Official Selections: 13th 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
Way of the World
Short
Los Angeles Premiere
When devoted husband and father Chris juggles caring for his terminally ill wife, raising their bright 11-year-old daughter, and surviving the daily grind of a corporate job laced with microaggressions, he does what Black men are so often expected to do—push through it all. But as he fights to secure a life-changing promotion at work and hold his family together, an unexpected tragedy shatters the fragile balance he’s been clinging to. One day, a split-second decision changes everything. Way of the World is a powerful short film that explores love, loss, and the quiet storms Black men carry long before the world ever sees them break.
Director: Stoney Watts
Producer: Tonja Ayers
Writer: Stoney Watts
Cast: Emory Lawrence, NuNu Thurman, Kennedie-Olivia Reeves, Tonja Brown, Kamal Smith, DaCarla Strong, Tom Fazekas, Michael Tremblay, Ryan McConaghy
Cinematographer: Thomas Pawlowski
Editor: Jhayla Mosley, Lavarro Jones
Director Statement
Way Of The World means everything to me. This project allowed me to take pieces of my past to bridge the gap to make my dreams become a reality. Coming from Corporate America, and all that it entailed for a young black man, pushed me to my true passion…film. I took this opportunity to create a powerful short film to showcase life changing experiences that I actually endured, which inevitably got me to where I am today.
Instagram: @wayoftheworld_shortfilm