Best Narrative Feature Film, Best First Feature Film Pan African Film Festival 2026

Directed by Leon Hendrix III. (USA 2026, 120 mins)

Disillusioned with her lackluster life, JO takes a break and visits the storied French district of MONTMARTRE. There she falls for TOUSSAINT, a tour guide with a penchant for poetry and a strong belief in the power of Magic and Romance. Through their curious connection, Black History, art and love intertwine, reconnecting Jo to her long-lost passion for life.

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Directed by Martins Imhangbe. (UK, 2026. 19:58)

After a teenage trainer reseller is robbed in a newly gentrified south London, he and his father are forced to confront the cycles of violence and masculinity that shape their lives. As they wrestle with the question of where choice truly begins, the family must decide whether to break the cycle or let it define them.

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Directed by Walter Thompson-Hernández. (USA, 2026, 90 min.)

Twelve-year-old Lil Ant transforms his working-class neighborhood beneath the LAX flight path into a living mythology, where family members become gods and the sky is crowded with endless departures. As he searches for connection with his god-like yet conflicted father, he finds support in his close-knit community that helps him reconcile myth and reality.

English captions.

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Director Edward Worthy. (USA, 2026. 12:22)

Set during the 2022 Jackson, Mississippi Water Crisis, Lynn, an overwhelmed woman visiting her childhood home to care for her elderly father's wound, struggles to accept her new reality as their water supply depletes and his health continues to deteriorate.

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Directed by Kim Blanck. (USA,2025 9:39)

Gloria, a Chinese woman in her 70s living alone and struggling with her memory, finds new purpose in teaching herself Spanish.

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Fine Cut Impact Preview.

Director Arlieta Hall & Brittany Alsot. (USA, 2026. 85 mins)

Finding Your Laughter follows Chicago comedian Arlieta Hall who is learning to use her own resources — stand up comedy and improvisation — as tools for both her own mental health and to be a caregiver for her father who is fading from Alzheimer's disease.

Captions. Audio Description available.

TEASER

OUR SONG
Directed by Stephanie Glover (USA 2025, 7:32).

A young boy born with ectrodactyly is eager to explore the world, but his father, a pianist, constantly redirects him toward “safer” dreams that don’t require the use of his hands. Believing he is protecting his son from cruelty and disappointment, the father unknowingly chips away at the boy’s sense of possibility with each well-meaning intervention.

RoxFilm Alum.

FINAL FINISHERS
Directed by Rudy Valdez (USA 2025, 23.25).

Against the electrifying backdrop of the New York City Marathon, FINAL FINISHERS celebrates the unsung heroes at the back of the pack. Hours after the elites have crossed the finish line, the film finds its heart in the stories of those who persist long after dark, cheered on by a community that refuses to leave anyone behind.FINAL FINISHERS challenges conventional notions of athletic achievement, emphasizing that every pace has a place and that the courage to show up and persist is worthy of recognition. It’s a moving testament to the resilience of the human spirit, triumph over adversity, the power of community, and the strength found in showing up, no matter how long it takes.

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SWIM SISTAS

Directed by Catherine Joy White (USA 2025, 11:11).

Swim Sistas is a poetic, visually stunning love letter to water, sisterhood, and the enduring strength of Black women across generations.

Featuring the voice of Academy Award nominee Naomie Harris (Moonlight) as Mami Wata, part deity and part ancestral memory, the film flows across generations: from a young girl diving into joy, to Great Britain’s first and only Black female Olympic swimmer breaking historic barriers, to a woman learning to swim at 54, defying a legacy of inherited fear.
It is a celebration of connection, resilience and hope, told through the lens of the rising tide of Black women reclaiming their place in the water, and in history.

RoxFilm Alum Award Winner for Best Narrative Short award with Fifty-Four Days.

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SHE QUIETLY RAN INTO HISTORY
Directed by Anthony Renard Reed (USA 2026, 17:49).

