LOS ANGELES, CA (May 13, 2025)<\/strong> – The 29th annual American Black Film Festival (ABFF) today announced its lineup of narrative and documentary features, along with the opening night HBO Short Film Award Showcase. This year’s festival will take place live in Miami Beach June 11-15, followed by an online segment June 16-24 on ABFF PLAY (https:\/\/abffplay.com\/<\/a>), and spotlights incredible emerging creatives in the filmmaking space. <\/p>\n In past years, the ABFF’s prestigious HBO Short Film Award has helped launch the careers of some of the most successful filmmakers, such as:<\/p>\n The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) continues to serve as a vital force in Hollywood, spotlighting bold storytelling and fresh creative voices for a global audience. The 2025 festival will feature a compelling lineup of narrative and documentary films from the United States, Canada, Jamaica, Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria, Zambia, United Kingdom, Democratic Republic of Congo and other nations. Audiences can anticipate a powerful selection of narrative features, spanning genres like psychological thriller, romance, and comedy, and delving into culturally resonant issues including grief, friendship, fatherhood, resilience, self-identity vs. collectivism, desperation vs. maintaining artistic integrity, gang violence, and envy & greed.<\/p>\n Hosted by three-time Emmy-nominated actor and author Dondr\u00e9 Whitfield on Saturday, June 14, winners of the films in competition will be announced during the “Best of ABFF Awards” which will include the festival’s hallmark award, the John Singleton Award for Best Debut Feature presented by Sony Pictures Entertainment.<\/p>\n “We are thrilled to bring the American Black Film Festival back to Miami Beach in 2025, continuing our tradition of showcasing bold, original voices and engaging storytelling,” said NICE CROWD President Nicole Friday<\/strong>. “This year’s festival promises an even more expansive lineup of films that reflect the richness of lived experiences and the creativity shaping today’s cinematic landscape. We look forward to an inspiring week that celebrates emerging talent and connects audiences through compelling stories from around the world.”<\/p>\n “The American Black Film Festival has been a cherished longstanding partnership for Miami Beach \u2014 culturally, creatively, and economically,” said Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner<\/strong>. “ABFF reinforces Miami Beach’s reputation as a global hub for film and art. We welcome the leading voices in Black film and entertainment to our city.”<\/p>\n The full feature and documentary lineup as well as the HBO Short Film Award Showcase for the 2025 American Black Film Festival is listed below and at https:\/\/www.abff.com\/miami\/press-room\/press-releases\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n Narrative Features (U.S. & International)<\/strong><\/u><\/p>\n A competitive section for feature-length films directed by, or written and produced by, persons of African descent. Films selected for this section will compete for Jury Awards, including Best Narrative Feature with a cash prize of $2,500 sponsored by Walmart, and Best Director with a cash prize of $2,500 sponsored by Ally Financial. Additionally, if a person of African descent directs a film accepted to this section and it is their first feature film, they will be eligible to compete for the John Singleton Award for Best Debut Feature Film, presented by Sony Pictures Entertainment. The following films represent the 2025 official selections in the Narrative Features category:<\/p>\n Title: Can You Stand The Rain <\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Title: Deadly Visitor<\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Title: Freight: The Five Incarnations of Abel Green<\/em><\/strong> Title: HOORAH 99!<\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Title: It Comes In Waves<\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Title: Love, Brooklyn<\/em><\/strong> Title: Love Offside<\/em><\/strong> Title: Meta Take One<\/em><\/strong> Title: Outdoor School<\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Title: The Fisherman<\/em><\/strong> Title: The Late Night Creep<\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Title: The Reject <\/em><\/strong> Title: The ReWrite.<\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Title: The Secret Between Us<\/em><\/strong> *US Premiere Title: TREASURE HUNT<\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Narrative Features (Out of Competition)<\/strong><\/u><\/p>\n Title: Fight Like A Girl <\/em><\/strong> Title: Trouble Man<\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Documentary Features<\/strong><\/u><\/p>\n A competitive section for non-fiction feature-length films directed by or about persons of African descent. Films selected for this section compete for the Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature with a cash prize of $2,500. The following films represent the 2025 official selections in the Documentary Features category:<\/p>\n Title: Black Women and Sex<\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Title: Carnival: They Can’t Steal Our Joy<\/em><\/strong> *US Premiere Title: Fatherless No More <\/em><\/strong> Title: Good Shot <\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Title: Love, Joy & Power: Tools For Liberation<\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Title: Moses <\/em><\/strong> Title: SPADURA<\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Title: Wait Until Tomorrow<\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Series <\/strong><\/u><\/p>\n A competitive section for short-form episodic series directed by, or written and produced by, persons of African descent. Series selected for this section compete for the Jury Award for Best Series with a cash prize of $2,500 sponsored by Comcast NBCUniversal. The following are the 2025 official selections in the Series category:<\/p>\n Title: Ainsi va Manu – Hogtown Episode 203<\/em><\/strong> *US Premiere Title: I Hate My Love Life <\/em><\/strong> Title: IntelliGent<\/em><\/strong> Title: OFFBEAT <\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Title: Sideline Story<\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Title: The Hype<\/em><\/strong> HBO®<\/sup> Short Film Award Showcase<\/strong><\/u><\/p>\n A competitive section for narrative shorts directed by, or written and produced by, persons of African descent. Now in its 28th year, the HBO®<\/sup> Short Film Award is regarded as one of the most prestigious short film showcases in the country. Five filmmakers are selected as finalists and receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the festival. The Grand Prize winner receives a $10,000 cash award, while each of the four runner-up finalists receives $5,000. The ABFF is an Academy Award-qualifying festival for the Short Film category. The following films represent the finalists for the 2025 HBO Short Film Award.<\/p>\n Title: ManBooBs <\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Title: A Beauty Supply in Queens<\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Title: ADO <\/em><\/strong> Title: In Good Hands <\/em><\/strong> Title: Last Hoorah at G-Baby’s<\/em><\/strong> Voices Of Culture<\/strong><\/u><\/p>\n A non-competitive showcase of short films directed by persons of African descent. This section is by invitation only, with films submitted to but not accepted as finalists for the HBO Short Film Award automatically considered for inclusion. The following films represent the 2025 official selections in this category:<\/p>\n Title: 333<\/em><\/strong> Title: all the love i could handle<\/em><\/strong> Title: Always, Most Of The Time<\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Title: BALACLAVA<\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Title: Blown Chances<\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Title: Demons <\/em><\/strong> Title: Don’t Hang Up <\/em><\/strong> Title: Duende <\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Title: elle\/elle<\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Title: Fufu and Soup <\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Title: Graduation Day<\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Title: HARLEM FRAGMENTS<\/em><\/strong> Title: Hatchlings<\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Title: Many Thousands Lost<\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Title: Moving Mountains<\/em><\/strong> Title: Nothin’ Good & 12th Street<\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Title: Ree’s Destiny<\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Title: Rehash <\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Title: Sadness of Men<\/em><\/strong> *World Premiere Title: Sugar Dumplin<\/em><\/strong>\n
\nLogline: A group of lifelong friends reunite after the sudden death of their childhood anchor, only to confront buried dreams, hidden tensions, long-held regrets \u2014 and the truth about who they’ve become\u2026 and who they still might be.
\nUSA | 90m
\nDirector: Eden Marryshow
\nWriter: Eden Marryshow
\nProducer: Eden Marryshow
\nCast: John Bermudez, Steve H. Broadnax III, Jaben Early, Devin Haaq, Eden Marryshow, Stephen Conrad Moore, Adesola Osakalumi, Cesa Pledger, Celestine Rae, Jaime Lincoln Smith, Brandhyze Stanley, Analisa Velez, Jasmin Walker<\/p>\n
\nLogline: A woman’s quiet home turns into a deadly standoff when assassins come hunting a stranger and stolen diamonds.
\nUSA | 84m
\nDirector: Aaron L. Williams
\nWriter: Aaron L. Williams
\nProducers: Aaron L. Williams, Orlando Eric Street, John Sonny Louis, Allysa Carson
\nCast: Danielle Laroach, Maurice P. Kerry, Rodney Perry
\nTrailer: https:\/\/youtu.be\/0y4u-xNFPDk<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: Freight: The Five Incarnations of Abel Green operates on the premise that a person’s spirit, or soul, comes to the world because there is something the soul needs to learn. If the soul does not learn it, then it comes back to the world again and again until it’s successful.
\nUSA | 90m
\nDirector: J. Alphonse Nicholson
\nWriter: Howard L. Craft
\nProducers: J. Alphonse Nicholson, Tabitha Brown, Nafeesha Nicholson, Stephen “Doc” Love, Juel Taylor, Joseph Megel
\nCast: J. Alphonse Nicholson
\nTrailer: https:\/\/youtu.be\/WFg_rzMfXRs?si=R2qBE35dwVeeJj_7<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: A down-on-his-luck father, in the midst of a foreclosure and other financial woes, convinces his three high-school teenage sons that their only option is to rob a bank.
