Rentals
Black Star
The UK’s biggest ever celebration of black screen talent, shining a spotlight on the charisma and creativity of trailblazing performers.
There is not one single story of black stardom, but myriad. So our BFI Player programme highlights the leading men and women who’ve redefined Hollywood stardom, plus the British stars who’ve made a sizable stateside impression. We also include focuses on Richard Pryor, stars of Sonic cinema and the pioneering talents who forged new developments in black representation.

Miss JuneteenthMiss Juneteenth
Drama2020100 minsDirector: Channing Godfrey Peoples
A soulful and uplifting drama of mother-daughter bonds and deferred dreams.

Dear White PeopleDear White People
Comedy2014108 minsDirector: Justin Simien
The diversification of an all-black residence hall forces a group of African-American university students to take a stand on their own cultural beliefs and identities.

I Am Not Your NegroI Am Not Your Negro
Documentary201694 minsDirector: Raoul Peck
Raoul Peck’s penetrating and acclaimed documentary reconstructs an unfinished manuscript by James Baldwin, chronicler of America’s Civil Rights Movement.

BillieBillie
Documentary201998 minsDirector: James Erskine
Part film-noir, part tragedy, this mesmerising documentary uncovers the true life of the legendary Billie Holiday.

Recorder: The Marion Stokes ProjectRecorder: The Marion Stokes Project
Documentary201888 minsDirector: Matt Wolf
The taped crusader: VHS nerds, media scholars and archive enthusiasts will appreciate this documentary about the African-American activist who recorded 30 years of TV news.

One Man and His ShoesOne Man and His Shoes
Documentary202083 minsDirector: Yemi Bamiro
South Londoner Yemi Bamiro’s pacey, engrossing Michael Jordan documentary reveals the darker side of marketing trainers.

RafikiRafiki
Drama201883 minsDirector: Wanuri Kahiu
Romantic sparks fly between the daughters of two opposing politicians in Wanuri Kahiu’s neon-bright story of forbidden love in Kenya.

PrematurePremature
Drama201990 minsDirector: Rashaad Ernesto Green
Budding writer Ayanna’s life is transformed over the course of one hot Harlem summer, when a handsome and mysterious stranger walks into her life.

BlindspottingBlindspotting
Comedy201895 minsDirector: Carlos López Estrada
While on probation, a man begins to re-evaluate his relationship with his volatile best friend, in this electrifying Sundance hit.

DetroitDetroit
Drama2017143 minsDirector: Kathryn Bigelow
John Boyega excels as the security guard caught up in a violent conflagration during the riots of 1967, in Kathryn Bigelow's blistering thriller.

Monsters and MenMonsters and Men
Drama201896 minsDirector: Reinaldo Marcus Green
Unravelling the aftermath of a police killing of a black man - and how it affects the lives of three separate individuals. With John David Washington (BlacKkKlansman).

YardieYardie
Crime2018102 minsDirector: Idris Elba
In his thrilling directorial debut, Idris Elba brings to life Victor Headley’s cult crime novel.

Matangi/Maya/M.I.A.Matangi/Maya/M.I.A.
Documentary201896 minsDirector: Steve Loveridge
Fascinating delve into the career, personality and politics of award-winning musician M.I.A.

Sorry to Bother YouSorry to Bother You
Comedy2018111 minsDirector: Boots Riley
A mild-mannered call centre operator whizzes up the corporate ladder after he discovers a unique ability to adopt a "white voice" in writer-director Boots Riley's breathlessly inventive satire.

Grace Jones: Bloodlight and BamiGrace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami
Documentary2017115 minsDirector: Sophie Fiennes
Grace Jones is laid bare in this intimate and electrifying insight into the fascinating world of a pop-cultural phenomenon.

BrotherhoodBrotherhood
Crime2016104 minsDirector: Noel Clarke
A decade after the release of Adulthood, Sam (Noel Clarke) is trying to keep his family safe while simmering old grudges threaten to resurface.

KidulthoodKidulthood
Drama200591 minsDirector: Menhaj Huda
Noel Clarke and Menhaj Huda’s explosive youth film follows the drug, sex and crime-fuelled antics of a group of West London teens over the course of a single day.