Black African women have dominated the three major US 26.2-mile marathons; the Boston, New York City, and Chicago Marathons. This African dominance began in 1994 when a Kenyan woman became the second Black woman to place in any of these marathons. Between 2014 and 2025, almost three-quarters of the top five women finishers of the three major U.S. marathons were Black Africans. However, nineteen years earlier, Baltimore-native, Marilyn Bevans, made world history as she became the first person, male or female, to place in the top five in these three prestigious marathons.

2027 is the 50th anniversary of her golden year when she was runner up at the Boston and Chicago Marathons, won the Maryland and Beltsville Marathons, and was ranked as one of the world’s top ten fastest women marathoners in 1977.

This is the story of Marilyn Bevans. She quietly ran into history.

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BLACK LONGEVITY
Directed by Geneva Peschka (USA 2024, 23:51).

Black Longevity is a short documentary that follows a remarkable group of Black elders as they defy societal expectations by embracing the fullness of their lives in their later years. This film explores the daily rituals, personal reflections, life philosophies of these elders, and the communities that sustain them. Black Longevity emphasizes that longevity is not just about the number of years lived, but about the vibrancy and quality of those years and the relationships that define them - the richness of their experiences, celebrating love, family, and the true meaning of generational wellness. Black Longevity stands as a powerful meditation on Black life - inspiring through the proof of the beauty of aging through the wisdom of our elders, offering a compelling testament to the power of living in your truth and redefining what it means to live well.

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PIGSKIN
Directed by Tishna Lodi (USA 2026, 13:38 mins).

Ahmed is a Muslim teenage football star looking to get recruited for the NFL, but when his coach shifts his practices to night time to accommodate Ramadan, Ahmed and Coach Omar come to blows about generational trauma. Written by Tishna Lodi and Omar Ghonim.

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THE MISSING PIECE
Directed by Emanuel Fidalgo (USA 2025, 21:58 mins).

Clarence tries to recreate his late mother's signature dish from a recipe she left him, but the last ingredient is an illegible smudge. Drifting through dual crises of grief and identity, he meets Emi, a bodega store owner insistent on helping with the dish but focused on mending his spirit.

Local.

BASEMENT PEOPLE
Directed by Christine Swanson (USA 2026, 17:00 mins).

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.

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HEROES AMONG US: KID ELECTRIC
Directed by Anthony Jones (USA 2025, 23:23 mins).

Get ready to be shocked and electrified by a new hero on the horizon. Kid Electric! This young speedster is new on the scene and has always wanted to be one of the comic book heroes he’s read about as a child. In this story we journey with him as he finds out exactly what it means to be a superhero.

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DADDY DAZE
Directed by Phil Ossai (UK 2025, 11:40 mins).

A recently unemployed father must navigate a chaotic day caring for his infant son while clashing with his stubborn, old-school dad, forcing him to confront what it really means to be a provider, a father, and a man.

RoxFilm Alum.

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THE MAGICIAN WHO LOST HIS VOICE
Directed by Mir Brustenga (Spain 2025, 24:00 mins).

In a house that changes with memories, a grandson and his mute grandfather reunite to perform their last act of magic: saying goodbye.

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LOUIS
Directed by Akshay Shirke (Canada 2025, 9:40 mins).

"Louis" is a short film that explores how grief is experienced in Indian immigrant communities, focusing on a father and son. The story follows Kalpen, a young boy grappling with the death of his pet hamster, Louis. His father, Avneesh, silently carries the weight of his own father's death as he struggles to support his son emotionally. Set in Nova Scotia, the film contrasts cultural perspectives on death. It sensitively portrays two generations processing loss with Kalpen seeking to understand it, and Avneesh trying to keep it buried.

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UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
Directed by Thato R. Mwosa (USA 2025, 14:35 mins).

When a trans African salon owner in Boston receives her asylum denial, she must choose between abandoning the life she's built or staying and risking deportation to a country where her identity could get her killed.

RoxFilm Alum.

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HIS NAME IS EKU
Directed by Thitu Muiruri (USA, Kenya 2025, 11:18 mins).

A young man struggles to overcome a childhood trauma that strains his romantic relationship.

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WHEN BIG PEOPLE LIE
Directed by Gianfranco Fernández-Ruiz (USA 2024, 13:36 mins).

Eight-year-old Elvis’ world begins to sink when his mother marries an immigrant stranger for money.

