The Micheaux Film Festival is back in a major way. Returning to Los Angeles’ Culver City from October 23-26, the 7th annual festival is set to feature 36 world premieres, more than 100 Los Angeles premieres, and a powerful slate of 15 panels and masterclasses highlighting diverse voices across the globe.

Founded to celebrate visionary storytellers of color, the Micheaux Film Festival continues its mission to amplify inclusive, independent cinema. This year’s programming broke submission records with nearly half of the participating directors identifying as first-time or early-career filmmakers. Eight percent of directors self-identified as having a disability, and submissions reflected a broad ethnic spectrum, including African American and Black, Latinx, Asian, Indigenous, Middle Eastern, West Indian and Caribbean, and multiracial creators. Also, more than 60% of the projects are led by women or LGBTQIA+ crews, marking the festival one of the most inclusive in its own history.

“This year’s lineup offers a powerful commentary on the urgent issues confronting humanity,” said Courtney L. Branch, co-founder and lead curator. “The filmmakers in this year’s program are boldly using their voices to examine and critique the systems that shape our lives.”

The 2025 lineup opens the World Premiere of Tari Wariebi’s series “Remember” (as part of the festival’s episodic program) and the Los Angeles premiere of “It’s Dorothy!,” a reimagining of “The Wizard of Oz” starring Ashanti, Lena Waithe, Amber Ruffin, and Roxane Gay, and closes with “She Dances,” a family drama featuring Steve Zahn, Ethan Hawke, and Sonequa Martin-Green.

Deja Lytle, Manager of Programming for the festival, added, “Our lineup has a project for everyone and everything, from contemporary critiques on modern society to recollections of forgotten history. We showcase coming-of-age stories and stories that are only told by the wisdom that comes with age. Whether you want to laugh and forget your worries or contemplate the complexities of life, you can have it all in one sitting.”

Here are four Black-led films to look out for:

1. “Young King” (Dir. Bryan T. Griffin): As Diondre Howell re-adjusts to civilian life and struggles to cope with the scars of the Iraq war, he increasingly becomes a threat to those he cares about the most - his family.
2. “Negro League Nights” (Dir. Kyle Skyes, Writer: Jordan L. Jones): In 1923, Doc Sykes, renowned pitcher in the Negro Leagues, takes a stand against discrimination when he’s denied use of a shower room at Yankee Stadium.
3. “Theatre While Black” (Dir. Jermaine Alexander): A docu-series that chronicles how the Robey Theatre Company—co-founded by Danny Glover and Ben Guillory—navigated decades of struggle, friendship, and perseverance, up to and through the COVID-19 pandemic. It focuses in particular on their production A Heated Discussion (written by Levy Lee Simon), inspired by the assassination of George Floyd, showing not just the rehearsal and staging of that play, but also how the company kept its identity, mission and community alive during difficult times.
4. “Diminished Returns: The Black Wealth Gap in Washington, D.C.” (Dir. Sabiyha Prince): The Black Wealth Gap in Washington, D.C. is a powerful examination of how the legacy of slavery, segregation, and urban renewal continues to rob Black residents in the District of economic opportunity, and what justice truly requires.