Black Film Fest Showcases Kansas City Stories Through Film

Kansas City PBS will spotlight local Black filmmakers during the Reel Black Film Fest, a community-centered celebration of Black storytelling and cinema taking place Saturday, Feb. 21, at the Gem Theater in the historic 18th & Vine Jazz District. Admission to Saturday’s screenings is free and open to the public.

Doors and vendor areas open at 1:30 p.m., with films beginning at 3 p.m. The festival highlights Kansas City–based filmmakers whose work explores Black history, resilience, and legacy through a deeply local lens.

The afternoon opens at 3 p.m. with Land of Opportunity: The Road of Resistance, directed by Nico Giles Wiggins. Inspired by Richard Rothstein’s The Color of Law, the documentary examines the construction of U.S. Highway 71 and how urban renewal policies displaced more than 10,000 families, permanently reshaping Kansas City’s historic Black neighborhoods.

At 4:30 p.m., audiences will see The Potato King: A Dynasty Built on Dirt and Dreams, directed by Jacob Handy. Told through the perspective of local farmer Mike B. Rollen, the film chronicles the life of Junius Groves, a formerly enslaved man who became one of the wealthiest Black farmers of his time through innovation, land ownership, and perseverance.

Following an intermission at 5:40 p.m., the final screening begins at 6 p.m. with Diamond Jubilee: A 75-Year Celebration of Carter Broadcast, directed by Kerry Rounds. The film honors KPRS, founded in 1950 by Andrew “Skip” Carter as the nation’s first Black-owned radio station west of the Mississippi River, and its lasting influence on Black media and culture in Kansas City.

Additional free events surround the festival. Reel Black on Tap takes place Friday, Feb. 20, from 8 to 10 p.m. at Vine Street Brewing Co., offering a casual after-party to kick off the weekend. The celebration concludes with a free closing reception on Saturday, Feb. 21, from 7 to 10 p.m. at the American Jazz Museum, featuring award presentations, filmmaker mingling, and light bites.

The events are free but you must RSVP to get your ticket.  Go to Eventbrite of go to:  bit.ly/4ts59TE

Editor’s note: The Reel Black Film Fest was originally promoted as a two-day festival. However, no public listing of film screenings scheduled for Friday was available at the time of publication.