Posted by Larry Gleeson

 

The Micheaux Film Festival Unveils Full 2025 Lineup: 36 World Premieres, 100+ LA Premieres, 15 Panels, and 4 Days of Groundbreaking Stories & Culture in Culver City

The 7th annual Micheaux Film Festival returns to Culver City October 23–26, spotlighting diverse voices, visionary creators, and a dynamic blend of film, culture, and community.

 

 

The Micheaux Film Festival today unveiled the full program for its seventh edition, running October 23–26, 2025 at The Culver Theater and surrounding venues. This year’s lineup spans features, documentaries, series premieres, shorts blocks, panels, masterclasses, and special events, and includes 36 World Premieres and more than 100 Los Angeles Premieres. Continuing its mission to elevate storytellers, Micheaux showcases visionary work from across the globe while pushing the boundaries of independent cinema. Learn more at micheauxfilmfest.com.

The 2025 edition set a submissions record, with nearly half of participating directors identifying as first time or early career. Entries spanned generations from Gen Z through age 65 and older, with the largest cohort ages 26 to 35. More than 60 percent of projects reported majority women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ crews. Eight percent of directors self identified as having a disability, and submissions reflected a broad ethnic spectrum, including African American and Black, Latinx, Asian, Indigenous, Middle Eastern, West Indian and Caribbean, and multiracial creators.

 

“This year’s lineup offers a powerful commentary on the urgent issues confronting humanity, not only in America, but around the world,” said Courtney L. Branch, Co-Founder and Lead Curator. “The filmmakers in this year’s program are boldly using their voices to examine and critique the systems that shape our lives, tackling subjects ranging from the education system, mental health, and gun violence, to immigration, and beyond.”

 

Deja Lytle, Manager of Programming, added: “Our lineup has a project for everyone and everything, from contemporary critiques on modern society to recollections of forgotten history. We showcase coming of age stories and stories that are only told by the wisdom that comes with age. Whether you want to laugh and forget your worries or contemplate the complexities of life, you can have it all in one sitting.”

 

2025 Micheaux Film Festival Lineup:

Category: Feature Film & Documentary Spotlights

Opening Night Gala: It’s Dorothy – LA Premiere

Since Dorothy Gale started her epic journey down the Yellow Brick Road 125 years ago in L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, she’s become a celebrity, a brand, and a beacon for marginalized voices across our culture. IT’S DOROTHY brings to life her timeless adventures in Oz through the human experiences of a new generation of star performers… Exploring the meaning and evolution of a cherished character through the eras, we celebrate Dorothy as an enduring symbol of hope and a touchstone in our universal quest to fly over the rainbow and find home again.

Director: Jeffrey McHale Producer: Ariana Garfinkel, Zel McCarthy, Suzanne Zionts

Starring: Ashanti, Fairuza Balk, Danielle Hope, Nichelle Lewis, Shanice Shantay, Lena Waithe, Rufus Wainwright, Margaret Cho, John Waters, Amber Ruffin, Roxane Gay

 

Silent Prey

When her brother’s death is swiftly dismissed as an accidental overdose by police, a determined sister embarks on a mission to uncover the truth behind mysterious circumstances of his death.

Director: Avan Hardwell

Starring: Misty Monroe, Donivan David, Matt Rasku

 

Don’t Let Them Out

A struggling woman journeys to a property she’s inherited in hopes of selling it to pay off her debts. But after arriving to the property, she’s lured into a desperate scavenger hunt down a perilous rabbit hole.

Writer & Director: Lila McLaughlin

Starring: Bonnie Root,  Louis Ferreira, Emily Rios

 

Queeriosity: A Documentary? – World Premiere

Queeriosity: A Documentary? follows artist Johnny LaVeie as they document the creation of their own stand-up special—a vulnerable, genre-blending meditation on queer love, longing, and self-performance. Through raw footage, rehearsal, and reflection, the film weaves process into story and turns art-making into personal revolution.

Writer & Director: Johnny Laveie

 

The ReWrite – LA Premiere

A struggling screenwriter, obsessed with portraying Black Excellence and authenticity on the big screen, is forced to do a rewrite of his latest draft in order to save his career. But when he revisits the characters in his script in real life, he soon realizes that his own world is short on authenticity and anything but excellent.

Writer & Director: Terry Dawson

Starring: Stephen Barrington, Jhey Castles, Holly Hyman

 

Young King

As Diondre Howell re-adjusts to civilian life and struggles to cope with the scars of the Iraq war, he increasingly becomes a threat to those he cares about the most – his family.

Writer & Director: Bryant T Griffin

Starring: Vincent Washington, Kirby Griffin, Tarra Riggs

 

Fatherless No More – LA Premiere

A former Super Bowl Champion turned Orlando pastor follows a divine calling to live in an RV on Rikers Island, risking everything to bring hope, healing, and redemption to one of America’s most notorious jails.

Director: Kayla Johnson Producer: D’Angelo Louis

Lives Beyond Motion – LA Premiere

Thirty-three men in contemporary dance, including the legendary Bill T Jones, Lar Lubovitch and Kyle Abraham, gift us a rare level of transparency as they share their sacrifices, triumphs and struggles to transcend economic, racial and sexual marginalization. This feature documentary highlights archival performance footage and preserves the legacy of these incredible artists, while spotlighting their uncompromising quest to find individual expression, joy in the art of movement and what it takes to make a life in the arts.

Writer & Director: Keith Glassman, Producer: The Angel, Douglas Thompson

 

A Matter of Poultry

When an ordinary guy on the cusp of starting his dream job finds out he’s pregnant with an alien parasite, he flashes back to the time he told his teenage girlfriend to not get an abortion.

Writer & Director: Nandini Bapat

 

Cuming Out – LA Premiere

Kennedy’s desire for a heteronormative experience sees her embark on a one-night-stand. What could possibly go wrong?

Writer & Director: Jasmine J Johnson

Starring: Alycia Pascual-Peña (Saved by the Bell, Bel-Air), Jaylen Barron (American Sports Story, Blindspotting)

 

Block: Go Hard or Go Home – Tales of grit, determination, and the fight to overcome against all odds.

 

GO

When a perfectionist, collegiate wrestler finds himself stumbling through the stages of grief after the tragic death of his parents, a security guard with a similar past, secretly coaches him to grow into a champion.

Writer & Director: Dusan Brown

Starring: Dante Brown (Ma, Dash and Lilly), Alimi Ballard (Queen of the South, One of us is Lying), Keesha Sharp (Power Book II: Ghost, Empire)

 

Sideline Story – LA Premiere

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.

Director: Sam Buckner III, Deanté Gray Writer: Sam Buckner III

 

Pugilistic Soul – LA Premiere

“Pugilistic Soul” is a short boxing drama, starring Patrick Walker, that delves into the intense backstage moments leading up to a pivotal fight, exploring the internal struggles that go beyond the physical rigors of the sport.

Writer & Director: Mike Noel

Starring: Patrick Walker (DOC, Lessons in Chemistry, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey

 

Series & Shorts Program

 

Opening Night Gala: Remember – World Premiere

A forgetful millennial, and his four best friends, navigate queer love, rocky careers, and the ups and downs of friendship, while realizing that his forgetfulness is more serious than imagined.

Director: Tari Wariebi, Writer: Bernard David Jones

Starring: Bernard David Jones, Hosea Chanchez, Griffin Matthews, Devere Rodgers, Brandon Gill

 

Diminished Returns: The Black Wealth Gap in Washington, D.C. – LA Premiere

Director: Sabiyha Prince Writer: Sabiyha Prince

Diminished Returns: The Black Wealth Gap in Washington, D.C. is a powerful examination of how the legacy of slavery, segregation, and urban renewal continues to rob Black residents in the District of economic opportunity, and what justice truly requires.

 

The Grief of Opportunity – Inside Out Podcast

Director: Yhá Mourhia Wright Writer: Yhá Mourhia Wright

How has Regina Hoyles approached the process of healing and setting boundaries in relationships? On this episode of Inside Out Podcast, award-winning filmmaker, producer, and actor Regina Hoyles shares insights into the steps she takes for healing and establishing boundaries. Join us as Regina demystifies the journey to holistic health, emphasizing the significance of faith and the fostering of genuine connections.

Block: Life and Death Vol 1 – Stories that confront mortality, memory, and the cycle of loss.

Rear Desert – LA Premiere

Set against the desolate backdrop of the Nevada desert in 2001, Rear Desert follows a grieving photographer whose solitary annual pilgrimage to memorialise his wife takes a chilling turn after he stumbles upon a violent crime.

Director: Mark D. Bonner Writer: Mark D. Bonner Producer: Mark D. Bonner, Mary E. Jordan

 

Laundry – LA Premiere

After his son’s tragic accident, a husband struggles to save his marriage and himself, until a chance encounter at a laundromat shows him that even in grief, hope and healing can all come out in the wash.

Director: Okema T. Moore Writer: Alterik Miller Producer: Alterik Miller, Okema T. Moore

 

Little Footsteps

A young woman invites an unsettling guest to her family’s Christmas Eve dinner party.

Director: Louis Reyes McWilliams Writer: Louis Reyes McWilliams Producer: Brenden Rodriguez, Rose Alsander-Toberman

Starring: Joely Fisher, Ellen (The Mask, ‘Til Death)

 

Project Penelope – LA Premiere

In the wake of their daughter’s tragic death, a brilliant couple, Jonas and Elizabeth, push the boundaries of artificial intelligence in a desperate attempt to recreate their lost child, only to confront the limits of love, loss, and the true nature of consciousness.