RoxFilm Alum.

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BAGAY LA NOU PÒTÉ (THE THINGS WE CARRY)
Directed by Kyvon Edwin (USA 2025, 15:19 mins).

A rising cricket prodigy forgoes his dreams and sets out to bring peace in his home from the clutches of his toxic father.

JAMARCUS ROSE & DA 5 BULLET HOLES
Directed by Marcellus Cox (USA 2025, 23:00 mins).

Inspired By True Events following a talented MLB Prospect as he spends the day with his Mentor from the Big Brothers of America Program.

RoxFilm Alum.

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THE BALTIMORE BARBER
Directed by Chaseedaw Giles (USA 2026, 5:56 mins).

Anthony Evers is the best barber in West Baltimore and a pillar of his neighborhood; confidant, mentor, and man who believes deeply in the futures of the young people who sit in his chair. His shop is a sanctuary where clippers hum and clients share their dreams.

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BEYOND MEDICINE: THE STORY OF BOSTON COMMUNITY PEDIATRICS
Directed by Andrew Eldridge (USA 2025, 12:58)

In a city known for world-class medicine but deep health inequities, one small pediatric practice is redefining what care can be. This film follows Boston Community Pediatrics as it delivers holistic, relationship-driven support that transforms the lives of children and families.
BCP is a new model of innovative pediatric healthcare that addresses the social determinants of health within a relationship-driven framework. Their approach is simple: to provide all families with the high-quality medical care they deserve, and set them on a path toward health and wellness

Local.

REPORT CARD - DANGER OF FAILING

Director Noube Rateau, William Medero (USA 2025, 50 min).

Report Card – Danger of Failing, produced by the Emmy Award–winning Noube Productions. The film examines the high school education system in the inner cities. It interviews students, teachers, parents, and administrators, challenges inequities in our local education system, exposes the perspectives of those affected, and highlights possible solutions.

The 50-minute feature film is organized into four sections: Current State of Education, Race and Identity, Family Engagement, and Successful Teaching Pedagogy. The goal is to find solutions thathelp inner city students reach their fullest potential. The film focuses on high school students in order to increase their investment and sense of urgency regarding their education. It provides unbiased perspectives, reflections, and action steps on how to model and sustain best practices for student success.

RoxFilm Alum. Local.

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REDLINE NARRATIVES 2: OUR STORIES
Directed by Marlon P Solomon (USA 2025, 35:00 min).

Redline Narratives 2: Our Stories is a companion to Redline Narratives: The Lost Cultural Hubs of Boston. Built from extended interviews and community testimonies captured for the original film, this sequel centers first-person accounts—artists, elders, youth, and planners—showing how redlining shaped daily life and how residents are reclaiming space. Director Engr. Marlon Solomon provides concise, behind-the-scenes analysis that links each story to the broader arc of culture, land, and law in Boston today.

RoxFilm Alum. Local Premiere.

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REMOVED: BLACK ERASURE IN BOSTON
Directed by Sabrina Salvati (USA 2025, 87 min).

‘REMOVED: BLACK ERASURE IN BOSTON’ is urgently spotlighting the unfolding debacle at White Stadium while also highlighting Boston’s notoriously racist past in an attempt to create a dialog about the hidden history of Black Boston, unknown to many even within the Black community. This general lack of awareness has allowed the mechanisms of gentrification to proceed quietly and almost completely unchecked. It is the goal of this film to stoke the embers of social change so that we can address this issue before it’s too late and the erasure is complete.

Local.

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MEET THE FAMILY THAT STICKS TOGETHER
Directed by Taylor Dews ( USA 2025, 34:00)

As the nine Lane siblings rummage through memories kept in shoeboxes, kitchen drawers, and photobooks, they discover that their fading Sunday dinner tradition is tied to their family’s involvement in the lesser-known history of Black-American social clubs in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Inspiring the next generation to safeguard a nearly century-old legacy, filmmaker Taylor Dews narrates this nostalgic and heartwarming story for her little cousins.

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A MESS OF MEMORIES
Directed by Ebony Blanding (USA 2025, 78 min).

