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.
Baby
A young Black father must learn to navigate parenthood after his girlfriend mysteriously abandons him and their five-year-old daughter.
Director: Cole Swanson
Producers: Justin Aaron Sirkin, Mary Christine Antonovich
Writer: Cole Swanson
Cast: Elijah Rashad Reed, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Cinai Leonard, Ariana Simone Clay
Cinematographer: Jonah Mazer
Editors: Cole Swanson, Jonah Mazer
HBO Short Film Award Nominee, Best Short Film @ Harlem International Film Festival.
Website: www.thebabyfilm.com
Instagram: @thebabyfilm
Bermuda
Los Angeles Premiere
In pursuit of self liberation upon her new found adulthood, a mid-20s Nigerian-American woman struggles to escape the control of loved ones, as she unravels the sexual freedom she’s sought her entire life.
Director: Lorenzo Leyva
Producer: Glenance Green and Kayla Jones
Writer: Jasmine Ogunjimi Cast: (Jasmine Ogunjimi, Mary Ogunjimi, Edward Neequaye, Joshua Turner, Brittnee Williams, Marc Jones, Ryan McGill)
Cinematographer: Eric Liberacki
Editor: Optimus Chicago (Caralyn Moore, Jonathan Desir and Samantha Dunlap)
Winner: Free Spirit Media 90 Pitch Competition
Semi Finalist: Dumbo Film Festival. Official Selections: Dumbo Film Festival, Chicago Indie Film Awards, Los Angeles Black Film Festival, Imagine This Women’s Film Festival, Women’s Comedy Film Festival Chicago, Baltimore International Film Festival
Website: https://freespiritmedia.org/ Instagram: @freespiritchi/
Bike Vessel
West Coast Premiere
Documentary
Bike Vessel follows a father and son, 35 and 70, as they cycle from St. Louis to Chicago. Film director Eric Seals’ father almost died after three open-heart surgeries. However, he makes a miraculous health recovery after discovering his love for cycling, bringing his son Eric along with him.
Director: Eric D. Seals
Producer: Donnie Seals Jr., Resita Cox
Cast: Donnie Seals Sr. Cinematographer: Cai Thomas
Editor: Eric D. Seals
Website: bikevessel.com
Instagram: @bikevessel
Facebook: fb.com/bikevessel
Blackness is Everything
Los Angeles Premiere
Blackness is Everything is an experimental/performative short film that celebrates the diversity of the Black diaspora in The Bay Area.
Director: Alba Roland Mejia
Producer: Amasha Lyons-Clarke
Writer: Donte Clark
Cast: Rhandi Purnell, Diontae Burden, Sarah Stewart, Vincent Stewart, Julie "Jewelz" Williams, Kadia Bah, Josh Sanders, Lance "Space" Selleaze, Brandon Davis, Sabaa Zareena
Cinematographer: Jon Warfield Harrison
Editor: Arash Malekzadeh
Black history is not confined to a month. Black experiences are not limited to a singular narrative. Blackness has many faces, bodies, cultures and identities. Blackness is Everything, an experimental/performative short film, celebrates exactly what the title implies — the diversity of the Black diaspora thriving across The Bay Area.
This film is a collaboration between BAYCAT Studio, an anti-racist non-profit fighting to ‘end racism and sexism through storytelling,’ and a BIPOC crew of local filmmakers with a Black woman director at the helm.
As director, Alba Roland Mejia sourced community talent to bring the authenticity of their experiences to the screen. This film makes space to focus on the texture of Black identity, reflected in the rawness of the 16mm film, through the words of masterful poet Donte Clark and the emotive score of renowned jazz trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire.
For too long Black stories have been told by others, from the outside in. Blackness is Everything cuts through performative hashtags and disrupts the media landscape by prioritizing Black storytellers and the beauty, prowess and weight of the stories they represent.