Director: Felipe Castilla, Alex D Lugo Writer: Felipe Castilla

 

Shutterbird – LA Premiere

A troubled young Latina photographer and Asian American juvenile delinquent yearn to escape their farm town in Santa Ynez Valley, CA, but the psychological, cultural, and at times mystical obstacles threaten to hold them forever.

Director: Rei Writer: Rei

 

Block: Sex+ – A daring collection that explores intimacy, identity, and the spectrum of sexuality with humor and honesty.

 

Fufu and Soup – LA Premiere

Panicked by her lack of sexual experience, a woman schemes to lose her virginity on the night of her 29th birthday party.

Writer & Director: Marjan Mona Koffa

 

DISC

The story of a hookup gone too far up.

Director: Blake Rice Writer: Blake Rice, Victoria Ratermanis

 

Sext

After being asked for a late-night photo, Zayna, a playful yet sensitive young woman goes on a journey to capture who she is.

Director: Victoria Renee Writer: Kierstyn Stevens

 

A Matter of Poultry

When an ordinary guy on the cusp of starting his dream job finds out he’s pregnant with an alien parasite, he flashes back to the time he told his teenage girlfriend to not get an abortion.

Writer & Director: Nandini Bapat

 

Cuming Out – LA Premiere

Kennedy’s desire for a heteronormative experience sees her embark on a one-night-stand. What could possibly go wrong?

Writer & Director: Jasmine J Johnson

Starring: Alycia Pascual-Peña (Saved by the Bell, Bel-Air), Jaylen Barron (American Sports Story, Blindspotting)

 

Block: Go Hard or Go Home – Tales of grit, determination, and the fight to overcome against all odds.

 

GO

When a perfectionist, collegiate wrestler finds himself stumbling through the stages of grief after the tragic death of his parents, a security guard with a similar past, secretly coaches him to grow into a champion.

Writer & Director: Dusan Brown

Starring: Dante Brown (Ma, Dash and Lilly), Alimi Ballard (Queen of the South, One of us is Lying), Keesha Sharp (Power Book II: Ghost, Empire)

 

Sideline Story – LA Premiere

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.

Director: Sam Buckner III, Deanté Gray Writer: Sam Buckner III

 

Pugilistic Soul – LA Premiere

“Pugilistic Soul” is a short boxing drama, starring Patrick Walker, that delves into the intense backstage moments leading up to a pivotal fight, exploring the internal struggles that go beyond the physical rigors of the sport.

Writer & Director: Mike Noel

Starring: Patrick Walker (DOC, Lessons in Chemistry, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey)

 

Negro League Nights

In 1923, Doc Sykes, renowned pitcher in the Negro Leagues, takes a stand against discrimination when he’s denied use of a shower room at Yankee Stadium.

Director: Kyle Sykes Writer: Jordan L Jones

Starring: Deric Augustine (The Rookie, Godfather of Harlem) Jordan L. Jones (Belair)

 

Courage

Inspired by true events, COURAGE is the story of a young Native American boy struggling with self-confidence and societal expectations, until his uncle introduces him to the art of Hoop Dance. Through this tradition, he finds strength, resilience, and the courage to embrace his heritage.

Writer & Director: Eric Michael Hernandez

 

Block: To the Root of It – Short films that dig beneath the surface of culture, identity, and truth, revealing what binds us at the core.

 

I’m In Love

Guided by a hypnotic voice and series of intimate gifts, a woman follows a mysterious map on a journey between the ache of longing and the power of liberation.

Director: Roberta Sparta Writer: Havilah Malone

 

Black & Blue – LA Premiere

Best friends Blue and Black share a deep bond through music, but as their ambitions pull them apart, they’re left wondering—does love mean holding on or letting go?

 

The Third Goodbye – World Premiere

A virgin ends a long term situationship but the universe tests her as she tries to make a clean break.

Director: Tracey Belizaire Writer: Simone Williams

 

Member Berries – World Premiere

After the loss of his father, a man attempts to utilize childhood nostalgia as a coping mechanism.

Writer & Director: Reginald Johnson

 

Acceptance – LA Premiere

Jackie, a reserved, yet aspirational High School Senior, has a passion for photography. One day, while out doing what she loves, she unknowingly takes photos of a crime taking place.

Writer & Director: Imhotep Coleman

 

Block: The Scaries – Chills and thrills,  a showcase of horror shorts designed to unsettle and provoke.

 

Virgin

A horror movie about the birth of Jesus Christ.

Writer & Director: Ramone Menon

 

The Host

Two best friends book an Airbnb for a much needed escape, but when they find out the host is living with them, what starts as an inconvenience turns into a chilling nightmare.

Writer & Director: Tyler Ocasio Holmes

 

Let The Myth Be

When a grad student in folklore and mythology fears her monster-of-study might be hunting her, she retreats to a rural cottage to lure it out — and prove she’s not losing her mind.

Writer & Director: Carrington Walsh

Starring: Ashley LaLonde (Hamilton)

 

The Things We Keep

Forced into a caretaker position, Kate comes home to pack up her estranged mother’s house. While struggling to clear her mother’s hoarded possessions, Kate discovers the insidious nature of her mother’s illness lying behind the house’s walls.

Writer & Director: Joanna Fernandez

Starring: Jenny O’Hara

 

Loud – LA Premiere

When an aspiring music producer records a violent event, she becomes haunted by its sound.

Writer & Director: Adam Azimov

Starring: Shakira Barrera, James Earl, Ellen Wong

 

Prime

A trauma victim joins a Utopian farming community only to find she’s bitten off more than she can chew.

Writer & Director: Meagan Coyle

 

Cut Me If You Can

Stuck in the loop of a horror B-movie, two black stereotyped characters decide to F*** up the script. But the film has other plans.

Director: Nicolas Polixene, Sylvain Loubet dit Gajol Writer: Nicolas Polixene, Sylvain Loubet dit Gajol, Jean-Jérome Loubet dit Gajol

 

Block: Let the Healing Begin – A reflective block centered on trauma, resilience, and the pathways to recovery.

 

Let the Light In

A music video exploring both the social and individual experiences of interiority within both primal optimism and darkness.

Director: Samia Hasan Zaidi

 

Stage left, God right – LA Premiere

GUSTO series, created by and starring Aqeel Quinn, goes deeper into the internal shift of a man caught between what he’s known and what he dreams to become.

Director: Tevin Tavares Writer: Aqeel Quinn

 

The Traumatist

A young woman haunted by her traumatic past seeks the help of a controversial therapist who helps patients live out their most violent fantasies against those who have wronged them. But Avery is carrying a secret even the doctor may not be ready for.

Director: Michelle Beck Writer: Raphael Jordan

Starring: Robert Picardo, Amelia Workman

 

The Other Stuff

After a breakthrough moment during couples therapy, Winston, a 30-year-old black man, must confront his uncle about their abusive relationship.

Director: Bernard Gray Writer: Bernard Gray

 

When Offered Wind – World Premiere

When Kishon encounters trouble conceiving with his partner, an unsuspecting storm comes to life to collect a debt from him.

Director: Adriane McCray Writer: Terrance Daye

Starring: Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Larry Powell

 

Happy Songs About Unhappy Things

Everybody’s got a song to sing. It doesn’t have to be a sad one.

Director: Nikki Lynette, Roger Ellis Writer: Nikki Lynette

Producer: Datari Turner and Jamie Foxx

 

Block: We got that Sci-FYE! Vol 1 – A futuristic trip into speculative worlds that ask “what if” while challenging today’s realities.

 

The Lord of All Future Space & Time

With the help of a duffle bag from the future, a grief-stricken cowboy avenges the death of his wife.

Writer & Director: Chris Paul Russell

 

Where The Children Go To Play

In a dystopian future, two young candidates, Sevyn Thomas and Solana Jackson, undergo a grueling selection process designed to determine their suitability as stewards of a new human race.

Director: Jada GeorgeWriter: Kwame Henry

 

Project Penelope

In the wake of their daughter’s tragic death, a brilliant couple, Jonas and Elizabeth, push the boundaries of artificial intelligence in a desperate attempt to recreate their lost child, only to confront the limits of love, loss, and the true nature of consciousness.

Director: Felipe Castilla, Alex D Lugo Writer: Felipe Castilla

Pause/Play

In the sci-fi comedy film Pause/Play, a gamer stumbles into an alternate realm and helps her recently deceased idol pass on into the next life.

Writer & Director: Kaitlyn Ali

 

Block: Schemes & Scams – Suspenseful tales of deception, betrayal, and the price of ambition.

 

Analog Insomnia – World Premiere

In a world of streaming, one man risks it all to return a DVD.

Director: Gary Pierrot Jr.

 

Break A Leg – LA Premiere

A struggling actor is thrown into the role of a lifetime, when an unconventional exercise places him in the middle of an extortion plot.

Director: Thomas J. Cooksey Writer: Tajh V. Lewis

Starring: Nick Stoesser

 

Goodbye Stranger – World Premiere

A desperate con artist and his precocious daughter go on the run across after a botched scam, forcing them to confront the guilt and sacrifices that threaten to tear their family apart.

Writer & Director: Neil Zafar Haeems

Starring:  Jim O’Heir, Max Adler, Charley Rowan McCain

 

The Black Bart of Taco King #17 – LA Premiere

A suave criminal searches for a new partner at a dive bar and finds the perfect Bonnie to his Clyde. He takes her to dinner to put her to the test, yet she has all the answers… and more.

