November 4 & 15 | This collection of experimental shorts takes an immersive journey through radical imaginings and new frontiers. Namir Mustafa Fearce’s I'M BUILDING ME A HOME (4 min.) offers a unique glimpse into the morning routine of Fearce's two sisters and grandmother before church, blending sound from a negro spiritual with a ballroom track to juxtapose church and ballroom as spaces exalting the Black ecstatic experience. Ja'Tovia M. Gary’s QUIET AS IT'S KEPT (26 min.) presents an introspective exploration of identity and silence in contemporary America. With GHETTO BIRDS IN US...LET THE SKY TOUCH MY SOUL (5 min.), director Lamar Robillard, soars through the black—without restraint. Leah Solomon’s JIGNA (20 min.) is an experimental homage inspired by Monique Wittig's novel Les Guérillères. In TETHER (16 min.), director kelechi agwuncha pays tribute to childhood memories through a Nigerian masquerade. Asari Precious Aibangbee’s OMWAN’EKHUI [person of Dark Skin] (15 min.) is an experimental documentary highlighting the multifaceted talents and experiences of dDark- sSkinned Black folks. And Joseph Douglas Elmhirst’s BURNT MILK (10 min.) centers around Una, a young Jamaican woman in the UK, as she reflects on her cultural heritage while she makes a traditional dish. Select filmmakers scheduled to attend.

Black Harvest Film Festival: Chicago’s annual showcase for films that celebrate, explore and share the Black, African American and African Diaspora experience. The Festival curates both short and feature length films, proudly presenting influential auteurs and emerging filmmakers of color side by side. View full festival lineup.

The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu