April 22nd – 30th
Black art is a revolution. To be creative in the face of adversity shifts who society says you are and puts the power in the hands of the artist. Holding up that revolutionary mission is the Seattle Black Film Festival (SBFF), which returns for its 20th year to showcase the potency of Black cinema.
SBFF runs from April 22nd to 30th as a virtual and in-person hybrid event highlighting 50 films representing local and international filmmakers. Opening day starts with a preview of the documentary Seattle Black Panthers Fight for Justice and Freedom. Directed by Rick DuPree, it tells the story of two teenage brothers who helped found one of the nation’s first Black Panther chapters. The night will include a panel discussion, book signing, and reception.
You can catch the whole line-up on SBFF’s site, but here are some quick fest highlights:
🎥 An all-ages shorts day, with an animated film called Wolf And Cub
🎥 Fantasy A Gets a Mattress, which goes in on local rapper Fantasy A’s battle to find a bed
🎥 Local short films Neighborhood and 28 Grams put perspective on gentrification in Hilltop and getting started in the legal weed game
🎥 The short afro-speculative film The Love Machine, which looks at a time machine that uses love to treat trauma
🎥 Three Dollar Bill Cinema co-hosts an LGBTQ shorts selection, which includes F^¢K’ €M R!GHT B@¢K, a comedy about accidentally ingesting an edible that received buzz at this year’s Sundance
🎥 The closing night documentary, What the Funk: A Love Letter to the POC Community, is a peak at the PNW’s first all-POC burlesque show. That night ends with a burlesque show produced by Mx. Pucks A’Plenty.
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