Writer & Director: Rickey Larke

Starring: Jasmine Mathews, Christopher Dietrick & Derrick A King

 

ARRANCA

A mother and daughter duo dramatically impacted by dementia. Things get more hectic for Laura when Carmen can’t find her precious emerald ring, a gift from her beloved husband Sebastian.

Writer & Director: Liliana M Molina

 

Block: For the Fellas – A raw and candid look at masculinity, vulnerability, and brotherhood.

 

Black Man, Black Man (Animation)

From the moment he wakes up, Elliott gets closer to confronting the child within. Carrying the weight of the feelings he wrestles with inside, reminders echo through his mind as affirmations to carry him through each moment, bringing healing and a path forward to reclaiming his worth.

Writer & Director: Frank Elliott Abney, Executive Producer: Archie Davis

Starring: Yvette Nicole Brown, Aldis Hodge

 

Taper – LA Premiere

A Queer, Black student finds himself in deep need of a haircut, but to fit into a typical bro-culture barbershop, toning down to blend in may be a bit more challenging than expected.

Writer & Director: Ben Locke

 

BALDY The Film

Travis’ birthday is upcoming and his friends want to celebrate, can he get a haircut?

Director: Eddie Griffith Writer: Melvin Taylor II Executive Producer: Tracy Oliver, Melvin Taylor II, Melvin Taylor II, Felicia Bell, Tre’Vell Anderson, Diana Alleyne, Alyssa Fauntleroy, Max Hague, Sarah-Michelle Léger, Niina Taapop

Starring: Melvin Taylor II

 

Retreat

A band visits Los Angeles following a self-canceled world tour. During their stay, warring group dynamics arise as they work on new material.

Writer & Director: Jeremy Benbow

 

Zeke – LA Premiere

A comedy thriller about a man who gets his hairline messed up by a well-respected barber and keeps going back… until one visit pushes him past the point of no return.

Writer & Director: Kerry Coddett

Starring: Hassan Johnson, Sam Jay, Stephen Cofield

 

Block: The Path to Self Discovery –  A collection of stories that challenge you to look within.

 

Shadow Acting – LA Premiere

Tensions rise during an acting class when the teacher’s preferred method of instructing one of his students involves hitting her emotional triggers – unintentionally hitting his own in the process.

Writer & Director: Lawrence LAW Watford

 

Cierva

An emerging photographer is forced to make a crucial decision while on a career-defining job.

Writer & Director: Luis G Santos

Starring: Alycia Pascual Peña

 

HONEY BARE

After years of delighting fans as Honey the Bear, a beloved sports mascot must confront his identity as he prepares to leave the role behind.

Writer & Director: Jasmine J. Johnson

 

I Want to Go to Moscow – LA Premiere

Mara is a disillusioned actor dealing with the terror of time. When she’s thrown into a classroom of kids rehearsing a Disneyfied version of Chekhov’s THREE SISTERS — her favorite play about existential longing – she swan dives into her own crisis of aging, nostalgia, and the loss of childhood dreams.

Writer & Director: Sarah Baskin

 

Weirdo – World Premiere

A rising actor celebrates his breakout role while secretly battling bipolar disorder, forcing him to choose between his mental health, his art, and a marriage on the edge.

Director: Creed Smith Writer: Creed Smith, Chase Gutzmore

 

Block: Black History – A powerful reflection on heritage, legacy, and the beauty that defines Black culture.

 

Boil That Cabbage Down – LA Premiere

After a Black Banjoist learns about the instrument’s forgotten history, it launches her on a lyrical journey to reclaim the joy that was lost along the way.

Director: Candace Mae Williamson

 

Return to Hockessin No. 107C – LA Premiere

Unearthing the untold origins of Brown v. Board, Return to Hockessin No. 107C follows the forgotten students of a rural Delaware school whose fight for desegregation reverberated nationwide — and whose homecoming today confronts what it means to remember, restore, and reckon with America’s past.

Director: Alexander Roy, Arcturus Newman

 

Songs of Black Folk – LA Premiere

Leading Black musicians come together for a groundbreaking Juneteenth concert in the Pacific Northwest, creating a historic moment that paves the way for future generations of Black artists.

Director: Haley Watson, Justin Emeka

 

612: Darkness in the Land of Nice – LA Premiere

In the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, A Generation Awakens, a City Transforms, a World Joins In.

Director: Diem Van Groth

 

Block: Not Quite Linear – Experimental storytelling that plays with form, structure, and perception.

 

Church Bell

(Music Video) A cast of revolutionaries gets ready for their day.

Director: Naftali Beane Rutter Writer: Tongo Eisen-Martin, Naftali Beane Rutter

 

DRAINOMANIA – LA Premiere

Unaware that her relationship is at a crossroads, lovable daydreamer Katie fails to complete a simple task at her girlfriend’s request: to clean the bathroom. As a result, Katie finds herself swirling into a fever dream that could tear her apart or maybe bind them together forever.

Writer & Director: Christopher Greenslate

 

THUMP

A teen girl prepares to leave for prom when a sudden thump halts her. Marked by the experience, she and her mother retreat into unspoken rituals—until the past demands a reckoning they can no longer ignore. Inspired by true events, “THUMP” is a raw, surreal descent into the unknown.

Writer & Director: Alexah Acuña

 

BANANAHEAD

After her mother’s disappearance, Andi Sanger hopes to land the lead role in the adaptation of her mother’s bestselling novel BANANAHEAD. But after discovering the haunting legacy within the walls of her familial home, her own aspirations threaten to tear her apart.

Writer & Director: Christopher Greenslate

 

Burnt Orange

A woman behind on payments is haunted by phone-call debt collectors, but one collector wants to harvest something more. Is the figure in her head, or does she owe a cosmic debt?

Writer & Director: Sharmila Ray

Starring: Kausar Mohammed, Vivian Bang

 

Block: Skits and Giggles – Comedy shorts delivering satire, silliness, and sharp wit.

 

Goodness Gracious – U.S. Premiere

What hilarious mishaps await two devout students as they scramble to save their faith club on the spookiest day of the year?

Director: Frazier Bostic

 

Kendrake – LA Premiere

In the aftermath of the RAP BEEF HEARD AROUND THE WORLD between KENDRICK LAMAR & DRAKE, stands a divided fanbase. When the division makes its way into corporate America, extreme measures must be taken.

Director: Affion Crockett

Starring: Affion Crockett

 

Killing Them – World Premiere

A gangster-turned-informant faces certain death at the hands of the lifelong friends he betrayed. But a last-minute confession about who he really is might just save his life…

Director: Jeremy Luke Writer: Eddie Alfano

Starring: Jeremy Luke, Carmine Giovinazzo

 

Behind the Screams

Logline: An overconfident wannabe Auteur films the ultimate Horror film, in a Haunted House—unwittingly summoning a real demon and turning his low-budget shoot into a hilarious nightmare.

Director: Chelsea Bar

Block: Quintesssentially Queer Vol. 1 – Bold, boundary-pushing queer stories celebrating identity and authenticity.

 

House of Fawcett: Dripping in Talent – World Premiere

LA based drag artist, Mylique E. Fawcett, invites the audience into her intimate process. Take a peak behind the glam as this Black Queer artist defines her art, her way, in her own words.

Director: Carter Bowden Writer: Mylique E. Fawcett

 

Heartless – LA Premiere

A closeted gay man journeys into the drag world to recover his heart after his ex-boyfriend ripped it out of his chest..

Director: Jorge Jaén Writer: Halle Schaffer

 

Outed

An overbearing mother implores her horny son to resist his urges to save him from the fate she endured.

Director: Charlie Paulin Writer: Charlie Paulin

Notable Cast: Jaymes Mansfield (RuPaul’s Drag Race, The Bitch Who Stole Christmas)

 

Sorority

A trans woman of color in the early stages of her transition learns to accept herself when welcomed into the sorority of sisterhood in the most sacred of places, the women’s restroom.

Director: Ashley Gianni Writer: Ashley Gianni, Kristen M. Scatton

 

Me Porto Bonita

Following a heartbreak two best friends embark on a day of refuge. What first started as a day of joyriding through the city quickly escalates into an adventure of revenge and exposed secrets.

Writer & Director: Cecilia Romo

 

Block: Another Day at the Office – Not quite your typical day at the office. Unions, fights, and trash – oh my!

 

Narrated By – LA Premiere

A peak behind the scenes of erotic audiobook recording, “Narrated By” follows two voice actors who might look a little different than you imagine- as they record your favorite smutty romances. Except, they may have had a failed romance of their own.

Director: Khaya Fraites Writer: Khaya Fraites

 

Trashy People

When she discovers the amount of waste while working at the recycling center, Erykah takes it upon herself to solve it.

Writer & Director: Marissa High

Starring: Arica Himmel, Jordan Connor

 

Threats – LA Premiere

In the aftermath of a robbery, a young restaurant worker takes action to reform her workplace.

Writer & Director: Quamé A. Hamlin

Starring: Jenna Z. Alvarez, A. Russell Andrews, Ramona DuBarry

 

The Interview – LA Premiere

Haunted by his violent past, an ex-con is offered one last shot at redemption — but when the interview turns into a lethal game, he must decide how far he’ll go, and who he’s willing to become, to earn his second chance.

Writer & Director: Kai Kim

Starring:  Rene Bastian, Shrihari Sathe, Peter Nashel

 

Block: Wounds for the Wounded – A darker, more complex meditation on intimacy, power dynamics and tough choices.

 

Dating Positive (+): The Truth (Web Series) – LA Premiere

As Sigourney confronts her darkest fears, The Truth exposes painful misunderstandings while challenging the silence around consent and dating with an STD.

