Oak Park Black Film Festival
Unlikely Hero
Tuesday, October 8
Wesley A. Carter, Director
Experience a powerful story of courage and resilience in this
grip-
ping short film; a blend of drama and inspiration.
Authentic: Real Talk about the Cave
Tuesday, October 8
Short Fim: 16 min
Aaron Leong, Director; Tommy Ross, Producer
What happens when we are forced to step out of the comfort
and the limits of our reality to observe what our fate could
be
if only we allow ourselves to see the light.
The Erasure
Tuesday, October 8
Akeallah Blair, Director
Dive into a thought-provoking narrative that explores themes
of identity and memory, challenges perceptions and invites
reflection.
Belief
Wednesday, October 9
Short Film: 14 min
Christian Loubek, Director
Lennox, along with his wife and daughter, excitedly unpacks their new home and becomes speechless when he finds a letter in a moving box that predestines a different life for him—it’s not as he remembers.
Chasing the Night
Wednesday, October 9
Short Film: 15 Minutes
Abraham Adeyemi, Director; Abiola Rufai-Awójídé, Producer
When an amicable drink becomes a spontaneous night out.
Billy Preston: That’s the Way God Planned It
Wednesday, October 9
Documentary: 1 hr 45 min
Paris Barclay, Director
A celebration of Billy’s extraordinary musical legacy and an examination of the personal and social forces that haunted him throughout his life.
Chocolate with Sprinkles
Wednesday, October 9
Short Film: 19 min
On their 25th wedding anniversary, a bickering married couple
is
given one day to do something they haven’t done in 25 years –
work
on their marriage.
Yhá Mourhia, Producer (Huriyyah Muhammad, Director)
Superman Doesn’t Steal
Wednesday, October 9
Discussion: Tamika Lamison, Director
A coming-of-age tale set in 1970’s Atlanta during the child
murders,
seen through young Harriet’s eyes; fascinated by superheroes,
Harriet and her brother grapple with emotional scars,
redefining
heroes like Superman.
Harlem Fragments
Wednesday, October 9
Cameron Carr, Director
An Afro-futurist scrapbook storytelling of a Harlem Black
family’s
beautiful destruction during the 2008 recession. A natural
disaster
so mesmerizing you can’t look away from the tragedy.
Black Table
Thursday, October 10
Documentary: 1hr 31 min
Bill Mack, Director (John Antonio James, Director)
The largest class of black students in Yale University’s history arrived in 1993, just as the country entered a period now known as the Great American Divide: the unofficial beginning of today’s culture wars.
Final Play
Thursday, October 10
Taliah Breon, Director; Valentina Barton, Producer;
Jeremy Pargo, Executive Producer, Writer, Lead Actor
A former pro baller, yearning for a fresh start, embarks on a
come-
dic and heartfelt quest for true love and personal fulfillment.
Luther: Never Too Much
Friday, October 11
Dawn Porter, Director
Chronicles the life of an iconic musical performer, from
childhood
musical talent to worldwide fame, and explores his
collaborations,
influences, character and relationships with family, friends and
fans.
My Brother and Me
Friday, October 11
Ryan DeForeest, Director
When Terrence gets asked out on a date on his last day of 8th
grade, he has to figure out how to get a new bike to go riding
with
his crush — to help him, his older brother, Malik, devises a plan
to
rob their father of the (overdue) child support money while
he’s
seemingly on vacation.
TIME II: Unfinished Business
Friday, October 11
Sibyl Fox & Robert Richardson
Follow Sibil Fox and Robert Richardson, subjects of the
Oscar-
Nominated Documentary TIME, in the next chapter of their
ongoing journey of love and justice as they spearhead a
deeply
personal fight to free their nephew and fall partner.
Vigilante
Friday, October 11
Wesley Armstrong, Director
In a city where superheroes overlook the vulnerable, four
friends
with powers step up to protect their neglected neighborhood.
The Rebel Girls
Saturday, October 12
Felicia D. Henderson, Director
This film is inspired by the true story of the 1960s fight for
Civil
Rights through the eyes of the girls who reinvigorated the
struggling movement through the power of magical thinking,
friendship, faith, and fortitude.
