Mumbai, Feb 18 (IANS) The US consulate in Mumbai is hosting an eight-day African-American Utsav to celebrate the Black history month of the US at the American Centre here from Tuesday.

The event is being organised in cooperation with the Katha Centre for Film Studies.

The consulate has put together an elaborate programme to celebrate the event, ranging from exhibition of jazz photographs by Navroze Contractor, jazz performance by Rhys Sebastian D'Souza, screening of movies, drama readings and discussions.

The Utsav is intended to honour the struggle and triumph of millions of black American citizens, who surmounted obstacles like slavery, prejudice, poverty, as well as their contribution to the nation's cultural and political life.

The film screenings will open Tuesday with the movie 'Eyes on the Prize' (1987) by Henry Hampton.

The movies to screened include director Sidney J. Furie's 'Lady Sings the Blues' (1972), 'The Blood of Jesus' (1941; director Spencer Williams), 'Song of Freedom' (1936; director Elder Wills), 'Killer of Sheep' (1977; director Charles Burnett), 'Straight No Chaser' (1988; director Charlotte Zwerrin), 'Sweet Sweetback's Baadasss Song' (1971; director Melvin Van Peebles), 'Daughters of the Dust' (1991; director Julie Dash), 'Sankofa' (1993; director Haile Gerima), 'Beloved' ( 1998; director Jonathan Demme), 'The Color Purple' (1985; director Steven Spielberg), 'Mississipi Burning' (1988; director Allan Parker), 'Sanders of the River' (1935; director Zoltan Korda), 'Hallelujah' (1929; director King Vidor), 'Carmen Jones' (1954; director Otto Preminger), 'Imitation of Life' (1959; director Douglas Sirk), 'Herbie Hancock Trio: Hrricane' (1984), 'Body and Soul' (1925; director Oscar Mecheaux), 'The Emperor Jones' (1933; director Dudley Murphey), 'Jericho' (1937; director Thornton Freeland), 'Malcolm X' (1992; director Spike Lee), 'King of New York' (1990; director Abel Ferrara) and 'Moon over Harlem' (1939; director Edgar G. Ulmer).

The movies will be introduced to the audience by Prabodh Parikh, director, Katha Centre for Film Studies, Amrit Gangar, film scholar, Kanchana Mahadevan, head of department, Philosophy, Bombay University, Sobha Ghosh, head of department, English, SIES College, Arun Khopkar, film scholar, Amit Dutta, filmmaker, faculty, National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad and Kaushik Bhaumik, vice president, Osinama Programming.