EXCLUSIVE: L.A.’s Micheaux Film Festival will run at The Culver Theater in Culver City from October 23 to 26, with a selection of short and feature projects, including 36 world premieres. Scroll down to see the featured lineup.
The festival, launched by Courtney L. Branch and Noel Braham to honor the legendary Oscar Micheaux, celebrates its seventh anniversary this year. Festival organizers said this year they banger a submissions record, with nearly half of participating directors identifying as first-time or early-career filmmakers. More than 60 percent of projects feature work from majority women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ crews. Eight percent of directors self-identified as having a disability, and submissions reflected a broad ethnic spectrum, including African American and Black, Latinx, Asian, Indigenous, Middle Eastern, West Indian and Caribbean, and multiracial creators.
The festival will open with the World Premiere of Tari Wariebi’s series Remember, and the Los Angeles Premiere of the feature documentary It’s Dorothy. The festival will close with the West Coast Premiere of Rick Gomez’s She Dances.
Remember screens as part of the festival’s episodic program. The series follows a forgetful millennial and his four best friends as they navigate queer love, rocky careers, and the ups and downs of friendship until his forgetfulness proves more serious than anyone imagined. Directed by Tari Wariebi (We Were Meant To) and written and produced by Bernard David Jones, the cast includes Bernard David Jones (The Mayor), Hosea Chanchez (The Game), Griffin Matthews (The Flight Attendant), Devere Rogers (Abbott Elementary), and Brandon Gill (Chicago P.D.).
The Opening Night feature, It’s Dorothy, explores 125 years of Dorothy Gale’s cultural legacy, tracing how the character became a beacon for marginalized voices. The official synopsis reads: Director and editor Jeffrey McHale (You Don’t Nomi) blends new performances, cultural commentary, track, and a vibrant remix of archival and cinematic art to center the perspectives of women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ voices, celebrating Dorothy as an enduring symbol of hope and home.
The Closing Night feature, She Dances, is set against the backdrop of the Young Miss Southeast Regional Dance Finals, as a father and daughter head on the road to her final competition. On the trip, they confront a fractured bond and a shared tragedy, finding a path toward healing and self-discovery. Directed by Rick Gomez and written by Gomez and Steve Zahn, the film is produced by Rick Gomez, Steve Zahn, Jenny Gomez, Mandi Reno, Jenifer Westphal, Coby Toland, and Jason Reed. The cast includes Steve Zahn, Ethan Hawke, Sonequa Martin-Green, Mackenzie Ziegler, Audrey Zahn, and Rosemarie DeWitt.
“This year’s lineup offers a powerful commentary on the urgent issues confronting humanity, not only in America, but around the world,” said Courtney L. Branch, Co-Founder and Lead Curator. “The filmmakers in this year’s program are boldly using their voices to examine and critique the systems that shape our lives, tackling subjects ranging from the education system, mental health, and gun violence, to immigration, and beyond.”
Deja Lytle, Manager of Programming, added: “Our lineup has a project for everyone and everything, from contemporary critiques on modern society to recollections of forgotten history. We showcase coming-of-age stories and stories that are only told by the wisdom that comes with age. Whether you want to laugh and forget your worries or contemplate the complexities of life, you can have it all in one sitting.”
2025 Micheaux Film Festival Lineup:
Category: Feature Film & Documentary Spotlights
Opening Night Gala: It’s Dorothy – LA Premiere
Since Dorothy Gale started her epic journey down the Yellow Brick Road 125 years ago in L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, she’s become a celebrity, a brand, and a beacon for marginalized voices across our culture. IT’S DOROTHY brings to life her timeless adventures in Oz through the human experiences of a new generation of star performers… Exploring the meaning and evolution of a cherished character through the eras, we celebrate Dorothy as an enduring symbol of hope and a touchstone in our universal quest to fly over the rainbow and find home again.
Director: Jeffrey McHale Producer: Ariana Garfinkel, Zel McCarthy, Suzanne Zionts
Starring: Ashanti, Fairuza Balk, Danielle Hope, Nichelle Lewis, Shanice Shantay, Lena Waithe, Rufus Wainwright, Margaret Cho, John Waters, Amber Ruffin, Roxane Gay
Silent Prey
When her brother’s death is swiftly dismissed as an accidental overdose by police, a determined sister embarks on a mission to uncover the truth behind mysterious circumstances of his death.
Director: Avan Hardwell
Starring: Misty Monroe, Donivan David, Matt Rasku
Don’t Let Them Out
A struggling woman journeys to a property she’s inherited in hopes of selling it to pay off her debts. But after arriving to the property, she’s lured into a desperate scavenger hunt down a perilous rabbit hole.
Writer & Director: Lila McLaughlin
Starring: Bonnie Root, Louis Ferreira, Emily Rios
Queeriosity: A Documentary? – World Premiere
Queeriosity: A Documentary? follows musician Johnny LaVeie as they document the creation of their own stand-up special—a vulnerable, genre-blending meditation on queer love, longing, and self-performance. Through raw footage, rehearsal, and reflection, the film weaves process into story and turns art-making into personal revolution.
Writer & Director: Johnny Laveie
The ReWrite – LA Premiere
A struggling screenwriter, obsessed with portraying Black Excellence and authenticity on the big screen, is forced to do a rewrite of his new draft in order to slash his career. But when he revisits the characters in his script in real life, he soon realizes that his own world is short on authenticity and anything but excellent.
Writer & Director: Terry Dawson
Starring: Stephen Barrington, Jhey Castles, Holly Hyman
Young King
As Diondre Howell re-adjusts to civilian life and struggles to cope with the scars of the Iraq war, he increasingly becomes a threat to those he cares about the most – his family.
Writer & Director: Bryant T Griffin
Starring: Vincent Washington, Kirby Griffin, Tarra Riggs
Fatherless No More – LA Premiere
A former Super Bowl Champion turned Orlando pastor follows a divine calling to live in an RV on Rikers Island, risking everything to bring hope, healing, and redemption to one of America’s most notorious jails.
Director: Kayla Johnson Producer: D’Angelo Louis
Lives Beyond Motion – LA Premiere
Thirty-three men in contemporary dance, including the legendary Bill T Jones, Lar Lubovitch and Kyle Abraham, gift us a rare level of transparency as they share their sacrifices, triumphs and struggles to transcend economic, racial and sexual marginalization. This feature documentary highlights archival performance footage and preserves the legacy of these incredible artists, while spotlighting their uncompromising quest to find individual expression, joy in the art of movement and what it takes to make a life in the arts.
Writer & Director: Keith Glassman, Producer: The Angel, Douglas Thompson
Daddy’s mami – World Premiere
After her father’s death, a woman unravels layers of grief through an endless journey to healing.
Writer & Director: L. Michael Lee
Closing Night Gala: She Dances – LA Premiere
A father and daughter attempt to repair their relationship and reconcile a shared tragedy against the backdrop of the “Young Miss Southeast Regional Dance Finals.”
Writer & Director: Rick Gomez
Starring: Steve Zahn, Audrey Zahn, Ethan Hawke, Mackenzie Ziegler, Rosemarie DeWitt, Sonequa Martin-Green
Series & Shorts Program
Opening Night Gala: Remember – World Premiere
A forgetful millennial, and his four best friends, navigate queer love, rocky careers, and the ups and downs of friendship, while realizing that his forgetfulness is more serious than imagined.
Director: Tari Wariebi, Writer: Bernard David Jones
Starring: Bernard David Jones, Hosea Chanchez, Griffin Matthews, Devere Rodgers, Brandon Gill
Diminished Returns: The Black Wealth Gap in Washington, D.C. – LA Premiere
Director: Sabiyha Prince Writer: Sabiyha Prince
Diminished Returns: The Black Wealth Gap in Washington, D.C. is a powerful examination of how the legacy of slavery, segregation, and urban renewal continues to rob Black residents in the District of economic opportunity, and what justice truly requires.
The Grief of Opportunity – Inside Out Podcast
Director: Yhá Mourhia Wright Writer: Yhá Mourhia Wright
How has Regina Hoyles approached the process of healing and setting boundaries in relationships? On this episode of Inside Out Podcast, award-winning filmmaker, producer, and actor Regina Hoyles shares insights into the steps she takes for healing and establishing boundaries. Join us as Regina demystifies the journey to holistic health, emphasizing the significance of faith and the fostering of genuine connections.
