The Newark Black Film Festival, the longest-running Black film festival in the country, celebrates films that appreciate the historic significance of the Black experience in the United States. The Festival features late-night parties, live panel discussions, and exclusive screenings of films created in the last three years.

Schedule:

Wednesday, July 12, 2023

6:00pm - 10:00pm: NBFF Opening Film & Brazilian Party: Executive Order (Medida Provisória)

Join us for a Brazilian party curated by Roger Costa, with free drinks, light bites, a drumming performance by Marivaldo Dos Santos and music by DJ Luciano to celebrate the opening of the Newark Black Film Festival, the oldest Black film festival in the country.

The reception will be followed at 8pm by a screening of Executive Order and a panel discussion, featuring Ingrid Silva, ballet dancer at Dance Theatre of Harlem.

Executive Order, directed by Lázaro Ramos. (103 min). Not rated
In a near dystopian future in Brazil, an authoritarian government orders all citizens of African descent to move to Africa—creating chaos, protests, and an underground resistance movement that inspires the nation.

Please note: Auditorium seating is available on a first come first serve basis for the film screening. An overflow space will be provided once we are at capacity.

Thursday, July 13, 2023

7:00pm - 9:30pm: NBFF Documentary: Locked Out

Locked Out, directed by Kate Davis and Luchina Fisher. (118 min). Not rated
Owning a home – the cornerstone of generational wealth – is increasingly out of reach for people of color. In Detroit, a group of Black women fights against scammers, evictions, and traditional banks to help make The American Dream a reality for all.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Luchina Fisher and Laura Sullivan, Economic Justice Director of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice.

Friday, July 14, 2023

7:00pm - 8:45pm: NBFF Film: Black Terror (Work in Progress Screening & Panel Discussion)

Black Terror (excerpts), directed by Richard Lawson. (60 min of excerpts). Not rated
Fifty years after the original production of Richard Wesley’s Black Terror, Richard Lawson directs a bi-coastal cast of revolutionaries on a daunting mission to free their people. As the Black Comrades Keusi, M’Balia, Geronimo, and Ahmed fight on the edge of life and death, the divide between them intensifies and widens. This collaboration between Wesley, Lawson’s Waco Theater Center, and Newark Symphony Hall combines theater and film as it weaves together the pulse of liberation struggles both past and present. It calls upon audiences to ask: What does it truly mean to be for the people?

Excerpts of the film will be accompanied by a panel discussion about the making of the film and the continued relevance of the story, featuring Richard Wesley, Richard Lawson, and others.

Moderator: Talia Young, Newark Symphony Hall

The film was featured as a special presentation at the Cannes Film Festival’s African Pavilion, 2023.

9:00pm - 11:00pm: NBFF Documentary: Kokomo City

Kokomo City, directed by D. Smith. (73 min). Not rated
A raw depiction of the lives of four black trans sex workers as they confront the dichotomy between the Black community and themselves.

Look Back at It, directed by Felicia Pride (12 mins). Not rated
A forty-something single mother gets her groove back with a little assistance from her teenage daughter. Look Back at It is set in Baltimore and also serves as a proof of concept for a feature film of the same name. This short film will play before Kokomo City.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Tahtiana Fermin, founder of Bridges4Life, Whit Strub, Associate Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies at Rutgers University, Adaryll Moore, Amoore Enterprises.

Moderator: Roe Bell, NJPAC

Saturday, July 15, 2023

2:00pm - 4:30pm: NBFF Documentary: Invisible Beauty

Invisible Beauty, directed by Bethann Hardison and Frédéric Tcheng. (115 min). Not rated
The story of Bethann Hardison, a fashion revolutionary who has been on the front lines of racial justice in her industry for over five decades. Through her life journey as a pioneering Black model, modeling agent, and activist, the film explores race, beauty, and representation.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with independent curator Kristen J. Owens and other panelists.

Moderator: Darryl Walker, Manager of Community Engagement, NMOA

7:30pm - 9:30pm NBFF Film: Juice (Throwback Screening)

A throwback screening of a classic by Newark’s own Ernest Dickerson, starring Tupac Shakur and Omar Epps. We also celebrate the iconic music and talent featured in this film on the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.