\nUSA | 122m
\nDirector: Ash Innovator
\nWriter: Ashley Smith
\nProducers: Ci Esta
\nCast: Travis Johnson, Jeff \u2018Ja Rule’ Atkins, Kevin Barbara, Marqi Morgan, Zy’Air Carter, Thashley Ulysses, KiKi the First Lady
\nTrailer: https:\/\/vimeo.com\/user197373387\/HOORAH99trailer<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: A family of four escapes the genocide in Rwanda and lands in Ottawa. They quickly learn that the grass is not always greener on the other side.
\nCanada | 105m
\nDirector: Fitch Jean
\nWriter: Sammy Mohamed
\nProducers: Amir Zargara
\nCast: Adrian Walters, Nendia Lewars
\nTrailer: https:\/\/vimeo.com\/1064496934\/4aba711359<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: Three longtime Brooklynites navigate careers, love, loss, and friendship against the rapidly changing landscape of their beloved city.
\nUSA | 97m
\nDirector: Rachael Abigail Holder
\nWriter: Paul Zimmerman
\nProducers: Andr\u00e9 Holland, Kate Sharp, Liza Zusman, Maurice Anderson, Patrick Wengler
\nCast: Andr\u00e9 Holland, Nicole Beharie, DeWanda Wise, Roy Wood Jr.<\/p>\n
\nLogline: When an undervalued physical therapist secretly takes on a famous rugby player’s recovery using a bold mix of Jamaican herbal remedies and modern therapy, she risks her career\u2014and her heart\u2014in a fight to prove her worth.
\nJamaica | 105m
\nDirector: Dale S. Lewis
\nWriter: Daneil Campbell, Jeanette Milio
\nProducers: Kimala Bennett, Melissa Llewellyn, Lorisa Bates, Tashara Lee Johnson, Judi Johnson, Victoria Rowell, Mike Merrill
\nCast: Judi Johnson, Mike Merrill, Victoria Rowell, Sundra Oakley, Carli McIntrye, Tosh Alexander<\/p>\n
\nLogline: An obsessive young director & his crew plunge into a frantic night long odyssey of desperation to finish his film no matter the cost.
\nUSA | 96m
\nDirector: John Dierre, Ryan Dutter
\nWriter: Ryan Dutter and John Dierre
\nProducers: Ryan Dutter, John Dierre, Cabral Clements, L.M. Davis
\nCast: Ej Ezuruo, Emmanuel Peeples, Aminah Williams, James Choi, John Romanski, Laura Poindexter, Kountry Slimm, Kevin Williams
\nTrailer: https:\/\/vimeo.com\/1064898743<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: In 1994, drugs and gangs surge north up the Interstate 5 corridor, destabilizing Portland, Oregon. Amidst this urban chaos, 12-year-old Vin, homeless in the heart of the city, embarks on a week-long wilderness journey, experiencing Portland’s transformative rite of passage: Outdoor School.
\nUSA | 84m
\nDirector: Ime N. Etuk
\nWriter: Ime N. Etuk, Kamafi Adio Byrd
\nProducers: Ime N. Etuk, Ifanyi Bell, Vin Shambry
\nCast: Kendrick Cross, Cycerli Ash, Jahi Diallo Winston, Eric Edelstein
\nTrailer: https:\/\/vimeo.com\/1055111306\/6c36465819<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: In Zoey Martinson’s Venice Film Festival-winning feast of magical realist comedy\u2014 aging Ghanaian Atta Oko sets his sights on finally having his own boat and becoming the envy of his village, he’ll just need help from a talking dead fish first.
\nGhana | 106m
\nDirector: Zoey Martinson
\nWriter: Zoey Martinson
\nProducers: Kofi Owusu Afriyie, Korey Jackson, Yvonne Orji
\nCast: Ricky Adelayitar, Endurance Grand, William Lamptey, Kiki Romi, Adwoa Akoto, Dulo Harris
\nTrailer: https:\/\/vimeo.com\/1001394859<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: An unhappily married man sneaks out of the house to go on a date with his college crush and ends up having the night from hell.
\nUSA | 95m
\nDirector: Jamal Dedeaux
\nWriter: Jamal Dedeaux
\nProducers: Rebecca T. Haze, Kris Simms
\nCast: Jake Choi, Tosin Morohunfola, Karen Obilom, Siddiq Sanderson, Ali Gallo, Lori Laing, Jason Mitchell, Leslie Jones
\nTrailer: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lLzFbd0PyL4<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: Against all odds, a young man labeled as “mentally handicapped” fights against systemic barriers, personal demons, and society’s expectations to rise from the projects and become an influential attorney and politician who challenges the very system designed to hold him back.
