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The Ditchdigger's Daughters (1997)
Character: Donald Thornton
Based on the memoirs of Yvonne S. Thornton, this heartwarming, inspirational family drama centers on a poor black laborer who wanted his six daughters to grow up to be doctors.
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On Promised Land (1994)
Character: Floyd Ween
In the 1950s, the Ween family live and work on land that was promised to their family. The landowners, the Appletree family, use the promise of the land to keep the family working for them, putting the transfer of the land in doubt.
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The Gospel at Colonus (1985)
Character: Theseus
An African-American musical version of Sophocles's tragedy, Oedipus at Colonus. In 1985 PBS televised the original Brooklyn Academy of Music production, as presented by the American Music Theater Festival at the Annenberg Center in Philadelphia, as part of the Great Performances series.
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Love Twice (2016)
Character: Rodrigo
"What do you do when the spark touches down-brief and hot?" So begins award-winning director Rob Nilsson's (Permission to Touch, MVFF 2015; A Bridge to a Border, MVFF 2014) provocative meditation on the Möbius relationship of fiction to reality, and the notion of creative control. In Love Twice, Luz and Ken are star-crossed lovers in screenwriter Sal's script, until their desire takes shape, inscribing itself into a movie of their own design. Risking his sanity to save the screenplay, Sal struggles to regain control of his characters and satisfy the demands of his producer Lester (legendary Velvet Underground founder John Cale), driving a wedge between the lovers with a desperate attempt to seduce Luz.
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Nominated (2010)
Character: Ray Cowan
A fickle Hollywood star just nominated for an Oscar is banished to a small town by his agent to avoid bad press during the Oscar voting and finds that the connections he makes are more valuable than any trophy he could win.
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Back to the Streets of San Francisco (1992)
Character: Charlie Walker
Mike Stone's back and his old partner, Steve Keller, is missing. So Mike heads up an investigation. At the same time, he is investigating another brutal murder. And he is trying to decide which of two inspectors shall he recommend for the position of Lieutenant; a woman who has a "Dirty Harry" tendency or a man who reminds him of Steve Keller.
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Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property (2003)
Character: Nat Turner - Gray
In 1831, Nat Turner led a slave rebellion in the United States that resulted in the murder of local slave owners and their families, the eventual execution of 55 rebels and the retribution lynching of more than 200 innocent slaves. Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property examines how the story of Turner’s revolt has been interpreted throughout history and how it continues to raise new questions about the nature of terrorism and other forms of violent resistance to oppression. The film adopts an innovative structure by interspersing documentary footage and interviews with dramatizations of these different versions of Turner’s story. A unique collaboration between MacArthur Genius Award feature director Charles Burnett, acclaimed historian of slavery Kenneth S. Greenberg and Academy Award-nominated documentary producer Frank Christopher, Nat Turner is a compelling look at one of history’s most mysterious figures.
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Quitters (2015)
Character: Dr. Weiss
The story of the Raymans, a wealthy Jewish family that's falling apart. The son, Clark, is a bright and curious high schooler with a talent for manipulation. As his mother May enters treatment for a pill addiction, and he and his father Roger stop getting along, Clark thinks about running away from home. He just needs to decide where to go.
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America's Dream (1996)
Character: Cal (segment "The Boy Who Painted Christ Black")
Made especially for the HBO cable network, this well-wrought feature is comprised of three short stories by three noted black American authors, each of which is directed by a respected black director.
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Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago 8 (1987)
Character: Bobby Seale
A made-for-cable-TV docudrama about the trial of the men accused of conspiring to cause protesters to riot at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Combines in an innovative manner dramatic recreations (largely faithful to the actual trial transcripts) with documentary footage and interviews with the actual defendants.
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Eyes of a Witness (1991)
Character: Mambulu
Roy Baxter is concerned for his daughter Christina's safety. She's working as a doctor among the Masai in Kenya. Poaching gangs are slaughtering protected species, then raiding Masai villages and forcing them to help carry their ill-gotten gains across the border. Roy flies to Kenya to convince her to leave and becomes a suspect for murder when the village is raided and he tries to help a UN doctor shot by the raiders. The only witness is a young Masai boy, who is reluctant to come forward because of possible retribution against his tribe.
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Undercover with the KKK (1979)
Character: Rev. Lowell
The true story of Gary Thomas Rowe, Jr., who worked undercover for the FBI to infiltrate a Ku Klux Klan group in his Alabama hometown and later testified as a key prosecution witness during the trial of several Klansmen for crimes of destruction and murder.
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Cagney & Lacey: The Return (1994)
Character: Marcus Petrie
1994. Cagney, now a Lieutenant, re-teams with Lacey, who has left the force, to search for a cache of missing firearms.
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Warming by the Devil's Fire (2003)
Character: Narrator
Director Charles Burnett (Killer of Sheep, My Brother's Wedding, To Sleep with Anger) presents a tale about a young boy's encounter with his family in Mississippi in the 1950s, and intergenerational tensions between the heavenly strains of gospel and the devilish moans of the blues.
