The Brooklyn Academy of Music and Reel Sisters are presenting an evening of notable award-winning and family-centered films on March 25, 2026, at 7 p.m. The collection represents uplifting characters that keep their families intact through life challenges, featuring works from acclaimed directors including Tamika Lamison and Maria de la Cruz Rudloff. Tickets are $17, with discounts for BAM and Reel Sisters members, available at www.bam.org.
The program includes "Shallow End," Reel Sisters' 2025 Oscar-qualifying short directed by Maria de la Cruz Rudloff, where twenty-something Agatha must piece together her life following a lengthy stay in rehab. In "Laundry," directed by Okema T. Moore, a married couple faces the circumstances surrounding their six-year-old son's terrible accident, starring Tobias Truvillion and Danielle Moné Truitt. "Superman Doesn't Steal," set in the 1970s during the Atlanta child murders, is a coming-of-age story seen through the eyes of nine-year-old Harriet and her brother, directed by Tamika Lamison.
Other featured films include "Musica Quarantena," an animated short by Lilian T. Mehrel and Danielle Rhoda about a little girl inspiring a town in lockdown to make music, and "Gloria," directed by Kim Blanck, about a Chinese woman in her 70s who finds purpose in teaching herself Spanish while overcoming memory issues. "The Knife," by Joy Nesbitt, follows a young Black Irish woman anxiously awaiting a pregnancy scan that reveals unexpected complications, testing her trust in the healthcare system.
Reel Sisters, presented by African Voices, is a non-profit arts organization dedicated to fostering cultural understanding through art, literature, and film. Founded in 1997, it is the first Oscar-qualifying film festival in the nation devoted to women of color, having showcased over 10,000 films by women of diverse descents. For more information, visit www.reelsisters.org. BAM, a multi-arts complex for over 160 years, attracts more than 750,000 people annually to its Brooklyn campus, offering programs like the Next Wave festival and DanceAfrica. Additional details on the film event can be found at https://www.bam.org/film/2026/reel-sisters.
This showcase highlights the importance of diverse storytelling in cinema, particularly during Women's History Month, by amplifying voices that explore themes of resilience, family dynamics, and cultural identity. The films offer audiences a chance to engage with narratives that reflect real-life challenges and triumphs, underscoring the role of art in fostering empathy and understanding across communities.
