Monthly Film Festival | InFocus: Black Cinema

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. This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

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.