Join us for our opening night film, West Side Familia, a feature documentary about an overlooked Puerto Rican community on Manhattan’s Upper West Side whose cultural and political influence helped shape New York City while remaining largely erased from its official history.

Join us for our closing night film, Black Lions – Roman Wolves 5. In his highly anticipated opus, legendary filmmaker Haile Gerima unfolds a vast, thunderous meditation on resistance, memory and sovereignty.

Ciro, an overworked medical student and pole dance instructor, loses stability as Brazil’s university system collapses. Forced out of his home, he finds refuge with Antônio, a reclusive DJ, a meeting that reshapes both their survival and intimacy.

A collection of stories about the developing Black community of North Philadelphia from the late 19th through the 20th centuries, a time of migration, industry and blossoming culture.

Soluchi, 31, is a radiant and thoughtful call center agent, still carrying the scars of a long relationship with Kalu, a man whose neglect left her questioning her worth. When loneliness threatens to swallow her, a routine customer call connects her to Eli, a magnetic man whose kindness and attention awaken feelings she has long buried.

After being displaced from his home by the U.S. Navy, Puerto Rican fisherman Carlos “Taso” Zenón pledged his life to fight against the military occupation of the island of Vieques – inspiring one of the most influential environmental and anti-war movements in the Caribbean.

An annual celebration of the visual and storytelling traditions of the African diaspora and of global communities of color, showcasing films by Black, Brown and Indigenous artists from around the world.

A journal of film and visual culture. Issue 010 now available for pre-order.

A three-day seminar for Black, Brown, and Indigenous artists working in cinematic realms, hosted by BlackStar.

A year-long fellowship with BlackStar for Black, Brown, and Indigenous filmmakers in Philadelphia.

In this podcast, BlackStar founder Maori Karmael Holmes chats with the most groundbreaking artists, change makers, and cultural workers — finding meaning in the intersections of art, social change, and popular culture.

Beyond the screenings, the 2026 BlackStar Film Festival offers four days of conversations, live events, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels, community gatherings and special programs that deepen engagement with the artists and ideas shaping contemporary cinema.

Two films rooted in histories of resistance, memory and collective identity will bookend this year's BlackStar Film Festival.

BlackStar Film Festival returns with 91 films from more than 30 countries, alongside conversations, performances and community gatherings throughout Philadelphia.

Developed in collaboration with creative agency Pacific, BlackStar’s new visual identity brings greater cohesion across the organization’s year-round programs while reflecting the experimentation, rigor and care that have defined its work over the past fifteen years.