Documentary premiere from award winners

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Know your heritage.

That's the message an unlikely pair of filmmakers want to send as their hard work heads to the big screen.

Addison Henderson and Korey Green are preparing to debut two short films and a documentary Saturday at Buffalo State College.

"I just want people to come out and feel inspired and they will when they come out and view these movies," said Henderson.

The documentary entitled "The Experience" was directed by Henderson with Green as co-executive producer.

The film focuses on knowing one's heritage.

"If you understand that heritage, it can give you a better sense of hope. So internally that will create a purpose for you and you won't feel lost in this world," explained Henderson.

And that lost feeling is something both filmmakers witnessed three years ago.

In 2006, Henderson and Green created their first award winning documentary, "The Forgotten City".

The two were brought together by tragedy and gave life to something positive.

Green explained, "One of my childhood friends murdered his [Henderson's] friend."

"Opposed to us raging war or becoming enemies, or disliking each other, even though we already had a relationship, we set down to discuss a way to make sure this didn't happen in vain," added Green.

"The Forgotten City" chronicles the death of Henderson's best friend, violence and drugs in Buffalo, and the lost sense of hope plaguing young men and women growing up in some of Buffalo's roughest neighborhoods.

With their second film, "The Experience," the two went to Ghana, Africa in search of learning more about their ancestors and sharing that knowledge with today's young people.

This documentary premiers this Saturday at 6 p.m. at Buffalo State's Rockwell Hall.

Tickets are available at the door for $10.