MIAMI BEACH – The 29th annual American Black Film Festival (ABFF) today announced its lineup of narrative and documentary features, along with the opening night HBO Short Film Award Showcase. This year’s festival will take place live in Miami Beach June 11-15, followed by an online segment June 16-24 on ABFF PLAY (https://abffplay.com/), and spotlights incredible emerging creatives in the filmmaking space.
HBO Short Film Award Filmmakers
In past years, the ABFF’s prestigious HBO Short Film Award has helped launch the careers of some of the most successful filmmakers, such as:
- Ryan Coogler (2011 HBO Short Film Award Winner – Fig),
- Reinaldo Marcus Green (2013 HBO Short Film Award Finalist – Stone Cars),
- Rashaad Ernesto Green (2008 HBO Short Film Award Winner – Premature),
- Frank E. Flowers (2003 HBO Short Film Award Winner – Swallow ),
- Steven Caple, Jr. (2013 HBO Short Film Award Winner – A Different Tree ), and more.
The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) continues to serve as a vital force in Hollywood, spotlighting bold storytelling and fresh creative voices for a global audience.
The 2025 festival will feature a compelling lineup of narrative and documentary films from the United States, Canada, Jamaica, Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria, Zambia, United Kingdom, Democratic Republic of Congo and other nations.
Audiences can anticipate a powerful selection of narrative features, spanning genres like psychological thriller, romance, and comedy, and delving into culturally resonant issues including grief, friendship, fatherhood, resilience, self-identity vs. collectivism, desperation vs. maintaining artistic integrity, gang violence, and envy & greed.
Hosted by three-time Emmy-nominated actor and author Dondré Whitfield on Saturday, June 14, winners of the films in competition will be announced during the “Best of ABFF Awards” which will include the festival’s hallmark award, the John Singleton Award for Best Debut Feature presented by Sony Pictures Entertainment.
ABFF Returning to Miami Beach
“We are thrilled to bring the American Black Film Festival back to Miami Beach in 2025, continuing our tradition of showcasing bold, original voices and engaging storytelling,” said NICE CROWD President Nicole Friday. “This year’s festival promises an even more expansive lineup of films that reflect the richness of lived experiences and the creativity shaping today’s cinematic landscape. We look forward to an inspiring week that celebrates emerging talent and connects audiences through compelling stories from around the world.”
Partnership With Miami Beach
“The American Black Film Festival has been a cherished longstanding partnership for Miami Beach — culturally, creatively, and economically,” said Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner. “ABFF reinforces Miami Beach’s reputation as a global hub for film and art. We welcome the leading voices in Black film and entertainment to our city.”
2025 ABFF Official Narrative and Documentary Features Lineup
The full feature and documentary lineup as well as the HBO Short Film Award Showcase for the 2025 American Black Film Festival is listed below.
Narrative Features (U.S. & International)
A competitive section for feature-length films directed by, or written and produced by, persons of African descent.
Films selected for this section will compete for Jury Awards, including Best Narrative Feature with a cash prize of $2,500 sponsored by Walmart, and Best Director with a cash prize of $2,500 sponsored by Ally Financial.
Additionally, if a person of African descent directs a film accepted to this section and it is their first feature film, they will be eligible to compete for the John Singleton Award for Best Debut Feature Film, presented by Sony Pictures Entertainment.
The following films represent the 2025 official selections in the Narrative Features category:
Title: Can You Stand The Rain *World Premiere
Logline: A group of lifelong friends reunite after the sudden death of their childhood anchor, only to confront buried dreams, hidden tensions, long-held regrets — and the truth about who they’ve become… and who they still might be.
USA | 90m
Director: Eden Marryshow
Writer: Eden Marryshow
Producer: Eden Marryshow
Cast: John Bermudez, Steve H. Broadnax III, Jaben Early, Devin Haaq, Eden Marryshow, Stephen Conrad Moore, Adesola Osakalumi, Cesa Pledger, Celestine Rae, Jaime Lincoln Smith, Brandhyze Stanley, Analisa Velez, Jasmin Walker
Title: Deadly Visitor *World Premiere
Logline: A woman’s quiet home turns into a deadly standoff when assassins come hunting a stranger and stolen diamonds.
