The International Black Film Festival of  Nashville (IBFF) continues to add special guests to this year’s festival line up. The IBFF team is excited to announce that Writer & Co-Executive Producer Alan Wenkus of the history making, blockbuster film “Straight Outta Compton” will participate in the Special Conversation Series on Saturday October 3, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. on the campus of Meharry Medical College Cal Turner Event Center.

Wenkus, a former Programming Executive with Premiere Radio Networks and Clear Channel Communications, was introduced to former NWA Manager Jerry Heller and began a series of interviews with Heller and Eazy E’s widow Tomica Woods-Wright. Wenkus and his writing partner then developed and transformed these interviews into the riveting screenplay “Straight Outta Compton”, which chronicles the music career of controversial rap group N.W.A.

  With Easy E’s widow’s blessing, Wenkus sold the script along with the music rights attached to Universal Studio. Wenkus was also retained by the film studio for multiple script polishes and stayed aboard the project from inception to production as Co-Executive Producer.

This past August “Straight Outta Compton” opened at #1 and stayed on top of the U.S. box office, grossing over $150 million in 3 weeks.  The critically acclaimed film directed by F. Gary Gray is currently receiving awards season buzz for its amazing cast, direction and story.

Wenkus is also writer and producer of the recently announced big screen biopic “No Show Jones” about country music legend George Jones and is writing the screenplay adaption to the thrilling New York Times bestseller “Code Name: Johnny Walker” about an Iraqi citizen who works with the U.S. Navy SEALs to track down some of the world’s most treacherous terrorists

IBFF will take place over 3½ days October 1-4, 2015 in Nashville, TN.  It will be hosted at the state of the art Cal Turner Family Center for Student Education on the campus of Meharry Medical College.  IBFF is also honored to welcome the esteemed Meharry Medical College as an official sponsor for this year’s event.

Throughout the day event, the festival will serve the full spectrum of the industry by providing a venue to showcase the work of filmmakers from around the globe. Patrons will have the opportunity to view “unreleased,” independent and studio films, participate in awesome industry level workshops, master classes, industry parties, and high profile red carpet events with celebrity appearances.

If you would like to setup an interview, obtain media credentials, synopsis, please email us at press@ibffnashville.com or contact Sherlene Shanklin at 502-295-0435.  You may also email us at info@ibffnashville.com or call the festival office at (615) 278-9537.

Please visit our website at www.ibffevents.com for event details.

About International Black Film Festival of Nashville

Through the art of film, the International Black Film Festival of Nashville (IBFFN) celebrates rich, diverse and creative storytelling for the cultural enrichment, progress and education of communities worldwide. Established in 2006, IBFFN is a collaboration of dedicated professionals who support the need for a community effort to bring African-American and other communities together to showcase their work as emerging and skilled independent filmmakers, actors, composers, screenwriters, directors and other film industry professionals. With “Defining Our Stories, Transforming the Image” as its organizational theme, IBFFN strives to ensure culturally accurate depictions in film with special emphasis on providing a forum for unheard, unseen and unknown viewpoints, and showcasing the multitude of experiences presented in local, national and international communities of color.

With the support of our sponsors, corporate partners, the community, the International Black Film Festival maintains its relevance to the creative, educational, and socially conscious communities around the globe.

About Meharry Medical College

Meharry Medical College, founded in 1876, is the nation’s largest private, independent historically black academic health sciences center dedicated to educating minority and other health professionals. True to its heritage, it is a United Methodist Church affiliated institution. The College is particularly well known for its uniquely nurturing, highly effective educational programs; emerging preeminence in health disparities research; culturally sensitive, evidence-based health services and significant contribution to the diversity of the nation’s health professions workforce. Meharry is a leading national educator of African Americans with M.D. and D.D.S. degrees and Ph.D. degrees in the biomedical sciences.