Official Selections: 12th LA Black Film Festival
Congratulations to our accepted filmmakers!
Films are listed in alphabetical order, index to the left.
Scroll Down to learn more about each film.
At This Moment, It's Us
Short
USA Premiere
Delvonte Clarke, a quiet yet driven 19-year-old ballet dancer, is striving for success not only to prove himself but to honour the sacrifices of his loving mother. Beneath his disciplined exterior lies an unspoken pain tied to the absence of his father, a wound he refuses to acknowledge as he pushes himself relentlessly toward his goals.
Director: Theodore K. Emile Rodney & Chaa Ustaoglu
Producer: Dominic Ko
Writer: Theodore K. Emile Rodney
Cast: Theodore K. Emile Rodney, Layo-Christina Akinlude
Cinematographer: Chaa Ustaoglu
Editor: Chaa Ustaoglu
Shot on 16mm film
Website: https://www.atthismomentfilm.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atthismoment_film/
Attached
Short
ATTACHED is a psychological thriller where the only thing scarier in your 20s than ghosts is not achieving your dreams. Draya's past comes back to haunt her as she struggles to pursue an acting career. With the help of her brash but sympathetic best friend Nya, she confronts her sense of control and fights her fears - for good. From intense dinner conversations to late-night makeovers, ATTACHED explores ambition, identity and how healing often means letting go.
Director: Kendra Monet & Demetrius Sadler
Producer: Kendra Monet & Demetrius Sadler
Writer: Kendra Monet & Demetrius Sadler
Cast: Genyne Deal, Essence Sommers, Isaiah Joseph, Milani Jade, Jeremis Rodriguez, Mickalia Forrester-Ewen, Kylie Lavrenchik, Sarah Hogewood
Cinematographer: David A. Mejia
Editor: Celine Clarke
Outstanding Achievement Award: Best Thriller Short (Indie Short Fest)
Instagram: @attachedfilm_
Crisis Response Unit (CRU)
Short
World Premiere
CRU is a short film about crisis response, mental illness, and the humanity too often lost in the telling of these moments.
On a tense midnight call, a weary sister, a compassionate social worker, and two police officers with opposing philosophies respond to a man with schizophrenia in the grip of paranoia. As the situation escalates, each is forced to confront fear, bias, and the fragile line between control and compassion.
At its core, CRU explores dignity, fear, and the human cost of crisis response, and how quickly people can be reduced to a single moment without the context of their full humanity.
Director: Jose M Verdejo
Producer: Alexander Harris, Jose M Verdejo
Writer: Alexander Harris, Jose M Verdejo
Cast: Mashari Laila Bain – Yvonne, Carly Roland – Teri, Alexander Harris – Russell, Jeremy M. Miller – Officer Winn, Juliette Hourani – Officer Grayson, Jim Nieb – Captain Miller
Cinematographer: Sonny Wong
Editor: Jose M Verdejo
Duende
Short
West Coast Premiere
18th Century composer Salieri feels challenged by Mozart’s success, and modern-day rapper Sal finds himself at odds with Moz, a genius upstart rapper. Salieri and Sal, fueled by jealousy, make a decision that changes the course of music forever. Their worlds collide as this tragedy unfolds.
Director: Kevin Kittle, Petey McGee
Producer: First Fight Films
Writers: Robert Patricio, Petey McGee
Cast: Petey McGee, Robert Patricio, Maxim Jean, Walker Clermont, Lazarus Simmons
Cinematographer: Lucas Falco Cohen
Editor: Jean-Louis Droulers
Official Selection ABFF 2025
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firstfightfilms/?hl=en (@firstfightfilms)
GULE WAMKULU: Dancing Indigenous Governance
WORLD PREMIERE
Short Documentary (Student)
A short documentary about Black Indigenous Governance through Gule Wamkulu, or “the great dance of life,” a unifying practice for Chewa communities.
Director: Kl. Peruzzo de Andrade
Producer: Dr. Devi Mucina
Writer: Kl. Peruzzo de Andrade
Cast: Community Documentary
Cinematographer: Kl. Peruzzo de Andrade
Editor: Kl. Peruzzo de Andrade
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peruzzo.prz/