The Newark Black Film Festival, the longest-running Black film festival in the United States, has been a pivotal platform for Black filmmakers, actors, and storytellers since 1974. It showcases films that explore the intricacies of the Black experience, reflecting diverse narratives and fostering cultural enrichment.

The longest-running Black film festival in the US returns

Schedule of Events:

June 25, 2025

6:30pm - 8:00pm - New Negress Film Society Shorts

Join us for this dynamic curation of short films presented by the New Negress Film Society, a collective of Black women and non-binary filmmakers who create community, spaces, and films that reimagine cultural productions that have traditionally exploited communities.

The screenings will be followed by a panel discussion.

8:15pm - 10:15pm - 40 Acres (R)

Directed by R. T. Thorne. Runtime: 1 hr 48 min. Rated R.

In a post-apocalyptic near future, a former soldier and her family make one last stand against a vicious militia that wants to take their land. Starring Danielle Deadwyler. 

July 16, 2025

6-10pm - Opening Night Reception & Film: Ricky

A celebration to launch the official opening of the 51st Newark Black Film Festival, followed by a special opening night presentation of Ricky.

Reception from 6-7pm, film begins at 7pm. The special screening will be followed by a Q&A.

Ricky (1h 52 min) Not rated

Directed by Rashad Frett

July 17, 2025

1-3pm - NBFF Youth Cinema: Mufasa: The Lion King

Mufasa: The Lion King (1h 58 min) PG 

Directed by Barry Jenkins 

Lost and alone, orphaned cub Mufasa meets a sympathetic lion named Taka, the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destinies. 

6:30pm - 7:30pm - Newark Black Film Festival Panel: Film as a Tool of Resistance

Join us for an engaging discussion exploring how filmmakers use cinema to challenge injustice, amplify marginalized voices, and inspire social change. 

8 - 10pm - Newark Black Film Festival: Akin's Desert

Directed by Bernard Lessa. Runtime 1 hr 15 min. Not rated.

Akin is a dedicated Cuban doctor working in Brazil under the Mais Médicos program in 2018. As he builds a deep bond with an Indigenous community, the election of Jair Bolsonaro forces a choice: return to Cuba and leave behind the relationships he's forged or stay in Brazil and reinvent himself without the ability to practice medicine.

July 18, 2025

5:30 - 7:15pm - Dahomey

Dahomey (1h 8 min) Not rated 

Directed by Mati Diop 

Dahomey?traces the historic repatriation of 26 royal treasures from France to Benin, simultaneously forging a speculative and political reflection on cultural heritage, collective memory, and the implications of restitution. 

Ancestral Call (Screens prior to Dahomey) (16 min) Not rated 

Directed by Sonia Kennebeck and Tetiana Anderson 

Danielle Scott, a Black, Polish-Jewish, and Asian mixed-media artist at the cusp of international fame, risks her own wellbeing by exposing herself to the intergenerational trauma of the Atlantic Slave Trade. 

The screenings will be followed by a panel discussion. 

7:30pm - 10pm - Cooley High with Michael Schultz in-person

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of this classic film with director, Michael Schultz. 

Cooley High (1h 47 min) Not rated 

A presentation honoring the film’s director Michael Schultz will take place before the film begins. 

Set?in 1964 Chicago,?Cooley High?is a slice-of-life tale of two high school students coping with the challenges of everyday life. 

Closed Captioning will be provided.  

July 19, 2025

11am - 1pm - Love, Brooklyn

Love, Brooklyn (1h 37 min) Not rated

Three longtime Brooklynites navigate careers, love, loss, and friendship against the rapidly changing landscape of their beloved city.  

Starring André Holland and DeWanda Wise. 

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Rachael Abigail Holder. 

12 - 2pm - NBFF Workshop: Make Your Film Anyway

An intimate hands-on workshop for aspiring filmmakers to connect and learn the process of putting a film together, from beginning to end.

Featuring Newark filmmakers Nefertite Nguvu, Yvonne Shirley, and LeRon Lee.

Space is limited.

1:30 - 3:30pm - Color Book

Color Book (1h 33 min) Not rated 

Directed by David Fortune 

Following his wife's recent passing, single father Lucky finds himself navigating the challenges of raising his son Mason, who has Down syndrome. An intimate, moving portrait of a father and son. 

4-6:30pm - Seeds

Seeds (2h 2 min) Not rated 

Directed by Brittany Shyne  

An exploration of Black generational farmers in the American South reveals the fragility of legacy and the significance of owning land. 

7 - 9pm - Bam Bam: The Sister Nancy Story

Bam Bam: The Sister Nancy Story (1h 38 min) Not rated

Directed by Alison Duke

The hit song “Bam Bam” has long held the status of an anthem in the reggae genre and is one of the most sampled vocals ever. Lesser known is the story behind the song and, even more so, the woman behind the voice. Featuring interviews with Janelle Monae, Young Guru, and Pete Rock.

9pm - 11:30pm - NBFF: Bam Bam Caribbean White Party

Celebrate the final night of the 51st Newark Black Film Festival in style at our Caribbean-themed White Party! Wear your best all-white attire, rep your flag, jump and wave the night away to the rhythm of the islands. Embrace community & mingle with filmmakers as we toast to a week of powerful cinema under the stars!

July 20, 2025

12 - 1:30pm - Beyond The Belt- The Legend of Karriem AbdAllah

Beyond The Belt - The Legend of Karriem AbdAllah (1h 13 min) Not rated

Directed by Troy Thomas

A powerful documentary that delves into the life and groundbreaking contributions of Al-Mu’assis Karriem AbdAllah, a martial arts pioneer from Newark, New Jersey. As the first American to create his own martial arts system, Karriem’s influence stretches far beyond the mat, deeply impacting both the martial arts community and the Black community at large.

This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Troy Thomas.

2 - 3:30pm - Identity & Resilience: Shorts Showcase

Identity & Resilience: Shorts Showcase

Healing From Home (4 min) Not rated 

Directed by Alysha Pamphile and Tommy Cadet  

This film explores the raw, unfiltered reality of transformation, where healing is not just about the joy of finding oneself but also about mourning what is left behind. 

Ausgang, Sofie (8 min) Not rated 

Directed by Zoé Munlyn  

1936 Germany. After being rejected from the Hitler Youth, 14-year-old mixed-race Sofie takes her quest for identity and escapism to the Nazi film industry. 

BELIEF (14 min) Not rated 

Directed by Christian Loubek 

Alongside his wife and daughter, Lennox joyously unpacks their new home but is left speechless when he finds a letter in a moving box labelled 'mom' that predestines a different life for him – it’s not as he remembers. 

Newbies (17 min) Not rated 

Directed by Kimiko Matsuda-Lawrence and Megan Trufant Tillman 

Two broken strangers wrestling with their queer identities meet on the subway just after midnight. A poignant, poetic journey through the past few hours of their night reveals how they got here, and what broke them. 

Boy No Fear (18 min) Not rated 

Directed by Jonathan Curtiss  

When a village-boy cursed with fearlessness learns that his condition is causing his father's impending death, he sets on a journey to a haunted land to denounce the ritual and reverse the curse. 

Exodus (35 min) Not rated 

Directed by Nimco Sheikhaden 

An intimate portrait of two women who face unique challenges following decades of incarceration. The film bears witness to their impassioned attempts to rebuild their lives and ultimately restore their humanity. 

The shorts screenings will be followed by a Q&A.? 

Date: July 16 - 20, 2025

Location: The Newark Museum Of Art, 49 Washington Street Newark, NJ 07102

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