2nd Annual Reel Black Festival

Friday, Feb. 20 - Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026 

The Gem Theater & American Jazz Museum

Join Kansas City PBS in honoring the vibrant culture, history and creativity of Black Kansas City through the power of film. This year’s festival will showcase a compelling curation of local short and feature-length films from Black filmmakers across the Midwest. These works will be selected by an esteemed panel of filmmakers, producers, programmers and community leaders, ensuring a dynamic and thoughtful representation of the Black experience and Black brilliance in Kansas City and beyond.

The deadline for entries was Oct. 17, 2025 and filmmakers will be notified on Dec. 5, 2025.

View last year's films and program here and keep up with us on Instagram.

In addition to the official selection screenings, attendees can expect panel discussions with filmmakers, shopping with local vendors, networking opportunities and the announcement of four non-cash prizes; Grand Jury Award: Best Feature Film, Grand Jury Award: Best Short Film, Audience Choice Award: Best Feature Film, and Audience Choice Award: Best Short Film. The Grand Jury Awards will be selected by the festival's screening jury, while the Audience Choice Awards will be determined by votes from festival attendees. 

The 2026 Reel Black Film Fest official selection will be announced on Monday, Jan. 12 and tickets will be publicly available on Monday, Jan. 19. 

For early access to tickets, become a member of Kansas City PBS by visiting kansascitypbs.org/support/. 

Become a Sponsor

The Reel Black Film Festival is a vibrant showcase of Black filmmakers, stories and experiences that deserve to be seen and celebrated. To learn more about how your organization can be part of this important celebration through Sponsorship, contact Gina Holt, Senior Corporate Relations Manager at gholt@kansascitypbs.org.