Film Festival Schedule
Thursday, May 18 - UNCW Upper African American Cultural Center- Wilmington, NC
12pm - Green Trip (23 mins)
Derrick struggles to find weed during a stressful return to his hometown until he learns that his family’s acceptance is the ultimate high.
What's the Mark? (15mins)
Through the lens of an actress unintentionally involved in a controversial commercial, What’s the mark explores the power of media and advertisements in influencing public opinion and the perpetuation of stereotypes and its effects.
1pm - Paper Line (32 mins)
Seven pledges get the shock of a lifetime when they unknowingly sign up to join secret fraternity of black martial artists at an HBCU in Florida. Most of the pledges go in expecting a severe form of physical and mental hazing that is in line with the stereotypical Greek hazing. Unbeknownst to the pledges, they are attempting to join a fraternity of martial artist who live by a strict code of silence and discipline.
1:45pm - 544: A Civil Rights Story (8 mins)
George Sallie is 92 years old and everyday he does the exact same thing... he forgives the man who beat him in 1965 on Bloody Sunday.
2pm - NC Black Creatives Panel with Nikkita D. Johnson
3:15pm - The Straight & Narrow (25 mins)
A short documentary about two former ministers and why they left the church.
CINEMIXER/OPEN CAMERON ART MUSEUM - 3201 South 17th Street, Wilmington NC
6pm Cinemixer and Open Reception/Sponsor Reception
7pm Welcome to the NC Black Film Festival
Lifetime Honoree Award/Talk - Pam Grier
7:30pm - Foxy Brown (1hr 34mins)
FRIDAY SPECIAL SCREENING 6:30pm at Boseman's Sneakers 3901 Wrightsville Ave. (Free Admision)
Moderated Panel Discussion with Sonny Weems, Tiffany Tucker and John Wayne S. III
Ballin Abroad (1hr 21mins)
The journey of five Champion and top-tier American athletes playing basketball in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA)
and Euro-Leagues.
FRIDAY MAY 19 -JENGO'S PLAYHOUSE - 815 Princess Street, Wilmington, NC
6 p.m. –
Toni. Mamie. Connie (8mins)
Centered around three African American women in the 1950s as they play their last game with their baseball team. It shows their trials and tribulations as they become front runners in a game that has no place for them. It goes from their childhoods to where they are now.
Changing The Game: The Amira Hondras Story (12 mins)
A young lady, Amira Hondras, is pioneering a path for young women across the world and Changing the Game of baseball but taking over a male dominated sport.
6:30pm
The Nell (15 mins)
The Nell is a coming of age story, about the bonds competitive athletes build on the block and in the community. It’s based in the early 80’s, before the internet, social media and cell phones had so much influence.
You're Matched (12 mins)
MrWayne83 and WavvyGirl39 met online and fell in love sight unseen. What could possibly go wrong when they meet in real life?
7pm
Little Drummer Boy (15 mins)
In this romantic, short film, Donielle is stressed out and tired of the constant flirtation from her co-worker, Terrel and her passive aggressive boss, Mr. Smith. She runs into skater boy, Jake, who takes her on an adventure of a lifetime involving a drum set and breaking into an auditorium. Crazy right? It is, but sometimes crazy helps one set life back on the right beat. Can meeting Jake open Donielle's eyes to know what it truly means to live?
15 Minutes (15 mins)
When a serial predator attacks a woman in Harlem, she fights back. Unbeknownst to her, a video of her assault appears on a blog and goes viral. A shrewd publicist offers to represent her for future interviews and economic opportunities. However, new information could jeopardize her 15 minutes of fame.
7:40pm
Big Girl Love (31 mins)
Big Girl Love is a comedy about five women who have big personalities, huge career goals, large appetites for love…and thick thighs to match. As sexy as that sounds, let’s be honest; the Big Girl struggle is real. Living in a society where plus-sized women are often considered too wide to be widely accepted, these five ladies rely on their inner cheerleaders and one another to overcome daily obstacles.
8:15pm
alone. (1min)
A short reflection on loneliness in crowded spaces.
