
By Stephanie Ornelas
The last decade has seen a breadth of remarkable films by Sundance Institute and Festival alumni and artists who are aiming to celebrate Black culture and educate the world through these narratives. As we anxiously wait for 2022 showstoppers like Alice and Descendant to drop, here's a small glimpse of the many projects featured at past festivals that are available to stream right now - stories inspired by Black history in the arts, equality, struggle, justice and more.
Black artists matter, and although February is the month to honor and celebrate, these artists and their films are worth exploring all year long. Here are just a few:
Terence Nance
Swimming in Your Skin Again (pictured above)
An Oversimplification of Her Beauty (below)
Dallas-born, Brooklyn-based filmmaker and musician Terence Nance premiered his debut feature, An Oversimplification of Beauty, in the New Frontier section of the 2012 Festival.
In the debut, a mystery woman fails to show up for a date with an idealistic artist who is now left to ponder why his past relationships have failed. (Available to stream on MUBI, to rent on Apple TV.)
Nance's second Sundance-featured film, Swimming in Your Skin Again, later premiered at the 2014 Festival. It celebrates the spiritual feminine and coming of age as it takes audiences on a tour through the ritual anchorages of life in and around Miami, guided by female inspirations. (Available to stream on The Roku Channel, and Amazon Prime Premium.)
Boots Riley
Sorry to Bother You
In 2015, Boots Riley brought his script for Sorry to Bother You to the Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab. In 2016, he took part in the Directors Lab, the Screenplay Reading series, the Creative Producing Summit, and Sundance Catalyst. His film premiered in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.
The comedy/fantasy takes place in an alternate present-day version of Oakland, California. A telemarketer discovers a magical key to professional success, launching him into a universe of greed. (Available on The Roku Channel, AMC+, fubo TV, Tubi TV, DirectTV, and Spectrum.)
Rick Famuyiwa
Dope
Rick Famuyiwa is an alumnus of Sundance Institute's Writer/Director Labs and had his short film thesis, Blacktop Lingo, premiere at the Festival in 1996. Since then, he has written and directed cult hits The Wood, Brown Sugar, and Our Family Wedding.
In Dope, his 2014 film, LA high-school senior Malcolm is a self-professed '90s hip-hop geek from Inglewood's worst neighborhood. When he and his two friends attend a local drug dealer's birthday party, he finds himself in a sticky situation that he must get himself out of - all while preparing for the SATs and a Harvard alumni interview. (Available to stream on Apple TV+.)
Ryan Coogler
Fruitvale Station
Ryan Coogler was brought into Sundance Institute's 2012 January Screenwriters Lab where he worked closely with Creative Advisors Tyger Williams, Jessie Nelson and Zach Sklar on further developing his script for Fruitvale Station. The film would soon cast Michael B. Jordan and Octavia Spencer as the main characters before premiering at the 2013 Film Festival.
Fruitvale Station tells the true-life story of a 22-year-old Black man, Oscar Grant, who is trying hard to live a clean life and support his girlfriend and young daughter. Flashbacks reveal the last day of his life on New Year's Eve during a fireworks show, before he becomes involved in an altercation with police that ends in tragedy. (Available to stream today on fubo TV, Hulu Premium, or purchase on Apple TV+).
Sabaah Folayan
Whose Streets?
Brooklyn-based activist and storyteller Sabaah Folayan was a lead organizer for the Millions March - one of the largest marches for racial justice in New York history. Hearing the stories from the community inspired her to embark on her directorial debut, Whose Streets?
Folayan's 2017 documentary follows the global movement after the 2014 killing of Michael Brown and how it inspired a community to fight back. It takes a close-up look at the civil unrest that erupted after a shocking act of violence in Ferguson, Missouri. (Available to stream today on Netflix, The Roku Channel, and Kanopy.)
Reinaldo Marcus Green
Monsters and Men
Reinaldo Marcus Green participated in the 2017 Sundance Institute Directors and Screenwriters Lab. His short film Stop premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival.
The short follows a New York neighborhood after a bystander films the death of a Black man at the hands of police. Tensions arise as some in the community are moved to take action. (Available to stream today on Hulu and Kanopy.)
Most recent headlines
13/03/2025
TAG Video Systems and Harmonic Partner to Deliver Enhanced Real-Time Monitoring ...
13/03/2025
DigitalGlue Invites NAB Visitors to Experience New Features in Managed Storage P...
13/03/2025
FOR-A America Theme - Connecting the Present, Building the Future - Comes to Lif...
13/03/2025
CTIA, the wireless industry association, has named former FCC Chairman Aji Pai as its President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1. He replaces Mere...
13/03/2025
he National Association of Broadcasters is urging the FCC to end its investigation of that controversial CBS interview with Kamala Harris stating there is no ...
13/03/2025
MIAMI CBS News & Stations continues to expand its use of augmented and virtual reality technologies with the planned launch of an augmented reality/virtual real...
13/03/2025
Srividhya Srinivasan, co-founder and chief customer success & innovation Officer at Amagi, tells TVBEurope how staying ahead of the latest trends is essential f...
13/03/2025
WASHINGTON FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the agency has launched a massive, new deregulatory initiative that could potentially subject virtually all ...
13/03/2025
SUNNYVALE, Calif. SDVI has announced that it has integrated its Rally media supply chain management platform with the Spectra Vail multi-cloud data management s...
13/03/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted a waiver of its local ownership rules to permit Gray Media to acqu...
