For Immediate Release: July 13, 2007

Express Yourself For Health! Says Griot Soul Films/"She Wasn't Last
Night" Crew

"Art is not necessarily about competition. It's about bringing
out the best in other artists." – Darice Jones, from Griot Soul Films' first
podcast

Oakland, CA boasts the United States' largest African American lesbian
population. From this community emerges the African American/SGL-
owned Griot Soul Films. In keeping with its mission to engender healing
through the arts and community outreach, GSF educates and circulates!
The East Bay artistic production company is delighted and honored to
announce its recent fiscal sponsorship agreement and alliance with the
Oakland-based not-for-profit Progressive Research and Training for
Action (PRTA), which now enables the company to accept tax-deductible
donations.

Practicing the Ujamaa Cooperative Economics Fundraising Model, Griot
Soul Films also donates its time, money and effort to assist other
community-based organizations and artists. Most recently, Griot Soul
Films has formed a community partnership with the South Bay's Bret
Harte Elementary School for the Bret Harte Peace Project, a relationship
fostering artistic mentorship via multimedia storytelling for 5th graders
in this poverty-affected part of Northern California. The children's
activities and education in production and modern technology throughout
each school year will culminate in annual trips to Atlanta, GA's Dr. Martin
Luther King Memorial to envision, explore and investigate what peace
means to them.

Darice Jones, Bret Hart Peace Project Co-Organizer and Griot Soul Films'
Founder & Director, has also been appointed as an International
Organizer in Oakland's 2008 International World Pride & Power
Conference (worldprideandpower .com).

Griot Soul Films' cast and crew are also indulging in a healthy share of
community outreach, gatherings, parties and play! The collective's "She
Wasn't Last Night" contingent recently garnered media attention from
The Advocate, Yahoo! News, Femmenoir.net, UK Blackout and The
Windy City Times, and has successfully connected to nearly 1,000
people online. GSF participated in the festivities at The Queer Women of
Color Film Festival/Panel, the Sacramento and San Francisco Dyke
Marches, The Bay Area Women in Film Distribution Event, San Francisco
Pride (with a Soul of Pride booth at the event), Frameline and the San
Francisco Black Film Festival.

Cultivating a dedicated cadre of film-loving artists and volunteers who
support communally healing aspects of self-expression via art, Griot Soul
Films also seeks to discover new performance artists through their
International Soundtrack Competition, in which artists donate an entry
fee to Griot Soul for possible inclusion in their first indie feature film.

Next up? Podcasting! Griot Soul Films' downloadable podcast is now
available—an interview detailing its first stages of filmmaking, provides a
fun backgrounder on GSF. This free podcast, available via email
(director@griotsoulf ilms.org), will be posted online presently.

Coming Attractions for Griot Soul Films' cast, crew and volunteers
include: The Black Expo (attendance and supporting cast member
Anissa's performance) on July 14, The San Diego Pride Parade and
Festival (supporting cast member Jianda's Pride performance and
enjoying its own parade float) on July 21, fundraising and mailing
parties, The San Francisco Silent Film Festival, The Jewish Film Festival,
The Arab Film Festival, Brainwash Film Festival, the Labor Film Festival,
the Nia Collective's 20th Anniversary Gathering, Sistas Steppin' In Pride's
annual celebration and much more!

As "She Wasn't Last Night" is quickly becoming the little romantic
comedy that could, the company invites you to connect with this
community at the above events, inquire about its projects, send music
for its soundtrack competition, request a free copy of its podcast, send
your tax-deductible donation, or to pre-order your DVD today! Pre-
orders and donations to support the production of this groundbreaking
piece can be made to Griot Soul Films via a Donation button at its
Ning.com site, and by sending donations c/o PRTA (see below for
contact information) . Checks are payable to PRTA with a note for Griot
Soul Films. Donors who give $50 or more will receive screen credit in
the film.

About She Wasn't Last Night and Griot Soul Films
Griot Soul Films presents its first feature and the first Black Lesbian
Romantic Comedy film, "She Wasn't Last Night!" Slated for filming in
October 2007, it's a spicy tale about women who love each other at their
best, and their worst. Shantel and Reyna's love seems solid. Reyna's
anxieties coupled with advances from charming player Jack show that
things might not be so secure at all…! GSF is determined to show
evolutionary, positive and fun images of people of African descent, using
film to tell our stories and spark growth in our communities. Cast
Information and Photos can be found at:
http://shewasntlast night.ning. com &
www.flickr.com/ groups/401897@ N23/pool

About PRTA
360 22nd Street, Suite 688 Oakland, CA 94612 (510) 444-6288 -
www.prtaonline. org
Progressive Research and Training for Action Always Promoting
Community-Driven Approaches
Contact: Brenda Crawford, Executive Director: (510) 444-6288 and visit:
www.prtonline. org

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PHOTOS, PRESS MATERIALS, HEALING
PHILOSOPHIES, TO TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR
INTERESTS/ORGANIZAT IONS, OR TO SCHEDULE AN INTERVIEW WITH
DARICE OR SANJAY,
Contact: Darice Jones/Sanjay Sooknanan
(510) 593-5989
director@griotsoulf ilms.org
www.griotsoulfilms. org
http://shewasntlast night.ning. com