2024 IBTF FILM FEST

A King Like Me

“A King Like Me” follows members of the Zulu Club, New Orleans’ 100 year old (and first ever) Black Mardi Gras krewe, as they work to bring Zulu back to the streets for Mardi Gras 2022.

Mathew O. Henderson (Director)

Wednesday, July 31 @ 12:45 p.m.
Friday, August 2 @ 12:45 p.m.

After 8:46

“After 8:46” –  When the latest racially motivated tragedy brings Omar to his breaking point, he must decide if the fight for justice is worth him losing everything he loves.

Shawt Films (Executive Producer), Shashone Lambert Short (Writer/Director), Robert Short (Cinematographer/Editor)

Thursday, August 1 @ 1:00 p.m.
Friday, August 2 @ 10:30 a.m.
Saturday, August 3 @ 10 a.m.

An Extraordinary Life

“An Extraordinary Life” – In 1878, a destitute, sharecropping African-American boy flees his impoverished beginnings, overcoming impossible odds and achieving the status of millionaire. Alonzo Herndon becomes an enduring lighthouse of freedom and hope for his ‘small nation of people,’ the Black race.

Wednesday, July 31 @ 12:30 p.m.
Thursday, August 1 @ 10:30 a.m.
Saturday, August 3 @ 10:00 a.m.

Back in the Black

“Back in the Black” (Episode 1) is a video series that highlights the artistic genius of early 20th Century African American playwrights, actors and filmmakers. We are honored to have Episode One of our series highlighting the work of Playwright Angelina Grimke presented at this year’s festival.

Cheryl Lewis Hawkins (Director/Producer); Ella Davis, Jennifer Lee, Wilma Lynn Horton, Sherelle Williams (Producers)

Wednesday, July 31 @ 9:45 a.m.
Friday, August 2 @ 11:45 a.m.
Saturday, August 3 @ 10:15 a.m.

Black Girl Narrative 

Inspired by a collection of poetry, “Black Girl Narrative” is a visual poem in exploration and celebration of Blackness.

Alinca Hamilton (Director)

Wednesday, July 31 @ 12:30 p.m.
Thursday, August 1 @ 10:30 a.m.
Saturday, August 3 @ 10:00 a.m.

Black Rapunzel

“Black Rapunzel” is a debut, animated short from 15-year-old Anna-Korina Meier that asks “What would happen if Rapunzel had an Afro?”

Anna-Korina Meier (Director), Korinne Meier (Producer)

Tuesday, July 30 @ 9:45 a.m.
Thursday, August 1 @ 9:45 a.m.
Saturday, August 3 @ 10:15 a.m.

BOX BROWN: A Box Marked Freedom

“BOX BROWN: A Box Marked Freedom” is the incredible TRUE story of Henry “Box” Brown, an enslaved man who mailed himself to freedom in 1849.

Rob Underhill (Director/Producer/Editor), Aravind Ragupathi (Director/Producer/Director of Photography), Mike Wiley (Producer/Lead Actor/Lead Writer)

Tuesday, July 30 @ 10:00 a.m.
Friday, August 2 @ 10:00 a.m.

CAIRO

“CAIRO” is the story of a Graphic Design Artist working to make ends meet in the Bay Area. On the day of a very important interview, she learns to have faith in the unexpected.

B. Amechi (Director), Ayasha Tripp (Writer/Producer)

Tuesday, July 30 @ 9:45 a.m.
Thursday, August 1 @ 9:45 a.m.
Saturday, August 3 @ 10:15 a.m.

DEAR ELEANOR

“Dear Eleanor” – 1941. Buddy, an airplane mechanic from Ohio enrolls to serve his country as a Tuskegee Airman, but his beloved Eleanor must overcome her fears of racial violence in the South. Eleanor’s cousin Toni, a true romantic, shows her how.

Tina Chapman DaCosta (Director)

Tuesday, July 30 @ 12:45 p.m.
Wednesday, July 31 @ 10:00 a.m.
Thursday, August 1 @ 12:45 p.m.

Devised: Liberty & Justice The Documentary

“Devised: Liberty & Justice (The Documentary)” gives a glimpse of the devising process of Black female playwright & composer Kathy D. Harrison’s award-winning musical, “Liberty & Justice”. We follow LEAP Artists LIVE! an arts education ensemble, two-month journey leading into the 2022 NBTF (now IBTF).

Tuesday, July 30 @ 12:30 p.m.
Wednesday, July 31 @ 10:30 a.m.
Thursday, August 1 @ 11:30 a.m.

Disabled Artist Showcase: Creating Our Spaces

“Disabled Artist Showcase: Creating Our Spaces” showcases the amazing talents of four disabled artists using their music and creative brilliance to drive forward a movement demanding more accessibility and inclusion in the music and film industries.

Emmitt H Thrower (Director)

Tuesday, July 30 @ 12:30 p.m.
Wednesday, July 31 @ 10:30 a.m.
Thursday, August 1 @ 11:30 a.m.