Director: Mustafa Mahdi Writer: Indeya Dynice

 

The Rebirth – LA Premiere

An overworked waitress takes a black market abortion pill that gives her an unexpected side effect.

Writer & Director: Connie Shi

 

Blood and Milk

A day-dreaming teenager living in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans must make a life-changing decision.

Writer & Director: Eve Crusto

 

Block: What Community Looks Like – Shorts that highlight the collective spirit, showing how we build, protect, and sustain each other.

 

Sunrise In Prison (Animated)

Elizabeth “Leesa” Nomura describes her experiences as an incarcerated woman, the community she built, and the power they discovered together.

Director: Quincy Bowie Jr., Daniel Chit, Katelyn Do, Andrew R. Hong, Eve Levy, Katie Lou, Johans Saldana Guadalupe

 

A City That Cares – LA Premiere

A legal educator reflects on her work as an activist along the US-Mexico border, a journey that guides her and her students to a compassionate Texas community where generosity and empathy are deeply intertwined.

Director: Aaron Hosé Writer: Irene Pons, Joshua Rubin

 

Spam Risk

In the midst of the Covid lockdown, Petula, a young widow, finds herself isolated in her grief and disconnected from the world. As she retreats further into her isolation, she receives an unexpected phone call from Robert, a single father who mistakenly dials her number.

Writer & Director: Alessandra Carlino

 

The Village It Took

Ozanna tries to curate community on a campus of inequity, and faces the consequences that come from desperation.

Writer & Director: Victoria Wilcox

 

We Buy Houses – LA Premiere

When a house flipper encounters someone unexpected at one of his properties he reconsider his role in his community.

Writer & Director: Scott Burkhardt

 

Theatre While Black (Webseries) – LA Premiere

A docu-series that chronicles how the Robey Theatre Company—co-founded by Danny Glover and Ben Guillory—navigated decades of struggle, friendship, and perseverance, up to and through the COVID-19 pandemic. It focuses in particular on their production A Heated Discussion (written by Levy Lee Simon), inspired by the assassination of George Floyd, showing not just the rehearsal and staging of that play, but also how the company kept its identity, mission and community alive during difficult times.

Director: Jermaine Alexander Writer: Jermaine Alexander

Starring: Danny Glover

 

Block: A Better Tomorrow – Films envisioning hope, justice, and futures built on resilience.

 

Futures Without Guns – LA Premiere

Futures Without Guns invites the viewer to embark on a journey through three diverse artistic perspectives and tap into their innate creativity to envision a future where the threat of gun violence is a distant memory. It is a call to action that unites us in our collective determination to actively shape a brighter future.

Director: Kyra Knox

 

Black Longevity – LA Premiere

Black Longevity follows a remarkable group of Black elders, including a centenarian, as they defy societal expectations by embracing the fullness of their lives in their later years.

Writer & Director: Geneva Peschka

 

Block: The Price of Passion – Stories of sacrifice, ambition, and the costs of pursuing what drives us.

 

In My Spirit I Am Free – LA Premiere

Celine, a ballerina, dances for the first time since an injury.

Director: Mae Breazeale Writer: Mae Breazeale

 

The Debt – World Premiere

Depressed and hopeless, a once thriving creative director has a bizarre, yet familiar encounter with a mysterious woman while working her soul-crushing debt collection job that forces her to confront the present or be haunted by her future.

Writer & Director: Krystal Knight

 

Grace – LA Premiere

Determined to impress a record executive, Grace Gordon, a resilient trans singer, performs at a Los Angeles nightclub in pursuit of making it big during the vibrant 80s music scene.

Writer & Director: Alexandra Grey

Starring: Alexandra Grey

 

Time Is Money – LA Premiere

Jace, a financially challenged writer/director and self-proclaimed graduate of the school of Mark Duplass, delivers packages to survive while struggling to secure funds for his first indie feature. A bonus for the top-ranked delivery driver could solve his problems.

Writer & Director: Duran Jones

 

Legends

When a mistake from the admissions office grants Mahira a full ride dance scholarship to college, she’s forced to pretend she’s a dancer, all while preparing for LEGENDS — the biggest collegiate Bollywood fusion dance competition around.

Writer & Director: Suhashini Krishnan

 

Ree’s Destiny – LA Premiere

On the day of her debut, Ree, a 43-year-old aspiring rapper, is sabotaged by her defiant daughter Destiny.

Writer & Director: Steven Mosley

 

Block: Is You or Is You Aint My Baby? Vol 1 – Love in all its messy forms — heartbreak, longing, and unexpected connection.

 

Still Love You (Music Video) – LA Premiere

Based on a true story, Still Love You gives a first-hand account of the challenges a couple faces both before and after cancer devastates their lives.

Director: Alexander Ali, Sergio Lorenzan, Christian Maiko

 

Bittersweet

BITTERSWEET is an immersive, non-linear look at a timeless love that is cut short by maternal mortality.

Director: Myrakel N Baker Producer: Luca Del Puppo

 

Take the Note – World Premiere

As rising director Genesis fights to assert her authority on the set of her first major film, a power struggle with her romantic partner and lead actor threatens to blur the lines between love and leadership, forcing them both to confront what it means to truly support each other.

Director: Donovan J. Gardener Writer: Tiger A.J. Ray

 

What’s Your Dream? – LA Premiere

When a couple asks each other, ‘What’s your dream?’ Their answers unfold into a poetic love letter, discovering that the dreams they’ve been searching for have been standing right in front of them.

Director: Jasmine Ashanti, Ajima Cole Writer: Ajima Cole

 

What Do We Do – World Premiere

Director: Nate Huntley, Julia Gallagher Writer: Nate Huntley

On their anniversary, Ophelia and Daniel are faced with news that turns their entire relationship upside down, forcing them to decide: keep pretending or face a truth too big to bear?

 

Not Quite Yes – LA Premiere

Director: Melanie Johnson Writer: Melanie Johnson

Starring: Joe Chambrello

A couple enjoys a romantic night out. Until one of them asks a question that changes everything.

 

Block: Learning From Yesterday – A look back at history, memory, and how the past shapes our present choices.

 

Becoming Sidney – U.S. Premiere

Director: Ken Gregory Writer: Ken Gregory

A determined young Bahamian dishwasher finds an unexpected mentor in an elderly waiter who helps him overcome adversity and prepare for a pivotal audition, setting him on the path to becoming a legendary actor.

 

Time Setters – World Premiere

Director: Oliver Mack Calhoun Writer: Oliver Mack Calhoun

Starring: Steven Williams, Newton Mayenge, Candace Nicholas-Lippman, Sean Small

A group of time traveling vigilantes travel back in time and attempt to rescue Emmett Till.

 

Flight 182 – L.A. Premiere

Director: Rippin Sindher

Logline: Before 9/11, Air India Flight 182 was the deadliest act of aviation terrorism in the world. Based on true events, FLIGHT 182 is a heart-wrenching drama about a devoted husband caught between love, duty and political violence, as he must choose between visiting his dying mother one last time or heed warnings from a separatist group seeking revenge against the government.

 

An agitated wind

Director: Patricia Montoya

This short film uses mixed media—poetry, film, motion graphics, puppets, and toys—to tell a multigenerational story of 1950s border violence within a Texas family, based on Gloria Anzaldúa’s poems.

 

Neither Donkey Nor Horse

Director: Robin Wang Writer: Robin Wang

Starring: Chris Pang, Jim Lau, Michael Monasterio, Albert Kuo, Beryl Liu

Amidst the outbreak of the 1910 Manchurian Plague, a young Chinese doctor must defy prejudices of both the East and the West to champion his groundbreaking theory of the disease and seek the truth that will heal it.

 

Block: Growing Pains Vol. 2 – The struggles of growing up — identity, belonging, and the bittersweet edge of youth.

 

Someone to Believe (Ad) – LA Premiere

Director: Ashley Tyler

This Adidas spec ad is inspired by the “You Got This” campaign, and serves as an ode to black girls and double dutch.

 

Oh Happy Day! – LA Premiere

Director: Ivan Rome Writer: Ivan Rome

Starring: Ann Nesby, Chantal Maurice

A young boy struggles over the course of Easter week to get the attention of his crush.

 

The Dolla Party – LA Premiere

Director: Sherean Jones Writer: Sherean Jones

A teen dollar party in early 2000s North Philly gives a shy, obedient girl a night to remember when her two best friends help scheme a night of fun, freedom, and the opportunity to dance with her crush.

 

Such a Pretty Girl – LA Premiere

Director: Deborah Puette Writer: Deborah Puette

Starring: Sarah Drew, Harry Groener

Meg has returned to her childhood home to help her aging father. But when her twelve-year-old uncovers a long-forgotten relic from her past, Meg must decide in a matter of moments who she’ll protect: her parent or her child.

 

The Off-Brands – LA Premiere

Director: Shayla Racquel Writer: Shayla Racquel

Starring: Grace Duah

In a small southern town, a quirky teen with a chronic illness challenges the rigid social hierarchy of her high school when her surprising talent for double-dutch earns her both admiration and unwanted attention, forcing her to decide if she’ll stay true to herself or conform to fit in.

 

BELIEF

Director: Christian Loubek Writer: Christian Loubek

While unpacking their new home with his wife and daughter, Lennox finds a letter in a box labelled ‘Mom’. It reveals a life he doesn’t remember and a future he never expected.

 

Block: Thicker Than Water – Family dramas that explore bonds tested by love, betrayal, and survival.

