NFMLA February Film Festival To Highlight Black Cinema and Talent

NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) hosts its February Monthly Film Festival and annual InFocus: Black Cinema program, spotlighting Black stories and emerging Black talent in front of and behind the camera in two shorts programs, along with a selection of short film highlights from NFMLA's ongoing monthly program.

The day kicks off with February Shorts, an eclectic program of films that includes dark comedy, horror, drama, and musical celebrations. These stories include intrigue, danger, performance, the joy of authentic expression, finding a place within one's culture, and looking out for one's neighbors.

The day continues with InFocus: Black Cinema Shorts I, the first of two programs showcasing Black storytelling and stories. This collection offers stories of perseverance, authenticity, lifelong excellence, formative childhood experiences, introspection, grief, struggles with self-image and communities coming together for one another. This block opens with a selection of films produced through Black Girls Film Camp, an incubator for the next generation of storytellers. The program invites high school Black girls across the US to pitch a story idea, selecting a cohort of ten each year to have their short film project produced through the program.

The night's programming concludes InFocus: Black Cinema Shorts II, which tells stories of joy and confrontation. Characters confront their fears, the spirit world, racist family members, systems and history, while finding joy in their talents and passions, friends, loved ones, and glimpses of a better life.

NFMLA showcases films by filmmakers of all backgrounds throughout the year, across both general and InFocus programming. All filmmakers are welcome and encouraged to submit their projects for consideration for upcoming NFMLA Festivals, regardless of the schedule for InFocus programming, which celebrates representation by spotlighting various communities of filmmakers as part of the NFMLA Monthly Film Festival. This project is made possible in part by grant support from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA), and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

The South Park Center is an ADA compliant venue and is wheelchair accessible. The company requests captioned films from all filmmakers participating at the Festival. For any accessibility needs, please send a request to info@nfmla.org at least 72 hours prior to the event.