Albany Road
Saturday, October 12
Feature Film: 2 hr 15 min
Christine Swanson, Director; Gary Dourdan, Actor
On her way to the most important meeting of her career, a New
York executive is forced to share a rental car with her
ex-fiancé’s
mother, only to discover that the mother is hiding a major
secret.
It’s Basic
Sunday, October 13
Michael Tubbs, Executive Producer; Marc Levin, Director
A compelling look at Universal Basic Income pilot programs in
U.S. cities, It’s Basic follows those spearheading the movement
to
combat inequality and poverty.
Freedom Hair
Sunday, October 13
Dianne Houston, Director
To realize her dream of starting a natural hair braiding
business
and gaining financial independence, a mother and entrepreneur
must overcome unexpected obstacles imposed by a powerful
cosmetology cartel and the state of Mississippi.
3rd Annual Oak Park Black Film Festival begins, features documentary on Luther Vandross
KXTV ABC 10 - October 11, 2024
The 3rd Annual Oak Park Black Film Festival started at the Guild Theater Tuesday and ends Sunday, Oct. 13. The festival features various films from Black creators, filmmakers, producers and actors.
ABC10’s Mark S. Allen spoke with event organizers Adrianne Hall and Dru Burks about the festival.
HERE ARE 3 THINGS TO KNOW:
Oak Park Festival Provides Black Filmmakers A Too Rare Showcase
Sacramento Observer 10.24.24
By Madelaine Church | Special to The OBSERVER
The third annual Oak Park Black Film Festival played on the big screen at the historic Guild Theater in Oak Park last week.
The six-day festival, running from Oct. 8-13, featured a diverse lineup of films from aspiring Black filmmakers, actors, and creatives. More than 20 films premiered, showcasing documentaries, short films, and independent films.
Oak Park’s Black Film Festival to highlight Black culture and uplift community
Capital Public Radio - Wednesday, October 2, 2024
By Marie-Elena Schembri, Solving Sacramento
Embracing vulnerability. Grief. Community healing. Musical icons.
These are just some of the themes viewers can engage with at the upcoming third annual Oak Park Black Film Festival. The festival will feature a diverse lineup of independent films and panel discussions at The Guild Theatre Oct. 8-13.
Film Festivals Take Center Stage in Sacramento
Comstocks Magazine - May 24, 2024
By Jacob Peterson
The general image that comes to mind for most people when describing a film festival are grand events like the Sundance festival in Utah or the Cannes in France, but Sacramento has more than a handful of its own staple events.
The general image that comes to mind for most people when describing a film festival are grand events like the Sundance festival in Utah or the Cannes in France, but Sacramento has more than a handful of its own staple events.
New Oak Park film festival brings ‘Black excellence’ to Sacramento.
Sacramento Bee - September 10, 2023
Sacramento’s Oak Park neighborhood this week is hosting a five-day Black film festival, an event its organizers hope to turn into annual tradition.
The festival begins today at the Guild Theater at 2828 35th Ave. and includes more than a dozen short films, feature-length movies and documentaries that tell a variety of stories through a Black lens.
Some of the featured films include biopics on historical figures like Mahalia Jackson, Harold Washington, Ann Gregory, and Marcus Garvey.
Sit Back, Relax, and Enjoy a Good Film
Sacramento Observer - September 6, 2022
By Jared Childress
The first annual Oak Park Black Film Festival is just days away – and it’s a must-see.
The inaugural five-day festival will be held Sept 7 – 11 from 6 – 9PM at the Guild Theater in Oak Park, Sacramento. The event will feature independent short and feature films by African-American filmmakers. The screenings will be followed by a panel discussion with film producers moderated by St. Hope Academy founder, Kevin Johnson.
Oak Park Second Annual Black Film Festival Crosses Lines
Sacramento Observer - October 20, 2023
by WILLIAMENA KWAPO
The full range of Black films, from shorts to feature-length documentaries and narrative films, were on display at the historic Guild Theater for five days last week.
The second annual Oak Park Black Film Festival was hosted by former Mayor Kevin Johnson, who introduced the films and also offered samples of Black craft beers.
Johnson, who grew up in Oak Park, shared his love of film and the opportunities that exist for aspiring Black filmmakers, highlighting Black stories across the diaspora directed by Black filmmakers.