''Fifth Ward'' is a 1997 drama film written, directed and produced by Greg Carter and starring Kory Washington, Thomas Miles, Donna Wilkerson, Thomas Webb, Junie Hoang, and

Lee Carter Lee Carter may refer to: *Lee Carter (baseball), American baseball player *Lee Carter (comics), British fantasy artist * Lee Carter (''EastEnders''), fictional character *Lee J. Carter (born 1987), member of the Virginia House of Delegates *Viper ( ...

. It follows an African-American man in the Fifth Ward ghetto of

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

entering a life of crime for a chance to kill the man who killed his brother. ''Fifth Ward'' was Greg Carter's first feature film which he wrote, produced, edited, and shot on

35mm 35 mm may refer to: * 135 film, a type of still photography format commonly referred to as 35 mm film * 35 mm movie film, a type of motion picture film stock * 35MM 35 mm may refer to: * 135 film, a type of still photography format ...

. It was shown at the

Austin Film Festival Austin Film Festival (AFF), founded in 1994, is an organization in Austin, Texas, that focuses on writers’ creative contributions to film. Initially, AFF was called the Austin Heart of Film Screenwriters Conference and functioned to launch the ...

on October 3, 1997, and later won Best Feature at the Black Film Festival of New Orleans. At 30th Parallel Film Festival in

Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

, it also picked up awards for Best Director and Feature. In 1998, ''Fifth Ward'' was selected into the

SXSW Film Festival South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Te ...

. A TV sequel to the film,

5th Ward The Series ''5th Ward The Series'' is an American television drama series written, produced, and created by director Greg Carter and premiered on Urban Movie Channel on March 2, 2018. The series is based on director Greg Carter's first movie '' Fifth War ...

started airing on UMC on March 2, 2018.

Plot

An African-American male in the ghettos of Houston struggles with opportunities to enter a life of crime including a chance to kill the man who killed his brother.

Cast

Release

''Fifth Ward'' was shown at the Austin Film Festival on October 3, 1997. It was later shown at the New Orleans Black Film Festival where it won Best Picture. The movie was later distributed by York/Maverick Entertainment and released nationwide in March 2000 to

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and

Hollywood Video Hollywood Entertainment Corp. (Nasdaq: HLYW), more commonly known as Hollywood Video, was a home video and video game rental shop company started in 1988. The chain was the largest direct competitor to Blockbuster Video until it was purchased ...

and later ran on BET Action PPV.

Reception

When screened at the

, ''Fifth Ward'' received mixed reviews. Despite "good intentions", ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' referred to the film as "crudely amateurish." Similarly, ''

The Austin Chronicle ''The Austin Chronicle'' is an alternative weekly newspaper published every Thursday in Austin, Texas, United States. The paper is distributed through free news-stands, often at local eateries or coffee houses frequented by its targeted demogr ...

'' echoed the same sentiments, commenting, "Despite Fifth Ward's ambitious style and noble, socially conscious storyline" it is "a messy mix of bad lighting, muddy sound, and thudding hip hop that sounds like it was recorded in a closet." In spite of reviews, the movie was distributed by York/Maverick Entertainment and released nationwide in March 2000 to

and

and later ran on BET Action PPV.

Sequel

A TV sequel to the film,

started airing on UMC on March 2, 2018, and consisted of six episodes. The series was renewed for a second season which will also consist of six episodes and air early 2020.

References

External links

*{{IMDb title, 150545 1997 drama films 1997 films African-American drama films American drama films Films set in Houston Hood films 1990s American films 1990s English-language films English-language drama films