The Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAF) has announced the opening lineup for its 23rd annual celebration, providing a platform for Black and brown filmmakers, taking place Aug. 1-9, 2025.
Kicking off the festivities on Aug. 1 will be a screening of the sports documentary Unraveling George. Directed by Mike Tollin and narrated by Marlon Wayans, who portrayed George Raveling in 2023’s Air, the film chronicles the notable journey of the Hall of Fame basketball coach known for guiding the careers of several all-star players, including Michael Jordan. A Color of Conversation will immediately follow the screening.
That evening, The Dutchman — starring André Holland, Kate Mara, Aldis Hodge, Stephen McKinley Henderson and Zazie Beetz — will be presented. The thriller about a successful Black man who finds himself in a psychological game of cat and mouse with a mysterious white woman is based on the 1964 Obie Award-winning play by Amiri Baraka and was written by Qasim Basir and Andre Gaines, who also serves as producer and director. Gaines and Hodge will be in conversation after the showing.
Closing out opening night will be Academy Award winner Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest, marking his fifth collaboration with Denzel Washington. The film about a music mogul who’s forced to fight for his family and legacy when he becomes the victim of a ransom plot also stars Jeffrey Wright, Ilfenesh Hadera and A$AP Rocky. Lee and Hadera will discuss the themes of the movie following the presentation.
On Aug. 3, Mara Brock Akil’s Netflix rom-com TV show Forever will be presented with a Color of Conversation to follow the screening of episode five, “The Vineyard,” which is set in the Dukes County, Massachusetts, island where the festival takes place.
“This year, MVAAFF radiates with joy — spotlighting extraordinary Color of Conversation events, interactive fan engagements and a standout roster of must‑see documentaries and shorts,” Floyd and Stephanie Rance, the founders of MVAAFF and co-founders of Run and Shoot Filmworks, said in a news release. “We are continually amazed by the positive economic impact the festival brings to the island as we look forward to celebrating another year of Black Excellence in film.”
Additional screenings, panels and events will be announced in the coming weeks.