Vendetta

One day, while on the beach, wealthy Franklyn Allen sees circus performer Leila Leighton cavorting in the surf and immediately falls in love. Leila, fearful of the knowledge that circus owner Berkaro has of her early life, discourages the romance. Tormented, Leila takes Little Billy, a child performer in the circus for whom she is caring, places him in a convent and disappears. Franklyn traces her to the circus, where she has gone after learning that Berkaro had lured Billy from the convent. Berkaro attempts to kidnap Leila and the boy, but Franklyn chases him through the surf on horseback and, in the ensuing struggle, the circus owner is killed. His death elicits Leila's confession that she was the only surviving member of the royal house of Hesthonia, after the rest of her family was murdered in a coup. Her terrible secret thus revealed, she is accepted by Franklyn's family and marries the man she loves.

In this collection of six shorts, filmmakers gaze at themselves and their world, attempting to make sense of what they see reflected back. From gripping drama to heart-warming comedy, Our Right to Gaze: Black Film Identities features timely stories from Black artists that take us outside of the ordinary. Full Spectrum Features (Chicago), Northwest Film Forum (Seattle), The Luminal Theater (NYC), and Circle Collective (NYC) seek to champion Our Right to Gaze as a means of addressing systemic inequity within the film industry, through the disruption of existing film distribution models and attitudes towards artist services and support. The program is also designed to support the participating filmmakers first and foremost - structured so that they receive adequate compensation for their work, have the option to participate in a mentorship cohort, and have the collective support of the cross-country coalition of media partners. Through a mission-driven desire to highlight unseen voices and present a program that steps outside of impersonal plug-and-play virtual distribution models, the collection will rely on the film exhibition and distribution expertise of the participating organizations to engage a broad constituency of exhibitors and mentors via grassroots outreach, personal relationships, and direct conversation with the artists. The six shorts included in the project are as follows: "A Hollywood Party" Directed by Toryn Seabrooks An aspiring TV host encounters her lifelong idol at a Hollywood party but is mortified after the superstar accidentally spits on her lip mid-conversation. "Auntie Zariyah" Directed by Zora Bikangaga Zach crashes with an auntie he's never met before and soon finds out that Auntie Zariyah is a 12-year old influencer. "The Black Banshee" Directed by John D. Hay Jr. Produced by Kyla Sylvers Convinced by her friends and boyfriend to enjoy a night out after losing her job, Yvie begins to question her own mind when the visions she's been having start to have dangerous consequences. "Love in Submission" Directed by Lande Yoosuf Produced by Antu Yacob Worlds collide when two different Muslim women meet each other for the first time through a mutual third party. "Nowhere" Directed by Lin Que Ayoung A middle-aged Latina flees her controlling husband for a night of unadulterated freedom. "The Pandemic Chronicles" Directed by Ya'Ke A three-part anthology series about love, loss and grief during quarantine.

An unfulfilled artist, his schizophrenic wife and a teenage son suffering from prosopagnosia - in other words, a dysfunctional family of eccentrics in 1930s Europe comes together to overcome a common threat; a serial killer.

Several groups of people having dinner discuss their issues and wonders. They are unaware of how their conversations influence those around them.

In the heart of a bustling city, a wealthy recluse hides behind a barricade of bolted doors and blacked-out windows. His only companion is a private nurse, entrusted with taking care of him. After many months of confinement, suspicion and resentment grow between the pair until the nurse hatches a foolproof plan to dispose of his patient. When the deed is done, the silence of the seemingly empty house is quickly shattered by a curious thumping beneath the floorboards... Poe's gripping tale of murder in the dark is performed by one actor who shares the stage with a sound artist creating totally live effects and music. Every heartbeat, every ticking deathwatch beetle, every bump in the night will happen right before your ears in this brand new adaptation of Poe's mini-masterpiece.