The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) is stepping further into the future of storytelling with the launch of its ABFF 9:16 Microdrama Project Showcase, a new digital-first initiative designed to spotlight the next wave of vertical, mobile-first series.
The festival has officially announced the first cohort of selections, featuring eight standout microdramas that will premiere on the CODEBLACK app during the 2026 ABFF celebration. Powered by Hartbeat, the initiative is built to amplify emerging creators shaping the rapidly expanding vertical storytelling space, while connecting them to global audiences and industry visibility.
“We’re seeing a fundamental shift in how stories are being created and consumed, and vertical microdrama sits right at the center of that evolution,” said Jeff Friday, Cofounder & CEO of NICE CROWD and Founder of ABFF. “This initiative is about meeting that moment, giving these creators a global stage, and ensuring that as this format scales, creators of color are not just participating, but leading.”
A second cohort of selections will be announced later this fall.
Mechanical Pencil | 11m | United States
A group of detention regulars turns their punishment into a creative playground, where desk beats, chaos, and imagination evolve into something bigger than themselves.
Directors: Palmer Williams III, Amari K. Jones
Writers: Amari K. Jones, Myracle Sims, Justen Ross, JonAvery Worrell, Hurrikane, Dasan Frazier, Michael Bahsil, Destiny Knox, Kaylan Mary
Producers: Amari K. Jones
Cast: Justen Ross, Destiny Knox, Brandon Grimes, Dasan Frazier, JonAvery Worrell, Amari K. Jones, Michael Bahsil, Hurrikane, C Squared, Myracle Sims, Kaylan Mary, Skootah Pollock
A Different Kind of Forever | 20m | United States
In LA’s interconnected dating scene, situationships, near misses, and messy sparks collide—proving there are a million ways this can go, and almost none of them are forever.
Writer/Director: Alexis Rivera
Producers: Alexis Rivera, Jamal Averett, Justin Jemerson
Cast: Akilah Walker, Maurice Hardwick, Juliah Cheree Taylor, Charles Grant-DeBose, Renae Anderson, Prince Odimegwu, Shakira Ja’nai Paye, Jemar Michael, Zimzon Zion, Justin Williams, Danika Edwards, Marqi Morgan, Alexis Rivera, POPE
Thick & Uninterrupted | 12m | United States, Nigeria
A bold, curvy woman unapologetically embraces her confidence, desire, and power while navigating love and modern relationships in a world that constantly expects her to shrink.
Director: Dominic Aikabeli
Writers: Dominic Aikabeli, Tajé Prest
Producers: Tajé Prest
Cast: Tajé Prest, Maxwell Nwokoye, Godfrey Okorafor, Kolawole Agboola, Frederick Honest
The King, The Affair and The Son Heir | 9m | South Africa
King Jonga’s celebrated heir carries a secret that could destroy a kingdom—written in blood, hidden in plain sight, and closing in with every stolen glance between his wife and his most trusted advisor.
Director: Star Kganki Maphahlele
Writer: Anathi Rubela & Mamello Makhetha
Producers: Flavia Motsisi
Cast: Othembele Nomgca, Khanyi Nokwe, Lebogang Mphahlele, Phathiswa Tonono, Wamke Cele, Gcina Mdikane
Crimson Mirage | 11m | United States
When a supernatural drug harvests human energy for an ancient operation, a detective searching for his missing sister and the scientist who unknowingly built the machine must join forces to dismantle the network before it swallows the city whole.
Writer/Director: Courtney Arlett
Producers: Courtney Arlett, Yolanda Haskett, Mario Haskett, Marc Thevenin, Ron Toussaint, Phedra Syndelle, Jasmine Sargent, Dï Thomas
Cast: Jason Louder, Katrina Rivera, Chantal Maurice, Zeus Luby, Karon Joseph Riley, Phedra Syndelle
False Profit$ | 11m | United States
A rising Black CEO is wrongfully convicted of a massive Ponzi scheme and turns prison into a training ground for exposing systemic corruption and dismantling the empire that destroyed his life.
Writer/Director: Jai Harris
Producers: Serene Samuel, Darion Taylor, Michael Sanders, Charles Smith, Ephren Taylor, Socorro Grandville, Pat Taylor
Cast: Malik Taylor
Blacked Out | 13m | United States
After a blackout night she can’t remember, Jordan wakes up in interrogation to learn her boyfriend is missing, forcing her to piece together the truth before she becomes the prime suspect.
Director: Caleb Davis
Writer: Roni Davis
Producers: Jade Martin
Cast: Verina Banks, Daniel Augustin
Faceplant | 13m | United States
A desperate couple facing foreclosure discovers a mask that lets them hijack other people’s bodies, but each reckless use pulls them deeper into a dangerous game with consequences they can’t control.
Writer/Director: Jean-Pierre Chapoteau
Producers: Jean-Pierre Chapoteau, Jennifer Pessima, La’Shay Painter
Cast: Kennie Nicole, Bren Suttle
ABFF 2026 Partners
ABFF is supported by a wide network of industry and cultural partners, including Warner Bros. Discovery and HBO (Founding), GMCVB (Host), Ally Financial, Amazon MGM Studios, Comcast NBCUniversal, Walmart (Presenting), City of Miami Beach, American Airlines (Major), Netflix, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (Official), CBS, Hartbeat, AARP, L’Oréal Groupe, STARZ, ESPN (Supporting), Motion Picture Association, Uber (Contributing), Nielsen, Fulton Films GA, BLACC powered by AHF, William Morris Endeavor (Associate), Variety, Los Angeles Times, and Getty Images (Media).