BHERC puts seven Black filmmakers in front of AFM buyers

The Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center will showcase seven short films by emerging Black filmmakers on Nov. 13 at the American Film Market in Century City. The invitation-only screening is aimed at buyers, financiers and distributors looking for new independent projects.

Why it matters: - The American Film Market is where independent film deals get made, and BHERC is using that platform to push Black filmmakers directly in front of global buyers. - Five of the seven selected directors are women, widening access in an industry that still controls distribution, financing and visibility from a small set of rooms. - BHERC is framing the event as both a showcase and a market intervention for Black stories that need broader global reach.

What happened: - The Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center will present its 2026 Emerging Global Black Filmmakers Showcase on Friday, Nov. 13, at 3 p.m. on Screen 14 at AMC Century City 15 in Los Angeles. - The invitation-only screening will run during the American Film Market, which draws thousands of producers, sales agents, buyers and executives from more than 85 countries. - Seven short films will screen at the event, with genres spanning supernatural comedy, horror, motocross action, boxing, recovery drama and historical drama. - BHERC founder and president Sandra J. Evers-Manly said the goal is to create opportunities for global markets and put Black filmmakers in the room where deals are made.

The details: - DYING LAUGHING — Tyler Young, 15 minutes. A comedian facing tax-fraud charges takes a job at her father’s mortuary and discovers a supernatural gift. - FOOD FOR THE SOUL — Chisom Chieke, 18 minutes. A first-generation Nigerian American and her Black Southern fiancé struggle with family expectations and cultural pressure. - JULES — Tiffany Abney, 20 minutes. A woman fights to reclaim her identity and return to motocross. - SUPERMAN DOESN'T STEAL — Tamika Lamison, 19 minutes. The film is based on true events during the 1970s Atlanta child murders and follows 9-year-old Harriet and her superhero-obsessed brother. - PUGILISTIC SOUL — Mike Noel, 20 minutes, 5 seconds. Patrick Walker stars in a boxing drama centered on the tense moments before a pivotal fight. - LIQUOR BANK — Marcellus Cox, 15 minutes. A young man relapses and misses his own one-year sobriety celebration at an AA meeting. - HAINT — Jahmil Eady, 15 minutes. A Gullah Geechee handywoman must decide whether to help gentrifiers who are mysteriously dying after losing her own home. - Chisom Chieke earned a 57th NAACP Image Awards nomination for Outstanding Short Form (Live Action) for Food for the Soul. - Tamika Lamison won the 2025 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Short Form (Live Action) for Superman Doesn't Steal. - Lamison’s first screenplay, Jar by the Door, was a Sundance finalist and won the Gordon Parks Indie Film Award. - Lamison used the $10,000 prize to move to Los Angeles. - Marcellus Cox’s films have screened at more than 200 international film festivals and won more than 150 awards. - Jahmil Eady holds an MFA in Directing from UCLA and completed AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women Plus in 2025. - The showcase is part of AFM, which is produced by the Independent Film & Television Alliance and is considered the industry’s premier marketplace for acquiring, financing and distributing independent film and television. - The event is by invitation only, and each invitation admits the invitee plus one guest. - RSVP is required by 5 p.m. PST on Nov. 11 at rsvp@bherc.org. - Doors open at 2:45 p.m., and seating is first come, first served. - The event location is 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90067. - BHERC is a nonprofit public benefit organization founded by Sandra J. Evers-Manly to preserve and advance Black images in film and television. - BHERC also works through festivals, scholarships, education, competitions and special events to develop emerging talent. - The organization lists more information at BHERC’s website.

Between the lines: - BHERC is not just screening finished work. The organization is positioning emerging Black directors inside the commercial pipeline that determines whether projects get financed, sold and distributed. - The lineup mixes established festival recognition with newer voices, suggesting BHERC is using credibility to open doors for directors who may not yet have market access. - The event’s timing during AFM matters because it places the showcase in front of the exact audience that can turn short films into next-step opportunities.

What's next: - The showcase will take place Friday afternoon during AFM in Century City. - If the screening connects with buyers and financiers, the seven filmmakers could gain distribution, financing or development opportunities beyond the market. - BHERC is likely to keep using festivals and special events as a pipeline for emerging Black talent.

The bottom line: - BHERC is using AFM’s dealmaking power to give seven emerging Black filmmakers a visible shot at global industry attention.