Episode Details
Featuring the best of urban short films by tomorrow’s next great filmmakers, this episode includes: 365 Days in LA: In the midst of a pandemic and after a health scare, a veteran high school teacher halts her life and leaves all she knows behind. Black Dad: Social Black Parental Commentary through the lens of a middle-aged father.
More from Urban Indie Film Block Season 5
Browse All EpisodesRisking it All
Episode 501Featuring the best of urban short films by tomorrow’s next great filmmakers, this episode includes: Magnolia Bloom: In 1950s Las Vegas, a black singer is denied her first headlining performance when the venue refuses to admit black patrons. Black Dispatch: A Confederate engineer’s house slave risks everything by stealing military plans in hopes of delivering them to the Union Army to earn her family’s freedom. Civil: Civilians and soldiers collide and must ultimately decide each other's fates in South Carolina, 1865.
Family Bonds
Episode 502Featuring urban short films by our next great filmmakers, this episode includes: Straw Man: A scarecrow sets out to save his family’s farm from foreclosure. CODA: A dancer struggles with identity when she meets a Deaf man who stirs up feelings about growing up hearing in a Deaf family. Tape 23: A son and his father film what will be the last episode of their home movie series.
Black Girl Solutions
Episode 503Featuring the best of urban short films by tomorrow’s next great filmmakers, this episode includes: God Bless the Cook: Chef Roslyn Spence trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, but her biggest critic remains her mother, a 94-year-old self-taught cook for Hollywood's biggest stars. Healing in Color: In a world where Black women are expected to be invulnerable to pain, five Black women participate in an art workshop to confront their personal struggles and explore healing through art.
Down… But Not Out
Episode 504Featuring the best of urban short films by tomorrow’s next great filmmakers, this episode includes: The Soldier: When a homeless veteran receives news of his former wife dying, he embarks on a journey to reunite with his adult daughter and overcome his PTSD in the process. Sorry For Your Loss: Four friends struggle with what to do with the remains of a woman they all disliked, forcing them to think about their relationships with family, death, and each other. Crybaby: This film explores Black generational trauma and difficult truths as a troubled young man considers taking his life. Boo Hag or Shadow Man: When a career conjure woman messes up a banishment ritual for a client, she accidentally brings back the angry demon to her unsuspecting roommate.
Speak Your Truth
Episode 505Featuring the best of urban short films by tomorrow’s next great filmmakers, this episode includes: Voices Unheard: Voices Unheard is a collection of Black stories from right within our backyards that uplifts, informs & inspires. Not Just a Name: This documentary explores the stigma and racial bias experienced by African Americans with unique sounding names, as well as the historical origin of these names in America. I Never Picked Cotton: In this animated documentary, Yolanda Morgan recalls her experiences with racism and the impact it has had on her.
Lost Yet Found
Episode 506Featuring the best of urban short films by tomorrow’s next great filmmakers, this episode includes: 365 Days in LA: In the midst of a pandemic and after a health scare, a veteran high school teacher halts her life and leaves all she knows behind. Black Dad: Social Black Parental Commentary through the lens of a middle-aged father.
Trapped
Episode 507Featuring the best of urban short films by tomorrow’s next great filmmakers, this episode includes: Kings: A rookie African American police officer on his first night on the job faces a veteran partner who abuses the power of his badge. ‘Til Death: A man learns he will forever be haunted by the unforgiving ghost of his dead wife. Pinky Promise: A young African American couple is faced with tragedy on the brink of starting their lives together.
Choices
Episode 508Featuring the best of urban short films by tomorrow’s next great filmmakers, this episode includes: The Last Rose: Against her mother’s wishes, a girl dates a guy that leads to her contracting HIV and ultimately her death. Radical Joy: In a time of mounting social unrest, a young Black woman faces a life-altering choice.
Nope, Not Today!
Episode 509Featuring the best of urban short films by tomorrow’s next great filmmakers, this episode includes: The Way Out: Following a violent encounter with her abusive boyfriend, a young woman finds an unexpected way to leave him. Roll Pin Punch: Two MMA fighters, both women of color, spar with one another while flashbacks haunt their every punch, every kick, every takedown. Naphtali: A couple struggles to deal with the loss of their boys to child protective services, but in order to get them back they must face what got their kids taken away in the first place. Anna v Anna: During a live TV interview for her second book release, a shy, successful author faces an identity crisis with a confrontational interviewer.
It’s Me Season!
Episode 510Featuring the best of urban short films by tomorrow’s next great filmmakers, this episode includes: Dreams From the Edge: A young girl dreams of becoming a Hollywood actress, despite her mother's reluctance. Looking For Me: The misadventures of a life coach whose life is in the garbage, yet again. Goodbye: A woman returns home to say a final goodbye and faces an unresolved love. The Way Out: A woman tries to leave her abusive partner when he unexpectedly returns home, leaving her with a choice.