2024 OFFICIAL WINNERS
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SPAWNS
BEST OF FESTIVAL
After a string of tragedies vacates the CEO seat at Banks Media, matriarch Opal Banks returns to appoint a new heir, igniting fierce family rivalries that threaten the empire's foundation.
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OFFICER CHAUVINIST
BEST ANIMATION
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THE POPPAW QUEEN
BEST DOCUMENTARY
In "The Poppaw Queen," director Malachi E. Robinson uncovers the powerful story of Mary Queen and her descendants, who fought for freedom against the backdrop of Maryland's history of slavery. This gripping documentary blends compelling interviews and spoken word performances to reveal a story of resilience, injustice, and the relentless pursuit of freedom across generations.
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BRAISED (Thịt Kho)
BEST INTERNATIONAL
Clutching a heart-rending secret, Maggie Nguyen, a Vietnamese-American screenwriter, makes an unannounced visit home to reconcile with her mom. A bowl of braised pork pushes their bond to a breaking point.
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VEILS-REQUIEM FOR TRAYVON
BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE
Visions from the past help a grief-stricken mother see her future.
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THE LEGACY OF LEE'S FLOWER SHOP
BEST SHORT FILM
Lee's Flower and Card Shop, the oldest Black-owned flower shop in Washington, D.C. has planted seeds of wisdom and perseverance in the District since 1945.
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Just In Time
BEST STUDENT
When KJ goes missing without a trace, his babysitter Asia must cosort an unconventional ally in order to find him before his father returns from a business trip.
2024 OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
We are proud to announce the 2024 official film selections.
These selections are available on demand with the purchase of an “unlimited screening” or “VIP” festival pass.
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FIGHT FOR TRINBAGO
ANIMATION
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FROM ROOTS TO RECOGNITION
ANIMATION
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OFFICER CHAUVINIST
ANIMATION
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UNFETTER AND FLY
ANIMATION
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THE EKSPATS (WE'RE GOING TO AFRICA)
ANIMATION
Animated clash-of-cultures comedy TV series about an all-American family that relocates to Nigeria.
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GET ON THE BUS!
DOCUMENTARY
Participants were confronted with a reality not often taught or talked about, and subsequently witnessed, processed, and transformed their perspectives on both Black History in the USA of the past, and the African American Experience of today. Get on the Bus! is a film about this trip.
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HAVE YOU SEEN TERI?
DOCUMENTARY
During the search for their missing loved one, a family deals with the consequences of mental illness and homelessness.
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MOVE WHEN THE SPIRIT SAYS MOVE: The Legacy of Dorothy Foreman Cotton
DOCUMENTARY
A Civil Rights story of empowerment, passion, and persistence. The moving story of the highest-ranking woman in MLK JR’s organization.
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SEW THEIR NAMES
DOCUMENTARY
A judge confronts her family’s history, joining with a group of Black quilters in rural Alabama to honor previously unknown victims of American enslavement.
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STANDING ABOVE THE CLOUDS
DOCUMENTARY
When the massive Thirty Meter Telescope is proposed to be built on Mauna Kea, an uprising of kiaʻi (protectors) in Hawaiʻi and around the world dedicate their lives to protecting the sacred mountain from destruction. Through the lens of mothers and daughters in three Native Hawaiian families, Standing Above the Clouds explores intergenerational healing and the impacts of safeguarding cultural traditions.
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THE POPPAW QUEEN
DOCUMENTARY
In "The Poppaw Queen," director Malachi E. Robinson uncovers the powerful story of Mary Queen and her descendants, who fought for freedom against the backdrop of Maryland's history of slavery. This gripping documentary blends compelling interviews and spoken word performances to reveal a story of resilience, injustice, and the relentless pursuit of freedom across generations.
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THE BLACK WOMAN: DEATH TO THE SUPERWOMAN SYNDROME
DOCUMENTARY
The Black woman embodies strength and courage; she is revered yet underestimated, she navigates a complex landscape. This documentary honors the Black woman shedding her cape to reclaim her power.
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The Spirit of Woo
DOCUMENTARY
The Virginia State University Woo Woos, founded 50 years ago by Dr. Paulette Walker Johnson, became the most well known HBCU cheerleaders in the nation.
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BRAISED (Thịt Kho)
INTERNATIONAL
Clutching a heart-rending secret, Maggie Nguyen, a Vietnamese-American screenwriter, makes an unannounced visit home to reconcile with her mom. A bowl of braised pork pushes their bond to a breaking point.
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Gaming for Love
INTERNATIONAL
Gaming for Love" is a poignant narrative inspired by true events which follows the journey of Maisie, a young girl battling cancer, as she finds solace and strength in the world of online gaming.
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FOR ROY
INTERNATIONAL
Inspired by true events, an imaginative girl attempts to fold a thousand cranes as she learns to lose her father during his final days in the hospice.
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IN THEIR OWN TIME
INTERNATIONAL
In Their Own Time is a narrative journey of three women - Srija, Tuhnu, and Jhumur, as they reflect on love, loss, childhood, friendship, and belonging over three years; we never see their faces, as the evolution of their experiences is manifested by an inherently dynamic and increasingly personal kaleidoscope of the city and suburbs of Kolkata.
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Mon Afrique
INTERNATIONAL
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SOMETIME, SOMEWHERE
INTERNATIONAL
The stories of migrants who are forced to come to Virginia, USA due to global climate change, gang violence, or poverty are unique to each individual, but form a common pathway of fear, courage, and hope.
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Paydert
NARRATIVE FEATURE
When the Nobles family relocates to North Carolina, they will encounter inexplicable occurrences as they settle into a former plantation and learn the true history of its ancestral occupants.