Block: Life and Death Vol 1 – Stories that confront mortality, memory, and the cycle of loss.
Rear Desert – LA Premiere
Set against the desolate backdrop of the Nevada desert in 2001, Rear Desert follows a grieving photographer whose solitary annual pilgrimage to memorialise his wife takes a chilling turn after he stumbles upon a violent crime.
Director: Mark D. Bonner Writer: Mark D. Bonner Producer: Mark D. Bonner, Mary E. Jordan
Laundry – LA Premiere
After his son’s tragic accident, a husband struggles to slash his marriage and himself, until a chance encounter at a laundromat shows him that even in grief, hope and healing can all come out in the wash.
Director: Okema T. Moore Writer: Alterik Miller Producer: Alterik Miller, Okema T. Moore
Little Footsteps
A young woman invites an unsettling guest to her family’s Christmas Eve dinner rave.
Director: Louis Reyes McWilliams Writer: Louis Reyes McWilliams Producer: Brenden Rodriguez, Rose Alsander-Toberman
Starring: Joely Fisher, Ellen (The Mask, ‘Til Death)
Project Penelope – LA Premiere
In the wake of their daughter’s tragic death, a brilliant couple, Jonas and Elizabeth, push the boundaries of artificial intelligence in a desperate attempt to recreate their lost child, only to confront the limits of love, loss, and the true nature of consciousness.
Director: Felipe Castilla, Alex D Lugo Writer: Felipe Castilla
Shutterbird – LA Premiere
A troubled young Latina photographer and Asian American juvenile delinquent yearn to escape their farm town in Santa Ynez Valley, CA, but the psychological, cultural, and at times mystical obstacles threaten to hold them forever.
Director: Rei Writer: Rei
Block: Sex+ – A daring collection that explores intimacy, identity, and the spectrum of sexuality with humor and honesty.
Fufu and Soup – LA Premiere
Panicked by her lack of sexual experience, a woman schemes to lose her virginity on the night of her 29th birthday rave.
Writer & Director: Marjan Mona Koffa
DISC
The story of a hookup gone too far up.
Director: Blake Rice Writer: Blake Rice, Victoria Ratermanis
Sext
After being asked for a late-night photo, Zayna, a playful yet sensitive young woman goes on a journey to capture who she is.
Director: Victoria Renee Writer: Kierstyn Stevens
A Matter of Poultry
When an ordinary guy on the cusp of starting his dream job finds out he’s pregnant with an alien parasite, he flashes back to the time he told his teenage girlfriend to not get an abortion.
Writer & Director: Nandini Bapat
Cuming Out – LA Premiere
Kennedy’s desire for a heteronormative experience sees her embark on a one-night-stand. What could possibly go wrong?
Writer & Director: Jasmine J Johnson
Starring: Alycia Pascual-Peña (Saved by the Bell, Bel-Air), Jaylen Barron (American Sports Story, Blindspotting)
Block: Go Hard or Go Home – Tales of grit, determination, and the fight to overcome against all odds.
GO
When a perfectionist, collegiate wrestler finds himself stumbling through the stages of grief after the tragic death of his parents, a security guard with a similar past, secretly coaches him to grow into a champion.
Writer & Director: Dusan Brown
Starring: Dante Brown (Ma, Dash and Lilly), Alimi Ballard (Queen of the South, One of us is Lying), Keesha Sharp (Power Book II: Ghost, Empire)
Sideline Story – LA Premiere
Hezi and Parker are two ex basketball phenoms who find themselves in a similar predicament of financial struggles, soon to realize that ball might be the solution to both of their problems.
Director: Sam Buckner III, Deanté Gray Writer: Sam Buckner III
Pugilistic Soul – LA Premiere
“Pugilistic Soul” is a short boxing drama, starring Patrick Walker, that delves into the intense backstage moments leading up to a pivotal fight, exploring the internal struggles that go beyond the physical rigors of the sport.
Writer & Director: Mike Noel
Starring: Patrick Walker (DOC, Lessons in Chemistry, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey)
Negro League Nights
In 1923, Doc Sykes, renowned pitcher in the Negro Leagues, takes a stand against discrimination when he’s denied use of a shower room at Yankee Stadium.
Director: Kyle Sykes Writer: Jordan L Jones
Starring: Deric Augustine (The Rookie, Godfather of Harlem) Jordan L. Jones (Belair)
Courage
Inspired by true events, COURAGE is the story of a young Native American boy struggling with self-confidence and societal expectations, until his uncle introduces him to the art of Hoop Dance. Through this tradition, he finds strength, resilience, and the courage to embrace his heritage.
Writer & Director: Eric Michael Hernandez
Block: To the Root of It – Short films that dig beneath the surface of culture, identity, and truth, revealing what binds us at the core.
I’m In Love
Guided by a hypnotic voice and series of intimate gifts, a woman follows a mysterious map on a journey between the ache of longing and the power of liberation.
Director: Roberta Sparta Writer: Havilah Malone
Black & Blue – LA Premiere
Best friends Blue and Black share a deep bond through track, but as their ambitions pull them apart, they’re left wondering—does love mean holding on or letting go?
The Third Goodbye – World Premiere
A virgin ends a long term situationship but the universe tests her as she tries to make a clean break.
Director: Tracey Belizaire Writer: Simone Williams
Member Berries – World Premiere
After the loss of his father, a man attempts to utilize childhood nostalgia as a coping mechanism.
Writer & Director: Reginald Johnson
Acceptance – LA Premiere
Jackie, a reserved, yet aspirational High School Senior, has a passion for photography. One day, while out doing what she loves, she unknowingly takes photos of a crime taking place.
Writer & Director: Imhotep Coleman
Block: The Scaries – Chills and thrills, a showcase of horror shorts designed to unsettle and provoke.
Virgin
A horror movie about the birth of Jesus Christ.
Writer & Director: Ramone Menon
The Host
Two best friends book an Airbnb for a much needed escape, but when they find out the host is living with them, what starts as an inconvenience turns into a chilling nightmare.
Writer & Director: Tyler Ocasio Holmes
Let The Myth Be
When a grad student in folklore and mythology fears her monster-of-study might be hunting her, she retreats to a rural cottage to lure it out — and prove she’s not losing her mind.
Writer & Director: Carrington Walsh
Starring: Ashley LaLonde (Hamilton)
The Things We Keep
Forced into a caretaker position, Kate comes home to pack up her estranged mother’s house. While struggling to clear her mother’s hoarded possessions, Kate discovers the insidious nature of her mother’s illness lying behind the house’s walls.
Writer & Director: Joanna Fernandez
Starring: Jenny O’Hara
Loud – LA Premiere
When an aspiring track producer records a violent event, she becomes haunted by its sound.
Writer & Director: Adam Azimov
Starring: Shakira Barrera, James Earl, Ellen Wong
Prime
A trauma victim joins a Utopian farming community only to find she’s bitten off more than she can chew.
Writer & Director: Meagan Coyle
Cut Me If You Can
Stuck in the loop of a horror B-movie, two black stereotyped characters decide to F*** up the script. But the film has other plans.
Director: Nicolas Polixene, Sylvain Loubet dit Gajol Writer: Nicolas Polixene, Sylvain Loubet dit Gajol, Jean-Jérome Loubet dit Gajol
Block: Let the Healing Begin – A reflective block centered on trauma, resilience, and the pathways to recovery.
Let the Light In
A track video exploring both the social and individual experiences of interiority within both primal optimism and darkness.
Director: Samia Hasan Zaidi
Stage left, God right – LA Premiere
GUSTO series, created by and starring Aqeel Quinn, goes deeper into the internal shift of a man caught between what he’s known and what he dreams to become.
Director: Tevin Tavares Writer: Aqeel Quinn
The Traumatist
A young woman haunted by her traumatic past seeks the help of a controversial therapist who helps patients live out their most violent fantasies against those who have wronged them. But Avery is carrying a secret even the doctor may not be ready for.
Director: Michelle Beck Writer: Raphael Jordan
Starring: Robert Picardo, Amelia Workman
The Other Stuff
After a breakthrough moment during couples therapy, Winston, a 30-year-old black man, must confront his uncle about their abusive relationship.