\nUSA | 93m
\nDirector: Blademil Grullon
\nWriter: Yonel Aris, Percy Romeo Miller, Logan Burdick, Kionne Mcghee
\nProducers: Marco Molinet, Percy Romeo Miller, Brandon Dumlao, Kionne Mcghee
\nCast: Percy Romeo Miller, Kamal Ani-Bello, Tsachai “Sky” Aris
\nTrailer: https:\/\/youtu.be\/Q5DA8M0xguo<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: A struggling screenwriter revisits the characters in his script in real life to do a rewrite of his latest draft in order to save his dying career.
\nUSA | 94m
\nDirector: Terry Dawson
\nWriter: Terry Dawson
\nProducers: Julie Bersani, Bill Benenson, Laurie Benenson, Terry Dawson
\nCast: Stephen Barrington, Freddy D. Ramsey Jr., Elijah R. Reed, Anthony Riggins Jr., Taylor Leigh Edwards, Holly Hyman, Don Wallace, Felice Heather Monteith, Jhey Castles, Jordan Murphy<\/p>\n
\nLogline: Some secrets break us; others can bind us.
\nUSA | 114m
\nDirector: Tamera Hill
\nWriter: Tamera Hill
\nProducers: Tamera Hill, Michael Jai White, Reggie Currelley, Suzanne Lyons
\nCast: Michael Jai White, Lisa Arrindell, Victoria Rowell, Tre Ryan
\nTrailer: https:\/\/vimeo.com\/1080045987<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: A desperately poor ex-con man returns lost expensive jewellery only to discover that a gang of criminals are bent on using him to get the jewellery for themselves.
\nSouth Africa | 97m
\nDirector: Chim Onyebilanma
\nWriter: Chim Onyebilanma
\nProducers: Chim Onyebilanma, Happiness Mpase
\nCast: Moopi Mothibeli, Melissa Mkhize, Thabiso Mokhethi, Patrick Kenny, Crystal Tryon-Smith
\nTrailer: https:\/\/youtu.be\/c2mNIRJvhoo<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: A young Congolese woman forced to work in an illegal mineral mine, escapes her captors and finds a new life for herself after joining a renowned all-women boxing club in the border city of Goma. Based on a True Story.
\nDemocratic Republic of Congo | 118m
\nDirector: Matthew Leutwyler
\nWriter: Matthew Leutwyler
\nProducers: Anton Laines, Yvette Gayle, Innocent Munyeshuri, Serge Ibaka
\nCast: Ama Qamata, Hakeem Kae Kazim, Clarck Ntambwe, Malaika Uwamahoro, Arthur Nkusi, Bahali Ruth, Kennedy Mazimpaka
\nTrailer: https:\/\/vimeo.com\/869303140?share=copy<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: An ex-cop turned fixer is hired to find his superstar and rumored ex-girlfriend. With a blend of brains, bullets and Kung Fu, Jaxen must fight through a maze of street thugs, slicksters and Chinese mobsters before his or the diva’s time runs out.
\nUSA | 92m
\nDirector: Michael Jai White
\nWriter: Michael Stradford
\nProducers: Craig Baumgarten, Michael Jai White, Ron Robinson
\nCast: Michael Jai White, Method Man, Mike Epps, Gillian White, Orlando Jones, Lala Anthony<\/p>\n
\nLogline: Black Women and Sex explores the tension between black women and the politics of sex in Africa.
\nSouth Africa, Nigeria, Zambia | 90m
\nDirector: Godisamang Khunou
\nWriter: Godisamang Khunou
\nProducers: Godisamang Khunou, Calvin Sefala, Adelaide Joshua-Hill, Yolanda Ncokotwana, Refiloe Hlabioa, Iris Kaingu, Nthabeleng Phora, Kgomotso Zebediela
\nCast: Iris Kaingu, Glow Makatsi, Olawumi Oloye
\nTrailer: https:\/\/youtu.be\/ltdv7BbZiao<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: Caribbean Carnival is not just any event. It is liberation, a voice of freedom, people in action, a cultural movement that was born out of a place of righteous defiance to become a paradise of colorful street parade.
\nCanada | 75m
\nDirector: Ian Mark Kimanje
\nWriter: Allen Booth and Ian Mark Kimanje
\nProducers: Ian Mark Kimanje
\nCast: Candace Dixon, Fiona Compton, and Ian Mark Kimanje
\nTrailer: https:\/\/youtu.be\/o_RPfSkrxsM<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: Fatherless No More chronicles the remarkable journey of an Orlando-based pastor and former Super Bowl Champion who was driven by a divine calling to move into an RV at a place often deemed hell on earth, Rikers Island.
\nUSA | 86m
\nDirector: Kayla Johnson, Co-director Ashly Robinson
\nProducers: Cole Anthony, Cece Winans, Ashly Robinson, Kayla Johnson, Michelle Duffie
\nCast: Tim Johnson, Malik Bacchus, Jayden Mayo, and Tristian Williams<\/p>\n
\nLogline: In the heart of Watts, a beloved neighborhood legend named Maxwell seeks redemption as a father after a lifetime of using basketball to mask his pain.
