Yahoo News Urbanworld Film Festival Releases 2023 Slate, Features Event with ‘The Marvels’ Director Nia DaCosta (EXCLUSIVE)
The Urbanworld Film Festival, based in New York City, has released its 2023 slate of screenings and presentations.
With HBO and WBD as Founding Partner and Prestige Partner, respectively, the 27th annual festival will take place from Nov. 1 to Nov. 5 at AMC 34th Street and the SVA Theater in New York. More than 100 films are on the screenings schedule, including Prime Video documentary feature “Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story” and the short film “Flower” starring Misty Copeland. Rounding out those screenings is the digital world premiere of hip hop group Wu Tang’s concert performance “A Wu-Tang Experience: Live at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.”
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“The Marvels” and “Candyman” writer and director Nia DaCosta will participate in a “clips and conversation” event about her work. Additionally, the HBO documentary feature “Stand Up & Shout: Songs from a Philly High School,” executive produced by John Legend, is set up as one of the festival’s special events.
In other highlights, Disney+ will reveal six shorts created through their Disney+ Launchpad incubator program, which works with emerging filmmakers from underrepresented backgrounds. Paramount+’s upcoming series “Lawmen: Bass Reeves,” executive produced by David Oyelowo and Taylor Sheridan, will also appear as a spotlight presentation. National Geographic Documentary Films is also going to host a youth screening of “The Space Race,” directed by Diego Hurtado de Mendoza and Lisa Cortés.
Urbanworld will also showcase the work of several alums, such as “To Live and Die and Live,” directed by Qasim Basir and starring Amin Joseph and Omari Hardwick; “Young. Wild. Free.”, directed by Thembi Banks and starring Sanaa Lathan and Mike Epps; and “Sira,” directed by Apolline Traoré.
“For close to 30 years, Urbanworld has remained true to its mission of providing a platform for historically excluded filmmakers to tell their stories,” said Karen McMullen, Urbanworld festival director and head of programming. “We are excited and fortunate to be able to continue the tradition of highlighting the work of emerging and established talent in film and television.”
Tickets for the festival can be purchased at urbanworld.org.
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