13/03/2025
TV Tech: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2025 NAB Show?...
13/03/2025
Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice The songwriting major sang Stars by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals during the blind auditions.
...
13/03/2025
Here is your host, Patrick Kielty!
Shake your Shamrocks, Patrick Kielty will be...
13/03/2025
This St. Patrick's weekend, RT invites you to celebrate all things Irish, showcasing the very best of Irish sport, entertainment and live coverage from the...
13/03/2025
What's next in AI is at GTC 2025. Not only the technology, but the people and ideas that are pushing AI forward - creating new opportunities, novel solution...
13/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
By combining T-Mobile's robust network, Thal...
13/03/2025
Bundle up - GeForce NOW is bringing a flurry of Blizzard titles to its ever-expanding library.
Prepare to weather epic gameplay in the cloud, tackling the genr...
13/03/2025
AI is leveling up the world's most beloved games, as the latest advancements...
13/03/2025
PC game modding is massive, with over 5 billion mods downloaded annually. Mods p...
12/03/2025
O Spotify acaba de lan ar o relat rio Loud & Clear deste ano, uma vis o transpar...
12/03/2025
Spotify acaba de presentar el informe Loud & Clear de este a o, una mirada trans...
12/03/2025
Ramadan, a period of profound spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide, is a time for fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Enrich your experience thi...
12/03/2025
Spotify has just unveiled this year's Loud & Clear report, a transparent loo...
12/03/2025
More than 70% of FAST programming has been produced since 2010, according to new Gracenote report
NEW YORK March 12, 2025 Gracenote, the content data busin...
12/03/2025
GEONA, Nev. Independent digital and linear advertising rep firm Viamedia will adopt cloud-based ShowSeeker Pilot as its primary ad campaign and order management...
12/03/2025
BRUSSELS Mediagenix has announced that Wael Yasin has joined the company as sales director Central Europe....
12/03/2025
LONDON A new study highlights opportunities for shoppable TV and the massive impact online consumer spending is having on the economy, with Omdia predicting tha...
12/03/2025
CUPERTINO, Calif. Interra Systems has announced that Comcast Technology Solutions has integrated recent updates to BATON Version 9 into its operations....
12/03/2025
Nevion announces new 400G addition to its eMerge SDN media fabric offering
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
High-capacity switch enhances existi...
12/03/2025
DaVinci Resolve Studio Delivers Cinematic Sound for Adam Bol
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
Feature film relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for ...
12/03/2025
SVT Leverages Ateliere Live to Pioneer 100% Software-Defined Production at Rally...
12/03/2025
Berklee Awards Fenway Neighborhood Improvement Grant to Four Organizations A total of $17,000 will be distributed among the Boston-based nonprofits.
By
Madd...
12/03/2025
TVBEuropes Jenny Priestley sits down with new SMPTE president Richard Welsh to discuss his aims for the organisation going forward, its efforts to attract a you...
12/03/2025
The new process has significantly enhanced operational efficiencies, with automation freeing up creators to concentrate on higher value tasks
By Matthew Corrig...
12/03/2025
Jellyfish Pictures, which has offices in London and Sheffield, said it has been battling hard in the face of strong headwinds over the last 12 months
By Jenny ...
12/03/2025
Visit Booth #W2213 to Experience the Latest in AI-Driven Content Discovery and Workflow Automation
Bitcentral, a leader in media workflow solutions, is set to ...
12/03/2025
CHICAGO Jeff Lilly has been named WGN-TV director of technology effective March 17, 2025, according to Ric Harris, WGN-TV vice president and general manager....
12/03/2025
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. A new study from LG Ad Solutions indicates that consumers want more features that would allow them to shop for products on the connected T...
12/03/2025
BOTHELL, Wash. The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the Video Services Forum (VSF) will once again present...
12/03/2025
PHILADELPHIA Comcast announced that it has upgraded Xfinity Internet speeds for more than 20 million customers for no additional cost....
12/03/2025
Create with Maxon: Cinema 4D Fundamentals Workshop - March 12-14
Brie Clayton March 11, 2025
0 Comments
Makin' Waffles with Elly Wade
During Marc...
12/03/2025
Ottawa, Canada - March 12, 2025 - Ross Video is pleased to announce the appointment of Aaron Tunnell as Business Development Director, Cloud Solutions, reinforc...
12/03/2025
12 Mar 2025
VEON to release 4Q 2024 trading update on 20 March 2025 Dubai, 12 March 2025 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a global digital operator, today confirms ...
12/03/2025
Getting set for the Winter Olympics: Inside SVT's ongoing software-based pro...
12/03/2025
THE PLAYERS Championship 2025: AI Commentary, Shared-Reality Viewing at COSM, La...
12/03/2025
Seamless SMPTE 2110: A Discussion on Making the Move to IP Less Painful Leaders from Netflix, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, LinkedI, and Megapixel address ...
12/03/2025
Opening Doors of Perception: Meta's Ajit Ninan on Rethinking AR/MR Perceptua...
12/03/2025
With the 2025 Formula 1 season set to begin in Melbourne on March 16, Sky Sports is gearing up to deliver its most comprehensive F1 coverage yet. Following a th...
12/03/2025
Unicanal and Trece TV revolutionize Digital TV in Paraguay with Rohde & Schwarz ...
12/03/2025
Honoring Service, Celebrating Sport: Rohde & Schwarz UK Sponsors NavyFit Rugby D...