When their childhood home is threatened by their mother Jovita’s hoarding, estranged siblings Deja, Riley, Mylo, and Brooke are forced to reunite. As they sift through years of clutter, buried memories resurface, tensions ignite, and long-held secrets unravel. What begins as a desperate attempt to save their home becomes a journey of reckoning, redemption, and rediscovering the ties that bind — even in the mess.

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NIGHT FEEDS
Directed by Rana Roy (USA 2026, 16:40 mins).

An Arab-American mother drowns in postpartum as a night nurse unsettles her and war floods her screens. Her private paranoia bleeds into the violence beyond her walls- blurring nightmare and reality... But is the madness in her mind or the world around her?

SPIDER
Directed by David Waiyaki Wanderi (USA 2025, 7:20 mins).

Two FBI agents close in on an online terrorist, only to find themselves trapped in their own investigation.

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ATTACHED
Directed by Kendra Monet (USA 2025, 15:00 mins).

ATTACHED is a psychological thriller about a struggling actress named Draya whose past continues to haunt her, while her present causes her to reconcile with life changing decisions that force her to confront her sense of control.

Boston Premiere.

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FIRST COMES LOVE
Directed by Tanya Martineau (USA 2026, 18:15 mins).

Taylor, an ambitious, caring yet insecure woman in her early 30s, has spent years cultivating what appears to be the perfect life with her long-term boyfriend, Khalil. Since a child, she has dreamed of getting married to her fairytale prince and decided that Khalil was her knight in shining armor. To her social media followers, they are #CoupleGoals—happy, stylish, deeply in love. But behind the filtered photos and adoring captions lies a relationship built on performance and the need for validation.

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THE HUM
Directed by Jabari Canada (USA 2025, 13:12 mins).

The Hum follows two characters who encounter the same low, persistent vibration yet respond to it in markedly different ways. As the sound infiltrates their daily lives, the film begins to organize itself like a building: stories are nested within stories, scenes fold back on themselves, and moments of reflexivity reveal how perception and meaning are constructed. This layered structure echoes the architecture of acoustically isolated spaces, where walls, gaps, and materials simultaneously separate and connect, shaping what is heard, felt, and understood.

ORACLE OF DELPHI, OHIO
Directed by Carter Mitchell Stewart (USA 2026, 19:38 mins).

A Loss Prevention Specialist's world is turned upside down when he encounters a store employee who intuitively knows when people steal.

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DA POET
Directed by Marc Thurman (USA 2025, 14:20 mins).

DA POET," tells the story of a poet who reflects on the challenges and traps of the "game" – likely referring to the music or entertainment industry. He speaks about losing himself amidst managers, sell reps, the spotlight, and romantic relationships. The poet questions whether he is playing the game or becoming the game.

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SO(U)LSTICE

Directed by Cesar Lazare Jr (USA 2025, 14:58).

In the heat of summer, two lives spiral toward collision. Demetrius, a young man torn between responsibility and the lure of reckless friends, is pulled deeper into violence he never sought. Ariel, weighed down by expectation and searching for direction, drifts between loyalty and escape. As choices turn dangerous, their paths cross on a night where blood, regret, and the sea converge, forcing them to confront the shadows cast by their brightest days.

Premiere.

STELLA ROAD
Directed by Kareem Benjamen Janey, Mike Dunee (USA 225, 7:26).

STELLA ROAD is a coming-of-age, authentic, urban drama based on the true story of two musically gifted brothers from a remote street in Boston called "Stella Road", who tragically lost their mother and were forced to face the world alone.

Determined to take on the world with only their musical talent and grit, the two brothers risk everything to achieve success in the record business in the early 2000s and make their mother proud.

Local.

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NIKI•TOMI•BETO

Directed by Jon Ayon (USA 2025, 18:00).

Haunted by the Nahua deity Tlazōlteōtl, 4 cousins in Northeast LA try to protect each other from the violence and family strife threatening to tear them apart.

Niki, Tomi, Beto, and Ernie are 4 close-knit cousins growing up in Northeast LA. As Ernie gets increasingly involved with his gang, he tries to maintain a caring and protective role with the younger Niki, Tomi, and Beto. The boys' tight-knit relationships unravel when the Nahua goddess of refuse and regeneration, Tlazōlteōtl, arrives to intervene in their everyday lives.

