The 15th annual BlackStar Film Festival brought thousands of attendees together in Philadelphia for four days of boundary-pushing cinema, lively conversations and community gatherings, culminating in jury and audience awards honoring standout films from the 2026 program.

Beyond the screenings, the 2026 BlackStar Film Festival offers four days of conversations, live events, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels, community gatherings and special programs that deepen engagement with the artists and ideas shaping contemporary cinema.

Two films rooted in histories of resistance, memory and collective identity will bookend this year's BlackStar Film Festival.

BlackStar Film Festival returns with 91 films from more than 30 countries, alongside conversations, performances and community gatherings throughout Philadelphia.

Developed in collaboration with creative agency Pacific, BlackStar’s new visual identity brings greater cohesion across the organization’s year-round programs while reflecting the experimentation, rigor and care that have defined its work over the past fifteen years.

Seen 010 marks a milestone moment for BlackStar, celebrating both the journal’s tenth issue and fifteen years of the BlackStar Film Festival.