Official Selections: 2nd-8th LA Black Film Festivals
Congratulations to our accepted filmmakers!
Films are listed in alphabetical order, index to the left.
Scroll Down to learn more about each film.
#Anniversary
Short Film
On his wedding day, Eric Fuller tries to clear his conscience and break things off with his secret
lover Sarah, but she's not ready to let him go.
This near-future Sci-Fi drama explores love, letting go, and how the technology of today will
affect the relationships of tomorrow.
Director: Ellis E. Fowler
Producer: Ellis E. Fowler and John F. Thomas
Writer: Ellis E. Fowler
Cast: Ester Jiron, Ellis E. Fowler, and John F. Thomas
Cinematographer: Vincent Patin
Editor: Ellis E. Fowler
Best Actress (Ester Jiron)
- Top Indie Film Awards 2020
- New York Movie Awards 2020
- Creation International Film Festival 2022
Best Actor (Ellis E. Fowler)
- New York Movie Awards 2020
- Shreveport Urban Film Festival 2020
- The Monkey Bread Tree Film Awards 2020
Best Acting Duo:
- Creation International Film Festival 2022
Best Short Film
- Shreveport Urban Film Festival
Best Concept
- Dreamachine International Film Festival 2020
Best Original Idea
- Top Indie Film Awards 2020
Best Screenplay
- BlastOff 2020
Best Sci-Fi Short
- Independent Shorts Awards 2020 (bronze)
Instagram: @hashtaganniversary
Adonai
After a devastating accident, a man decides that the only way forward is to take his own life. That attempt is undoubtedly thwarted by a gorgeous party goer who's mysterious departure leaves him speechless.
Director: Gil Green
Producer: Hess Wesley, Jessica Ledon, Isabel Montenegro
Writer: Hess Wesley
Cast: Jessica Ledon, Hess Wesly
Cinematographer: Angel Barroeta
Editor: T David Binns
Twitter: @adonaimovie
Instagram: @adonaimovie
ANIMALS
Short
Months into his move to Los Angeles from the US Virgin Islands, Jordan and his White roommate Tyler are stopped by the young LAPD Officer, Miller. Tyler gets into a fight with the officer and is detained. Officer Phillips arrives and targets Jordan. Phillips takes Jordan down a dark alley and attempts to get a reaction out of Jordan by giving a speech on humans becoming animals once arrested. Jordan forges his way out, convincing them to release Tyler twice throughout the encounter. As they're leaving the area Tyler yells at the officers causing Jordan to scream at Tyler. The officers both become focused on Jordan. Phillips gives Jordan a targeted racist farewell. Jordan is changed forever after this crash course in the American policing system.
Director: Jordan K. Paul
Producer: Xan Churchwell
Writer: Jordan K. Paul
Cast: David McClain Jr, Vinney Pugliese, Colin Ward, Dallis Seeker, Teleah Moore, Rafa'el Jadon Munroe, and Sydney Paul.
Cinematographer: Joseph Warner
Editor: Tee Vaden
- ANIMALS received a 8.5/10 rating from FilmThreat.com
- Best Short nominations at the Micheaux Film Festival
— Montreal International Film Festival
— International Adana Golden Boll Film Festival
- Outstanding Cinematography nomination at the Micheaux Film Festival
Website: jordankpaul.me/animals
Instagram: @animalsshortfilm
Twitter: @JordanKPaul
Facebook: fb.com/AnimalsShort
A Race in the Sun
Los Angeles Premiere
Short Documentary
A Race in the Sun is an exploration of cycling culture through the eyes of Ayesha McGowan who rose through the ranks of the New York City underground cycling world to break barriers as the world's first African American woman to become a professional cyclist.
Director: K. Nicole Mills
Producer: K. Nicole Mills
Writer: K. Nicole Mills
Cast: Ayesha McGowan
Cinematographer: Viken Kazandjian
Editor: Nadine Mundo
Music Composition & Supervisor: Brandon W. Mills
Website: raceinthesun.com
Instagram: @Kay_Nic
Twitter: @KayNic
2 Black Boys
A poem, A dance and A song.
2 Black Boys muses on growing older, race, gender and queer identity.
Directed by Rachel Myers, the short film based on the poetry of actor, writer Giovanni Adams, is an exploration of childhood, identity and love. The poetic narrative in the film is based on Adams’ experience as a black, queer, Christian man crossing lines of identity, affinity and ideology. Myers also produced the film.
Directed by Rachel Myers
Produced by Rachel Myers and 3 Penny Design
Original Poetry by Giovanni Adams
Adapted for Screen by Rachel Myers
Original music by RC Williams, JoVia Armstrong and Vincent Olivieri.