AdulthoodAdulthood
Drama200899 minsDirector: Noel Clarke
After being released from prison following a murder charge, Sam Peel (Noel Clarke) attempts to reboot his life and seek redemption.

12 Years a Slave12 Years a Slave
Biopic2013134 minsDirector: Steve McQueen
Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender star in Steve McQueen’s fearless, Oscar-winning story of a free man who’s sold into slavery.

Triple 9Triple 9
Crime2015115 minsDirector: John Hillcoat
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Casey Affleck, Kate Winslet and Woody Harrelson make up the heavyweight cast for John Hillcoat’s (The Proposition) stunning heist thriller.

Half of a Yellow SunHalf of a Yellow Sun
Drama2012111 minsDirector: Biyi Bandele-Thomas
Thandie Newton and Chiwetel Ejiofor star in the acclaimed adaption of the Orange Prize-winning novel.

The Day Shall ComeThe Day Shall Come
Comedy201888 minsDirector: Christopher Morris
An impoverished Miami preacher is lured into terrorism by the FBI, in the latest explosive satire from comedy genius Chris Morris.

Beasts of the Southern WildBeasts of the Southern Wild
Drama201293 minsDirector: Benh Zeitlin
Set in a Deep South delta, Zeitlin’s feature debut takes a child’s eye view of poverty, adult apathy and ecological crisis. Hallucinatory fare

Night Comes OnNight Comes On
Drama201887 minsDirector: Jordana Spiro
After being released from prison, a young African American woman goes in search of her father.

Malcolm XMalcolm X
Biopic1992202 minsDirector: Spike Lee
Denzel Washington takes the lead in one of the great screen biopics, directed by Spike Lee.

Do the Right ThingDo the Right Thing
Comedy1989120 minsDirector: Spike Lee
Spike Lee’s awesome cinematic sucker-punch remains one of the great films about race relations.

Chi-RaqChi-Raq
Musical2015127 minsDirector: Spike Lee
Spike Lee’s bold and vivacious hip-hop musical restages an ancient Greek battle-of-the-sexes in 21st-century Chicago.

RayRay
Biopic2004152 minsDirector: Taylor Hackford
Jamie Foxx won an Oscar for his extraordinary performance as Ray Charles, in a film that revived the potency of the musical biopic.

WhitneyWhitney
Documentary2018120 minsDirector: Kevin Macdonald
Stunning revelations and captivating reminiscences paint a picture of the extraordinary life of singer Whitney Houston, in this in-depth portrait by acclaimed filmmaker Kevin MacDonald (Touching the Void, Marley).

Whitney: Can I Be MeWhitney: Can I Be Me
Documentary2017101 minsDirector: Nick Broomfield
Documentary titan Nick Broomfield turns his gaze to the troubled pop star whose sensational voice masked an inner identity crisis.

MoonlightMoonlight
Drama2016111 minsDirector: Barry Jenkins
Winner of the 2017 Oscar for Best Picture (eventually!), Barry Jenkins’ intoxicating drama follows the furtive life of a gay black boy through 80s Miami.

Green BookGreen Book
Drama2018130 minsDirector: Peter Farrelly
Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen star in the triple Oscar®-winning comic roadmovie, about the unlikely friendship between an acclaimed pianist and his bouncer.

If Beale Street Could TalkIf Beale Street Could Talk
Drama2018119 minsDirector: Barry Jenkins
Barry Jenkins follows his Oscar®-winning Moonlight with an audacious, distinctive and assured adaptation of James Baldwin’s account of love, injustice and racism in America.

20 Feet from Stardom20 Feet from Stardom
Documentary201387 minsDirector: Morgan Neville
This moving documentary shines a spotlight on the backing singers behind some of the great musical hits of the 21st century.

Minding the GapMinding the Gap
Documentary201894 minsDirector: Bing Liu
Three young men bond together to escape volatile families in their Rust Belt hometown. As they face adult responsibilities, unexpected revelations threaten their decade-long friendship.

The Rape of Recy TaylorThe Rape of Recy Taylor
Documentary201791 minsDirector: Nancy Buirski
Nancy Buirski's vital documentary revisits an unjustly forgotten chapter of American history; the story of an immensely brave woman who refused to be silenced.

