2026 Official Selection: Short Film – Drama
During the Black Panther movement, a pregnant Afeni Shakur battles 189 felony charges, forced to defend herself in a trial that could cost her freedom and her unborn child’s future
Screening date & tickets — to be announced
- Director(s): Dominique R. Draper
- Writer(s): Dominique R. Draper
- Producer(s): Dominique R. Draper, Qingyi Song, Brana Monet, David Ahaiwe Dixon
- Key Cast: Journey Carter, Mitchell Edwards
- Editor(s): UTKARSH KUMAR
- Cinematographer(s): Brana Monet & Sika Stanton
- Production Designer(s): CAMILA RODRÍGUEZ
- Sound Designer(s): JIAQI "ARABELLA" BAI
- Composer(s): Tristan Jones
Language: English
Runtime: 15m
Country: United States
Synopsis: From her jail cell, eight months pregnant, Afeni Shakur writes a letter to her unborn son, Tupac, reflecting on her transformation from Alice Faye Williams into a Black Panther leader. As government surveillance and betrayal threaten the movement, Afeni and twenty fellow Panthers face 189 felony charges in the historic Panther 21 trial. With her freedom and unborn child’s future at stake, Afeni chooses to defend herself in court against a system determined to silence her.