The Denton Black Film Festival has grown into a five-day event that allows you, our guest, to immerse yourself in some of the best artistic showcases of Black cinema, music, spoken word, art and more.

Schedule:

Wednesday, January 25th, 2023

6:00 - 8:00pm: Art Reception @ UNT CoLab

Join us for the Opening Reception for the Art Exhibit curated by Daisha Board Gallery.

DBFF Ticket Office will be available to pick up your pass badge and purchase tickets and passes.

Location: UNT CoLab, 207 N Elm St, Denton, TX 76201.

Thursday, January 26th, 2023

11:00am - 6:00pm: Art Exhibit- Curated by Daisha Board Gallery

An Opening Reception will be held on Wednesday, January 25, 2023 from 6:00pm- 8:00pm CST

The Art Exhibit will be open from January 26, 2023 thru February 25, 2023.

Location: UNT CoLab, 207 N Elm St, Denton, TX 76201.

5:00pm - 7:00pm: Art Reception @ Texas Women's University (TWU)

Opening Art Reception curated by Lauren Cross featuring Artists in the East Gallery: Anthony Francis and in the West Gallery: Darian Dauchan; Amber Bishop; and Nitashia Johnson.

After the reception we hope to see you at the Sy Smith Concert at TWU's Margo Jones Performance Hall

Location: East| West Galleries at TWU
Visual Arts Building, 302 Pioneer Circle, Denton, TX 76204

8:00 - 10:00pm: Sy Smith Music Concert

Singer, Writer, Actor - the multi-faceted Sy Smith premieres Thursday Jan. 26th with a music Experience you don't want to miss!

Often called “the hardest working woman in underground soul”, Sy Smith is a Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter and producer helped cultivate the nu-soul scene in that city more than 10 years ago, a scene which now easily boasts some of the most progressive artists of that genre to date, some of whom came directly from Sy Smith’s own band line-ups (including Thundercat and Kamasi Washington). Sy has been heralded by critics around the world for her lyrical dexterity, vocal whimsy (often colored with a very distinctive rhythmic swing that’s all her own) and her ability to spin a story like few others in soul music. Listeners often remark on her vocal range, which moves effortlessly from a speakeasy, gritty alto all the way to a stratospheric soprano whistle register reminiscent of the late Minnie Riperton.

Recently coming off of traveling the globe as a featured guest vocalist for Grammy-winning trumpeter Chris Botti and her solo album "Sometimes A Rose Will Grow In Concrete", Sy Smith is the DBFF 2023 Feature Music Artist.

Doors open at 7:30 pm

+ performance by Natural Change

Location: Margo Jones Performance Hall, 1100 Oakland St, Denton, TX 76201

Friday, January 27, 2023

9:00am: Art Exhibit Curated by Lauren Cross - East| West Galleries @ TWU
10:00am: TEC EXPO - Technology Education, and Culture - Denton Civic Center
10:00am: Yankho- A VR 360 Experience - Denton Civic Center
11:00am: Institute MasterClass: Lights,Camera, Action: A lighting workshop with Jae Dyer - NCTC Room 212
11:00am: Art Exhibit- Curated by Daisha Board Gallery - UNT CoLab
1:00pm: The Work of Our Ancestors: James Hemings: Ghost in America's Kitchen and Afrikan By Way of American - Campus Theater
2:00pm: Institute MasterClass: Sound is ½ of the Movie! With Michael Bobino - NCTC Room 212
3:30pm: Conflict and Solidarity: Feature- Blurring the Color Line and Short AMERICAN Triptych - Campus Theater
4:30pm: SLICES BEING BLACK: Short Films- "1872 Forward: Foreword", "Black in Hollywood: Carlton Jordan -'Trials of Tokenism'', "Rassisme", and "Black in the Newsroom" - Alamo Drafthouse Theater 8
5:00pm: When We Dream: Short Films- "Meta Care", "Afro Algorithms", "Rules Are Rules", "Shades of April", "Regular Negroes - Overnight Dishes", "Revenge of the Relaxer", "The Fourth", and "The Mason Ring"  - Alamo Drafthouse Theater 1
7:00pm: This Will Make You Think: Feature "AMERICA GONE VIRAL" and Bonus Short "Being X in America" - Alamo Drafthouse Theater 8
7:30pm: Spirits in the Dark- Double Features "Into The Park" and "The Reaper Man", with Bonus "Spotlight" Original Music Video - Alamo Drafthouse Theater 1
7:30pm: USA Red Carpet Premiere- "Echoes from the Hill" - Campus Theater
8:00pm: DBFF Laugh Out Loud Comedy Show - Patterson-Appleton Arts Center (Greater Denton Arts Council)
9:00pm: DBFF After Dark- Mixer at Steve's Wine Bar - Steve's Wine Bar
10:00pm: DBFF After Dark presents Feature- BEAUTY'S KEEPER and Bonus Short Footprints - Campus Theater

