🎬 CALL FOR FILMS: 14th Annual I've Known Rivers Film Festival

This Year's Theme: Reconstruction, Da Souls of Blacks

For 14 years, the I've Known Rivers Film Festival has been a vital platform for independent filmmakers whose stories reflect the intersection of culture, activism, and resilience. This year, we're celebrating the transformative power of music and honoring the profound impact Black ingenuity has had in healing communities, preserving cultural legacies, and sparking social change.

Why Submit Your Film to IKRFF?

🎥 Platform & Recognition

• Showcase alongside the brightest emerging voices in filmmaking

• Past honorees include Judy Pace, Ben Caldwell, Bill Duke, and Dr. Julius Garvey

• Q&A opportunities with engaged Los Angeles audiences

• Historic connection to Leimert Park Black Arts Village

🤝 Mission-Driven Impact Every film screened directly supports FA-MLI's youth mentorship programs:

• See a Man Be a Man (100% graduation rate, 80% college enrollment)

• Princess 2 Queen Life Mastery/Mentoring

• Arts education and cultural preservation for vulnerable youth in South LA

🎭 Festival Experience

• Live performances and special presentations

• Networking with artists, activists, and cultural leaders

• Jury and audience awards

• Professional screening environment (digital file format)

Submission Categories

✅ Narrative Shorts (under 40 minutes)
✅ Documentary Shorts (under 40 minutes)
✅ Animation
✅ Experimental
✅ Genre Films (if unsure, select genre category)

Feature film submissions may be considered for special screening on a case-by-case basis

Key Eligibility Requirements

📌 Completion Date: Films completed after September 1, 2020
📌 Language: English or English subtitles required
📌 Format: Digital file for exhibition (we do NOT screen Blu-Ray, HD-CAM, or DCP)
📌 Premiere Status: LA-based films welcome; features must be at least LA premiere
📌 Online Availability: Shorts publicly available online may screen but are ineligible for jury awards

Special Consideration for LA Filmmakers:
Please note if your film was SHOT in Los Angeles or made by LA-based filmmakers—we want to ensure proper recognition of local talent.

What We're Looking For

Films that explore:

• The healing power of music and arts

• Stories of cultural reconstruction and resilience

• The African diaspora and global Black experience

• Community activism and social change

• Innovative storytelling that challenges perspectives

We champion thought-provoking documentaries, gripping narratives, captivating animations, and experimental works that push boundaries and ignite conversations.

Important Notes

✅ Entry fees are non-refundable and apply equally to all submissions (no fee waivers)
✅ We do not invite films—only submitted films are considered
✅ Films must be available for screening December 14, 2025
✅ Winners announced January 3, 2026
✅ No cash prizes awarded

Submit Now via FilmFreeway

🔗 I've Known Rivers Film Festival on FilmFreeway

📍 Strategies and Soul | 3546 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90008

Questions?

📧 [email protected]
📞 (323) 245-2133
🌐 www.famlisoul.org

The I've Known Rivers Film Festival is presented by FA-MLI, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1992 by Torrence Brannon-Reese.

#IKRFF2025 #MusicSavedMyLife #BlackCinema #IndependentFilm #LosAngeles #SubmitYourFilm #FilmFestival #CulturalRenaissance