The 29th Annual Black Harvest Film Festival will be held in person at the Gene Siskel Film Center November 3–16, 2023.
Since 1994, the Black Harvest Film Festival has been Chicago’s annual showcase for films that celebrate, explore, and share the Black, African American, and African Diaspora experience.
With the passing of celebrated film critic and Black Harvest Film Festival co-founder and consultant Sergio Mims last fall, the Gene Siskel Film Center has announced the establishment of the Sergio Mims Fund for Black Excellence in Filmmaking, to honor his legacy of giving a voice and platform to the next generation of Black filmmakers. The festival is being curated by Jada-Amina and Nick Leffel.
Check out the exciting weekend lineup:
Saturday, November 4
11:45 a.m. GAINING GROUND: THE FIGHT FOR BLACK LAND + Q&A
12:00 p.m. Shorts: EXPERIMENTS IN BLACK EXPERIENCE + Q&A
2:15 p.m. Meet the Curators: Jada-Amina and Nick Leffel (FREE)
2:30 p.m. NINE DIVINE + Q&A
3:45 p.m. Shorts: FROM THE BLOCK – SURREAL + Q&A
4:45 p.m. Shorts: BRANCHES & ROOTS + Q&A
6:15 p.m. HIGHER LEARNING: An Evening with Justice Singleton
7:15 p.m. BAD LIKE BROOKLYN DANCE HALL + Q&A
9:30 p.m. Shorts: NIGHTSCAPES & REVELATIONS + Q&A
Sunday, November 5
12:30 p.m. BETYE SAAR: READY TO BE A WARRIOR + Q&A
12:45 p.m. NO COP ACADEMY: THE DOCUMENTARY + Q&A
2:30 p.m. SUMMER OF VIOLENCE
3:00 p.m. Chicago Community Film Workshop: VOICES OF THE SOUTH SIDE (FREE) + Reception for ticket holders
4:45 p.m. Shorts: BLACK ACROSS SPACE AND TIME + Q&A
5:45 p.m. Shorts: AFRICA WORLDWIDE!
7:00 p.m. HOW I LEARNED TO FLY
Save money with a Festival pass! Black Harvest Film Festival passes provide you with six tickets to regular film presentations. Excludes Opening Night screening and reception. Festival passes are $60 for the general public and $30 for Film Center members.
FILMS & EVENTS
SOLD OUT, FILMMAKERS IN ATTENDANCE
Opening Night: A BLACK HARVEST FEAST
Friday, November 3, 7:00 p.m. (SOLD OUT) | Welcome to the… more
GAINING GROUND: THE FIGHT FOR BLACK LAND
November 4, 7, & 14 | In the wake of emancipation, many… more
Shorts Program: EXPERIMENTS IN BLACK EXPERIENCE
November 4 & 15 | This collection of experimental… more
November 4 & 11 | We embark on a journey with a tween… more
Meet the Curators: Jada-Amina and Nick Leffel
Saturday, November 4, 2:15 p.m. | Join us for a free afternoon conversation with the curators of… more
Shorts Program: FROM THE BLOCK – SURREAL
November 4 & 11 | This enchanting collection of… more
Shorts Program: BRANCHES & ROOTS
November 4, 12, & 14 | In this evocative anthology,… more
Saturday, November 4, 6:15 p.m. | Join artist Justice Singleton… more
November 4 & 8 | With electrifying rhythms and lyrical… more
Shorts Program: NIGHTSCAPES & REVELATIONS
November 4 & 11 | Settle into night’s enigmatic… more
NO COP ACADEMY: THE DOCUMENTARY
Novembre 5 & 12 | As the city of Chicago devised a plan to… more
BETYE SAAR: READY TO BE A WARRIOR
November 5 & 10 | Wielding a paintbrush, Betye Saar… more
Chicago Community Film Workshop Showcase: VOICES OF THE SOUTH SIDE
Sunday, November 5, 3:00 p.m. | For over five decades, the… more
November 5 & 12 | In the summer of 1993, a young law… more
Shorts Program: BLACK ACROSS SPACE AND TIME
November 5 & 12 | Sci-fi, coming-of-age, social… more
Shorts Program: AFRICA WORLDWIDE!
November 5 & 13 | Embark on a poignant journey across… more
November 5 & 6 | Two Black teenage boys come face to face… more
Monday, November 6, 6:00 p.m. | Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur… more
Monday, November 6, 6:15 p.m. & Tuesday, November 7, 8:15 p.m. | … more
Shorts Program: SISTERS OF THE YAM
November 6 & 13 | In this collection… more
November 8 & 11 | KINKY AND LOVING IT is an empowering… more
November 8 & 15 | In the heart of the trailer park, Lisa, a… more
Wednesday, November 8, 6:15 p.m. | In his riveting directorial… more
November 9 & 11 | In the heart of Miami’s Little Haiti, a… more
FILMMAKERS IN ATTENDANCE, PRE-RECEPTION
Shorts Program: PHENOMENAL WOMEN
November 9 & 15 | In this captivating selection of… more
Thursday, November 9, 6:00 p.m. | In … more
FILMMAKERS IN ATTENDANCE, PRE-SCREENING RECEPTION
November 9 & 11 | KEMBA reveals the interior realities of a… more
LIVE PERFORMANCE, POST-SCREENING CONVERSATION
Friday, November 10, 6:00 p.m. | In an immersive… more
Friday, November 10, 8:15 p.m. | In the dawn of the new… more
November 10 & 12 | In 1980, a new Barbie hit the scene and… more
Shorts Program: THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
November 11 & 12 | Young filmmakers and protagonists… more
Saturday, November 11, 12:30 p.m. | Join Black Film Club Chi… more
Shorts Program: FROM THE BLOCK – FOR REAL
November 11 & 13 | An evocative assemblage of true… more
Saturday, November 11, 7:00 p.m. | The historic… more
MAX ROACH: THE DRUM ALSO WALTZES
November 12 & 15 | From the shadows of Jim Crow to the… more
Monday, November 13, 8:15 p.m. | A glimpse of a love supreme… more
Tuesday, November 14, 6:00 p.m. | Join Jacolby Satterwhite for… more
FILMMAKERS IN ATTENDANCE, RECEPTION
Closing Night: MAXINE’S BABY: THE TYLER PERRY STORY
Thursday, November 16, 6:00 p.m. | Writer, actor,… more
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