Black Film Festival

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A close-up of Rafael Ragland.

Rafael Ragland

For this year’s Black Film Festival, the Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development is collaborating with Madison Public Library to present nine films and a pair of related events. The fest kicks off with a screening of Decade of Discontent, a 2013 documentary by Madison filmmaker and author Charles Taylor about the fight for civil rights in Milwaukee in the 1960s, followed by a panel discussion (5:30 p.m., Nov. 12, Fountain of Life). Screenings continue on Nov. 13 at Pinney Library and Nov. 14 at Sequoya Library; Nov. 15 at Central Library features two recent offerings by Madison filmmaker Rafael Ragland, The Comforter (11:30 a.m.) and Echoes of Freedom (2 p.m.), both followed by a talkback with Ragland, plus the new documentary The Great American Game (4:30 p.m.) and a closing party (7 p.m.) with music by the New Gen Collective. Find the full schedule below, and tickets, see bit.ly/madblackfilmfest.

media release: The Black Film Festival, created by the Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development, will be hosted within Madison Public Library locations for the first time this fall. From November 13-15, Madison residents can visit select library locations to enjoy film screenings and discussions that explore the impact and art of Black filmmaking.

“This year’s fest is the most collaborative event I have ever coordinated. We are working with a co-curator, live local performing artists, a Madison filmmaker, and a notable online black creator who is showing his new documentary at our events,” said Siobhan Jackson, director of adult education at the Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development and the lead curator for the Black Film Festival for the past several years.

Each day of the festival takes place at a different library location and is centered around a loose theme:

• Thursday, November 13 – Pinney Library (Arts & Culture Day)
• Friday, November 14 – Sequoya Library (Family Day)
• Saturday, November 15 – Central Library (Filmmaker Day)

In addition to the films shown at area libraries, there will be a special opening event held at the Fountain of Life Church (633 West Badger Road) on Wednesday, November 12 when the film Decade of Discontent will be shown. The film documents the civil rights struggles of the 1960s in Milwaukee and a panel discussion will follow the screening featuring:

• Retired civil rights attorney Thomas Jacobson, who defended Milwaukee civil rights icon Father Groppi and comedian-activist Dick Greggory
• Dr. Christy Clark-Pujara, UW-Madison department chair of African American Studies
• Prof. Alexander Shashko, UW-Madison lecturer of African American Studies

The festival has been curated by staff at Nehemiah and the library to include a selection of films, documentaries, video essays, and more from national and regional voices, as well as those closer to home. Some highlights include Mufasa (2024), Fresh Dressed (2015), American Rapstar (2020), and The Great American Game (2025).

One Madison filmmaker, Rafael Ragland, will have two of his films featured on the final day of the festival at Central Library. A native of Chicago, Ragland moved to Madison in 1991 and studied film at the Madison Institute of Media in 2008 where he earned an associate's degree. He’s worked in the industry since 2010, doing everything from writing and editing to directing and acting. Ragland has written and directed three stage plays, five web series, and more than 20 movies, working with individuals such as Tyler Perry, Spike Lee, Steven Spielberg, Ice Cube, and Cynda Williams. He will present his latest films, The Comforter (2025) and Echoes of Freedom (2025) at Central Library on Saturday, November 15 and offer a brief talkback following each screening, as well.

The other special event is the wrap party at 7pm on Saturday, November 15 featuring a musical performance by the artists of the New Gen Collective, a group led by Madison’s 2024-2025 Youth Poet Laureate Justin Festge Russell aka Jexizis. This event is an opportunity for all featured filmmakers, festival organizers, and attendees to come together for a casual evening of food and fun post-event.

All events are free and open to the public, but registration for individual screenings is requested. Learn more and register for tickets on Nehemiah's website.

The Black Film Festival is made possible thanks to generous support from the Madison Public Library Foundation.

Festival Schedule

Wednesday, Nov. 12 - Fountain of Life Covenant Church

Decade of Discontent (2013) - 5:30pm

A Panel Discussion with Attorney Tom Jacobson (Civil Rights Lawyer), professor Alexander Shashko & Dr. Christy Clark-Pujara  - 6:45pm

On Thursday, November 13, join us at Pinney Library to enjoy the following films:

• 4:30pm – Fresh Dressed (2015) - Chronicles the history of Hip-Hop Urban fashion and its rise from southern cotton plantations to the gangs of 1970s in the South Bronx, to corporate America, and everywhere in-between.
• 6:30pm – American Rapstar (2020) - A new breed of young rappers use the SoundCloud streaming platform to engage with a rabid fan base, becoming the most culturally disruptive force in hip-hop, shocking the world and unsettling the music industry.

On Friday, November 14, join us at Sequoya Library to enjoy the following films:

• 1pm – Miss Juneteenth (2020) - A former beauty queen and single mom prepares her rebellious teenage daughter for the "Miss Juneteenth" pageant.
• 3pm - Death to Black Love (2022) - In this video essay, F.D Signafier examines the dangers and problems in accepting the conceptual framework of "Black Love" by speaking with various black couples about their experiences with love, as well as looking at TV shows and other numerous pop culture happenings, with an intended goal of killing our concept of black love goals.
• 5pm - Mufasa (2024) - Lost and alone, a cub meets a sympathetic lion named Taka, the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of a group of misfits searching for their destiny.

On Saturday, November 15, join us at Central Library to enjoy the following films

• 11:30am – The Comforter (2025) - Directed and presented by Rafael Ragland. A brief talkback will follow the screening.
• 2pm - Echoes of Freedom (2025) - Directed and presented by Rafael Ragland.  A brief talkback will follow the screening.
• 4:30pm - The Great American Game (2025) - A documentary directed by DonnellWrites (Donnell McLachlan), featuring interviews with special guests, such as activist and author Kimberly Jones, author and performer Joél Leon, law professor Ra'Shya Ghee, and Deante Kyle of the ‪Grits and Eggs Podcast...and more!  A brief talkback will follow the screening.
• 7pm - Wrap-Up Party - After the final screening and talkback, a Wrap-Up Party will take place in the Madison Room on the third floor of Central Library featuring the young artists of the New Gen Collective, a group led by Madison’s 2024-2025 Youth Poet Laureate Justin Festge Russell aka Jexizis. Refreshments will be provided.

All events are free and open to the public, but registration for individual screenings is requested. Learn more and register for tickets on Nehemiah's website.

About Madison Public Library

With more than 1.3 million annual visitors across nine library locations each year, Madison Public Library’s tradition of promoting education, literacy and community involvement has enriched the City of Madison for 150 years. Visit the library online at www.madisonpubliclibrary.org and @madisonpubliclibrary on Facebook and Instagram.

About Nehemiah

Nehemiah’s mission is to Empower the Black Community, Create New Systems, and Transform the Face of Leadership. Nehemiah’s programs focus on leadership development; programs cultivate and empower Black leaders in our youth programs, our training for existing and emergent professional and community members and citizens returning from incarceration in our reentry programs. We educate and catalyze action from our non-Black allies through our adult education programs (e.g. Black History for a New Day.)