Kansas City, MO—Kansas City PBS is proud announce the Official Selection for the 2026 Reel Black Film Fest in partnership with Janelle Monáe’s nonprofit Fem The Future revealing a curated lineup of twelve powerful films that redefine the Black experience through a lens of transformation and truth. This year’s festival will feature non-fiction shorts and features, conversations, an opening and closing reception, a Black-owned marketplace, filmmaker lounge and the announcement of four awards; one Grand Jury Award: Best Feature Film, one Grand Jury Award: Best Short Film, one Audience Choice Award: Best Feature Film, and one Audience Choice Award: Best Short Film. The Grand Jury Awards have been selected by the festival's screening jury while the Audience Choice Awards will be determined by votes from festival attendees on-site.
The 2026 program invites audiences to experience intimate character journeys, from Gwen Carr’s ten-year pursuit of justice to the experimental intimacy of a Black family’s holiday weekend. Each project was selected for its ability to both identify and confront battles and celebrate the enduring legacies of Black life.
“With this being the first year we've opened submissions for the Fest, the jury and I couldn't be more excited about the program we’ve created from films and filmmakers all throughout the Midwest,” said Tori Foushee, Content and Programming Manager of Kansas City PBS. “I'm excited to welcome so many talented filmmakers and film lovers to the Kansas City area for a weekend full of impactful art, culture and celebration!”
The 2026 Reel Black Film Fest Premiere Event:
Aunt Sister: The Legacy of Sarah Rector (Feature) / Director: Jacob Handy
Aunt Sister: The Legacy of Sarah Rector chronicles the captivating story of an 11-year-old Black girl from Oklahoma who transformed into one of history's wealthiest Black figures. Through stunning reenactments and intimate conversations, the docudrama follows her extraordinary journey from the unexpected oil boom on her family's land to her rise to prominence in Kansas City. Based on the memories and perspectives of her descendants and the insight of a local historian, the film delves into Rector's resilience, philanthropy and enduring legacy.
The 2026 Reel Black Film Fest Special Screening:
The Heroic True-Life Adventures of Alvin Brooks (Feature) | Director: Kevin Willmott
Based on Brooks’ 2021 memoir, “Binding Us Together: A Civil Rights Activist”, The Heroic True-Life Adventures of Alvin Brooks reflects on a lifetime of community and public service. The 93-year old has long been a stalwart of the Kansas City community. The film explores his time as a police officer, detective, mayor pro tem of Kansas City and founder of the AdHoc Group Against Crime.
The 2026 Reel Black Film Fest Official Selections:
Her Fight, His Name: The Story of Gwen Carr and Eric Garner (Feature) | Director: Brad Bailey
Filmed over six years, Her Fight, His Name: The Story of Gwen Carr and Eric Garner follows Gwen Carr as she seeks justice for her son, marking the 10th anniversary of his death.
The Restore Fellowship Documentary (Feature) | Director: Ken Williams Jr
The Restore Fellowship Documentary follows five system-impacted individuals from Chicago on a transformative journey to Benin, West Africa.
Something in the Water (Short) | Director: Nateya Taylor
Something in the Water features five water justice advocates as they discuss how Milwaukee’s Black communities are disproportionately affected by lead poisoning and the path toward equitable change.
For Those That Lived There (Short) | Director: Shawn Antoine II
Set within the gentrified remains of Chicago’s Cabrini-Green, For Those That Lived There traces displaced Black legacies and emerging migrant narratives.
Everything Is Everything (Short) | Director: Kin Marie
Everything Is Everything is a conversational documentary exploring the heartfelt commemorations of Juneteenth by Chicago natives during the summer of 2024.
4 (Short) | Director: Israel Lucius Barnes
4 is an experimental short film observing an African-American family over the Fourth of July weekend, capturing moments of intimacy and reflection.
We Use Our Hands to Fight | Director: Israel Lucius Barnes
We Use Our Hands to Fight is a cinematic exploration that redefines fighting as a spiritual act, using internal gifts to confront unseen battles.
Be Home Before the Streetlights | Director: Gee Horton
In Be Home Before the Streetlights, artist Gee Horton embarks on a visually symbolic journey to reconcile with his father and trace a path of generational healing.
O (Short) | Director: Ace Lovelace
O follows a group of men confronting oppression, exposing how silence, restraint and power shape identity.
The 2026 Reel Black Film Fest will take place on Friday, Feb. 20 and Saturday, Feb. 21 in the historic 18th and Vine District of Kansas City. The festival will kick off on Friday at the Gem Theater with a VIP opening reception and Black-Owned Marketplace followed by the premiere of Kansas City PBS’ Aunt Sister: The Legacy of Sarah Rector from filmmaker Jacob Handy and a post-screening conversation and Q&A. The night will end at Vine St. Brewery for the Reel Black on Tap After-Party. On Saturday morning, the Black-Owned Marketplace will reconvene, followed by the festival’s official selection shorts and features, a conversation about the role of arts non-profits in independent industries, and a special screening of ACADEMY AWARD® winning Filmmaker Kevin Willmott’s The Heroic True-Life Adventure of Alvin Brooks (PBS). The festival will wrap with a closing-night reception and awards ceremony announcing the Jury and Audience Choice winners at the American Jazz Museum.
“By bringing this incredible slate of films and activations to the historic 18th and Vine District, we are rooting these stories in the very heart of Kansas City’s Black legacy” said Latavia Young, Manager of Communications and Engagement of Kansas City PBS. “Our curated expansion of the Reel Black Film Fest has pushed our reach even further, ensuring that the festival remains a vital space for community connection and creative empowerment. We are building an ecosystem where Black storytellers can see their lives and histories reflected, honored and awarded.”
Tickets to the 2026 Reel Black Film Fest will be publicly available on Monday, Jan. 19 and the schedule will be announced on Friday, Jan. 30. Members of Kansas City PBS will receive an early invitation to secure tickets prior to the public release date. For more information about the 2026 Reel Black Film Fest, venue, jury, and partners, visitkansascitypbs.org/reelblack.
With over 300 people in attendance, 2025’s festival included Mid-America Emmy® award-winning filmmakers Nico Giles Wiggins, Jacob Handy and Kerry Rounds and their respective films Land of Opportunity: The Road of Resistance, The Potato King: A Dynasty Built on Dirt and Dreams and Diamond Jubilee: A 75-Year Celebration of Carter Broadcast.
The 2025 Reel Black Film Fest was nominated for a Community Engagement, Local Project Public Media Award (PMA 57) and both The Potato King: A Dynasty Built on Dirt and Dreams and Diamond Jubilee: A 75-Year Celebration of Carter Broadcast were nominated for 2025 Mid-America Emmy® Awards.
The 2026 Reel Black Film Fest is in partnership with Fem The Future with support from the Kansas City Film Office.
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for the 2026 Reel Black Film Fest, contact Senior Corporate Relations Manager Gina Holt,gholt@kansascitypbs.org.
If you are interested in volunteer opportunities for the 2026 Reel Black Film Fest, visit kansascitypbs.org/support/volunteer/.
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.