By Marie-Elena Schembri

Embracing vulnerability. Grief. Community healing. Musical icons.

These are just some of the themes viewers can engage with at the upcoming third annual Oak Park Black Film Festival. The festival will feature a diverse lineup of independent films and panel discussions at The Guild Theatre Oct. 8-13.

The film festival, a project of education and economic development nonprofit St. Hope, highlights Black culture while allowing viewers to “challenge your thinking and your imagination about certain things,” according to Cassandra Jennings, St. Hope board president and CEO.

Jennings stresses that the event is open to all and will be a fun-filled six days of “lifting up a community.” Evening receptions at the end of each day offer a source of fellowship, and an opportunity to network and learn from others, according to Jennings.

It’s also an opportunity for young or aspiring filmmakers, actors and people of color to see Black success firsthand.

“This is really trying to support the people and bring them the sort of hope — that they would be able to see through these films — that things are possible,” Jennings said.

The Films

With at least two films and other events planned each day, attendees can expect a variety of entertainment featuring local to international talent.

One of Jennings’ personal recommendations is the documentary film, “Luther: Never Too Much” by director Dawn Porter, which will be shown on Friday, Oct. 11. The film chronicles American soul singer Luther Vandross’ life and musical career, with vignettes by friends, family and creative collaborators including Dionne Warwick, Mariah Carey, Valerie Simpson and Roberta Flack. 

Another music legend, Bill Preston, will be featured on Wednesday, Oct. 9  in the documentary “That’s the Way God Planned It” directed by Paris Barclay. 

Attendees on Oct. 10 will have a chance to watch “Black Table,” a documentary film directed by Bill Mack and John Antonio James, which tells the story of the largest class of Black students in Yale University’s history — the class of 1993 — and examines the impact of America’s affirmative action policies.

Short film “The Rebel Girls,” directed by Felicia D. Henderson, is one of the features playing Oct. 12, depicting the harrowing and inspiring journey of a group of young Black girls who were kidnapped and held captive for 60 days following a sit-down protest at the Martin Theater in Americus, Georgia in 1963.

Events and Panel Discussions

Panel speakers at the festival will include local industry experts including Sacramento-based film director and cinematographer Aaron Leong, award-winning producer Tommy Ross, directors Wesley A. Carter and Kelly Whalen.

Former Sacramento Mayor and NBA star Kevin Johnson will also make an appearance as a panel moderator, as well as local TV news anchors and radio hosts.

Evening receptions will take place at local venues including Butterscotch Den, Fixins Soul Kitchen and Oak Park Brewery.

People’s Beer Fest

Coinciding with the film festival, the People’s Beer Fest will be taking place on Saturday, Oct. 12. Billed as “California’s Largest Black Beer Festival,” the event is hosted by Oak Park Brewing Co. and will include over 40 breweries, wineries and cideries plus live music by Nappy Roots, art, educational events and, of course, plenty of beer. There will also be non-alcoholic beverages and family-friendly entertainment.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the National Black Brewers Association, which was created in 2023 with the help of hobbyist-turned-professional craft brewer Rodg Little, co-owner of Oak Park Brewing Co.

Fascinated by the history of Black brewing and stories like that of fugitive slave brewer Patsy Young and pioneer Black brewer Theodore Mack, Little began to seek out connections with other Black brewers, which led to the creation of a craft beer festival as a way to collaborate, celebrate and educate people about Black breweries.

Collaborating with St. Hope’s Black Film Festival was a natural fit as the festival showed films about Black craft brewers at its inaugural event.

“We were brought together in the hopes of educating people,” Little said. Oak Park Brewing Co. “brews with a purpose,” according to Little, partnering with Black brewers nationwide for special releases like the Black Is Beautiful IPA and the recent collaboration with Atlantucky Brewing, owned by Grammy award-winning hip-hop group Nappy Roots, who will be headlining the People’s Beer Fest.

VIP receptions for the Black Film Festival will be held at the Oak Park brewery on Friday, Oct. 11 and at the People’s Beer Fest on Saturday, Oct. 12 giving attendees a chance to celebrate the contributions of people of color in two industries: independent film and craft brewing.

This story was funded by the City of Sacramento’s Arts and Creative Economy Journalism Grant to Solving Sacramento. Following our journalism code of ethics and protocols, the city had no editorial influence over this story and no city official reviewed this story before it was published. Our partners include California Groundbreakers, Capital Public Radio, Outword, Russian America Media, Sacramento Business Journal, Sacramento News & Review, Sacramento Observer and Univision 19. Sign up for our “Sac Art Pulse” newsletter here.