SOLOMON KING

When Solomon King’s princess girlfriend is assassinated, it’s up to him to solve the case. Trained by the CIA, Solomon King is ready to take on anything and anyone… and to do it in style. What follows is a dynamic, action-packed, and frequently humorous revenge tale, as Solomon King comes up against a variety of villains, from the henchmen of an oil kingpin to corrupt agents, always coming out on top. Propelled by a fabulous funk soundtrack, SOLOMON KING is not only wildly entertaining but an important piece of Black film history. A time capsule of Oakland in the 1970s, SOLOMON KING showcases the hard work and dedication of Sal Watts, who not only directed the film, but also wrote, produced, and starred in it. Watts leveraged his pre-filmmaking success, shooting much of the film in businesses he owned and supplied a majority of the disco-ready wardrobe from his own clothing stores. Fantastic Fest is proud to present the world premiere of this fascinating piece of lost film history. Our friends at Deaf Crocodile have done a phenomenal job restoring the film, working closely with Watts’s widow, Belinda Burton-Watts, who not only appears in the film briefly, but also stored the original soundtrack elements in her closet for decades. Fans of innovative, independent filmmaking will be bowled over by the ingenuity, heart, and hard work that went into crafting SOLOMON KING. (LISA DREYER)