Hayti Heritage Film Festival happening virtually this year

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- With an emphasis to keep Black Southern film alive, The Hayti Heritage Film Festival takes place March 1 - 6. It is one of the longest-running Black film festivals in the country.

Now in its 27th year, this 2021 edition will feature virtual screenings, panel discussions, a screenplay table read and a culminating conversation and mini-concert with Tank of Tank and the Bangas, featuring her signature New Orleans fusion style of funk, soul, and hip hop.

Film lovers will also have an opportunity to attend the two in-person drive-in events. Both will be held at the Heritage Square Complex parking lot located at 401 E. Lakewood Avenue in Durham, across from the Hayti Heritage Center.

The first drive-in will feature the film MLK/FBI on Monday at 6pm. Directed by Emmy-Award winner Sam Pollard, the film seeks to uncover the extent of the FBI's surveillance and harassment of Martin Luther King, Jr. and is based on newly discovered, declassified files. A conversation with Pollard and Film Festival Director Lana Garland will precede the screening.

In addition to Southern films, festival attendees will see outstanding work from across the African diaspora highlighting themes surrounding dance, the Black male image, and Black femme liberation. Three highly anticipated panel discussions will be held with voices representing both local and international experiences. Plus, there will be opportunities to take a deep dive into the craft of filmmaking.

For a full schedule of events, click here.

Tickets can be purchased as All-Access, Day Passes, or for individual events.

All Access Passes include screenings to all films (virtual and drive-in), panel discussions, and the mini-concert on closing night.