The Glass ShieldThe Glass Shield
Drama1994110 minsDirector: Charles Burnett
The first black recruit in his squad, rookie cop J.J. Johnson (Michael Boatman) struggles to adapt to life on the force, in this thrilling drama from acclaimed director Charles Burnett (Killer of Sheep).

TrespassTrespass
Crime1992101 minsDirector: Walter Hill
Rap legends Ice Cube and Ice-T share a screen for the first time as gang members facing off against firemen hunting for a stash of gold.

Gridlock'dGridlock'd
Drama199691 minsDirector: Vondie Curtis Hall
Tupac Shakur’s penultimate film is his most impressive; a darkly humorous drama in which he takes a daring role as a heroin addict.

Set It OffSet It Off
Crime19960 minsDirector: F. Gary Gray
A tight-knit group of friends decide to rob banks in this unapologetically subversive display of black female agency.

Midnight BreaksMidnight Breaks
1988113 minsDirector: Laurens C. Postma
Big Audio Dynamite’s Don Letts made his acting debut in this gripping, gritty 1990 drama of dreads, drugs, and music business corruption.

Deliver Us from EvaDeliver Us from Eva
Comedy2003105 minsDirector: Gary Hardwick
LL Cool J plays the ultimate player, hired to seduce the sister-in-law from hell.

Eve's BayouEve's Bayou
Drama1997115 minsDirector: Kasi Lemmons
Samuel L. Jackson stars in this seething slice of Southern Gothic, about the travails of a Louisiana family bedevilled by infidelity, incest and witchcraft.

Pulp FictionPulp Fiction
Crime1994154 minsDirector: Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino’s crackling crime classic still retains its swagger as one of the great American films of recent decades.

A Screaming ManA Screaming Man
Drama201087 minsDirector: Mahamat-Saleh Haroun
Haroun's tale of tension between a father and son working at a hotel pool in war-torn Chad has the emotional power and stark inexorability of tragedy

Something NewSomething New
2006100 minsDirector: Sanaa Hamri
A high-flying black professional finally finds the man of her dreams, only for her family to disapprove because he’s a white guy.

Daddy's Little GirlsDaddy's Little Girls
200796 minsDirector: Tyler Perry
Idris Elba’s kickstarted his Hollywood film career as a mechanic trying to win back his kids’ custody, in this melodrama from black auteur Tyler Perry.

The Best ManThe Best Man
Comedy1999120 minsDirector: Malcolm D. Lee
Malcolm D. Lee set the standard for middle-class black comedy with this smart, chic feature about a best man whose indiscreet novel scuppers the wedding plans.

Daughters of the DustDaughters of the Dust
Drama1991112 minsDirector: Julie Dash
Julie Dash’s groundbreaking Daughters of the Dust remains urgent and poetic and continues to resonate, most recently inspiring Beyoncé’s Lemonade.

BlackBlack
Drama201590 minsDirector: Bilall Fallah
Star-crossed lovers from rival street gangs conduct an illicit affair in this pulsating urban romance.

The TransfigurationThe Transfiguration
Horror201697 minsDirector: Michael O’Shea
Milo isn't your usual introverted, strange teenager; he also believes he's a vampire. Michael O'Shea's dark drama presents a transgressive twist on the teen vampire tale.

Southside with YouSouthside with You
Biopic201684 minsDirector: Richard Tanne
This smart, sophisticated, Sundance-nominated romance follows the first date of a couple who would go on to change the world – Barack and Michelle Obama.

Urban HymnUrban Hymn
Drama2015114 minsDirector: Michael Caton-Jones
In the wake of the London riots, teenager Jamie (Letitia Wright) finds herself at a crossroads; until music offers an unexpected path to salvation.

The WeekendThe Weekend
Comedy201694 minsDirector: Sheridan De Myers
Street-smart Hackney comedy about three friends whose unexpected cash windfall funds the mother of all parties; from the talents behind YouTube hit Mandem on the Wall.

Dreams of a LifeDreams of a Life
Documentary201191 minsDirector: Carol Morley
Carol Morley's drama-documentary investigates the tragic death of a woman whose body lay undetected for almost three years.

