Monthly Film Festival

February 10, 2024 02:30pm PST - 10:00pm PST
Industry Delegates
Kyle Bowles
MACRO
Liam Francis Quigley
42 Management & Production
Rochée Jeffrey
TV Writer, Story Editor
Saleena Lockett
The CW Network
Paul Weitzman
Culture Creative Entertainment
Oluwatobi Agbelemose
Sanders Roberts
DJ Holloway
Amazon Studios
Phillip Domfeh
Disney Launchpad

NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) hosts its February Monthly Film Festival and annual InFocus: Black Cinema program, spotlighting Black stories and emerging Black talent in front of and behind the camera, along with a selection of short film highlights from NFMLA’s ongoing monthly program, and Michael Lewis Foster’s feature narrative, To Fall In Love.

The day kicks off with February Shorts, an eclectic program of films that vividly, boldly and tenderly tell the stories of reaching across cultures, across town and across the thresholds of neighbors’ homes. We see characters go to extremes out of deep frustration, the pursuit of justice and the dangerous desire for perfection.

The day continues with InFocus: Black Cinema Shorts, a program showcasing Black storytelling and stories from across the country and around the world in a blend of drama, comedy, animation, sci-fi and experimental short films. This year’s collection captures stories of community, stepping into life-changing decisions, longing, loss, memory, justice, joy and the embracing of tradition, and features the world premiere of Cameron Tyler Carr’s Harlem Fragments.

The night’s programming concludes with the Los Angeles premiere of director Michael Lewis Foster’s feature narrative, Fall In Love. Based on an award-winning stage play, an estranged couple meets again in an attempt to reconnect by exchanging answers to the New York Times’ famous questionnaire in this quietly poignant, pointedly scripted and profound film.

NFMLA showcases films by filmmakers of all backgrounds throughout the year, across both our general and InFocus programming. All filmmakers are welcome and encouraged to submit their projects for consideration for upcoming NFMLA Festivals, regardless of the schedule for InFocus programming, which celebrates diversity, inclusion and region by spotlighting  communities of filmmakers within our filmmaking community as part of our monthly program. 

The South Park Center is an ADA compliant venue and is wheelchair accessible. We request captioned films from all filmmakers participating at our Festival. For any accessibility needs, please send a request to info@nfmla.org at least 72 hours prior to the event.

Schedule Details

Program #1 – February Shorts
2:30 PM – 3:00 PM – Pre-Reception
3:00 PM – 4:45 PM – Program
4:45 PM – 5:00 PM – Audience Q&A

Program #2 – InFocus: Black Cinema
5:00 PM – 5:30 PM – Pre-Reception
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM – Program
7:30 PM – 7:45 PM – Audience Q&A

Program #3 – Feature Narrative | To Fall in Love
7:45 PM – 8:15 PM – Pre-Reception
8:15 PM – 9:45 PM – Program
9:45 PM – 10:00 PM – Audience Q&A

Event Location

Event Entrance
1139 S. Hill Street, Los Angeles 90015
Directions


Parking (fee)
1133 S Olive St, Los Angeles, CA 90015
Directions

February Shorts
Payasam and Other Careful Processes
Dir. Akshay Ravi, Writ. Akshay Ravi & Prod. Alyssa Callahan, Rohan Palla, Matthew Martinez
11 Mins | USA
That’s Enough Now Thanks Thumbnail
That’s Enough Now Thanks
Dir. Aquila Chase-Daniel, Writ. Aquila Chase-Daniel & Prod. Joe Vizzini
16 Mins | USA
Fishers of Men Thumbnail
Fishers of Men
Dir. Chris Capel, Writ. Chris Capel, Richard Price & Prod. Chris Capel, Daniel Sollinger
20 Mins | USA
Tequila Sunset Thumbnail
Tequila Sunset
Dir. Jinsui Song, Writ. Jinsui Song & Prod. ZhiQi Yeo
23 Mins | USA
Backlog
Dir. Jacqueline Elyse Rosenthal, Writ. Jacqueline Elyse Rosenthal & Prod. Robin Wang, Marian Cook, Josh Powell
18 Mins | USA
Homologies
Dir. Bryerly Long , Writ. Tatiana Blackington James & Prod. Bryerly Long, Tatiana Blackington James
11 Mins | USA
InFocus: Black Cinema
7 Minutes of Heaven?
Dir. Neen, Writ. Pages Matam & Prod. Jamari Perry
10 Mins | USA
Rara René! A Black American Tall Tale of Community
Dir. Adriel Jimenez, Writ. Adriel Jimenez & Prod. Estarlyn Hiraldo
16 Mins | USA
Hair Care Thumbnail
Hair Care
Dir. Fatima Wardy, Writ. Karl-Mary Akre & Prod. Mary-Elizabeth Esquibel, Fatima Wardy
12 Mins | Cote d'Ivoire
OSUN Thumbnail
OSUN
Dir. Michael Rhima, Writ. Michael Rhima & Prod. Diana Chu, Morakinyo Araoye, Sailaja Bandyopadhyay, John Helgeland, Jeffrey Njoku, Mabs Okusaga, Diare Oseragbaje
5 Mins | USA
Black the Sea (Negro El Mar)
Dir. Juan David Mejía Vásquez, Writ. Juan David Mejía Vásquez & Prod. Jair Humberto Perez Guerra
16 Mins | Columbia
Choices
Dir. Kameishia D Wooten, Writ. Kameishia D Wooten & Prod. Janae Greene, Meagann Pallares, Victoria Brown
12 Mins | USA
Harlem Fragments
Dir. Cameron Tyler Carr, Writ. & Prod.
17 Mins | USA
The Burden
Dir. Tish Arana, Writ. Tish Arana & Prod. Brandi Nicole
15 Mins | USA
Chidera
Dir. Sope Aluko, Co-Dir. Adaora Nwandu-Earl, Writ. Sope Aluko, Shola Dada & Prod. Sope Aluko
18 Mins | USA
Feature Narrative | To Fall in Love
To Fall in Love
Dir. Michael Lewis Foster, Writ. Jennifer Lane & Prod. Wendy Gillespie
87 Mins | USA