Boss XL Mag Indie Film Highlights from the American Black Film Festival

93' Til

Award-winning filmmaker Alterik Miller premiered his debut feature film 93 'Til  in Miami during the 30th American Black Film Festival — and the audience felt every frame. The romance drama, the first feature from Momentum Film Works, drew an enthusiastic response from festivalgoers who embraced the film's intimate story, its Philadelphia backdrop, and a score that transported the room straight into the golden era of 90s R&B love songs.

93 'Til follows a struggling artist painter on the brink of eviction and a vintage curator haunted by inherited dreams who skip the corporate futures they're supposed to want and spend one day discovering whether love is worth the risk. The film is a love letter to Black romance and set to music that feels like a lost soundtrack from the decade that perfected it.

Director Miller was joined at the post-screening Q&A by cast members Sophia Lucia Parola, LaRoyce Hawkins, Jason C. Louder, and Keith Arthur Bolden, who spoke candidly about the importance of Black love on screen and what it meant to tell that story through the lens of Philadelphia. The conversation reflected the film's emotional core, and Black love, in all its complexity and beauty, deserves its flowers on the big screen.

For Miller, 93 'Til is a significant step forward. His short film Laundry won the 2025 ABFF Black Father's Competition and has screened at more than 20 festivals, including multiple Oscar-qualifying events. With his debut feature now generating buzz on the festival circuit, the filmmaker is already in conversations with distributors about a wide release.

93 'Til is written, directed, and produced by Alterik Miller, and co-produced by Petey McGee, with Executive Producers Richard Lee Noel, LaRoyce Hawkins, Romar Bennett, Sean Charles, and Alicia Turner. Music supervision is by Romar Bennett, whose soulful, meticulous approach to sound gives the film much of its emotional heartbeat.

Law's World: Lipstick Bandit

Beverly Hills-based filmmaker and military veteran Law Artis screened his proof-of-concept short series Law's World: Lipstick Bandit at the 30th American Black Film Festival at the Miami Beach Convention Center as part of the ABFF Series Competition. Artis is also a nominee for the 2026 Best of ABFF Series Award.

Law's World: Lipstick Bandit centers on Law Scott, a charismatic, unapologetically pansexual sex blogger on the verge of his biggest career break — a house tour feature in Ebony magazine. When his narcissistic roommate becomes convinced her prized lipstick has been stolen, a full-blown investigation derails the shoot and exposes the gloriously messy dynamics of their found family. Equal parts hilarious and heartfelt, the series explores friendship, ambition, and the gap between curated personas and real life.

During the post-screening Q&A, Artis delivered a standout moment that resonated with the audience — reflecting on the profound impact Black women have had on both his life and his career, and crediting their presence as instrumental in helping him overcome the challenges of bringing the series to life.

When asked what comes next, Artis confirmed plans to release the series publicly later this year.

Law's World: Lipstick Bandit is written, directed by, and stars Law Artis, and is produced by Danae Grandison, with Bob Giraldi serving as Executive Producer.

SR.

Baltimore filmmaker Toroes Thomas Jr. made his feature film debut with Sr. at the 30th American Black Film Festival, screening at O St. Cinema in Miami. Following the premiere, Thomas and cast members Micaiah Jones (The Wire) and Donnell Jones held a conversation with attendees about the emotionally-charged film drawn directly from the filmmaker's own life.

Sr. follows a struggling father who takes his two kids on the run from social services, shielding them from a harsh reality with the promise of a trip to the beach. As his son Junior waits for his father to keep that promise, he's forced to grow up fast — confronting his father's demons in a fight to get his family to their happy place.

In a post-screening Q&A, Thomas revealed he began the project by writing down memories before finding the structure to shape them into a film. The project was supported by the Sauls Zaentz Innovation Fund, a seed-grant and incubator program at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore that provides underrepresented filmmakers with mentorship, networking, and early-stage funding for narrative, documentary, and immersive media projects.

At its core, Sr. is a story about Black male mental health and the child services system's impact on families — told with unflinching honesty and hard-won vulnerability. The film is as much a testament to the power of grief work as it is a cinematic debut.

Sr. will continue screening for audiences following its ABFF selection.