Official Selections: 11th 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.
Quad Life
Documentary short
West Coast Premiere
A young father’s world flips upside down after a tragic accident. This is his story of reinvention as he navigates life as a creative and quadriplegic sound designer.
Director: Joyce Tsang
Producer: Ricardo Roberts, Hung Le, Alisha Kramer, David Jeffers, Stephanie Yang
Cast: David Jeffers, Yasmine Jeffers, Brody Jeffers, Jaxson Jeffers
Cinematographer: Frazer Lockhart and Caleb Goodnight (Charlotte Unit), and Kyle Meek (NYC Unit)
Editor: Stephanie Yang
Awards:
1. Charlotte Black Film Festival - Winner, "Made in the Carolinas" category
2. Cinema Touching Disability - Winner, Audience favorite and Winner, 3rd place
3. NYC Short Documentary Film Festival - official selection
Website: http://www.quadlifedoc.com
Instagram: @Quad_Life_Doc
Shadows of the Past
Short Documentary
West Coast Premiere
In the wake of a forgotten 20th-century genocide, Shadows of the Past explores the fragments of memory, identity, and resistance left behind by the Herero and Nama peoples after German colonial forces carried out one of history’s earliest acts of racial extermination. Weaving together personal testimony, archival imagery, and experimental forms such as dance and collage, the film meditates on generational trauma and the struggle to be heard. As debates over Germany’s recent reparations deal expose deep political and emotional rifts, Shadows of the Past asks what it means to seek justice when history has tried to erase you.
Director: Teairrah Nicole Green
Producer: Pamela Green
Cast: Jephta U. Nguherimo, Dr. Esther Muinjangue, Laidlaw Peringanda, Shatiwa Kaliteke, Kaikovi Zauisomue, Naudano Hamunyela,Nia Ricks, Ana Levi, Isabella Mansapit.
Cinematographer: Teairrah Nicole Green, Charles Valdez
Editor: Teairrah Green, Kelsey Ryan
Any awards, accolades: Best Student film and Best Editing at the Global Film Festival
Website: https://www.teairrahgreen.org/shadows-of-the-past-2/
Instagram: @teairrah_green_
Single AF
Short film
Becks has it all—she’s smart, successful, and living her best single life in Los Angeles. But everything changes when she’s hit with a shocking diagnosis: early menopause. Suddenly, the clock is ticking louder than ever, and she has just six months left to decide what she really wants.
Determined not to waste a moment, Becks dives headfirst into the LA dating scene, swiping, mingling, and scheming her way toward “the one.” Things take a turn when she meets Cliff, a charming but newly celibate man who has zero interest in rushing toward fatherhood. Their mismatched desires send Becks into a hilarious spiral of desperation, hope, and hard truths.
After a whirlwind of awkward dates, romantic false starts, and self-discovery, Becks realizes the only person who truly has her back—is herself. With wit and courage, she decides to rewrite the rules, proving that being Single AF doesn’t mean being powerless.
Director: Louise Cousins
Producer: Carissa Buffel, Jennifer Beliard
Writer: Louise Cousins
Cast: Ashley Denise Robinson, KeiLyn Durel Jones
Cinematographer: Tanisa Moreno
Editor: Catie Brigandi
When Becks learns her biological clock has only six months left, she launches into a frantic race for love, marriage, and motherhood because nothing says romance like a deadline.
SuperSHEro: The Journey of Johna Rivers
Documentary
Supershero: The Journey of Johna Rivers offers a powerful glimpse into the life of Johna Rivers, a proud Watts native whose path from adversity to advocacy is both urgent and inspiring. Told through her own words and lens, this short documentary unfolds as a personal video diary, capturing Johna’s transformation into a fierce community champion. Despite significant socio-economic challenges and her lived experience as a former foster youth, Johna emerges as a force for change—amplifying marginalized voices and modeling resilience. Produced as part of the Supershero Project, the film supports a bold mission: to reframe how girls of color see and value themselves. Supershero is not just Johna’s story—it’s a rallying call to recognize the strength of one and the potential of many.
An impact project powered by Better Youth, Inc.
Director: Syd Stewart
Producer: Brandon Jermaine
Writer: Syd Stewart
Cast: Johna Rivers
Cinematographer: Phil Roc
Editor: Kenny Yates
Supported by the LA County Youth Commission:
The LA County Youth Commission serves as the official youth advisory body to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, amplifying the voices and experiences of young people—particularly those who have been impacted by the foster care, juvenile justice, and other County systems.
http://www.sydsteword.com, http://www.betteryouth.org
Instagram: @sydsteword, @betteryouthlive
The Fishbowl
Short
World Premiere
After a job goes wrong, a thief turns to music to try and escape his past.
Director: Carter Michael
Producer: Erica Duke, Carter Michael, Mariah Morgenstern
Writer: Carter Michael
Cast: Carter Michael, Zachary Coles, Chris Smith, Jeremy Shelton, Thomas Craven, Patrick Boylan, Renee Wylder, Kayla Topp, Joelle Tshudy, Jamie Slovon, Cameron Cipolla
Cinematographer: Kevin Torres
Editor: Maximilien Blanc
To Hell With It
Short
West Coast Premiere
Director: Melanie Lund
Producer: Melanie Lund
Writer: Melanie Lund
Cast: MALIK MCCULLOUGH, SHADAI CARR, NATHANIAL SMARR
Cinematographer: THOMSON NGUYEN
Editor: ANDREW SWISHER
Third Place FilmFestKnox 8 minute shorts competition, Emerging Filmmaker Award- Melanie Lund
Instagram: @melaniesuza