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Sins Of The Father
NARRATIVE FEATURE
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SPAWNS
NARRATIVE FEATURE
After a string of tragedies vacates the CEO seat at Banks Media, matriarch Opal Banks returns to appoint a new heir, igniting fierce family rivalries that threaten the empire's foundation.
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REDLINE
NARRATIVE FEATURE
Redline is a gritty, dark social-political thriller about a mysterious virus, EL 8, as it sweeps through the poor area of Grantland, also known as The Ruins.
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Starting Over Blues
NARRATIVE FEATURE
When a smooth-talking, married man has a baby by someone else, loyalty, revenge, love, and family ties converge with deadly consequences.
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THE COBBLER'S WIFE
NARRATIVE FEATURE
A lonely, almost childlike cobbler, secretly builds the perfect woman in the back of his store.
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The Novelist
NARRATIVE FEATURE
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THE PUSHOVER
NARRATIVE FEATURE
After a turbulent breakup, Mike’s friends stage an intervention to shield him from being a doormat in future relationships.
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TURNING POINT
NARRATIVE FEATURE
"Turning Point": A Cinematic Journey of Faith and Self-Discovery''
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VEILS-REQUIEM FOR TRAYVON
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A Shattering
SHORT FILM
A carefully constructed marriage implodes when an unexpected call unleashes the fragility and wounds that have been simmering for years.
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AN ENDOSCOPY
SHORT FILM
A film student accompanies an Iraqi patient for his endoscopy, with the agreement that he will be her subject in a documentary.
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BREAKTHROUGH
SHORT FILM
Explore how athletes face identity crisis and depression after a life altering event, resulting in their removal from the sport on a professional level.
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DEATH TO A CREATIVE
SHORT FILM
Facing rejection and self doubt, an actress contemplates giving up. But, with words of wisdom from her mentor, she's given a reason to keep fighting for her dream.
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EXPANDING SANCTUARY
SHORT FILM
An immigrant mother emerges as a community leader during the historic campaign to end the sharing of the Philadelphia police database with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
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FAMILIAR
SHORT FILM
A groundskeeper vies against her accomplished brother for control of her house, until a mysterious cat appears to tip the balance.
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Gone Before Your Eyes
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HOTARU
SHORT FILM
With the help of her family, a young girl learns to cope with grief after losing her best friend.
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I Lived with Zombies
SHORT FILM
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IF THEY TOOK US BACK
SHORT FILM
In this alternate history narrative, the U.S. government mandated the return of all formerly enslaved people back to Africa in 1863. More than 150 years later, a descendant of the Black Returns must decide whether to break the exile and return to the US in exchange for reparations—and confront the hidden cost.
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Justified
SHORT FILM
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NEVALAND
SHORT FILM
Matt Coole plays every character.
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RAY OF SUNSHINE
SHORT FILM
After years of being abused Ray and his siblings conjure a supernatural force to solve their problems but will they be the same in the end.
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ROOFLESS: A HOUSING CRISIS IN AMERICA
SHORT FILM
The documentary examines the impact of unfair housing practices of formerly incarcerated individuals, victims of domestic violence and the devaluation of homes in Black & Hispanic neighborhoods.
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THE LEGACY OF LEE'S FLOWER SHOP
SHORT FILM
Lee's Flower and Card Shop, the oldest Black-owned flower shop in Washington, D.C. has planted seeds of wisdom and perseverance in the District since 1945.
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The Nights of Verona: A Romeo and Juliet Tale
SHORT FILM
A contemporary prequel to Romeo & Juliet that follows Mercutio who must broker an alliance between his family and the Capulets, in order to quell the power of the Montagues, while being terrorized by Queen Mab with visions of his imminent death.
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The Power of Being a Woman
SHORT FILM
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The Science of Beauty: The Summer of Science
SHORT FILM
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The Space In Between
SHORT FILM
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THE WORST BEST MAN EVER
SHORT FILM
When Kevin asks his best friend Sam to be his best man, he discovers that Sam doesn't like his fiancé. It sets off a chain of events that lead him to question his life choices.
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Third Wheel Material
SHORT FILM
Third Wheel Material is a weirdly sweet comedy that follows three best friends; a couple, Tanya and Darren, and their reluctant third wheel Avery. The three friends each navigate their own personal journeys through self-discovery, acceptance, and the absurdity of life.
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Two Hands Are Better Than One
SHORT FILM
An over zealous aspiring hand model attempts to meet with her idol but inadvertently changes both of their lives.
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#DTMUS (Don't Tell Me Ur Sorry)
STUDENT
"#DTMUS" is inspired by true events which follows two African American teens who experience the pandemic in two different lights.
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Dual Citizens
STUDENT
Three Nicaraguan-American artists from the Washington D.C. Metro area discuss growing up in two cultures and how it influences their art.
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GUIDING LIGHT
STUDENT
An inspired young filmmaker weaves together past and present as she looks back on the legacy of the Polly Klaas tragedy that rocked the nation.
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Hiding Place
STUDENT
A young girl must hide at her mother's workplace but discovers a startling secret while wandering around.
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Just In Time
STUDENT
When KJ goes missing without a trace, his babysitter Asia must cosort an unconventional ally in order to find him before his father returns from a business trip.
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PETTING ZOO
STUDENT
An eager African American professional is looking for a smooth transition into her new role, but she must send the ultimate sign when her culturally insensitive supervisor who continuously crosses boundaries.
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RED REMINDS ME
STUDENT
The documentary follows Stacy's journey being diagnosed with HIV.
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Remember
STUDENT
A young, high school senior is navigating uncertainties of the past and future as she packs for college.
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Rhythm & Blues
STUDENT
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The Lottery
STUDENT
Jason, a young college student, reflects on winning a Powerball jackpot.