 

Them That’s Not – LA Premiere

Director: Mekhai Lee Writer: Mekhai Lee

Starring: Erika Hamilton, Mykee Selkin, Blake McLennan

A sudden prison furlough unexpectedly bonds an estranged father with his emotionally avoidant daughter at their matriarch’s repass.

 

Swimming Holes – LA Premiere

Director: Kasey L. Martin Writer: Kasey L. Martin

After her grandmother’s passing, Destiny journeys to Hawaii to reconnect with her estranged sister and discovers unexpected paths to healing.

 

The Ohio, Texas Remix – LA Premiere

Director: Ya’Ke Smith Writer: Ya’Ke Smith

Starring: Sean Nelson, Veronika Bozeman, Mikala Gibson, Jasmine Shanise, Kyla Simmons

A woman travels from Ohio to Texas to kidnap her son from her estranged ex-husband.

 

We Are Not Okay

Director: Britt Banks Writer: Britt Banks Executive Producer: Anthony ‘Top Dawg’ Tiffith

Starring: Candace Nicholas-Lippman, P’Jae Compton, Zachariah Rogers

Placed in informal kinship care with distant relatives, two sisters struggle to adapt as the eldest plans to escape and care for her younger sibling on her own.

 

High Water – LA Premiere

Director: Tyquan Morton Writer: Tyquan Morton

A recently laid off longshoreman, cares for his forgetful mother, as the city around them drastically changes.

 

Block: For the Youngins, Presented By NAACP Studios

 

Carolina Cowboys

Director: Tyla Barnes

When a new generation of Black cowboys and cowgirls fights to keep their heritage alive, they turn to the wisdom of a veteran horseman who has spent his life preserving a forgotten legacy. Carolina Cowboys explores the untold story of Black equestrians in Charlotte, weaving themes of perseverance, identity, and community as they reclaim their place in history—one ride at a time.

 

Jeremiah’s Big Christmas Party – World Premiere

Director: Luke Harris

Jeremiah’s Big Christmas Party follows Jeremiah, a young man with autism, as he prepares a festive Christmas celebration for his family, exploring his journey after high school and his deep connections with loved ones and his community.

 

Odds – World Premiere

Director: Jeffery Jackson

A determined sports journalist fights to uncover the truth behind a rising NBA star’s shocking point-shaving scandal, exposing the hidden forces of pay inequity, media bias, and the dark side of sports betting—all while risking her own career in the process.

 

A Letter to You – World Premiere

Director: MyQueal Chakel Lewis

A valedictorian is preparing to give her class address but is reminded of her relationship with her mother who has a mental disorder.

 

Block: Growing Pains Vol. 1 – Early steps into adulthood told with humor, honesty, and vulnerability.

 

Unexpected

Director: Sebastian Godina Writer: Sebastian Godina

Starring: Elijah Wright

Xavier, a recovering addict, quickly succumbs back to his old habits with the help of his childhood friend, which leads to more serious consequences.

Heavy is the Head – LA Premiere

Director: Chap Edmonson

Heavy is the Head is a short experimental film that navigates the journey of a Black boy coming of age in America. The story is an exploration of identity and the expectations that weigh on a boy learning to navigate a world that often sees him before he truly sees himself.

 

Lost Woods – LA Premiere

Director: Ben Hagarty Writer: Shawn Sladburg, Ben Hagarty

Logline: After seven years of skyrocketing success, a band returns home for a highly anticipated show, facing the echoes of their past and the weight of everything they’ve built. As the excitement mounts, lingering questions of purpose and fulfillment bubble to the surface, revealing the hidden costs of fame and the crossroads between love and ambition.

 

Menthol – World Premiere

Director: Simone Brazzini Writer: Simone Brazzini

Logline: A transgender non-binary actor struggles to boost their acting career while navigating the emotional side effects of testosterone.

 

God & Buddha Are Friends

Director: Anthony Ma Writer: Anthony Ma

Starring: Jim Meskimen, Janet Hsieh, Karin Anna Cheung, Tamra Meskimen

A young Taiwanese American boy falls into an existential crisis when a charismatic Christian pastor comes between him and his overprotective Buddhist mother.

 

Block: Is You or Is You Aint My Baby? Vol. 2 – Expansive love stories examining romance, loyalty, and the many shades of commitment.

 

Black Ballerina You Should Be a Model – LA Premiere

Writer & Director: Zaire Love

Two fated strangers set out on an unforgettable first date. Will the ballerina spin into the arms of the handsome suitor?

 

The Incredible Sensational Fiancée of Sèyí Àjàyí

Writer & Director: Abbesi Akhamie

In the stylized African nation of Alkebulan, a brilliant scholar discovers her fiancé’s secret engagement and takes spectacular revenge, earning the recognition she always deserved in an unexpected way.

 

I Thought You’d Never Ask – LA Premiere

Director: Jamal Trulove Writer: Jamal Trulove

Starring: Terri J. Vaughn, Tia Nomore

A hopeless romantic begins to age mysteriously while waiting for her boyfriend to commit—until a proposal finally rekindles her youth, forcing both of them to confront what love, time, and faith really mean.

 

Always, Most of the Time – LA Premiere

Director: Victor V. Hogan II Writer: R. Alan Brooks Executive Producer: Michael Quigley

Starring: Patrick Walker

After a painful split from her boyfriend, Delilah finds herself reflecting upon what she did to contribute to the end of their relationship. But in the midst of that despair, she discovers that she can travel back to the past to fix it.

 

Block: We Got That Sci-FYE vol. 2 – Expansive speculative shorts exploring technology, identity, and otherworldly visions.

 

La Bruja

Director: Manuel Villarreal Writer: Claudia Rivera-Vazquez

Starring: Elena Campbell Martinez, Presciliana Esparolini Mayans, Oscar Reyes

A boy and his grandma find hope in a fairytale about a magical witch amidst an ICE raid.

 

Better Life

Director: Jessica Liu Writer: Jessica Liu Executive Producer: Randall Park

Starring: Randall Park

When a groundbreaking medical procedure promises to turn slackers into overachievers, an aging father sees it as his last chance to achieve the American Dream-through his unemployed adult daughter.

 

Möbius Loop

Director: Lee Peterkin Writer: Lee Peterkin

Logline: Möbius Loop is a science fiction film about a scientist, Senna, seeking to perfect a mindjumping time-travel project. Upon finding a VHS tape that compels her to delve into her family’s past, she uncovers the key to her research, but in doing so suffers deadly consequences.

 

Missing Rhythms

Director: Regina Hoyles Writer: Aja Houston Executive Producers: Jordan Calloway, Couper Samuelson, Malcolm Barrett

In a mysterious insane asylum full of missing Black women from all over the country, a woman must use rhythm to remember her true identity and fight being lost forever behind the ominous Blue Door.

 

Ivory And Gold – World Premiere

Director: Theo Brown Writer: Isaiah Thomas

After a magical family heirloom reveals his latent powers during a violent altercation, a young man from the inner city must embrace a world of magic he never knew existed to protect his family and fulfill his destiny.

 

Block: Signs of the Times – Shorts capturing the turbulence, contradictions, and urgent questions of today’s society.

 

Sometimes I Imagine Your Funeral

Director: Vince Dixon Writer: Vince Dixon

As Max prepares to eulogize his sister Chloe just minutes before her funeral, he wrestles with the anger, frustration, and grief of losing her to an overdose, attempting to understand who Chloe was.

 

Made in America – LA Premiere

Director: Maritza Cruz Writer: Maritza Cruz

Starring: Julia Vera, Lisandra Tena

Xiomara and Ana, two Central American migrant teens, work the late-night shift at a garment factory. When Ana goes missing after staying for an extra shift, ‘Xo’ searches for her friend, only to uncover Ana never made it home. Her search leads her back to the factory, where she’s faced with a devastating truth.

 

Judas Goat – World Premiere

Director: Luwam Tekeste Writer: Luwam Tekeste

Starring: Keeya King

On the day of student standardized testing, a new substitute teacher at Blackburn Public School grows suspicious of the faculty’s unsettling behavior, uncovering a web of moral dilemmas.

 

Once Upon A Dime

Director: Lauren Julia Writer: Lauren Julia

Starring: Quincy Chad

Nkosi plans and executes the perfect date, but as the sun sets, we realize that things with Nkosi aren’t quite what they seem.

 

La Bala

Director: Brie Zepeda Writer: Brie Zepeda

Starring: Andrea Londo

When a midnight train derails on the journey from Arizona to Mexico, three generations of women are forced to confront devastating loss while carrying the weight of survival in a story drawn from real events.

 

ADO

Director: Sam Henderson Writer: Sam Henderson

Starring: Jenifer Lewis

Ms. Hopkins is rehearsing Much Ado About Nothing with her middle school theatre class, when it is interrupted by a school shooter.

 

Block: A Quest Into the Unknown – Whimsical and mysterious adventures into worlds of fantasy and imagination.

 

30 Percent – World Premiere

Director: MICO MARZ

A confident Ninja and a tense Robot clash on a chaotic mocap set, forcing their overwhelmed Director to control egos and try to save the shoot.

 

Zora and The Zebra – LA Premiere

Director: Amirah J Adem Writer: Amirah J Adem

In a lush jungle, warrior Zora defies sabotage from her rival Sizwe to find a Zebra.

 

Beyond

Director: Bettina López Mendoza Writer: Bettina López Mendoza

A young girl who’s given up her childhood to survive crossing the treacherous Darien Gap discovers a portal to a magical world where she learns to be a kid again.

 

Em & Selma Go Griffin Hunting

Director: Alexander Thompson Writer: Alexander Thompson

Starring: Milly Shapiro, Pollyanna McIntosh

A dark neo-western coming-of-age fable about mothers, daughters & the beasts they hunt.

