The kids are alright. Thank you to our screening partner: <a href="https://phillycam.org/" target="_blank">PhillyCAM</a>.

Chika Batstone is an aspiring young magician whose curiosity accidentally unleashes Kaboom, a chaotic magical creature, into the heart of New York City. With her world-famous magician father, the Amazin’ Arnie, performing nearby, Chika must contain the mayhem before it’s too late. Featuring the voice cast of Yara Shahidi, Daveed Diggs, Natasha Lyonne, Roy Wood Jr. and Tika Sumpter.

ChikaBOOM!!

Chika Batstone is an aspiring young magician whose curiosity accidentally unleashes Kaboom, a chaotic magical creature, into the heart of New York City.

Diamant, a 15-year-old girl from Dakar, dreams of making films, but her family envisions a different future for her. Faced with decisions being made about her life without her input, she confides in her sister, longing for escape and rest. The next morning, Diamant falls into an inexplicable deep sleep, an unspoken act of resistance to the choices imposed on her. Her mysterious slumber becomes a silent act of defiance, stirring tensions and fears, until it threatens not only Diamant herself but also her family and the very home that shelters them.

Don't Wake the Sleeping Child (Ne réveillez pas l’enfant qui dort)

Diamant is a 15-year-old girl from Dakar who dreams of making films, but her family has other plans for her future. On the morning of an important appointment she dreads, she doesn’t wake up. Faced with the urgency of the situation, her loved ones do everything they can to try to rouse her.

Two children, or perhaps elders, a brother and a sister, have built a home on an island beyond time itself. Their days consist of fishing, foraging, making art and finding new medicines, though imminent climate collapse and the lives they’ve left behind weigh heavily on them both. Through conflict and collaboration, they come to an understanding within the teachings of the Anishinaabe adzookaanag, prophecies and legends, that led them to the island in the first place. The siblings must learn to make peace with their fear of annihilation and choose to live in a good way — to honor the prophecy that, as long as there are Anishinaabe, the world will not end.

Flashing lights: 00:52, 04:18-04:28, 08:30

We Act Like Children (Abinoojiikaasmin)

Rooted in the universal experience of feeling stuck, this gentle story follows two siblings who retreat from an uncertain future, seeking shelter from the challenges waiting just beyond their reach.

Fifteen-year-old Honest Cardamom hasn’t seen her mother since she was 4, but at a crowded family party, she begins to feel her presence in ways she can’t explain. When Honest senses the presence of her mother, she finds the courage to ask her uncle about the woman she barely remembers and, in doing so, begins to uncover pieces of herself.Set in the space between Honest and her Uncle O, Tell Me When You Get Home unfolds as a long conversation between two people who have both lost a loved one. This short animated film is a testament to love and a testament to family.

Tell Me When You Get Home

Fifteen-year-old Honest Cardamom hasn’t seen her mother since she was 4, but at a crowded family party, she begins to feel her presence in ways she can’t explain.

Chile, Please! Shorts

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BlackStar Film Festival is an annual celebration of the visual and storytelling traditions of Black, Brown, and Indigenous people from around the world. Produced by BlackStar Projects, the 14th edition of the festival takes place July 31- August 3, 2025, both in-person in Philadelphia and online around the world.

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BlackStar Film Festival an annual celebration of the visual and storytelling traditions of Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities globally. 

All panels are recorded in-person and will be posted within the week of the festival.