Instagram: @baycatstudio
Twitter: @baycat
Facebook: @baycatsf
Breathe. A Solo Experience
Breathe. is a form of art activism fusing live performance, cinema, performance art and artistic swimming in a hybridized narrative that could only be born during these challenging, yet galvanizing times. With the recent political, racial, and global unrest occurring throughout 2020, Philicia Saunders wrote and stars in this one-woman live theater show based on her life-changing personal journey towards activism after a chance trip to a Civil Rights monument during a civil rights tour in Alabama, and mentorship by a luminary of activism, Sweet Alice Harris - one of Watts, CA's most beloved community organizers. Breathe. is directed by Philicia's fellow Princeton alum, award-winning playwright/performer, Roger Q. Mason.
Director: Roger Q. Mason
Producers: Philicia Saunders, Roger Q. Mason, Jessica Hanna
Creative Producer: Mike Struna
Writer: Philicia Saunders
Cast: Philicia Saunders
Cinematographer: Marlon Galdamez
Editor: Jabari Phillips
Awards:
- Skiptown Playhouse International Film Festival - Winner for Best Solo Show & Best Score
- Columbus Black International Film Festival - Audience Award Winner
- International Independent Film Awards - Gold Winner for Best Experimental and Best Actress
- Awareness Film Festival - Audience Award
Finalist:
- New York International Women Festival - Finalis
Website: philiciasaunders.com/upcoming/breathe-a-solo-experience-written-performed-by-philicia-saunders/
Instagram: @BreatheSolo
Twitter: @PhiliciaSaunders
Facebook: fb.com/BreatheShow
Becoming Black Lawyers
West Coast Premiere
When these five Black lawyers set out on their journeys to receive a professional legal education, they did not realize that they would have to struggle against additional daily battles even more challenging than the rigors of learning the law in a hypercompetitive environment. They discover the contradictions of studying in an institution that idealistically represents justice for all.
Director: Evangeline M. Mitchell
Executive Producer: Evangeline M. Mitchell
Co-Executive Producer: Jalene Mack
Cast: Veronica N. Dunlap, Paula T. Edgar, Natasha M. Nurse, Marcus Sandifer, Alexi Thomas
Cinematographer: Andrew Liebman
Editor: Ryan Mayers
Paris International Film Festival - Best Short Documentary; The IndieFest Awards - Award of Merit Special Mention
Website: becomingblacklawyers.com
Instagram: @becomingblacklawyers
Twitter: @becominglawyers
Facebook: @becomingblacklawyers
Between The Pages
Between the Pages is about a young boy who is forced to move to LA and stay at his grandparent's house for the summer. Left with no Wifi or games he begins to explore the house, discovers a magical book, and is sucked into the book on a magical adventure traveling space and time.
Director: Nicole L. Thompson
Producer: Nicole L. Thompson
Writer: Nicole L. Thompson
Cast: Stephanie Anwue, Malcolm Minor, Siree Morris Jr.
Animator: Franklin Okike
Between the Pages is an animated short film which premiered at Paramount Picture Studios. It has also screened in the 2020 Pan African Film Festival. It was created as a part of the DB Frieze LA Film Fellowship. Director & Writer, Nicole L. Thompson was featured on the cover of LUX magazine as an up and coming filmmaker for creating this short film. The film has also screened in the 2020 Women in Comedy Festival presented by HBO.
Website: www.nicolelthompson.com
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram: @filmdreamz
Black Butoh
Los Angeles Premiere
Black Butoh is an experimental, movement-based short film using the Japanese art form of Butoh to navigate the anxieties of being a Black man in the United States.
In an article titled “Raising a Black Boy to Not Be Afraid,” Nicole Fleetwood navigates an all-too-familiar narrative for parents raising 12-year-old black boys in the US–– one filled with, well, fear. The one-liner that triple-dog-dared me to make Black Butoh read, “The violence done to Tamir Rice [sic] was not only his death but the silencing of his voice.” Black Butoh asks if the black body can speak for the voices that have been silenced. And like raising a Black boy to not be afraid in the US–– it tries it’s damned hardest.
Butoh originated in Japan, post bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The duality of its movement vocabulary is captured best by the man walking to the gallows–– who is the most alive he'll ever be because he is so close to death. I employ Butoh because it captures the way being a Black man in the United States can feel.
Director: LZ Granderson
Producer: LZ Granderson
Writer: LZ Granderson
Cast: LZ Granderson
Cinematographer: C. Yard
Editor: LZ Granderson
Black People Surf?