Juice, directed by Ernest Dickerson. (95 min). R
Four inner-city teenagers get caught up in the pursuit of power and happiness, which they refer to as “the juice”.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the film’s director Ernest Dickerson, producer Ralph McDaniels, and cast members Khalil Kain and Jermaine Hopkins.

Moderators: Richard Wesley and Maya Cade

Please note: Auditorium seating is available on a first come first serve basis for the film screening. An overflow space will be provided once we are at capacity.

5:00pm - 7:00pm: NBFF Shorts (Block 1)

We Were Meant To, directed by Tari Wariebi (28 min). Not rated
In a world where Black men have wings and their first flight is a rite of passage, Akil must defy fears, insecurities, and societal barriers while discovering his perfect launch into manhood.

The Love Machine, directed by Jasmine Lynea (10 min). Not rated
Nasir Smith, a teenage scientist, and influencer, desperately wants to challenge intergenerational trauma, by healing his family’s past to welcome back love and compassion in their home. In his family’s basement, Nasir goes Live! presenting his new invention to the world, called The Love Machine.

Burning Rubber, directed by Chris Fequiere (8 min). Not rated
Burning Rubber is an adult action-packed anime that follows the sport of NYC Handball told through the perspective of a Black Brooklyn Native.

The Vacation, directed by Jarreau Carrillo (10 min). Not rated
In Flatbush, Brooklyn, four friends are stuck in their car after it breaks down on the way to the beach on the last day of the summer.

The screenings will be followed by a Q&A with Chris Fequiere, director of Burning Rubber, Dara King, producer & writer of Burning Rubber, Tari Wariebi, director of We Were Meant To, and Jasmine Lynea, director of The Love Machine.

Sunday, July 16, 2023

1:30pm - 3:30pm: NBFF Shorts (Block 2)

Us, directed by David F. Fortune (14 min) Not rated
A devoted father experiences the highs and lows of teaching his son with down syndrome the sweet science of baseball. However, his patience is stretched as his child struggles to grasp the basic fundamentals of the sport they love.

Little Trumpet, directed by Megan Trufant Tillman (30 min) Not rated
A nine-year-old loner wants his brother to teach him how to play the trumpet. In the 7th Ward of New Orleans, that’s not so simple.

Ricky, directed by Rashad Frett (20 min) Not rated
An ex-offender struggling with new freedom pursues redemption at all costs when given a job from his neighbor.

boju weyín, directed by Bimpé Fageyinbo (28 min) Not rated
Nigerian-American poet Bimpé Fageyinbo explores love, heartbreak, and grief in this visual poetic memoir featuring selected poems from her 2010 book, “so maybe that’s the bee’s weakness.”

The screenings will be followed by a Q&A with Rashad Frett, director of Ricky, and Bimpé Fageyinbo, director of boju weyín.

4:00pm - 6:00pm: NBFF Film: Story Ave

Story Ave, directed by Aristotle Torres, with Asante Blackk, Luis Guzman. (94 minutes). Not Rated.
The film follows a teenage graffiti artist who ran away from home and holds up an unwary MTA worker in a robbery gone right that would change their lives forever.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A.

6:00pm - 10:00pm: Black Hollywood: NBFF Award Ceremony + After Party

Join us for a night of glamour and celebration on the closing night of the Newark Black Film Festival, powered by Vibes After Dark!

Dress to impress in your finest red-carpet attire and step into the world of classic and contemporary Black cinema. Rub shoulders with industry professionals and fellow film enthusiasts as we honor the incredible talent and creativity of Black filmmakers. Enjoy live entertainment, fashion, artmaking and more, all in one unforgettable night.

Live performances by: Melanie Charles, Janétza Miranda, DJ set by Zunyda

Fashion presentation featuring Rrouge, by Melody Asherman.

Drinks and food available for purchase.

Date: Wednesday, July 12, 2023 - Sunday, July 16, 2023

Location: Billy Johnson Auditorium at The Newark Museum of Art - 49 Washington Street Newark, NJ 07102

Tickets:

Individual Screenings
$10 – General Admission
$7 – Members

Opening Film & Brazilian Party: Executive Order (Medida Provisória)
$10 – General Admission
$7 – Members, Students, Children

Black Hollywood Awards Ceremony + After Party
$15 – General Admission
$12 – Members

Festival Pass
$60 – General Admission
$50 – Members (all access)

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