\nUSA | 81m
\nDirector: Joris Debeij
\nWriter: Walter Thompson-Hern\u00e1ndez
\nProducers: Jean Mougin, Joris Debeij, Aron Phillips, Stephen Curry, Erick Peyton, Steve Wood
\nCast: Maxwell Henderson<\/p>\n
\nLogline: Love, Joy & Power: Tools for Liberation is a feature length documentary about the co-founders of the Black Voters Matter Fund, Cliff Albright and LaTosha Brown, the work they do to empower African American communities especially in the rural south, and the crucial role they played in flipping Georgia from red to blue in the 2020 Presidential election and the 2021 Georgia Senate Runoffs and the numerous threats they faced to do the work.
\nUSA | 96m
\nDirector: Daresha Kyi
\nProducers: Trevite Willis, Daresha Kyi
\nCast: LaTosha Brown, Cliff Albright, April England Albright
\nTrailer: https:\/\/vimeo.com\/929955295?from=outro-local<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: In San Francisco, a man enduring homelessness for two decades connects with passersby to be seen among the invisible\u2014a skill he learned from a promising music career cut short in the ’70s, and one that will ultimately transform his life.
\nUSA\/SPAIN | 127m
\nDirector: Fran Guijarro
\nWriter: Fran Guijarro
\nProducers: Fran Guijarro, Diya Guha & Juli L\u00f3pez
\nCast: Moses
\nTrailer: https:\/\/vimeo.com\/freerangepuppies\/mosestrailer<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: Framed as an off-kilter baby shower, SPADURA unapologetically takes on the emotional and financial cost of IVF, grief, aging, as well as the unique fertility obstacles faced by Black women in America \u2014 all through a funny and gripping solo show.
\nUSA | 60m
\nDirector: Allison Caviness
\nWriter: Dah\u00e9li Hall
\nProducers: Elizabeth Yng-Wong
\nCast: Dah\u00e9li Hall<\/p>\n
\nLogline: An intimate, urgent portrait of race, wealth, and opportunity in America, told through the eyes of Black families striving for more in cities across the nation.
\nUSA | 70m
\nDirector: Osato Dixon
\nWriter: Osato Dixon, Kara Murphy
\nProducers: Kelley Robins Hicks, Jamund Washington
\nCast: Shelley Stewart III, Sara Prince, Tiffany Burns, JP Julien, Avis E., Crystal F., Antonio G., Kandice J., Armond J.
\nTrailer: https:\/\/vimeo.com\/1083669581?share=copy<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: Forced to leave her hometown temporarily, Manuela finds it difficult to adapt to her new surroundings. She has only one thing on her mind: moving back to Toronto. However, an unexpected encounter turns Manuela’s life upside down, calling into question everything she’s known up to now.
\nCanada | 21m
\nDirector: Josiane Blanc
\nWriter: Josiane Blanc
\nProducers: Josiane Blanc, Ania Jamila
\nCast: Cindy Charles, Sandra Dor\u00e9las, Jamaal Mansaray, Laurence Barrette, Ted Pluviose, Madani Tall, Ma\u00efka Ferron, Nam Nguyen
\nTrailer: https:\/\/vimeo.com\/920086803<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: 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.
\nUSA | 15m
\nDirector: Tiffany Jackman
\nWriter: Tiffany Jackman
\nProducers: Tiffany Jackman, Orion Phillips II, Nia Watenza, Paula Spencer
\nCast: Reggie Hayes, Terri J. Vaughn, Daphnique Springs, Orion Phillips II, Meghan Falcone, Roy Wood Jr.
\nTrailer: https:\/\/vimeo.com\/1046554296<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: Regent, an autistic genius in fourth grade is lured by a bully’s promise of popularity, setting off a race against time to unveil the truth and avoid a year of humiliation and disaster.
\nUSA | 28m
\nDirector: Kinnik Sky
\nWriter: Kinnik Sky
\nProducers: Kinnik Sky
\nCast: Josiah Howard-Tobia, Ernest Thomas, Kinnik Sky, Nia Johnson, Harper Bree, Rhaja Leigh, Dylan Taylor, Jaeden White
\nTrailer: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5N1x7MLAfGE<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: A quirky yet classy late 20s woman struggles to hide her true self as she leads an entertaining double life.
\nUSA | 29m
\nDirector: Jasmine Ogunjimi
\nWriter: Paige Carroll
\nProducer: Paige Carroll
\nCast: Breayre Tender, Robert Daniels, G’ionna Bowman, Craig Amar Johnson, April Rock, Dominick Johnson, Ahmenah Richardson
\nTrailer: https:\/\/youtu.be\/naNioRtshd0<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: 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.
\nUSA | 24m
\nDirectors: Deant\u00e8 Gray, Sam Buckner, III
\nWriter: Sam Buckner, III
\nProducers: Sam Buckner, III, Ski-ter Jones
\nCast: Ezekiel Ajeigbe, Shan Moreno, David Reivers, Sophina DeJesus, King Martin
\nTrailer: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BXoDUXq0Vu8<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: A young Black couple battles the sleazy sea of L.A. materialistic culture at a party in the Hollywood Hills.
\nUSA | 18m
\nDirector: Justin Casselle
\nWriters: Maya Cryor, Joel Boyd
\nProducers: Ramone Hulet, Christopher McQueen, Maya Cryor, Joel Boyd
\nCast: Maya Cryor, Joel Boyd, Ezekiel Ajeigbe, Alexis Brown, Fana Tesfagiorgis, Eliza Skinner, Randall Harr<\/p>\n
\nLogline: At a pool party for his crush, an overweight Black teenager wrestles with shame and self-worth, risking heartbreak and humiliation to finally tell her how he feels.
\nUSA | 14m
\nDirector: Luke Harris
\nWriter: Luke Harris
\nProducers: Luke Harris, Jeremy Blum
\nCast: Bryant Tardy, Bethany Livers, Camden Collier, Dwight Nelson, Milan Fields
\nTrailer: https:\/\/youtu.be\/rfyvcXP_hLs<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: In Queens, NY, Nigerian mother Ms. Aji and her daughter Tobi fight to keep their beauty supply store afloat amid ruthless competition and sabotage from rival shops.
\nUSA | 19m
\nDirectors: Oluseyi Olatujoye, Princess Adenike
\nWriter: Princess Adenike
\nProducers: Princess Adenike, Caroline Chikezie, Oluseyi Olatujoye, Queensly Ajibola, Shalom C. Obiago
\nCast: Caroline Chikezie, Clem Cheung, Princess Adenike, Paul Wang, Angella Katherine, Angela Chew, Queensly Ajibola, Keisha T. Fraser, Andrew Hsu, Natividad Alemany, Ayaan Diop, Alaia Diop, Ase Diop, Celia Au, Khoa Nguyen<\/p>\n
\nLogline: Ms. Hopkins is rehearsing Much Ado About Nothing with her middle school theatre class when it is interrupted by a school shooter.
\nUSA | 16m
\nDirector: Sam Henderson
\nWriter: Sam Henderson, Ryan Romine
\nProducer: Rachel Jobin
\nCast: Jenifer Lewis, Zachary Lane, Karis Henderson<\/p>\n
\nLogline: Minutes before the end of her shift, a Black ER Doctor is forced to take on two of the most challenging patient circumstances of her career in a tense Western, PA hospital.
\nUSA | 14m
\nDirector: Nick Buchheit
\nWriter: Yasmine Crawley
\nProducers: Carl Kurlander, Janet Smith
\nCast: Channel Jones-Harris, Malcolm Thompson
\nTrailer: https:\/\/youtu.be\/xvyBLrIOPRk<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: After blowing through her cash inheritance, an aimless and apathetic art school grad must come up with five months of back rent or she risks eviction from her rent-controlled apartment in a gentrifying Brooklyn.
\nUSA | 15m
\nDirector: DeeDee Casimir
\nWriter: DeeDee Casimir
\nProducers: DeeDee Casimir, Kim Coleman, Jordan Shanks
\nCast: Armani Greer, Cecelia Friday, BeeBe Smith, Thomas Copeland Jr., Chaine “CJ Fly” Downer
\nTrailer: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Nb9uc1044jk<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: Mona is grappling with her past choice to have an abortion but upon learning women’s choices are taken away builds a bomb planning an attack on a local Supreme Court Justice motivated by the Roe v. Wade overturning.
\nUSA | 21m45s
\nDirector: Naturi Naughton-Lewis
\nWriter: Naturi Naughton-Lewis, Korstiaan Vandiver
\nProducers: Two Lewis, Naturi Naughton-Lewis, Curshion Jones
\nCast: Birgundi Baker, Naturi Naughton-Lewis, Vanessa Bell Calloway, John Clarence Stewart, Samuel Smith, Isley Key Brison
\nTrailer: https:\/\/vimeo.com\/1056658648<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: all the love i could handle is a re-imagining of the filmmaker’s mother’s young diary, unraveling the raw complexities of Black motherhood, artistic ambition, and the enduring sacrifices women have to make as mothers and artists. Based on the true family story of pioneer filmmaker Kathleen Collins (Losing Ground, 1982).
\nUSA | 14m
\nDirector: Ruby Rose Collins
\nWriter: Ruby Rose Collins
\nProducer: Ruby Rose Collins
\nCast: Breanna Williams, Yasir LaFond<\/p>\n
\nLogline: A remorseful woman discovers a magical stone that allows her to travel back in time, giving her the chance to mend her broken relationship and confront the personal traumas that have plagued her life.
\nUSA | 39m56s
\nDirector: Victor V. Hogan II
\nWriter: R. Alan Brooks
\nProducers: Michael Quigley, Kyle Vaughn, Victor V. Hogan II, Benton Aladin, R. Alan Brooks, Patti Kim Gill
\nCast: Brittany S. Hall, Patrick Walker
\nTrailer: https:\/\/vimeo.com\/1070187988?share=copy<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: In a village overshadowed by an abusive priest father, Maya longs for freedom and expression.
\nSouth Africa | 8m
\nDirector: Kagiso Samuel Leburu
\nWriter: Kagiso Samuel Leburu
\nProducers: Mapitso Ralephata, Bonolo Bogopane
\nCast: Lethabo Mekoa, Collen Modisa, Mannini Mokhuthu
\nTrailer: https:\/\/youtu.be\/JByGygecjSs<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: A young woman tries to get a letter of recommendation from her job at the corner store, she is given one chance to prove herself but things get out of hand leading to an explosive intrusion.
\nUSA | 10m45s
\nDirector: India Bey
\nWriter: India Bey
\nProducers: Samiyah Wardlaw, Camille Chambers, Briuana Draper, India Bey
\nCast: Jean Marie Landham, Deon Rodd<\/p>\n
\nLogline: A London cop returns to Lagos, risking everything to avenge his lover’s death, battling corruption and confronting his own demons in a heart-wrenching quest for justice.
\nNigeria, United Kingdom | 20m37s
\nDirector: Emmanuel Imani
\nWriter: Emmanuel Imani
\nProducers: Emmanuel Imani, Byron McNally
\nCast: Emmanuel Imani, Fela Lufadeju, Ronke Adekoluejo, Abayomi Aka, Chris Jarman
\nTrailer: https:\/\/vimeo.com\/956746445<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: In rural Hayti, Missouri a pint-drinking churchgoer confronts her past when an unexpected call from her former student disrupts her Sunday routine. Together they navigate their harsh, shared history, igniting a journey of reconciliation and redemption to save a life.
\nUSA | 10m
\nDirector: Diamond Batiste
\nWriter: Ron McCants
\nProducers: Ron McCants, Ramfis Myrthil, Alain Fleury, Diamond Batiste, L.T. Hines II
\nCast: Paula Jai Parker, LT Hines II<\/p>\n
\nLogline: Having haters is not a new thing, Genius has always been met with envy, just ask Mozart… or Tupac.
\nUSA | 20m
\nDirectors: Kevin Kittle, Petey McGee
\nWriters: Petey McGee, Robert Patricio
\nProducers: Petey McGee, Lazarus Simmons, Maxim Jean, Robert Patricio, Walker Clermont
\nCast: Petey McGee, Robert Patricio, Maxim Jean, Walker Clermont, Lazarus Simmons
\nTrailer: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PBww4lNen9g<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: After hosting a disastrous dinner party, a long term couple fights for their marriage and identities triggered by Elle’s recent coming out as a trans woman to her gay husband, Fritz.
\nUSA | 20m
\nDirector: Kelley Kali
\nWriter: Shonnie Jackson
\nProducers: Kelley Kali, Jenna Cavelle, Brittani Ward, la georgea
\nCast: la georgea, Dan Bucatinsky, L’lerr\u00e9t Jazelle
\nTrailer: https:\/\/vimeo.com\/1081181778?share=copy#t=0<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: Panicked by her lack of sexual experience, a woman schemes to lose her virginity on the night of her 29th birthday party.
\nUSA | 15m
\nDirector: Marjan Mona Koffa
\nWriter: Marjan Mona Koffa
\nProducers: Oona Wuolijoki, Marjan Mona Koffa
\nCast: Adriyan Rae, Patrick Cage II, Chaize Macklin, Kyra Weeks, Dan Cathcart
\nTrailer: https:\/\/vimeo.com\/1081661232?share=copy<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: “Graduation Day” is an edgy coming-of-age dramedy following high school senior Cheech as he navigates his identity, a love triangle with his best friend Sparkes, longtime crush Jayla, and the bittersweet chaos of growing up in NYC\u2014all while rocking a red sparkly suit and surviving a party bus ride that takes his big day in some unexpected directions.