 

Block: Family Matters – Stories that showcase the struggles, humor, and love within families.

 

Sorry I Missed Your Call – LA Premiere

Director: Hae Ji Cho Writer: Hae Ji Cho

Through a series of real voicemails, SORRY I MISSED YOUR CALL explores the guilt, responsibility, pressures, and burnout behind a woman’s experience as a caretaker for her beloved grandmother as her Alzheimer’s progresses, as well as her grandmother’s own anxieties and loneliness in the absence of a proper support system for either of them.

 

Disabled: A Love Story

Director: Sheila M. Sofian

“Disabled: A Love Story” is an animated documentary that explores the relationship and struggles of Terry, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, and her husband Jon, who has cared for her since her diagnosis.

 

The Boy – World Premiere

Director: Nazir K Alston Writer: Nazir K Alston

In 2004 Philadelphia, “The Boy” unfolds as young Kareem makes a life-altering decision protecting his mother from a rogue henchman of corrupt politician Jameson Floyd.

 

Hormones for Breakfast – LA Premiere

Director: Jami Ramberan Writer: Jami Ramberan

In the midst of IVF treatment, a happy couple’s morning ritual triggers an emotional rollercoaster as they strive to do the one thing that will bring them closer.

 

#1 BAD DAD

Director: Natalie Camou Writer: Kyle Selby

A jaded ex-supervillain is visited by his long lost daughter and learns what it means to be a father.

 

Block: A Father’s Love – Tender explorations of paternal bonds, sacrifice, and enduring devotion.

 

Wednesdays with Gramps

Director: Chris Copeland, Justin Copeland Writer: Chris Copeland, Justin Copeland

When a teenage boy visits his Gramps at a seemingly mundane boring assisted living facility, he comes to find that they have much more in common than he thought. “Wednesdays with Gramps” is a story about connection, communication, and commonality, without saying a word.

 

Father Time – LA Premiere

Director: Eli Joshua Adé Writer: Eli Joshua Adé

Starring: Eiland Phoenix Adé, Sean Anthony Baker, Tequilla Whitfield

With 15 minutes left a father has to figure out how to say goodbye.

 

Mosh – LA Premiere

Director: Portlynn Tagavi Writer: Harim Sanchez

Starring: Jorge Luis-Pallo

A desperate father struggles to bond with his son while taking him to a concert for his birthday.

 

El Tiguere

Director: Andrew J Rodriguez Writer: Andrew J Rodriguez Executive Producer: Lin Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, In the Heights, Moana)

Starring: Elvis Nolasco

In the face of food insecurity and a harsh legal system in the Bronx, a Dominican immigrant operates his mobile food garden under the radar, determined to rebuild his life and repair his relationship with his estranged son.

 

Sugar Dumplin – LA Premiere

Director: Tristan Barrocks Writer: Tristan Barrocks

A young woman tries to reconnect with her estranged father, who has dementia, by creating dishes from his Jamaican childhood to bridge their emotional gap.

 

Block: Quintesssentially Queer Vol. 2 – Bold, vulnerable, and unapologetic explorations of queer identity and experience.

 

I Know Him So Well

Director: Chance Calloway

The jewel-toned animation of queer teenage love is chronicled by guitar-playing mermen and the vocals of AJ Rafael and Chance Calloway.

 

I’m The Most Racist Person I Know – LA Premiere

Director: Leela Varghese Writer: Leela Varghese

Starring: Shabana Azeez

When Lali unexpectedly ends up on a date with another woman of color for the first time, it unravels prejudices she has long ignored

 

Zari

Director: Shruti Parekh Writer: Shruti Parekh

Amidst preparations for her sister’s wedding in India, young American Neelu forges an unexpected connection with Zeyb, a quiet sari store clerk with a secret.

 

One Day This Kid

Director: Alexander Farah Writer: Alexander Farah

One day this kid will reach a point where he senses a division that isn’t mathematical.

Starring: Joaquin Cardoner

 

Orion’s Quest – LA Premiere

Director: Steven Chew Writer: Steven Chew

Starring: Dyllon Burnside, Michelle Mitchenor

Before a powerful eclipse occurs, an extraterrestrial being must finalize his mission to comprehend love by exploring the romantic relationships between Black gay men.

 

Block: Dating Woes – Love gone wrong — awkward, funny, and heartbreakingly real stories of dating in modern times.

 

Delusionally, Ari

Director: Henry Severe

An anxious teen seeks her friends’ advice on confessing her true feelings to her classmate-turned-best friend.

 

Something Between Us – LA Premiere

Director: Prashanth Sampathkumaran

An upbeat choreographer must make an impression on her first big job but finds herself falling for her new client, an unteachable Bollywood star.

 

Single AF – World Premiere

Director: Louise Cousins Writer: Louise Cousins

Starring: KeiLyn Durrel Jones, Ashley Denise Robinson

When Becks learns her biological clock has only six months left, she launches into a frantic race for love, marriage, and motherhood because nothing says romance like a deadline.

 

AN ALMOST SUCCESSFUL DATING APP LOVE STORY

Director: Winter Coleman Writer: Winter Coleman

Starring: Caleb Hearon, Olivia Washington, Derrick King

It ends the same for us all.

 

Love is Blind – LA Premiere

Director: Parneille Walker Writer: Parneille Walker

Starring: Brandon Fobbs, Melvin Jackson Jr., Aasha Davis, Ivonnah Erskine

Chris, a young man on the rebound from a failed relationship, reluctantly arrives for a blind date with a woman in a red dress. But as the evening unfolds, he’s lead into a night of cringe-worthy and unexpected twists.

 

CHASERS

Director: Erin Brown Thomas Writer: Erin Brown Thomas, Ciarra Krohne

Starring: Shannon Gisela

A starry-eyed musician navigates an LA party, chasing her crush while desperately dodging the heartbreaking secret that could shatter her pursuit.

 

Block: Culture Clash Vol. 1 – Cross-cultural experiences that challenge and celebrate difference.

 

HALF – World Premiere

Director: Arti Ishak Writer: Arti Ishak

Sri is always the wrong “half’ for any situation they are in. Not Asian enough, not Arab enough, never American or Muslim enough. Until they meet Erren, a Black American Muslim working through his own identity who might see Sri as a whole for the first time. HALF explores the comedy of navigating multiple identities in a world that constantly forces you to check one box.

 

Nothing New Under The Sun – U.S. Premiere

Director: Damisi, Chen Yu

Nothing New Under The Sun is a documentary that creates conversation about two cultures, Hip-Hop and Kung Fu, that share the same vision through movement and identity.

 

Food for the Soul – LA Premiere

Director: Chisom Chieke Writer: Chisom Chieke

Starring: Marcus Scribner, Karen Obilom, Richard Mofe-Damijo

A first-generation Nigerian American and her Black American partner must decide between being true to themselves or trying to live up to their families’ expectations.

 

Unfamily – U.S. Premiere

Director: Siddharth Sharma, Paul Persic Writer: Siddharth Sharma, Mitchell Jaramillo

Starring: Mark Taylor, Al Mukadam

An international student is forced to confront complex family dynamics to avoid deportation.

 

Best Eyes

Director: Kira Powell Writer: Kira Powell

Starring: Jackie Cruz

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.

 

Block: The Choices We Make – Decisions that define us — stories about agency, fate, and consequence.

 

By the Lake

Director: Alex Dauphin Writer: Alex Dauphin

Starring: Anissa Matlock, Sarafina King, Kellen Boyle, Lee Osorio

When a White, Appalachian woman collides with a Black outsider in rehab, each must decide whether to take a leap into the unknown: sobriety.

 

Isle of Devils – World Premiere

Director: Stas Bondarenko Writer: Kalilah Robinson

Starring: Katie Parker

In 1543, a Portuguese missionary washes ashore on the Isles of Bermuda after his ship is torn apart in a violent storm. Superstition says that sprytes and demons hold dominion on these shores, a terrifying prospect for Father Damiåo, the sole survivor of his ill-fated ship. As he struggles to survive, Damiåo encounters an aloof and mysterious woman, and his curiosity, combined with a desperate need for companionship, draws him to her despite his wariness about who, or what, she might be.

 

Honoring My Choice – World Premiere

Director: Donovan J. Gardener, Maiyah Mayhan

Honoring My Choice is a documentary that amplifies the voices of Black women as they share their personal experiences with abortion and reproductive health. Through intimate interviews, it highlights the courage, resilience, and complexity of choosing one’s own path in the face of stigma, racism, and systemic barriers.

 

The Ride

Director: Slava Denisov Writer: Grigory Borodavkin

A ’76 Plymouth reflects on its journey, witnessing decades of human life, capturing moments of freedom, temptation, and redemption as it changes hands from one owner to the next.

 

Block: Life & Death Vol. 2 – A continuation of the exploration of mortality, legacy, and resilience.

 

Erlkönig

Director: Morgan Middleton, Charlie Driscoll Writer: Morgan Middleton

In a powerful exploration of racial and health disparities, classical music takes center stage when a father and son confront the ominous figure of Der Erlkönig, the whisperer of death.

 

The Vote

Director: Sylvia Ray Writer: Sylvia Ray

Starring: Juanita Jennings

Siblings Jessica and Robbie face the heart-wrenching choice to keep their mother on life support or let her go, sparking a tense family vote.

 

Mama Deserves to be Served – LA Premiere

Director: Nikki Syreeta Writer: Nikki Syreeta

Starring: Merrick McCartha, Alycia Cooper

Grief mixes with family dynamics as siblings squabble over their late mother’s ashes.