Director: Bernard Gray Writer: Bernard Gray
When Offered Wind – World Premiere
When Kishon encounters trouble conceiving with his partner, an unsuspecting storm comes to life to collect a debt from him.
Director: Adriane McCray Writer: Terrance Daye
Starring: Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Larry Powell
Happy Songs About Unhappy Things
Everybody’s got a song to sing. It doesn’t have to be a sad one.
Director: Nikki Lynette, Roger Ellis Writer: Nikki Lynette
Producer: Datari Turner and Jamie Foxx
Block: We got that Sci-FYE! Vol 1 – A futuristic trip into speculative worlds that ask “what if” while challenging today’s realities.
The Lord of All Future Space & Time
With the help of a duffle bag from the future, a grief-stricken cowboy avenges the death of his wife.
Writer & Director: Chris Paul Russell
Where The Children Go To Play
In a dystopian future, two young candidates, Sevyn Thomas and Solana Jackson, undergo a grueling selection process designed to determine their suitability as stewards of a new human race.
Director: Jada GeorgeWriter: Kwame Henry
Project Penelope
In the wake of their daughter’s tragic death, a brilliant couple, Jonas and Elizabeth, push the boundaries of artificial intelligence in a desperate attempt to recreate their lost child, only to confront the limits of love, loss, and the true nature of consciousness.
Director: Felipe Castilla, Alex D Lugo Writer: Felipe Castilla
Pause/Play
In the sci-fi comedy film Pause/Play, a gamer stumbles into an alternate realm and helps her recently deceased idol pass on into the next life.
Writer & Director: Kaitlyn Ali
Block: Schemes & Scams – Suspenseful tales of deception, betrayal, and the cost of ambition.
Analog Insomnia – World Premiere
In a world of streaming, one man risks it all to return a DVD.
Director: Gary Pierrot Jr.
Break A Leg – LA Premiere
A struggling actor is thrown into the role of a lifetime, when an unconventional exercise places him in the middle of an extortion plot.
Director: Thomas J. Cooksey Writer: Tajh V. Lewis
Starring: Nick Stoesser
Goodbye Stranger – World Premiere
A desperate con musician and his precocious daughter go on the run across after a botched scam, forcing them to confront the guilt and sacrifices that threaten to tear their family apart.
Writer & Director: Neil Zafar Haeems
Starring: Jim O’Heir, Max Adler, Charley Rowan McCain
The Black Bart of Taco King #17 – LA Premiere
A suave criminal searches for a new partner at a dive bar and finds the perfect Bonnie to his Clyde. He takes her to dinner to put her to the test, yet she has all the answers… and more.
Writer & Director: Rickey Larke
Starring: Jasmine Mathews, Christopher Dietrick & Derrick A King
ARRANCA
A mother and daughter duo dramatically impacted by dementia. Things get more hectic for Laura when Carmen can’t find her precious emerald ring, a gift from her beloved husband Sebastian.
Writer & Director: Liliana M Molina
Block: For the Fellas – A raw and candid look at masculinity, vulnerability, and brotherhood.
Black Man, Black Man (Animation)
From the moment he wakes up, Elliott gets closer to confronting the child within. Carrying the weight of the feelings he wrestles with inside, reminders echo through his mind as affirmations to carry him through each moment, bringing healing and a path forward to reclaiming his worth.
Writer & Director: Frank Elliott Abney, Executive Producer: Archie Davis
Starring: Yvette Nicole Brown, Aldis Hodge
Taper – LA Premiere
A Queer, Black student finds himself in deep need of a haircut, but to fit into a typical bro-culture barbershop, toning down to blend in may be a bit more challenging than expected.
Writer & Director: Ben Locke
BALDY The Film
Travis’ birthday is upcoming and his friends want to celebrate, can he get a haircut?
Director: Eddie Griffith Writer: Melvin Taylor II Executive Producer: Tracy Oliver, Melvin Taylor II, Melvin Taylor II, Felicia Bell, Tre’Vell Anderson, Diana Alleyne, Alyssa Fauntleroy, Max Hague, Sarah-Michelle Léger, Niina Taapop
Starring: Melvin Taylor II
Retreat
A band visits Los Angeles following a self-canceled world tour. During their stay, warring group dynamics arise as they work on new material.
Writer & Director: Jeremy Benbow
Zeke – LA Premiere
A comedy thriller about a man who gets his hairline messed up by a well-respected barber and keeps going back… until one visit pushes him past the point of no return.
Writer & Director: Kerry Coddett
Starring: Hassan Johnson, Sam Jay, Stephen Cofield
Block: The Path to Self Discovery – A collection of stories that challenge you to look within.
Shadow Acting – LA Premiere
Tensions rise during an acting class when the teacher’s preferred method of instructing one of his students involves hitting her emotional triggers – unintentionally hitting his own in the process.
Writer & Director: Lawrence LAW Watford
Cierva
An emerging photographer is forced to make a crucial decision while on a career-defining job.
Writer & Director: Luis G Santos
Starring: Alycia Pascual Peña
HONEY BARE
After years of delighting fans as Honey the Bear, a beloved sports mascot must confront his identity as he prepares to leave the role behind.
Writer & Director: Jasmine J. Johnson
I Want to Go to Moscow – LA Premiere
Mara is a disillusioned actor dealing with the terror of time. When she’s thrown into a classroom of kids rehearsing a Disneyfied version of Chekhov’s THREE SISTERS — her favorite play about existential longing – she swan dives into her own crisis of aging, nostalgia, and the loss of childhood dreams.
Writer & Director: Sarah Baskin
Weirdo – World Premiere
A rising actor celebrates his breakout role while secretly battling bipolar disorder, forcing him to choose between his mental health, his art, and a marriage on the edge.
Director: Creed Smith Writer: Creed Smith, Chase Gutzmore
Block: Black History – A powerful reflection on heritage, legacy, and the beauty that defines Black culture.
Boil That Cabbage Down – LA Premiere
After a Black Banjoist learns about the instrument’s forgotten history, it launches her on a lyrical journey to reclaim the joy that was lost along the way.
Director: Candace Mae Williamson
Return to Hockessin No. 107C – LA Premiere
Unearthing the untold origins of Brown v. Board, Return to Hockessin No. 107C follows the forgotten students of a rural Delaware school whose fight for desegregation reverberated nationwide — and whose homecoming today confronts what it means to remember, restore, and reckon with America’s past.
Director: Alexander Roy, Arcturus Newman
Songs of Black Folk – LA Premiere
Leading Black musicians come together for a groundbreaking Juneteenth concert in the Pacific Northwest, creating a historic moment that paves the way for future generations of Black artists.
Director: Haley Watson, Justin Emeka
612: Darkness in the Land of Nice – LA Premiere
In the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, A Generation Awakens, a City Transforms, a World Joins In.
Director: Diem Van Groth
Block: Not Quite Linear – Experimental storytelling that plays with form, structure, and perception.
Church Bell
(track Video) A cast of revolutionaries gets ready for their day.
Director: Naftali Beane Rutter Writer: Tongo Eisen-Martin, Naftali Beane Rutter
DRAINOMANIA – LA Premiere
Unaware that her relationship is at a crossroads, lovable daydreamer Katie fails to complete a simple task at her girlfriend’s request: to clean the bathroom. As a result, Katie finds herself swirling into a fever dream that could tear her apart or maybe bind them together forever.
Writer & Director: Christopher Greenslate
THUMP
A teen mami prepares to leave for prom when a sudden thump halts her. Marked by the experience, she and her mother retreat into unspoken rituals—until the past demands a reckoning they can no longer ignore. Inspired by true events, “THUMP” is a raw, surreal descent into the unknown.
Writer & Director: Alexah Acuña
BANANAHEAD
After her mother’s disappearance, Andi Sanger hopes to land the lead role in the adaptation of her mother’s bestselling novel BANANAHEAD. But after discovering the haunting legacy within the walls of her familial home, her own aspirations threaten to tear her apart.
Writer & Director: Christopher Greenslate
Burnt Orange
A woman behind on payments is haunted by phone-call debt collectors, but one collector wants to harvest something more. Is the figure in her head, or does she owe a cosmic debt?
Writer & Director: Sharmila Ray
Starring: Kausar Mohammed, Vivian Bang
Block: Skits and Giggles – Comedy shorts delivering satire, silliness, and sharp wit.
