Producers of the new TV series From Yard have announced the official dates for the much anticipated Jamaican and New York World Premiere screenings of the show's pilot episode.
The Jamaican Premiere Screening will take place on Monday, September 18, at 8:30 p.m. at Palace Cineplex, Sovereign Centre in Kingston.
The Gala World Premiere will unfold at the Langston Hughes Auditorium, Schomburg Centre for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, New York, one week later on Monday, September 25, at 8 p.m.
Both premieres will be charity fundraisers for two organisations. The Jamaican Premiere Screening will be a fundraiser for The BAM MOMS Club, while New York's Gala World Premiere will benefit The Union of Jamaican Alumni Associations (UJAA) UJAAbotics programme.
From Yard is based on the autobiographical novel Yardie by David G. Heron and is described as an immigrant urban drama that follows the life of the author from his childhood days growing up in Jamaica through his often turbulent young adulthood in New York City, as he struggles to find his path amidst personal and professional challenges and tragedy. The series is produced by Leland and Phaedra Benford through Cupcake Rapture Studios in Atlanta, with Heron serving as Executive Producer. Benford directs from a script by Heron, Noel E. Dunn and Maya Hall, adapted from Heron's novel.
From Yard's diverse cast of primarily Jamaican actors is led by Shevrado Oliver as series lead Dave G Heron and also includes Glen' Titus' Campbell, David Heron (not to be confused with the story's author David G. Heron), Joe Herrera, Darron Donaldson, Claire Dennison, Chaun Archer, Ashanti Harris and Adam Christian, making his professional acting debut as young Dave G, seen in flashback scenes of the character's childhood in Jamaica and the USA.
According to the Founder and CEO of the BAM MOMS CLUB, Dr Soyini Gordon-Mitchell, "BAM MOMS CLUB Club was started in 2021 and is a charitable organisation geared towards providing prenatal education for pregnant women in the fourth to seventh month of pregnancy. All proceeds from the Jamaican Premiere of From Yard will contribute to our Prenatal Education Scholarship Programme, consisting of a six-week prenatal program for 15 to 20 underprivileged expectant mothers in our community for our next cohort starting in October 2023. These women will receive crucial prenatal education from a wide range of experts, including Obstetricians/Gynecologists, Lactation Specialists, Pediatricians and Pelvic Floor Specialists over six weeks. Consequently, we are truly excited to be part of the first public screening of From Yard and look forward to a wonderful night to benefit an important cause."
© Nick Whatley Shevrado Oliver (left) and Joe Herrera in From Yard
The Union of Jamaican Alumni Associations was founded in 1990 to bring together the various Jamaican high school alumni organisations operating in the New York tri-state region of the USA. President Donovan Wilson states, "As part of our mandate to promote academic excellence at all school levels in Jamaica, UJAA has been an active supporter of robotics in Jamaican schools for the past twelve years.
We have sponsored Team Jamaica Robotics, our student team, to the annual FIRST Global Robotics International Challenge Competition for the past five years- hence our coining of the term "UJAAbotics - Join the Robolution" in our fundraising drive. We are therefore extremely pleased to partner with the producers of From Yard to present the Gala World Premiere of the series in New York City.
All proceeds from the premiere will send this year's Jamaican delegation of high school scientists to the 2023 FIRST Global Robotics Competition, held in Singapore from October 7 to 10. The evening will be a celebration of Jamaica's cultural and academic prowess, and it is an event not to be missed.
From Yard Producer-Director Leland Benford -whose first feature film Empathy will be available on streaming services this fall- says his production company is honoured to be allying with both entities for the transatlantic premieres.
"The BAM MOMS Club and UJAA, respectively, are focused on bringing the next generation safely into the world and then seeing to it that they receive all the academic opportunities that they can. This is in perfect line with our core values at Cupcake Rapture Studios.
These premieres also give us the opportunity to showcase the pilot of this groundbreaking series to executives and decision makers at various cable networks and streaming platforms, hopefully securing a production deal for the series and further promoting Jamaica. This is a happy situation in which everyone wins."
Tickets for both premieres will be available for sale online, in Jamaica and in New York shortly.