#DTMUS “Don’t Tell Me Ur Sorry”

“#DTMUS “Don’t Tell Me Ur Sorry” is a mental health film inspired by true events that follow two African American teens who experience the pandemic in different lights.

Anah Ambuchi (Director)

Tuesday, July 30 @ 9:45 a.m.
Thursday, August 1 @ 9:45 a.m.
Saturday, August 3 @ 10:15 a.m.

Ghostwriter…

“Ghostwriter…” – Thought to be healed from the disappearance of his mother, a childhood trigger forces a son to confront his father over his role in the suspected crime.

Thursday, August 1 @ 1:00 p.m.
Friday, August 2 @ 10:30 a.m.
Saturday, August 3 @ 10 a.m.

gOD-Talk

“gOD-Talk” is a feature-length documentary spotlighting the rising phenomenon of religious and spiritual shifts among Black millennials.

Kim Moir (Director/Writer/Producer) Teddy Reeves (Creator & Producer)

Thursday, August 1 @ 10:00 am
Saturday, August 3 @ 9:30 a.m.

Happy Hill: Stories From the Community

In “Happy Hill: Stories From the Community” former residents of historic Happy Hill community recount their experiences living in the first designated community for people of color in Winston-Salem, NC. Originally an open documentary project about this historic community and its impact on their lives, it has now transformed into a documentary series. The participants captured their stories using smartphones, resulting in this short film.

Tiffany Luard (Director/Executive Producer) & Tonya Sheffield (Executive Producer)

Thursday, August 1 @12:15 p.m.

Saturday, August 3 @ 9:45 a.m.

IJO DUDU – Memories of Black Dance in Bahia

“IJO DUDU – Memories of Black Dance in Bahia” is a documentary film built from Living Memory–a poetic report, told through the experiences and knowledge of the pioneering Masters and protagonists of Black Dance in Bahia.

ZEBRINHA (Director)

Tuesday, July 30 at 10:15am
Friday August 2 at 12:15pm

Innovation Unveiled: Building a Better Tomorrow

“Innovation Unveiled: Building a Better Tomorrow” showcases the groundbreaking research and innovation at the nation’s HBCUs, focusing on the pivotal role of sustainable research infrastructure. It explores the inspiring journey of Barber Scotia College’s revival and the triumphs and challenges of HBCUs.

Dr. Erin Lynch (Director), Garrett Davis (Co – Director)

Wednesday, July 31 @ 10:15 a.m.
Friday, August 2 @ 10:15 a.m.

MABEL

“MABEL” is the story of Mabel Mercer, a remarkable black singer born to a teenage mother in Cardiff, Wales, whose captivating journey led her from Paris, where she sought refuge from the Nazis, to becoming a mesmerizing force in American music.

Bianca LaVerne Jones (Director)

Wednesday, July 31 @ 9:45 a.m.
Friday, August 2 @ 11:45 a.m.
Saturday, August 3 @ 10:15 a.m.

Missing

In “Missing” a fatherless and dysfunctional family struggles to survive, heal and come to terms with who they are and what they aspire to be.

Wednesday, July 31 @ 11:45 a.m.
Thursday, August 1 @ 11:45 a.m.
Friday, August 2 @ 1:15 p.m.

MORE AT ELEVEN

In “MORE AT ELEVEN” a tragic accident leaves a young African American dead during a routine traffic stop. But one news reporter is about to find out that everything is not as black and white as it seems.

Tuesday, July 30 @ 11:45 a.m.
Friday, August 2 @ 9:45 a.m.
Saturday, August 3 @10:15 a.m.

Religion, Philosophy & Mental Health in Black Americans

“Religion, Philosophy & Mental Health in Black Americans” features three Black American storytellers sharing the common experience of being mentally and emotionally taxed by ‘life on life’s terms’, yet finding their way to firmer ground through nebulous constructs of religious ideologies and/or philosophical thought.

Alexus Rhone (Director)

Tuesday, July 30 @ 12:15 p.m.
Thursday, August 1 @ 10:15 a.m.

Riding Halley’s Comet

In “Riding Halley’s Comet”, an author torn between grief and redemption battles the scars of generational trauma and the inheritance of mental illness.

Troy R. Poplous (Director)

Wednesday, July 31 @ 12:30 p.m.
Thursday, August 1 @ 10:30 a.m.
Saturday, August 3 @ 10:00 a.m.

Soul Mates

“Soul Mates”, a Will Dalton Film, follows the journey of two individuals, Philip and Tiffany, who find themselves reconnecting after a mutual breakup a year earlier.

Tuesday, July 30 @ 11:45 a.m.
Friday, August 2 @ 9:45 a.m.
Saturday August 3 @10:15 a.m.

Superman Doesn’t Steal

“Superman Doesn’t Steal” – Based on a true story & set in the 70’s during the Atlanta Child Murders, a young brother and sister with a love of comics, face a series of impactful events which cause them to question the meaning of heroes, villains, superman and themselves..

