Happy Pride and Juneteenth!
At Carrboro Film Fest, we believe in the power of storytelling. As Southerners, we also know that this power has often been used by dominant groups to oppress, dehumanize, and erase. As a result of this, many stories of Black and LGBTQ+ identity have been warped or completely excluded from the narrative.
With this in mind, we are highlighting two important celebrations which have been left out of too many history textbooks: Juneteenth and Pride. While both celebrations acknowledge the oppression and pain our country has caused Black and LGBTQ+ individuals, these days have also become celebrations of strength, community, heritage, and pride.
This curated selection of previous festival favorites reminds us of the much greater power of film: restoring dignity, exposing injustice, and inspiring change. Including both narrative and documentary films, this collection highlights the trials and triumphs of Black and LGBTQ+ individuals and communities as they continue to fight for safety, self-expression, and joy.
Missing Magic | Official Selection Carrboro Film Fest 2023
Watch film: https://www.anissa-latham.net/directing/missing-magic
As uprisings spread across the country, a young poet in Birmingham, Alabama becomes involved in local protests against decades of police brutality. As he tries to reconcile the city’s modern image as a diverse and welcoming metropolis with its violent and complex civil rights history, he suddenly becomes a part of the story when he’s arrested at a demonstration.
Quilted Education | Official Selection Carrboro Film Fest 2023
Watch film: https://www.pbs.org/video/quilted-education-c32ie1/
In a time when books are banned and discussions around race are curtailed, Karen Hinton Robinson takes on the responsibility of teaching Black history beyond the institution. In this mother-daughter interview, the historian and skilled quilter explains how her craft is used to supplement education by creating quilts that document the important figures of Black history, missing in Texas schools.
The Panola Project | Official Selection Carrboro Film Fest 2022
Website: https://www.jeremyslevine.com/the-panola-project
Watch film: https://vimeo.com/581552445
The Panola Project highlights the heroic efforts of Dorothy Oliver to keep her small town of Panola, AL safe during the pandemic. Dorothy runs a makeshift Covid vaccine coordination center from the convenience store she runs out of a mobile home. Today, nearly 99% of adults in her town have received the shot in a state with one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country. The Panola Project illuminates how an often-overlooked rural Black community comes together in creative ways to survive.
CANS Can’t Stand | Official Selection Carrboro Film Fest 2022
Website: https://www.canscantstandfilm.com/
Watch film: https://vimeo.com/838475504
For forty years, police and prosecutors have weaponized Louisiana's Crime Against Nature by Solicitation (CANS) law to terrorize queer/trans Louisianians. CANS Can't Stand follows a group of Black trans women in New Orleans who are fighting to repeal that law—and advance trans liberation across the state.
Gay Haircut | Official Selection Carrboro Film Fest 2022
Watch film: https://vimeo.com/695881174
For a stand-up comic, a drastic life change can mean losing one’s entire act. Bisexual comedian Krista has decided her relationship with a trans woman is worth coming out over - but will she commit to an entire rebrand with one gay haircut?
If I’m Good | Official Selection Carrboro Film Fest 2021
Note: This film requires a Dekkoo subscription, but you can sign-up for a 7-day trial to watch for free.
Watch film: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.4c7aa384-ac5b-4540-b6b2-27ec1498559e
A touching short film from director Jonathon Pawlowski and screenwriter Madison Hatfield, If I'm Good tells the story of a widower who explores his attraction to a younger man - all while struggling to cope with the recent loss of his husband.
Additionally, we’d like to highlight these events happening in and around Carrboro:
Chapel Hill/Carrboro Juneteenth Celebration: https://www.chapelhillarts.org/calendar/juneteenth-celebration/
Carrboro Pride Events: https://www.carrboronc.gov/2706/Pride-Month
OUTSOUTH Queer Film Festival: https://carolinatheatre.org/festival/outsouth/