Christopher Adams, a Chicago native and founder of Impakt Studio, combines self-reliance with creativity in film and animation. His versatile works include Grammy-nominated music videos and documentaries. Influenced by his father’s ingenuity, Adams emphasizes care in storytelling, aiming to rewrite narratives about Chicago’s Black community while fostering an independent film ecosystem.
A Good Eye: Capturing Joy
ChicagoDocumentaryIn-ProductionUnited StatesWorks-in-Progress May 27, 2026
Cannes 2026: Isaach De Bankole
2026 Cannes Film FestivalBFM News and UpdatesFeaturesFestival CalendarFestivalsFrance May 13, 2026
Jean Claude Barny’s Fanon in Chicago
BFM News and UpdatesDirectorsFeaturesFilm ShowcaseFranceInternationalSupport BFM February 25, 2026 0
“Fanon is a powerful cinematic portrait of Frantz Fanon — psychiatrist, revolutionary thinker, and author of The Wretched of the Earth — whose work continues to shape global conversations on colonialism, racialized violence, psychological trauma, and liberation.”
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Jennifer G. Robinson: Doing for Self — Women Of The Lens and the Power of Representation
FeaturesFestival CalendarFestivalsInternationalInterviewsUK/EuropeWomen November 8, 2025
Women of the Lens is a film festival based in the UK. Founded by filmmaker and educator Jennifer Robinson, the festival is in it’s 8th year. Jennifer spoke with with Floyd Webb in the run up to the 2025 festival.
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INTERVIEW: Chris Adams: Building Worlds from the South Side
ChicagoDirectorsFeaturesFilm HistoryFilm ShowcaseInterviewsProductionUnited States October 18, 2025
Christopher Adams, a Chicago native and founder of Impakt Studio, combines self-reliance with creativity in film and animation. His versatile works include Grammy-nominated music videos and documentaries. Influenced by his father’s ingenuity, Adams emphasizes care in storytelling, aiming to rewrite narratives about Chicago’s Black community while fostering an independent film ecosystem.
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The Yasuke Reclamation: Moving the African Samurai From Colonial Novelty to Global South Hero
AnimationBFM News and UpdatesCommunityDramatic FeatureFeaturesFilm HistoryInternationalJapanReflectionsSouth AfricaUnited StatesWorks-in-Progress October 14, 2025
The story of Yasuke, the African samurai, has become a global Rorschach test. For Hollywood, he is a box-office premise. For gamers, a controversial character.
But for those of us engaged in global Black cinema, he represents a far more urgent question: Who has the right to tell our stories — and from what soil must those stories grow?
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INTERVIEW: Walking the Path with Mandla Dube: Kalushi/Makeba/Yasuke
AnimationDirectorsFilm HistoryFilm ShowcaseIn-ProductionInternationalInterviewsMixed BagProductionReflectionsSouth AfricaTrailers October 12, 2025
“That’s the thing about Mandla: his life is always rooted somewhere in the land, history, and struggle, even when he’s jetting between Johannesburg, Bologna, and Tokyo.”
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INTERNATIONAL: UK: Honoring Menelik Shabazz
Film HistoryFilm ShowcaseInternationalUK/Europe October 7, 2025
The Michelle Materre Collection
CuratorsDistributionExhibitionFeaturesInternationalReflectionsShowcaseWomen September 25, 2025
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2025 Black Perspectives | Chicago International Film Festival
CameroonCommentaryCuratorsEast AfricaExhibitionFestival CalendarFestivalsUK/EuropeUnited States October 20, 2025
A pre-history: The Black Perspectives program at the Chicago International Film Festival, celebrating its 28th year, honors decades of efforts by filmmakers and communities to highlight Black cinema. Festivals emerged to provide a platform, preserve archives, and nurture filmmakers in a landscape where mainstream industry often overlooked or suppressed their contributions. The importance of these festivals remains vital.
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