A cinematic revolution is brewing in the snowy peaks of Park City and Salt Lake City: the 2025 Sundance Film Festival is about to showcase a powerful collection of stories by Black creators.
EBONY editors will be in tow to delve into the films that will keep us enthralled all year, so it only seemed right to dig deep into the stories and storytellers that are reppin’ for our community at this festival season.
With Sundance’s commitment to new voices and unique perspectives, this year’s entries showcase Black creators across the Diaspora, from Chicago to Kenya. From a woman searching for love at a funeral to an Ivorian father sharing his past with future generations, these films made by us reaffirm that we are not a monolith but defined by distinct thoughts, actions, challenges and joyfulness.
From this year’s lineup of 93 selected works of full feature and short films, here are 10 must-see films by Black creators that promise to challenge, inspire and entertain. Get ready to experience the future of storytelling.
Love, Brooklyn: Starring André Holland, Nicole Beharie, DeWanda Wise and more, three longtime Brooklynites navigate careers, love, loss and friendship against the rapidly changing landscape of their beloved city.
An Almost Successful Dating App Love Story: This short film takes dating to another level. A curious young woman attends the funeral of a man she matched with on a dating app, determined to meet him—dead or alive. Olivia Washington, Denzel Washington’s daughter, stars.
How to Build a Library: This documentary follows two Kenyan women who quit their jobs to restore what was once a whites-only library in Nairobi into a vibrant cultural hub. The film showcases their process and confronts the lingering ghosts of Kenya’s colonial past.
SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius): Directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, this thrilling documentary explores the life, career, and legacy of Sly Stone and the Family Stone, capturing the band’s rise and reign, along with unseen burdens that come with success for Black artists in America.
Ricky: Newly released after being locked up in his teens, 30-year-old Ricky, played by Stephan James, must navigate the challenging realities of life post-incarceration and independence for the first time as an adult. Sheryl Lee Ralph also stars.
Seeds: A visual and cultural exploration of centennial farmers in the Southern U.S., this film examines the decline of generational Black farmers and the significance of our community owning land.
Entre Le Feu Et Le Clair De Lune: In this moving short, an Ivorian father and his daughter set out to continue the book he never finished about a war he experienced as a child. A village of three generations comes together to capture timelines, dreams and memories.
Hold Me Close: Two queer Black women navigate the complexities of a relationship and sharing a home in this short about coupledom.
Hoops, Hopes & Dreams: This short unveils the untold story about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and an all-star team of civil rights activists who took to basketball courts to rally young voters. It also explores how their strategy has impacted contemporary politics.
Move Ya Body: The Birth of House: Director Elegance Bratton explores how a group of friends turned a new sound into a global movement, with its birth in the underground dance clubs on the South Side of Chicago.
The 2025 Sundance Film Festival will take place from January 23 to February 2, 2025. A selection of titles will be available online beginning January 30 through February 2. For more information about the Festival, visit sundance.org.