Short Documentary
“Black People Surf?” is a documentary that chronicles the renaissance of Black surf culture in Southern California. It’s no secret that Black people are not the first that come to mind when you think of water activities or surfing. But what if we told you there were communities all around the world where Black folks are meeting at the beach and communing in the water to dispel those ideas? This documentary follows the founders, instructors, and surfers who are committed to building a more inclusive surf community through their collectives and non-profit efforts. We hope this film will help inspire those who do not know how to swim into changing the tide.
Director: Bailey Williams and swimteam®
Producer: PLZCOMEAGAIN, Warsame Warsame, Eric Haas, Lex Dewart
Writer: Bailey Williams, Warsame Warsame
Cast: Brick, Lizelle Jackson, Julian Williams
Cinematographer: Patrick Haynes
AC: Zylo Hefferan
Sound Engineer: Jessie Flores
Audio Engineer: David Bowman
Original Music By: Max Levin
Underwater Camera Operator: Zavy Howze
Editor: swimteam®
PAs: Junya P, Upendo Moore, Mariah Yelder
Website: http://swim.house
Instagram: @swimteamforever
Twitter: @swimteamforever
Facebook: fb.com/swimteam4ever
Black Uniform
Feature Documentary
"Black Uniform" features the voices of 12 Black veterans, serving within the ranges of WWII to present day (including the now 103-year-old Romay Davis, one of the very few surviving members of the only Black female battalion sent overseas during World War II, the 6888 Battalion; and former Congressman Charles Rangel, who received the Purple Heart for his sacrifice during the Korean War), to speak on why they chose to enter the military, and what they’ve given to their country. This film shares their heartfelt perspectives on what it felt like to be on the proverbial front lines as a Black man or woman in the U.S. military – covering the period when the military was still segregated; addressing whether they voluntarily enlisted for action or were called to duty by a draft; highlighting the nation’s shifting views on those who serve; and tackling the unique and additional challenges that women in the military face when they enlist.
Director: Robert Darwell
Producer: Robert Darwell, Rose Burbank, and Sheri Ward
Cast: Includes Romay Davis, Charles Rangel, and James McEachin
Cinematographer: Various
Editor: Brandon Vestal
- Best Documentary at Orlando Urban Film Festival
- Best Documentary at the Diamond State Black Film Festival
- Best Historical Documentary at the Manhattan Film Festival
- Luminary Award at the Awareness Film Festival
- Remi Award at the Houston International Film Festival
Bellator: A Southeast DC Story
Los Angeles Premiere
After emerging from pandemic lockdown, an unemployed DC bartender attempts a return to the gym, to escape his video game obsession, but along the way, he struggles to stay focused.
Director: Michelle Wardlaw
Producer: Michelle Wardlaw
Writer: Michelle WArdlaw
Cast: Tyree Reeves, George T. Cruz, Shannon Cross
Cinematographer: Austin Reeves
Editor: Dan Grudovich
Award of Merit recipient - Best Shorts
Website: bellatorshortfilm.com
Instagram: @bellatorshortfilm
Twitter: @BellatorShortFilm
Bienvenidos a Los Angeles
Short
Inspired by true events and shot on location at LAX airport, "Bienvenidos a Los Angeles" tells the timely story of Imani, a Nigerian single mother living in Los Angeles, who offers to help a perfect stranger reunite with her son. In doing so, Imani learns this simple act of kindness threatens to jeopardize her own path to citizenship.
