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OCT. 1 - SABIFF 2026
PRE FEST RECEPTION 6:00 pm – 8:30 | SABIFF Pre-Festival @Tryst-SA
Come spend an evening filled with soul food, soul music and soulful spoken word telltale of our #HistoryUpRising theme. Join us as we celebrate the tip off of San Antonio's premier Black indie film festival's 8th year at SA's premiere gathering spots. Happy Hour * Spoken Word Open Mic * DJ * Live Paint Set (to be auctioned)
@Tryst Kitchen + Cocktails
🎬 celebrate soul 🎉 |
OCT. 2 - DAY 1
'BLACK FRIDAY' 9:00 am - 12:30 pm | SABIFF 2026 Student Matinee – HistoryUpRising! themed (Plotweaver AI Workshop, Culture Travels Adventure, Film History talk, Short Films) *Food Truck on premises @theCarver (Free to Students, invited schools, All Access & Day Pass Holders and film Creatives)
@CarverCommunityCulturalCtr. ------------------------ 10:00 am - 2:45 pm | Movie Screenings Feature Film Blocks from France and Nigeria. (See menu for Film Block Schedule) @the Lil Carver ------------------------ 11:00 am - 1:00 pm | SA Black History Bus Tour – Edition meet Outside at the Carver CCC ( $ - Advance ticket purchase required) ------------------------ 11:00 am - 4:00 pm | Feature Film Documentary and Narrative Films-In-Competition Screenings ($-Passes or Block Ticket required) @StayBridge Suites -------------------------- 12:30 pm -2:30 pm | #FilmSA Coffee Talk Meet Up Reception (Free Open to the Public) @StayBridge Suites in St. Paul Square --------------------------- 6:00 pm – 11:30 pm | "THE EYES OF GHANA" an award winning documentary by Ben Proudfoot. This screening is in partnership with the Ghana Association of San Antonio. Join us for an evening of W. African food, music, and must see history for th entire family. African attire suggested. A post discussion panel features: Aundar Maat, Dr. Breya Twumasi and Dr. Travis Armstrong. @AMEBethelBeasley-BrownCommunityCenter *(venue changed, updated from Lil' Carver) --------------------------- To purchase tickets for The Eyes of Ghana Opening Night, please click here.
* Online SABIFF’s Film Fiyah Podcast interviews online program streaming throughout the day – (pre-produced -- Guests TBA) 👇🏾 
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OCT. 3 - DAY 2
'SOUL SATURDAY' 9:00 am - 6:30 pm | SABIFF 2026 Films-In-Competition Showcase Screenings @theCarver & @LilCarver
12:00 pm - 2:30 pm | AI Workshop conducted with PlotWeaver AI - @VelocityTX 8:00 pm – 11:30 pm | SABIFF 2026 Filmmaker & Ubuntu Community Awards Gala @ New Bethel Beasley Brown Community Center Join us for an unforgettable evening of celebration, culture, and community as we honor SABIFF 2026’s award-winning filmmakers and recognize local HistoryMakers whose contributions continue to impact and uplift our community. Enjoy an upscale evening featuring our Filmmaker & Ubuntu Community Awards Ceremony, a delicious catered dinner, live entertainment, and a celebratory DJ set to close out the night—so come ready to get out of your seats and dance the night away! Catering provided by Mona’s Cuisine LLC, known for thoughtfully curated cuisine and memorable dining experiences. 