USA | 84m
Director: Aaron L. Williams
Writer: Aaron L. Williams
Producers: Aaron L. Williams, Orlando Eric Street, John Sonny Louis, Allysa Carson
Cast: Danielle Laroach, Maurice P. Kerry, Rodney Perry
Trailer: https://youtu.be/0y4u-xNFPDk
Title: Freight: The Five Incarnations of Abel Green
Logline: Freight: The Five Incarnations of Abel Green operates on the premise that a person’s spirit, or soul, comes to the world because there is something the soul needs to learn. If the soul does not learn it, then it comes back to the world again and again until it’s successful.
USA | 90m
Director: J. Alphonse Nicholson
Writer: Howard L. Craft
Producers: J. Alphonse Nicholson, Tabitha Brown, Nafeesha Nicholson, Stephen “Doc” Love, Juel Taylor, Joseph Megel
Cast: J. Alphonse Nicholson
Trailer: https://youtu.be/WFg_rzMfXRs?si=R2qBE35dwVeeJj_7
Title: HOORAH 99! *World Premiere
Logline: A down-on-his-luck father, in the midst of a foreclosure and other financial woes, convinces his three high-school teenage sons that their only option is to rob a bank.
USA | 122m
Director: Ash Innovator
Writer: Ashley Smith
Producers: Ci Esta
Cast: Travis Johnson, Jeff ‘Ja Rule’ Atkins, Kevin Barbara, Marqi Morgan, Zy’Air Carter, Thashley Ulysses, KiKi the First Lady
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/user197373387/HOORAH99trailer
Title: It Comes In Waves *World Premiere
Logline: A family of four escapes the genocide in Rwanda and lands in Ottawa. They quickly learn that the grass is not always greener on the other side.
Canada | 105m
Director: Fitch Jean
Writer: Sammy Mohamed
Producers: Amir Zargara
Cast: Adrian Walters, Nendia Lewars
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1064496934/4aba711359
Title: Love, Brooklyn
Logline: Three longtime Brooklynites navigate careers, love, loss, and friendship against the rapidly changing landscape of their beloved city.
USA | 97m
Director: Rachael Abigail Holder
Writer: Paul Zimmerman
Producers: André Holland, Kate Sharp, Liza Zusman, Maurice Anderson, Patrick Wengler
Cast: André Holland, Nicole Beharie, DeWanda Wise, Roy Wood Jr.
Title: Love Offside
Logline: When an undervalued physical therapist secretly takes on a famous rugby player’s recovery using a bold mix of Jamaican herbal remedies and modern therapy, she risks her career—and her heart—in a fight to prove her worth.
Jamaica | 105m
Director: Dale S. Lewis
Writer: Daneil Campbell, Jeanette Milio
Producers: Kimala Bennett, Melissa Llewellyn, Lorisa Bates, Tashara Lee Johnson, Judi Johnson, Victoria Rowell, Mike Merrill
Cast: Judi Johnson, Mike Merrill, Victoria Rowell, Sundra Oakley, Carli McIntrye, Tosh Alexander
Title: Meta Take One
Logline: An obsessive young director & his crew plunge into a frantic night long odyssey of desperation to finish his film no matter the cost.
USA | 96m
Director: John Dierre, Ryan Dutter
Writer: Ryan Dutter and John Dierre
Producers: Ryan Dutter, John Dierre, Cabral Clements, L.M. Davis
Cast: Ej Ezuruo, Emmanuel Peeples, Aminah Williams, James Choi, John Romanski, Laura Poindexter, Kountry Slimm, Kevin Williams
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1064898743
Title: Outdoor School *World Premiere
Logline: In 1994, drugs and gangs surge north up the Interstate 5 corridor, destabilizing Portland, Oregon. Amidst this urban chaos, 12-year-old Vin, homeless in the heart of the city, embarks on a week-long wilderness journey, experiencing Portland’s transformative rite of passage: Outdoor School.
USA | 84m
Director: Ime N. Etuk
Writer: Ime N. Etuk, Kamafi Adio Byrd
Producers: Ime N. Etuk, Ifanyi Bell, Vin Shambry
Cast: Kendrick Cross, Cycerli Ash, Jahi Diallo Winston, Eric Edelstein
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1055111306/6c36465819
Title: The Fisherman
Logline: In Zoey Martinson’s Venice Film Festival-winning feast of magical realist comedy— aging Ghanaian Atta Oko sets his sights on finally having his own boat and becoming the envy of his village, he’ll just need help from a talking dead fish first.
Ghana | 106m
Director: Zoey Martinson
Writer: Zoey Martinson
Producers: Kofi Owusu Afriyie, Korey Jackson, Yvonne Orji
Cast: Ricky Adelayitar, Endurance Grand, William Lamptey, Kiki Romi, Adwoa Akoto, Dulo Harris
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1001394859
Title: The Late Night Creep *World Premiere
Logline: For a married man, date night without the wife can be hell.