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THEY PUT US IN THE WOODS
Directed by Cristin Stephens (USA 2025, 14:57).

A group of West Philly teens find momentary respite from the instability of city life on a camping trip to the Pennsylvania wilderness.

Supported by the Austin Film Society.

STEPPIN OFF WITH JUVEY-D
Directed by Wendell Moore (USA 2024, 50:11).

This is a boy's adventure. Dion “Juvey-D” Jackson is a 14-year-old Brooklynite who sneaks his father’s video camera out into the streets to record his antics with his best friend Antman. It is 1992, a transitional period in Fort Greene, a neighborhood at the time considered the Black Boeheim of art and culture, as well as a community on the verge of gentrification. The film is largely seen from Dion’s POV, consisting of awkward camerawork. But what comes into focus are snatches of the moments that hold value to him. His story is led not only by his lens, but by his heart, and wherever it takes him.

BLACK BOYS BEING BEAUTIFUL
Directed by Kelvin Zachary Phillips (USA 2025, 5:29).

A poetic and visual meditation exploring the transformation of how society perceives Black males from childhood to adulthood. An experimental short film that juxtaposes the unguarded wonder of youth against the weight of societal projection, challenging viewers to confront uncomfortable truths while celebrating the beauty that persists despite attempts to redefine it.

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WOMB
Directed by Alanna Logan (USA 2026, 11:55 mins).

A young artist revisits the earliest chapters of her life confronting old wounds and reclaiming her creative freedom.

Local.

THE END OF ISOLATION
Directed by Sarah Emily Shourd (USA 2025, 59:00 mins).

This documentary follows a busload of anti-prison theater activists 8,000 miles across America performing The BOX, an emotionally searing play on solitary confinement. Guided by formerly incarcerated voices, the journey exposes prison cruelty, uplifts bold visions of justice, and shows how art and collective resistance can challenge authoritarianism and ignite hope for change.

BOSTON ARTS ACADEMY STUDENT SHORTS

No Teacher's Day

Survivor's Guilt

Bucket List

The Offer

My Alarm Clock is Evil!

Patience

Silly String

Mvcho's Room

My Guatemala Bakery

Classworkin'

Attara's Chair Heist

Friendships

Bloom

THE END
Directed by Fenet Abebe, Elzion Kassahun (USA 2026, 8:14).

The End follows a young couple navigating a long-awaited night together, where expectations, timing, and unspoken truths quietly collide. Through parallel moments and fleeting connections, the film explores how love can change before we’re ready to name it.

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EAST BOSTON MUSIC COLLECTIVE
Directed by Christopher Leone, Gary Hernandez, Nadinne Alcantar, Olman Diaz, Gabriela Argueta De Leon, Matthew Taylor (USA 2026, 16:41).

As part of BPS Arts Expansion at EdVestors, the East Boston Music Collective is a neighborhood-focused effort to expand and strengthen the depth of sequential music education in all 11 East Boston BPS schools. During the 2024-25 School Year, EdVestors hired and paid 4 East Boston High School students studying media arts as a Film Crew to create a short documentary about the East Boston Music Collective. These students interviewed educators, school and district leaders, partners, and students, and also filmed East Boston Music Collective activities.

Local.

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ACCEPTANCE
Directed by Daniel Gutierrez (USA 2025, 3:57).

A dreamlike journey about a young man who's dealing with time and expectations.
From the Academy of Entertainment Arts in St. Petersburg, Florida.

THE COLORS OF SHADE
Directed by Urban Scholar Film Academy (USA 2025, 36:00).

The Colors of Shade is a proof of concept film project that explores the story of college age friends returning home for an unforgettable summer, that forces each to grow up faster than they planned.

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BLACK HISTORY BEGINS WITH A LOVE STORY
Directed by Irene Smalls (USA 2026, 3:06).

