NeXt Doc

BlackStar Film Festival has released the film program for this year’s festival!

It includes the world premiere of Louis Massiah and Monica Henriquez’s TCB – THE TONI CADE BAMBARA SCHOOL OF ORGANIZING, the North American premiere of Jenn Nkiru’s THE GREAT NORTH, a special screening of Kahlil Joseph’s BLKNWS: TERMS & CONDITIONS and the North America premiere of Letitia Wright’s HIGHWAY TO THE MOON.

Check out the full lineup and join them on Broad Street or virtually this summer for four days of ground-breaking films, enriching panels, parties, immaculate vibes, and community:

BlackStar Film Festival 2025 - BlackStar Submissions for the 2025 BlackStar Film Festival open January 7.

In addition to the ten in-person fellows, NeXt Doc is proud to introduce our two 2024 virtual fellows Megdad Emad (Port Sudan, Sudan) and Awais Hameed (Karachi, Pakistan).

We received over 130 applicants from 23 countries and 24 states, offering virtual support felt like a critical step for us this year in our effort to expand NeXt Doc's reach and impact while addressing the obvious need. Megdad and Awais will be offered a year of individualized mentorship, masterclasses and workshops, and virtual mentorship with filmmakers Jude Chehab and Fahd Ahmed.

We are thrilled to welcome our first truly international cohort of NeXt Doc Fellows, hailing from Congo, Sudan, India, Mexico, Pakistan, Haiti, and across the United States, reflecting a rich diversity of critically relevant perspectives in the global documentary film landscape. We’re excited about the possibilities and potentials of global solidarity!