KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The 2026 Reel Black Film Festival will feature two days of immersive nonfiction cinema, dialogue and community celebration at the Gem Theater and American Jazz Museum on Friday, Feb. 20, and Saturday, Feb. 21. Tickets are now on sale.
The festival kicks off Friday, Feb. 20, at the Gem Theater with a VIP opening reception and Black-owned Marketplace, followed by the premiere of the Kansas City PBS film Aunt Sister: The Legacy of Sarah Rector from filmmaker Jacob Handy. Kansas City PBS programmer Tori Foushee will be joined by Handy and director of photography Sam Jones, as well as Sarah Rector’s family members, Debbie Brown and Donnie Brown-Thompkins, for a post-screening conversation. The night will conclude at Vine St. Brewing Co. for the Reel Black on Tap networking mixer.
On Saturday, Feb. 21, the Black-owned Marketplace will reconvene, followed by the festival’s official selection of shorts and features. Following an intermission, the festival returns with "Local Pulse, National Impact: Building Creative Pipelines," a conversation about the role of arts nonprofits in independent industries. Panelists will include KCPBS manager of communications and engagement Latavia Young, Fem The Future program manager Alexis Cox, and Kansas City PBS film fellow Collins Riggins.
The afternoon continues with special screenings of Andscape’s Hoops, Hopes & Dreams and PBS’ The Heroic True-Life Adventure of Alvin Brooks, followed by conversations with filmmakers Glenn Kaino, Feaster and Kevin Willmott. The festival will wrap with a closing-night reception and awards ceremony at the American Jazz Museum, where the Jury and Audience Choice winners will be announced.
REEL BLACK FILM FEST 2026 SCHEDULE
Friday, Feb. 20
4 p.m. – VIP Opening Reception, Gem Theater
5 p.m. – Black-owned Marketplace, Gem Theater (open to the public)
6 p.m. – Aunt Sister: The Legacy of Sarah Rector Premiere & Conversation, Gem Theater
8 p.m. – Reel Black on Tap, Vine St. Brewing Co.
Saturday, Feb. 21
10 a.m. – Black-owned Marketplace, Gem Theater (open to the public)
11 a.m. – Official Selection Programming, Gem Theater
2:45 p.m. – "Local Pulse, National Impact" Conversation, Gem Theater
3:35 p.m. – Hoops, Hopes & Dreams Screening & Conversation, Gem Theater
4:35 p.m. – The Heroic True-Life Adventure of Alvin Brooks Screening & Conversation, Gem Theater
7 p.m. – Closing Reception and Awards Ceremony, American Jazz Museum
Tickets to the 2026 Reel Black Film Festival are available at kansascitypbs.org/reelblack.
The 2025 Fest drew more than 300 attendees and featured Mid-America Emmy® Award-winning filmmakers Nico Giles Wiggins, Jacob Handy and Kerry Rounds. Last year's event was nominated for a Public Media Award, while the films The Potato King and Diamond Jubilee: A 75-Year Celebration of Carter Broadcast both received 2025 Mid-America Emmy® nominations.
The 2026 festival is held in partnership with Fem The Future, with support from the Health Forward Foundation, KC Film, Missouri Film Office, Andscape, Backstage, and The Next Paige Talent Agency. Vine St. Brewing Co. is the 2026 official beverage partner.
To inquire about sponsorship, contact Senior Corporate Relations Manager Gina Holt at gholt@kansascitypbs.org.
About Fem the Future
Founded by award-winning artist and activist Janelle Monáe, Fem The Future is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing equity for women of color and expanding creative opportunity across industries. Its mission is to build a fem-forward future by creating opportunities for young women and girls in music, arts, and education. Through mentorship, community partnerships, and arts education, Fem The Future develops programs that nurture emerging talent, promote creative wellness, and open doors for the next generation of storytellers, musicians, filmmakers, and innovators. The organization envisions a world where creativity, representation, and access are no longer exceptions but expectations—where young women and girls of color have the tools, platform, and confidence to shape culture, tell their stories, and lead change through their art.
About Kansas City PBS
Located in the heart of Kansas City, MO, Kansas City PBS is a non-profit multimedia organization serving the community since 1961. The PBS member station airs diverse content focused on civic affairs, science, food, drink, arts and culture on four television channels, including Channel 19.1, 19.2, 19.3 (Create) and 19.4, the 24-hour PBS kids channel. Channels 19.1 and 19.4 are also available to live stream online, with programming available on-demand in the PBS App and Kansas City PBS Passport, a member-benefit streaming service. Kansas City PBS serves students, caregivers and the local education community through free online resources, workshops for parents and teachers, and annual conferences and events. It also owns and operates the local NPR music station, 90.9 The Bridge, providing nonprofit radio in a AAA format to listeners over the air and online streaming. Kansas City PBS’ nonprofit source for local journalism, Flatland (flatlandkc.org), produces multimedia reporting focused on civic affairs, arts and culture, food and drink, and education. For more information on Kansas City PBS or its wide variety of local and national content, visit kansascitypbs.org.