USA | 95m
Director: Jamal Dedeaux
Writer: Jamal Dedeaux
Producers: Rebecca T. Haze, Kris Simms
Cast: Jake Choi, Tosin Morohunfola, Karen Obilom, Siddiq Sanderson, Ali Gallo, Lori Laing, Jason Mitchell, Leslie Jones
Title: The Reject
Logline: Against all odds, a young man labeled as “mentally handicapped” fights against systemic barriers, personal demons, and society’s expectations to rise from the projects and become an influential attorney and politician who challenges the very system designed to hold him back.
USA | 93m
Director: Blademil Grullon
Writer: Yonel Aris, Percy Romeo Miller, Logan Burdick, Kionne Mcghee
Producers: Marco Molinet, Percy Romeo Miller, Brandon Dumlao, Kionne Mcghee
Cast: Percy Romeo Miller, Kamal Ani-Bello, Tsachai “Sky” Aris
Trailer: https://youtu.be/Q5DA8M0xguo
Title: The ReWrite. *World Premiere
Logline: A struggling screenwriter revisits the characters in his script in real life to do a rewrite of his latest draft in order to save his dying career.
USA | 94m
Director: Terry Dawson
Writer: Terry Dawson
Producers: Julie Bersani, Bill Benenson, Laurie Benenson, Terry Dawson
Cast: Stephen Barrington, Freddy D. Ramsey Jr., Elijah R. Reed, Anthony Riggins Jr., Taylor Leigh Edwards, Holly Hyman, Don Wallace, Felice Heather Monteith, Jhey Castles, Jordan Murphy
Title: The Secret Between Us *US Premiere
Logline: Some secrets break us; others can bind us.
USA | 114m
Director: Tamera Hill
Writer: Tamera Hill
Producers: Tamera Hill, Michael Jai White, Reggie Currelley, Suzanne Lyons
Cast: Michael Jai White, Lisa Arrindell, Victoria Rowell, Tre Ryan
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1080045987
Title: TREASURE HUNT *World Premiere
Logline: A desperately poor ex-con man returns lost expensive jewellery only to discover that a gang of criminals are bent on using him to get the jewellery for themselves.
South Africa | 97m
Director: Chim Onyebilanma
Writer: Chim Onyebilanma
Producers: Chim Onyebilanma, Happiness Mpase
Cast: Moopi Mothibeli, Melissa Mkhize, Thabiso Mokhethi, Patrick Kenny, Crystal Tryon-Smith
Trailer: https://youtu.be/c2mNIRJvhoo
Narrative Features (Out of Competition)
Title: Fight Like A Girl
Logline: A young Congolese woman forced to work in an illegal mineral mine, escapes her captors and finds a new life for herself after joining a renowned all-women boxing club in the border city of Goma. Based on a True Story.
Democratic Republic of Congo | 118m
Director: Matthew Leutwyler
Writer: Matthew Leutwyler
Producers: Anton Laines, Yvette Gayle, Innocent Munyeshuri, Serge Ibaka
Cast: Ama Qamata, Hakeem Kae Kazim, Clarck Ntambwe, Malaika Uwamahoro, Arthur Nkusi, Bahali Ruth, Kennedy Mazimpaka
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/869303140?share=copy
Title: Trouble Man *World Premiere
Logline: An ex-cop turned fixer is hired to find his superstar and rumored ex-girlfriend. With a blend of brains, bullets and Kung Fu, Jaxen must fight through a maze of street thugs, slicksters and Chinese mobsters before his or the diva’s time runs out.
USA | 92m
Director: Michael Jai White
Writer: Michael Stradford
Producers: Craig Baumgarten, Michael Jai White, Ron Robinson
Cast: Michael Jai White, Method Man, Mike Epps, Gillian White, Orlando Jones, Lala Anthony
Documentary Features
A competitive section for non-fiction feature-length films directed by or about persons of African descent. Films selected for this section compete for the Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature with a cash prize of $2,500. The following films represent the 2025 official selections in the Documentary Features category:
Title: Black Women and Sex *World Premiere
Logline: Black Women and Sex explores the tension between black women and the politics of sex in Africa.
