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By Indie Means Necessary

The BlackStar Film Festival is an annual celebration of the visual and storytelling traditions of the African diaspora and of global indigenous communities, showcasing films by black people from around the world.

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RT @VashtiHarrison: Pirelli's reminding me 2 get back 2 an old project #aliceinwonderland The 1st time I wanted 2 do this was in 2010! Hope…

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Instagram

  • Catch @nomfundo_shortfilm at this year's #blackstarfilmfestival Short Narrative | South Africa, 2017, 15 min. North America Premiere Nomfundo is a short film about a tormented and impulsive young woman who is pregnant with her first child. When Nomfundo is betrayed by the two people she holds dear to her heart, she makes an erratic decision that unleashes a tragic chain of events. She flees from the repercussions of her actions and has a transcendental encounter that changes the course of her life forever. Dir. @sihle_hlophe Shorts Program 3 Friday, Aug. 4, 12:45 PM
  • At this year's #blackstarfilmfestival: Night Shift Short Narrative | United States, 2017, 16 min. Philadelphia Premiere Get a glimpse into a day in the life of a bathroom attendant in a Los Angeles nightclub. Dir. Marshall Tyler Shorts Program 5 Friday, Aug. 4, 6:00 PM
  • At this year's #blackstarfilmfestival: New Neighbors Short Narrative | United States, 2017, 9 min. Philadelphia Premiere How far will a mother go to protect her children? A 2017 Sundance Official Selection, New Neighbors is a story about a mother and her two sons who move to a new neighborhood. Considering all the killings and assaults on Black lives, she is determined to keep her family safe. A clever, resourceful, and unique approach to the Black Lives Matter dialogue. Dir. @egbaileyartist Shorts Program 1 Saturday, Aug. 5, 5:10 PM
  • At this year's #blackstarfilmfestival: Mugabo Experimental | Rwanda, 2016, 7 min. North America Premiere Mugabo is about a young woman’s return to the idealized homeland, a place full of borrowed memories. Dir. Amelia Umuhire Shorts Program 2 Friday, Aug. 4, 4:30 PM
  • Catch "Mtindo" at this year's #blackstarfilmfestival Mtindo Experimental | Kenya, 2016, 3 min. United States Premiere A mysterious woman walks back and forth like a peacock, waving a vibrant piece of cloth over newly reclaimed territories. Echoed in kaleidoscopic tones, a narrator praises the woven orator that clothes our bodies and speaks for us. For centuries, clothing has silently defined how the world sees us. Fabric recreated, redefined, and re-inhabited as modern African fashion (re)iterates secrets untold. This is Mtindo, a celebration of the vibrancy of movement, the ebb and flow of modern African grace, an interconnection with the beauty of pattern making. Dir. @ngendomukii w/A Hotel Called Memory Sunday, Aug. 6, 1:10 PM
  • Coming to this year's #blackstarfilmfestival: Miasia: The Nature of Experience Short Documentary | United States, 2017, 30 min. World Premiere Brooklyn teen Miasia Clark is just a few weeks shy of presenting at the first-ever Black Girl Movement National Conference. As the event approaches, we watch her prepare with her activist group, Girls for Gender Equity. She guides us through her everyday worlds as she wrestles with the personal, the political, and the fight for self-determination. Dir. Yvonne Michelle Shirley Shorts Program 8 Sunday, Aug. 6, 11:00 AM
  • Screening at this year's #blackstarfilmfestival: Marabout Short Narrative | Senegal, 2016, 18 min. Philadelphia Premiere Diagne is a rookie detective who is pursuing a group of street kids in Dakar after they rob him. However, he soon discovers that these children are the victims of an exploitative Marabout who runs an orphanage. Dir. Sy Alassane Shorts Program 3 Friday, Aug. 4, 12:45 PM
  • Watch at this year's #blackstarfilmfestival: @makeupandbreakupseries Screening at this year's festival: Makeup x Breakup Series Short Narrative | United States, 2017, 12 min. Philadelphia Premiere When Brooke blindsides Blake and ends their two-year relationship, Blake doesn’t hesitate before jumping back into the New York dating scene. Instantly, he finds a new love interest and regains his confidence. Once things begin to get serious, Brooke resurfaces and wants to claim what was once hers. Confused, Blake finds himself caught in the middle. When the dust settles, who will win him over in the end? Dir. Eric J. Dickens Screens w/ @195lewis Sunday, Aug. 6, 5:15 PM