The University of Waterloo and The Congress of Black Women are thrilled to present BLACK@WATERLOO: BLACK FILM FESTIVAL, a celebration of storytelling for and by Black creatives.
The festival showcases the diversity and creativity of Black filmmaking, from both political and musical documentaries to the telling of real Black Canadian narratives.
Keep Scrolling for Details!
March 15 @ 4PM (Twin) - Opening Night: Two Short Films [1]
Reel Black: Our Film Stories (2022, 21 min.) In an exploration of Black Canadian filmmaking, emerging filmmakers Christian Anderson and Ajahnis Charley quickly discover the realities of the industry. Through insights from veteran filmmakers such as Claire Prieto-Fuller, the young filmmakers learn that sometimes if you aren’t given a seat at the table, you have to make your own.
Eyes of the Rainbow: (1997, 63 min.) Documentary. The life of Assata Shakur, the Black Panther and Black Liberation Army leader who escaped from prison and was given political asylum in Cuba, where she has lived for close to 15 years. In it we visit with Assata in Havana, and she tells us about her history and her life in Cuba. This film is also about Assata's AfroCuban context, including the Yoruba Orisha Oya, goddess of the ancestors, of war, of the cemetery and of the rainbow.
March 15 @ 7PM & 16 @ 4PM (Twin) - When Morning Comes [2]
When Morning Comes: After his mother decides to relocate their family from Jamaica to Canada, young Jamal runs off to spend time with his best friend, the girl he likes, and his substitute father figures. He also visits the grave of his beloved father one last time.
March 16 @ 7PM (Original) - Summer of Soul [3]
Summer of Soul: In his acclaimed debut as a filmmaker, Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson presents a powerful and transporting documentary—part music film, part historical record created around an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture and fashion. Over the course of six weeks in the summer of 1969, just one hundred miles south of Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival was filmed in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park). The footage was never seen and largely forgotten–until now.
March 17 @ 4PM & 7PM (Twin) - Brother [4]
Brother: Propelled by the pulsing beats of Toronto's early hip hop scene, Brother is the story of Francis and Michael, sons of Caribbean immigrants maturing into young men. Exploring themes of masculinity, identity and family, a mystery unfolds during the sweltering summer of 1991, and escalating tensions set off a series of events that change the course of the brothers' lives forever. Brother crafts a timely story about the profound bond between siblings, the resilience of a community, and the irrepressible power of music.
High school students sign up for a FREE ticket to any of the showings!
Limited tickets available for eligible students; don't miss your chance, sign up here now! [5]