The Artisan Festival International Team

Princess Angelique Monét, Duchess of Aquitaine Biography
FOUNDER/ FESTIVAL DIRECTOR

Princess Angelique Monét is an American multi-media talent and former Ms. Black South Carolina USA. Princess Angelique is the owner and President of Greta Joanne Entertainment [film, television, music and event production company] as well as the owner and President of AM Releasings [a theatrical distribution company]. Both companies are based in New York City. She graduated from St. Augustine's College with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mass Communications and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Princess Angelique is also the world's only female stage-film actress ventriloquist.

Princess Angelique began her career as a reporter/segment producer of NBC's children's show VideoMax and ABC's Beyond The Years. She was the writer, producer and host of Gracie and Angel, a children's program that aired nationally on the Dove Communications channel. Her first interview television show, NYConnection, was syndicated on Time- Warner's cable network. She interviewed entertainment pioneers such as Public Enemy, Dougie Fresh, Kurtis Blow, DJ Red Alert, Flavor Flav, Chuck D, Ludacris, Raekwon, Charles Stone III, Tyson Beckford, Sheek Louch, Damon Dash, Wayne Wonder and Baby Cham. Her acting credits include Multiple Me a one-woman Off Broadway production on Theatre Row. Princess Angelique was later cast in the supporting roll of Von in York Entertainment's East New York.

Monét's directorial film debut came with the short film BitterSweet, which screened at the Cannes Film Festival Short Film Corner (SFC) in 2005, and New York International Independent Film and Video Festival. Her feature film Deceptive premiered at the Marche du Film during Festival de Cannes (2010). Princess Angelique is the executive producer, producer, writer and star of the film, which also stars Shiek Mahmud-Bey (Buffalo Soldiers with Joaquin Phoenix, Sidney Lumet's Night Falls on Manhattan and Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood), Jas Anderson (Brooklyn's Finest) and Meah Pace (TLC's R U the girl). Deceptive had its New York City theatrical release from October 29 to November 4, 2010 through Big Cinema's Manhattan location. The film was an official selection for African American Women In Cinema Film Festival and Hamptons Black International Film Festival. Princess Angelique is also the lead actress, executive producer, writer and co-director of Engaging a feature film starring Chiko Mendez, Latin sensation Tito Puente Jr. (son of world renown Tito Puente), Ángel Salazar (Scarface), Steven Bauer (Scarface), Shiek Mahmud-Bey, Guy Richards, and Latin percussionist/ singer Willie Panama. Princess Angelique Monét is a recording artist, songwriter, composer, music producer and a member of ASCAP. Her album Not Wasting Time is available on iTunes for download.

Princess Angelique is a mixture of African-American, Native American, with European roots in France, Ireland and Spain. She was raised in Greenville, South Carolina by her mother and grandparents. Her grandfather, the Honorable Theo Walker Mitchell, is a former Senator and the first African American gubernatorial candidate to receive nomination from a major party (Democratic Party) in South Carolina (2nd in US history).

In July 2011 Princess Angelique Monét became a Video on Demand/PPV distributor for independent content with the launch of her own television channel, Nothing On Television TV, a VOD/PPV channel available on DISH Network satellite television, SlingBox and over the internet through DishOnline.com. This move into television distribution has put her into a small select group of female television channel owners in the United States. The channel has also launched Monét's reality show Angelique Monét, Renaissance Woman which follows the multitude of different businesses she has started and is currently running, in addition to her acting and performance career. Monét also is the on-air host of Nothing On Television and has interviewed celebrities such as: Matthew Broderick, David Morse, James Cromwell, Penelope Ann Miller, David Bailey and Russell Simmons, just to name a few. She has covered events such as the 2011 Congressional Black Caucus, Play Boy Mansion Cannes, private events during Festival de Cannes, the Hamptons International Film Festival, Art Basel and the New York Chinese Film Festival 2011.

HONORARY TITLES

She became Princess Angelique Monét in 2011, when the Duke of Aquitaine appointed her “fons honorum,” because of Monét’s achievements and world peace platform. On a periodic basis, royals grant titles of nobility to those whom they see fit. Though this is a non-reigning title, royals are still allowed to use titles, and grant them “fons honorum.” As Princess, Monét is also a Duchess within her own right, therefore titled and deeded, Her Royal Highness Princess Angelique Monét, Duchess of Aquitaine.

Rashid Bahati Biography
AFI Film Curator and Director of International Relations/ Strategic Partnerships

Rashid Bahati, has more than 15 years of experience as a producer/ director in television and film. In 1996 Rashid founded iMedia Marketing Group, a boutique media marketing and production services firm, that specializes in production packaging, multicultural marketing communications, with emphasis on the African American and African Diaspora markets globally. Mr. Bahati has produced many television productions for cable and satellite broadcast outlets in addition to producing projects with companies such as; Sony Home Video, HBO, C-SPAN and Court TV.

Currently, Rashid is a founder and general partner of Lead Dog Entertainment, a film distribution firm focused on ‘World Beat Cinema’ content and events. In Lead Dog’s first year of operation it produced a 13 week series entitled ‘Global Cinema TV’ which was broadcast over the Black Family Network to over 30 million households. Through the arrogation of African centered cultural festivals and events, which provide compelling content, he is convinced that the digital convergence will level the playing field for communities of color to gain more access.

The American Film Institute (AFI), honored him for his work entitled ‘Noahʹs Art’ a documentary/CD-ROM (1995), on the art career and life story of Noah Purifoy, founder of the Watts Towers Art Center in Los Angeles. Rashid produced ‘Reach For The Skies’ (1996), a biographical look at the career of the shortest player in the NBA, released and

distributed by Sony Home Video; and ‘The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute’ the DVD accompanying the award winning HBO film by Spike Lee ‘The 4 Little Girls’ (1997). Most recently, Rashid produced and directed the newly released documentary ‘Silent Warrior: An American Hero’ (2005), the James T. Jones story, which profiles the life of a African American soldier who fought in the Normandy invasion during World War II.

His projects as new media producer include; Live Web cast and official web site design for HBO/Spike Lee’s Academy Award nominee film ‘4 Little Girls’, (1998). Also he was the producer and project manager of the HBO movie ‘Soul of the Game’ outreach program which included coordination of 600+ students and served as the project producer of a Cyber Lounge and web site (1997).

Rashid produced the first ever Archived Web cast of ‘America’s Black Forum’ the nationally syndicated television program (1999), show title ‘Tech Know’ which addressed the issues of the Digital Divide and African American community. In addition, he produced the first Live Web cast of the Pan African Film Festival Los Angeles (2000), the largest independent Black Film Festival in the North America.