The Journal · Vol. I

Press, recognition, and the long conversation around our films.

A film journal rather than a press room — selected critical coverage, festival notes, and editorial reflections for journalists, programmers, acquirers, and educators.

Vol.

Issue

Films Covered

Last Updated

Ongoing

Feature 01

2022

Directed by Aisha Ford

Brownies

She was told to follow. She decided to lead.

Editor's Note

Originally conceived as Aisha Ford's NYU thesis film and executive produced by Spike Lee and acclaimed author ZZ Packer, BROWNIES is an intimate coming-of-age drama exploring identity, leadership, self-determination, and the quiet acts of courage that shape a young girl into herself.

Selected Coverage

“A confident debut animated by tenderness and precision.”
— Reel Sisters
“Ford directs with the patience of a poet.”
— Diversity in Cannes

Honors

Best Director — Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival
Best Student Director — Diversity in Cannes
Best Ensemble Cast — Diversity in Cannes
Best Narrative Film — Barbados Independent Film Festival

Festival Circuit

Micheaux Film Festival · Coronado Island Film Festival · Arpa Film Festival

Full Press Archive ↗Film Page Request EPK

Feature 02

2022

Directed by Aisha Ford

Cherry Lemonade

Some summers stay with you.

Editor's Note

Selected by Tribeca and supported through Women in Media's Camaraderie Program, CHERRY LEMONADE is a luminous portrait of youth, resilience, and the everyday rituals of Black family and community life. With performances by Eris Baker (This Is Us) and Skylan Brooks (Empire, The Get Down), the film captures a single afternoon that holds an entire emotional architecture.

Selected Coverage

“A small film with the weight of a novel.”
— Tribeca Film Festival
“Aisha Ford is a generational voice.”
— Pan African Film Festival

Honors

Winner — 15 Short Film Festival

Festival Circuit

Tribeca Film Festival · Urbanworld Film Festival · Pan African Film Festival · Edmonton International Film Festival · Black Harvest Film Festival · HollyShorts Film Festival · …

Full Press Archive ↗Film Page Request EPK

Feature 03

2023

Directed by Gerardo Maravilla

Enséñame Como Morir

What we cannot say, the dead must teach us.

Editor's Note

A LALIFF Inclusion Fellowship project, ENSEÑAME COMO MORIR weaves magical realism and speculative drama into a luminous reckoning with mortality, family, and Mexican-American identity. Gerardo Maravilla directs with painterly restraint, locating the supernatural in the ordinary rooms where grief most often lives.

Selected Coverage

“An aching, beautiful invocation.”
— NYLFF
“Maravilla makes the spirit world feel like home.”
— Phoenix Film Festival

Honors

Winner — Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival

Festival Circuit

New York Latino Film Festival · Comic-Con International: San Diego · BOGOSHORTS · San Diego Latino Film Festival · Houston Latino Film Festival · Phoenix Film Festival · …

Film Page Request EPK