Tamika Lamison (Writer/Director & Producer), Chris Beal, Dominique Deleon & Carol Shine (Producers), Ben Ephraim(Co-Producer), Cleve Lamison (Consulting Producer)

Tuesday, July 30 @ 12:45pm
Wednesday, July 31 @ 10:00 a.m.
Thursday, August 1 @ 12:45 p.m.

Sweetest Vacation

“Sweetest Vacation” stars the 95th Academy Award® televised ceremony appearing PhilE in this 220+ Awarded Serlingesque short which leads viewers on a suspenseful, dark comedy fantasy mind romp, where an elder is thrust into a different world! Delivered in memory of fallen Producer John Michael Elfers.

Phillip E. Walker-MFA (Executive Producer / Star / Marketer), John Michael Elfers-MFA (Producer), Ryan Stevens Harris-MFA (Director), Franklin Whitlatch (Cinematographer)

Tuesday, July 30 @ 11:45 a.m.
Friday, August 2 @ 9:45 a.m.
Saturday, August 3 @10:15 a.m.

The August Wilson Center ~ Building On A Legacy

“The August Wilson Center ~ Building On A Legacy” is an award-winning documentary that tracks the creation and fulfillment of an African American cultural center in Pittsburgh, PA named after its native son and playwright August Wilson, from concept to completion, with narration by Stephen McKinley Henderson, and an original score.

Billy Jackson (Director), NOMMO PRODUCTIONS (Producer)

Wednesday, July 31 @ 10:15 a.m.
Friday, August 2 @ 10:15 a.m.

The Fighter, The Demon, The Waterfall

In “The Fighter, The Demon, The Waterfall”, down on his luck Boxer, Deontae “Diesel” Wright must fight the demons of his past and present in order to find peace with his future.

Rodney W. Williams- Writer, Director, Producer; Corbin Shane Kelly-Director of Principal; Sound-Hannah Mikelle Kelly and Chester Beamon; Joshua Lee Flowers- Film Composer

Wednesday, July 31 @ 11:45 a.m.
Thursday, August 1 @ 11:45 a.m.
Friday, August 2 @ 1:15 p.m.

The Gift

“The Gift” is about a young man who gets the opportunity to forgive his father in person for not being present in his life. While he struggles with the idea of forgiveness, his window of opportunity is closing.

Adrienne Pitts (Director), The Divine Creatives (Producer)

Thursday, August 1 @ 1:00 p.m.
Friday, August 2 @ 10:30 a.m.
Saturday, August 3 @ 10 a.m.

The Three Phases of Isa

“The Three Phases of Isa” – In a marriage riddled with domestic violence, a woman confronts the younger versions of herself attempting to gain the freedom she so desperately seeks.

Mildred Marie Langford (Writer/Producer/Actor), Conisha Wade (Co-Producer), Andi Chapman (Director), Andria Chamberlin (Cinematographer)

Tuesday, July 30 @ 12:15 p.m.
Thursday, August 1 @ 10:15 a.m.

Till Death Do Us Part

In “Till Death Do Us Part” two retired assassins are pulled back into the deadly world by one last lucrative deal. They quickly realize they are the real targets.

Directed By: Amanda Niqole // Written By: Wallace Demarriá and Amanda Niqole White // Produced By: Amanda Niqole White & Sean Boyd // Director of Photography by: Sean Boyd // Edited by: John Eckenrode // Composer and Re-Recording Mixer/Sound Editor by Nat Jenkins

Wednesday, July 31 @ 12:15 p.m.
Saturday, August 3 @ 11:15 a.m.

(UN)CLAIMED

“(UN)CLAIMED” follows Fiona Devers, a facilities-manager-but-wanna-be-ventriloquist, and her longtime girlfriend, Kimberly Mills, as they navigate polyamory for the first time.

Carolyn Ratteray (Director)

Wednesday, July 31 @ 12:15 p.m.
Saturday, August 3 @ 11:15 a.m.

Underground

“Underground” is a story of family, told through song and stirring melodies of freedom. This story of the American past is a riveting commemoration of the Negro spiritual and its ability to guide weary feet and sooth wounded souls.

Tuesday, July 30 @ 10:00 a.m.
Friday, August 2 @ 10:00 a.m.

We Are, Because We Were

“We Are, Because We Were” In an effort to bring awareness to the Winston-Salem African American Archive, a journey unfolds, telling the stories hidden within.

Rodney Wilds (Director)

Thursday, August 1 @ 12:15 p.m.
Saturday, August 3 @ 9:45 a.m.

What Fairytale

“What Fairytale” – After struggling to keep her marriage afloat, Genei meets a man that has her torn between her vows and her heart. Which one will she choose?

Nakesha Writes (Director/Writer)

Tuesday, July 30 @ 10:30 a.m.
Friday, August 2 @ 12:30 p.m.

Young & Na!ve

“Young & Na!ve” is a poetic apology to every child ever sexually molested and a profoundly affecting story seen through the eyes of a spoken word artist spitting the powerful intensity of truth.

Tuesday Conner (Writer/Director/Executive Producer)

Wednesday, July 31 @ 11:45 a.m.
Thursday, August 1 @ 11:45 a.m.
Friday, August 2 @ 1:15 p.m.