![\"Panel](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Event_10092025_RA_OakParkBlackFilmFestival_ObserverFilm-01727.jpg\")
Panel moderator, producer, and director Williamena Kwapo, left, and director Louis Bryant III celebrate with Dr. Dawnt\u00e9 Early. Roberta Alvarado, OBSERVER\t\t\t<\/p>\nThe Oak Park Black Film Festival wasn\u2019t just about films. It was also about moments \u2014 moments that made the audience cry, reflect, and remember that Sacramento\u2019s Black storytellers are claiming space, one frame at a time.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s festival, held Oct. 7-12 at the Guild Theater, brought together a strong mix of local and national talent, with screenings that spanned from deeply personal documentaries to imaginative short films.<\/p>\n
I will admit that \u201cShe Runs the World,\u201d the feature documentary on Olympian Allyson Felix, moved me to tears. The film follows Felix\u2019s fight for maternal protections for women athletes after her sponsor, Nike, threatened to cut her pay during pregnancy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis story is not just about me,\u201d said Felix, appearing on a panel with Oak Park Black Film Festival founder Kevin Johnson. \u201cIt\u2019s about standing up for what is important, even if it costs you something. I wanted other women to realize that their courage can change an entire system.\u201d<\/p>\n
Between screenings, attendees connected at vibrant receptions across Oak Park, from Fixins Soul Kitchen to Oaxaca, where filmmakers shared stories behind their work. The week featured a rich mix of narratives, from \u201cLove Offside,\u201d a heartfelt feature about a physical therapist who risks her career to help a famous rugby player\u2019s recovery using a bold mix of Jamaican herbal remedies and modern therapy, to \u201cProceed and Be Bold!,\u201d a documentary on American visual artist Amos Kennedy Jr. that reminded audiences of the beauty in following one\u2019s calling.<\/p>\n
Panel moderator, producer, and director Williamena Kwapo, left, and director Louis Bryant III celebrate with Dr. Dawnt\u00e9 Early. Roberta Alvarado, OBSERVER\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Local filmmakers also were spotlighted. On Local Films Day, Stacie McClamm\u2019s \u201cMr. Advocate\u201d tackled the pressures of standardized testing through a teacher\u2019s fight to bring play back into the classroom, while Parneille Walker\u2019s \u201cLove Is Blind\u201d offered a comedic yet chaotic take on dating in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
Fran Guajarro\u2019s moving documentary \u201cMoses\u201d follows a man experiencing homelessness in San Francisco as he reclaims his dignity through human connection. Xavier Smalls\u2019 \u201cPicture Perfect\u201d explored the pain of love and betrayal through art, and \u201cHappy Birthday MikeMike\u201d by Mohammad Gorjestan and BJ McBride honored the late Michael Brown with a powerful portrait of remembrance and resilience.<\/p>\n
Rounding out the day, Alana Smith\u2019s \u201cWithered\u201d brought a supernatural twist to the lineup, blending memory, time, and survival into a story that lingered long after the credits.<\/p>\n
The OBSERVER premiered its documentary \u201cKnocking on Doors: Two Cities, Two Historic Campaigns,\u201d directed and produced by Louis Bryant III and Williamena Kwapo. The short documentary followed Dr. Dawnt\u00e9 Early and Dr. Flojaune Cofer as they ran for mayor in their respective cities, spotlighting the challenges and hopes of Black leadership in modern politics.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was an honor to capture such a historic moment in this region\u2019s history,\u201d Kwapo said. \u201cI hope this film serves as a reminder to future generations of Black women who aspire to run for office to have the courage to get out there and try.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bryant discussed the importance of preserving the Black community\u2019s history now more than ever.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have had a perspective shift recently. Instead of being just a storyteller, to be a memory preserver,\u201d Bryant said. \u201cWe wanted to be authentic with this film and document history being made here in Sacramento.\u201d<\/p>\n
Faye Wilson Kennedy, lead advocate for the Sacramento Poor People\u2019s campaign who is featured in the film, said she was excited to watch it for the first time.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was a little hesitant initially to be part of the film. However, once I conducted my research on things of the past and connected it to the present, I felt more confident,\u201d she said. \u201cWatching the film was exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Event_10092025_RA_OakParkBlackFilmFestival_ObserverFilm-01715.jpg\")
The OBSERVER\u2019s Williamena Kwapo leads a panel discussion with directors Terry Dawson (\u201cRewrite\u201d) and Louis Bryant III (\u201cKnocking on Doors: Two Cities, Two Historic Campaigns\u201d) at the Guild Theater on Oct. 8. Roberta Alvarado, OBSERVER<\/p>\n
Kennedy, who attended the first Oak Park film festival in 2022, said the festival gives Black people a crucial platform to share their stories.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to make sure this festival continues because it makes sure our stories are continually told,\u201d Kennedy said.<\/p>\n
As for me, \u201cKnocking on Doors\u201d left me inspired. \u201cThe Rewrite,\u201d a feature film directed by Terry Dawson, made me question my choices. It is the kind of film that forces you to pause and ask where your story is headed and if you are being true to yourself.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to make a film that is reflective of what many Black creatives in Hollywood go through as we struggle with gatekeepers to showcase our authenticity,\u201d Dawson said.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s clear that the Oak Park Black Film Festival has become more than an annual event; it\u2019s a movement. It\u2019s a celebration of resilience, creativity, and community that continues to grow each year. And with local filmmakers stepping up, and The OBSERVER proudly entering the documentary space, the future of Black storytelling in Sacramento looks brighter than ever.<\/p>\n
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