Afrikan Poetry Theatre and the Museum of the Moving Image, with support from The Black Seed, is hosting a film festival showcasing the renaissance happening in contemporary Black cinema and television with an exciting showcase of documentaries, short films, and situational comedy. Hosted by Samson Styles, the festival includes two online events: a virtual screening of films by emerging and established filmmakers with Q&A interviews and a special panel discussion with directors, producers, actors and cinematographers on the state of Black film and television.
Program 1: The Journey of the Black Creative — February 6 at 3pm:
This program opens with a screening of works by students Sonia Diaz and Shantel Moses, who participated in APT’s 2020 filmmaking class. The online film festival also includes a documentary by Taaqiy Grant; a situational comedy by writer/director Vernon “Smij” Williams; and films by directors Felicia Harden, Loukman Ali, and Shawn Cornelius. Samson Styles (BET correspondent and creator/director of Killing Beef) will host Q&A sessions with guests, and each filmmaker will reflect on their process of producing stories that go beyond stereotypes.
Program 2: The Future of Black Cinema Panel — February 28 at 3pm:
Following a sneak peek of her film A Call to Cosmic, the film’s writer-director and MoMI curatorial assistant Tiffany Joy Butler will moderate an online panel discussion in celebration of the history and legacies of Black cinema. Filmmakers Felicia Harden, Samson Styles, Naizi Nasser, and other special guests will contemplate the future of Black cinema post-pandemic and highlight the successes and challenges of Black independent film and television.