 

EL Lloron

Director: Rodrigo Moreno-Fernandez Writer: Rodrigo Moreno-Fernandez Producer: Ramona Mickey Sumner

Starring: Bobby Soto, Renêe Victor, Valente Rodriguez

FELIPE is a professional mourner. He is compensated for lamenting and comforting grieving families during funerals.

 

What Happens Now? – LA Premiere

Director: Imole J.O Ladipo Writer: Toluwani Osibe Obayan

Starring: Eric Roberts, Akah Nnani, Nene Nwoko, Rotimi Paul

After years of grief, a man finally comes face-to-face with his father’s killer, forcing him to choose between vengeance and forgiveness in a moment that will define the rest of his life.

 

Block: True Sports Stories – Real tales of athletes, perseverance, and the power of the game.

 

PUMA SPEC AD – LA Premiere

Director: Daniel Jefferson, Cameron Miles Writer: Davon Smith

Starring: Aspen Kennedy, Tray Milz, Davon Smith

A once-promising athlete battles self-doubt and physical setbacks after fifteen months away from the ring.

 

I Forgot to Tell You About…The Story of The Cleveland Buckeyes – LA Premiere

Director: Evelyn Renee Gregory Writer: Evelyn Renee Gregory

“I Forgot To Tell You About …The Story of The Cleveland Buckeye’s” uncovers the extraordinary story of the Cleveland Buckeyes, the Negro League World Series champions whose remarkable achievement was nearly lost to history.

 

Moving Mountains

Director: Jessa Williams Writer: Jessa Williams

Moving Mountains is a raw and inspiring journey of Tre’lan, a young Black man from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who escapes his troubled past to find redemption on a remote Hawaiian island. Through the transformative power of big wave surfing, Tre’lan confronts his trauma, embraces healing, and discovers the resilience to reshape his future, finding peace in the ocean’s most powerful waves.

 

Legend Has It: The Remarkable Rise of Stephen McCain

Director: Hisonni Mustafa Writer: Hisonni Mustafa

From childhood dreams to Olympic triumphs, Legend Has It: The Remarkable Rise of Stephen McCain unveils the resilience, sacrifice, and heart of an athlete whose pursuit of greatness redefined what it means to be a legend.

 

Block: To Be A Woman vol. 2 – Feminine strength, difficulties, and vulnerability in its many forms.

 

THEY CALL ME THE TATTOO WITCH

Director: Lindsay Nyman Writer: Lindsay Nyman

In Hanoi, Vietnam, tattoo artist Tran Ngoc specializes in the rare and challenging art of tattooing over scars. Despite the social stigma surrounding tattoos in Vietnam, Ngoc empowers her clients, including breast cancer survivors and women with self-harm scars, to reclaim their bodies, demonstrating that her work is a profound act of compassion and resilience.

 

I Wish I Were Pretty – LA Premiere

Director: Hanah Chang Writer: Hanah Chang

An insecure Korean-American woman struggles with old resentments against her beautiful best friend, exposing the impossible beauty standards that caused them.

 

Don’t be late, Myra

Director: Afia Serena Nathaniel Writer: Afia Serena Nathaniel Executive Producer: Rene Bastian, Shrihari Sathe

A missed school bus leaves ten-year-old Myra stranded in Lahore, where her journey home spirals into a tense fight for survival against the men who stalk her every step.

 

Maggie’s Not Okay

Director: Vance Smith Writer: Mouzam Makkar

Maggie, a chronic people pleaser, is always getting pushed around. But when she tries to return a lost cat to his owner, Maggie is finally pushed too far and decides to push back… in a most unexpected way.

 

Block: Family Secrets vs Family Legacy – Generational dramas that uncover hidden truths and enduring bonds.

 

Way Back Home

Director: Chad Hamilton Writer: Chad Hamilton

Estranged siblings must choose between selling their late grandmother’s home, or maintaining her legacy in a rapidly changing neighborhood.

 

15 Lines – LA Premiere

Director: Sharon Samuels Writer: Imanne Mondane

A young architect at a pivotal stage in his career discovers a journal in his childhood home that contains information about his family’s past. As he uncovers the legacy embedded in these pages, he finds direction for his own future.

 

Unknown Asset – LA Premiere

Director: Wilson Lamont Writer: Dustin Green

Starring: Ashleigh Morghan, Colin Richard Allen

When two Siblings find a threatening letter on their business doorstep, they are led on a quest to find hidden assets left by their late father before the neighborhood gang claims it for their own.

 

Sins of a Father

Director: Nuekellar Hardy Writer: Nuekellar Hardy

Amidst echoes of his past, Bryan embarks on a heartfelt quest to rewrite his future, confronting his father to break the chains of generational trauma and carve out his own legacy of love and growth

 

Sorrows of Yesterday – LA Premiere

Director: Kevin Saunders Writer: Kevin Saunders

Suffering from the sorrows of his past, a dejected man gets an unexpected visitor that reminds him of a valuable lesson: Every decision, good or bad, has consequences.

 

117 Years of Movie Bullsh*t – World Premiere

Director: Candice Vernon

Frank and Candice, two aspiring Hollywood stars are sent back in time, during the Gone With the Wind Era, by the evil Dick Whitman, an old school studio exec. As Frank and Candice try to get back to the present time, they keep getting stuck in movies of the past as token Black characters.

 

Block: To Be A Woman Vol. 1 – Stories of identity, friendship, and unexpected bonds.

How to Deal With Fame

Director: Tiffany Ike Writer: Tiffany Ike

When a masculine-presenting actress gets cast as the leading lady in a musical where her character dresses the opposite of her, her mother’s arrival for the performance reminds her of the womanhood she lacks.

 

Reminisce

Director: Leslie Morris Writer: Ashna Sharan

25 years younger than her husband, a woman’s world is turned upside down when her husband’s college classmates come to visit.

 

Sistahood: A Story of Strength – LA Premiere

Director: Jessica R. Chaney

The documentary follows Black, transgender women in Memphis, Tennessee, as they find hope and resilience through the community organization My Sistah’s House

 

SAVAGE SEASON

Director: Nardeep Khurmi Writer: Crystal Boyd

Starring: Devere Rogers, Crystal Boyd

Inspired by a true story, Gia, a relationship junkie, ends things with her long-term partner of seven years and finds herself alone and lost in a late-night pharmacy, tortured by her own thoughts. Ambushed by her friends, Gia is challenged to dream bigger and awaken from autopilot before her 30th birthday. This 15 minute short film is about mental health, reclaiming your inner child, burning down everything that comes with “adult autopilot,” and reinventing yourself. It explores the intimacy that happens when you let your friends witness you as you’re falling apart.

 

Block: Love & Laughs – Romantic comedies full of quirks, humor, and the chaos of connection.

 

BeforeHand

Director: Alphonso McAuley Writer: Alphonso McAuley

Starring: Eddie Blackwell Williams, Alphonso McAuley

A thrifty customer encounters a first hand experience while shopping at a second hand store.

 

I Hate My Love Life – LA Premiere

Director: Tiffany Jackman Writer: Tiffany Jackman

Starring: Reggie Hayes, Terri J Vaughn, Roy Wood Jr., Daphnique Springs, Orion Phillips II, Meghan Falcone

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.

 

Brass Tacks – LA Premiere

Director: Katrina Cebreiro Writer: Katrina Cebreiro

Starring: J Young MDK

A millennial couple navigates the clash between their personal truths and the relentless demands of their wildly successful YouTube brand, but it is getting harder to tell what is real or what is just a show and is the show creating their reality or their reality creating the show.

 

Connie & Clyde – World Premiere

Director: Celeste Chaney Writer: Christopher Long

Sometimes working with your significant other is a great idea. For Connie and Clyde, it might be the worst. After a job goes wrong (at least according to Connie), she insists they confront the issue immediately, which might cost them their pay day and their relationship.

 

Block: Culture Clash Vol. 2 –  Stories of identity, difference, and the intersections where cultures meet.

 

Nwa (Black)

Director: Hans Augustave Writer: Hans Augustave

Frantz, a first-generation Haitian-American, is tasked with getting a haircut without the usual supervision of his strict immigrant father Jean. Left to his own devices, Frantz decides on a more trendy haircut, connecting him to the Black American culture his father warned him not to embrace.

 

I Came with Earrings

Director: Jonathan Caren Writer: Jonathan Caren, Hahn Ponder

Prior to a big Akido test, Leah’s adoptive moms gifts them with a pair of earrings that came with them upon adoption. This sends Leah into a psychological tailspin where they must overcome more than just a brown belt test.

 

Crossing The Desert

Director: Reena Dutt Writer: Anu Bhatt

Ignoring her mother’s warning, Antara uses Google Translate to come out to her grandmother in India. Facing mistranslation and renewed tensions, can mother and daughter love each other for who they really are, or just who they want the other to be?

 

A Beauty Supply In Queens

Director: Oluseyi Olatujoye Writer: Oluseyi Olatujoye

Starring: Caroline Chikezie

A Beauty Supply in Queens follows Ms. Aji, a Nigerian mother, and her daughter Tobi as they navigate the challenges of running a beauty supply store in Queens. Amidst fierce competition and underhanded tactics from rivals, the film celebrates their resilience and the strength of their community.

 

Special Events Panels, Masterclasses, and Spotlights

 

Actors Workshop with Chris Greene

Friday, October 24, 2025 | 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM

Step into the craft with acclaimed actor Christopher Greene in this intimate, hands-on workshop. From emotional access to performance technique, Greene shares the tools that have helped him navigate Hollywood as an actor of color. Perfect for emerging talent ready to sharpen their craft and leave with actionable skills.

