DOC NYC Summer Selects 2024 Opening Night NYC PREMIERE Screening exactly a year to the day that a landmark US Supreme Court ruling dismantled key aspects of affirmative action in higher education, filmmakers Hao Wu and Miao Wang examine the factors that led to the high-stakes lawsuit filed by Asian American plaintiffs against Harvard University, and […]
NYC PREMIERE The Toni Cade Bambara School of Organizing celebrates the life of the dynamic author, editor, and activist. From her Harlem roots to her role as a self-described “culture worker,” Toni’s wit and fierce commitment to change come alive through rare footage and the voices of those who knew her best, including Toni Morrison […]
WORLD PREMIERE In a political landscape marked by racialized power structures, an Algerian-American filmmaker raised in Canada decides to turn the lens on his family. His ancestors, he discovered, did great things—and owned slaves. What We Inherit unpacks this complicated legacy and directly engages with descendants of the people held captive by the filmmaker’s ancestors. […]
In her stunning directorial debut, Brittany Shyne offers a lyrical and intimate portrait of Black generational farmers in the American South. Seeds delicately captures the fragility of legacy and the profound importance of land ownership. Through rich black-and-white cinematography, Shyne transforms everyday moments—wind in the hair, candy from grandma’s purse, quiet car-window conversations—into poetic vignettes that […]
Directed by Geeta Gandbhir, The Perfect Neighbor is a haunting exploration of a neighborhood tragedy in Ocala, Florida. Through unfiltered police bodycam footage, the film chronicles the escalating tensions between Ajike Owens, a Black mother of four, and her white neighbor, Susan Lorincz, culminating in a fatal shooting. The documentary delves into the complexities of […]
NYC PREMIERE A colorful historic mining town of 300 people tucked away in the mountains of Colorado may seem remote, but Creede is in no way immune to the culture clashes raging through the country. Everyday spaces become sites of tension, and neighborly relations grow fraught. Yet this wonderful film, and the people of Creede themselves, […]
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE Photographer Kwame Brathwaite, who used his art as activism, captured the joy of Black American life, documenting jazz musicians, celebrities, everyday Harlem scenes, and more—while popularizing the phrase “Black is Beautiful,” amplifying the movement that redefined Black pride. Through interviews with his family and celebrities like Jesse Williams, Gabrielle Union, and Alicia […]
WORLD PREMIERE Filmmaker Nadia Louis-Desmarchais tries to untangle the complex knot of race and identity that lies at the center of her life. As the daughter of a Haitian mother, adopted by a white family in Quebec, she uses her camera to illustrate an identity that is as intricate and beautiful as she is. Within […]
US PREMIERE Materna, Italy, where Pasolini filmed the recreation of the life of Jesus, is the location for an updated reenactment entitled The New Gospel, a film gracefully blending art and activism. “Jesus was a social revolutionary,” says award-winning documentarian Milo Rau. With Cameroonian political activist Yvan Sagnet cast as Jesus, the film takes us […]
NYC PREMIERE The story of a student uprising on a Montreal university campus sheds light on the often-overlooked history of anti-Black racism in Canada. Through vivid archival footage and firsthand accounts from former student protestors, now in their 80s, the film reveals the experiences of Black Canadians who, alongside West Indians who migrated north seeking […]