Jahi M Trotter & Shelby Irene’s SENTIENT
Nomadic cinema and curators The Luminal Theater is proud to bring you FRESH BLACK FILMS South - presenting the work of emerging Black filmmakers from the Southeast USA. Our 2nd Southern edition is in the “Bull City” - Durham, NC - and is co-sponsored by the Hayti Heritage Film Festival, the home for Black Southern film.
Fresh Black Films exposes fresh audiences to new, dynamic work from emerging Black filmmakers, and Black filmmakers and creatives to more of each other’s original work.
Join us for five diverse films that include dramas, documentaries, animation, and more!
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Why Emerging Filmmakers for FRESH BLACK FILMS
It’s literally in the name of our series. We define "emerging" as filmmakers, regardless of age, who are fairly new to directing & producing cinema, and have had only intermediate success on the film festival circuit, and also may have not had films acquired by major distribution or streaming platforms. All our selected filmmakers have unique perspectives that are aching to be seen and discovered and supported by audiences like you and film industry professionals.
This edition of Fresh Black Films is sponsored in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and co-presented by Hayti Heritage Film Festival and Indie Media Arts South
- LINEUP -
Sentient
by Jahi M. Trotter and Shelby Irene
Andrew and Toni's quest for entertainment transforms into a battle against an app that blurs reality. As they race against time, they fall into a twisted fusion of virtual immersion, friendship, and the dark side of technology.
A Sit Down With Cyn
by Cyn Hilaire
A collection of intensifying, creative monologue vignettes created by a Black woman for Black women, unapologetically narrating the soundless thought-chatter that fills many of our minds.
CG Paints The Artist
by Latifah S. Terry
An exploration of artist Chris Green, better known as CG Paints, and his unique artistic style and commitment to using art as a tool of positive change.
Red Flags
by Kierra Payne
Beneath the facade of a charmed life, a successful woman faces an internal reckoning as she grapples with the painful realization of a toxic relationship she entered despite the glaring warning signs, prompting a journey of self-reflection and empowerment, to reclaim her strength and find true happiness.
The War Torn Drum
by Derek A Ham
In the late 1860’s, a U.S. Marshal bonds with a post Civil War drummer boy in their search to track down a wanted criminal.
About our partners
Based in Durham, North Carolina as part of the historic Hayti Heritage Center, the Hayti Heritage Film Festival serves as the home for Black southern film and artists committed to preserving the wisdom, traditions, and solutions coming from Black Southern culture and identity. In addition to the yearly festival, year-round screenings, workshops, and filmmaker talkbacks add to the richness of Hayti Film.
Indie Media Arts South (IMAS) is a regional collective of arts organizations, film festivals, and media makers working to strengthen the independent sector across the greater South, with a focus on equity and sustainability. With close to 200 members & member organizations, IMAS is a regional subgroup of the Independent Film & Media Arts Field-Building Initiative created by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Sundance Institute. The field group is open to all and seeks a diverse regional membership invested in building community-driven systems of support for independent media makers.