Kansas City PBS is proud to invite the community to its first-ever film festival dedicated to showcasing local Black filmmakers from Kansas City. The Reel Black Film Fest will take place on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 3 p.m., at The Truman in downtown Kansas City.
“The Reel Black Film Fest is an exciting opportunity to bring folks together as we showcase these powerful films on our platform and honor the incredible contributions of Kansas City’s Black community,” said Kliff Kuehl, president and CEO of Kansas City PBS.
The film festival will feature Emmy Award-winning filmmakers Nico Giles Wiggins, Jacob Handy and Kerry Rounds and their respective films:
Land of Opportunity: The Road of Resistance: Inspired by Richard Rothstein’s ‘The Color of Law,’ this film focuses on Kansas City’s U.S. Highway 71 project and reveals how the city’s urban renewal efforts displaced 10,000 families.
The Potato King: A Dynasty Built on Dirt and Dreams: Told from the perspective of local farmer Mike B. Rollen, this film tells the story of potato farmer Junius Groves and his pioneering journey to become one of the wealthiest men of his time.
Diamond Jubilee: A 75-Year Celebration of Carter Broadcast: In 1950, Andrew “Skip” Carter began operating KPRS as the nation’s first Black radio station west of the Mississippi River. Seventy-five years later, the Kansas City radio station is still alive and well, celebrating its Diamond Jubilee anniversary.
Film festival attendees will enjoy an afternoon filled with engaging activities, screenings of all three Kansas City PBS films, panels with the filmmakers, shopping with local vendors and exciting door prizes.
Event Details:
- What: Reel Black Film Fest
- Where: The Truman at 601 E Truman Rd, Kansas City, MO 64106
- Tickets: The event is free, but an RSVP is required.
- When: Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025
- Doors and vendors open at 1:30 p.m.
- Land of Opportunity Screening at 3 p.m.
- The Potato King Screening 4:30 p.m.
- Intermission at 5:40 p.m.
- Diamond Jubilee Screening 6 p.m.
Sponsors of the Reel Black Film Fest include the Health Forward Foundation, the Missouri Humanities Council and the Kansas City Film Office, with promotional support from the Carter Broadcast Group and the Black Movie Hall of Fame. For more information and event updates, visit kansascitypbs.org/reelblack.