Official Selections | ibffevents

official selections

| Narrative Features |

What does Trauma look like? How does it manifest if unresolved in our communities? Inspired by real-life events, TRY reveals the stories of 3 HIV+ support group members as they struggle to use new strategies for coping with the ups and downs of life—past and present.

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LIFE AIN'T LIKE THE MOVIES

Life Ain’t Like the Movies is a feature-length film about a Black, introverted teen named Chone. As a result of an eccentric assignment, the story follows his journey through high school as he faces love, disputes with friends, tragedy, and issues with his family. Despite his struggles, the core of the story revolves around the complex relationship Chone shares with his father and how sometimes differences in patriarchal relationships can be overcome when love and dedication take over.

| Narrative Shorts |

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1 Chance tells the story of an up and coming boxer who must prove his naysayers wrong after he’s diagnosed with type one diabetes days before the
biggest fight of his career.

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Hobbes Barnett is swimming in debt after a recent injury. Luckily, his creditors believe in making house calls. A satirical look at our relationship to debt.

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DREAMS OF EMMETT TILL

Dreams of Emmett Till explores the murder of Emmett Till, a 14-year old African American boy from Chicago who was accused of accosting Carolyn Bryant, who later recanted her story, and then brutally murdered by Carolyn’s husband and half-brother. The story is told through the perspective of the now elderly Carolyn Bryant, who must face the truth of what really happened on that hot summer day in 1955. It is a present-day drama between Carolyn Bryant, her son and the spirit of Emmett.

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In and around the border-town of Isiolo, in East Africa, a
young Kenyan businesswoman and a young Chinese
miner prepare to leave town to begin their new life
together - meeting at their favorite restaurant for one
last meal.

The interpersonal fragility of a psychologist’s life is
revealed as she helps others navigate through the
issues in their own lives.

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Maxine follows the story of a middle-aged teacher coping with the traumatic aftermath of a
brutal attack that occurred 30 years prior. As she heads back to her classroom one afternoon,
the sighting of a new male janitor sends Maxine into a state of paranoia and confusion. She
attempts to process the incident, trying to decipher the delusion from reality, but ultimately,
Maxine puts her students and her own life at risk.

In the afterlife material possessions cease to exist. For those who can’t let go, there’s one stop before that final resting place and it’s called Firth. Message Read tells the story of a father who desperately misses his son and must decide between moving on to finality or spending
another eternity stuck in Firth.

MICKEY HARDAWAY

A young Sketch Artist visits a well renowned psychiatrist as his life begins sprawling out of control after of physical and verbal abuse has taken a toll on him.

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The energy exchange of three New Yorkers collide on the train in stories of anxiety, heartache and redemption. All are victims to their thoughts and daily life motions. They can rise above it but, it's never that simple.

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En route to a Black Lives Matter protest, a Black college student and her well-meaning white friend discover they do not have the same definition of advocacy and allyship.

THE BLACK DISQUISITION

“The Black Disquisition” tells the affecting true story of an incident in a boy’s life that fractures his self

image and the difficult conversation his parents must have with him about race in America.

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THE HOUSE ON CARTER ROAD

At the height of redlining in 1968, a black couple and a white couple try to buy the same suburban house in New Jersey.

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A blossoming interracial relationship is placed in jeopardy due to meddling family and friends.

An anxious, black, deaf teen, Otto, with an obnoxiously large afro, walks into a barbershop with a corsage in his hand, aiming to get “waves” as a haircut for his prom date… Seemingly so, the only barber who is available, Brooks, is an easily distracted rookie who has not proved himself to the rest of the barbershop just yet. As the other barbers lightly make fun of Brook’s empty chair, Brooks decides to give Otto a free haircut to impress them…Otto nervously obliges, as he not only needs to communicate his desires without hearing Brooks back, but he also needs to gain his undivided attention.

| Documentary Long |

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100 YEARS FROM MISSISSIPPI

“100 Years From Mississippi” is a 60-minute documentary on the life of Mamie Lang Kirkland, a 111-year-old African American woman who experienced and survived racial terrorism, segregation, bigotry and bias, yet continued to have hope, joy and love of life, full of the certainty that we can do better. Mamie was seven years old when she fled Ellisville, Mississippi in 1915 with her mother and siblings as her father and his friend, John Hartfield, escaped an approaching lynch mob. John Hartfield returned to Mississippi in 1919 and was killed in one of the most horrific lynchings of the era. 100 years later Mamie returned to confront her childhood trauma, and honor those who succumbed.

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MR. EMANCIPATION

Mr. Emancipation is the story of Walter L. Perry, who for decades, staged an Emancipation Day celebration that transcended divisions of race and class. He faced down countless obstacles to create an event where everyone wanted to be. As the late civil rights activist Dick Gregory said "The largest Juneteenth celebration was not in America, it was in Windsor, Canada.”

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SINCE I BEEN DOWN

In America’s backyard, a community held captive by policies targeting gangs and drugs, sacrifices their youth for a false sense of safety and prosperity. Nearly forty years later, the true path to freedom now is led from inside their prison walls, demonstrating what we can do to help all our children.

'UPROOTED' is a feature-length documentary celebrating the history, lineage, and future progressions of jazz dance. Exploring and commenting on political and social influences, the film is an honest conversation about jazz dance addressing topics such as appropriation, racism, socialism, and sexism. With special appearances by Debbie Allen, George Faison, Chita Rivera, Camille, A. Brown and Thomas F. DeFrantz. ‘UPROOTED’ also showcases the works of the Nicholas Brothers, Pepsi Bethel, Jack Cole, Katherine Dunham Bob Fosse and Gene Kelly shining a light on what all people have in common, rhythm and a basic human need to get down.

| Documentary Short |

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'1 Out of 8' explores the challenges of Sias faces while working Construction. The short highlights a woman in construction, working extremely hard to break barriers and stereotypes in NYC and in the construction business. Over 20 years she has been workin to challenge new heights.

HOPE IN THE VALLEY

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Legacy is a short documentary that provides an intimate look into the
life of an artist whose work has had a significant impact on society.
Photographer Mark C. explores his process while reflecting on his viral photo of the Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower.

NOT JUST A NAME

Not Just a Name explores and highlights the trials and tribulations of African Americans with cultural and unique sounding names. It follows the stories of Shiquita Williams, Fulani Bahati, Naauh'Mocquaii Robinson-Jones and writer/director De'Onna Young-Stephens as they deal with microaggressions and the painful and
triumphant origin of their identity as conveyed through their names.

OUT OF THE DARK

Olympic shot putter Raven Saunders shares her childhood trauma, the intensity of her 2016 Olympic experience, and the pitfalls of celebrity that challenged her mental health. After facing the greatest challenge of her life, she found the strength she never knew she had and became a leading advocate for mental health dialogue among athletes.

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THE END OF SLAVERY

The first Black female elected to a state office in Utah and her fight to strip the language of slavery from the Utah state constitution... in 2020.

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WE DESERVE BETTER