Cinematography by David Tayar
Edited by Baltazar Pena Rios
Designs by:
Lauren Cucarola (Costumes)
Amanda Knehans (Production Design)
Adriana Alvarez (Sound Foley)
John Clifton (Color correction)
Cast:
Giovanni Adams, Ritza Bloom, Brett Hurley Lord, Jamel Rodriguez, Joshua Abston, Valorie Phillips
The Film Premiered at OUTFEST. Other festivals include CANNES AVIFF, SEATTLE BLACK FILM FESTIVAL, Rome Prisma Awards, San Francisco Black Film Festival, New Filmmakers NY, Varese International Film, Artango International Queer Festival, Bendigo Queer FIlm Festival , Toronto Lift Off Film, LGBT Los Angeles Film, The Lift Off Sessions).
*Winner Wild Card Award, Northwest Film Forum Cadence Festival
*Winner Best Cinematography LA LGBTQ Film
*Finalist Indie Short Fest
Instagram: @2blackboysfilm, @racheldirects
A Breath Of Fresh Air
Los Angeles Premiere
Short
A military veteran finds out the difference that brothers in the real world are completely different then brothers in the military.
Director: Destinee Easley
Producer: Val Aner
Writer: Brandon Swanson Cast: Brandon Swanon (Jeridyah) Justice Tate
Cinematographer (if applicable): Aeson Rose
Editor: Louis Pei
Affirmative
Los Angeles Premiere
When a group of Black UC Berkeley students initiate a statewide effort to repeal California's 1996 ban on affirmative action, opposers lobby to keep the ban upheld, reigniting a debate on what merit truly means for different people.
Director: Chan'Cellore Makanjuola
Producer: Chan'Cellore Makanjuola
Cast: Maureen Simmons, Ward Connerly, Lawrence Su, Dominick Williams, Wenyuan Wu, Abel Guillén
Cinematographer: Erin Chessin
Editor: Chan'Cellore Makanjuola
Facebook: Chan'Cellore Makanjuola - facebook.com/chancellore
Authentic
World Premiere
In Authentic, we take on the age -old topic of whether there is one voice, one perspective that represents the views of the Black community. And during these times of ubiquitous media coverage of partisan polarization, social unrest, and a global pandemic all viewed in the framework of a presidential campaign; politics seem to inform every discussion.
Authentic begins with these familiar words “if you don’t vote for me then you ain’t Black” and “you should vote for me because, what have you got to lose”. Progressive, conservative, and moderate voices provide more clarity than the so-called experts, intellectuals, lawyers, and political pundits we hear from so often. Add a spice of humor and sometimes in-your-face candor and talk in the barber shop can be more invigorating and even more informative than the latest network or Sunday morning talk shows.
Authentic provides a lesson for all of us. It is possible to engage in vigorous animated debate and still recognize that even with our certainty and emotional commitment, we can learn something by engaging those with whom we disagree and still be…. Authentic.
Real talk in the barbershop. Come on in, take a seat and join the conversation.
Directors: Craig DeLuz and David DeLuz
Producers: Tommy Ross, Craig DeLuz, David DeLuz, Trevor L. Smith
Writers: Tommy Ross, David DeLuz
Cast: Craig DeLuz, David DeLuz, Jonathan E. Moore, Monchel Sharp, Lisa Bethany, Trevor L. Smith, Tommy Ross
Cinematographer: Jason F. Knittle
Editor: Trevor L. Smith
Best Shorts: Award of Recognition- African American
Best Shorts: Award of Recognition- Film Short
Website: www.authenticthefilm.com
Facebook: @AuthenticTheFilm
21 Days of April
World Premiere
A story about second chances, shooting your shot and seizing the day!
A modern day story of unrequited love and what happens when “the one that got away” suddenly returns. Photographer and gallery owner, Courtney LeGarde captures beauty through the camera lens for a living but the former playboy is completely caught off guard when a vision of loveliness makes a surprise visit and takes his breath away. He is reunited with April Meyers, a dear friend from his past who decides to drop in unannounced on her former fellow photographer friend during a visit to Los Angeles for their 25th high school reunion. When Courtney invites April to join him for a commissioned photography excursion around the city, their reminiscing stirs up an emotional bond neither April or Courtney anticipated.
Director: Stacey Evans Morgan
Producer: Vincent M. Powell
Writer: Stacey Evans Morgan
Cast: Brittoni Sinclair, Borge Etienne, Zaria Simone, Jor'el Quinn
Cinematographer: Brittany Janae
Editor: Brittany Janae
Instagram: @21daysofaprilmovie
Facebook: @21DaysofAprilMovie
100 Years From Mississippi
Mamie Lang Kirkland was seven years old when she fled Ellisville, Mississippi in 1915 with her mother and siblings as her father and his friend, John Hartfield, escaped an approaching lynch mob. John Hartfield returned to Mississippi in 1919 and was killed in one of the most horrific lynchings of the era.