Goodness Gracious – U.S. Premiere
What hilarious mishaps await two devout students as they scramble to slash their faith club on the spookiest day of the year?
Director: Frazier Bostic
Kendrake – LA Premiere
In the aftermath of the RAP BEEF HEARD AROUND THE WORLD between KENDRICK LAMAR & DRAKE, stands a divided fanbase. When the division makes its way into corporate America, extreme measures must be taken.
Director: Affion Crockett
Starring: Affion Crockett
Killing Them – World Premiere
A gangster-turned-informant faces certain death at the hands of the lifelong friends he betrayed. But a last-minute confession about who he really is might just slash his life…
Director: Jeremy Luke Writer: Eddie Alfano
Starring: Jeremy Luke, Carmine Giovinazzo
Behind the Screams
Logline: An overconfident wannabe Auteur films the ultimate Horror film, in a Haunted House—unwittingly summoning a real demon and turning his low-budget shoot into a hilarious nightmare.
Director: Chelsea Bartel
Block: Quintesssentially Queer Vol. 1 – Bold, boundary-pushing queer stories celebrating identity and authenticity.
House of Fawcett: Dripping in Talent – World Premiere
LA based drag musician, Mylique E. Fawcett, invites the audience into her intimate process. Take a peak behind the glam as this Black Queer musician defines her art, her way, in her own words.
Director: Carter Bowden Writer: Mylique E. Fawcett
Heartless – LA Premiere
A closeted gay man journeys into the drag world to recover his heart after his ex-boyfriend ripped it out of his chest..
Director: Jorge Jaén Writer: Halle Schaffer
Outed
An overbearing mother implores her horny son to resist his urges to slash him from the fate she endured.
Director: Charlie Paulin Writer: Charlie Paulin
Notable Cast: Jaymes Mansfield (RuPaul’s Drag Race, The Bitch Who Stole Christmas)
Sorority
A trans woman of color in the early stages of her transition learns to accept herself when welcomed into the sorority of sisterhood in the most sacred of places, the women’s restroom.
Director: Ashley Gianni Writer: Ashley Gianni, Kristen M. Scatton
Me Porto Bonita
Following a heartbreak two best friends embark on a day of refuge. What first started as a day of joyriding through the city quickly escalates into an adventure of revenge and exposed secrets.
Writer & Director: Cecilia Romo
Block: Another Day at the Office – Not quite your typical day at the office. Unions, fights, and trash – oh my!
Narrated By – LA Premiere
A peak behind the scenes of erotic audiobook recording, “Narrated By” follows two voice actors who might look a little different than you imagine- as they record your favorite smutty romances. Except, they may have had a failed romance of their own.
Director: Khaya Fraites Writer: Khaya Fraites
Trashy People
When she discovers the amount of waste while working at the recycling center, Erykah takes it upon herself to solve it.
Writer & Director: Marissa High
Starring: Arica Himmel, Jordan Connor
Threats – LA Premiere
In the aftermath of a robbery, a young restaurant worker takes action to reform her workplace.
Writer & Director: Quamé A. Hamlin
Starring: Jenna Z. Alvarez, A. Russell Andrews, Ramona DuBarry
The Interview – LA Premiere
Haunted by his violent past, an ex-con is offered one last shot at redemption — but when the interview turns into a lethal game, he must decide how far he’ll go, and who he’s willing to become, to earn his second chance.
Writer & Director: Kai Kim
Starring: Rene Bastian, Shrihari Sathe, Peter Nashel
Block: Wounds for the Wounded – A darker, more complex meditation on intimacy, power dynamics and tough choices.
Dating Positive (+): The Truth (Web Series) – LA Premiere
As Sigourney confronts her darkest fears, The Truth exposes painful misunderstandings while challenging the silence around consent and dating with an STD.
Director: Mustafa Mahdi Writer: Indeya Dynice
The Rebirth – LA Premiere
An overworked waitress takes a black market abortion pill that gives her an unexpected side effect.
Writer & Director: Connie Shi
Blood and Milk
A day-dreaming teenager living in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans must make a life-changing decision.
Writer & Director: Eve Crusto
Block: What Community Looks Like – Shorts that highlight the collective spirit, showing how we build, protect, and sustain each other.
Sunrise In Prison (Animated)
Elizabeth “Leesa” Nomura describes her experiences as an incarcerated woman, the community she built, and the power they discovered together.
Director: Quincy Bowie Jr., Daniel Chit, Katelyn Do, Andrew R. Hong, Eve Levy, Katie Lou, Johans Saldana Guadalupe
A City That Cares – LA Premiere
A legal educator reflects on her work as an activist along the US-Mexico border, a journey that guides her and her students to a compassionate Texas community where generosity and empathy are deeply intertwined.
Director: Aaron Hosé Writer: Irene Pons, Joshua Rubin
Spam Risk
In the midst of the Covid lockdown, Petula, a young widow, finds herself isolated in her grief and disconnected from the world. As she retreats further into her isolation, she receives an unexpected phone call from Robert, a single father who mistakenly dials her number.
Writer & Director: Alessandra Carlino
The Village It Took
Ozanna tries to curate community on a campus of inequity, and faces the consequences that come from desperation.
Writer & Director: Victoria Wilcox
We purchase Houses – LA Premiere
When a house flipper encounters someone unexpected at one of his properties he reconsider his role in his community.
Writer & Director: Scott Burkhardt
Theatre While Black (Webseries) – LA Premiere
A docu-series that chronicles how the Robey Theatre Company—co-founded by Danny Glover and Ben Guillory—navigated decades of struggle, friendship, and perseverance, up to and through the COVID-19 pandemic. It focuses in particular on their production A Heated Discussion (written by Levy Lee Simon), inspired by the assassination of George Floyd, showing not just the rehearsal and staging of that play, but also how the company kept its identity, mission and community alive during difficult times.
Director: Jermaine Alexander Writer: Jermaine Alexander
Starring: Danny Glover
Block: A Better Tomorrow – Films envisioning hope, justice, and futures built on resilience.
Futures Without Guns – LA Premiere
Futures Without Guns invites the viewer to embark on a journey through three diverse artistic perspectives and tap into their innate creativity to envision a future where the threat of gun violence is a distant memory. It is a call to action that unites us in our collective determination to actively shape a brighter future.
Director: Kyra Knox
Black Longevity – LA Premiere
Black Longevity follows a remarkable group of Black elders, including a centenarian, as they defy societal expectations by embracing the fullness of their lives in their later years.
Writer & Director: Geneva Peschka
Block: The cost of Passion – Stories of sacrifice, ambition, and the costs of pursuing what drives us.
In My Spirit I Am Free – LA Premiere
Celine, a ballerina, dances for the first time since an injury.
Director: Mae Breazeale Writer: Mae Breazeale
The Debt – World Premiere
Depressed and hopeless, a once thriving creative director has a bizarre, yet familiar encounter with a mysterious woman while working her soul-crushing debt collection job that forces her to confront the present or be haunted by her future.
Writer & Director: Krystal Knight
Grace – LA Premiere
Determined to impress a record executive, Grace Gordon, a resilient trans singer, performs at a Los Angeles nightclub in pursuit of making it big during the vibrant 80s track scene.
Writer & Director: Alexandra Grey
Starring: Alexandra Grey
Time Is Money – LA Premiere
Jace, a financially challenged writer/director and self-proclaimed graduate of the school of Mark Duplass, delivers packages to survive while struggling to secure funds for his first indie feature. A bonus for the best-ranked delivery driver could solve his problems.
Writer & Director: Duran Jones
Legends
When a mistake from the admissions office grants Mahira a full ride dance scholarship to college, she’s forced to pretend she’s a dancer, all while preparing for LEGENDS — the biggest collegiate Bollywood fusion dance competition around.
Writer & Director: Suhashini Krishnan
Ree’s Destiny – LA Premiere
On the day of her debut, Ree, a 43-year-old aspiring rapper, is sabotaged by her defiant daughter Destiny.
Writer & Director: Steven Mosley
Block: Is You or Is You Aint My Baby? Vol 1 – Love in all its messy forms — heartbreak, longing, and unexpected connection.