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The Wedding (1998)
Character: Lute McNeil
Shelby Coles (Halle Berry) is engaged to marry talented white jazz musician Meade Howell, but the pair face opposition from both Meade's family, who object to an inter-racial marriage, and Shelby's parents, who want her to marry a professional. As Shelby is afflicted by pre-marital doubts, handsome Lute McNeil arrives on the scene, determined to make Shelby his at any cost.
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Sounder (2003)
Character: The Father
This is a coming-of-age story of a boy living in the Depression era of the South. "Boy" (Daniel Lee Robertson III) learns the hard way about the realities of being black, poor and unable to read. But he also learns about the deep love of family, the long-suffering loyalty of a dog and the importance of words, faith, stories & truth.
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M.A.N.T.I.S. (1994)
Character: Dr. Miles Hawkins
A brilliant, wheelchair-bound scientist invents a form of exo-skeleton called the Mechanically Augmented Neuro Transmitter Interception System (M.A.N.T.I.S.) that turns him into a superhero and gives him the ability to fight the crime wave that is engulfing his city.
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Brother Future (1991)
Character: Denmark Vessy
A young street rapper is transported back in time to the pre-Civil War South, where he finds himself in the middle of a slave revolt.
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Caveman (1981)
Character: Bork
Disgraced and cast out of his tribe for lusting after Lana, the mate of the tribe's head muscle man, Atouk stumbles along gathering other misfits and learning a bit about the world outside of his cave. Eventually he and friends Lar and Tala learn the secrets of fire, cooked meat, and how to defend themselves from the brutal, yet very stupid dinosaurs.
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Everybody's All-American (1988)
Character: Narvel Blue
Louisiana football star Gavin Grey had it all. He was an All-American champion who married his high-school sweetheart, homecoming queen Babs Rogers, and who was a hero to his hometown. Yet after a failed professional career, Gavin realizes that fame and success have passed him by and that he no longer is the hero everyone keeps reminding him he should still be. His dissatisfaction with his life leads to strains in his marriage, and Gavin begins to wonder who he is, if he's not a hero anymore.
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I'm Charlie Walker (2022)
Character: Willie
1971 post civil rights San Francisco seemed like the perfect place for a black Korean War veteran and his family to realize their dream of economic independence, and a chance for him to be his own boss. Charlie Walker would soon find out how naive he was. In a city full of impostors and naysayers, he refused to take "No" for an answer. That is, until a catastrophic disaster opened a door that had never been open to a black man before. This is a story about what happened when he stepped through that door with both feet.
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Just a Dream (2002)
Character: J.M. Hoagland
Film crew arrives in a small town in Nevada desert. Ends up changing the life of a 12-year-old kid and a friend of his, a movie lover.
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The Alphabet Killer (2008)
Character: Dr. Ellis Parks
Based on the true story of double killings occurring in Rochester, NY during the 80’s and the troubled police officer determined to solve them, with or without the help of her department
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Little Richard (2000)
Character: Bud Penniman
The story of Little Richard Penniman, from his poor Southern upbringing to dealing with the trials and tribulations of being a Black singer in the 1950s, to his born-again phase and brief "retirement" from rock and roll.
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Justice League: Doom (2012)
Character: J'onn J'onzz / Martian Manhunter / Ma'alefa'ak (voice)
An adaptation of Mark Waid's "Tower of Babel" story from the JLA comic. Vandal Savage steals confidential files Batman has compiled on the members of the Justice League, and learns all their weaknesses.
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Moe's World (1990)
Character: N/A
The spirit of a deceased 11-year-old boy acts as the guardian of his family and friends in the working-class neighborhood he left behind.
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Namibia: The Struggle for Liberation (2007)
Character: Samuel Nujoma
Namibia: The Struggle for Liberation is a 2007 epic film on the Namibian independence struggle against South African occupation as seen through the life of Sam Nujoma, the leader of the South-West Africa People's Organisation and the first president of the Republic of Namibia.
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Justice League: Gods and Monsters (2015)
Character: Silas Stone (voice)
In an alternate universe, very different versions of DC's Trinity fight against the government after they are framed for an embassy bombing.
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Pacific Heights (1990)
Character: Lieutenant Lou Baker
A couple works hard to renovate their dream house and become landlords to pay for it. Unfortunately one of their tenants has plans of his own.
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Doctor Sleep (2019)
Character: Dick Halloran
Still scarred by the trauma he endured as a child at the Overlook Hotel, Dan Torrance faces the ghosts of the past when he meets Abra, a courageous teen who desperately needs his help -- and who possesses a powerful extrasensory ability called the "shine".
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Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool (2019)
Character: Miles Davis (voice)
An immersive look at the eventful life and brilliant artistic career of visionary American jazz trumpeter Miles Davis (1926-1991).