Speaker: Chris Greene

 

Screenwriters’ Room Rants with Hillard Guess

Presented by Screenwriters’Room Rants

Friday, October 24, 2025 | 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM

A no-holds-barred look at the writer’s room, what really happens behind closed doors in Hollywood. Veteran writer Hillard Guess and co-host, award-winning actor/director/producer Denzel Whitaker, break down the highs, lows, and hard truths of TV and film. Expect real talk, industry gems, and stories you won’t hear anywhere else.

Moderator/Curator: Hillard Guess and Denzel Whitaker

 

Career Retrospective: How I Built My Digital Empire with Kinigra Deon

Friday, October 24, 2025 | 2:00 PM – 3:15 PM

From viral skits to building a global brand, Kinigra Deon shares how she turned authenticity into influence and influence into an empire. A deep dive into the artistry, strategy, and business savvy behind one of today’s most powerful digital voices.

Speaker: Kinigra Deon

 

Drawn Together: The Art & Impact of Animation

Friday, October 24, 2025 | 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM

The minds behind some of your favorite animated worlds come together to discuss craft, pipelines, and the future of storytelling through animation. Featuring creatives from Warner Bros., Sony, and indie collectives, this panel is a must for anyone passionate about the limitless power of animation.

Speakers: Peter Hastings, Neil Wade, and c.Craig

 

The Future of Film & TV: A State of the Industry Panel Address

Friday, October 24, 2025 | 5:15 PM – 6:30 PM

 

From streaming wars to shifting audience habits, Hollywood is in flux. Hear directly from industry insiders as they unpack the latest trends in film and TV: where stories are headed, how budgets are shifting, and what it means for creators on every level.

Speakers: Eric Pertilla, Aundrea Posey, Kyle Brett, and Erika Bryant

From Buzz to Breakthrough: Marketing, PR, and Positioning Your Film for Success

Friday, October 24th 2025 | 7:00 PM – 8:15 PM | Presented by: Verbal Slick Agency | Learn how to build buzz, secure press, and connect with audiences. This panel explores branding, festival PR, and strategic positioning to help your film stand out and succeed on and beyond the screen. | Moderator/Curator: Verona “VJ” Jones

CARBON COPY: Climate Narrative Pitch Competition: Join us Saturday, October 25th | 9:00 AM at The Culver Theater in Culver City for a dynamic pitch event where storytellers present bold, climate-integrated film and TV concepts to a panel of industry judges. Open to screenwriters, producers, and creatives across genres, this competition bridges compelling storytelling with environmental impact.

The World Builders: Production & Costume Design in Action

Saturday, October 25, 2025 | 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM

Production and costume design are the unsung heroes of storytelling. Join top designers as they reveal how visual choices from color palettes to wardrobe details shape character, atmosphere, and narrative. A masterclass in collaboration and creative vision.

Speakers: Margaret Robbs, Ramsey Avery, Philip Messina, Mynka Draper

 

Show Me the Money: The Economics of Film & TV

Saturday, October 25, 2025 | 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM

Presented By: Cvl Economics

Where creativity meets capital. Industry expert Adam J. Fowler breaks down the dollars behind the impact, exploring indie budgets, studio spending trends, and what every filmmaker needs to know about the economic forces driving Hollywood today.

Speaker: Adam J. Fowler

 

Story & Soul: A Conversation with Felicia Pride

Saturday, October 25, 2025 | 2:00 PM – 3:15 PM

Award-winning writer and producer Felicia Pride (Grey’s Anatomy, Queen Sugar) opens up about her journey, her creative process, and her mission to amplify Black voices in film and television. A rare, interactive session for storytellers seeking inspiration and truth.

Speakers: Felicia Pride

Moderator: Courtney L. Branch

 

Founders Talkback: How we built the Micheaux Film Festival

Presented by Braham Entertainment, panel guests to be announced

Saturday, October 25, 2025 | 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM

A candid debrief with the Micheaux Film Festival’s founders on building a platform from scratch, what worked, what didn’t, and what’s next. From programming and partnerships to community impact and sustainability, Noel and Courtney share hard-won lessons and take audience questions for an unfiltered, practical conversation.

Speakers: Noel Braham and Courtney L Branch

 

Behind the Page: How Showrunners Stay Inspired – On & Off the Air

Presented by Undeniable Films

Saturday, October 25, 2025 | 5:00 PM – 6:15 PM

Television may be in its toughest era yet, but the creativity hasn’t stopped. Join the writers, directors, and showrunners behind All American, Bel-Air, Black-ish, and more as they share how they navigate shrinking budgets, shifting platforms, and the pressure to hook audiences faster than ever. This is a rare, unfiltered look at the craft, the struggle, and the resilience that keep your favorite shows on the air.

Speakers: Jamie Turner (All American, Being Mary Jane), Devon Greggory (American Soul, The Game), The James Twins (Bel-Air, Empire), Princess Monique (Black-ish, BMF, The Goldbergs, Greenleaf), Craig T. Williams (Lake Drive, Game Night)

Moderator/Curator: Donna-Marie Reid

A Casting Panel: Breaking into the New Hollywood

Presented by Shicken Productions

Saturday, October 25, 2025 | 6:30 PM – 7:45 PM

Step inside the world of casting with an in-depth conversation that goes beyond the audition room. Our panelists will unpack the current state of the industry, share self-tape strategies, demystify the casting process, and discuss what it takes to build a career in casting. For performers, this is also your chance to learn how to truly stand out as an artist.

This session promises practical insights, candid advice, and a behind-the-scenes look at what decision-makers are really looking for. We’ll close with an interactive Q&A so you can get your most pressing questions answered directly.

Speakers: TBA

Moderator/Curator: Freddy Giorlando

 

Going Viral, Staying Vital: Kinigra Deon Master Class

Sunday, October 26, 2025 | 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM

Go deeper with digital mega star Kinigra Deon. In this exclusive masterclass, she breaks down the business of content creation, how to scale, monetize, and collaborate with brands while staying authentic and connected to your audience.

Speaker: Kinigra Deon

 

Laughter, Legacy & Life Lessons: A Fireside Chat with Tommy Davidson

Presented by Undeniable Films

Sunday, October 26, 2025 | 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

From In Living Color to The Proud Family, Tommy Davidson has spent more than three decades shaping culture through comedy in stand-up, film, television, and voice acting. In this intimate conversation, Tommy opens up about his journey, the cultural impact of his work, new ventures, and life lessons learned behind the laughter. This is a must-see event at the Micheaux Film Festival.

Speaker: Tommy Davidson

Moderator/Curator: Donna-Marie Reid

 

Socials and Special Events

 

Opening Night Soiree  | The Black Out

Thursday, October 23rd

Guests will enjoy curated cocktails, live music, and a first taste of the electric energy that defines the festival. Set against a sleek, underground vibe, this night is where fashion, film, and culture collide.

Location: Blind Barber | 10797 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232

Time: 9:00PM

 

Quick Cup Meet-Up

Friday, October 24th

Start the day with community. Join fellow filmmakers for a casual coffee meet-up at Carasau Coffee. This is a space to spark conversations, exchange ideas, and build connections before the day’s screenings and panels kick off.

Location: Carasau Cafe – 3912/3918 Van Buren Pl, Culver City, CA 90232

Time: 9:00AM

 

VIP/Filmmaker Mixer | The Warriors Circle

Friday, October 24th

An intimate evening designed to connect filmmakers, industry insiders, and VIP guests. This mixer is all about building bridges, from sparking collaborations to forging lifelong creative relationships. With a relaxed atmosphere, great music, and crafted drinks, it’s the perfect chance to celebrate artistry and expand your network.

Location: The Culver Theater Lobby – 9500 Culver Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232

Time: 8:00PM

 

Quick Cup Meet-Up

Saturday,October 25th

Fuel your creativity with caffeine and connection. Our Saturday Quick Cup Meet-Up gives filmmakers/guests another chance to network in a relaxed setting, share experiences, and lay the foundation for future collaborations.

Location: Carasau – 3912/3918 Van Buren Pl, Culver City, CA 90232

Time: 9:00AM

 

Closing Night Party | The Young Hollywood Gold Celebration

Saturday, October 25th

We’re closing the festival with a bang. The Gold Party at One Culver celebrates the next generation of talent, the bold voices of Young Hollywood making their mark and the filmmakers paving the way. Expect high-energy vibes, gold-inspired style, and a night that blurs the line between soiree and cultural moment.

Location: One Culver – 10000 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232

Time: 8:00PM

 

Awards Show

Sunday, October 26th

The grand finale of #Micheaux7. Join us as we honor the filmmakers and visionaries who shaped this year’s festival. From moving speeches to unforgettable wins, the Awards Show is a night of recognition, reflection, and celebration of creativity at its highest level.

Location: The Culver Theater – 9500 Culver Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232

Time: 6:00PM

 

Sponsors

Braham Entertainment, NAACP Studios, 2nd District of Culver City (Holly J. Mitchell) and Culver City

Panel Partners

Undeniable Films, Cvl Economics, Shicken Productions, and Screenwriters’Room Rants

 

About the Micheaux Film Festival

Founded in Los Angeles, the Micheaux Film Festival is a premier multicultural platform that champions underrepresented storytellers and connects emerging talent with studios, streamers, press, and audiences. Through screenings, red-carpet premieres, panels, mentorship, and workforce programs, Micheaux builds pathways for discovery and industry access across film, television, and digital media. Learn more at micheauxfilmfest.com.