BlackStar Film Festival: Philadelphia screenings

BlackStar Projects opened its 15th annual BlackStar Film Festival in Philadelphia on Thursday, starting a four-day run of film screenings, filmmaker talks, panels, performances and community events across Center City. The 2026 festival runs from August 6 through August 9 and includes in-person events in Philadelphia as well as online programming, according to the organization’s festival page. The lineup spans 91 films from more than 30 countries, BlackStar said, with screenings centered along the Avenue of the Arts. Visit Philadelphia said festival venues include the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, the Suzanne Roberts Theatre and the Wilma Theater. ### Where are the screenings happening in Philadelphia? Philadelphia venues for the 2026 festival are clustered on and around South Broad Street, according to BlackStar and Visit Philadelphia. Visit Philadelphia listed the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, the Suzanne Roberts Theatre and the Wilma Theater as core screening sites for this year’s edition. Ensemble Arts Philly said the Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center, at 300 South Broad Street, is hosting a full slate of screenings from Thursday through Sunday. (blackstarprojects.org) BlackStar said additional parties and events are being held at locations across Philadelphia during the weekend. ### What is on the schedule this week? Thursday’s Perelman Theater schedule included “Lamentations Shorts” at 11:30 a.m., “Intradependence Shorts” at 2:30 p.m., “Tenants of Lenapehocking in the Age of Magnets” at 5:30 p.m. and opening-night film “West Side Familia” at 8:00 p.m., according to Ensemble Arts Philly. (visitphilly.com) Friday’s lineup at the same venue lists “Autoscopy Shorts,” “Luminiferous Shorts,” “Zenón and the Rebel Boats” and “Call of My Life.” (ensembleartsphilly.org) Saturday’s Perelman Theater program includes “Palestine 36,” “Mickey,” “Finding Your Laughter” and “Quintessence Shorts,” while Sunday’s schedule lists “Wood Street,” “An Incomplete Calendar,” “Heredity Shorts” and “Black Lions — Roman Wolves 5.” BlackStar said nearly every screening is followed by a Q&A. ### Which films and events are being highlighted by organizers? (ensembleartsphilly.org) BlackStar Projects said the festival opened with the world premiere of Taylor Hosking’s documentary “West Side Familia.” The organization said the closing-night screening is the fifth part of Haile Gerima’s “Black Lions – Roman Wolves,” which it described as making its North American premiere. The July 9 program release also named other featured titles, including Fahamu Pecou’s “The Store,” Iyabo Kwayana’s “Old Man River,” Louis Massiah’s “Tenants of Lenapehocking in the Age of Magnets,” Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes’ “The Keeper,” and Miryam Charles’ “Treasure Island (L’île aux trésors).” The Daily Jawn, BlackStar’s live morning show, is also returning with rotating hosts and conversations with filmmakers, programmers and guests, the organization said. (ensembleartsphilly.org) (blackstarprojects.org) Visit Philadelphia said the 2026 edition features nearly 100 films and 83 premieres, including 22 world premieres and 34 Philadelphia premieres. The tourism group also said the festival is Oscar-qualifying. ### Who is participating beyond the filmmakers on screen? Maori Karmael Holmes, BlackStar’s founder, said in the festival’s July 9 release that the 15th edition “continues to celebrate the power of the moving image to connect audiences and artists.” Holmes said the event offers “a vibrant and affirming space” for independent filmmakers of the global majority to meet audiences and one another. (blackstarprojects.org) (visitphilly.com) BlackStar said this year’s speakers and guests include Julie Dash, Haile Gerima, Tananarive Due, Fahamu Pecou, Rodney Evans, Sky Hopinka, Yoruba Richen, Adam Khalil, Zack Khalil and Annemarie Jacir. The organization also said the weekend includes an opening-night party at Frankie’s Summer Club, a Friday concert and celebration at the Barnes Foundation, a Saturday industry mixer at Leo and a closing-night party at the Barnes Foundation. (blackstarprojects.org) ### How can people still attend before the festival ends? BlackStar said individual program tickets and festival passes are on sale through its official festival channels. Visit Philadelphia said all-access passes, individual tickets and the full schedule are available now through the festival website. August 9 is the final day of the 2026 festival, and BlackStar’s posted schedule shows Sunday screenings ending with “Black Lions — Roman Wolves 5” at 7:30 p.m. at the Perelman Theater. (blackstarprojects.org) The organization’s website says events continue in person in Philadelphia and online around the world through the close of the festival. (ensembleartsphilly.org)