50 Essential African-American Independent Films
While there are still too few African-American voices being recognized in Hollywood, recent films like Ava DuVernays Selma and Spike Lees Da Sweet Blood of Jesus speak to a vital tradition of black independent filmmakers. Even controversial creators like Tyler Perry hail from a long line of filmmakers that includes the directors and stars of the race films of the 1920s and 1930s. Many pioneering African-American directors, like Melvin Van Peebles and Julie Dash, were trailblazers who found money for their fiercely idiosyncratic visions. They defied expectations and proved that there was an audience for films about black characters as told by black artists.
From now until February 19th, New Yorks Film Society of Lincoln Center hosts Tell It Like It Is: Black Independents in New York, 1968 1986, an exhaustive survey of unsung movies about African Americans. In celebration of the retrospective and Black History Month, Flavorwire has compiled a list of 50 essential African-American independent films:
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