Sept-October 2025 | bfmmag.com Relaunch | Remembering Menelik Shabazz and Neferatiti Ife
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The Yasuke Reclamation: Moving the African Samurai From Colonial Novelty to Global South Hero

The Yasuke Reclamation: Moving the African Samurai From Colonial Novelty to Global South Hero

Animation Oct 14, 2025 0

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?

Reflections
The Yasuke Reclamation: Moving the African Samurai From Colonial Novelty to Global South Hero

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 0

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?

Read more
INTERVIEW: Walking the Path with Mandla Dube: Kalushi/Makeba/Yasuke

INTERVIEW: Walking the Path with Mandla Dube: Kalushi/Makeba/Yasuke

AnimationDirectorsFilm HistoryFilm ShowcaseIn-ProductionInternationalInterviewsMixed BagProductionReflectionsSouth AfricaTrailers October 12, 2025 0

“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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The Michelle Materre Collection

The Michelle Materre Collection

CuratorsDistributionExhibitionFeaturesInternationalReflectionsShowcaseWomen September 25, 2025 0

The Black Film Center & Archive (BFCA) presents a series of special programs celebrating its acquisition of the collection of renowned distributor, programmer, and educator Michelle Materre (1954–2022). Founded in 1981 at Indiana University, the BFCA is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and making accessible films and related materials by... Read more
Niyah’s Multiverse: Chicago’s Afrofuturist Lineage from Sun Ra to Adler Planetarium

Niyah’s Multiverse: Chicago’s Afrofuturist Lineage from Sun Ra to Adler Planetarium

AnimationExhibitionFeaturesReflectionsShowcaseTrailersWomenWriting September 23, 2025 0

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved father, brother, partner and uncle Menelik Shabazz, age 67.

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Memorial: Menelik Shabazz 1952-2021

Memorial: Menelik Shabazz 1952-2021

FeaturesReflectionsShowcaseUncategorized July 1, 2021

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved father, brother, partner and uncle Menelik Shabazz, age 67.

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REFLECTION: A Response to The BBC’s Moral Maze On Diversity: Part 2

REFLECTION: A Response to The BBC’s Moral Maze On Diversity: Part 2

ArchiveInternationalReflections August 10, 2020

AKA Why I No Longer Want To Speak about Race & Diversity To the BFI (and all the other White People that provide public funding for filmmakers in the UK) or Any Of My White Producer friends Part 2 Several weeks ago I wrote an article about race and... Read more
REFLECTION: A Response to The BBC’s Moral Maze On Diversity

REFLECTION: A Response to The BBC’s Moral Maze On Diversity

InternationalReflections January 31, 2020

AKA Why I No Longer Want To Speak about Race & Diversity To the BFI (and all the other White People that provide public funding for filmmakers in the UK) or Any Of My White Producer friends: After ‘working ‘ in the film and television industry for some time... Read more
Decolonizing Mammy

Decolonizing Mammy

ReflectionsWomen October 2, 2019

Warning: In this analysis of the Tate Taylor film Ma starring Octavia Spencer, the post contains spoilers. This September, Harlem rapper Azealia Banks took to Instagram to disparage plus-size singer Lizzo shortly after her single Truth Hurts hit number one on the Billboard charts. “Lmao the fact that the... Read more
REFLECTION: Black Power Hollywood Style

REFLECTION: Black Power Hollywood Style

Reflections July 19, 2019

Will African American directors’ breakthrough into mainstream filmmaking change Hollywood or will Hollywood change them? Director and Oakland, California native Ryan Coogler infused a seemingly unlikely homage to the Black Panther Party into the Marvel universe in last year’s runaway blockbuster hit Black Panther. Setting the film’s opening scene... Read more
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