The Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center (BHERC) announced Thursday its 10 films and directors for its annual 28th annual “Sistas Are Doin’ It For Themselves” short-film showcase.
The films, which will screen at the event beginning later this month, were selected from more than 500 entries.
Because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, this year marks the second year that the showcase will stream online, beginning Saturday, March 27 and ending Sunday, April 11, with a special Q&A Zoom session with filmmakers that follows at 3 p.m. April 11.
“Still today, after all these years of promoting the work of Black women in film, now more than ever the Black female perspective is needed in filmmaking,” BHERC founder Sandra Evers-Manly said in a statement. “We cannot deny their power. Likewise, the community here and abroad needs to know and support our ‘Sister Sheroes’ as they tell our stories. This is an opportunity and a platform to do just that.”
This year’s filmmakers and films, which focus on mental health, romance, drama, and fantasy, include:
• “Compassionate Release,” Lynn Dow, director, New York — The tragic death of her husband has set Carol and her two daughters on an unexpected and heartbreaking journey.
• “Twisted Dreams,” Yvette “Karamell Jones” Walters, director, Philadelphia — Dreams collide and sparks fly when the mystery woman that architect Gregory Jones has been dreaming about becomes his new client in real life.
• “Blackbird, Fly,” Jay Winters, director, Oak Creek, Wis. — A short fantasy film about Raven Wilkinson seen through the mind of a young girl named Gabby. The first in a series called “Medusa Girls” featuring women throughout history, pictured as girls that dared to dream.
• “Misfits,” Ciani Rey Walker, director, Los Angeles — When two sisters and leaders of the Black Panther Party learn their friend has kidnapped a cop on the night of MLK Jr.’s assassination, they must set aside their differences to navigate one of the most turbulent nights in history.
