Film Finders: Exploring Special Topics

In this workplace comedy from writer/executive producer/star Quinta Brunson and executive producers Justin Halpern & Patrick Schumacker, a group of teachers is brought together in a Philadelphia public school, because they love teaching. Though outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do even if they don't love the school district's less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children.

Focuses on Bessie Smith's transformation from a struggling young singer into 'The Empress of the Blues', who became one of the most successful recording artists of the 1920s and is an enduring icon today.

For decades, the housing projects of Chicago's Cabrini-Green were terrorized by a ghost story about a supernatural, hook handed killer. In present day, an artist begins to explore the macabre history of Candyman, not knowing it would unravel his sanity and unleash a terrifying wave of violence that puts him on a collision course with destiny.

Languid look at the Gullah culture of the sea islands off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia where African folk ways were maintained well into the twentieth century and was one of the last bastions of these mores in America.

Based on the thrilling and inspirational life of an iconic American freedom fighter, the movie tells the extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery and transformation into one of America's greatest heroes. Her courage, ingenuity, and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history.

A comedy series which follows best friends Issa and Molly as they navigate the tricky professional and personal terrain of Los Angeles while facing the challenges of being two black women who defy all stereotypes. Insecure explores the black female experience in a subtle, witty, and authentic way, as Issa and Molly stumble their way toward pulling their lives together while trying their hardest to never settle for less.

A fictional account of one amazing night when icons Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown gathered discussing their roles in the Civil Rights Movement and cultural turmoil of the '60s.

"Sarah Obeng, a doctoral student at Columbia, is weeks away from following her married boyfriend to Ohio when her mother suddenly passes away. Her inheritance? King of Glory, a small Christian bookstore serving the Ghanaian immigrant community in the Bronx. Tasked with arranging her mother's funeral according to her family's traditional expectations, Sarah simultaneously navigates her plans to relocate and the return of her estranged father, all while grappling with the bookstore. Aided by an only-in-New-York ensemble of Eastern European neighbors, opinionated aunties, and a no-nonsense ex-con employee, Sarah must face her new responsibilities while figuring out how to remain true to herself."--Container.

A look at the life and career of charismatic Washington D.C.-area radio personality Ralph "Petey" Green, who was renowned for his "tell it like it is" approach to politics and race

Till is a profoundly emotional and cinematic film about the true story of Mamie Till Mobley's relentless pursuit of justice for her 14-year-old son, Emmett Till, who, in 1955, was lynched while visiting his cousins in Mississippi. In Mamie's poignant journey of grief turned to action, we see the universal power of a mother's ability to change the world.

In 2005, Venus Williams took up the struggle that began with Billie Jean King, challenging the long-held practice of paying women tennis players less than their male counterparts at Wimbledon.

Cheryl, a young black woman in a video store, is making a documentary about an obscure black actress from the 1930's. When she discovers that the actress (known as "the Watermelon Woman") had a white lesbian lover, Cheryl just happens to fall in love with a very cute white woman herself!

A feature film about the late musical icon, Whitney Houston.

The remarkable story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s with skills and a ferocity unlike anything the world has ever seen. Inspired by true events, it follows the emotionally epic journey of General Nanisca as she trains the next generation of recruits and prepares them for battle against an enemy determined to obliterate their way of life. Some things are worth fighting for.

Tells the story of a cart-taxi driver who goes to the city to make a living, but out of sympathy with other poverty-stricken people, works for free and goes hungry himself.

Three friends struggle to survive in South Central Los Angeles where friendship, pain, danger and love form a true picture of life in the 'hood in this critically acclaimed, action-filled story.

Bernadine is a stoic prison warden, but two back-to-back executions put a strain on her marriage, career and convictions.

"The summer I killed my father, I was ten years old" So begins Kasi Lemmons' spellbinding feature debut, an evocative journey into the maze of memory steeped in a fragrant southern-gothic atmosphere. In 1960s Louisiana, a young girl sees her well-to-do family unravel in the wake of the infidelities of her charming father setting in motion a series of deceptions and betrayals that will upend her world and challenge her understanding of reality. Rooted in Creole history, folklore, and mysticism, Eve's Bayou is a scintillating showcase for a powerhouse ensemble of Black actresses.