Saturday, January 28th, 2023

10:00am: Family Friendly: Feature- "The Long Way Up" and Bonus Short "Ancestors" and Original Music Video "Sunshine on Yo Face feat. Anne Harris" - Campus Theater
10:00am: TEC EXPO - Technology Education, and Culture - Denton Civic Center
10:00am: Yankho- A VR 360 Experience - Denton Civic Center
10:00am: Food and Justice Panel Discussion + Container Garden Demonstration - NCTC Room 212
11:00am: Institute MasterClass: "10 and 2" with M.Legend Brown - NCTC Room 213
11:00am: Art Exhibit- Curated by Daisha Board Gallery - UNT CoLab
12:00pm: Feature: "This is [Not] Who We Are" and Bonus Short "I Care About You...But" - Alamo Drafthouse Theater 8
12:10pm: HBCU vs, PWI: The Black College Experience: Feature "Hampton University: One of the Wonders of the World" and Bonus Short "#BlackAtSMU" - Campus Theater
12:30pm: Box of Chocolates- You Never Know What You'll Get- Short Films: "Bienvenidos a Los Angeles", "Shoebox", "Close Calls", "Jac on the Come Up", "The Flaw in Our Eyes", "What's the Mark?", "It's Not You", "Yogurt Raisin" and "The Unwritten Rule"  - Alamo Drafthouse Theater 1
2:00pm: Institute MasterClass: Film Producers with Dr. London Williams - NCTC Room 213
2:20pm: Returning to our Roots: Short Films " All In The Water"; "Food Apartheid"; What About the Drinking Water"; "Camp Yoshi"; "Prolyfyck" and "See Me in Nature" - Campus Theater
2:30pm: When We Move- Feature: "Kumina Queen" with Shorts " SNAP - ARCHIE'S STORY", "Tapping Into Our Past, Tapping Into Our Future: Ayodele Casel", "LAYERS", "Promise Me You'll Sing My Song", and "Sheila"  - Alamo Drafthouse Theater 8
3:20pm: Old Scars, New Hope: Feature- "Not My Enemy" and Shorts: "Face to Face: Forgotten Voices Heard", and "Meet Me Where I Am"  - Alamo Drafthouse Theater 1
4:45pm: Black in a Red State: Short Films- "RISING: THE HALL OF NEGRO LIFE"; "150 Years of Resiliency; A Joppa Documentary", and "The Artful Dream Fulfilled: The African American Museum of Dallas - Campus Theater
5:10pm: Young Gifted, and Black: Features "STEM Roots" and "This is My Black" - Alamo Drafthouse Theater 8
6:00pm: Red Carpet World Premiere: "William Greaves: Remembering an American Filmmaker" - Alamo Drafthouse Theater 1
7:10pm: Heart and Heat- Short Films:" hollow", "Apple Core", "Sketches", Conflict; "Mystery Man", Leave A Message...", "Life Support", "Flesh and Bone", and "Don't You Go Nowhere"  - Campus Theater
8:00pm: New Chick - Patterson-Appleton Arts Center (Greater Denton Arts Council)
8:00pm: Poetry Get Down and "Give Me My Props!" Slam - Patterson-Appleton Arts Center (Greater Denton Arts Council)
8:00pm: The Mecca - Patterson-Appleton Arts Center (Greater Denton Arts Council)
8:10pm: Black Music: There's Levels to This: Feature- "The Onyx Experience" and Bonus Short Content: "Angle", "The Legend of Sugi Dakks", " Centerfold", and "Don't Play with L(Kn)ives" - Alamo Drafthouse Theater 8
8:30pm: DBFF After Dark Presents: "W.A.L.L.D", "Dick Control", "Sex, Vlogs, and Kidnappings", "UnRAPTURED", " Restless", "Dollar 2 The Rich", "Pandemic Proposal", "A Stranger's Story BandW", "FOUR WALLS - EPISODE 1", and "Can I Help?" - Alamo Drafthouse Theater 1
9:00pm: DBFF After Dark- Mixer at The Vinyl Lounge - Vinyl Lounge
9:15pm: DBFF After Dark Present: Feature "Butterscotch Chocolate" - Campus Theater

Sunday, January 29th, 2023

In-Person Films:

