Black Sundance: Movies You Should Know at This Year's Festival

Southside With You, Sleight, Morris From America and more.

Movie Excellence - The recent viral talk of #OscarsSoWhite has pretty much put a damper on Black Hollywood. While very little to no Black films were recognized by the Academy this year, several were showed during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City Utah. From a film chronicling the career of the King of Pop to the captivating story of O.J. Simpson, take a look at the films to watch this year.— By Moriba Cummings(Photos from left: Tim Whitby/Getty Images, Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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Movie Excellence - The recent viral talk of #OscarsSoWhite has pretty much put a damper on Black Hollywood. While very little to no Black films were recognized by the Academy this year, several were showed during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City Utah. From a film chronicling the career of the King of Pop to the captivating story of O.J. Simpson, take a look at the films to watch this year.— By Moriba Cummings(Photos from left: Tim Whitby/Getty Images, Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Southside With You - The story of the Obamas before becoming “The Obamas” is given the film treatment thanks to actress Tika Sumpter, who takes on the challenging role of playing First Lady Michelle Obama. Southside With You recreates a day in 1989 where Barack and Michelle met back when she was a Chicago lawyer and he was a summer associate at the same firm while studying at Harvard Law. After the couple take a stroll through the South Side of Chicago to attend a community-organizing meeting, where a young Obama was set to speak, the sparks began to fly. This is something you don’t want to miss.(Photo: IM Global Film)

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Southside With You - The story of the Obamas before becoming “The Obamas” is given the film treatment thanks to actress Tika Sumpter, who takes on the challenging role of playing First Lady Michelle Obama. Southside With You recreates a day in 1989 where Barack and Michelle met back when she was a Chicago lawyer and he was a summer associate at the same firm while studying at Harvard Law. After the couple take a stroll through the South Side of Chicago to attend a community-organizing meeting, where a young Obama was set to speak, the sparks began to fly. This is something you don’t want to miss.(Photo: IM Global Film)

Morris From America - This interesting story is something you likely haven’t heard before. Morris From America follows the life of a 13-year-old overweight African-American boy who considers himself “the next Notorious B.I.G.” However, there’s one big difference: he lives in Germany and is trying to figure things out while falling for a German girl.(Photos: Beachside Films)

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Morris From America - This interesting story is something you likely haven’t heard before. Morris From America follows the life of a 13-year-old overweight African-American boy who considers himself “the next Notorious B.I.G.” However, there’s one big difference: he lives in Germany and is trying to figure things out while falling for a German girl.(Photos: Beachside Films)

Sleight - Jacob Latimore stars as a triple threat (actor, singer, dancer) who perfects his craft at the Disney Channel while balancing life as a high school student and magician. But here’s the kicker: He also turns to dealing drugs to take care of his baby sister. Other stars you may know who appear in this film include Dulé Hill, Cameron Esposito and SNL’s Sasheer Zamata.(Photo: Diablo Entertainment)

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Sleight - Jacob Latimore stars as a triple threat (actor, singer, dancer) who perfects his craft at the Disney Channel while balancing life as a high school student and magician. But here’s the kicker: He also turns to dealing drugs to take care of his baby sister. Other stars you may know who appear in this film include Dulé Hill, Cameron Esposito and SNL’s Sasheer Zamata.(Photo: Diablo Entertainment)

Michael Jackson’s Journey From Motown to Off the Wall - Spike Lee is behind this one, so you know it’s definitely worth the watch. Lee, known as one of Michael Jackson’s biggest fans, released this documentary where he interviewed several of MJ’s admirers and fans, including Joe and Katherine Jackson, Lee Daniels, The Weeknd and Pharrell Williams. Fans also get a chance to see vintage footage of the King of Pop himself, as Lee used archival video of him in the film.(Photo: Optimum Production Picture)

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Michael Jackson’s Journey From Motown to Off the Wall - Spike Lee is behind this one, so you know it’s definitely worth the watch. Lee, known as one of Michael Jackson’s biggest fans, released this documentary where he interviewed several of MJ’s admirers and fans, including Joe and Katherine Jackson, Lee Daniels, The Weeknd and Pharrell Williams. Fans also get a chance to see vintage footage of the King of Pop himself, as Lee used archival video of him in the film.(Photo: Optimum Production Picture)

