Black August Film Festival marks five years of storytelling with its biggest lineup yet – Local News Pasadena

Films about the Eaton Fire, Black Wall Street, and community resilience will screen across Los Angeles, Pasadena, and Altadena this August, as the festival founded to honor “resistance, education, sacrifice, and liberation” celebrates its fifth anniversary.

When Dennis Haywood launched the Black August Film Festival five years ago, the goal was simple: give independent filmmakers a platform and bring socially conscious films directly into the neighborhoods where their stories originate. This August, that idea returns for a fifth run, bigger than ever.

The 5th Annual Black August Film Festival (BAFF) takes place August 12–16, 2026, with more than 70 films from around the world, filmmaker discussions, community conversations, and an awards ceremony honoring outstanding achievement in independent filmmaking. Presented by the Pasadena African American Film Foundation (PAAFF), the festival has grown from a single gathering into a multi-venue event spanning Los Angeles, Pasadena, and Altadena.

“Black August has always represented resistance, education, sacrifice, and liberation,” said Haywood, the festival’s founder and director. “As we celebrate our fifth anniversary, we remain committed to giving independent filmmakers a platform while preserving stories that might otherwise never be told. This festival belongs to the community.”

That community focus shapes this year’s schedule. The festival opens August 12 at Lore Leimert Park in Los Angeles, moves to the Flintridge Center in Pasadena on August 15 for feature screenings, and closes August 16 with community screenings and the awards ceremony at Jazzy Jam for Empowerment’s Watercooler Room.

Among the festival’s featured presentations is Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Ondi Timoner’s documentary “All the Walls Came Down,” which examines the devastating Eaton Fire and the resilience of the Altadena community in its aftermath. The screening will be followed by a discussion on recovery efforts and the importance of preserving community history — a theme that runs throughout this year’s slate.

Other featured films include “Beneath the Ashes,” “Ker,” “The Legacy of Black Wall Street,” and “The Light We Carry: As Told by Altadena and Pasadena Legends.” Rounding out the program are dozens of short films, documentaries, narrative features, and international selections exploring history, culture, social justice, family, education, and resilience.

Over its first five years, BAFF has welcomed filmmakers from around the world and screened dozens of award-winning independent films, connecting audiences with artists committed to telling authentic stories. This year’s expansion was made possible through partnerships with a wide network of community organizations, including the Pasadena African American Film Foundation, Flintridge Center, Jazzy Jam for Empowerment, Eaton Fire Collaborative, Pasadena Media Foundation/Local News Pasadena, Project Passport, POP! Pasadena Organizing for Progress, My Tribe Rise, ALT SUB TV, and Lore Leimert Park.

The festival concludes Sunday, August 16, with the Black August Film Festival Awards Ceremony, recognizing excellence in documentary, narrative, historical storytelling, international filmmaking, and emerging filmmakers.

DEETS:

Dates: August 12–16, 2026

Locations: Lore Leimert Park (Los Angeles), Flintridge Center (Pasadena), and Jazzy Jam for Empowerment’s Watercooler Room  Black August Film Festival 

Pasadena African American Film Foundation, (626) 241-5714, or Email