Codeblack Films

CodeBlack Entertainment is an American entertainment conglomerate founded and run by an African-American entrepreneur, Jeff Clanagan. Founded in 2005, its purpose is to market entertainment content (music, movies, electronic arts) to an urban African-American demographic (18-40 year old self-styled 'hip-hop alumni').

Its movie arm has just (as of April, 2006) released its first feature film, Preaching to the Choir, as part of its goal to produce (mostly independent) movies that feature more rounded and realistic depictions of African-Americans compared to the current Hollywood standard.

CodeBlack Entertainment is, with its marketing strategy, attempting to challenge two premises: One, that only comedies and thrillers are guaranteed draws for African-American audiences, and two, that urban content doesn't sell overseas. They cite the domestic (American) popularity of such movies as Diary of a Mad Black Woman and Madea's Family Reunion as evidence that there is a market for non- star-studded, made-for-and-by-the-black-community movies, and they hope the global popularity of hip-hop will gild such projects as Boss'n Up (starring rapper Snoop Dogg), for its international release in Japan, France and the United Kingdom. Their next film is Mama, I Want to Sing! starring pop-R&B singer Ciara.

External links

• Codeblack Entertainment Home page
• CodeblackTV
• Black-oriented company enters movie market CBC.ca, April 16, 2006
• Codeblack Entertainment New York Beacon, March 7, 2006
• CodeBlack Sets its Sights Overseas VideoBusiness.com April 7, 2006