About The Festival
The Calgary Black Film Festival is dedicated to giving unique voices in cinema the opportunity to present audiences with new ways of looking at the world. CBFF’s ambition is to encourage the development of the independent film industry and to promote more films on the reality of Black people from around the Globe.
22-26 May 2026 Calgary, CA
Festival Schedule
Opening Film : Pasa Faho
A struggling shoe salesman and his 12 year old son must rekindle their estranged identities or risk losing everything.
Narrative Short Film Series
Of Mud And Blood
Of Blood and Mud documents the everyday existence of the inhabitants of the coltan mining village of Numbi in the Congo DRC, revealing the hardships and trials of a story from which we must not look away.
CBFF 2026 Being Black in Canada (In Theatre)
Narrative Short Film Series
Muganga, celui qui soigne (Muganga: The One Who Treats)
In Congo, Dr. Denis Mukwege, futur Nobel Peace Prize, risks his life to heal survivors of sexual violence.
Pasa Faho
A struggling shoe salesman and his 12 year old son must rekindle their estranged identities or risk losing everything.
CBFF 2026 Being Black in Canada
Canadian Spotlight
Narrative Short Film Series
Muganga, celui qui soigne (Muganga: The One Who Treats)
In Congo, Dr. Denis Mukwege, futur Nobel Peace Prize, risks his life to heal survivors of sexual violence.
Pasa Faho
A struggling shoe salesman and his 12 year old son must rekindle their estranged identities or risk losing everything.
CBFF 2026 Being Black in Canada
Canadian Spotlight
Narrative Short Film Series
Muganga, celui qui soigne (Muganga: The One Who Treats)
In Congo, Dr. Denis Mukwege, futur Nobel Peace Prize, risks his life to heal survivors of sexual violence.
Pasa Faho
A struggling shoe salesman and his 12 year old son must rekindle their estranged identities or risk losing everything.
CBFF 2026 Being Black in Canada
Canadian Spotlight
Black Market
WORKSHOP: The Self-Tape Advantage Sharpen Your At Home Auditions (FREE ONLINE)
Description In the ever-evolving casting landscape, self-tapes have become an essential tool for actors to showcase their talents without the constraints of [...]
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Is Enough Being Done to Boost Representation in the Entertainment Industry (FREE IN PERSON)
Description Array Crew, an initiative created by Ava DuVernay to help boost representation in below-the-line roles in Canada and the U.S, is [...]
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Spotlight Stories: Film Industry Q&A Series (FREE IN PERSON)
Description Join us as we feature a diverse lineup of directors, producers, writers, and industry innovators who share their journeys, insights, and [...]
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WORKSHOP – Exploring Animation As Another Tool for Filmmaking (FREE IN PERSON)
Description Dive into the captivating world of animation in this hands-on workshop designed to empower participants to tell their own stories through [...]
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Being Black In Canada
Porridge with love (In Theatre & Online)
In Ethiopia and Eritrea, women gather to prepare genfo (traditional porridge) to bless expectant mothers. For 40 days after birth, the community cooks, cleans, and cares for mother and baby. Adanech Sahilie continues this tradition in Calgary, supporting pregnant newcomers through her program, Porridge with Love, with nourishment, dignity, and community care.
Japa (In Theatre & Online)
Co-presented by Storyline When two young Nigerians leave home to settle in Toronto, Canada, hoping to build a better life, they face [...]
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Rhino: Diary of a Krumper (In Theatre & Online)
Co-presented by Storyline “Rhino” traces a Black man’s journey through Krump as he moves between vulnerability and strength in his Toronto hometown. [...]
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Streetnames (In Theatre & Online)
“Streetnames” explores how naming shapes memory and power in Toronto. Centered on the transformation of Yonge-Dundas Square into Sankofa Square, the film reflects on how public space reveals whose histories are preserved, contested, or forgotten.
Kings to Strangers: The Climb Back (In Theatre & Online)
Co-presented by Storyline “Kings to Strangers: The Climb Back” follows immigrants in Canada as they navigate loss of status, identity, and certainty. [...]
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Straight Out of Africa (In Theatre & Online)
Co-presented by Storyline When a young African woman lands in Toronto, she expects only to be seen as Black. What she doesn’t [...]
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My True Love’s Skin (In Theatre & Online)
Co-presented by Storyline A documentary connecting diverse experiences of Canadian Black women, bringing intimate conversations about identity, social issues, and the complexities [...]
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Taking Up Space (In Theatre & Online)
Co-presented by Storyline Up-and-coming improvisers Alex, Frankie and Felix form a BPOC (Black and People of Colour) comedy group called the "Diversity [...]
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