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Pioneers of African American Cinema

Feb 1 — Feb 23, 2025

This February, in celebration of Black History Month, Museum of the Moving Image is pleased to present four selections from Kino Lorber’s collection Pioneers of African American Cinema, which brings together digitally restored versions of films from the early 20th century that were categorized as “race films.” These movies, which were financed, produced, created, and distributed by Black Americans, were an essential part of the film landscape from the silent era through to the 1940s. Providing insight into a too-often unstudied and misunderstood chapter of American history, these truly innovative films had for years only been available in scarce, low-quality 16mm prints. This resuscitation was the result of a Kickstarter-funded project, curated by Charles Musser and Jacqueline Stewart. The four titles offered here, restored in DCP, bring together films by Richard E. Norman, Richard Maurice, and the legendary Oscar Micheaux. Thanks to Kino Lorber, Inc., the G. William Jones Film and Video Collection of SMU, and The Library of Congress.