Pitt's Black Action Society to Show Independent Film For Black History Month

February 7, 2003

PITTSBURGH—The University of Pittsburgh's Black Action Society will show The Epicureans, an independent film described as the male version of HBO's Sex and the City, at 8 p.m. Saturday in the William Pitt Union Assembly Room, 3959 Fifth Ave.

Written and produced by Houston-born Brandon Broussard, The Epicureans is a comedy about how young men's lives are shaped by women and sex.

The film's title was adopted from the Greek philosopher Epicurus, who believed in the devotion to pleasure and luxurious comforts. As epicureans, the main characters, Damian, August, Christian, and Chase, are each in pursuit of happiness, as they are all at that "awkward" stage in life—four college graduates transitioning from the free-wheeling days of drinking between classes to the bill-paying, nine-to-five days of adulthood.

The Epicureans explores themes of rejection, infatuation, sex, deception, and the unyielding relationship between four friends.

Broussard graduated from Howard University in Washington, D.C., earning the Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. After working on two feature films in Los Angeles, Broussard found a passion for the art of filmmaking and wanted to turn his newfound love into a career. In January 2001, he returned to Howard and enrolled in the graduate film program.

After one semester, Broussard decided to shoot his own feature-length film. With the help of his cousin, Breht Gardener, also a filmmaker, he shot his first script and feature-length film, The Epicureans, in 10 days. Set in Washington, D.C., the film was finished in April 2002.

Broussard resides in Washington, D.C., where he is attending school and touring with The Epicureans.

###

2/7/03/mgc