The film tells the story of Antony and Isabella, a Black couple living in the Virginia colony in the early 1600s whose love, family, and freedom represent one of the earliest chapters of Black history in America. The project highlights a powerful but often overlooked truth: that Black history began not only in struggle, but also in love, family, and community. Made with AI.

RoxFilm Alum. Local.

ELLA
Directed by Nikki Taylor Roberts (USA, 17:35)

The short film explores a key turning point in the life of the legendary Ella Fitzgerald. With a focus on her tumultuous adolescence and the life-altering Apollo amateur night win that launched her illustrious career, “Ella” offers a deeply human and emotionally resonant portrait of one of the greatest jazz icons of all time. Starring Jill Scott.

RoxFilm Alum. Pan African Film Festival 2026 - Best Short Narrative Nominee.

PURSUING LIGHT: THE BILL STRICKLAND STORY
Directed by Karen Somers (USA 2025, 88:00).

"Pursuing Light: The Bill Strickland Story" is an American rags to riches story with Bill Strickland and the impoverished communities he serves at its center. It moves up and down a fluid timeline, weaving the story of this extraordinary man’s life in art, education, civil rights and social justice, with the parallels found in his network of revolutionary youth arts and adult work force training centers.

Local.

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BEST EYES
Directed by Kira Powell (USA 2025, 16:35mins).

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.

57th NAACP Image Awards Nominee.

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THE BLACK GIG
Directed by Jaden Arcay Blake (USA 2025, 18:35 mins).

Three black students try to navigate a predominantly white school. One looks for identity, another seeks acceptance, and another chooses to conform. Each tries to find their place in an environment where they aren't favored.

HAIRDOO
Directed by Exodia Demosthene (USA 2026, 11 mins).

The night before school photos, a spirited young girl, desperately attempts to recreate the perfect hairstyle. With the guidance of an otherworldly hairstylist, she embarks on a magical journey of self-acceptance.

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POSHUN
Directed by Meenakshi Garodia (India, USA 2025, 17:25 min).

Poshun (Hindi): fostering, rearing, bringing up; nourishment;
nutriment, nutrition; protection; support.

Poshun, which means nourishment in Sanskrit, is a short narrative film. It is a coming-of-age tale about Khushi, an 18-year-old girl. Khushi (she, hers.) Khushi is a new immigrant to Boston with her mother and father, from a small town in Punjab, India.

Khushi’s family want to hold on to the more traditional ways of their small town, India, while she wants to explore her new country, her new friendships, sexual identity, and a new world, with her friend Amrita (Girl, 18).

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GONE FISHIN'
Directed by Michael Reilly Peraza (USA 2026, 12:12 mins).

John Dixon returns to the old fishing hole to remember his late son, Rodney. But when a stranger named Clay arrives, John is forced to face the truth about his son's identity--and the denial he imposed for all of Rodney's life.

DOOM SCROLL
Directed by Tamika Lamison (USA 2026, 7:03 mins).

"A doom-scroller abandons her phone and rediscovers the world beyond the screen."

RoxFilm alum.

ABANDONED BUILDINGS
Directed by Benji Otte (USA 2026, 25:26 mins).

Four estranged friends explore abandoned buildings in hopes to reconnect and not follow the same fate as the forgotten sites.

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Director Abby Ginzberg (USA 2025. 28 mins)

A film about Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley. A leader in reproductive rights, criminal justice reform, and opposition to Project 2025. She stands for abolishing capital punishment and solitary confinement, and shrinking the US prison population. She has also pushed for student debt relief during the Biden administration and is an outspoken advocate for the Green New Deal and Medicare for All. Pressley has broken through quintessential barriers for women of color in a state mostly known for dynastic politics. An activist politician, who believes “those closest to the pain, should be closest to the power”, her own path reflects the lessons learned as a Black woman and a committed representative in Congress.

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THE OTHER SIDE
Directed by Nikita Hattangady (USA, India 2025, 28:12 mins).

Set in the heart of Mumbai, "The Other Side" is a compelling portrayal of the struggles endured by a Mumbai street artist aspiring to attend one of the country's finest art academies. When he is faced with the decision between his desires and a friend's needs, he must choose between his heart and his conscience.

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DANA TIGER: BEAUTY FLOWS
Directed by Riley Morris (USA, 2025, 6:08 mins).