South Africa, Nigeria, Zambia | 90m
Director: Godisamang Khunou
Writer: Godisamang Khunou
Producers: Godisamang Khunou, Calvin Sefala, Adelaide Joshua-Hill, Yolanda Ncokotwana, Refiloe Hlabioa, Iris Kaingu, Nthabeleng Phora, Kgomotso Zebediela
Cast: Iris Kaingu, Glow Makatsi, Olawumi Oloye
Trailer: https://youtu.be/ltdv7BbZiao
Title: Carnival: They Can’t Steal Our Joy *US Premiere
Logline: Caribbean Carnival is not just any event. It is liberation, a voice of freedom, people in action, a cultural movement that was born out of a place of righteous defiance to become a paradise of colorful street parade.
Canada | 75m
Director: Ian Mark Kimanje
Writer: Allen Booth and Ian Mark Kimanje
Producers: Ian Mark Kimanje
Cast: Candace Dixon, Fiona Compton, and Ian Mark Kimanje
Trailer: https://youtu.be/o_RPfSkrxsM
Title: Fatherless No More
Logline: Fatherless No More chronicles the remarkable journey of an Orlando-based pastor and former Super Bowl Champion who was driven by a divine calling to move into an RV at a place often deemed hell on earth, Rikers Island.
USA | 86m
Director: Kayla Johnson, Co-director Ashly Robinson
Producers: Cole Anthony, Cece Winans, Ashly Robinson, Kayla Johnson, Michelle Duffie
Cast: Tim Johnson, Malik Bacchus, Jayden Mayo, and Tristian Williams
Title: Good Shot *World Premiere
Logline: In the heart of Watts, a beloved neighborhood legend named Maxwell seeks redemption as a father after a lifetime of using basketball to mask his pain.
USA | 81m
Director: Joris Debeij
Writer: Walter Thompson-Hernández
Producers: Jean Mougin, Joris Debeij, Aron Phillips, Stephen Curry, Erick Peyton, Steve Wood
Cast: Maxwell Henderson
Title: Love, Joy & Power: Tools For Liberation *World Premiere
Logline: Love, Joy & Power: Tools for Liberation is a feature length documentary about the co-founders of the Black Voters Matter Fund, Cliff Albright and LaTosha Brown, the work they do to empower African American communities especially in the rural south, and the crucial role they played in flipping Georgia from red to blue in the 2020 Presidential election and the 2021 Georgia Senate Runoffs and the numerous threats they faced to do the work.
USA | 96m
Director: Daresha Kyi
Producers: Trevite Willis, Daresha Kyi
Cast: LaTosha Brown, Cliff Albright, April England Albright
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/929955295?from=outro-local
Title: Moses
Logline: In San Francisco, a man enduring homelessness for two decades connects with passersby to be seen among the invisible—a skill he learned from a promising music career cut short in the ’70s, and one that will ultimately transform his life.
USA/SPAIN | 127m
Director: Fran Guijarro
Writer: Fran Guijarro
Producers: Fran Guijarro, Diya Guha & Juli López
Cast: Moses
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/freerangepuppies/mosestrailer
Title: SPADURA *World Premiere
Logline: Framed as an off-kilter baby shower, SPADURA unapologetically takes on the emotional and financial cost of IVF, grief, aging, as well as the unique fertility obstacles faced by Black women in America — all through a funny and gripping solo show.
USA | 60m
Director: Allison Caviness
Writer: Dahéli Hall
Producers: Elizabeth Yng-Wong
Cast: Dahéli Hall
Title: Wait Until Tomorrow *World Premiere
Logline: An intimate, urgent portrait of race, wealth, and opportunity in America, told through the eyes of Black families striving for more in cities across the nation.
USA | 70m
Director: Osato Dixon
Writer: Osato Dixon, Kara Murphy
Producers: Kelley Robins Hicks, Jamund Washington
Cast: Shelley Stewart III, Sara Prince, Tiffany Burns, JP Julien, Avis E., Crystal F., Antonio G., Kandice J., Armond J.
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1083669581?share=copy
Series
A competitive section for short-form episodic series directed by, or written and produced by, persons of African descent. Series selected for this section compete for the Jury Award for Best Series with a cash prize of $2,500 sponsored by Comcast NBCUniversal.
The following are the 2025 official selections in the Series category:
Title: Ainsi va Manu – Hogtown Episode 203 *US Premiere
Logline: Forced to leave her hometown temporarily, Manuela finds it difficult to adapt to her new surroundings. She has only one thing on her mind: moving back to Toronto. However, an unexpected encounter turns Manuela’s life upside down, calling into question everything she’s known up to now.
