The Micheaux Film Festival returns for its seventh edition, October 23–26, 2025, with Opening Night featuring the Los Angeles Premiere of the feature documentary It’s Dorothy and the World Premiere of the episodic selection “Remember.”
The festival will close with the West Coast Premiere of She Dances.
It’s Dorothy explores 125 years of Dorothy Gale’s cultural legacy, tracing how the character became a beacon for marginalized voices. Director and editor Jeffrey McHale (You Don’t Nomi) blends new performances, cultural commentary, music, and a vibrant remix of archival and cinematic art to center the perspectives of women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ voices, celebrating Dorothy as an enduring symbol of hope and home.
Featured participants include Grammy Award–winning recording artist Ashanti (as Dorothy, The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz), Danielle Hope (BBC’s Over the Rainbow, Nichelle Lewis (The Wiz, Broadway), Fairuza Balk (Return to Oz), Shanice Shantay (The Wiz Live!), Lena Waithe, John Waters, Margaret Cho, Amber Ruffin, Roxane Gay, and Gregory Maguire.
“Remember” opens the festival’s episodic program. The series follows a forgetful millennial and his four best friends as they navigate queer love, rocky careers, and the ups and downs of friendship until his forgetfulness proves more serious than anyone imagined. Directed by Tari Wariebi (We Were Meant To, Sundance) and written and produced by Bernard David Jones, the cast includes Bernard David Jones (ABC’s The Mayor,Netflix’s Uncorked), Hosea Chanchez (Paramount+’s The Game), Griffin Matthews (HBO’s The Flight Attendant, Netflix’s You), Devere Rogers (ABC’s Abbott Elementary), and Brandon Gill (NBC’s Chicago P.D.).
Closing Night will feature She Dances directed by Rick Gomez. Against the backdrop of the Young Miss Southeast Regional Dance Finals, a father and daughter on the road to her final competition confront a fractured bond and a shared tragedy, finding a path toward healing and self-discovery. The cast includes Steve Zahn, Ethan Hawke, Sonequa Martin-Green, Mackenzie Ziegler, Audrey Zahn, and Rosemarie DeWitt.
“This year’s opening and closing projects remind us that stories carry memory, identity, and resilience. Our focus is on voices that challenge us, heal us, and help us see the world differently. Culver City has a deep connection to The Wizard of Oz and Judy Garland, and bringing It’s Dorothy to the community here is a reminder how we carry legacies forward and find meaning in them today. Remember and She Dances both echo that truth, showing us that whether through friendship or family, the struggles we face can become pathways to growth, healing, and discovering a deeper sense of who we are as individuals and as part of communities,” said Noel Braham, Co-Founder of the Micheaux Film Festival.
Micheaux Film Festival 2025 takes place October 23–26, 2025 at The Culver Theatre in Culver City, California and surrounding venues.
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