21st North Carolina Black Film Festival returns to Wilmington this week
WILMINGTON, NC (PRESS RELEASE) — The 21st annual North Carolina Black Film Festival is returning to Wilmington this week.
The North Carolina Black Film Festival is happening May 16 – 19 at various locations in Wilmington.
According to a press release, the festival will kick off with its opening reception, known as the CineMixer on May 16 at 6:00 PM at Cape Fear Community College Union Station Auditorium, sponsored by Ken Weeden & Associates and The Nixon Leaders Center. Starting at 7:00 PM, NCBFF will present local documentary filmmaker Christopher Everett with the 2024 Trailblazer Award in Documentary Film and they will screen A Wu-Tang Experience: Live at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, sponsored by Dawson Med Primary & Urgent Care. There will also be a post-film discussion with Director Gerald Barclay and Wu-Tang Clan member Cappadonna, moderated by DJ Bigg B of Coast 97.3FM.
The NCBFF festivities will continue at 4:00 PM on Friday, May 17 at Jengo’s Playhouse, with films by emerging filmmakers, which is open to the public and free of charge. There will be additional short film screenings at 5:00 PM, including a documentary feature, Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told, followed by a Q&A session with producers Nikki Byles and Jay Allen. There will also be a special community screening of Force of Blue at Boseman’s Shoes at 6:00 PM.
On Saturday, May 18, film screenings will take place at two locations, Jengo’s Playhouse and Thalian Hall – Ruth & Bucky Stein Studio Theater (Black Box Theater, 2nd Floor). From 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, Family Cinema will feature age-appropriate films for families at Jengo’s Playhouse. Starting at 12:00 PM, the focus will shift to documentaries, shorts, and feature films. Meanwhile, at the second location, Thalian Hall – Ruth & Bucky Stein Studio Theater (Black Box Theater, 2nd Floor), there will be additional screenings of documentaries and feature films beginning at 12:30 PM.
The festival will close on Sunday, May 21st at the Cameron Art Museum with an award ceremony, honoring BK Fulton with the NCBFF Renaissance Award and festival winners. The day will end with the closing film selection Arts, Beats + Lyrics, a documentary that celebrates the legacy of the groundbreaking visual art and hip-hop roadshow that began in Atlanta in 2004 and has since become a national phenomenon. There will also be a post-film discussion with Director Bill Horace and Art, Beats + Lyrics founder Jabari Graham, moderated by Mike Williams of The Black on Black Project.
Tickets and passes are available for purchase on Eventbrite – Festival Passes & Tickets. The Red Carpet Premiere Pass is a VIP All-Access pass for $150 and festival passes are available for each day.
Click here for a complete festival schedule and details from the Black Arts Alliance.