Canada | 21m
Director: Josiane Blanc
Writer: Josiane Blanc
Producers: Josiane Blanc, Ania Jamila
Cast: Cindy Charles, Sandra Dorélas, Jamaal Mansaray, Laurence Barrette, Ted Pluviose, Madani Tall, Maïka Ferron, Nam Nguyen
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/920086803
Title: I Hate My Love Life
Logline: After years of bickering, a well-seasoned married couple decide to go on dates with other people to see if the grass is really greener on the other side; only to find out they are not prepared for the woes of new-age dating.
USA | 15m
Director: Tiffany Jackman
Writer: Tiffany Jackman
Producers: Tiffany Jackman, Orion Phillips II, Nia Watenza, Paula Spencer
Cast: Reggie Hayes, Terri J. Vaughn, Daphnique Springs, Orion Phillips II, Meghan Falcone, Roy Wood Jr.
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1046554296
Title: IntelliGent
Logline: Regent, an autistic genius in fourth grade is lured by a bully’s promise of popularity, setting off a race against time to unveil the truth and avoid a year of humiliation and disaster.
USA | 28m
Director: Kinnik Sky
Writer: Kinnik Sky
Producers: Kinnik Sky
Cast: Josiah Howard-Tobia, Ernest Thomas, Kinnik Sky, Nia Johnson, Harper Bree, Rhaja Leigh, Dylan Taylor, Jaeden White
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5N1x7MLAfGE
Title: OFFBEAT *World Premiere
Logline: A quirky yet classy late 20s woman struggles to hide her true self as she leads an entertaining double life.
USA | 29m
Director: Jasmine Ogunjimi
Writer: Paige Carroll
Producer: Paige Carroll
Cast: Breayre Tender, Robert Daniels, G’ionna Bowman, Craig Amar Johnson, April Rock, Dominick Johnson, Ahmenah Richardson
Trailer: https://youtu.be/naNioRtshd0
Title: Sideline Story *World Premiere
Logline: Hezi and Parker are two ex-basketball phenoms who find themselves in a similar predicament of financial struggles, soon to realize that ball might be the solution to both of their problems.
USA | 24m
Directors: Deantè Gray, Sam Buckner, III
Writer: Sam Buckner, III
Producers: Sam Buckner, III, Ski-ter Jones
Cast: Ezekiel Ajeigbe, Shan Moreno, David Reivers, Sophina DeJesus, King Martin
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXoDUXq0Vu8
Title: The Hype
Logline: A young Black couple battles the sleazy sea of L.A. materialistic culture at a party in the Hollywood Hills.
USA | 18m
Director: Justin Casselle
Writers: Maya Cryor, Joel Boyd
Producers: Ramone Hulet, Christopher McQueen, Maya Cryor, Joel Boyd
Cast: Maya Cryor, Joel Boyd, Ezekiel Ajeigbe, Alexis Brown, Fana Tesfagiorgis, Eliza Skinner, Randall Harr
HBO Short Film Award Showcase
A competitive section for narrative shorts directed by, or written and produced by, persons of African descent. Now in its 28th year, the HBO® Short Film Award is regarded as one of the most prestigious short film showcases in the country. Five filmmakers are selected as finalists and receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the festival. The Grand Prize winner receives a $10,000 cash award, while each of the four runner-up finalists receives $5,000. The ABFF is an Academy Award-qualifying festival for the Short Film category.
The following films represent the finalists for the 2025 HBO Short Film Award.
Title: ManBooBs *World Premiere
Logline: At a pool party for his crush, an overweight Black teenager wrestles with shame and self-worth, risking heartbreak and humiliation to finally tell her how he feels.
USA | 14m
Director: Luke Harris
Writer: Luke Harris
Producers: Luke Harris, Jeremy Blum
Cast: Bryant Tardy, Bethany Livers, Camden Collier, Dwight Nelson, Milan Fields
Trailer: https://youtu.be/rfyvcXP_hLs
Title: A Beauty Supply in Queens *World Premiere
Logline: In Queens, NY, Nigerian mother Ms. Aji and her daughter Tobi fight to keep their beauty supply store afloat amid ruthless competition and sabotage from rival shops.