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OCT. 4 - DAY 3
'SUNDAY GLORY' Morning - OPEN - FREE TIME
(Tour City, Riverwalk, Church, Sleep In, Departures) 5:00 pm – DAY WRAP- PARTY! We’re closing out SABIFF 2026 with a Sunday celebration! Come early and get the Wrap Day Party started with San Antonio’s own DJ Dark Night spinning the rhythms, local vendors to explore, food trucks serving up good eats, and plenty of room to mix, mingle, dance, and enjoy the cool October open air at VelocityTX in the heart of the Eastside. Celebrate with Us, Volunteers, Audienes, Guests. All are invited to this free event. Bring the family, connect with filmmakers and fellow film lovers, grab a bite, catch a vibe, and help us celebrate another unforgettable year of Black independent cinema in the Alamo City. 7:30 pm - 9:30 | Cinema Under the Stars @VelocityTX As the sun sets, the party eases into Cinema Under the Stars. Settle in beneath a starlit Texas sky for a special feature-length presentation of SABIFF 2026’s BEST OF SHOW winning films, curated from our top documentary, narrative, and student shorts. If you missed these standout films during the festival—or simply want to experience them again—this is your final chance to catch these rare indie film gems on the big screen and close out SABIFF 2026 with us under the stars. Come for the party. Stay for the films. Close out SABIFF 2026 with us on Sunday Glory! *****Don't forget your blankets & lawn chairs***** *Hybrid screenings available (All Access, and Day Passes)
** On-line SABIFF’s Film Fiyah interviews on-line program streaming throughout the day (Guest list TBA) 
* Online check out SABIFF's Film Fiyah Podcast 'reel talk' interview will be streamed live throughout the day (Guests TBA) |
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* * * event highLightS * * *
10/1
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🥂 Sip, Mingle, Speak your truth, & Set the Vibe at @TRYST - SA:s soulful hotspot. Join us for the start of our 8th year #HistoryupRising!
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🎤 Sip, Speak & Set the Vibe - The SABIFF 2026 Pre-Fest Happy Hour -- Pull up early for handcrafted drinks, soulful conversation, and an electric poetry open mic that ignites the spirit before the greatest films of the season hit the screen. Before the first frame rolls, pull up, pour up, and connect with filmmakers, artists, and culture lovers who came to celebrate the magic of Black cinema! ($10 donation advance, or at door)
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Oct. 2
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2026 FESTIVAL highlights |
SABIFF 2026 STUDENT & CREATIVES MATINEE
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@FilmSanAntonio Meet Up!Join the San Antonio Film Commission Come mix, mingle, and make a few new connections! Join us for an informal SABIFF Creatives Meet-Up at our host hotel, Staybridge Suites, in the lobby-level Breakfast Nook area. It’s a relaxed space for visiting filmmakers, local Creatives, film lovers, and industry friends to connect over light fare, exchange cards, share what you’re working on, swap ideas, and welcome our out-of-town filmmakers to San Antonio. No pitches, panels, or pressure — just good conversation, new connections, and a chance to talk that film talk, walk that creative walk, and see where the conversation leads. Come say hello, pause between screenings, sip some coffee, meet somebody new, then head off to catch your next film!”
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53 FILMS * 19 BLOCKS * 10 COUNTRIES * 20 ATTENDING FILMMAKERS
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A Must-See World History Lesson. This Special Event is for the Entire Family to Experience!
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THE EYES OF GHANA is a stunning feature documentary following 93-year-old documentarian Chris Hesse—personal cinematographer to forgotten African icon Kwame Nkrumah—as he races against blindness and time to rescue and repatriate
a secret trove of over 1,000 films that captured the birth of African independence in the fifties and sixties. Yet unseen by the public, these films may not only rewrite Ghanaian and African history—but world history itself.
By Oscar®-winning director Ben Proudfoot.
The evening is filled with African content, food catered (by Trice Cafe Lounge),
music and audience inspired fashion.
Post Panel Discussion features: Dr. Breya Twumasi, Aundar Maat, and Travis Armstrong, PhD.
A BREAKWATER STUDIOS & HIGHER GROUND PRODUCTIONS (2025 | 90 minutes | Color)
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Executive Producers: Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, John Akomfrah, Dan & Lian Gill, Max Johnson, Jonathan E. Lim,
Michael Risley, Josh Rosenberg, David Treatman, Esther Wojcicki
Produced by: Nana Adwoa Frimpong, Ben Proudfoot, Anita Afonu, Moses Bwayo, Brandon Somerhalder,
Ethan Lewis, Vinnie Malhotra
2025 | 90 minutes | Color
a secret trove of over 1,000 films that captured the birth of African independence in the fifties and sixties. Yet unseen by the public, these films may not only rewrite Ghanaian and African history—but world history itself.
