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2025 Festival Schedule
Please note: The schedule is subject to change. Start times may shift and could be off by a few minutes, so we encourage guests to arrive early and stay flexible as we move through the festival program.
*SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE FOR ALL SCREENINGS*
Thursday - Reclamation and Renewal
Starting at 7:00pm, Doors 6:30p
We open with a story rooted in land and legacy. Farming While Black chronicles how Soul Fire Farm transformed fallow land into one of the country’s most impactful food and educational institutions under Leah Penniman’s leadership. It’s a meditation on reclamation — of soil, of culture, of agency — setting the tone for a festival about resilience and vision.
📍 Spectrum 8 Theater
Panel: Storytelling & Food Justice
Screening: Farming While Black
Opening Night Mixer at Renaissance Hotel
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Friday- The Edges of Belonging
Starting at 11:00am
Friday dives into the fragile, complicated pursuit of belonging. Outdoor School explores the coming-of-age struggles of a child who only feels seen in nature. Force of Blue puts us inside the life of a Black cop coaching football in Minneapolis in the shadow of George Floyd’s murder. Documentaries like Belonging Beyond Brown and Me Period examine identity and community directly, while shorts like Naturally Crowned, Love Is Blind, and LAUNDRY shine smaller but powerful spotlights on intimacy, recognition, and selfhood. Even darker works like Perils of Otranto and You Were Dead Yesterday remind us that the need to be seen can take twisted forms. The evening closes with TRESSA, a centerpiece of resilience and visibility.
📍 Renaissance Hotel Ballroom
Outdoor School — Feature
Force of Blue — Feature
Nya Does Nothing — Short
LAUNDRY — Short
The Order — Short
Perils of Otranto — Short
all the love i could handle — Short
Naturally Crowned — Short
Love Is Blind — Short
NOVO ATLANTICO — Short
You Were Dead Yesterday — Short
Belonging Beyond Brown — Feature
Welcome — Feature Narrative
6:00P Panel: Community & Craft (1:00)
Vanished (Special Feature, 1:32)
R&B Night w/ Special Performances by Aila Chiar and Morganical
alongside DJ TGIF @ The Fuze Box
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Saturday – Memory & Transformation
Starting at 11:00am
Theme: Saturday journeys through memory and transformation — personal, communal, and historical. Films like The Journey East and EACH recall heritage and culture; Return of the Mack reframes narratives of music, struggle, and triumph; Wait Until Tomorrow testifies to resilience. Shorts like Rehash, After the Rain, and Yasodhara bring intimate reckonings with grief, time, and identity, while RISE throws us into the ring with a young fighter. A Mess of Memories digs deep into family and history, showing how memory shapes who we are. Anchored by Jamal’s special feature, the evening closes with a film that embodies the festival’s spirit: transformation through vision and storytelling.
EACH — Feature
The Journey East — Feature
RETURN OF THE MACK — Feature
15 Lines — Short
Rehash — Short
After the Rain — Short
Yasodhara — Short
RISE — Short
In Process — Short
Wait Until Tomorrow — Feature
Panel: Future of Film (1:00)
Final Hour (Special Feature, 1:40)
9p Saturday Afterparty w DJ Celeb @ Renaissance Hotel
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Sunday – Celebration & Continuity
11:00–1:00 PM
Theme: Our final day is lighter in screenings but heavier in meaning — a morning to gather, reflect, and honor the work we’ve shared. Over breakfast and awards, we recognize not only the artistry of the films but the communities they represent. Closing remarks look ahead, carrying the energy of the weekend into the futures we are building together.
📍 Renaissance Hotel
Light Breakfast & Social Hour
Awards Ceremony
Closing Remarks