A United KingdomA United Kingdom
Drama2016111 minsDirector: Amma Asante
Amma Assante (Belle) directs this impassioned drama starring David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike depicting an interracial romance that changed the world.

SelmaSelma
Biopic2014128 minsDirector: Ava DuVernay
David Oyelowo’s stunning performance as Martin Luther King Jr. adorns this gripping account of the campaign that changed the course of American civil rights.

RaceRace
Biopic2016135 minsDirector: Stephen Hopkins
The remarkable story of Jesse Owens, the grandson of a slave whose athletic feats defied Nazi ideology at the 1936 Olympics.

Sweet CountrySweet Country
Period drama2017113 minsDirector: Warwick Thornton
Australian director Warwick Thornton (Samson and Delilah) brings a vital Indigenous perspective and great cinematic vision to this powerful, revisionist Western, with Sam Neill and Bryan Brown.

For Colored GirlsFor Colored Girls
Drama2010134 minsDirector: Tyler Perry
An ensemble cast including Janet Jackson and Whoopi Goldberg bring to life Ntozake Shange's extraordinary 1975 play about the experiences of black women.

The FitsThe Fits
Drama201572 minsDirector: Anna Rose Holmer
Toni, an eleven year-old tomboy, finds a new purpose when an epidemic of seizures strikes her dance class, in this riveting and psychological character portrait from filmmaker Anna Rose Holmer.

Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel BasquiatBoom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat
Documentary201775 minsDirector: Sara Driver
The story of how one of the 20th century's most important artists emerged from the post-punk, b-boy and graffiti scenes of late '70s New York.

Playing AwayPlaying Away
Sport1986102 minsDirector: Horace Ové
A cricketing comedy of manners exploring white and black stereotypes, from pioneering British filmmaker Horace Ové.

Se7enSe7en
Crime1995127 minsDirector: David Fincher
David Fincher's breakthrough film is a disturbing and visceral thriller starring Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt as detectives hunting down a meticulous serial killer.

PiliPili
Drama201881 minsDirector: Leanne Welham
An HIV+ mother has a chance to turn her life around when she's offered a market stall, in Leanne Welham's extraordinary drama.

Menace II SocietyMenace II Society
Drama199397 minsDirector: Albert Hughes
The Hughes brothers' lean, powerful and unflinching look at the mean streets of the urban ghetto.

Attack the BlockAttack the Block
Crime201188 minsDirector: Joe Cornish
Aliens wage war on a tower block after one of their number is bludgeoned by a street gang in this witty, action-packed feature debut by Joe Cornish.

BlacKkKlansmanBlacKkKlansman
Drama2018135 minsDirector: Spike Lee
Spike Lee's stunning crime drama tells the stranger-than-fiction true story of an African-American police officer who infiltrated the KKK in the 1970s.

Fast GirlsFast Girls
Sport201291 minsDirector: Regan Hall
The four young runners on the Team GB women's relay team battle to overcome rivalries and personal demons in time for the World Athletics Championship.

Blue CollarBlue Collar
Industry sponsored film1978114 minsDirector: Paul Schrader
Richard Pryor and Harvey Keitel star in Paul Schrader’s great, gritty 1970s drama, one of the rare Hollywood films to tackle American labour.

Brewster's MillionsBrewster's Millions
Comedy1985101 minsDirector: Walter Hill
Richard Pryor plays the everyman who inherits a vast estate with a massive catch: he’ll have to spend $30million in 30 days in order to inherit it all.

The WizThe Wiz
Fantasy1978134 minsDirector: Sidney Lumet
NYC becomes Oz in the cult, urban reimagining of the family favourite, featuring an all-African American cast including Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.

Imitation of LifeImitation of Life
Melodrama1959125 minsDirector: Douglas Sirk
Douglas Sirk’s final Hollywood film is a masterpiece of melodrama, for which Juanita Moore became the fifth African-American Oscar-nominee.

Night of the Living DeadNight of the Living Dead
Horror196896 minsDirector: George A. Romero
Landmark film from 'zombie godfather' Romero, whose makeshift heroes fight for their lives against a new and terrifying enemy.

Sidney's ChairSidney's Chair
Drama199521 minsDirector: Roberto Bangura
What do you do when a Hollywood star makes a film in your neighbourhood? Nick his chair, of course!

