
LANGSTON HUGHES PERFORMING ARTS INSTITUTE |
COMPLETED |
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NEW ORLEANS |
SYNC UP CINEMA |
COMPLETED |
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HOUSTON |
HOUSTON MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE |
COMPLETED | |
DETROIT |
CINEMA DETROIT |
COMPLETED | |
AUSTIN |
ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE RITZ |
COMPLETED | |
WASHINGTON, DC |
ANACOSTIA ARTS CENTER |
COMPLETED | |
PHILADELPHIA |
INTERNATIONAL HOUSE |
COMPLETED | |
BLOOMINGTON |
INDIANA UNIVERSITY CINEMA |
COMPLETED | |
HONOLULU |
HONOLULU MUSEUM OF ART |
COMPLETED | |
CHICAGO |
DUSABLE MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY |
COMPELTED | |
BIRMINGHAM |
SIDEWALK FILM FESTIVAL |
COMPLETED | |
WINSTON SALEM, NC |
A/PERTURE CINEMA |
COMPLETED | |
NEW YORK |
MAYSLES DOCUMENTARY CENTER |
COMPLETED | |
NEW YORK |
CREATIVELY SPEAKING FILM SERIES @ HARLEM PIERS |
COMPLETED | |
CHICAGO |
BLACK CINEMA HOUSE |
COMPLETED | |
NEW YORK |
MoCADA |
COMPLETED | |
NELSON, BC |
DECONSTRUCTING DINNER FILM FESTIVAL |
COMPLETED | |
CHICAGO |
ENGLEWOOD FILM FESTIVAL @ CHATHAM 14 |
COMPLETED | |
THOMASVILLE, GA |
COVEY FILM FESTIVAL |
COMPLETED | |
LOS ANGELES |
CALIFORNIA AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM |
COMPLETED | |
OAK PARK, IL |
ONE EARTH FILM FESTIVAL |
COMPLETED |
|
THIBODAUX, LA |
NICHOLLS STATE UNIVERSITY
|
COMPLETED |
PRESS
MSNBC | VANISHING PEARLS: Putting a face on environmental disasters
ARISE TV | Watch Director Nailah Jefferson of VANISHING PEARLS on ARISE 360
Huffington Post Live | BP Oil Spill Destroyed This Black Community
KPCC | 'Vanishing Pearls' doc shows the lasting effects of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Ebony | 'Vanishing Pearls' Tackles the BP Oil Spill
JET | "Vanishing Pearls" Highlights Black Oystermen
Village Voice | Critic's Pick: A Must-See Documentary, Vanishing Pearls Explores the Costs of the BP Oil Spill
New York Times | 'Vanishing Pearls' Looks at the Deepwater Horizon Spill
Los Angeles Times | 'Vanishing Pearls' shows fallout after Gulf disasters
Paste | Review: 'Vanishing Pearls'
ESSENCE | Nailah Jefferson: VANISHING PEARLS & Sharing Our Stories on Screen
Women & Hollywood | Nailah Jefferson: Getting to the Finish Line
Colorlines | New Orleans Filmmaker Spotlights Black Oystermen of Louisiana
Grist | How BP turned a whole community into an endangered species
Shadow & Act | Review: Nailah Jefferson's Doc 'Vanishing Pearls' Chronicles Tragic Impact of Envrionmental Disaster
Shadow & Act | Nailah Jefferson Talks Challenges of Directing Debut 'Vanishing Pearls' & 2010's Oil Spill Aftermath in Black Fishing Community
Blacktree TV | ‘Vanishing Pearls’ Director Nailah Jefferson on the BP Oil Spill
The Shadow League | 'Vanishing Pearls' Shows the Tragic Effects of Louisiana's Oil Spill
Cinema in Noir | Q&A with Nailah Jefferson on VANISHING PEARLS
Baret News | Vanishing Pearls: Gulf Oil Spill Pits Black Fisherman vs. BP in David vs. Goliath Documentary
Houstonia Magazine | VANISHING PEARLS documentary explores ongoing impact of Deepwater Horizon
Louis Proyect | Review: 'Vanishing Pearls'
Wave | 'Vanishing Pearls' offers wisdom
Bold As Love | New Doc 'Vanishing Pearls' Tells Untold Story of Black Life in the Gulf Coast
Black Congolese | On Nailah Jefferson, Black Disaporan Cinema + Independent Filmmaking
Documentary.org | Meet the Filmmaker: Nailah Jefferson, Director/Producer of VANISHING PEARLS
Shadow & Act | AFFRM Sets Initial Theatrical Engagements For Gulf BP Oil Spill Doc 'Vanishing Pearls'
The Urban Daily | AFFRM Releases Film About BP Oil Spill Aftermath Called "Vanishing Pearls"
The Shadow League | AFFRM Acquires First Documentary with Vanishing Pearls
Women and Hollywood | AFFRM Acquires Nailah Jefferson's VANISHING PEARLS
Colorlines | 'Vanishing Pearls' In Theaters Soon Via AFFRM/ARRAY
The Times-Picayune | BP oil spill doc 'Vanishing Pearls,' focusing on plight of Louisiana fishers, picked up for distribution
Shadow & Act | AFFRM's ARRAY Takes Worldwide Rights To Nailah Jefferson's Gulf BP Oil Spill Doc 'Vanishing Pearls'
IONCinema | Fisherman's Friend; AFFRM Nets Slamdance Preemed VANISHING PEARLS
BlackFilm.com | AFFRM's ARRAY To Release Nailah Jefferson's Gulf BP Oil Spill Doc 'Vanishing Pearls'