The American Black Film Festival is marking its 30th anniversary with one of its most expansive and far-reaching showcase lineups yet. Under the theme “Homecoming,” the festival returns to Miami Beach May 27–31 with 50 short films across three non-competitive sections — Voices of Culture, African Stories, and the AI x XR Storytelling Showcase — representing countries from Nigeria to Colombia to Belgium, and spanning genres from romantic comedy to Afrofuturism to AI-generated immersive experience. Rather than a competition, these sections are a celebration: proof that Black storytelling in 2026 is a global, genre-defying, technology-embracing conversation — and that ABFF, now three decades in, remains one of its most important platforms.
The 2026 lineup brings together an extraordinary range of filmmakers and talent. Voices of Culture presents forty short films directed by persons of African descent, curated by invitation only, featuring over fifteen World Premieres. The section includes work from directors André Royo, Ellie Foumbi, Carra Patterson, Keith Powell, and Jordan K. Paul, with notable talent including Jill Scott, Glynn Turman, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Tabitha Brown, Russell Hornsby, and Jabari Banks. African Stories spotlights five short films from Africa’s most dynamic emerging voices — all World or US Premieres — with directors Daniel Ehimen, Tolulope Itegboje, Sizwe Kubeka, and Shandra Apondi representing Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya. The AI x XR Storytelling Showcase, curated in partnership with GRX Immersive Labs, presents five boundary-pushing works from directors including Aaron Avont Johnson, Kimberly Offord, and Tiffani Lee Joseph, created through artificial intelligence and immersive technologies and spanning genres from Sci-Fi/Afrofuturism to Horror/Supernatural.
“As we celebrate 30 years of ABFF, this year’s showcase programming reflects both the breadth of storytelling today and where it’s headed,” said NICE CROWD President Nicole Friday. “Together, these sections underscore ABFF’s continued commitment to championing new voices, expanding access to global audiences, and serving as a platform for discovery and what’s next in storytelling.”
Below is the complete lineup across all three showcase sections.
VOICES OF CULTURE
A non-competitive showcase of short films directed by persons of African descent. Curated by invitation only, this section highlights outstanding works that reflect the breadth of the global Black experience.
The Day You Find Your Name | USA | 15m | Dir: Dominique R. Draper
At the height of the Black Panther movement, a pregnant Afeni Shakur must defend herself against 189 felony charges in a trial that threatens her freedom and her unborn child’s future.
Cast: Journey Carter, Mitchell Edwards
Penny in the Sky *World Premiere | USA | 20m | Dir: Drew Allyn & Alexis Wilson
When a man contemplating his life decides to put his fate into a coin toss, he’s interrupted by the sudden appearance of a woman there to end her life as well.
Cast: Benjamin Earl Turner, Ryn Stafford
If Only You Knew *World Premiere | USA | 20m | Dir: Safiyah Chiniere
A woman confronting her father about his absence.
Cast: Ashley Hernandez, Adrian Luke Sinclair, Steve Attie
Crossroads | USA | 19m | Dir: Horane Henry
A wrongfully fired financier and a guarded lawyer connect unexpectedly on a blind date, turning a night of bad news into something more.
Cast: Okema T. Moore, Rory Clarke, Saint Thompson, Horace Henry, Donnadeen Rowe-Henry
Bid | USA | 10m | Dir: Matthew Price
During a Thanksgiving dinner, an eager grad student attempts to reconnect with family through a game of Spades — the only obstacle is her mother.
Cast: Phylicia Wissa, Nikko Austen Smith, Tim Russ, Teri Gamble, Sheroid Evans, Jeffrey Reddick
Fairytales *World Premiere | USA | 12m | Dir: Tiffani Holland
On their wedding day, a young bride’s monstrous powers are exposed during a violent police encounter, forcing her and her husband to flee through a city that now sees her as a threat.
Cast: Paulina Singer, Brian Reese, Steven Strickland
Peace by Piece *World Premiere | USA | 11m | Dir: Jordan K. Paul
When a so-called actor from the future travels back in time to study the ordinary man he will play in a movie, we all want to know… why him?
Cast: Jordan Paul, Dante Rossi
Touching *World Premiere | USA | 11m | Dir: Lauryn Charliah Allums
A young girl must protect her baby sister when a sleepover with their cousin becomes a nightmare.
