Micheaux Film Festival Celebrates Fifth Anniversary
The Micheaux Film Festival, named after groundbreaking Black filmmaker Oscar Micheaux, concluded its fifth anniversary on Sunday, July 16, 2023. The festival is a platform for filmmakers with unique visions and underrepresented artists.
Founded by college friends Courtney L. Branch and Noel Braham, the event was initially limited to a one-day affair. The now-weeklong festival is a testament to its growth and the variety of projects involved. Featured premieres included Scrap, a film starring Vivian Kerr and Anthony Rapp about a single houseless mother; The Good Egg, about a woman grappling with infertility who gets entangled with a con artist; and the documentary Bad Things Happen in Philadelphia about the effects of gun violence in the city.
In an interview, Braham states, “We’re aspiring to create a transformational experience, not a transactional one where [it’s like], ‘Hey, thanks for your film, you know, have a good day,’” adding, “We want our community to stay locked in after this because they’ve now become part of our family, both metaphorically speaking and also literally.”
The festival, which takes place in downtown Los Angeles and Culver City, is named after Oscar Micheaux, considered the first major Black filmmaker. He released films starring Black talent in the early 20th century. Both Branch and Braham say the filmmaker has been an inspiration for their vision. While spotlighting Black talent was imperative, Braham says the Micheaux festival was created as a platform for “all filmmakers, regardless of age, race, pre-background or perspective to come together and to celebrate their unique art.”
Some of the films at the festival include Diva, a story about what one would do to become a star in Hollywood; The Bloom, a film about the Olympic tale of an animatronic flower meant to detonate; Battle Zone H Mart, a project about creepy encounters featuring Asian women at a supermarket; and Autopilot, by Jennifer Zhang, which Branch describes as “amazing sci-fi, amazing VFX, really cool story.”
Besides film screenings, there are panels, including one dedicated to creating social impact with cinema and another that teaches aspiring actors to break into the business, particularly people of color. The festival also works with various homeless advocacy groups, like Covenant House of Hollywood, to employ and mentor young houseless adults and showcase the roles available to them than that of writer, actor, or director.
Braham was homeless when he arrived in Los Angeles, claiming, "I was having to live out of my car for a while." He further states, "What we wanted to do was broaden their horizons and to let them know and see and understand all the different opportunities that this city has to offer all within the entertainment industry. Just trying to get by and chase my ambition, you know."