Amazing GraceAmazing Grace
Documentary201989 minsDirector: Alan Elliott
Aretha Franklin, at the height of her powers, returns to the music which nurtured her prodigious talent.

Show BoatShow Boat
Period drama1936114 minsDirector: James Whale
By far the best film version of Oscar Hammerstein and Jerome Kern’s landmark stage show.

Cabin in the SkyCabin in the Sky
Musical194399 minsDirector: Vincente Minnelli
Featuring an all-star, all-African-American cast, Cabin in the Sky plays like a gospel reworking of Faust and the Wizard of Oz.

FarmingFarming
Drama2018107 minsDirector: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
A fostered Nigerian boy growing up in Essex loses all sense of identity and joins a racist skinhead gang. Actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Oz, Lost) directs this powerful drama based on his own, extraordinary upbringing.

American HoneyAmerican Honey
Drama2016163 minsDirector: Andrea Arnold
Andrea Arnold dazzles with a sun-soaked and tune-filled epic about door-to-door teenage magazine sellers (led by Shia LeBeouf) traversing the American highways.

The Miseducation of Cameron PostThe Miseducation of Cameron Post
Drama201792 minsDirector: Desiree Akhavan
Desiree Akhavan’s award-winning follow-up to Appropriate Behaviour, with Chloë Grace Moretz as a teen sent to a gay conversion camp.

Molly's GameMolly's Game
Thriller2017140 minsDirector: Aaron Sorkin
Aaron Sorkin’s Oscar-nominated directorial debut finds Jessica Chastain’s ‘poker princess’ struggling to stay in the game when the FBI raises the stakes.

Blazing SaddlesBlazing Saddles
Comedy197493 minsDirector: Mel Brooks
Gather around the campfire for one of the all-time great film comedies, Mel Brooks’ inspired and anarchic deconstruction of the cowboy film.

The PassThe Pass
Drama201586 minsDirector: Ben A. Williams
Russell Tovey stars as a Premier League footballer who shares a fumbled pass (of the sexual kind) with a teammate (Arinzé Kene), changing everything - both on and off the pitch.

Within Our GatesWithin Our Gates
Drama191974 minsSilentDirector: Oscar Micheaux
Oscar Micheaux’s startling silent classic – the earliest surviving feature from an African-American director – presents a fascinating black counterpoint to Griffith’s Birth of a Nation.

Blood of JesusBlood of Jesus
Drama194156 minsDirector: Spencer Williams
Spencer Williams feverish melodrama about a woman’s flirtation with Satan was independently produced out of Texas with an amateur cast and a budget of $5,000.

BirthrightBirthright
Drama193874 minsSilentDirector: Oscar Micheaux
Oscar Micheaux directs the story of a Harvard graduate whose attempts to establish a rural school runs into opposition from both races.

Where Hands TouchWhere Hands Touch
Drama2017122 minsDirector: Amma Asante
Amma Asante (Belle, A United Kingdom) presents this rites-of-passage story of a bi-racial teen struggling for survival in Nazi Germany.

WavesWaves
Drama2019136 minsDirector: Trey Edward Shults
Trey Edward Shults (It Comes at Night) continues to impress with one of the year's most dazzling cinematic achievements, a study of a family's dramatic unravelling and redemption.

HarrietHarriet
Drama2019125 minsDirector: Kasi Lemmons
Cynthia Erivo gives a show-stopping turn as the American revolutionary anti-slavery heroine Harriet Tubman in Kasi Lemmons' biopic.

American GangsterAmerican Gangster
Crime2007157 minsDirector: Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott’s heavyweight crime drama follows the rise and fall of drug-runner Frank Lucas, commandingly portrayed by Denzel Washington.

Bustin' LooseBustin' Loose
Comedy198193 minsDirector: Oz Scott
Richard Pryor sets out on the road to redemption, as an ex-con ferrying a busload of troubled kids on a wild cross-country adventure.

Car WashCar Wash
Comedy197696 minsDirector: Michael Schultz
Richard Pryor, Bill Duke, Antonio Fargas are among the ensemble cast for the cult comedy set in a California car wash.
Explore further

Paul Robeson
The African-American actor, singer and political activist who became a major star in British cinema of the 1930s.

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