The 9th Annual ReelWorld Film Festival hosted the debut of Giancarlo Esposito's first directed film "Gospel Hill." Winner of Best Feature Film at the 2009 Texas Black Film Festival, the stirring civil rights drama stars Samuel L. Jackson, Angela Bassett, Danny Glover and Julia Stiles.

"Gospel Hill" focuses on residential lives and tragic losses in a racially divided community of Julia, South Carolina. Facing eviction from their homes by a proposed luxury golf course development, the townspeople unearth barely suppressed racial discord which has characterized their civic identity for decades.

The disturbance caused by the golf course development serves as a backdrop for the hotpot of hatred, bigotry and resentment that has stewed for so long. Danny Glover plays John Malcom, the son of assassinated civil rights organizer Peter Malcom (Samuel L. Jackson). Still grieved by the murder 30 years on, John struggles to understand why his father's legacy was tragically cut short.

John's marriage to his community activist wife Sarah (Angela Basset) is tested by paralyzing hopelessness and the rise in racially charged attitudes among community members. Julia Stiles rounds out the cast as the town's new schoolteacher Rosie, who is involuntarily dragged into the prejudice milieu.

Also part of the ReelWorld Festival schedule was the Music Video Program presented by BravoFact and Much Music. The line-up was packed with a potpourri of music videos directed by and staring Canadian artists.