This weekend, the UWM Film Department's Community Media Project is bringing Africa's past to Milwaukee's present. The organization welcomes three distinguished African American filmmakers for a weekend of screenings, installations and discussions.

The event, "Africa Beyond," highlights the works of renowned directors Charles Burnett, Kevin Everson and UWM's own Iverson White.

"Burnett has a poetic realism that evokes simplicity about looking at the black family and the politics of struggle," says Community Media Project director Portia Cobb. "Burnett, Everson and White all have notion of how to tell stories or how to show the black family that is very truthful, gritty and sincere."

Over the course of three days, each of the director's newest work will be shown along with opportunities for viewer question and answer.

The three filmmakers unite for a panel discussion, moderated by Cobb, on Saturday afternoon in UWM's newest location at the Kenilworth Building, 1925 E. Kenilworth Pl.

"I used to just focus on African filmmakers about Africa but I realized I missed out on a lot of African American filmmakers who should be represented and appreciated," Cobb says. "Sometimes the filmmakers I choose are artists, not in the mainstream, and they have a real connection to production."

The Community Media Project is an affiliate of the University of Wisconsin -- Milwaukee Film Department. The project aims to increase artistic opportunity for under-served audiences by providing free or low cost screenings and workshops.

The following film screenings run this weekend at the UWM Union Theater:

Friday, Oct. 3: Kevin Iverson's film, "The Golden Age of Fish," looks at the evolution of Cleveland, Ohio through fragmentary narratives and visual representation. Narrated by an African-American geologist, the film incorporates several filming formats.

Saturday, Oct. 4: Charles Burnett, unknown to most American audiences, has spent decades filming the African-American experience. His latest film, "Namibia: The Struggle for Liberation," gives a historical account of Namibia's effort for independence from South Africa. Featuring actors Carl Lumbly and Danny Glover, the film encapsulates the Namibian resistance with 150 speaking roles in several dialects and languages.

Sunday, Oct. 5: Iverson White, UWM Film Associate Professor, shows his new short, "Self-Determination." The film, which is only 11 minutes long, is a story of balance and choice facing a mother who is caught between an unfulfilling marriage and the lifestyle of her family.

Most events are free and are held Oct. 3-5. For a full listing of times and locations, visit the Community Media Project's Web site.