Cast: Rose De La Cruz, Alexandria Grice, Antoinette Allison, Nakia Borgella, David Perry
I Got My Brother | USA | 17m | Dir: Victor Gabriel
Two brothers reflect on their candid and often humorous memories of surviving the foster care system and prison, realizing along the way that their path to healing has always been each other.
Cast: Jarrett Harper, Baylon Harper
500 Seconds To Tell You | USA | 11m | Dir: Gerard Clarke
Before a catastrophe ends life on Earth, a young man struggles to put his feelings for his best friend into words.
Cast: Jared Jackson, Asha Alaji-Sharif
Iku Aka (Knocking on the Door) | USA | 12m | Dir: Tiffany Lotanna Onyejekwe
On the eve of her Iku Aka, Chinelo’s joyful Igbo marriage celebration is upended by a long-hidden family secret, forcing her to choose whether tradition will guide her or her jailer.
Cast: Jessica Otse, Dorothy Chinenyenwa, Francis C. Edemobi, Prince Ezerumaka, Ella Nwokedi
Woman Land | USA | 10m | Dir: Yasmin Yassin
Two young Somali sisters in Minneapolis have to balance rebellion with their reputations when their secret matchmaking business attracts a client a little too close to home.
Cast: Hodan Hassan, Nadira Hussein, Beera Luula, Abdurahman Muhumed
Buttercup Pudding Pie *World Premiere USA | 15m | Dir: Keith Powell
A daddy runs outta gas on the way to his baby girl’s birthday, then everything goes sideways.
Cast: Burl Moseley, John Earl Jelks, Milton TJ Taylor, Talya Klein
Please Return Your Cart *World Premiere | USA | 14m | Dir: Kendra Jo
A former soldier turned shopping cart attendant, resigned to a life on the sidelines, is challenged by a vibrant consultant to embrace his greatest fear — a second chance at love.
Cast: Russell Hornsby, Kimrie Lewis, Jabari Banks, Ratoya Banks, Tabitha Brown
Mini Me *World Premiere | USA | 18m | Dir: a. b. oddman
In the pursuit of an open cast call at the height of hurricane season, a Jamaican-American family learns to voice their pent-up grief.
Cast: Symone Holmes, Kyrie McAlpin, Thyais Walsh, Taylor Crawford
Cutoff | USA | 9m | Dir: Jalen Rayno
Chester connects with his nephew Quincy on the day of his baptism. Their relationship ruffles feathers, and Chester reconsiders his next steps in the boy’s life.
Cast: C.P Walker, Eli Romelus, Kamajhia Williams
Keep My Brother | USA | 11m | Dir: Sharona D’Ornellas
Ava struggles to balance her family, career, and health while caring for her younger brother Darryl during his severe manic episode.
Cast: Renée Elise Goldsberry, Darryl Dunning II, Daniel J Watts
Age of Quorum | UK | 14m | Dir: Yomi Ayeni
A young man’s New Year’s Eve takes a dramatic turn as the night transforms into an adversary he must conquer to survive.
Cast: Ade Femzo, Rhys Quilley, Justice Ezi, Mack Muggleton
Vengeance Is All I Have *World Premiere | USA | 17m | Dir: Christian Osagiede
An enraged young man infiltrates a picturesque suburban home with revenge on his mind, but his determination begins to falter when he discovers a connection with his younger half-brother.
Cast: Patrick Walker, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Trent Allen Davis, Elizabeth Dantus
Echoes Beneath The Hill | Rwanda / Belgium | 17m | Dir: Aime Octave
On the verge of the genocide against the minority Tutsi, Jeanne, 10, a daredevil girl, is searching for her pet goat.
Cast: Uwihirwe Francine, Cyiza Bolce, Gakwaya Celestin, Uwimana Clementine
Oh Happy Day! | USA | 12m | Dir: Ivan Rome
Over the course of Easter week, a young boy struggles to impress his crush.
Cast: Kaden Taylor, Blossom Cole, Chantal Maurice, Ann Nesby, Alfred Lamar, Syer Blu Wilson
Ella | USA | 18m | Dir: Nikki Taylor-Roberts
Ella sings her love songs — scatting through her darkest notes.
