Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars. The Black Film Center & Archive lights the way to learning about Black film creatives and allows us to see black film for what it truly is. 

In an industry traditionally dominated by white artists, the contribution of black creators often goes under-appreciated. Many award-winning Black artists have been lost to the credit rolls of movies rarely seen and inaccessible to the public. Black film creatives have strived endlessly to be seen and the Black Film Center and Archive ensures that their voices are heard through the scope of a visual archive. 

“Some of the unique items that they can’t see or research and experience anywhere else” said Director of the Black Film Center & Archive Joy Roberts on why she feels like the center has so much to offer IU’s campus. The center is composed of films and books written all the way back to the 17Th century and is available to view via the website or in the downstairs commons of Wells Library. 

 

The Black Film Center & Archive has events that students can get involved in. Their most recent event was a screening and conversation on short films event that covered short films shown during the Blackstar Film Festival. Another event that took place was the ” Love! I’m in Love!” event that was centered around public talk on recovering black love on screen. You can even take a Virtual tour to see the center and what is in the archive before you vist. There are so many ways you can be involved with the BFCA (Black Film Center & Archive) community and even write news posts for the center; the options are endless. 

 

Now the Black Film Center & Archive is not just a film center at IU, but it also has another platform that goes under the same name created by Maya S. Cade. Cade is a scholar-in-residence at the Library of Congress and is also the programmer for Indiana University’s Black Cinema. Black Film Archive is a curation of all black films that you could even imagine and features some films that are exceedingly difficult to find.  

With film being an art form within itself you get different tastes of black film artists and their works. The Black Film Center & Archive highlights those moments and gives students and faculty a chance to explore what art looks like in film form. 

The Black Film Center & Archive’s 40-year legacy has been expanding and growing from the very start and will remain a pillar here at Indiana University’s Black Film Department.