Still Love You (track Video) – LA Premiere
Based on a true story, Still Love You gives a first-hand account of the challenges a couple faces both before and after cancer devastates their lives.
Director: Alexander Ali, Sergio Lorenzan, Christian Maiko
Bittersweet
BITTERSWEET is an immersive, non-linear look at a timeless love that is cut short by maternal mortality.
Director: Myrakel N Baker Producer: Luca Del Puppo
Take the Note – World Premiere
As rising director Genesis fights to assert her authority on the set of her first major film, a power struggle with her romantic partner and lead actor threatens to blur the lines between love and leadership, forcing them both to confront what it means to truly support each other.
Director: Donovan J. Gardener Writer: Tiger A.J. Ray
What’s Your Dream? – LA Premiere
When a couple asks each other, ‘What’s your dream?’ Their answers unfold into a poetic love letter, discovering that the dreams they’ve been searching for have been standing right in front of them.
Director: Jasmine Ashanti, Ajima Cole Writer: Ajima Cole
What Do We Do – World Premiere
Director: Nate Huntley, Julia Gallagher Writer: Nate Huntley
On their anniversary, Ophelia and Daniel are faced with news that turns their entire relationship upside down, forcing them to decide: keep pretending or face a truth too big to bear?
Not Quite Yes – LA Premiere
Director: Melanie Johnson Writer: Melanie Johnson
Starring: Joe Chambrello
A couple enjoys a romantic night out. Until one of them asks a question that changes everything.
Block: Learning From Yesterday – A look back at history, memory, and how the past shapes our present choices.
Becoming Sidney – U.S. Premiere
Director: Ken Gregory Writer: Ken Gregory
A determined young Bahamian dishwasher finds an unexpected mentor in an elderly waiter who helps him overcome adversity and prepare for a pivotal audition, setting him on the path to becoming a legendary actor.
Time Setters – World Premiere
Director: Oliver Mack Calhoun Writer: Oliver Mack Calhoun
Starring: Steven Williams, Newton Mayenge, Candace Nicholas-Lippman, Sean Small
A group of time traveling vigilantes travel back in time and attempt to rescue Emmett Till.
Flight 182 – L.A. Premiere
Director: Rippin Sindher
Logline: Before 9/11, Air India Flight 182 was the deadliest act of aviation terrorism in the world. Based on true events, FLIGHT 182 is a heart-wrenching drama about a devoted husband caught between love, duty and political violence, as he must choose between visiting his dying mother one last time or heed warnings from a separatist group seeking revenge against the government.
An agitated wind
Director: Patricia Montoya
This short film uses mixed media—poetry, film, motion graphics, puppets, and toys—to tell a multigenerational story of 1950s border violence within a Texas family, based on Gloria Anzaldúa’s poems.
Neither Donkey Nor Horse
Director: Robin Wang Writer: Robin Wang
Starring: Chris Pang, Jim Lau, Michael Monasterio, Albert Kuo, Beryl Liu
Amidst the outbreak of the 1910 Manchurian Plague, a young Chinese doctor must defy prejudices of both the East and the West to champion his groundbreaking theory of the disease and seek the truth that will heal it.
Block: Growing Pains Vol. 2 – The struggles of growing up — identity, belonging, and the bittersweet edge of youth.
Someone to Believe (Ad) – LA Premiere
Director: Ashley Tyler
This Adidas spec ad is inspired by the “You Got This” campaign, and serves as an ode to black girls and double dutch.
Oh Happy Day! – LA Premiere
Director: Ivan Rome Writer: Ivan Rome
Starring: Ann Nesby, Chantal Maurice
A young boy struggles over the course of Easter week to get the attention of his crush.
The Dolla rave – LA Premiere
Director: Sherean Jones Writer: Sherean Jones
A teen dollar rave in early 2000s North Philly gives a shy, obedient mami a night to remember when her two best friends help scheme a night of fun, freedom, and the opportunity to dance with her crush.
Such a Pretty mami – LA Premiere
Director: Deborah Puette Writer: Deborah Puette
Starring: Sarah Drew, Harry Groener
Meg has returned to her childhood home to help her aging father. But when her twelve-year-old uncovers a long-forgotten relic from her past, Meg must decide in a matter of moments who she’ll protect: her parent or her child.
The Off-Brands – LA Premiere
Director: Shayla Racquel Writer: Shayla Racquel
Starring: Grace Duah
In a small southern town, a quirky teen with a chronic illness challenges the rigid social hierarchy of her high school when her surprising talent for double-dutch earns her both admiration and unwanted attention, forcing her to decide if she’ll stay true to herself or conform to fit in.
BELIEF
Director: Christian Loubek Writer: Christian Loubek
While unpacking their new home with his wife and daughter, Lennox finds a letter in a box labelled ‘Mom’. It reveals a life he doesn’t remember and a future he never expected.
Block: Thicker Than Water – Family dramas that explore bonds tested by love, betrayal, and survival.
Them That’s Not – LA Premiere
Director: Mekhai Lee Writer: Mekhai Lee
Starring: Erika Hamilton, Mykee Selkin, Blake McLennan
A sudden prison furlough unexpectedly bonds an estranged father with his emotionally avoidant daughter at their matriarch’s repass.
Swimming Holes – LA Premiere
Director: Kasey L. Martin Writer: Kasey L. Martin
After her grandmother’s passing, Destiny journeys to Hawaii to reconnect with her estranged sister and discovers unexpected paths to healing.
The Ohio, Texas Remix – LA Premiere
Director: Ya’Ke Smith Writer: Ya’Ke Smith
Starring: Sean Nelson, Veronika Bozeman, Mikala Gibson, Jasmine Shanise, Kyla Simmons
A woman travels from Ohio to Texas to kidnap her son from her estranged ex-husband.
We Are Not Okay
Director: Britt Banks Writer: Britt Banks Executive Producer: Anthony ‘best Dawg’ Tiffith
Starring: Candace Nicholas-Lippman, P’Jae Compton, Zachariah Rogers
Placed in informal kinship care with distant relatives, two sisters struggle to adapt as the eldest plans to escape and care for her younger sibling on her own.
High Water – LA Premiere
Director: Tyquan Morton Writer: Tyquan Morton
A recently laid off longshoreman, cares for his forgetful mother, as the city around them drastically changes.
Block: For the Youngins, Presented By NAACP Studios
Carolina Cowboys
Director: Tyla Barnes
When a new generation of Black cowboys and cowgirls fights to keep their heritage alive, they turn to the wisdom of a veteran horseman who has spent his life preserving a forgotten legacy. Carolina Cowboys explores the untold story of Black equestrians in Charlotte, weaving themes of perseverance, identity, and community as they reclaim their place in history—one ride at a time.
Jeremiah’s Big Christmas rave – World Premiere
Director: Luke Harris
Jeremiah’s Big Christmas rave follows Jeremiah, a young man with autism, as he prepares a festive Christmas celebration for his family, exploring his journey after high school and his deep connections with loved ones and his community.
Odds – World Premiere
Director: Jeffery Jackson
A determined sports journalist fights to uncover the truth behind a rising NBA star’s shocking point-shaving scandal, exposing the hidden forces of pay inequity, media bias, and the dark side of sports betting—all while risking her own career in the process.
A Letter to You – World Premiere
Director: MyQueal Chakel Lewis
A valedictorian is preparing to give her class address but is reminded of her relationship with her mother who has a mental disorder.
Block: Growing Pains Vol. 1 – Early steps into adulthood told with humor, honesty, and vulnerability.
Unexpected
Director: Sebastian Godina Writer: Sebastian Godina
Starring: Elijah Wright
Xavier, a recovering addict, quickly succumbs back to his old habits with the help of his childhood friend, which leads to more serious consequences.
Heavy is the Head – LA Premiere
Director: Chap Edmonson
Heavy is the Head is a short experimental film that navigates the journey of a Black boy coming of age in America. The story is an exploration of identity and the expectations that weigh on a boy learning to navigate a world that often sees him before he truly sees himself.
Lost Woods – LA Premiere
Director: Ben Hagarty Writer: Shawn Sladburg, Ben Hagarty
Logline: After seven years of skyrocketing success, a band returns home for a highly anticipated show, facing the echoes of their past and the weight of everything they’ve built. As the excitement mounts, lingering questions of purpose and fulfillment bubble to the surface, revealing the hidden costs of fame and the crossroads between love and ambition.
