Sort by Popularity - Most Popular Movies and TV Shows tagged with keyword "black-independent-film"
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1. Do the Right Thing (1989)
R | 120 min | Comedy, Drama
On the hottest day of the year on a street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, everyone's hate and bigotry smolders and builds until it explodes into violence.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson
Votes: 112,378 | Gross: $27.55M
2. New Jack City (1991)
R | 97 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A crime lord ascends to power and becomes megalomaniacal while a maverick police detective vows to stop him.
Director: Mario Van Peebles | Stars: Wesley Snipes, Ice-T, Allen Payne, Chris Rock
Votes: 38,813 | Gross: $47.62M
3. Cooley High (1975)
PG | 107 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
In 1964 on Chicago's Near-North Side, the lives of four carefree high school seniors and best friends, including an aspiring playwright and an all-city basketball champion, takes a tragic turn.
Director: Michael Schultz | Stars: Glynn Turman, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Garrett Morris, Cynthia Davis
Votes: 5,543
4. Harlem Nights (1989)
R | 116 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
During the 1930s, a New York City illegal gambling house owner and his associates must deal with strong competition, gangsters, and corrupt cops in order to stay in business.
Director: Eddie Murphy | Stars: Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx, Danny Aiello
Votes: 24,785 | Gross: $60.86M
5. Antwone Fisher (2002)
PG-13 | 120 min | Biography, Drama
Antwone Fisher, a young navy man, is forced to see a psychiatrist after a violent outburst against a fellow crewman. During the course of treatment a painful past is revealed and a new hope begins.
Director: Denzel Washington | Stars: Denzel Washington, Derek Luke, Joy Bryant, Malcolm David Kelley
Votes: 38,412 | Gross: $21.08M
6. Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971)
R | 97 min | Action, Crime, Drama
After saving a Black Panther from some racist cops, a black male prostitute goes on the run from "the man" with the help of the ghetto community and some disillusioned Hells Angels.
Director: Melvin Van Peebles | Stars: Melvin Van Peebles, Hubert Scales, John Dullaghan, Simon Chuckster
Votes: 5,861 | Gross: $15.18M
7. Mo' Better Blues (1990)
R | 130 min | Drama, Music, Romance
Jazz trumpeter Bleek Gilliam makes questionable decisions in his professional and romantic lives.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Wesley Snipes, Giancarlo Esposito
Votes: 13,654 | Gross: $16.15M
8. She's Gotta Have It (1986)
R | 84 min | Comedy, Romance
Story of a woman and her three lovers.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Tracy Camilla Johns, Tommy Redmond Hicks, John Canada Terrell, Spike Lee
Votes: 16,299 | Gross: $7.14M
9. Posse (1993)
R | 111 min | Western
In 1898 Cuba, five Buffalo Soldiers find a gold cache, desert and return to America where they help defend a black town from the KKK, all the while trying to avoid capture by lawmen and military authorities alike.
Director: Mario Van Peebles | Stars: Mario Van Peebles, Stephen Baldwin, Charles Lane, Paul Bartel
Votes: 4,872 | Gross: $18.29M
10. Blue Hill Avenue (2001)
R | 128 min | Crime, Drama
A child of a middle class home with solid moral values is lured into a world of crime and corruption.
Director: Craig Ross Jr. | Stars: Allen Payne, Angelle Brooks, Michael Taliferro, William L. Johnson
Votes: 1,540
11. Eddie Murphy: Raw (1987)
R | 93 min | Documentary, Comedy
Eddie Murphy in a stand-up performance recorded live. For an hour and a half he talks about his favourite subjects: sex and women.
Director: Robert Townsend | Stars: Eddie Murphy, Tatyana Ali, Billie Allen, Clebert Ford
Votes: 20,736 | Gross: $50.50M
12. Sparkle (I) (2012)
PG-13 | 116 min | Drama, Music
In the 1960s, three sisters form a girl group and soon become local sensations with major label interest, but fame becomes a challenge as the close-knit family begins to fall apart.
