Don't Get Trouble in Your Mind: The Carolina Chocolate Drops' Story

One of the most important Kentuckians of the 20th century, Harry Caudill brought the story of Appalachia to national attention when his book “Night Comes to the Cumberlands” was released in 1963. The nonfiction account of Eastern Kentucky’s coal region, part history and part polemic, eloquently recounted the exploitation of Appalachia’s land and its people by business and government interests, and made Caudill a national spokesperson for his homeland. Harry Caudill spent his life advocating for Eastern Kentucky, with the aim of helping the powerless as well as securing the region’s unmatched natural resources for future generations. His work led to lasting government reforms for Appalachia, and his legacy remains a touchstone for activists today.

Black women had extremely limited options during Jim Crow. Odessa’s story explores how an African American woman born in a time with limited options leveraged her incredible mind and quick wit to become wealthier than she ever should have been able to This film takes a look at choices that were made, a wild ride Odessa had as an underworld queen, and consequences from her choices Odessa Madre’s life was a mix of resilience and bookend by the vicissitudes of luck, a contrast of economic success within

No other place in the world has a romance with American bluegrass like the Czech Republic. Banjo Romantika introduces the musicians who play this unique bluegrass hybrid. Czechs first heard bluegrass during World War II when the Armed Forces Network broadcast American music for soldiers. The music represented freedom to dissatisfied Czechs living in a communist state. Czechs' love for the music was solidified when Pete Seeger visited and performed in 1964. Inspired by classic American bluegrass sounds, an assortment of musicians from across the formerly communist Czech Republic have melded the past, the political and the present into a lively musical tradition entirely its own.

The Fillmore was once a thriving, vibrant, and multicultural community with one of the most prominent jazz scenes on the West Coast and hundreds of black-owned businesses. The neighborhood’s prosperity quickly came to an end as urban redevelopment tore through neighborhoods, pushing thousands of families and businesses out of the area. Despite this, hundreds of community activists today worked tirelessly to help reclaim the “Harlem of the West.”

A documentary that examines the cultural stereotype of the people of Appalachia and how that has affected America's relationship with its rural communities.

John Henrik Clarke talks about Black history.

Black Pioneers of the Sunshine City is a documentary that chronicles the history of African American struggles and successes in St Petersburg, Florida. This historical documentary will tell the stories of Black men and women, whose activism contributed to our beloved community that we all know today.

Seville, Spain, 14th century. A group of black slaves brought from Africa form the Hermandad de los Negros, a Holy Week brotherhood that has survived over the centuries, despite the opposition of the powerful; still active, it is one of the oldest institutions in Europe.

Filmed on location in seven different states during 1980-1981, America’s most loved and original music genre is the subject of “That’s Bluegrass”. This care-free, fast-moving documentary lovingly examines our home-grown musical heritage from the simple front porch fiddler to famous Nashville recording stars, listening in as accomplished amateurs do some “pickin and grinning” at outdoor festivals and play songs handed down from generation to generation.

Citizen Film collaborated with the African American Cultural and Historical Society to produce an initial short film on African American migration, which was screened at African American Art & Culture Complex and other cultural venues around the city during Black History Month, February 2019. This first iteration of the migration stories will pave the way for Citizen Film’s collaborative process with the historical society to include a chorus of voices documenting personal and social histories.

Explore the complicated history of African Americans’ place in San Francisco politics in African Americans and The Vote – a collaboration between Citizen Film and the San Francisco African American Historical and Cultural Society. African Americans and the Vote features San Francisco’s first Black mayor, Willie Brown and members of the next generation of leadership. Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema will be screening African Americans and the Vote virtually Tuesday, October 27 as a part of their “Best of Bernal” live streaming event!

The Rev. Jeff Mosier (Blueground Undergrass) was contracted by Phish in the Fall of 1994, to help them learn Bluegrass. They flew him to Michigan and Mike Gordon picked him up in a limo, and they had their first lesson on 11/14/1994, same night as Grand Rapids.