TULSA, Okla. — The Greenwood Film Festival returns for its sixth year, bringing filmmakers, educators, community leaders, and audiences together in the historic home of Black Wall Street for five days of award-winning independent films, educational workshops, filmmaker discussions, and civic dialogue. Guided by its mission of Culture. Truth. Inspiration., the festival continues to use the power of storytelling to educate, strengthen communities, and inspire the next generation of filmmakers. The festival takes place September 6th through the 10th at the OSU- Tulsa’s Auditorium.
Founded in 2021 by Executive Director Dennis Delemar, whose filmmaking career was nurtured in Tulsa, the festival was established to create opportunities for emerging filmmakers who, like many independent artists, simply needed access. Today, Greenwood has become a platform where underrepresented voices are celebrated and where audiences gather to engage in meaningful conversations through film.
The festival’s connection to Greenwood is also deeply personal. With family roots tracing back to the Tulsa area during the early 1920s, where Dennis Delemar’s maternal great-grandfather lived until his passing in 1923, the festival stands as both a tribute to Greenwood’s enduring legacy and an investment in its future through the arts.
This year’s festival will feature the world premieres of A House Between Worlds, Dennis’s debut feature film exploring the lasting impact of father absence, generational wounds, and the journey toward healing, along with Kidnapping Cartel, a feature documentary that examines the child welfare system through the stories of families, former professionals, and advocates, inviting audiences into an important conversation about family preservation and institutional accountability.
Among this year’s featured selections is PowerNomics: Based on the Life and Work of Dr. Claud Anderson, directed by award-winning writer, director, and cinematographer Justin Ervin and executive produced by Charlamagne tha God. The documentary follows the renowned scholar, political advisor, and bestselling author as he reflects on decades of research and presents his vision for the future of Black America, urging viewers to confront critical economic and cultural questions before it’s too late.
Festival audiences will also experience acclaimed films including One Last Breath, a moving documentary told through the eyes of the daughter of Rev. Daniel Simmons, the final victim of the 2015 Charleston Bible Study Massacre; The Sight Unseen, directed by Shawn Antoine II, a hybrid documentary revisiting the extraordinary story of a young girl’s mysterious encounter that became a powerful moment of faith and wonder for an entire community; and Alex & Mor, a visually imaginative love story in which two souls struggle to find one another across fractured memories, time, and space as they fight to reclaim a relationship that seems destined to slip away.
Organized around five themed days, the Greenwood Film Festival invites audiences into conversations surrounding fatherhood and family, justice and accountability, mentorship and youth development, faith and resilience, and legacy and reconciliation. Through screenings, filmmaker conversations, and hands-on educational workshops, the festival creates opportunities for audiences to engage with the cultural issues shaping our communities while equipping aspiring filmmakers with practical knowledge and industry access.
“Stories have the power to preserve history, expose truth, and inspire transformation,” said Executive Director Dennis Delemar. “The Greenwood Film Festival exists to create a space where people can better understand the culture around them, confront truths that challenge oppressive systems, and leave inspired to love their neighbors, strengthen their communities, and become part of meaningful change.”
For sponsorship opportunities, community partnerships, and festival information, visit greenwoodfilmfestival.com or email us at info@greenwoodfilmfestival.com
