Washington, D.C., is about to get a concentrated dose of Black film, creative industry talk and filmmaker networking when the American Black Film Festival brings its pop-up tour to Union Market this fall. The three-day event is built to feel less like a single screening and more like a compact cultural festival with something happening all weekend.
The event is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 25, through Sunday, Sept. 27, at Angelika Pop-Up at Union Market, where it will serve as the first stop on the 2026 fall tour. The official ABFF Pop Up schedule also lists stops in New York City, Atlanta and Houston later this year. Tickets are already on sale.
As WTOP reported, the D.C. weekend is designed to give local audiences a taste of the flagship festival, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in Miami in May. The tour is being produced by Nice Crowd, the company founded by ABFF leaders Jeff and Nicole Friday.
The lineup opens with Three Colors: Pan-African, winner of ABFF’s 2026 Grand Jury Prize for U.S. Narrative Feature. According to the festival’s announcement, the film weaves together three interconnected stories inspired by the Pan-African flag and features Loretta Devine, Bashir Salahuddin, Peyton Alex Smith, Sibongile Mlambo, Stephen Bishop and Kimrie Lewis.
What’s On The D.C. Festival Schedule
Saturday’s programming shifts toward craft and conversation, with an NYFA screenwriting masterclass, a discussion inspired by The Heir and a financial empowerment event presented by Ally. The HBO Short Film Award Showcase follows that night with five short films, including Spilled Milk, the 2026 winning entry.
The HBO competition is one of ABFF’s longest-running programs, and WTOP notes that the festival has hosted it for 29 years. Ryan Coogler, who later directed Black Panther and Sinners, won the competition in 2011.
Sunday brings Black Is Beautiful: The Kwame Brathwaite Story, a documentary about the Harlem photographer and activist whose work helped popularize the “Black Is Beautiful” movement. The day also includes a TV One panel on Black true-crime storytelling and the world premiere of That’s Her, starring Coco Jones, Loretta Devine, Kountry Wayne and Tabitha Brown.
The D.C. stop also carries a personal connection for the organizers. Raeshon Morris, Nice Crowd’s senior manager of event production operations, grew up in Washington and told WTOP that the city is meaningful because he and the founders all attended Howard University.
Networking sessions are planned after each event, giving local filmmakers and film fans a chance to trade ideas, contacts and career advice after the lights come up. For a city with no shortage of film conversations, this one is bringing a national festival brand straight into the neighborhood.
