This year we are highlighting the importance of sharing and celebrating Joy within the Black community and beyond. The celebration of positivity, freedom, and the fulfillment of being yourself.

The Denton Black Film Festival has grown into a five-day event that allows you, our guest, to immerse yourself in some of the best artistic showcases of Black cinema, music, spoken word, art and more.

Film Schedule:

Saturday, January 20th, 2024

6:00 PM: A Hip Hop & Soul Affair
Andy's Bar

Monday, January 22nd, 2024

10:00 AM: Ja'Tovia Gary & Lauren Kelley TWU Exhibits
West Galleries @ TWU

Wednesday, January 24th, 2024

6:00 PM: Opening Art Reception
UNT CoLab

Thursday, January 25th, 2024

5:30 PM: VIP Opening Film Reception
Embassy Suites By Hilton Denton Convention Center

7:30 PM: Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project (Opening Feature)
Alamo Drafthouse- Denton Theater 7

Friday, January 26th, 2024

10:00 AM: Lauren Kelley CoLab Exhibit
UNT CoLab

11:30 AM: Art Workshop for UNT students
UNT Student Union Bldg

12:45 PM: Storming Caesars Palace- Free Community Screening
Campus Theater

2:50 PM: Bike Vessel (Feature) & The Route to Emancipation (Short)
Campus Theater

3:00 PM: AI/VR for Filmmakers
3 - 4 PM

4:00 PM: Artist Talk
UNT CoLab

5:00 PM: Guardians of the Flame (Feature) & Ambassadors of Hope (Short) Mamma Knew How to Pray (Original Music Video)
Alamo Drafthouse - Denton Theater 8

5:20 PM: LIGHTS! ACTION! DRAMA! (Shorts) Rear; The Battle Within; The Capitalist; The Recipe; What They Found (Screendance) What's Bred in the Blood and Bone Campus Theater
Campus Theater

5:25 PM: FOUR WALLS (Feature) & My Happiest Days (Episodic) & (College Shorts) Sour and The Dick Andy Show
Alamo Drafthouse- Denton Theater 1

7:00 PM: Funny Friday w/ Comedian Trey Mack
Patterson-Appleton Arts Center (Greater Denton Arts Council)

7:30 PM: Girl (Feature) NIA (Short)
Alamo Drafthouse - Denton Theater 8

7:50 PM: LIGHTS! ACTION! RELATIONSHIP DRAMA! (Shorts) A Few Seconds of Violence; Breakup Weekend; Color of Love; Donna's Dream; Exit Interview; One and Done; The Three Phases of Isa; (College Short) Blackbird
Alamo Drafthouse- Denton Theater 1

7:50 PM: Outed (Narrative Feature) & Love Taps (Short)Campus TheaterFilter events by "Campus Theater"Narrative Feature
Campus Theater

9:00 PM: DBFF After Dark - 80s/90s/2000s Throwbacks
Vinyl Lounge

10:00 PM: DBFF After Dark - Unwind
Steve's Wine Bar

Saturday, January 27th, 2024

9:00 AM: Youth Gaming Expo & Tournament Presented by DFW Metro NAACP
Denton Civic Center

10:20 AM: If A Flower Bloomed (Feature) & Educators to Africa (Short) & Disrupting Silence (College Short)
Campus Theater

11:40 AM: Challenges Today!:Detangling The South Episode 1: New Orleans & Roots, Race & Culture (Episodic Series); Black Lawyers, Clients, & The Culture (Pt. 1The Amari Harley Case); Scroll Food & Soot (Shorts); Red Line (Screendance)
Alamo Drafthouse - Denton Theater 8

11:50 AM: Girl (Feature) & Nia (Short)
Alamo Drafthouse- Cedars (Dallas) Theater 7

11:55 AM: The Quilt: A Living History of African American Music(Feature) & Oxowusi (Screendance)
Alamo Drafthouse- Denton Theater 1

12:30 PM: THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE! Black Uniform (Feature) & Soulful Serenade (Screendance)
Campus Theater

2:00 PM: TWU Art Opening/Artist TalkEast
East| West Galleries @ TWU

2:20 PM: Riverbend (1989) Classic Film and Post Screening Discussion and Q&A
Alamo Drafthouse - Denton Theater 8

2:20 PM: Laughing Out Loud: Being Alex (Episodic); Big Girl Love (Episodic); Black Magic (College); Heart's Desire (Short); Rising Dawn (Short); The Black Experience (Short); Tik Tok Challenged (College)
Alamo Drafthouse- Cedars (Dallas) Theater 7

2:35 PM: Invisible Beauty (Feature)
Alamo Drafthouse- Denton Theater 1

2:55 PM: It's A Hard Knock Life! (Drama Shorts)
Campus Theater

4:35 PM: Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project
Alamo Drafthouse- Cedars (Dallas) Theater 7

5:15 PM: Step Dad (Feature)
Alamo Drafthouse - Denton Theater 8

5:25 PM: ImPossible (North Texas Premiere)
Campus Theater

5:30 PM: Diaspora Dreams (Shorts) (BLACK WOMAN WHITE MAN; Breathe; December 10, 2022; OASIS; Reparations; This or That; (Screendance) Got U l Ombachii
Alamo Drafthouse- Denton Theater 1

7:00 PM: Poetry Get Down & 2K Collab Slam + Open Mic
Patterson-Appleton Arts Center (Greater Denton Arts Council)

7:45 PM: Black Clown 2 (Feature) & Willow: State of Emergency (Short)
Alamo Drafthouse - Denton Theater 8

7:50 PM: REAL ESTATE SISTERS (Feature) & The Perfect Knight (Short)
Campus Theater

