MONDAY - Apparitions: An Assemblage of Black Independent Films

Programmed by: Francesca Fox

Almost 60 years ago, a group of Black film students at UCLA came together to become what is known as the L.A. Rebellion. They were a generation of filmmakers that sought to disrupt conventional Hollywood cinema through their own visual language – creating a new Black cinema. Today, independent Black filmmakers continue to develop their own voices, often acting as writers, directors, and even self-funding their projects. They investigate the beauty in the mundane, what exists within and beyond a world of trauma, white supremacy, capitalism and poverty. The selected films are self-aware, light-hearted, and cinematically astounding. They are landmarks in American cinema and testaments to history and politics. "What’s past is prologue," uttered at the beginning of Julie Dash’s Daughters of the Dust, is a reminder as to why the visibility and accessibility of Black indie films has been historically diminished. This series pays homage to Black independent cinema throughout the years — their connections, storytelling, and impact.