“Liberatory Black Futures” (shorts program)
Friday, June 13, 2025, 7:00 pm Presidio Theater, 99 Moraga Ave., SF
⚠️ content advisories: (see individual listings below)
- The Aunties, documentary, dir. Charlyn Griffith-Oro & Jeannine Kayembe-Oro, 2023, USA, 6 min. π
- ⚠️ Absolve at the Water, experimental documentary, dir. Maia Helvy, 2023, USA, 2 min. π
- RENEGADES: Celestine Tate Harrington: Building a Legacy, documentary, dir. Cashmere Jasmine, 2024, USA, 13 min. π
- ⚠️ Ready for War, experimental dance, dir. Yvonne Onakeme Etaghene, 2025, USA, 8 min. π
- Come Dance with Me, experimental dance, dir. nwaα», 2024, USA, 8 min. π
- ⚠️ KULTUR, experimental narrative, dir. Asari Aibangbee, 2023, USA, 20 min. π
- ⚠️ Chestbound, narrative, dir. Janine Anne Uyanga, 2024, USA, 18 min. π
The Aunties, documentary, dir. Charlyn Griffith-Oro & Jeannine Kayembe-Oro, 2023, USA, 6 min. π
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| The Aunties |
QWOCFF blurb: Documentary about two Black land stewards who interweave legacies of Harriet Tubman and Mt. Pleasant Acres Farms.
Aunt Donna and Aunt Paulette have been together for more than 50 years, legally married for more than 10, have 2,167 acres (877 ha) of farmland in Maryland that Harriet Tubman’s parents lived on. They operate it as a farm, but with the added intention of practicing and encouraging ecologically responsible farming and preserving the cultural legacies.
It’s an engaging look at two fascinating characters, with tales of their own plus much deeper knowledge of Harriet Tubman than most anyone. Definitely a must see.
• IMDb • trailer • official website • Instagram: @TheAuntiesFilm • watch on YouTube via AfroPoP Digital Shorts •
Absolve at the Water, experimental documentary, dir. Maia Helvy, 2023, USA, 2 min. ⚠️ content advisory: mention of rape π
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| Absolve at the Water |
QWOCFF blurb: Black lesbians revel in each other’s company, embracing resilience, defiance, and solidarity.
This one has a bit more of an experimental feel to it, and I found the jumpy visual style a bit distracting, but the underlying story is heartfelt and deeply personal. Highly recommended.
• IMDb • trailer • official website •
RENEGADES: Celestine Tate Harrington: Building a Legacy, documentary, dir. Cashmere Jasmine, 2024, USA, 13 min. π
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| RENEGADES |
QWOCFF blurb: A Black disabled musician and artist fights for her right to be a mother and earn an independent living.
Renegades is a series of six 10- to 12-minute short films that have been shown on the American Masters YouTube channel and several PBS online channels. The focus is on diverse lesser-known historical figures with disabilities, as part of fostering the concept of disability culture.
Celestine Tate Harrington was a quadriplegic who had to go to court to fight for the right to raise her own children. The authorities assumed that a quadriplegic was simply incapable of the basic mechanics of parenting, including things like changing a diaper, but she proved otherwise. Along the way, she also developed some remarkable talents and publicized the fact that disabled people can do far more than most people suppose.
A remarkable documentary about a genuine force of nature. Must see.
• IMDb (this episode) (the series) • trailer • official website • Instagram: @RenegadesFilmSeries •
Ready for War, experimental dance, dir. Yvonne Onakeme Etaghene, 2025, USA, 8 min. ⚠️ content advisory: grief, emotional pain π
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| Ready for War |
QWOCFF blurb: An Ijaw Urhobo Nigerian artist sends a survival guide back in time to her past self, to heal her through her worst heartaches.
Yvonne is getting back into painting, after a hiatus of several years, but also explores how she made it through some of the worst times of her life. She uses the concept of sending a message back in time to help your past self navigate the trauma, heartache, and healing. She also delves into the contradictions of preparing for war in order to achieve peace, going through pain to find joy, and so on.
One pull quote: “Disappoint a narcissist today, babe.” Highly recommended.
• IMDb • trailer • official website • Instagram: @MyLoveIsAVerb •
Come Dance with Me, experimental dance, dir. nwaα», 2024, USA, 8 min. π
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Come Dance with Me |
QWOCFF blurb: A visual archive of dance across history and the Black Diaspora.
Focuses on the ballroom scene, where the narrator found the opportunity to experience “catching the power” (a phrase from their Evangelical upgringing, referring to being taken by the Holy Spirit) in a way that church never achieved.
It’s powerfully expressive, and beautiful to watch. Must see.
• IMDb • trailer • official website • nwao •
KULTUR, experimental narrative, dir. Asari Aibangbee, 2023, USA, 20 min. π
⚠️ content advisory: anti-Blackness, transphobia, emotional pain, colorism, mention of body dysmorphia
QWOCFF blurb: Two Black teens enroll in a new app their therapist claims will help them thrive.
The therapist, a whiter-than-white woman, never passes up the opportunity to mention her Ph.D. from Harvard, and seems to see her patients as opportunities rather than as people she should be helping, and she “carefully selects” every patient for the new A.I.-based app. Sinister music hints at what might really be going on, but you’ll have to see if your suspicions are confirmed.
Kultur comments on many levels of our culture today and the dysfunctional ways it deals with race, gender, and sexuality, plus the nonchalance with which A.I. is coming into our lives in ways we don’t understand. But through all that, it also has a sense of humor. Beautifully done, must see.
• IMDb • trailer • official website • Instagram: @Kultur_Film @IMetGodSheBlack •
Chestbound, narrative, dir. Janine Anne Uyanga, 2024, USA, 18 min. π
⚠️ content advisory: grief, transphobia
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| Chestbound |
QWOCFF blurb: For a Black person healing from top surgery, tensions with their mother resurface amidst news of their father’s stroke.
Ray is recovering from top surgery. Their father Ellis is by their side, along with their partner Zen. Conspicuously absent is their mother Tabitha. Then Ellis has a stroke, forcing Ray and Tabitha to deal with one another, bringing to the surface feelings about a painful incident in the past. Can Ray and Tabitha reconcile, or will they just paper over the conflict and move on?
You can really feel the characters’ pain and their humanity in every scene. It’s a moving story, well told. Must see.
• IMDb • trailer • official website • Instagram: @Chestbound •
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