Mamie’s son, Tarabu, had grown up hearing stories of John Hartfield but didn’t know if his mother’s stories were fact or folklore until one day in 2015. Tarabu discovered an article describing Hartfield’s murder before a crowd of 10,000 spectators. At that moment, the film was born.
Director: Tarabu Betserai Kirkland
Writers: Tarabu Betserai Kirkland
Producers: Tarabu Betserai Kirkland & Gina Rugolo Judd
Associate Producer: Barry Shabaka Henley
Executive Producers: Mamie Kirkland, Harrison Engle, Barry Shabaka Henley & Paulina Sahagun, Patty Hirota-Cohen & Lewis Cohen, Ellie Kanner, Paul & Nicole Mones, Julie Mount, Kat Taylor
Winner Best Documentary - Harlem International Film Festival
Best Documentary Feature - National Black Film Festival
Website: http://100yearsfrommississippi.com
Facebook: @100yearsfrommississippi
Instagram: @100yearsfrommississippi
Twitter: @100yearsfrommississippi
A Brief Silence
Los Angeles Premiere
Short Short
An only son must contend with the return of his mother's cancer just weeks before he leaves for college. As a First-Gen college student, he is willing to forego school in order to stay behind and care for his mother but she will not allow it. The film deals with the very real struggle that faces minority communities in regard to school aspirations and family responsibility.
Director: Josiah Daniel Solis
Producer: Justin Kim, Karen Corbett
Writer: Josiah Daniel Solis
Cast: Marilyn J. Williams, Justin Tanks, Richard Rivera
Cinematographer: Graham W. Skinner
Editor: Kyle Venberg
Best Drama Short Film, LA Hispanic Film Festival, 2023. Official Selection, Austin Lift-Off Film Festival, 2023.
Instagram: @abriefsilence
Assaman
West Coast Premiere
Assaman is a cosmic twin love story with the future. A man named Tukki meets a sky-being named Asé. Together, they become suspended in a visual and sonic examination in search of flourishing joy and self-care. What may seem a simple love story quickly expands into a kaleidoscope of introspective, interconnected and intergenerational movement and moments. Assaman holds you for 14 minutes in an Afrofuturist and Indigenous sonic vision - a hypnotic journey. Assaman means "the sky" in Wolof.
Director: Katrina Brook Flores
Producer: GIT Productions & Tukki LLC
Writers: Katrina Brook Flores (Concept & Screenplay) & Mamadou Lamine "Tukkiman" Diao (Concept)
Cast: Mamadou Lamine "Tukkiman" Diao, Sojourner Zenobia, Awa Diop, Brittany Harlin, Lauryn Mead, Susanne Sonko, Kine Toure, Tidiane Seck, Oumar Balde, Oupa Mendy, Nura “Goldie” Pollard, Jazmine "Jazstarr" Stubbs, Lena Ramirez, Christine Bernard
Cinematographers: Jonathan Woods, Odin Magana, El Hadj Abass Sow, Chris Adams & Katrina Brook Flores
Editor: Jonathan Woods
Instagram: Assaman_Official
Avocado Toast the Series - Season 2
West Coast Premiere
Molly is diagnosed with endometriosis/adenomyosis. Elle has found herself at a “Community”, to recoup after a nervous breakdown. Meanwhile, Jordan has been juggling the ad agency he and Elle started. A friendship-breakup seems inevitable... or could their paths to self-discovery bring Elle and Molly back together?
Director: Sam Coyle
Producer: Charlie David, Heidi Lynch, Perrie Voss
Writer: Alex Nunez, Heidi Lynch, Perrie Voss
Cast: Alex Nunez, Heidi Lynch, Perrie Voss, Prince Amponsah
Cinematographer: Cam Roden
Editor: Anna Catley, Leah Lalich
Avocado Toast proudly represents narrative storylines within Toronto’s black, queer and differently abled communities.
T.O. Web Fest - Best Comedy Series, Best Ensemble, Best Hair & Makeup
London International Web & Shorts Film Festival - Best LGBTQ+ Short/Series
Rotterdam Independant Film Fest - Best Web Series
Merced Queer Film Festival - Best Director
Website: avocadotoasttheseries.com
Instagram: @avocadotoastseries
Twitter: @AvoToastSeries
Facebook: @avocadotoastseries (LINK: