2024 OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

We are proud to announce the 2024 official film selections.

These selections are available on demand with the purchase of an “unlimited screening” or “VIP” festival pass.

  • FIGHT FOR TRINBAGO

    ANIMATION

  • FROM ROOTS TO RECOGNITION

    ANIMATION

  • OFFICER CHAUVINIST

    ANIMATION

  • UNFETTER AND FLY

    ANIMATION

  • THE EKSPATS (WE'RE GOING TO AFRICA)

    ANIMATION

    Animated clash-of-cultures comedy TV series about an all-American family that relocates to Nigeria.

    View Trailer >

  • GET ON THE BUS!

    DOCUMENTARY

    Participants were confronted with a reality not often taught or talked about, and subsequently witnessed, processed, and transformed their perspectives on both Black History in the USA of the past, and the African American Experience of today. Get on the Bus! is a film about this trip.

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  • HAVE YOU SEEN TERI?

    DOCUMENTARY

    During the search for their missing loved one, a family deals with the consequences of mental illness and homelessness.

    Trailer >

  • MOVE WHEN THE SPIRIT SAYS MOVE: The Legacy of Dorothy Foreman Cotton

    DOCUMENTARY

    A Civil Rights story of empowerment, passion, and persistence. The moving story of the highest-ranking woman in MLK JR’s organization.

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  • SEW THEIR NAMES

    DOCUMENTARY

    A judge confronts her family’s history, joining with a group of Black quilters in rural Alabama to honor previously unknown victims of American enslavement.

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  • STANDING ABOVE THE CLOUDS

    DOCUMENTARY

    When the massive Thirty Meter Telescope is proposed to be built on Mauna Kea, an uprising of kiaʻi (protectors) in Hawaiʻi and around the world dedicate their lives to protecting the sacred mountain from destruction. Through the lens of mothers and daughters in three Native Hawaiian families, Standing Above the Clouds explores intergenerational healing and the impacts of safeguarding cultural traditions.

    Trailer >

  • THE POPPAW QUEEN

    DOCUMENTARY

    In "The Poppaw Queen," director Malachi E. Robinson uncovers the powerful story of Mary Queen and her descendants, who fought for freedom against the backdrop of Maryland's history of slavery. This gripping documentary blends compelling interviews and spoken word performances to reveal a story of resilience, injustice, and the relentless pursuit of freedom across generations.

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  • THE BLACK WOMAN: DEATH TO THE SUPERWOMAN SYNDROME

    DOCUMENTARY

    The Black woman embodies strength and courage; she is revered yet underestimated, she navigates a complex landscape. This documentary honors the Black woman shedding her cape to reclaim her power.

  • The Spirit of Woo

    DOCUMENTARY

    The Virginia State University Woo Woos, founded 50 years ago by Dr. Paulette Walker Johnson, became the most well known HBCU cheerleaders in the nation.

  • BRAISED (Thịt Kho)

    INTERNATIONAL

    Clutching a heart-rending secret, Maggie Nguyen, a Vietnamese-American screenwriter, makes an unannounced visit home to reconcile with her mom. A bowl of braised pork pushes their bond to a breaking point.

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  • Gaming for Love

    INTERNATIONAL

    Gaming for Love" is a poignant narrative inspired by true events which follows the journey of Maisie, a young girl battling cancer, as she finds solace and strength in the world of online gaming.

  • FOR ROY

    INTERNATIONAL

    Inspired by true events, an imaginative girl attempts to fold a thousand cranes as she learns to lose her father during his final days in the hospice.

  • IN THEIR OWN TIME

    INTERNATIONAL

    In Their Own Time is a narrative journey of three women - Srija, Tuhnu, and Jhumur, as they reflect on love, loss, childhood, friendship, and belonging over three years; we never see their faces, as the evolution of their experiences is manifested by an inherently dynamic and increasingly personal kaleidoscope of the city and suburbs of Kolkata.

  • Mon Afrique

    INTERNATIONAL

  • SOMETIME, SOMEWHERE

    INTERNATIONAL

    The stories of migrants who are forced to come to Virginia, USA due to global climate change, gang violence, or poverty are unique to each individual, but form a common pathway of fear, courage, and hope.

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  • Paydert

    NARRATIVE FEATURE

    When the Nobles family relocates to North Carolina, they will encounter inexplicable occurrences as they settle into a former plantation and learn the true history of its ancestral occupants.

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  • Sins Of The Father

    NARRATIVE FEATURE

  • SPAWNS

    NARRATIVE FEATURE

    After a string of tragedies vacates the CEO seat at Banks Media, matriarch Opal Banks returns to appoint a new heir, igniting fierce family rivalries that threaten the empire's foundation.

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  • REDLINE

    NARRATIVE FEATURE

    Redline is a gritty, dark social-political thriller about a mysterious virus, EL 8, as it sweeps through the poor area of Grantland, also known as The Ruins.

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  • Starting Over Blues

    NARRATIVE FEATURE

    When a smooth-talking, married man has a baby by someone else, loyalty, revenge, love, and family ties converge with deadly consequences.

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  • THE COBBLER'S WIFE

    NARRATIVE FEATURE

    A lonely, almost childlike cobbler, secretly builds the perfect woman in the back of his store.

  • The Novelist

    NARRATIVE FEATURE

  • THE PUSHOVER

    NARRATIVE FEATURE

    After a turbulent breakup, Mike’s friends stage an intervention to shield him from being a doormat in future relationships.

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  • TURNING POINT

    NARRATIVE FEATURE

    "Turning Point": A Cinematic Journey of Faith and Self-Discovery''

  • VEILS-REQUIEM FOR TRAYVON

    NARRATIVE FEATURE

    Visions from the past help a grief-stricken mother see her future.

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  • A Shattering

    SHORT FILM

  • AN ENDOSCOPY

    SHORT FILM

    A film student accompanies an Iraqi patient for his endoscopy, with the agreement that he will be her subject in a documentary.

    Trailer >

  • BREAKTHROUGH

    SHORT FILM

    Explore how athletes face identity crisis and depression after a life altering event, resulting in their removal from the sport on a professional level.

  • DEATH TO A CREATIVE

    SHORT FILM

    Facing rejection and self doubt, an actress contemplates giving up. But, with words of wisdom from her mentor, she's given a reason to keep fighting for her dream.

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  • EXPANDING SANCTUARY

    SHORT FILM

    An immigrant mother emerges as a community leader during the historic campaign to end the sharing of the Philadelphia police database with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

  • FAMILIAR

    SHORT FILM

    A groundskeeper vies against her accomplished brother for control of her house, until a mysterious cat appears to tip the balance.

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  • Gone Before Your Eyes

    SHORT FILM

    Trapped in a surreal loop, an artist with Alzheimer's struggles to paint.

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  • HOTARU

    SHORT FILM

    With the help of her family, a young girl learns to cope with grief after losing her best friend.

  • I Lived with Zombies

    SHORT FILM

  • IF THEY TOOK US BACK

    SHORT FILM

    In this alternate history narrative, the U.S. government mandated the return of all formerly enslaved people back to Africa in 1863. More than 150 years later, a descendant of the Black Returns must decide whether to break the exile and return to the US in exchange for reparations—and confront the hidden cost.

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  • Justified

    SHORT FILM

  • NEVALAND

    SHORT FILM

    Matt Coole plays every character.

  • RAY OF SUNSHINE

    SHORT FILM

    After years of being abused Ray and his siblings conjure a supernatural force to solve their problems but will they be the same in the end.

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  • ROOFLESS: A HOUSING CRISIS IN AMERICA

    SHORT FILM

    The documentary examines the impact of unfair housing practices of formerly incarcerated individuals, victims of domestic violence and the devaluation of homes in Black & Hispanic neighborhoods. 

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  • THE LEGACY OF LEE'S FLOWER SHOP

    SHORT FILM

    Lee's Flower and Card Shop, the oldest Black-owned flower shop in Washington, D.C. has planted seeds of wisdom and perseverance in the District since 1945.

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  • The Nights of Verona: A Romeo and Juliet Tale

    SHORT FILM

    A contemporary prequel to Romeo & Juliet that follows Mercutio who must broker an alliance between his family and the Capulets, in order to quell the power of the Montagues, while being terrorized by Queen Mab with visions of his imminent death.

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  • The Power of Being a Woman

    SHORT FILM

  • The Science of Beauty: The Summer of Science

    SHORT FILM

  • The Space In Between

    SHORT FILM

  • THE WORST BEST MAN EVER

    SHORT FILM

    When Kevin asks his best friend Sam to be his best man, he discovers that Sam doesn't like his fiancé. It sets off a chain of events that lead him to question his life choices.

  • Third Wheel Material

    SHORT FILM

    Third Wheel Material is a weirdly sweet comedy that follows three best friends; a couple, Tanya and Darren, and their reluctant third wheel Avery. The three friends each navigate their own personal journeys through self-discovery, acceptance, and the absurdity of life.

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  • Two Hands Are Better Than One

    SHORT FILM

    An over zealous aspiring hand model attempts to meet with her idol but inadvertently changes both of their lives.

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  • #DTMUS (Don't Tell Me Ur Sorry)

    STUDENT

    "#DTMUS" is inspired by true events which follows two African American teens who experience the pandemic in two different lights.

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  • Dual Citizens

    STUDENT

  • GUIDING LIGHT

    STUDENT

    An inspired young filmmaker weaves together past and present as she looks back on the legacy of the Polly Klaas tragedy that rocked the nation.

  • Hiding Place

    STUDENT

  • Just In Time

    STUDENT

    When KJ goes missing without a trace, his babysitter Asia must cosort an unconventional ally in order to find him before his father returns from a business trip.

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  • PETTING ZOO

    STUDENT

    An eager African American professional is looking for a smooth transition into her new role, but she must send the ultimate sign when her culturally insensitive supervisor who continuously crosses boundaries.

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  • RED REMINDS ME

    STUDENT

    The documentary follows Stacy's journey being diagnosed with HIV.

  • Remember

    STUDENT

  • Rhythm & Blues

    STUDENT

  • The Lottery

    STUDENT

    Jason, a young college student, reflects on winning a Powerball jackpot.