Six Films on Art and Resistance at BlackStar Film Festival

The BlackStar Film Festival, held from August 6 to 9, celebrated its 15th anniversary with 91 films that championed the festival's commitment to "a cinema for liberation." The films featured in this year's festival reflected themes of collective endurance, solidarity, and determination. Filmmakers and artists were brought together not only through their shared dedication to independent and experimental cinema but also through a broader mission to build an ecosystem for these professionals.

Among the standout films was Haile Gerima's five-part documentary, Black Lions, Roman Wolves, which documented Ethiopia's resistance to the Italian invasion of 1935. The film emphasized the ongoing struggle for freedom and the importance of solidarity in the face of oppression. Another notable work was Suneil Sanzgiri's "An Impossible Address," a poetic documentary exploring the legacy of Indian and African freedom struggles against Portuguese colonialism.

Harlan Banks's "I Wonder Shall I Fly" blended Black diasporic footage with rare 1940s recordings of interviews with formerly enslaved people, offering a profound exploration of the human experience across generations.

In addition to the film screenings, the festival included panels and gatherings that reinforced BlackStar's mission to create a supportive environment for independent and experimental film creators. These events emphasized the importance of building connections and fostering community within the film industry, ensuring that artists and writers could continue to push the boundaries of their craft.

The festival thus served as both a celebration and a catalyst for ongoing work in the pursuit of a more just and equitable world.