Event Lineup
The following offers a preview of the 2026 festival events, with more to be announced. Some events require a ticket purchase, others are exclusive to pass holders, and select events are free and open to the public. Follow us on social media for the latest updates.
Spotlight Screenings
Opening Night Film – Strung
Sponsored by Comcast NBCU
Wednesday, May 27 | 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
New World Center – Performance Hall
From director Malcolm D. Lee, a talented violinist takes a prestigious job as a music tutor for the gifted daughter of an influential and enigmatic family. As she becomes entangled in their opulent world, unsettling secrets begin to surface, forcing her to question her safety, her dreams, and even her sanity.
Directed by Malcolm D. Lee, Starring Chloe Bailey, Lynn Whitfield, Lucien Laviscount, Anna Diop and Coco Jones
29th Annual HBO® Short Film Award Showcase
Sponsored by Warner Bros. Discovery/HBO
Thursday, May 28 | 8:15 pm – 10:15 pm
New World Center – Performance Hall
Now in its 29th year, the HBO® Short Film Award is regarded as one of the most prestigious short film showcases in the world. Five filmmakers are selected as finalists, with one Grand Prize winner receiving the HBO® Short Film Award and a $10,000 cash prize. Each of the four runner-up finalists will receive a $5,000 cash prize.
Hosted by Bevy Smith
Special Screening: “The Brittney Griner Story”
Sponsored by ESPN
Friday, May 29 | 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Miami Beach Convention Center, Screening Room 1
A towering figure and presence both on and off the court, few have risen as far and fast in the game of basketball as Brittney Griner. But as she reached new heights, a minor mistake at home threw her into a cruel imprisonment abroad — turning her from a globally respected player to the geopolitical pawn of an adversarial nation. “The Brittney Griner Story” follows a tumultuous path to sports stardom that culminates in the incarceration at the hands of a repressive dictatorship, the fortitude and perseverance of her family and friends to force her release, and following that release, her renewed lease on life and new perspective on the freedom her home country provides. Talkback to follow with director, Alexandria Stapleton.
Directed by: Alexandria Stapleton
Panelists: Alexandria Stapleton
ABFF Sports Track
Basement People and Q&A, courtesy of BLACC
Sponsored by The Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition (BLACC) powered by AHF
Saturday, May 30 | 11:00 am – 11:45 am
O Cinema
Seven-year-old Tina is left in the care of her extended family after a traumatic event exposes the fault lines of a volatile household. Sensitive and emotionally fragile, she navigates a home ruled by control, neglect, and barely contained rage. As tensions escalate into violence, Tina retreats into the basement, seeking refuge from the chaos above.
There, she finds an unlikely sanctuary with her reclusive uncle Keith, a man the family has long dismissed as unstable and unfit for the world upstairs. In the quiet isolation of the basement, Tina experiences something she has been denied throughout the house: safety without judgment. As the family struggles to restore order aboveground, Tina must decide where she truly belongs.
Basement People is an intimate portrait of childhood sensitivity, inherited trauma, and the unexpected places where protection and belonging can be found.
Directed by Christine Swanson; Written by Kyale Akeem Williams; Produced by Geert Heetebrij, Christine Swanson, Kim Ogletree
*Free Community Event
Kanan’s Evolution: An Inside Look at Season Five of “Power Book III: Raising Kanan”
Sponsored by STARZ
Saturday, May 30 | 4:00 pm – 5:15 pm
Miami Beach Convention Center, Screening Room 1
Join stars from the fifth and final season of STARZ’s original series “Power Book III: Raising Kanan” for an exclusive preview event. Through curated clips and a moderated discussion, guests will experience the Southside through a new lens—exploring Kanan’s evolution, rising family tensions, and the high-stakes drama ahead. Be among the first to discover what’s in store for Season Five, premiering June 12 on STARZ.
Meeting the Moment: A Documentary from L’Oréal Groupe and T Brand
Sponsored by L’Oréal Groupe
Saturday, May 30 | 6:45 pm – 8:00 pm
New World Center – Truist Hall
What’s the secret behind the Olympian Noah Lyles’s record-breaking sprints? How do star lucha libre wrestlers Persephone and La Catalina prepare their game face ahead of a match? And how does the FC Barcelona soccer player Jules Koundé achieve greatness through routine?
“Meeting the Moment” is a documentary narrated by the basketball legend Sue Bird that follows four athletes as they prepare for a major sports competition, revealing how physical training, mental fortitude and self-care rituals make up their winning formula.
ABFF Sports Track