Rich Spirit has unveiled the official teaser for BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions, the debut feature from acclaimed artist and filmmaker Kahlil Joseph. The film will premiere October 4 at the New York Film Festival as part of the Main Slate before heading to the London Film Festival on October 12. A U.S. theatrical rollout in select cities will follow in November.
Adapted from Joseph’s seminal video art installation that premiered at the Venice Biennale in 2019, BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions is an immersive, collage-like vision that spans 247 years across land and sea. It blends fictional and documentary forms, weaving together historical and contemporary perspectives inspired by W.E.B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, Saidiya Hartman, and other thinkers. Archive footage, YouTube clips, social media, journalism, and new original material collide into a cinematic language that is as much music as it is film.
The film’s soundscape is structured like an album, unfolding across 21 “tracks,” each with featured guest artists contributing distinct perspectives. Conceived as a documentary that moves with the rhythm of jazz, it reframes the cinematic experience into a work that feels alive, dynamic, and communal.
Already hailed as “one of the best films of 2025” (HPR) and praised by The New York Times as “as formally inventive as it is intellectually exciting,” Joseph’s debut is being celebrated as a once-in-a-generation cinematic event. The film currently holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
“BLKNWS is a cinematic experience that defies categorization, a film that plays like an album, thinks like an essay, and moves like jazz,” said James Shani, CEO of Rich Spirit. “We wanted a release plan that reflects the urgency of Kahlil’s vision, giving audiences the opportunity to experience BLKNWS in community as more than a film.”
Joseph echoed the importance of the theatrical release, noting, “This work was nurtured for years as an idea, an evolving installation. To bring it into theaters now feels necessary because the theater is where images breathe differently, where the exchange with an audience transforms them. Our partnership with Rich Spirit supports that independence and ensures the release of this film honors the brilliance of all who helped create it.”
Joseph, known for his intellectually and emotionally layered work, has collaborated with artists including Kendrick Lamar, Sampha, Flying Lotus, and Beyoncé—most notably directing segments of her Emmy-nominated Lemonade. His gallery installations have been featured at institutions like Tate Modern and the Hammer Museum.
Rich Spirit, the distributor behind the film, has established itself as a force in championing global diaspora storytelling. Led by producer James Shani, the company also co-produced Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice, which garnered two Oscar nominations and multiple BAFTA, Spirit Award, and Golden Globe nods after its debuts at Cannes and Telluride.
BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions is set to be one of the most discussed films of the year, and with its theatrical release on the horizon, audiences will soon experience Joseph’s visionary work in full.
You can watch the first official teaser for the film above.