Spin (10 mins)
A happy-go-lucky baker is thrown for a loop when an unexpected run-in leads her to a startling realization.
Triggered (15 mins)
The commitment of a doting teacher is put to the test when his star pupil goes missing, forcing him to come to terms with the boy’s mother, who he loathes, to find him.
9pm
Dope Boy Magic (1hr 40 mins)
Growing up in the rough streets of Vista N.C. Mario learned at a young age how to make money without earning it. After realizing that no one cared if he robbed and killed drug dealers Mario forms a gang of killers to assist him in his pursuit to leave the life behind he has grown up in, except the streets have something different in mind.
FAMILY CINEMA - Boys & Girls Club of Southeastern NC - Community Campus - 901 Nixon Street, Wilmington, NC 28401
10am
Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit (4 mins)
In many cultures it’s not common for women to be bread winners. Let alone that they also do a ‘men’s job’. In the short animated film “Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit” I’ll take you into a day in the life of the South African Black Mambas where this all female anti-poaching unit will join forces to take the fight against poaching.
Oh So Honey (4 mins)
This film was produced by students at Elv8 Baltimore. The film profiles the Baltimore-based business, Oh, Just Honey, while also providing an uplifting message to Baltimore youth from Baltimore youth.
Skin Like Mine (9 mins)
The film, like the book, focuses on Brittany Baker, a happy-go-lucky 10-year-old girl with a style of her own. She enjoys tap-dancing and spending quality time with her family. After her father accepts a new job, Brittany and her family move from Illinois to Georgia. This means a new school and a chance to make new friends for Brittany....or does it?
10:30am
Gaming Life (13 mins)
A young boy discovers the difference between playing video games and dealing with Real Life turmoil when a family member becomes ill.
Shoebox (15 mins)
Shoebox follows Trey Malloy, a 12-year-old boy who works part-time at his neighborhood barbershop. As Trey sweeps hair and runs delivery errands, he is encouraged by local patrons to use his first paycheck on an array of ideas from the latest Jordans to cryptocurrency investments.
11:15am - NC Black Creatives Film Creation Workshop for Youth
SATURDAY, MAY 20 - Channel powered by Live Oak 106 Market Street Suite 200, Wilmington, NC
(multiple screenings in rooms at concurrent times)
Screen 1
10am
Meeting of the Big Four (20 mins)
While giving a presentation about his computer company Tim Myrick meets a man who knew his father from the past.
10:45am
Outside Line (17 mins)
As one of the only Black drivers and having no connections in the sport, Rajah Caruth is a relative outsider in NASCAR. Nevertheless, he has forged an unlikely path from virtual racing to the sport's penultimate series, building stardom on the way.
11:15am
FREE(d) by Faith (10 mins)
Remedial (20 mins)
"Remedial" is a coming-of-age narrative drama that centers around a young British boy who relocates to Houston, TX with his mother after a devastating and unexpected loss. After enrolling in a new school, his new homeroom teacher is forced to make a difficult decision when his behavior becomes increasingly disconcerting.
Inspired by real events, this film observes one of the loneliest disorders that children recovering from life altering traumas face.
12pm
Black Saviors (22mins)
A 21-minute short documentary about Black redemption and Black economic empowerment framed through a senior director at a pharmaceutical company restoring the childhood home of a doctor who performed life-saving surgery on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. while she tirelessly works on a COVID-19 vaccine.
12:30pm
Compassionate Release (25 mins)
Recent and promising law school grad, Kayla Duncan, secretly works to free a wrongly convicted man from prison because of a promise made to a dying woman. She will learn that some promises are meant to be kept.
1:15pm
Letter to E (14mins)
Two best friends experience love when it becomes a little too late.
1:45pm
Jahleel & Star (12mins)
Two siblings set off to see their father in prison. On the ride through rural area, Star confides in her brother, Jahleel reveals a defining moment from his past and presents his sister with a letter that'll have her rethink the circumstances surrounding the estranged relationships throughout their family.