By Oscar®-winning director Ben Proudfoot.
The evening is filled with African content, food catered (by Trice Cafe Lounge),
music and audience inspired fashion.
Post Panel Discussion features: Dr. Breya Twumasi, Aundar Maat, and Travis Armstrong, PhD.
A BREAKWATER STUDIOS & HIGHER GROUND PRODUCTIONS (2025 | 90 minutes | Color)
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Executive Producers: Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, John Akomfrah, Dan & Lian Gill, Max Johnson, Jonathan E. Lim,
Michael Risley, Josh Rosenberg, David Treatman, Esther Wojcicki
Produced by: Nana Adwoa Frimpong, Ben Proudfoot, Anita Afonu, Moses Bwayo, Brandon Somerhalder,
Ethan Lewis, Vinnie Malhotra
2025 | 90 minutes | Color
TICKETS REQUIRED for entry - $10
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10/3
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Across the Diaspora: Welcoming Our Special AI Guest from London |
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"I realized we were building the wrong tools. Everyone focused on English-to-everything translation, when what Africa needed was everything-to-African-languages infrastructure. The market exists, 1 billion+ people. The technology is possible. What was missing was someone willing to prioritize cultural preservation over pure scale."
*Virtual Presentation |
Wole FagbohunFounder & CEO
Wole co-founded www.plotweaver.app after witnessing his grandmother struggle to find Nigerian content in Yoruba on streaming platforms. Despite being in the heart of Nollywood country, the majority of content available was either in English or dubbed into European languages, but rarely in the language she spoke most fluently. The idea to "Let AI speak in our mother language" was ignited by PlotWeaver.ai. Before PlotWeaver, Wole was VP of Data Science at multiple fintech and proptech startups, where he built ML systems serving millions of users. He's the author of "Mastering AI Agents" and holds expertise in multi-agent systems and language AI. His experience spans civic tech, real estate platforms, and financial services, but PlotWeaver represents his most personal mission. Wole assembled a team of AI researchers, linguists, and filmmakers who shared a common belief -- "technology should preserve culture, not erase it." |
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PlotWeaver is the result of the belief to prioritize cultural preservation with an infrastructure built by Africans, for Africans, that happens to be commercially viable globally.
Plotweaver.App founder's interactive virtual workshop at Velocity Texas on Saturday, October 3. 12 pm - 3 pm. *Highly recommended for filmmakers, Creatives, script writers, book authors, professors, students, teckies... |
Oct 3.
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After 2-days of engaging with filmmakers and viewing film showcases, we conclude this "Soul Saturday" evening by honoring the Films-In-Competition Winners, along with local Community HistoryMakers with our Ubuntu Award. A festive evening filled with great food, great music, and great company.
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SABIFF 2026 FILMMAKER'S AWARDS GALA -&-
UBUNTU COMMUNITY AWARD 'HISTORY-MAKER' HONOREES
Entertainment by: Nu Soul Collective. Host: JuneBankson Catering: Mona's Cuisine, Chef Mona German
UBUNTU COMMUNITY AWARD 'HISTORY-MAKER' HONOREES
Entertainment by: Nu Soul Collective. Host: JuneBankson Catering: Mona's Cuisine, Chef Mona German
Charles Williams
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Nettie Hinton
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Mario Salas
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MelanEyes Media
Aundar Maat & Born Logic |
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10/4
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Join us for a Community Day Party SABIFF 2026's Grand Finale
Free & Open to the Public. All Are Welcomed! |
SUNDAY WRAP PARTY + CINEMA UNDER THE STARS
🌟 Lights Out, Stars Up - The SABIFF 2026 Wrap Party. The films moved us - now we celebrate and close out an unforgettable festival with great 'Best of Show' winning films, great people, soulful music, vendors, food trucks, and a night sky that sets the perfect scene! -- 🎬 It's a W-R-A-P!
