The 7th annual edition of Washington DC’s multicultural film festival announces its full IndustryInsights program
Washington DC’s multicultural film festival is back, and the conversation lineup alone is worth the trip.
LightReel Film Festival returns for its 7th annual edition June 3-6, 2026 at the Angelika Pop-Up at Union Market in Washington DC, and the festival has announced its full IndustryInsights program, a curated series of panels, one-on-one conversations, and craft sessions built around this year’s theme, From the District to the Diaspora.
The headline event is The Catalyst, LightReel’s signature conversation series taking place Saturday, June 6 at The Balcón. The first session brings together two of the most acclaimed editors working in Hollywood today, Terilyn A. Shropshire and Emmy winner Stephanie Filo of Daredevil: Born Again, for a conversation on shaping rhythm, performance, and emotion across film and television. The second session may be the rarest get of the entire festival. Russell Williams II and Willie D. Burton, two of only five Black artists in history to win two Academy Awards, will sit down together to reflect on legacy, innovation, and the evolution of sound in cinema.
“These artisans haven’t just contributed to cinema, they’ve completely changed how it looks, sounds, and moves us,” said Tim Gordon, Executive Director of LightReel and Founder of the Black Reel Awards. “My dream for LightReel has always been to make the festival an unforgettable experience for filmmakers, a place that celebrates their craft and lets them pull back the curtain on their creative process.”
Full Program:
Friday, June 5 at Songbyrd Union Market
- Kirk Fraser, In Conversation. Award-winning documentary filmmaker and President and CEO of May 3rd Films. Co-presented by ALIVE Podcast Network.
- Angel Livas, In Conversation. Founder and CEO of ALIVE Podcast Network. Co-presented by ALIVE Podcast Network.
- Editing Action! A clips and conversation event with Emmy winner Stephanie Filo of Daredevil: Born Again.
- Adapting Romance. Emmy-nominated editor Terilyn A. Shropshire in discussion on adapting romance for the screen. Co-presented by MahoganyBooks, hosted by Talia Cadet.
- Food on Film. Edible DC’s debut series exploring food and cinema.
- One Piece Live-Action Screening and Cosplay Event. Co-presented by Fantom Comics.
Saturday, June 6 at The Balcón
- Russell Williams II, In Conversation. Two-time Academy Award-winning Sound Mixer. Co-presented by the Black Reel Awards.
- Willie D. Burton, In Conversation. Two-time Academy Award-winning Sound Mixer. Co-presented by the Black Reel Awards.
- Black Women Editors Shaping the Frame. Terilyn A. Shropshire and Stephanie Filo in conversation on shaping rhythm, performance, and emotion across film and television. Co-presented by the Black Reel Awards.
- The Sound of Legacy. Russell Williams II and Willie D. Burton, two of only five Black artists to win two Academy Awards, reflect on legacy, innovation, and the evolution of sound in cinema. Co-presented by the Black Reel Awards.
The Culture Garden serves as the festival’s official Podcast-in-Residence, featuring Kieron Richardson, Rachel Proctor, and Isaiah Jackson across all four days of the festival.
Full Screening Program
LightReel 2026 features an expansive selection of films across narrative features, documentaries, short films, episodics, and screenplay selections from filmmakers across the globe.
Opening Night kicks off Thursday, June 4 with This Tempting Madness. The festival closes Saturday, June 6 with W.E.B. DuBois: A Rebel With A Cause. Spotlight films include The Furious, Steal Away, The Projectionist, Cole: Bridge to Justice, and The Eyes of Ghana. World premiere screenings include A New Day Begun: The Black National Anthem. LightReel Legacy includes Riverbend (1989)
(Recently Restored) andAlma’s Rainbow (1994).
Narrative Features
- This Tempting Madness (Opening Night)
- The Furious (Spotlight)
- Steal Away (Spotlight)
- Alma’s Rainbow (LightReel Legacy)
- Three Colors: Pan-African
Click here for the full list of narrative features and to purchase tickets
Documentaries
- Cole: Bridge to Justice (Spotlight)
- Rise of the Legion
- Set Her Free
- The Eyes of Ghana (Spotlight)
- Nameless Children
Click here for the full list of documentaries and to purchase tickets
Narrative Shorts
- Absent
- A Fight For Time
- High Road
- The Heir
- While You Were Freeing the World
Click here for the full list of narrative shorts and to purchase tickets
Documentary Shorts
- A New Day Begun: The Black National Anthem (Premiere)
- Making Their Pointe
- Kil and the Kids
- Homegirls in Outer Space
- Moving Spirits: Encountering the Ancestors
Click here for the full list of documentary shorts and to purchase tickets
Episodics
- King of Tema
- Route 187
Click here for the full details on episodics and to purchase tickets
Screenplay Selections
- The Last Letter
- Three Days
- Dear Diary
- Past Presence
- Oberlin
Click here for the full details on screenplay selections and to purchase tickets
Individual tickets for all IndustryInsights sessions are available now at liff26.eventive.org/passes/buy. Full festival passes, multi-day passes, and individual screening tickets are also available at lightreelfilm.com.
LightReel is presented by the Foundation for the Augmentation of African-Americans in Film, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, with support from EDENS-DC, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and the DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment. The festival runs June 3-6 at the Angelika Pop-Up at Union Market, 550 Penn Street NE, Washington DC.