Menthol – World Premiere
Director: Simone Brazzini Writer: Simone Brazzini
Logline: A transgender non-binary actor struggles to boost their acting career while navigating the emotional side effects of testosterone.
God & Buddha Are Friends
Director: Anthony Ma Writer: Anthony Ma
Starring: Jim Meskimen, Janet Hsieh, Karin Anna Cheung, Tamra Meskimen
A young Taiwanese American boy falls into an existential crisis when a charismatic Christian pastor comes between him and his overprotective Buddhist mother.
Block: Is You or Is You Aint My Baby? Vol. 2 – Expansive love stories examining romance, loyalty, and the many shades of commitment.
Black Ballerina You Should Be a Model – LA Premiere
Writer & Director: Zaire Love
Two fated strangers set out on an unforgettable first date. Will the ballerina spin into the arms of the handsome suitor?
The Incredible Sensational Fiancée of Sèyí Àjàyí
Writer & Director: Abbesi Akhamie
In the stylized African nation of Alkebulan, a brilliant scholar discovers her fiancé’s secret engagement and takes spectacular revenge, earning the recognition she always deserved in an unexpected way.
I Thought You’d Never Ask – LA Premiere
Director: Jamal Trulove Writer: Jamal Trulove
Starring: Terri J. Vaughn, Tia Nomore
A hopeless romantic begins to age mysteriously while waiting for her boyfriend to commit—until a proposal finally rekindles her youth, forcing both of them to confront what love, time, and faith really mean.
Always, Most of the Time – LA Premiere
Director: Victor V. Hogan II Writer: R. Alan Brooks Executive Producer: Michael Quigley
Starring: Patrick Walker
After a painful split from her boyfriend, Delilah finds herself reflecting upon what she did to contribute to the end of their relationship. But in the midst of that despair, she discovers that she can travel back to the past to fix it.
Block: We Got That Sci-FYE vol. 2 – Expansive speculative shorts exploring technology, identity, and otherworldly visions.
La Bruja
Director: Manuel Villarreal Writer: Claudia Rivera-Vazquez
Starring: Elena Campbell Martinez, Presciliana Esparolini Mayans, Oscar Reyes
A boy and his grandma find hope in a fairytale about a magical witch amidst an ICE raid.
Better Life
Director: Jessica Liu Writer: Jessica Liu Executive Producer: Randall Park
Starring: Randall Park
When a groundbreaking medical procedure promises to turn slackers into overachievers, an aging father sees it as his last chance to achieve the American Dream-through his unemployed adult daughter.
Möbius Loop
Director: Lee Peterkin Writer: Lee Peterkin
Logline: Möbius Loop is a science fiction film about a scientist, Senna, seeking to perfect a mindjumping time-travel project. Upon finding a VHS tape that compels her to delve into her family’s past, she uncovers the key to her research, but in doing so suffers deadly consequences.
Missing Rhythms
Director: Regina Hoyles Writer: Aja Houston Executive Producers: Jordan Calloway, Couper Samuelson, Malcolm Barrett
In a mysterious insane asylum full of missing Black women from all over the country, a woman must use rhythm to remember her true identity and fight being lost forever behind the ominous Blue Door.
Ivory And Gold – World Premiere
Director: Theo Brown Writer: Isaiah Thomas
After a magical family heirloom reveals his latent powers during a violent altercation, a young man from the inner city must embrace a world of magic he never knew existed to protect his family and fulfill his destiny.
Block: Signs of the Times – Shorts capturing the turbulence, contradictions, and urgent questions of today’s society.
Sometimes I Imagine Your Funeral
Director: Vince Dixon Writer: Vince Dixon
As Max prepares to eulogize his sister Chloe just minutes before her funeral, he wrestles with the anger, frustration, and grief of losing her to an overdose, attempting to understand who Chloe was.
Made in America – LA Premiere
Director: Maritza Cruz Writer: Maritza Cruz
Starring: Julia Vera, Lisandra Tena
Xiomara and Ana, two Central American migrant teens, work the late-night shift at a garment factory. When Ana goes missing after staying for an extra shift, ‘Xo’ searches for her friend, only to uncover Ana never made it home. Her search leads her back to the factory, where she’s faced with a devastating truth.
Judas Goat – World Premiere
Director: Luwam Tekeste Writer: Luwam Tekeste
Starring: Keeya King
On the day of student standardized testing, a new substitute teacher at Blackburn Public School grows suspicious of the faculty’s unsettling behavior, uncovering a web of moral dilemmas.
Once Upon A Dime
Director: Lauren Julia Writer: Lauren Julia
Starring: Quincy Chad
Nkosi plans and executes the perfect date, but as the sun sets, we realize that things with Nkosi aren’t quite what they seem.
La Bala
Director: Brie Zepeda Writer: Brie Zepeda
Starring: Andrea Londo
When a midnight train derails on the journey from Arizona to Mexico, three generations of women are forced to confront devastating loss while carrying the weight of survival in a story drawn from real events.
ADO
Director: Sam Henderson Writer: Sam Henderson
Starring: Jenifer Lewis
Ms. Hopkins is rehearsing Much Ado About Nothing with her middle school theatre class, when it is interrupted by a school shooter.
Block: A Quest Into the Unknown – Whimsical and mysterious adventures into worlds of fantasy and imagination.
30 Percent – World Premiere
Director: MICO MARZ
A confident Ninja and a tense Robot clash on a chaotic mocap set, forcing their overwhelmed Director to control egos and try to slash the shoot.
Zora and The Zebra – LA Premiere
Director: Amirah J Adem Writer: Amirah J Adem
In a lush jungle, warrior Zora defies sabotage from her rival Sizwe to find a Zebra.
Beyond
Director: Bettina López Mendoza Writer: Bettina López Mendoza
A young mami who’s given up her childhood to survive crossing the treacherous Darien Gap discovers a portal to a magical world where she learns to be a kid again.
Em & Selma Go Griffin Hunting
Director: Alexander Thompson Writer: Alexander Thompson
Starring: Milly Shapiro, Pollyanna McIntosh
A dark neo-western coming-of-age fable about mothers, daughters & the beasts they hunt.
Block: Family Matters – Stories that showcase the struggles, humor, and love within families.
Sorry I Missed Your Call – LA Premiere
Director: Hae Ji Cho Writer: Hae Ji Cho
Through a series of real voicemails, SORRY I MISSED YOUR CALL explores the guilt, responsibility, pressures, and burnout behind a woman’s experience as a caretaker for her beloved grandmother as her Alzheimer’s progresses, as well as her grandmother’s own anxieties and loneliness in the absence of a proper support system for either of them.
Disabled: A Love Story
Director: Sheila M. Sofian
“Disabled: A Love Story” is an animated documentary that explores the relationship and struggles of Terry, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, and her husband Jon, who has cared for her since her diagnosis.
The Boy – World Premiere
Director: Nazir K Alston Writer: Nazir K Alston
In 2004 Philadelphia, “The Boy” unfolds as young Kareem makes a life-altering decision protecting his mother from a rogue henchman of corrupt politician Jameson Floyd.
Hormones for Breakfast – LA Premiere
Director: Jami Ramberan Writer: Jami Ramberan
In the midst of IVF treatment, a happy couple’s morning ritual triggers an emotional rollercoaster as they strive to do the one thing that will bring them closer.
#1 BAD DAD
Director: Natalie Camou Writer: Kyle Selby
A jaded ex-supervillain is visited by his long lost daughter and learns what it means to be a father.
Block: A Father’s Love – Tender explorations of paternal bonds, sacrifice, and enduring devotion.
Wednesdays with Gramps
Director: Chris Copeland, Justin Copeland Writer: Chris Copeland, Justin Copeland
When a teenage boy visits his Gramps at a seemingly mundane boring assisted living facility, he comes to find that they have much more in common than he thought. “Wednesdays with Gramps” is a story about connection, communication, and commonality, without saying a word.
Father Time – LA Premiere
Director: Eli Joshua Adé Writer: Eli Joshua Adé
Starring: Eiland Phoenix Adé, Sean Anthony Baker, Tequilla Whitfield
With 15 minutes left a father has to figure out how to say goodbye.