8:05 PM: Laughing Out Loud: Being Alex (Episodic); Big Girl Love (Episodic); Black Magic (College); Heart's Desire (Short); Rising Dawn (Short); The Black Experience (Short); Tik Tok Challenged (College)
Alamo Drafthouse- Denton Theater 1

9:00 PM: DBFF After Dark - Hip Hop + R&B Night
Vinyl Lounge

10:00 PM: DBFF After Dark - Unwind @ Steve's Wine Bar
Steve's Wine Bar

Sunday, January 28th, 2024

12:15 PM: INSPIRATION SUNDAY: Farming While Black (Feature); Aesthetic Inheritances (Short); Family Mixtape Visual Essay (College)
Alamo Drafthouse - Denton Theater 8

12:30 PM: INSPIRATION SUNDAY: A Heart That Forgives 2
Alamo Drafthouse- Denton Theater 1

2:35 PM: INSPIRATION SUNDAY: SPORTS & ADVENTURE (Shorts) I Am Because You Are; Interception: Jayne Kennedy American Sportscaster; KINGDOME;SLICE; Unbelievable! The Art Williams Story
Alamo Drafthouse - Denton Theater 8

2:50 PM: INSPIRATION SUNDAY- BE INSPIRED (Shorts): The Take Away (World Premiere); Birth From the Earth; :I Broke Out Of Prison{ (The Raittia Rogers Story); This Wall Must Come Down: The Annie Burns Hicks Story and (Original Music Video) You're My Friend
Alamo Drafthouse- Denton Theater 1

4:00 PM: Art Reception @ Texas Women's University (TWU) East
East| West Galleries @ TWU

6:00 PM: Kirk Whalum Concert w/ special guest Wendy Moten
Margo Jones Performance Hall

8:00 PM: ADVENTURE/SPORTS/DANCE (Shorts): Interception: Jayne Kennedy American Sportscaster; KINGDOME; Unbelievable! The Art Williams Story; (Screendance) Oxowusi; Red Line; What's Bred in the Blood and Bone

8:00 PM: LIGHTS! ACTION! DRAMA! (Shorts): Rear; The Battle Within; The Capitalist; The Recipe; What They Found
Sunday, January 28, 8 PM - Tuesday, February 6, 12 AM

8:00 PM: BE INSPIRED (Shorts): Birth From The Earth; "I Broke Out of Prison"(The Raittia Rogers Story); The Take Away; This Wall Must Come Down The Annie Burns Hicks Story; (Original Music Videos)
Sunday, January 28, 8 PM - Tuesday, February 6, 12 AM

8:00 PM: Challenges Today! (Shorts) Detangling the South- Episode 1 New Orleans;Representing: Black Lawyers, Clients, & The Culture (Pt.1 The Amari Harley Case); Roots, Race & Culture: Black Social Media; Roots, Race & Culture: Black Social Media; Scroll Food; Soot Episodic/Web Series
Sunday, January 28, 8 PM - Tuesday, February 6, 12 AM

8:00 PM: Diaspora Dreams Shorts: BLACK WOMAN WHITE MAN; December 10, 2022;Donna's Dream; OASIS; Reparations; This or That; Got U | Ombachii (Original Music Video)
Sunday, January 28, 8 PM - Tuesday, February 6, 12 AM

8:00 PM: Farming While Black (Feature) & Aesthetic Inheritances (Short)
Sunday, January 28, 8 PM - Tuesday, February 6, 12 AM

8:00 PM: FOUR WALLS (Feature) My Happiest Days (Episodic Series) and The Dick Andy Show (College Short)Narrative Feature
Sunday, January 28, 8 PM - Tuesday, February 6, 12 AM

8:00 PM: Guardians of the Flame (Feature) and Shorts- The Route to Emancipation & Ambassadors of Hope Documentary Feature
Sunday, January 28, 8 PM - Tuesday, February 6, 12 AM

8:00 PM: If A Flower Bloomed (Feature) & Educators to Africa (Short) & Disrupting Silence (College Short)
Sunday, January 28, 8 PM - Tuesday, February 6, 12 AM

8:00 PM: ImPossible
Sunday, January 28, 8 PM - Tuesday, February 6, 12 AM

8:00 PM: It's A Hard Knock Life! (Shorts): Father's Day; Hell of a Child; LOTUS; Nia; Set; The River; Hands & Knees by Rexx Life Raj (Original Music Video) Short Sunday, January 28, 8 PM - Tuesday, February 6, 12 AM

8:00 PM: Laughing Out Loud (Shorts):Being Alex; Big Girl Love(Episodic Series ); Black Magic (College); Heart's Desire; Rising Dawn; Sour (College); The Black Experience; Tik Tok Challenged (College) Episodic/Web Series
Sunday, January 28, 8 PM - Tuesday, February 6, 12 AM

8:00 PM: Lights! Action! Relationship Drama! (Shorts): A Few Seconds Of Violence; Blackbird (College);Breakup Weekend; Color of Love; Exit Interview; One and Done; The Three Phases of Isa Short Narrative
Sunday, January 28, 8 PM - Tuesday, February 6, 12 AM

8:00 PM: Outed (Feature) & Love Taps (Short)
Sunday, January 28, 8 PM - Tuesday, February 6, 12 AM

8:00 PM: Step Dad (Feature)
Sunday, January 28, 8 PM - Tuesday, February 6, 12 AM

8:00 PM: Storming Caesars Palace (Feature)
Sunday, January 28, 8 PM - Tuesday, February 6, 12 AM

8:00 PM: The Quilt: A Living History of African American Music (Feature) & Soulful Serenade (Screendance) & Family Mixtape Visual Essay (College Short)
Sunday, January 28, 8 PM - Tuesday, February 6, 12 AM

Fest Date: January 24 - 28, 2024

Location: Various Locations in Denton, TX

Click here for more information.