POSTED COURTESY OF WRIGHT ENTERPRISES SAN FRANCISCO~DALLAS COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT~~~
‘Le Ticket a Tout Prix’ (‘The Ticket at Any Cost’) to be featured at the 2022 Pan African Film Festival in LA and in Louisiana at the African Heritage Series
‘The Ticket at Any Cost’ will be shown twice at the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles.
by Jackie Wright
Los Angeles – The Pan African Film Festival (PAFF), founded by San Francisco’s own, actor, producer and humanitarian Danny Glover with Ja’net DuBois (Aug. 5, 1945-Feb. 17, 2020, best known for her role as Willona in the TV series “Good Times”) and PAFF Executive Director Ayuko Babu is underway now through May 1, celebrating 30 years. This year’s festival has over 170 films from 55 countries with 18 different languages from a total of 1,071 submissions from 89 countries. PAFF will be in theaters and presented virtually.
“Le Ticket a Tout Prix” (“The Ticket at Any Cost”) is one of the French language films featured at this year’s Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles. The film will be screened in LA (Los Angeles) and LA (Louisiana).
The cultural economic tourism collaboration generated by Damon Batiste’s NOSACONN (New Orleans and South Africa Connection) between Africa and New Orleans is resulting in new opportunities for education, commerce and cultural exchange.
Dr. Vivian Ray, a trained chef and educator, appeared on the first edition of Wright Enterprises Community Spotlight video podcast to speak about her experience in Senegal and the Ivory Coast as an education leader and a woman. Dr. Vivian Ray spoke about “Le Ticket a Tout Prix” being featured at a fundraiser sponsored by the NAACP at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana.
Dr. Ray, with over 30 years as a chef and educator, spoke Thursday on the first episode of Wright Enterprises Community Spotlight. Ray shared news of the upcoming NAACP sponsored fundraiser April 30 kicking off the African Heritage Series; her role as a cultural ambassador representing NOSACONN in March during Women’s History Month; and next step cultural exchanges between Nicholls State University, NOSACONN and the Ivory Coast.
Dr. Ray explained that “The Ticket at Any Cost” (“Le Ticket a Tout Prix”), which will be shown twice at the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles (https://paff.eventive.org/schedule/6245b08810687f0069832477), will be a significant element of the NAACP fundraiser on April 30.
The Ivory Coast cultural and tourism delegation consists of Mr. Dramane Coulibaly, the CEO of the lottery company of Cote d’Ivoire, LONACI; Alain Guikou, director and producer of the movie “The Ticket at Any Cost;” Alfred Zebi, partner in Sol Prodd Consulting; Fate Toure, actress, co-producer of “Le Ticket a Tout Prix” and top model and Necy N’Dri, actress and TV host for a cooking show.
“We are pleased to see the efforts of NOSACONN culminating with a visit from a delegation from the Ivory Coast that will be a part of the historic Pan African Film Festival and Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University,” said Damon Batiste, founder of NOSACONN in 1998.
Batiste has recently returned from Africa where he and business associates launched a $5 million deal that will focus on cultural exchange and the economic empowerment of BIPOC communities. “Grammy Party in the BUSH,” was the launching event that also celebrated another member of “NOLA’s Royal Family of Music,” Batiste’s first cousin, Jon Batiste, who was nominated for 11 Grammys and walked away with five of the top musical awards.
“When I heard about the number of trips (82) that Damon had taken to Africa and his plans around economic empowerment for BIPOC communities in Africa and the U.S., I knew there was synergy between us since I have made several trips to Africa,” said Dr. Vivian Ray, chef and educator at John Folse Culinary Institute of Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana.
“Dr. Ray is a creative innovator. Her curriculum vitae is filled with firsts and the development of culinary departments at several colleges,” said Jackie Wright, host of Wright Enterprises Community Spotlight.
“What I love about her work is that Dr. Ray has worked with HBCUs, and many of her students over these 30 years are well-placed in hotel chains and other corporations. If it had not been for her creative efforts, a lot of students of color would not have had great careers. Wright, also a non-profit leader, has created a workforce development program (https://sfbayview.com/2022/04/ncbw-sf-teams-up-with-doris…) that focuses on placement in the hospitality industry.”
Learn more about the April 30 African Heritage Series Fundraiser (https://linktr.ee/africaheritageseries) sponsored by NAACP to help students train in the Ivory Coast.
Jackie Wright is the president of Wright Enterprises, a full-service public relations firm serving the corporate, nonprofit and government sectors. A seasoned media and public relations professional, Wright has over 20 years of media experience, including more than a decade of award-winning journalism experience in radio, television and print communications, and holds degrees in both journalism and drama from the University of Georgia. With the release of her short documentary, “Love Separated in Life … Love Reunited in Honor,” she is also an award-winning filmmaker. She can be reached at jackiewright@wrightnow.biz or on Twitter @wrightenternow, Instagram.com @1jackiewright and @danielLinkedIn.com wrightenterprises.