USA | 19m
Directors: Oluseyi Olatujoye, Princess Adenike
Writer: Princess Adenike
Producers: Princess Adenike, Caroline Chikezie, Oluseyi Olatujoye, Queensly Ajibola, Shalom C. Obiago
Cast: Caroline Chikezie, Clem Cheung, Princess Adenike, Paul Wang, Angella Katherine, Angela Chew, Queensly Ajibola, Keisha T. Fraser, Andrew Hsu, Natividad Alemany, Ayaan Diop, Alaia Diop, Ase Diop, Celia Au, Khoa Nguyen
Title: ADO
Logline: Ms. Hopkins is rehearsing Much Ado About Nothing with her middle school theatre class when it is interrupted by a school shooter.
USA | 16m
Director: Sam Henderson
Writer: Sam Henderson, Ryan Romine
Producer: Rachel Jobin
Cast: Jenifer Lewis, Zachary Lane, Karis Henderson
Title: In Good Hands
Logline: Minutes before the end of her shift, a Black ER Doctor is forced to take on two of the most challenging patient circumstances of her career in a tense Western, PA hospital.
USA | 14m
Director: Nick Buchheit
Writer: Yasmine Crawley
Producers: Carl Kurlander, Janet Smith
Cast: Chanell Jones-Harris, Malcolm Thompson
Trailer: https://youtu.be/xvyBLrIOPRk
Title: Last Hoorah at G-Baby’s
Logline: After blowing through her cash inheritance, an aimless and apathetic art school grad must come up with five months of back rent or she risks eviction from her rent-controlled apartment in a gentrifying Brooklyn.
USA | 15m
Director: DeeDee Casimir
Writer: DeeDee Casimir
Producers: DeeDee Casimir, Kim Coleman, Jordan Shanks
Cast: Armani Greer, Cecelia Friday, BeeBe Smith, Thomas Copeland Jr., Chaine “CJ Fly” Downer
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nb9uc1044jk
Voices Of Culture
A non-competitive showcase of short films directed by persons of African descent. This section is by invitation only, with films submitted to but not accepted as finalists for the HBO Short Film Award automatically considered for inclusion.
The following films represent the 2025 official selections in this category:
Title: 333
Logline: Mona is grappling with her past choice to have an abortion but upon learning women’s choices are taken away builds a bomb planning an attack on a local Supreme Court Justice motivated by the Roe v. Wade overturning.
USA | 21m45s
Director: Naturi Naughton-Lewis
Writer: Naturi Naughton-Lewis, Korstiaan Vandiver
Producers: Two Lewis, Naturi Naughton-Lewis, Curshion Jones
Cast: Birgundi Baker, Naturi Naughton-Lewis, Vanessa Bell Calloway, John Clarence Stewart, Samuel Smith, Isley Key Brison
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1056658648
Title: all the love i could handle
Logline: all the love i could handle is a re-imagining of the filmmaker’s mother’s young diary, unraveling the raw complexities of Black motherhood, artistic ambition, and the enduring sacrifices women have to make as mothers and artists. Based on the true family story of pioneer filmmaker Kathleen Collins (Losing Ground, 1982).
USA | 14m
Director: Ruby Rose Collins
Writer: Ruby Rose Collins
Producer: Ruby Rose Collins
Cast: Breanna Williams, Yasir LaFond
Title: Always, Most Of The Time *World Premiere
Logline: A remorseful woman discovers a magical stone that allows her to travel back in time, giving her the chance to mend her broken relationship and confront the personal traumas that have plagued her life.
USA | 39m56s
Director: Victor V. Hogan II
Writer: R. Alan Brooks
Producers: Michael Quigley, Kyle Vaughn, Victor V. Hogan II, Benton Aladin, R. Alan Brooks, Patti Kim Gill
Cast: Brittany S. Hall, Patrick Walker
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1070187988?share=copy
Title: BALACLAVA *World Premiere
Logline: In a village overshadowed by an abusive priest father, Maya longs for freedom and expression.
South Africa | 8m
Director: Kagiso Samuel Leburu
Writer: Kagiso Samuel Leburu
Producers: Mapitso Ralephata, Bonolo Bogopane
Cast: Lethabo Mekoa, Collen Modisa, Mannini Mokhuthu
Trailer: https://youtu.be/JByGygecjSs
Title: Blown Chances *World Premiere
Logline: A young woman tries to get a letter of recommendation from her job at the corner store, she is given one chance to prove herself but things get out of hand leading to an explosive intrusion.
USA | 10m45s
Director: India Bey
Writer: India Bey
Producers: Samiyah Wardlaw, Camille Chambers, Briuana Draper, India Bey
Cast: Jean Marie Landham, Deon Rodd
Title: Demons
Logline: A London cop returns to Lagos, risking everything to avenge his lover’s death, battling corruption and confronting his own demons in a heart-wrenching quest for justice.
