3rd Annual Visions of the Black Experience

The third annual Visions of the Black Experience film series took place from November 12 to 21, 2021, offering a hybrid program that combined both in-theater and online screenings and events. This free series continued its mission to celebrate and illuminate the historical, social, and cultural aspects of Black life through film.

The 2021 festival showcased over 40 feature and short narrative and documentary films, focusing on timely and vital themes such as the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the evolution of Black music from jazz to house, and ongoing social justice issues.

The series opened with the romantic drama Maya and Her Lover and featured the locally-produced crime drama Monopoly Money, as well as Horror Noir: A History of Black Horror, which explored the untold story of Black Americans in Hollywood horror films.

Other notable films included One Pint at a Time, which highlighted Black brewers and influencers reshaping the craft beer industry, and Mending Walls, an uplifting documentary about 30 artists from diverse cultural backgrounds collaborating on murals symbolizing hope.

Historical themes were also prominent, with screenings of Invisible History, focusing on North Florida plantations and slavery; 100 Years from Mississippi and An Outrage, addressing lynching in the South; SNCC, chronicling student activism during the Civil Rights Movement; and Finding Fellowship, documenting three racially segregated churches uniting after Martin Luther King, Jr.,'s assassination.

Music played a central role with films like City of a Million Dreams, about New Orleans jazz funerals, Woodstock of House, chronicling the rise of Chicago house music, and a collection of shorts.

The festival further highlighted Black experiences worldwide with documentaries from Germany (King Bansah and His Daughter), South Africa (Journey of the Gogos), and Brazil (Anastacias). Classic films such as Watermelon Man, a tribute to Melvin Van Peebles, and the seminal sci-fi comedy Brother from Another Planet rounded out the program.

Weekend live screenings took place at Sainer Pavilion on the New College of Florida campus, following COVID-19 safety protocols, while most films were available online for the festival’s duration at VisionsOfTheBlackExperience.com

Panel discussions focused on healthcare in the Black community amid the pandemic, historical legacies, and featured a special spotlight on young filmmakers, marked by the introduction of the first Visions of the Black Experience Emerging Filmmaker Scholarship. Live Q&A sessions and educational opportunities provided deeper engagement with the festival’s themes.

The festival was supported by lead sponsor the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, with additional funding from BDI, Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation, and the New College Foundation.