\nUSA | 15m
\nDirector: Jordan Aaron Hall
\nWriter: Jordan Aaron Hall
\nProducers: Jordan Aaron Hall, Kevaughn Reid
\nCast: Jordan Aaron Hall, Nathaniel Logan Mcintyre, Kaci Walfall, Narci Regina, KJ Aikens
\nTrailer: https:\/\/youtu.be\/tAZUv0XW_1A?si=wCtBoyzXkIQqIR1P<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: An Afro-futurist scrapbook storytelling of a Harlem Black family’s beautiful destruction during the 2008 recession. Based on true events.
\nUSA | 17m
\nDirector: Cameron Tyler Carr
\nWriters: Cameron Tyler Carr, Danielle Therese Doug\u00e9, Wes Andre Goodrich
\nProducers: Harlem Renaissance Productions, Keep or Destroy Productions, Black Man Films LLC, Trujulo Productions, Flor De Oro Tejada, Salma Qarnain, Fanshen Cox
\nCast: Kyle Keyes, Stella Coviello, Roderick Lawrence, Clarissa Thibeaux, Christina Clements-Thompson, Jaleeca Yancy
\nTrailer: https:\/\/vimeo.com\/818842637<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: A resentful teenager is forced to babysit her turtle-obsessed half-brother; meanwhile, he dives into a vivid fantasy world where he is a sea turtle and she is a tortoise.
\nUSA | 15m
\nDirector: Jahmil Eady
\nWriter: Jahmil Eady
\nProducers: Tara Austin
\nCast: Demi Singleton, Christian Robinson, Dominic Stephens, and Angela Lewis
\nTrailer: https:\/\/vimeo.com\/1052473738<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: After believing him to be at work, an inquisitive young girl must come to terms with losing her father once she learns he has been sentenced to death.
\nUSA | 16m
\nDirector: Jehan Patterson
\nWriter: Jehan Patterson
\nProducers: Chirsten Vanderbilt-Ellis, Amirah Adem, Marlana Dunn
\nCast: Celeste Clark, Sheldon Frett, Tristina Lee, Kris Sidberry
\nTrailer: https:\/\/vimeo.com\/1081722949?share=copy#t=0<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: A young, Black man from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Tre’lan seeks a new life and travels to a remote island of Hawaii, where he finds peace for the first time, through connection to nature, and finds meaning, through a newfound love of the ocean and big wave surfing.
\nUSA | 21m
\nDirector: Jessa Williams
\nProducers: EP: Jessa Williams, Peter Goetz, Backroads Pictures | Producer: Tre’lan Michael
\nCast: Tre’lan Michael
\nTrailer: https:\/\/vimeo.com\/954035631<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: Over the course of one night, two teenagers, two crooks, and one hitman all try to get their hands on a bag of stolen cash.
\nUSA | 15m43s
\nDirector: Tone Foster
\nWriter: Tone Foster
\nProducers: Yonel Cohen, Tone Foster
\nCast: T.K. Richardson, Christian Carter, Thomas Avona, Jerimiyah Dunbar, Tjader France, Oscar Jordan, Jon Doss<\/p>\n
\nLogline: On the day of her debut, Ree, a 43-year-old aspiring rapper, is sabotaged by her defiant daughter Destiny.
\nUSA | 15m35s
\nDirector: Steven Mosley
\nWriter: Steven Mosley
\nProducers: Steven Mosley, Jenna Mahmoud Bosco, Sherry Thompson, Adam Taylor, Jay Thames
\nCast: Jessica “Jess Mahogany” Mitchell, Cia Jaye
\nTrailer: https:\/\/vimeo.com\/1081008098?share=copy<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: A coder beta tests a groundbreaking program after a breakup.
\nUSA | 17m31s
\nDirector: Kevin Giles
\nWriter: Kevin Giles
\nProducer: Samiyah Wardlaw
\nCast: Niguel Quinn, Mister Fitzgerald, Nia Nichole, Emily Dale White
\nTrailer: https:\/\/vimeo.com\/1046035320<\/a><\/p>\n
\nLogline: When a rancher learns he’s going to be a father, he must confront the trauma of his abusive past to break the cycle and build a future rooted in love and truth.
\nUSA | 11m34s
\nDirector: Eli Moss
\nWriter: Eli Moss
\nProducers: Otis Moss III, Kelly Pope, Judson Brown
\nCast: Joshua Griffin, Daion Hubbard, Jade Bryant, Farris Langley, Luke Steward
\nTrailer: https:\/\/youtu.be\/wUw37P4KE8M?feature=shared<\/a><\/p>\n