Nigeria, United Kingdom | 20m37s
Director: Emmanuel Imani
Writer: Emmanuel Imani
Producers: Emmanuel Imani, Byron McNally
Cast: Emmanuel Imani, Fela Lufadeju, Ronke Adekoluejo, Abayomi Aka, Chris Jarman
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/956746445
Title: Don’t Hang Up
Logline: In rural Hayti, Missouri a pint-drinking churchgoer confronts her past when an unexpected call from her former student disrupts her Sunday routine. Together they navigate their harsh, shared history, igniting a journey of reconciliation and redemption to save a life.
USA | 10m
Director: Diamond Batiste
Writer: Ron McCants
Producers: Ron McCants, Ramfis Myrthil, Alain Fleury, Diamond Batiste, L.T. Hines II
Cast: Paula Jai Parker, LT Hines II
Title: Duende *World Premiere
Logline: Having haters is not a new thing, Genius has always been met with envy, just ask Mozart… or Tupac.
USA | 20m
Directors: Kevin Kittle, Petey McGee
Writers: Petey McGee, Robert Patricio
Producers: Petey McGee, Lazarus Simmons, Maxim Jean, Robert Patricio, Walker Clermont
Cast: Petey McGee, Robert Patricio, Maxim Jean, Walker Clermont, Lazarus Simmons
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBww4lNen9g
Title: elle/elle *World Premiere
Logline: After hosting a disastrous dinner party, a long term couple fights for their marriage and identities triggered by Elle’s recent coming out as a trans woman to her gay husband, Fritz.
USA | 20m
Director: Kelley Kali
Writer: Shonnie Jackson
Producers: Kelley Kali, Jenna Cavelle, Brittani Ward, la georgea
Cast: la georgea, Dan Bucatinsky, L’lerrét Jazelle
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1081181778?share=copy#t=0
Title: Fufu and Soup *World Premiere
Logline: Panicked by her lack of sexual experience, a woman schemes to lose her virginity on the night of her 29th birthday party.
USA | 15m
Director: Marjan Mona Koffa
Writer: Marjan Mona Koffa
Producers: Oona Wuolijoki, Marjan Mona Koffa
Cast: Adriyan Rae, Patrick Cage II, Chaize Macklin, Kyra Weeks, Dan Cathcart
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1081661232?share=copy
Title: Graduation Day *World Premiere
Logline: “Graduation Day” is an edgy coming-of-age dramedy following high school senior Cheech as he navigates his identity, a love triangle with his best friend Sparkes, longtime crush Jayla, and the bittersweet chaos of growing up in NYC—all while rocking a red sparkly suit and surviving a party bus ride that takes his big day in some unexpected directions.
USA | 15m
Director: Jordan Aaron Hall
Writer: Jordan Aaron Hall
Producers: Jordan Aaron Hall, Kevaughn Reid
Cast: Jordan Aaron Hall, Nathaniel Logan Mcintyre, Kaci Walfall, Narci Regina, KJ Aikens
Trailer: https://youtu.be/tAZUv0XW_1A?si=wCtBoyzXkIQqIR1P
Title: HARLEM FRAGMENTS
Logline: An Afro-futurist scrapbook storytelling of a Harlem Black family’s beautiful destruction during the 2008 recession. Based on true events.
USA | 17m
Director: Cameron Tyler Carr
Writers: Cameron Tyler Carr, Danielle Therese Dougé, Wes Andre Goodrich
Producers: Harlem Renaissance Productions, Keep or Destroy Productions, Black Man Films LLC, Trujulo Productions, Flor De Oro Tejada, Salma Qarnain, Fanshen Cox
Cast: Kyle Keyes, Stella Coviello, Roderick Lawrence, Clarissa Thibeaux, Christina Clements-Thompson, Jaleeca Yancy
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/818842637
Title: Hatchlings *World Premiere
Logline: A resentful teenager is forced to babysit her turtle-obsessed half-brother; meanwhile, he dives into a vivid fantasy world where he is a sea turtle and she is a tortoise.
USA | 15m
Director: Jahmil Eady
Writer: Jahmil Eady
Producers: Tara Austin
Cast: Demi Singleton, Christian Robinson, Dominic Stephens, and Angela Lewis
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1052473738
Title: Many Thousands Lost *World Premiere
Logline: After believing him to be at work, an inquisitive young girl must come to terms with losing her father once she learns he has been sentenced to death.
