AFROPOP

Dressed Like Kings offers an intimate look at the South African tradition—oswenka—where men compete weekly for the title of “Best Dressed” to express pride and self-worth. Through the stories of three men, the film explores this fifty-year-old Zulu cultural practice, its challenges, and the question of whether such self-expression is worth the cost.

Sweet Samara is a short documentary film about Jalal Sabur, one of many Black Farmers at “Sweet Freedom Farm” based in upstate New York. Jalal provides fresh food to families broken apart by mass incarceration, makes syrups, reconnects with his ancestors, and gives tribute to Indigenous communities who tended the land before him. Making syrup is hard work, but the product is sweet and joyous, much like the promise of liberation. Throughout many seasons, Jalal and others tend to the land in a laborious journey toward a full-time working farm and the freedom it represents.

The Aunties shares the story of Black land stewards & culture bearers Donna Dear and Paulette Greene. Told alongside the lands of The Underground Railroad, this historic tale also interweaves the indelible legacies of Harriet Tubman and Mt. Pleasant Acres Farms.

Spare Me tells the story of Trey Compton, a young African American man confronting his past to overcome changing a flat tire. Throughout the story, the viewer is shown flashbacks to showcase what connection Trey has to this certain location which is a sundown town, and why changing a tire is no easy task for him to undertake.

Three students get stuck on an isolated road after their car breaks down while driving back to college. With no phone reception, they argue with each other over what to do before separating to find help. In an unfamiliar area, they each experience a terrifying discovery that makes them feel like their lives may be in danger. Forced to take refuge in the car, the students resolve their personal conflicts just in time to face a new frightening reality when help finally reaches them.

Coming Home provides an observational glimpse into the inaugural Princeville Homecoming, a celebration of the town’s resilience & history as the 1st town chartered by Black people in the nation. Journey to this historic Black town and bear witness to a community that still finds cause to celebrate, despite being on the frontlines of climate change.

This film was created as a part of the inaugural Freedom Hill Youth Media Camp, a four week documentary film program in Princeville, North Carolina, founded by filmmaker Resita Cox.

Black Folk Don’t brings new topics to a new city, New Orleans! First, what’s the deal with black folk and swimming? Do they do it? Or are the assumptions true?

Being, an AI in a non-binary robot body, journeys through space as they transition seamlessly between signing and dance, their movements express a uniquely Black and Queer non-verbal vernacular. The film combines stunning visuals with a highly energetic score filled with booming bass, synthetic snares, claps, and glitches, resulting in a futuristic sonic experience.

Smile4Kime is a documentary that uses animation and live-action footage to tell a story of friendship, mental health, and Afro-Puerto Rican spirituality. The film explores the impact of social stigma and institutional barriers Black women face when seeking support and how we show up for those we love through the friendship of Elena and Kime.

In this special roundtable, we sit and chat with the AfroPop: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange season 16 directors.

A coming-of-age story set in 1959 that follows a 9-year-old precocious African-American who enters an all-white library, in a deeply segregated South Carolina, and refuses to leave without his books.

This short follows contemporary artist Michael Britto talking about what he’s going to do on February 29 during Black History Month.

A poignant story of one man’s 40-year struggle with homelessness in the heart of Hollywood.

Quick – name a winter sports athlete other than Shani Davis. Hm, well you be the judge of your skills on that one. But why is it that winter sports seem to have less black folk in the mix? Is this not the case? What do you think?

“A Little Off the Top” is a scripted, humorous, web-series about an elderly, African-American barber, whose quirky and off-the-cuff advice during haircuts, uplifts and inspires his recurring millennial, male customer. The series features 3D modeled figures of barber and customer, set amongst a miniature, hand-built barber shop set. Each light-hearted webisode explores a pressing social issue, where the customer asks the barber for advice on various issues affecting a young black man in today’s America.

If the Tulsa Race Massacre had never happened, would Black Wall Street have influenced the entire nation? An intimate look at the lingering economic, psychological, and emotional impacts through the lens of several family descendants.

In this captivating film portrait, we are introduced to Betty McDaniel, the spirited owner of Lakeside Treasures, an antique and vintage shop nestled in Rogers Park, Chicago, IL. What began as a post-retirement dream has blossomed into a cherished establishment that has served as an essential part of Betty’s life and the vibrant community of Rogers Park, as well as the wider Chicago area. With unwavering determination, unyielding devotion, and an abundance of heart, Betty personifies the essence of perseverance.

PORTAL is a documentary short about the lack of touch for single people during the first year of COVID-19 and how two queer, BIPOC friends sustain each other through verbal communication and connection.

For nearly fifteen years, Bilal worked as a steelworker at the area’s largest oil refinery. His documentary film, Midnight Oil, draws on this experience. The film chronicles his struggle to reconcile his love and kinship for his distressed refinery brothers and sisters and his growing awareness of the surrounding communities of color, fighting for environmental justice. Midnight Oil was a 2020 Official Selection at the BlackStar Film Festival and a Doc Society NYC grantee. The film can be seen on the new streaming platform, ARGO.

THE BLACK DISQUISITION is an affecting true story of the traumatic event in a boy’s life that fractures his self-image and the difficult conversation his parents must have with him about race in America. With its avant-garde narrative structure and rotoscope animation, this film illuminates how a brief childhood encounter can alter a life well into adulthood.

Inner Wound Real relays the story of three BIPOC folks who self-injure, then find new ways to cope. The animated documentary short has 3 different visual styles, one for each participant.

Are black folk green? What does going green even mean? BLACK FOLK DON’T is a web series exploring the grey areas between truth and stereotype.

There’s no stopping legendary artist Betye Saar, now in her nineties, whose intricate collage and assemblage works explode stereotypes of Black femininity.

COVID-19 has forced us to change how we approach most of our foundational norms. Yet, despite medical professionals, public health organizations, and patients’ efforts to promote the importance of COVID-19 vaccinations, there has been an acceleration of misinformation, especially targeting Black communities. The uncontrollable spread of misinformation only adds to the African American community’s historical distrust of the public health system. This four-part series uncovers the raw, uncut, and unfiltered opinions of a collection of individuals who represent the fabric of Black Baltimore’s diverse communities.