11:00am: Filmmakers Celebration and Awards - Alamo Drafthouse Theater 1
1:30pm: BLACK MOTHERS LOVE and RESIST - Alamo Drafthouse Theater 8
3:00pm: Juneteenth: Faith and Freedom- Free Community Screening - Alamo Drafthouse Theater 1
4:00pm: Invented Before You Were Born - Alamo Drafthouse Theater 8
5:00pm: What We Need Is Love: Featuring "Black Rainbow Love" and Short Content: "The BLACK ChristS. Far From Justice", "IF YOU REALLY LOVE ME|Shedrach Rowry", "Where Is America The Beautiful_Music Video", "Freedom Day", and "In My Artform" - Alamo Drafthouse Theater 1

Virtual Films

January 29 - February 5, 2023

8:00pm: Ancestry: Feature- "Invented Before You Were Born" and Short- "1872 Forward: Foreword"
8:00pm: Black in A Red State: Shorts : "Echoes from the Hill", "150 Years of Resiliency; A Joppa Documentary", and " #BlackAtSMU"
8:00pm: Box of Chocolates- You Never Know What You'll Get: "Being X in America", "Bienvenidos a Los Angeles", "Mystery Man", "New Chick", "The Unwritten Rule", " What's the Mark?", "Yogurt Raisin", and The Mecca
8:00pm: Conflict and Solidarity: Feature- "Blurring the Color Line" and Short-" AMERICAN Triptych"
8:00pm: DBFF After Dark Presents Feature "BEAUTY'S KEEPER" and Bonus Short "Footprints"
8:00pm: DBFF After Dark Presents: Feature "Butterscotch Chocolate"
8:00pm: DBFF After Dark: Shorts-"Can I Help?", "Dick Control", "FOUR WALLS - EPISODE 1", "Pandemic Proposal", "Restless", Sex, Vlogs, and Kidnappings", "The Flaws in Our Eyes", "UnRAPTURED", and "W.A.L.L.D"
8:00pm: Family Friendly: Feature- "The Long Way Up" and Shorts: "Ancestors", In My Artform", and "Shoebox"
8:00pm: Heart and Heat Shorts: "A Stranger's Story BandW", "Close Calls", "Conflict", "Don't You Go NoWhere", "Flesh and Bone, "hollow", "It's Not You", "Leave A Message...", "Life Support", and " Sketches"
8:00pm: Old Scars, New Hope: Feature-"Not My Enemy" and Shorts- "Meet Me Where I Am", and "Face to Face: Forgotten Voices Heard"
8:00pm: Original Music Videos: "Angle", "Centerfold", "Dollar 2 The Rich", "IF YOU REALLY LOVE ME|Shedrach Rowry", "Spotlight", "SunShine On Yo Face Feat. Anne Harris", " The Legend of Sugi Dakks", and "Where Is America The Beautiful_Music Video"
8:00pm: Returning to Our Roots: Shorts- "All In The Water", "Camp Yoshi", "Food Apartheid", "Prolyfyck", "See Me In Nature", and "What About the Drinking Water?"
8:00pm: Spirits in the Dark: Double Features- "Into The Park" and "The Reaper Man"
8:00pm: The Work of Our Ancestors: Feature "James Hemings: Ghost in America's Kitchen" and Shorts: "Afrikan By Way of American", and "Black Moses"
8:00pm: What We Need Is Love: Shorts- "Black Rainbow Love", "Black in Hollywood: Carlton Jordan -'Trials of Tokenism' ", "Rassisme", and Black in the Newsroom
8:00pm: When We Dream Shorts: "Afro Algorithms", "Meta Care", "Regular Negroes - Overnight Dishes", "Revenge of the Relaxer", "Rules Are Rules", "Shades of April", "The Fourth", and " The Mason Ring"
8:00pm: When We Move: Feature-"Kumina Queen" and Shorts: "Don't Play with L(Kn)ives", "LAYERS", "Promise Me You'll Sing My Song", "Sheila", "SNAP - ARCHIE'S STORY", and "Tapping Into Our Past, Tapping Into Our Future"
8:00pm: Who We Are vs Who We Could Be- Feature: "This is [Not] Who We Are", and Shorts: "I Care About You...But", and "The BLACK ChristS. Far From Justice"
8:00pm: Yankho
8:00pm: Young, Gifted, and Black: Features: "STEM Roots" and "This is My Black"

Date: In Person: January 25 - 29, 2023 and Extended Virtually January 29 - February 5, 2023

Location: Various Venues in Denton, TX 76201.

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