Cast: Jill Scott, Destinee Rae
The Checklist *World Premiere | USA | 13m | Dir: Jasmine T.Q. McLaurin
When a mother rediscovers a forgotten checklist from her past, she’s inspired to reclaim her adventurous spirit — pulling her skeptical daughter into a journey of self-discovery, nostalgia, and unexpected reconnection.
Cast: Karole Foreman, Tarra Denise Jackson, Shaun Bedgood, Emma J
Couples Skate *World Premiere | USA | 11m | Dir: Kaliya Warren
A night at the roller rink reveals the cracks in a relationship.
Cast: Jordan Coleman, Myko Olivier
AFUFU | USA | 18m | Dir: Ellie Foumbi
When a live-in housekeeper accidentally breaks a valuable item, her decision to hide her transgression from her employers has devastating consequences.
Cast: Babetida Sadjo, Saffron Burrows, Tate Donovan, Vivian Olyphant
This Is Private | USA | 14m | Dir: LeAndre Thomas
A stripper cunningly decides to use her private dances as therapy sessions in order to prevail in her collegiate psychology class.
Cast: Birgundi Baker, Joseph Rye, Wendy Feign, Matthew Baetz
JOHN *World Premiere | USA | 17m | Dir: Amirah Adem
Facing discrimination, a Black female lawyer disguises herself as a white man to navigate with more privilege.
Cast: Samantha Marie Ware, David Shatraw, Spencer Neville, Lisagaye Tomlinson
Intergalactic Ingenue | USA | 20m | Dir: Nathan Deshawn Bouie
On the night he’s supposed to integrate with his Hive-mind alien girlfriend, James, a man with deep commitment issues, discovers his ex is also dating the same Hivemind.
Cast: Jai’Reeh Demond, Akira Jackson, Mckayla Fontanez
The Last Wish | Canada | 15m | Dir: Kimberley Ann Surin
When an unsettling visitor disrupts her fragile new life, a 70-year-old widow is compelled to face her greatest fear — water — forcing her into a battle with both her past and her own mortality.
Cast: Marie-Aimée Cadet, Naïla Louidort, Nayla Mongeon-Levesque
When They’re Gone *World Premiere | USA | 14m | Dir: Ragan Henderson & Lauryn Darden
After an abrupt encounter at a graveyard, two elderly men form an unexpected bond over the grief and love of their late wives.
Cast: Glynn Turman, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs
Fragments of Joy *World Premiere | USA | 15m | Dir: Andre Royo
Taking his Alzheimer-addled mother on a weekend jaunt to NYC in hopes of jogging her memory, an alcoholic son has to walk a fine line between frustration and responsibility.
Cast: Andre Royo, Maria Broom
HOMEbirth *World Premiere USA | 17m | Dir: Carra Patterson & Korey Jackson
As her due date nears, a first-time mother meticulously plans the perfect home birth, only to confront a haunting truth many Black women know too well — that doing everything right still may not be enough to survive.
Cast: Carra Patterson, Ruffin Prentiss III, Ngozi Anyanwu
TIGUERONAS | USA | 14m | Dir: Imani Celeste
After ending an abusive relationship, Aaliyah and her friends hatch a bold plan for revenge on a girls’ night out, igniting a journey of self-empowerment and sisterhood.
Cast: Daniella Denisse Macre Rodríguez, Imani Brammer, Mariyea, Victoria Lino, Malik Tyree Sneed
EL TIGUERE | USA | 20m | Dir: Andrew J. Rodriguez
In the Bronx, an Afro-Dominican father nurtures an underground mobile food garden while searching for a way to rebuild his relationship with his estranged son.
Cast: Elvis Nolasco, Ansi Rodrigues
Killer Of Men *World Premiere | USA | 13m | Dir: Jordan Betine
Set in the antebellum American South, an enslaved prize fighter faces a choice between life and freedom after attending the burial of the man he was forced to kill.
Cast: Erik Orjiako, Sandra McDaniels
H. P. V. *World Premiere | USA | 17m | Dir: Kiah Clingman
Plagued by the physical and emotional tolls of endometriosis and HPV, Kaleigh’s relentless quest for empathy drives her to desperate measures.
Cast: Taylor Polidore Williams, Vince Swann, Stephen Ruffin, Allen Burns, Jessica Fontaine
Beach Day | USA | 11m | Dir: Brandon XIV
In a world where one woman’s death means the end of everything, a man sets out on a surreal journey to ask her permission to die before she does.