Mosh – LA Premiere
Director: Portlynn Tagavi Writer: Harim Sanchez
Starring: Jorge Luis-Pallo
A desperate father struggles to bond with his son while taking him to a concert for his birthday.
El Tiguere
Director: Andrew J Rodriguez Writer: Andrew J Rodriguez Executive Producer: Lin Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, In the Heights, Moana)
Starring: Elvis Nolasco
In the face of food insecurity and a harsh legal system in the Bronx, a Dominican immigrant operates his mobile food garden under the radar, determined to rebuild his life and repair his relationship with his estranged son.
Sugar Dumplin – LA Premiere
Director: Tristan Barrocks Writer: Tristan Barrocks
A young woman tries to reconnect with her estranged father, who has dementia, by creating dishes from his Jamaican childhood to bridge their emotional gap.
Block: Quintesssentially Queer Vol. 2 – Bold, vulnerable, and unapologetic explorations of queer identity and experience.
I Know Him So Well
Director: Chance Calloway
The jewel-toned animation of queer teenage love is chronicled by guitar-playing mermen and the vocals of AJ Rafael and Chance Calloway.
I’m The Most Racist Person I Know – LA Premiere
Director: Leela Varghese Writer: Leela Varghese
Starring: Shabana Azeez
When Lali unexpectedly ends up on a date with another woman of color for the first time, it unravels prejudices she has long ignored
Zari
Director: Shruti Parekh Writer: Shruti Parekh
Amidst preparations for her sister’s wedding in India, young American Neelu forges an unexpected connection with Zeyb, a quiet sari store clerk with a secret.
One Day This Kid
Director: Alexander Farah Writer: Alexander Farah
One day this kid will reach a point where he senses a division that isn’t mathematical.
Starring: Joaquin Cardoner
Orion’s Quest – LA Premiere
Director: Steven Chew Writer: Steven Chew
Starring: Dyllon Burnside, Michelle Mitchenor
Before a powerful eclipse occurs, an extraterrestrial being must finalize his mission to comprehend love by exploring the romantic relationships between Black gay men.
Block: Dating Woes – Love gone wrong — awkward, funny, and heartbreakingly real stories of dating in modern times.
Delusionally, Ari
Director: Henry Severe
An anxious teen seeks her friends’ advice on confessing her true feelings to her classmate-turned-best friend.
Something Between Us – LA Premiere
Director: Prashanth Sampathkumaran
An upbeat choreographer must make an impression on her first big job but finds herself falling for her new client, an unteachable Bollywood star.
Single AF – World Premiere
Director: Louise Cousins Writer: Louise Cousins
Starring: KeiLyn Durrel Jones, Ashley Denise Robinson
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.
AN ALMOST SUCCESSFUL DATING APP LOVE STORY
Director: Winter Coleman Writer: Winter Coleman
Starring: Caleb Hearon, Olivia Washington, Derrick King
It ends the same for us all.
Love is Blind – LA Premiere
Director: Parneille Walker Writer: Parneille Walker
Starring: Brandon Fobbs, Melvin Jackson Jr., Aasha Davis, Ivonnah Erskine
Chris, a young man on the rebound from a failed relationship, reluctantly arrives for a blind date with a woman in a red dress. But as the evening unfolds, he’s lead into a night of cringe-worthy and unexpected twists.
CHASERS
Director: Erin Brown Thomas Writer: Erin Brown Thomas, Ciarra Krohne
Starring: Shannon Gisela
A starry-eyed musician navigates an LA rave, chasing her crush while desperately dodging the heartbreaking secret that could shatter her pursuit.
Block: Culture Clash Vol. 1 – Cross-cultural experiences that challenge and celebrate difference.
HALF – World Premiere
Director: Arti Ishak Writer: Arti Ishak
Sri is always the wrong “half’ for any situation they are in. Not Asian enough, not Arab enough, never American or Muslim enough. Until they meet Erren, a Black American Muslim working through his own identity who might see Sri as a whole for the first time. HALF explores the comedy of navigating multiple identities in a world that constantly forces you to check one box.
Nothing New Under The Sun – U.S. Premiere
Director: Damisi, Chen Yu
Nothing New Under The Sun is a documentary that creates conversation about two cultures, Hip-Hop and Kung Fu, that share the same vision through movement and identity.
Food for the Soul – LA Premiere
Director: Chisom Chieke Writer: Chisom Chieke
Starring: Marcus Scribner, Karen Obilom, Richard Mofe-Damijo
A first-generation Nigerian American and her Black American partner must decide between being true to themselves or trying to live up to their families’ expectations.
Unfamily – U.S. Premiere
Director: Siddharth Sharma, Paul Persic Writer: Siddharth Sharma, Mitchell Jaramillo
Starring: Mark Taylor, Al Mukadam
An international student is forced to confront complex family dynamics to avoid deportation.
Best Eyes
Director: Kira Powell Writer: Kira Powell
Starring: Jackie Cruz
While commuting between her working-class neighborhood and elite private school, a biracial teen forms a friendship that challenges the version of herself her mother believes will keep her safe — leading her toward self-acceptance.
Block: The Choices We Make – Decisions that define us — stories about agency, fate, and consequence.
By the Lake
Director: Alex Dauphin Writer: Alex Dauphin
Starring: Anissa Matlock, Sarafina King, Kellen Boyle, Lee Osorio
When a White, Appalachian woman collides with a Black outsider in rehab, each must decide whether to take a leap into the unknown: sobriety.
Isle of Devils – World Premiere
Director: Stas Bondarenko Writer: Kalilah Robinson
Starring: Katie Parker
In 1543, a Portuguese missionary washes ashore on the Isles of Bermuda after his ship is torn apart in a violent storm. Superstition says that sprytes and demons hold dominion on these shores, a terrifying prospect for Father Damiåo, the sole survivor of his ill-fated ship. As he struggles to survive, Damiåo encounters an aloof and mysterious woman, and his curiosity, combined with a desperate need for companionship, draws him to her despite his wariness about who, or what, she might be.
Honoring My Choice – World Premiere
Director: Donovan J. Gardener, Maiyah Mayhan
Honoring My Choice is a documentary that amplifies the voices of Black women as they share their personal experiences with abortion and reproductive health. Through intimate interviews, it highlights the courage, resilience, and complexity of choosing one’s own path in the face of stigma, racism, and systemic barriers.
The Ride
Director: Slava Denisov Writer: Grigory Borodavkin
A ’76 Plymouth reflects on its journey, witnessing decades of human life, capturing moments of freedom, temptation, and redemption as it changes hands from one owner to the next.
Block: Life & Death Vol. 2 – A continuation of the exploration of mortality, legacy, and resilience.
Erlkönig
Director: Morgan Middleton, Charlie Driscoll Writer: Morgan Middleton
In a powerful exploration of racial and health disparities, classical track takes center stage when a father and son confront the ominous figure of Der Erlkönig, the whisperer of death.
The Vote
Director: Sylvia Ray Writer: Sylvia Ray
Starring: Juanita Jennings
Siblings Jessica and Robbie face the heart-wrenching choice to keep their mother on life support or let her go, sparking a tense family vote.
Mama Deserves to be Served – LA Premiere
Director: Nikki Syreeta Writer: Nikki Syreeta
Starring: Merrick McCartha, Alycia Cooper
Grief mixes with family dynamics as siblings squabble over their late mother’s ashes.
EL Lloron
Director: Rodrigo Moreno-Fernandez Writer: Rodrigo Moreno-Fernandez Producer: Ramona Mickey Sumner
Starring: Bobby Soto, Renêe Victor, Valente Rodriguez
FELIPE is a professional mourner. He is compensated for lamenting and comforting grieving families during funerals.
What Happens immediately? – LA Premiere
Director: Imole J.O Ladipo Writer: Toluwani Osibe Obayan
Starring: Eric Roberts, Akah Nnani, Nene Nwoko, Rotimi Paul
After years of grief, a man finally comes face-to-face with his father’s killer, forcing him to choose between vengeance and forgiveness in a moment that will define the rest of his life.
Block: True Sports Stories – Real tales of athletes, perseverance, and the power of the game.
PUMA SPEC AD – LA Premiere
Director: Daniel Jefferson, Cameron Miles Writer: Davon Smith
Starring: Aspen Kennedy, Tray Milz, Davon Smith
A once-promising athlete battles self-doubt and physical setbacks after fifteen months away from the ring.
I Forgot to Tell You About…The Story of The Cleveland Buckeyes – LA Premiere
Director: Evelyn Renee Gregory Writer: Evelyn Renee Gregory
“I Forgot To Tell You About …The Story of The Cleveland Buckeye’s” uncovers the extraordinary story of the Cleveland Buckeyes, the Negro League World Series champions whose remarkable achievement was nearly lost to history.
Moving Mountains
Director: Jessa Williams Writer: Jessa Williams
Moving Mountains is a raw and inspiring journey of Tre’lan, a young Black man from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who escapes his troubled past to find redemption on a remote Hawaiian island. Through the transformative power of big wave surfing, Tre’lan confronts his trauma, embraces healing, and discovers the resilience to reshape his future, finding peace in the ocean’s most powerful waves.
Legend Has It: The Remarkable Rise of Stephen McCain
Director: Hisonni Mustafa Writer: Hisonni Mustafa
From childhood dreams to Olympic triumphs, Legend Has It: The Remarkable Rise of Stephen McCain unveils the resilience, sacrifice, and heart of an athlete whose pursuit of greatness redefined what it means to be a legend.
Block: To Be A Woman vol. 2 – Feminine strength, difficulties, and vulnerability in its many forms.
THEY CALL ME THE TATTOO WITCH
Director: Lindsay Nyman Writer: Lindsay Nyman
In Hanoi, Vietnam, tattoo musician Tran Ngoc specializes in the rare and challenging art of tattooing over scars. Despite the social stigma surrounding tattoos in Vietnam, Ngoc empowers her clients, including breast cancer survivors and women with self-harm scars, to reclaim their bodies, demonstrating that her work is a profound act of compassion and resilience.
I Wish I Were Pretty – LA Premiere
Director: Hanah Chang Writer: Hanah Chang
An insecure Korean-American woman struggles with old resentments against her beautiful best friend, exposing the impossible beauty standards that caused them.
Don’t be late, Myra
Director: Afia Serena Nathaniel Writer: Afia Serena Nathaniel Executive Producer: Rene Bastian, Shrihari Sathe
A missed school bus leaves ten-year-old Myra stranded in Lahore, where her journey home spirals into a tense fight for survival against the men who stalk her every step.
Maggie’s Not Okay
Director: Vance Smith Writer: Mouzam Makkar
Maggie, a chronic people pleaser, is always getting pushed around. But when she tries to return a lost cat to his owner, Maggie is finally pushed too far and decides to push back… in a most unexpected way.
Block: Family Secrets vs Family Legacy – Generational dramas that uncover hidden truths and enduring bonds.
Way Back Home
Director: Chad Hamilton Writer: Chad Hamilton
Estranged siblings must choose between selling their late grandmother’s home, or maintaining her legacy in a rapidly changing neighborhood.
15 Lines – LA Premiere
Director: Sharon Samuels Writer: Imanne Mondane
A young architect at a pivotal stage in his career discovers a journal in his childhood home that contains information about his family’s past. As he uncovers the legacy embedded in these pages, he finds direction for his own future.
Unknown Asset – LA Premiere
Director: Wilson Lamont Writer: Dustin Green
Starring: Ashleigh Morghan, Colin Richard Allen
When two Siblings find a threatening letter on their business doorstep, they are led on a quest to find hidden assets left by their late father before the neighborhood gang claims it for their own.
Sins of a Father
Director: Nuekellar Hardy Writer: Nuekellar Hardy
Amidst echoes of his past, Bryan embarks on a heartfelt quest to rewrite his future, confronting his father to break the chains of generational trauma and carve out his own legacy of love and growth
Sorrows of Yesterday – LA Premiere
Director: Kevin Saunders Writer: Kevin Saunders
Suffering from the sorrows of his past, a dejected man gets an unexpected visitor that reminds him of a valuable lesson: Every decision, good or bad, has consequences.
117 Years of Movie Bullsh*t – World Premiere
Director: Candice Vernon
Frank and Candice, two aspiring Hollywood stars are sent back in time, during the Gone With the Wind Era, by the evil Dick Whitman, an old school studio exec. As Frank and Candice try to get back to the present time, they keep getting stuck in movies of the past as token Black characters.
Block: To Be A Woman Vol. 1 – Stories of identity, friendship, and unexpected bonds.
How to offer With Fame
Director: Tiffany Ike Writer: Tiffany Ike
When a masculine-presenting actress gets cast as the leading lady in a musical where her character dresses the opposite of her, her mother’s arrival for the performance reminds her of the womanhood she lacks.
Reminisce
Director: Leslie Morris Writer: Ashna Sharan
25 years younger than her husband, a woman’s world is turned upside down when her husband’s college classmates come to visit.
Sistahood: A Story of Strength – LA Premiere
Director: Jessica R. Chaney
The documentary follows Black, transgender women in Memphis, Tennessee, as they find hope and resilience through the community organization My Sistah’s House
SAVAGE SEASON
Director: Nardeep Khurmi Writer: Crystal Boyd
Starring: Devere Rogers, Crystal Boyd
Inspired by a true story, Gia, a relationship junkie, ends things with her long-term partner of seven years and finds herself alone and lost in a late-night pharmacy, tortured by her own thoughts. Ambushed by her friends, Gia is challenged to dream bigger and awaken from autopilot before her 30th birthday. This 15 minute short film is about mental health, reclaiming your inner child, burning down everything that comes with “adult autopilot,” and reinventing yourself. It explores the intimacy that happens when you let your friends witness you as you’re falling apart.
Block: Love & Laughs – Romantic comedies full of quirks, humor, and the chaos of connection.
BeforeHand
Director: Alphonso McAuley Writer: Alphonso McAuley
Starring: Eddie Blackwell Williams, Alphonso McAuley
A thrifty customer encounters a first hand experience while shopping at a second hand store.
I Hate My Love Life – LA Premiere
Director: Tiffany Jackman Writer: Tiffany Jackman
Starring: Reggie Hayes, Terri J Vaughn, Roy Wood Jr., Daphnique Springs, Orion Phillips II, Meghan Falcone
After years of bickering, a well-seasoned married couple decide to go on dates with other people to see if the grass is really greener on the other side; only to find out they are not prepared for the woes of new-age dating.
Brass Tacks – LA Premiere
Director: Katrina Cebreiro Writer: Katrina Cebreiro
Starring: J Young MDK
A millennial couple navigates the clash between their personal truths and the relentless demands of their wildly successful YouTube brand, but it is getting harder to tell what is real or what is just a show and is the show creating their reality or their reality creating the show.
Connie & Clyde – World Premiere
Director: Celeste Chaney Writer: Christopher Long
Sometimes working with your significant other is a great idea. For Connie and Clyde, it might be the worst. After a job goes wrong (at least according to Connie), she insists they confront the issue immediately, which might cost them their pay day and their relationship.
Block: Culture Clash Vol. 2 – Stories of identity, difference, and the intersections where cultures meet.
Nwa (Black)
Director: Hans Augustave Writer: Hans Augustave
Frantz, a first-generation Haitian-American, is tasked with getting a haircut without the usual supervision of his strict immigrant father Jean. Left to his own devices, Frantz decides on a more trendy haircut, connecting him to the Black American culture his father warned him not to embrace.
I Came with Earrings
Director: Jonathan Caren Writer: Jonathan Caren, Hahn Ponder
Prior to a big Akido test, Leah’s adoptive moms gifts them with a pair of earrings that came with them upon adoption. This sends Leah into a psychological tailspin where they must overcome more than just a brown belt test.
Crossing The Desert
Director: Reena Dutt Writer: Anu Bhatt
Ignoring her mother’s warning, Antara uses Google Translate to come out to her grandmother in India. Facing mistranslation and renewed tensions, can mother and daughter love each other for who they really are, or just who they want the other to be?
A Beauty Supply In Queens
Director: Oluseyi Olatujoye Writer: Oluseyi Olatujoye
Starring: Caroline Chikezie
A Beauty Supply in Queens follows Ms. Aji, a Nigerian mother, and her daughter Tobi as they navigate the challenges of running a beauty supply store in Queens. Amidst fierce competition and underhanded tactics from rivals, the film celebrates their resilience and the strength of their community.
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