Hard, the critically acclaimed short film written and directed by Eboni Price, will be showcased at the 16th annual BronzeLens Film Festival—one of only 38 Oscar®-qualifying festivals in the country. The screening is set for august 21 at 7:00 p.m. inside the “Eddie” Screening Room at the Tara Atlanta Theater.
Starring Lauren E. Banks (City on a Hill, Lawmen: Bass Reeves), the 21-minute short tells a deeply moving story of survival, sisterhood, and strength through the eyes of a 12-year-old girl growing up in a tough neighborhood. Kenya Stiger leads as Javonte Freeman, a young girl balancing the physical changes of puberty, an aggressive school bully, and unresolved grief from losing her brother. Banks plays her older sister Renesha, a young mother trying to break generational cycles while preparing Javonte to face a world that rarely shows grace.
Rounding out the cast are Jermaine Alvarez Martin as Jordan and Tiffany Smith as Martinika.
Premiering last year in New York City, Hard has since resonated with audiences at home and abroad. From winning Best Short at Georgia’s Urban MediaMakers Film Festival to taking home the Audience Award at LA’s Anthology Film Festival, and screening internationally at the Rapport Film Festival in London—Hard continues to gain momentum in the festival circuit.
Rooted in Price’s own lived experience in Gary, Indiana, Hard explores the silent expectations placed on Black girls to be strong, early and often. “This story is about humanizing the hood,” says Price. “We wanted to explore the attitude forced on so many Black women at a young age, and build characters that feel complex and honest.”
The film was produced by Lauren E. Banks, WillFilm4Food Entertainment, Dot Saint-Fleur, Kristofer Cross, and Musau Onwubiko. It was also the recipient of the inaugural Reel Sisters Film Festival Micro-Budget Grant in 2023.
About the Filmmaker:
Eboni Price is a Howard University alum and graduate of Netflix’s Series Director Program. Over her 17-year career, she’s worked on more than 80 projects championing authentic Black stories—especially those centering the lives of Black women.
About BronzeLens:
Founded in 2009, the BronzeLens Film Festival is an Atlanta-based nonprofit dedicated to highlighting Black and Brown storytelling. Now in its 16th year, the festival continues to champion independent filmmakers and connect them with industry leaders including Warner Bros/Discovery, Sony, Tyler Perry Studios, HBO, and ARRAY.
For more details and tickets: visit BronzeLens Films Festival