Retrospective: Oscar Micheaux and the Birth of Black Independent Cinema | Features

As a silent film director, Micheaux was at his strongest: His literary style (he wrote seven novels in total) imbued his intertitles with moral messages that at once developed his film’s characters while furthering his deep thematic desires. The revealing editing of “Within Our Gates,” “The Symbol of the Unconquered,” and “Body and Soul” further … Read more

Spirit Awards 2024: A Platform for Essential Independent Films | Chaz’s Journal

Fortunately, the little engine that could kept chugging right along. It is now a very important part of the filmmaking landscape in California, supporting a diverse group of filmmakers and hosting one of the most fun and celebrated awards shows around. And now the date of the show is not tied to the occurrence of the … Read more

2024 Film Independent Spirit Award Nominees Led by American Fiction, May December and Past Lives | Festivals & Awards

Rounding out the Best Picture nominees are two more romances, Andrew Haigh’s “All of Us Strangers” and Ira Sachs’ “Passages”, as well as Minhal Baig’s Chicago-set drama “We Grown Now.” Nominated for Best Documentary are “Bye Bye Tiberias,” “Four Daughters,” “Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project,” “Kokomo City” and “The Mother of All Lies.” Best International … Read more

Remembering Pearl Bowser (1931-2023), Godmother of Black Independent Cinema | Tributes

She was born Pearl Johnson on June 25th, 1931, in Harlem, New York, where she became a devoted moviegoer throughout her youth. Though she faced racism regularly, she excelled academically and was awarded a scholarship to Brooklyn College. She joined an interracial club in the Bronx known as the Paul Robeson Club, and married fellow civil … Read more