BlackStar Film Festival

BlackStar 2026: Award-Winning Films

Unlock 12 films to stream instantly
Already unlocked? for access

Give as a gift

12 films in package
An Impossible Address
Haunted by questions of disappearance, loss and revolutionary struggle, An Impossible Address continues director Suneil Sanzgiri’s examination of the life of Sita Valles and the bonds of solidarity that developed between India and Africa against the Portuguese empire.
Zenón and the Rebel Boats (Zenón y la flotilla rebelde)
After being displaced from his home by the U.S. Navy, Puerto Rican fisherman Carlos “Taso” Zenón pledged his life to fight against the military occupation of the island of Vieques. Zenón organized countless efforts to halt U.S. war games in the Caribbean Sea, inspiring one of the most influential environmental and anti-war movements in the Caribbean.
Finding Your Laughter
Finding Your Laughter follows Chicago comedian Arlieta Hall, who turns to her greatest tools, stand-up comedy and improvisation, to navigate the heartbreak and humanity of caring for her father, who is living with Alzheimer’s disease.
Authors of the Estate
In Northwest London, two estates take their stories into their own hands, exploring what would happen if a council house became a publishing house in this tale of ownership, creativity and the power of community.
Closed captions available
Another Day Shall Come (سيجيء يوم آخر)
A portrait of Palestinians living in the suffocating 1948 borders during Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza. The film weaves together anonymous voice recordings and present-day footage of historical Palestine, encapsulating 76 years of identity deprivation and alienation.
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.
Closed captions available
The Seeds We Carry
A short documentary weaving intimate portraits of community farm stewards in Southwest Philadelphia. Through the rhythms of planting, cooking and sharing food, the protagonists reveal how everyday acts of care and resistance nurture belonging, foster cross-cultural kinship and preserve a sense of home amid the pressures of gentrification and displacement.
Tenants of Lenapehocking in the Age of Magnets
Tenants of Lenapehocking in the Age of Magnets is a collection of stories about the developing Black community of North Philadelphia from the late 19th through the 20th centuries, a time of migration, industry and blossoming culture. Oral histories are combined with archival photos, including from the collection of John W. Mosely.
Scene Not Heard: Women in Philadelphia Hip Hop
Scene Not Heard tells the story of a group of emerging and established female hip hop artists as they struggle to find success in the City of Brotherly Love.
Call of My Life
Soluchi, 31, is a radiant and thoughtful call center agent, still carrying the scars of a long relationship with Kalu, a man whose neglect left her questioning her worth. When loneliness threatens to swallow her, a routine customer call connects her to Eli, a magnetic man whose kindness and attention awaken feelings she has long buried.
Closed captions available
When They're Gone
After an abrupt encounter at a graveyard, two elderly men form an unexpected bond over the grief and love of their late wives.
One More Show (ضايل عنا عرض)
Struggling with the uncertainty of their own fate, the Free Gaza Circus troupe defies despair during the genocide carried out by Israel by performing for children in shelters and on the streets.
$35After unlocking, you'll have 25 hours 7 minutes to start watching. Once you begin, you'll have 24 hours to finish watching. Need help?

Experimental

WINNER: An Impossible Address, dir. Suneil Sanzgiri


Feature Doc

WINNER: Zenón and the Rebel Boats, dir. Juan C. Dávila Santiago

Special Mention: Finding Your Laughter, dirs. Arlieta Hall and Brittany Alsot


Feature Narrative

WINNER: Variations on a Theme, dirs. Jason Jacobs and Devon Delmar - Not available for online viewing


Short Doc

WINNER: Authors of the Estate, dir. Abdou Cissé

Special Mention: Another Day Shall Come, dir. Aida Kaadan 


Short Narrative

WINNER: Treasure Island, dir. Miryam Charles - Not available for online viewing

Special Mention: Tell Me When You Get Home, dir. Tshay Meade


Philadelphia Filmmaker Award

WINNER: The Seeds We Carry, dir. Gabrielle Patterson


Audience Award: Feature Documentary

WINNER: Scene Not Heard: Women in Philadelphia Hip Hop, dir. Maori Karmael Holmes


Audience Award: Feature Narrative

WINNER: Call of My Life, dir. Dammy Twitch


Audience Award: Experimental

WINNER: Tenants of Lenapehocking in the Age of Magnets, dir. Louis Massiah


Audience Award: Short Documentary

WINNER: The Seeds We Carry, dir. Gabrielle Patterson


Audience Award: Short Narrative

WINNER: When They're Gone, dirs. Ragan Henderson and Lauryn Darden


Shine Award for First-Time Filmmakers

WINNER: One More Show, dirs. Mai Saad and Ahmed Al Danaf

Only one in 10 authors in Britain are working-class. The Authors of the Estate changes that. It is a platform created by the people, for the people — a reclamation of authorship and authority. What began as a grassroots publishing project has evolved into a documentary that amplifies those same voices, bringing their words to life and inspiring the next generation of writers from estates across the United Kingdom.


What started as a simple idea to help the neighbors of the St. Raphael’s Estate and Chalkhill Estate in Northwest London, connected through storytelling, has since grown into a movement not just to write their stories but to own them. These books shattered stereotypes and allowed residents once seen as statistics or nameless faces to emerge as authors, voices of authority over their own lives.


The film continues that mission by capturing the faces and voices behind the pages. It explores how two residents from neighboring estates saw beyond the false narratives that defined them. Through redevelopment, stigma and renewal, they chose to tell their stories before someone else did. The result is a collection of raw and powerful books that redefine what life on an estate can mean. 

  • Year
    2025
  • Runtime
    21 minutes
  • Language
    English
  • Country
    United Kingdom
  • Premiere
    United States
  • Genre
    Short Documentary
  • Social Media
  • Director
    Abdou Cissé
  • Screenwriter
    Andre Anderson, Nabil Al-Kinani
  • Producer
    Abdou Cissé, George Telfer
  • Executive Producer
    Andre Anderson, Nabil Al-Kinani, Andriana Lagoudes, Kayode Gbaja, Abdou Cissé, Akwasi Poku
  • Cast
    ADJ, Uncle Robert, Bosola Ajenifuja, Robyn Hoodie, Kathleen Jackson, Patricia “Blaze” Wharton, Vanessa Tenkorang, James Okende, Ahmed Idriss Hussein, Daniel Mcintosh, Beverly Mcintosh, Annabel Lewis, Angella Martin, Adrian Hazzard, Maya Hazzard, Elijah Hazzard, Leo Mcintosh, Noor Al-Kinani, Haneen Al-Kinani, Kes-Tchaas Eccleston, St Raphael's Estate, Chalkhill Estate, André Anderson, Raze, Predz Uk, Jade Snyper, Kayden Bell, Nathaniel Telemaque, Nabil Al-Kinani, Kayode Gbaja, Des “Flex” Powell, Alan Semugabi, Michelle Osei, Uncle Russell, Tai Ottun, Leia Akorfa Wisdom-Baako, Noah Asamoah Wisdom-Baako, Semira Selassie, Uncle Andrew, Muizz Ottun, Ghislain Edmund
  • Cinematographer
    Henry Gill, Jake Hunter
  • Editor
    Marnie Hollande
  • Production Design
    Jade Adeyemi
  • Sound Design
    Ned Sisson
Copy link