USA | 16m
Director: Jehan Patterson
Writer: Jehan Patterson
Producers: Chirsten Vanderbilt-Ellis, Amirah Adem, Marlana Dunn
Cast: Celeste Clark, Sheldon Frett, Tristina Lee, Kris Sidberry
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1081722949?share=copy#t=0
Title: Moving Mountains
Logline: A young, Black man from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Tre’lan seeks a new life and travels to a remote island of Hawaii, where he finds peace for the first time, through connection to nature, and finds meaning, through a newfound love of the ocean and big wave surfing.
USA | 21m
Director: Jessa Williams
Producers: EP: Jessa Williams, Peter Goetz, Backroads Pictures | Producer: Tre’lan Michael
Cast: Tre’lan Michael
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/954035631
Title: Nothin’ Good & 12th Street *World Premiere
Logline: Over the course of one night, two teenagers, two crooks, and one hitman all try to get their hands on a bag of stolen cash.
USA | 15m43s
Director: Tone Foster
Writer: Tone Foster
Producers: Yonel Cohen, Tone Foster
Cast: T.K. Richardson, Christian Carter, Thomas Avona, Jerimiyah Dunbar, Tjader France, Oscar Jordan, Jon Doss
Title: Ree’s Destiny *World Premiere
Logline: On the day of her debut, Ree, a 43-year-old aspiring rapper, is sabotaged by her defiant daughter Destiny.
USA | 15m35s
Director: Steven Mosley
Writer: Steven Mosley
Producers: Steven Mosley, Jenna Mahmoud Bosco, Sherry Thompson, Adam Taylor, Jay Thames
Cast: Jessica “Jess Mahogany” Mitchell, Cia Jaye
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1081008098?share=copy
Title: Rehash *World Premiere
Logline: A coder beta tests a groundbreaking program after a breakup.
USA | 17m31s
Director: Kevin Giles
Writer: Kevin Giles
Producer: Samiyah Wardlaw
Cast: Niguel Quinn, Mister Fitzgerald, Nia Nichole, Emily Dale White
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1046035320
Title: Sadness of Men *World Premiere
Logline: When a rancher learns he’s going to be a father, he must confront the trauma of his abusive past to break the cycle and build a future rooted in love and truth.
USA | 11m34s
Director: Eli Moss
Writer: Eli Moss
Producers: Otis Moss III, Kelly Pope, Judson Brown
Cast: Joshua Griffin, Daion Hubbard, Jade Bryant, Farris Langley, Luke Steward
Trailer: https://youtu.be/wUw37P4KE8M?feature=shared
Title: Sugar Dumplin
Logline: A young woman desires to reconnect with her estranged father who is struggling with dementia by creating food from his Caribbean childhood.
Canada | 20m
Director: Tristan Barrocks
Writer: Tristan Barrocks
Producers: Natanya Barrocks, Chantel Riley, Donisha Prendergast
Cast: Oliver Samuels, Chantel Riley, Nancy Kenny, Crystal C. Rose, Jacqueline Greer Graham
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1004731619
Title: The Black Bart of Taco King #17 *World Premiere
Logline: A suave larcenist searches for a new partner at a dive bar and finds the perfect Bonnie to his Clyde. He takes her to dinner to put her to the test, yet she has all the answers… and more.
USA | 12m40s
Director: Rickey Larke
Writer: Rickey Larke
Producers: Lorelle Lynch, Lo Howard, Lyandre Pierre, Julian Park, Charles Taylor Goubeaud
Cast: Jasmine Mathews, Christopher Dietrick & Derrick A. King
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1041792905
Title: The Inconvenience Store *World Premiere
Logline: When five unlikely strangers get stuck in a gas station during an alien invasion, they must put their differences aside and work together to survive.
USA | 13m
Director: Ifeanyi Ezieme
Writer: Nzinga Kadalie Kemp
Producers: Fabiola Rodriguez
Cast: Hidekun Hah, Artrece Johnson, Allison Ohara, Joey Herman, Christian Ramirez Loya
Title: Zeke *World Premiere
Logline: Zeke is a dark satire about a trusted barbershop owner who betrays a loyal client, forcing him to confront the culture of silence that pervades their Brooklyn community.
USA | 20m
Director: Kerry Coddett
Writer: Kerry Coddett
Producer: Krystal Payne
Cast: Hassan Johnson, Stephen Cofield, Sam Jay, Kerry Coddett
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1060195619/65648c1250