Director: Lisa Cole
Producer(s): Lisa Cole, Vivian Johnson, Cindy Lu, Ben O'Keefe, Jolene Mendes, Lolia Etomi
Writer: Lisa Cole
Cast: Destiny Faith Nelson, Stacey Patino, Rashmi Rustagi, Yvonne Huff Lee, Jason Delane, Ethan Mendes, Phillip Wilburn, Phoenix Stafford
Cinematographer (if applicable): Jackson Warner Lewis
Editor: Julia Franklin
- Best Short film, Best Director, Best Cinematographer & Best Actor -Big Syn International London, Nov 2022
- Best Female Producers, Toronto International Women Film Festival, Fall 2022
- Best Short Film, 22nd Moondance International Film Festival
- Founders Choice Award for Outstanding Female Filmmaker - 12th McMinnville Film Festival
- Best Short Film for Change - 5th Paris International Film Festival, Feb 2023
- Director’s Choice Award, Best Humanitarian Film - 29th Sedona Int’l Film Festival, Feb 2023
- Honorable Mention, 41st annual Thomas Edison Touring film festival
Creative Visions Foundation is our fiscal sponsor: creativevisions.org
Partner Refugee Children Center in Los Angeles - refugeechildrencenter.org
Website: BALAfilm.com
Instagram: @bienvenidosfilm
Facebook: fb.com/Bienvenidosfilm
Black Boys Can't Cry
Black males are not allowed to cry. Because of this, they do not know how to. So much violence in my community occurs because of the shame that our men hold. The shame and fear that I've held, and internalized since a child that then turned into rage and extreme pain. This movie is about me, my family, the men I've worked with as a therapist, and the thousands of black boys who have suffered traumatic injuries in silence with no one to hear their hidden tears. I made BLACK BOYS CAN'T CRY with the hope that one day, those who are weary and heavy-laden will find rest for their souls. – From the director, Victor Gabriel.
Director: Victor Gabriel
Producer: Jordan Tyner
Writer: Victor Gabriel
Cast: Phrederic Semaj, Tysonia Sichinga, Elliott Williams, Adrienne Bratton, La'Croiz Locke, Lazarus McRae
Cinematographer: Robert Hunter
Editor: Camilla Bartolli
Instagram: @blackboyscantcry
Black & White
Historically the meaning of the words black and white have been engrained with very specific connotations. The Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary define them as…
Director: Edgar Garcia Chavez
Producer: Edgar Garcia Chavez & Gina Thardomrong
Writer: Edgar Garcia Chavez
Cast: Bryson Black
Cinematographer: Matt Wolcott & Sambaran Chatterjee
Editor: Edgar Garcia Chavez
Awards
Best Experimental Micro Film at Oregon Documentary Film Festival USA)
Best Cinematography North America at the Alternative Film Festival (Toronto, Canada)
Best Experimental Micro Film at Oregon Short Film Festival (USA)
Finalist
Cannes International Independent Film Festival (France)
Africa Film for Impact Festival (Abuja, Nigeria)
Golden Film Festival (Rome, Italy)
MicroMania Film Festival (New York, USA)
Official Selection
Santa Fe Film Festival (USA)
Burien Film Festival (USA)
Toronto Black Film Festival (Canada)
International Black & Diversity Film Festival (Toronto, Canada)
Lift-Off Global Network Film Festival (UK)
Festival de Cinema de Alter do Chão (Brazil)
Honorable Mention
London Seasonal Short Film Festival (UK)
Boy of Straw
Boy of Straw (written & directed by Chigozie Onyeaka) tells the story of Theodore (Micah Bijon). After a drug incident occurs at his off-campus house, Theodore must rely on his friend to clear his name.
Director: Chigozie Onyeaka
Producer: Kevin Chigozie Onyeaka
Writer: Kevin Chigozie Onyeaka
Cast: Micah Bijon, Benjamin Abiola, Kevin Onyeaka, Renae Nicole Anderson, Nick Sleeper
Cinematographer: Isiah Williams
Editor: Kevin Onyeaka
Instagram: @chigozie.onyeaka/
Twitter: @ChigozieOnyeaka
Brunch
Short film
Austin is invited to his first ever brunch, and his world is changed forever.
Director: Tess Paras
Producer: Eddie Mujica
Writer: Austin Antoine, Calvin Seabrooks
Cast: Austin Antoine, Bri, Giger, Anna Garcia, Shuang Hu, Carey Cox, Anosh McAdam, Steven Han, Afsheen Misaghi, Jordan Stafford, Sibel Damar, Allison Reese, Sahana Srinivasan
Cinematographer: Kelsey Talton
Editor: Armin Balg
Nominee for Outstanding Comedic Actor (Short) at the Micheaux Film Festival
Instagram: @tessparas
Twitter: @TessParas