Thrillers, Documentary On Creole Exiles Among Highlights At San Diego Black Film Festival

By Editor, Times of San Diego

April 26, 2022

The San Diego Black Film Festival begins Wednesday with a free pre-opening reception, followed by a four-day slate of features, shorts and documentaries.

Film fans may attend the pre-party, at 6 p.m. at Chocolate Lounge at Sugar Factory in downtown San Diego, provided they register online.

Screenings kick off at 6 p.m. Thursday at Theatre Box, also downtown, with the opening-night film, Inexistent. Director Benny Flames’ drama depicts a woman already confronting mental health issues who must face a deadly obstacle.

Other highlights include:

• Friday – Aamal, by director Josselyn Refauvelet, about a woman who must unravel her captor’s scheme in order to escape.
• Saturday – In Wisper, based on a true story, director Russ Emanuel explores the murder of a Black family in New Jersey.
• Sunday – Another Paradise tells the story of the Creole population of Chagos Island, which was expelled by the British, and now struggles to recover their culture.

Each day includes blocks of short films, with more panels available as well. Passes start at $50, with most individual screenings costing $10.

The festival had initially been set to be virtual as concerns about the Omicron variant took hold last winter. With the wait until April, however, screenings now will be in person.

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