Filmmaker Ryan Coogler makes his feature directorial debut with this drama centered on the tragic shooting of Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan), a vibrant 22-year-old Bay Area father who was senselessly gunned down by BART officers on New Year's Day in 2009, and whose murder sent shockwaves through the nation after being captured on camera by his fellow passengers.

An archaeologist is stabbed with an ancient dagger that gives him immortality and an insatiable thirst for blood, which he then shares with his assistant's wife, and the two of them form a troubled partnership.

A satire on the ups and downs of being a black actor in Hollywood. Bobby Taylor, a young black actor whose attempts to find work are dashed when told that he's not "black enough" for the roles being offered. With jobs limited to stereotypes (gang-bangers, pimps and Uncle Toms'), Bobby's struggles are told through a series of comic fantasies and dreams.

An exploration of Hollywood's role as a purveyor of illusion. Two black women, one a studio executive who passes for white, and one who provides the singing voice for a famous white actress, struggle to find happiness and acceptance in WWII-era Hollywood.

Set in 1920s Kansas, the film traces one year in the life of young Newt, in which he learns about love, fear, racial injustice, and his own capacity for honor.

A stylish and original dark comedy about a perpetual loser whose life goes from bad to worse when his longtime girlfriend dumps him. His attempts to get over the breakup, embarrassing career, and overbearing family overwhelm his once big dreams. Now he just watches as his life unravels.

Ollie is barely getting by in an economically depressed fracking boomtown in North Dakota. She has left her days of illegally running prescription pills over the Canadian border behind, eying a potential new job that would finally break her out of the small town. But when her mother dies, she is reunited with her estranged sister Deb, who faces a mounting crisis: the combined effect of an unplanned pregnancy and a deadbeat ex.

This film is divided into the quarters of a basketball game and tells the story of Quincy and Monica. It traces their lives as they run parallel and run apart -- from childhood, to high school, to college -- concluding with Quincy and Monica as adults. Both play basketball and each dreams of playing on a professional level. For Quincy, it is easier and expected since he is the son of a professional ballplayer. Monica has it harder being both a woman when there was no professional league, and as a daughter whose mother cannot understand why her daughter wants to be an athlete.

A young street hustler attempts to escape the rigors and temptations of the ghetto in a quest for a better life.

A crime lord ascends to power and becomes megalomaniacal while a maverick police detective vows to stop him.

Alike is a 17-year-old African-American woman who lives with her parents and younger sister in Brooklyn's Fort Greene neighborhood. She has a flair for poetry, and is a good student at her local high school. Alike is quietly but firmly embracing her identity as a lesbian. Wondering how much she can confide in her family, Alike strives to get through adolescence with grace, humor, and tenacity--sometimes succeeding, sometimes not, but always moving forward.

While on a forgettable first date together in Ohio, a black man and a black woman are pulled over for a minor traffic infraction. The situation escalates, with sudden and tragic results, when the man kills the police officer in self-defense. Terrified and in fear for their lives, the man, a retail employee, and the woman, a criminal defense lawyer, are forced to go on the run. But the incident is captured on video and goes viral, and the couple unwittingly becomes a symbol of trauma.

A statuesque and charismatic woman is trying to figure out what she wants in life. She has a good job as a commercial artist and designer, a spacious Brooklyn apartment, and three boyfriends. Each of them is far from her ideal man, but each fulfills a different need for her. Between her juggling act--accompanied by total honesty about who she is and what she's doing--and the childish squabbling of the three men, she makes some rather nebulous points about gender relations and the double standard.

The story of an African-American soldier stationed in Europe and the racism he encounters from his fellow soldiers following his idyllic three-day affair with a young white woman. Made by Van Peebles in France, with funding from OPERA--Office de Productions, Editions et Réalisations Artistiques (Paris).

Priest is a cocaine dealer who is just smart enough to know that there's no real future in dealing coke, and makes a proposal to his partner Eddie that would leave them with a million dollar profit each. But Scatter, the dealer who set Priest up in the cocaine trade, is both unwilling and unable to sell them that much product. As Priest looks for a new source for his big score, one of his underlings, Fat Freddie, is picked up by the police. Freddie tells the cops about Priest's underground empire. Priest is confronted by corrupt cops who want to become his partner.