The MVAAFF is an annual nine-day event showcasing both independent and established Black and brown filmmakers. Screenings include features, documentaries, and short films, and the event is recognized as an Oscar-qualifying festival in the short film category.
Each morning, several short films are featured before the afternoon feature-length presentation. The shorts vary in length from 8 minutes to 33 minutes. Some of the short films for this year include:
Saturday, August 2, 11 am – 1 pm: “Tango,” “Chocolate With Sprinkles,” “VICTORY”
Sunday, August 3, 11 am – 1 pm: “Sins of a Father,” “333,” “Astronauts”
Monday, August 4, 11 am – 1 pm: “Harlem to Harvard,” “Hoops,” “Hopes & Dreams”
Tuesday, August 5, 11 am – 1 pm: “all the love i could handle,” “Daughters,” “Desired”
Wednesday, August 6, 11 am – 12:30 pm: “Beforehand,” “Sugar Honey,” “Whiteface”
Thursday, August 7, 11 am – 12:30 pm: “Coach’s Office,” “Tender Thoughts”
Friday, August 8, 11 am – 1 pm: “The Last Dance,” “Sorrows of Yesterday,” “LAUNDRY”
Saturday, August 9, 11 am – 1 pm: “Help!” “Ayanna Pressley: She Dared to Dream”
Film spotlight: “all the love i could handle” is a tender, quietly explosive portrait of Black motherhood, drawn from the reimagining of the childhood diary of writer/director Ruby Rose Collins’ mother. The short film is inspired by the life of filmmaker Kathleen Collins (“Losing Ground,” 1982), one of the first Black women to write, direct, and produce a feature film in America. When a beloved family dog gives birth and abruptly abandons her litter, two determined siblings take it upon themselves to keep the newborns alive. As the children navigate the fragile line between care and chaos, their mother is caught in the undertow of creative ambition and maternal responsibility. The film is a meditation on the silences between mothers and daughters, the inheritance of longing, and the cost of putting one’s art — or one’s children — first.
The Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (MCVAAFF) will run August 1 – 9, with all screenings taking place at the M.V. Performing Arts Center at 100 Edgartown–Vineyard Haven Road, in Oak Bluffs. For a full list of films and the MVAAFF itinerary, please visit mvaaff.com.