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The Birth of a Nation - Beyond the Lights star Nate Parker wrote and directed this period piece about slave-turned-revolutionary Nat Turner and the film world is taking notice. The Birth of a Nation follows Turner who led a successful slave rebellion in Virginia in 1831, where it is recorded that at least 55 whites were killed. This film has some of Black Hollywood’s elite with Gabrielle Union, Aunjanue Ellis, Aja Naomi King and more flexing their acting chops to tell this powerful story.(Photo: Bron Studios/ Mandalay Pictures)

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The Birth of a Nation - Beyond the Lights star Nate Parker wrote and directed this period piece about slave-turned-revolutionary Nat Turner and the film world is taking notice. The Birth of a Nation follows Turner who led a successful slave rebellion in Virginia in 1831, where it is recorded that at least 55 whites were killed. This film has some of Black Hollywood’s elite with Gabrielle Union, Aunjanue Ellis, Aja Naomi King and more flexing their acting chops to tell this powerful story.(Photo: Bron Studios/ Mandalay Pictures)

How to Tell You're a Douche Bag - Not only is the witty title attention-grabbing, but so is this film’s premise. This romantic comedy centers around blogger Ray Livingston as he chronicles his experiences with dating Black women. The film follows the perils that many career-focused, educated Black millennials currently have: dating in a big city.(Photo: Wise-Miller Productions)

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How to Tell You're a Douche Bag - Not only is the witty title attention-grabbing, but so is this film’s premise. This romantic comedy centers around blogger Ray Livingston as he chronicles his experiences with dating Black women. The film follows the perils that many career-focused, educated Black millennials currently have: dating in a big city.(Photo: Wise-Miller Productions)

Kiki - Deemed by critics as the new-age Paris Is Burning, Kiki is a documentary which follows the lives of a group of Black and Latino youths who religiously participate in the dance of voguing, which they have heralded as "kiki." In addition to the dancing, the film also touches on police brutality and HIV and AIDS.(Photo: Hard Working Movies)

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Kiki - Deemed by critics as the new-age Paris Is Burning, Kiki is a documentary which follows the lives of a group of Black and Latino youths who religiously participate in the dance of voguing, which they have heralded as "kiki." In addition to the dancing, the film also touches on police brutality and HIV and AIDS.(Photo: Hard Working Movies)

As You Are - Our favorite young activist Alamdla Stenberg is co-starring in As You Are, targeted towards a teen audience. The drama follows three high school friends who are involved in an incident that calls for a full-on police investigation.(Photo: Votiv Films)

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As You Are - Our favorite young activist Alamdla Stenberg is co-starring in As You Are, targeted towards a teen audience. The drama follows three high school friends who are involved in an incident that calls for a full-on police investigation.(Photo: Votiv Films)

Maya Angelou and Still I Rise - Before making its official television debut on PBS in the spring, the documentary Maya Angelou and Still I Rise will premiere at Sundance. Proving that this is definitely something worth seeing, filmmakers Bob Hercules and Rita Coburn Whack said "this will be the first feature documentary to tell the full story." In addition to telling the late laureate's amazing story, some of her admirers, like Oprah Winfrey, Bill Clinton and Cicely Tyson, also make apperances.(Photo: Kris Connor/Getty Images)

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Maya Angelou and Still I Rise - Before making its official television debut on PBS in the spring, the documentary Maya Angelou and Still I Rise will premiere at Sundance. Proving that this is definitely something worth seeing, filmmakers Bob Hercules and Rita Coburn Whack said "this will be the first feature documentary to tell the full story." In addition to telling the late laureate's amazing story, some of her admirers, like Oprah Winfrey, Bill Clinton and Cicely Tyson, also make apperances.(Photo: Kris Connor/Getty Images)

O.J.: Made in America - O.J. Simpson's story is continuing to captivate America, and now with the documentary O.J.: Made in America set to premiere at Sundance before its ESPN television premiere, many are beginning to take notice. While this is the second time the former NFL running back is given the doc treatment, this time around, more details will be unveiled.(Photo: ESPN)

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O.J.: Made in America - O.J. Simpson's story is continuing to captivate America, and now with the documentary O.J.: Made in America set to premiere at Sundance before its ESPN television premiere, many are beginning to take notice. While this is the second time the former NFL running back is given the doc treatment, this time around, more details will be unveiled.(Photo: ESPN)