Lone Star Emmy nominated documentary. Dana Tiger is an internationally acclaimed artist who has had a lot of tragedy in her life. She paints strong women, trying to show people how unbeatable she knows women can be. She is indigenous, native to the Muskogee Nation in Oklahoma and has lived with Parkinson's for thirty years and adapted her art style to fit with her movements.

PAINTING WITH OMAURI
Directed by Mackenzie McCree (USA 2024, 9:56 mins).

Within this video Omauri explains his journey as an artist, specifically as a painter and sketch drawing, and how he reached the skillset he's achieved.

Local.

ART21: NJIDEKA AKUNYILI CROSBY
Directed by Stephanie Wang-Breal (USA 2026, 12:24 mins).

In a bright and spacious studio, artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby is surrounded by photographs and ephemera from her youth in Nigeria, reflecting on her current life in the United States while weaving the two worlds together in intricately layered paintings. Moving fluidly between memory and the present, this documentary short tracks the personal and creative development of an artist who has found her footing between cultures and mediums.

ART21: LUBAINA HIMID
Directed by Sana A. Malik (USA 2025, 12:37 mins).

Painted in bright colors and adorned with lush fabrics, the often forgotten and marginalized figures in artist Lubaina Himid’s Street Sellers (2024) stand proudly with their assorted wares as life-sized portraits hung at New York’s Greene Naftali Gallery. After decades of pioneering work in painting and sculpture alongside curating groundbreaking exhibitions for Black women artists, recent years have brought long-deserved recognition for Himid, whose career challenges dominant histories of art and society through uniquely democratizing approaches. This documentary film dives deep into the artist’s process as she sifts through used furniture at flea markets to find the raw material for her paintings, listens to football matches while working in her studio, and pushes to find new ways to invite viewers to participate in the vital and provocative conversations at the heart of her work.

ARTHUR JAFA: SEQUENCING THE NOTES
Directed by Jurrell Lewis (USA 2025, 10:19mins).

Throughout his practice, artist Arthur Jafa appropriates materials mined from the entirety of American culture, ranging from iconic films and photographs to videos posted on social media, sequencing and juxtaposing them to reveal qualities, connections, and absences that otherwise remain unseen. In this documentary short, we watch Jafa explore the rich landscape of Black cultural production by identifying and utilizing Black methodologies and aesthetics, uncovering the nuances of Black identity.

THE HARDEST WORKING MAN
Directed by Aaron Cassara (USA 2025, 14:22 mins).

Having a good shoe repairman in New York City is like having a good mechanic in LA. You just can't negotiate life on the streets without one.

Lorenzo Powell first learned his trade working in his father's shoe repair shop in Harlem in the late 70's and 80's. Back then, Harlem was acutely economically depressed. People wore their shoes until their feet touched the sidewalk—and they brought them right to Lorenzo's family shop.

Lorenzo has been a longtime fixture in the midtown Manhattan community for almost 20 years. People who have moved to other neighborhoods travel far and wide to have him fix their beloved soles. He services many of the major theaters on Broadway. He is a true artisan and master of his craft—not to mention a small business owner, surviving in a time when the mom-and-pop shops are dropping like flies in a rapidly changing metropolis.

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BLUE SILENCE
Directed by Krista Luisa Olivarez, Clarissa Brianna Olivarez (USA 2025, 7.04 min).

A beach day follows JACI , a troubled teenager, embarking on a journey of self discovery of the freedom found within the ocean waters. The innocence of Tallulah brings perspective and life to Jaci with insight into just how large the ocean is. An insightful V.O. between the narrator and Jaci to guide the audience to define what peace and tranquility looks like to them with correlations to water and sacred indigenous Native American Lakota beliefs.

ONE NATION, DIVISIBLE
Directed by Tracey Anarella (USA 2025, 71.47 mins).

In a relentless pursuit of justice, a chaplain, a lawyer, law enforcement officers, and grieving families unite to confront the devastating effects of U.S. policies on Native peoples, as they search for answers to the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIWR), battling to prevent further vanishings and murders.

RoxFilm Alum.

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