Is Chicago ready to rival Hollywood? This question has been on my mind since I returned to the Windy City in August. There’s an undeniable energy here that I’ve never felt before—and I’m not alone. From the critical acclaim of Hulu’s “The Bear” to the U.S. debut of MUBI Fest, Chicago is buzzing with whispers … Read more
Attending the Black Harvest Film Festival feels like a rite of passage—a celebration of Black storytelling that captures the spirit and resilience of our community. But as a Black man, it offers something even more profound: an opportunity to escape, reflect, and find solace in shared experiences. This year’s lineup was no exception, showcasing a … Read more
I’ve never felt prouder to be a Chicagoan than when attending the 30th Black Harvest Film Festival. As Chicago’s premier Black film festival, Black Harvest serves as a homecoming for the voices and stories of Black people from the city and across the diaspora and the world. This year, I felt a profound connection to … Read more
Attending the Black Harvest Film Festival feels like a rite of passage—a celebration of Black storytelling that captures the spirit and resilience of our community. But as a Black man, it offers something even more profound: an opportunity to escape, reflect, and find solace in shared experiences. This year’s lineup was no exception, showcasing a … Read more
I am always excited by the return of Black Harvest Film Festival, Chicago’s fall celebration of the fruits of Black cinema. But this year, admittedly, for a personal reason, I’m even more hyped for the festival, which this year takes place from Nov 8 thru Nov 21. This time around, I have the immense privilege … Read more
The leaves are changing, the weather is cooling, and film enthusiasts are gathering outside Alice Tully Hall and the Walter Reade Theater as New York welcomes the fall season with the latest installment of the New York Film Festival. Since its inception in 1963 with the screening of Luis Buñuel’s “The Exterminating Angel,” the festival … Read more
It’s been a year since the festival’s co-founder, the dearly missed Sergio Mims, passed away. Celebrating its 29th iteration, the first program directly untouched by Mims, the festival conjured a theme that implicitly connected the gathering to its enduring past while looking toward a necessary future. Lead Curator Jada-Amina and Coordinator Nick Leffel rang the … Read more
Speaking of timing being on your side, you mentioned in the Q&A last night that the script was written in 2019, but you didn’t begin filming until 2022 because of the pandemic. With the extra time, the script shifted. In what ways did it shift? The general story and the general approach was always there. … Read more
Not only did Black Harvest Film Festival feature a band of boundary pushing features, there were also smart, imaginative shorts too. Tari Wariebi’s “We Were Meant To,” which initially premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2023, comes out of the AFI Conservatory. The film elegantly mixes fable with political subtext through a community of Black men … Read more
David Slade’s new horror film showcases a kill scarecrow that will now be hunted by a small posse. A new urban legend comes to life in the new trailer for Dark Harvest. The trailer starts with the ominous, almost Grimm fairy tale-esque narration that says, “It’s Halloween. You know what that means. Old Sawtooth Jack … Read more