The 2023 BlackStar Film Festival starts Wednesday. Here’s what we are watching

The BlackStar Film Festival is back!

Back in 2012, Philadelphia’s own Maori Karmael Holmes conceived a “microfestival” that would celebrate “the legacy of Pan-Africanism and similar movements, and illuminate a shared cultural lineage across the globe.” Today, BlackStar is a multiday platform for films made by Black, brown, and Indigenous artists and one of the foremost film festivals in the country.

From Aug. 2-6, some of us here at The Inquirer’s features team will be at the festival, attending screening and panels. Here are some films we are excited about.

Please check out The Inquirer’s festival guide to plan your BlackStar visit.

Short Documentary. In-person screenings: Aug. 3, 3 p.m., Lightbox Film Center. Aug. 6, 2:30 p.m., Suzanne Roberts Theatre; Virtual screenings: Aug. 1, 3.

Ebony follows a Brooklyn mother of six, Ebony Andrews, through a two-year journey of navigating slumlords and losing her home, to securing transitional housing for her family in Brownsville, Brooklyn. Andrews’ love for her children fuels her her efforts to find permanent housing and ensure a better life for her young ones. Andrews’ journey is similar to the nearly 4,000 Philadelphians living in transitional or emergency housing, with the number of people who identify as Black, African American, or African, being overwhelmingly high among the city’s unhoused population.

— HS

Feature Documentary. In-person screening: Aug. 5, 3 p.m., Lightbox Film Center; Virtual screenings: Aug. 1, 6

Enter the world of Palestinian foragers in director Jumana Manna’s feature documentary. Foragers depicts the drama between the foragers and the Israeli Nature Authority. The film raises questions about the politics of extinction with a wry sense of humor. Learn what it takes to get ahold of essential Palestinian ingredients like artichoke-like akkoub and za’atar in the Golan Heights, the Galilee, and Jerusalem.

— HQ

Feature Documentary. In-person screening: Aug. 4, 2:30 p.m., Suzanne Roberts Theatre; Virtual screenings: Aug. 1, 5

Conga music doesn’t have to be heard to be felt. The percussion, the energy, and the movement is engrossing; it pulls you in from the first few seconds, which is exactly the way I felt seeing it through filmmaker Daniela Muñoz Barroso’s lens (and that was just the trailer). Barroso is seeking the legendary Cuban bell player Mafifa, a.k.a. Gladys Esther Linares, who died decades ago. Barroso, who’s losing her hearing while filming, traces the musician’s life through interviews with those who knew her and heard her.

— RC

Experimental Short. In-person screening: Aug. 2, 6 p.m., Lightbox Film Center; Virtual screenings: Aug. 1, 3

In an eight-minute experimental short, Indigenous filmmaker and writer Siku Allooloo uses Super 8 film that she developed using medicinal plants and botanicals to explore a spiritual connection to her late mother. The effect is eerily alluring and otherworldly. The film also provides a rare chance to hear the language spoken by Taínos, the people indigenous to Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and other Caribbean islands. It’s just so rare to see a film about Taínos included in a festival lineup!

— RC

Feature Documentary. In-person screening: Aug. 6, 11 a.m., Perelman Theater; Virtual screenings: Aug. 1, 6

This is filmmaker Set Hernandez’s debut, and I am excited to see how they explore the intersections of undocumented immigration in the U.S. and disability through the life of the film’s protagonist, Pedro. Pedro is a blind activist and, like Hernandez, is undocumented. I’d be intrigued to see how Hernandez is able to portray Pedro’s story as one of hope and resilience even as he fights large and powerful systems to remain present for himself, his community, and his family.

Definitely a must-watch for the people of this “Certified Welcoming” city for immigrants.

— BDC

Short Documentary. In-person screening: Aug. 3, 5:30 p.m., Suzanne Roberts Theatre; Virtual screenings: Aug. 1, 4

For decades, racism has caused people to be forcefully removed from their homes. What the Soil Remembers tells the story of Die Vlakte, South Africa, from the perspective of senior folks who experienced this displacement in their formative years. Their testimonies are a piece of living history that we need to hear to prevent history from repeating itself. Plus, director José Cardoso is an Ecuadorean filmmaker, and it’s always nice to see another Ecuadorean in Philly.

Last time the Historical Society of Pennsylvania checked, there were only 420 of us.

— MM