41. Black International Cinema Berlin 2026

Onward & Upward, Despite All, Always & Forever!

Black International Cinema Berlin (BICB) is one of Germany’s historically longest-running independent film festivals dedicated to intercultural exchange, artistic diversity, and international dialogue. Founded in 1986 in West Berlin by Fountainhead® Tanz Théâtre under the direction of Prof. Donald Muldrow Griffith, the festival forms an integral part of Fountainhead® Tanz Théâtre’s interdisciplinary cultural and educational programs. Together they have created an international platform that brings together filmmakers, artists, scholars, cultural practitioners, and audiences from around the world through film, visual arts, television, publications, and public dialogue. 

While its historical roots are connected to presenting films from Africa and the African Diaspora, Black International Cinema Berlin is open to ALL filmmakers, regardless of their cultural, ethnic, national, religious, or social background. The festival welcomes independent cinematic voices from every region of the world and encourages the sharing of diverse perspectives and artistic approaches. Its central objective is to foster understanding, cooperation, and respectful coexistence by focusing on what connects humanity rather than what divides it.

BICB presents feature films, documentaries, short films, animation, and experimental works by emerging and established filmmakers. Through screenings, discussions, and encounters between filmmakers and audiences, the festival creates opportunities for meaningful dialogue across cultural and geographic boundaries while promoting independent cinema as a tool for communication and mutual understanding.

A defining characteristic of Black International Cinema Berlin is its interdisciplinary nature. Beyond cinema, the festival incorporates visual arts, television, publications, education, and public discourse. An integral component is the accompanying “Footprints in the Sand?” ExhibitionBerlin, a photographic and visual documentation project curated by Prof. Donald Muldrow Griffith. The exhibition highlights the contributions of artists, intellectuals, and cultural figures whose work has helped shape intercultural understanding in Berlin and beyond, preserving their legacy for future generations.

The festival is also complemented by THE COLLEGIUM – Forum & Television Program Berlin, a Fountainhead® Tanz Théâtre production conceived, directed, and moderated by Prof. Donald Muldrow Griffith. Through discussions, interviews, presentations, and televised conversations with artists, filmmakers, scholars, and cultural leaders, THE COLLEGIUM extends the festival’s commitment to intercultural dialogue beyond the cinema screen. In cooperation with ALEX Berlin, selected programs reach broader television and online audiences, further strengthening the festival’s educational and cultural mission.

Each edition is accompanied by a comprehensive festival brochure that serves not only as a program guide but also as an international cultural publication. Through essays, articles, interviews, filmmaker profiles, photographic and artistic works, historical documentation, the brochure documents the festival’s activities, expands upon its themes, and contributes to the preservation of its intellectual, artistic, and intercultural legacy.

For four decades, Black International Cinema Berlin has remained committed to intercultural dialogue, transnational exchange, and the belief that art can build bridges between people. By bringing together film, visual arts, television, publications, and public discussion, the festival creates a space where diverse voices are heard, new perspectives are discovered, and common ground is celebrated.