Cast: Richard David, Aja Monet, Sekou Andrews, LaChanze
Pan Gyul | Nevis, West Indies | 15m | Dir: Juliette Jeffers
On the island of Nevis, a determined young girl challenges tradition and her mother’s opposition to learn the steel pan, hoping to connect with her celebrated musician father and claim her own voice.
Cast: Juliette Jeffers, Winston Crooke, Hadassah Daniels
Yellow Pages *World Premiere | USA | 15m | Dir: Simone Thomas-Rowe
When a little girl dreaming of becoming a comedian begins using the Yellow Pages to test out her jokes, she unknowingly brightens the life of someone who needs it most.
Cast: Cadence Reese, Damien Leake, Danielle Banks, Mingjie Zhai, Sandra Walters
BERTHA *World Premiere | Colombia | 13m | Dir: Laura Asprilla Carrillo
A woman must be more stubborn than a goat to find her freedom.
Cast: Barbara Perea
AFRICAN STORIES
A non-competitive showcase spotlighting short films from Africa’s most dynamic emerging voices. All five films are World or US Premieres, representing Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya.
MR. ROGERS *US Premiere | Nigeria | 19m | Dir: Daniel Ehimen
From the tale of “Old Roger is dead and gone to his grave” stems a young family who goes to spend a holiday weekend with relatives, and ignorantly awakens an unforgiven but insidious entity that rains terror, bringing their bloodline to the brink of hell.
Cast: Yusrah Ayinde, Joseph Imoikor, Demi Banwo, Princess Obuseh, Ayo Binta Mogaji, Kunle Coker, Francis Oyinlola Bakare
Bam Bam *US Premiere | Nigeria | 17m | Dir: Tolulope Itegboje
When a gifted but withdrawn teenager falls for a classmate, his AI best friend pushes him toward love, forcing him to confront the self-doubt that has shaped his life.
Cast: Kelechi Udegbe, Ambrose Nwoga
The Break-In *World Premiere | South Africa | 14m | Dir: Sizwe Kubeka
A routine break-in spirals when tensions inside a crew of small-time thieves force one member to question the future he’s been chasing.
Cast: Malusi Ngxubungela, Patrick Sithole, Akhile Mjanyelwa
Our Brother *US Premiere | Kenya | 15m | Dir: Shandra Apondi
A grieving family faces loss and imminent departures while tensions rise as the matriarch cares for her eldest autistic son. The intricate threads binding them are tested.
Cast: Beatrice Kamuyu, Brian Furaha, Ivy Collette Nafula, Agwingi Adingo
Amon *World Premiere | USA | 6m | Dir: Chloé-Eloïse Mallet
As a boy responds to letters for his illiterate grandmother, he is confronted with news of her failing health — and must decide whether to disclose the truth or keep the letter’s contents to himself.
Cast: Lamine Goita, Maimounay Lemailloux
AI x XR STORYTELLING SHOWCASE
A non-competitive showcase of innovative works created through artificial intelligence and immersive technologies. Curated in partnership with GRX Immersive Labs, all five films are World or US Premieres.
The Haunting of RiverFalls *World Premiere | USA | 7m | Dir: Aaron Avont Johnson
When a matriarch witch of a powerful Black lineage teaches her daughter to cross into the spirit world, a forbidden ritual goes wrong — and a demonic entity follows the girl back, threatening to destroy their bloodline forever.
Cast: Aaron Johnson
FAME FARM *World Premiere | USA | 9m | Dir: Whoingodsname
The future ain’t what it used to be.
Cowbone *World Premiere | USA | 2m | Dir: Alexander Newman Hall
When a Jamaican excavator operator is left in the Jamaican jungle alone, he knocks down the wrong tree and discovers that some roots are better left buried.
The B Side: The Future is Past *US Premiere | USA | 6m | Dir: Kimberly Offord
When visitors from the sky descend on a terror-haunted Jim Crow community, one young Black girl understands what the adults cannot — salvation has arrived, and it chose her.
Eat The Rich *World Premiere | USA | 6m | Dir: Tiffani Lee Joseph
After the middle class is quietly “optimized” out of existence, a starving Dracula pivots to a new menu — wealthy professionals who are about to learn that money doesn’t buy immunity, just a later appointment.