2pm
Senior Year: Love Never Fails (1hr 45mins)
A young college couple are faced with the challenges of parenting after getting pregnant their freshman year. CJ’s wrestling with his faith collides with wounds from Marcella’s past. A secret turns their lives upside down as their families battle their own demons.
4:15pm
Deception Rules (30 mins)
ROMAN BLACK is suffering from PTSD, a soldier battling the failure of a lost mission and being disconnected from civilian life. He's forced to protect what he treasures the most while dealing with DECEPTION. Lost in his own grief he has to break the RULES to save what's left of his family.
5pm
The Inconvenient Native Son (24 mins)
Malcolm X, who was born in Omaha, Nebraska, has been nominated twice for the Nebraska Hall of Fame and passed over both times by the Nebraska Hall of Fame Commission. In 2022, he has been nominated for a third time and members from the Malcolm X Memorial Foundation and Omaha’s African American community attend two final commission hearings that will determine if Malcolm X will be chosen as the next inductee. If so, Malcolm X will be the first African American inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame.
SCREEN 2
10:30am
Save the Dad Bod (1hr 3mins)
"Save the Dad Bod" is a documentary that explores why men don't go to the doctor, and how it's leading to early, unnecessary death. The film follows 34 year old cancer survivor as he learns about family health history, men's mental health, and discovers how to stop men from dying too soon.
11:45am
At What Cost (17 mins)
A Married couple is in a 3 year journey of trying to conceive a baby with multiple failed attempts. The husband struggles to support his wife and does not know if a baby is what he wants anymore.
12:15pm
Brief Exchanges (12mins)
Brief Exchanges follows Tanya, a young Black woman living in NYC. After a harsh encounter with a drunken stranger, Tanya lands on the same street corner as Troy, a young Black man whose kindness stands in sharp contrast to the unfriendly city. Their chance encounter becomes a daylong affair of flirtatious banter punctuated by poignant moments, or "brief exchanges,” that reflect the various microaggressions she must navigate daily.
Good Day (12mins)
Good Day is the story of a Black millennial man experiencing events in one day that individually would appear pretty ordinary, but collectively trigger a level of anxiety within him. From the microaggressions experienced in corporate America, to the personal demands from family and friends, we watch as Rich experiences this day patiently waiting to see if he ever takes back control of his life.
1pm
The Dragon Fly Tale (30 mins)
he Dragonfly Tale is a story about faith and trust in God to heal lives. Laced with laughter and light-hearted moments, this film, set in 1964, examines victimization, public scrutiny and personal accountability. In a small Texas town, still reeling from the Kennedy assassination, a young boy and his mother risk their freedom and their lives to escape the devastation of domestic violence. It is a story of spiritual and emotional warfare that unearths the depth of human courage buried in us all.
1:45pm
The SixtripleEight (1hr 13mins)
The SixTripleEight documentary tells the story of the only all-black female Women's Army Corps (WACs)
3:15pm
Rear (21mins)
When a teacher leaves bruises on a child, an objecting mother unintentionally starts a debate on the use of school corporal punishment in her southern black community.
4pm
Gaining Ground: The Fight for Black Land (1 hr)
In just a few decades after the end of slavery, Black Americans were able to amass millions of acres of farmland. Today approximately 90% of that land is no longer in Black hands. Various factors have been employed to take Black land including violence, eminent domain, and government discrimination. But it is a little-known law, Heirs’ Property which has had a devastating effect on Black land ownership. Gaining Ground: The Fight for Black Land examines the causes, effects, and what is being done to fight the exploitation of this law and how landowners are reclaiming their agricultural legacy and creating paths to generational wealth.
SUNDAY, MAY 21- Cameron Art Museum - 3201 South 17th Street, Wilmington NC
2pm NCBFF Awards
NCBFF Emerging Film Maker Honoree Tailiah Breon
2:50pm
Beside the Still Waters (6 mins)
3pm
Butterfly in the Sky (1hr 27mins)
BUTTERFLY IN THE SKY tells the story of the beloved PBS children's series "Reading Rainbow," its iconic host LeVar Burton, and the challenges its creators faced in cultivating a love of reading through television.
