The Micheaux Film Festival has revealed the full program for its seventh edition, coming to The Culver Theater and surrounding venues October 23–26, 2025. This year’s lineup is packed with features, documentaries, series premieres, shorts, panels, masterclasses, and special events. Get ready for 36 World Premieres and over 100 Los Angeles Premieres! Micheaux Film Festival is all about elevating storytellers, showcasing visionary work from around the globe, and pushing the limits of independent cinema.
The 2025 edition broke submission records, with nearly half of the directors being first-timers or early in their careers. Entries spanned generations, from Gen Z to those 65 and older, with the 26-35 age group leading the pack. Over 60% of projects reported majority women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ crews. Eight percent of directors identified as having a disability, and submissions represented a broad range of ethnic backgrounds, 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
Daddy’s Girl – World Premiere
After her father’s death, a woman unravels layers of grief through an endless journey to healing.
- Writer & Director: L. Michael Lee
Closing Night Gala: She Dances – LA Premiere
A father and daughter attempt to repair their relationship and reconcile a shared tragedy against the backdrop of the “Young Miss Southeast Regional Dance Finals.”
- Writer & Director: Rick Gomez
- Starring: Steve Zahn, Audrey Zahn, Ethan Hawke, Mackenzie Ziegler, Rosemarie DeWitt, Sonequa Martin-Green
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 George
- Writer: 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 Bartel
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