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Buffalo Soldiers (1997)
Character: John Horse
They've ridden dusty miles without end and fought fierce battles. Yet when these brave African-American cavalrymen enter a scraggly frontier town, they must walk through it instead of ride. The town dishonors them but the soldiers' Native-American foes do not. Apache leader Victoria and other warriors give the horsemen a name of honor and strength: "Buffalo Soldiers". The troopers' daring hunt for Victorio frames this stirring tribute to the former slaves and other African-Americans of the 9th and 10th U.S. Calvary Regiments. Danny Glover, Mykelti Williamson, Glynn Turman, Carl Lumbly and Michael Warren star in an adventure bringing to light that largely unknown story and the unique moral dilemma the men faced. Atten-hut! "Buffalo Soldiers are riding" through town.
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Border Line (1999)
Character: Detective Mollo
Allison Westlin, a Los Angeles-based immigration lawyer and single mother, investigates a murder with the help of private detective Mario Sparks and INS officer Dan McIvers. As the investigation continues and Westlin uncovers a human-smuggling ring, Westlin's nanny Maria jeopardizes her life to protect Westlin and her daughter.
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Justice League: Paradise Lost (2003)
Character: J'onn J'onzz / Martian Manhunter (voice)
Wonder Woman returns to Paradise Island after her abrupt departure, only to find the Amazons turned to stone. Sorcerer Felix Faust demands three mystical artifacts as the ransom.
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Men of Honor (2000)
Character: Mac Brashear
Against formidable odds -- and an old-school diving instructor embittered by the U.S. Navy's new, less prejudicial policies -- Carl Brashear sets his sights on becoming the Navy's first African-American master diver in this uplifting true story. Their relationship starts out on the rocks, but fate ultimately conspires to bring the men together into a setting of mutual respect, triumph and honor.
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Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
Character: Inmate
San Francisco Bay, January 18, 1960. Frank Lee Morris is transferred to Alcatraz, a maximum security prison located on a rocky island. Although no one has ever managed to escape from there, Frank and other inmates begin to carefully prepare an escape plan.
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Black Panther (2010)
Character: Uncle S'Yan
Black Panther is the ruler and protector of the African nation of Wakanda. Using technology, wits, and extraordinary fighting ability he must protect his nation from an invasion led by Ulysses Klaw, the man who killed his father.
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Nightjohn (1996)
Character: Nightjohn
John is a man of many talents, including one forbidden skill: he can read. When he teaches a young slave girl named Sarny to read and write, she learns an unforgettable lesson about the power of words and the true meaning of freedom.
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Captain America: Brave New World (2025)
Character: Isaiah Bradley
After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.
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How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)
Character: Judge Spencer Boyle
Through good times and bad, Stella and Delilah have always had each other. Now, Stella's so busy building a life that she's forgotten how to really live. But Delilah is about to change all that. What starts as a quick trip to Jamaica, ends as an exhilarating voyage of self discovery as Stella learns to open her heart and find love – even if it's with a man 20 years her junior.
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Lifepod (1981)
Character: Keshah
The first interplanetary cruise ship malfunctions halfway to Jupiter, forcing most of the crew and passengers to abandon ship. A handful of people are trapped onboard.
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The Life of Chuck (2025)
Character: Sam Yarbrough
A story told in reverse, starting with the end of Chuck Krantz's life, and moving back in time to show how he lived that life.
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A Cure for Wellness (2017)
Character: Mr. Wilson
An ambitious young executive is sent to retrieve his company's CEO from an idyllic but mysterious "wellness center" at a remote location in the Swiss Alps but soon suspects that the spa's miraculous treatments are not what they seem.
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The Bedroom Window (1987)
Character: Quirke
Baltimore, Maryland. Sylvia sees a girl being attacked from her lover Terry's bedroom window. The assailant flees and his victim is saved. But that same night another girl is found murdered.
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The Color of Friendship (2000)
Character: Ron Dellums
Mahree Bok lives on a farm in South Africa. Her father is a policeman who cannot hide his joy when activist Steve Biko is caught by the South African authorities. Piper Dellums is the daughter of a US congressman from California and who lives in a nice home in Washington DC. When Mahree is chosen to spend a semester at the Dellums' house, she doesn't expect that her host family would be black. Nor do her hosts suspect that she is not a black South African.
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Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero (1998)
Character: Additional Voices (voice)
When Mr. Freeze kidnaps Barbara Gordon, as an involuntary organ donor to save his dying wife, Batman and Robin must find her before the operation can begin.
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Justice League: Secret Origins (2001)
Character: J'onn J'onzz (voice)
When global catastrophe strikes, the World's Greatest Super Heroes answer the call to join Justice League. Justice League works together as a team to overcome a dangerous array of intersteller invaders and world conquering megalomaniacs.
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To Sleep with Anger (1990)
Character: Junior
An enigmatic drifter from the South comes to visit an old acquaintance who now lives in South-Central LA.
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South Central (1992)
Character: Ali
During a 10-year sentence for murdering the leader of a rival South Central Los Angeles gang, Bobby Johnson finds religion and rehabilitation with the help of Muslim inmate Ali. Upon his release, Bobby returns home to find that his young son, Jimmie, has joined the Deuces, his old crew. Tensions rise as Bobby struggles to convince Jimmie to leave the gang that was his only family during the painful years his absent father spent behind bars.
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