Director: Salim Akil | Stars: Jordin Sparks, Carmen Ejogo, Whitney Houston, Derek Luke
Votes: 6,656 | Gross: $24.40M
13. Daughters of the Dust (1991)
TV-PG | 113 min | Drama, History, Romance
A languid, impressionistic story of three generations of Gullah women living on the South Carolina Sea Islands in 1902.
Director: Julie Dash | Stars: Cora Lee Day, Alva Rogers, Barbarao, Trula Hoosier
Votes: 3,288 | Gross: $1.64M
14. Trois (2000)
R | 93 min | Drama, Romance, Thriller
Trouble erupts when a happily married couple bring in a third party to spice things up.
Director: Rob Hardy | Stars: Gary Dourdan, Kenya Moore, Gretchen Palmer, Soloman K. Smith
Votes: 756 | Gross: $1.16M
15. I Like It Like That (1994)
R | 104 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Money issues and misunderstandings divide a couple who struggle to raise their children in the Bronx.
Director: Darnell Martin | Stars: Luna Lauren Velez, Jon Seda, Tomas Melly, Desiree Casado
Votes: 1,846 | Gross: $1.78M
16. Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1998)
R | 116 min | Biography, Drama, Music
Three women each claim to be the widow of 1950s doo-wop singer Frankie Lymon, claiming legal rights to his estate.
Director: Gregory Nava | Stars: Halle Berry, Vivica A. Fox, Lela Rochon, Larenz Tate
Votes: 4,544 | Gross: $12.41M
17. Losing Ground (1982)
86 min | Comedy, Drama
Sara, a cold college professor, and her husband, an ecstatic painter, spend a summer away from the city, straining their rocky relationship.
Director: Kathleen Collins | Stars: Seret Scott, Bill Gunn, Duane Jones, Billie Allen
Votes: 879
18. Together for Days (1972)
PG | 84 min | Drama
A Black radical activist and a young White woman find themselves drawn to one another during the politically and racially-charged atmosphere of early 1970s America.
Director: Michael Schultz | Stars: Clifton Davis, Lois Chiles, Northern Calloway, Leonard Jackson
Votes: 113
19. 4 Little Girls (1997)
TV-14 | 102 min | Documentary, History
A documentary of the notorious racial terrorist bombing of an African American church during the Civil Rights Movement.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Maxine McNair, Walter Cronkite, Chris McNair, Fred Lee Shuttlesworth
Votes: 3,577 | Gross: $0.13M
20. Lumumba (2000)
Not Rated | 115 min | Biography, Drama, History
The true story of controversial leader of independent Congo Patrice Lumumba.
Director: Raoul Peck | Stars: Eriq Ebouaney, Alex Descas, Théophile Sowié, Maka Kotto
Votes: 2,082 | Gross: $0.68M
21. Sankofa (1993)
125 min | Drama
A self-absorbed Black American fashion model on a photo shoot in Africa is spiritually transported back to a plantation in the West Indies where she experiences first-hand the physical and ... See full summary »
Director: Haile Gerima | Stars: Kofi Ghanaba, Oyafunmike Ogunlano, Alexandra Duah, Nick Medley
Votes: 806 | Gross: $2.69M
22. Hav Plenty (1998)
R | 92 min | Comedy, Romance
Lee Plenty is a flailing, wannabe writer, homeless and apartment-sitting for his friend, the wealthy Havilland Savage, while she is off visiting family. So Lee jumps at the chance to see Havilland, whom he has secretly loved for years.
Director: Christopher Scott Cherot | Stars: Christopher Scott Cherot, Chenoa Maxwell, Hill Harper, Tammi Jones Tanaka
Votes: 1,130 | Gross: $2.30M
23. Drylongso (1998)
R | 86 min | Drama
Drylongso follows a woman in a photography class who begins taking pictures of black men out of fear they will soon be extinct.
Director: Cauleen Smith | Stars: Toby Smith, April Barnett, Will Power, Channel Schafer
Votes: 194
24. Dark Angels (1998)
Unrated | 87 min | Action, Crime
A pregnant woman is trapped in an abusive marriage. Her world is full of sex, drugs, money, and power, with violence an ever-present threat. Only spiritual awareness and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse can help her escape the madness.
Director: David Wadley | Stars: Je Nie Fleming, L. Sidney, Louis Murray, Roberto Gutierrez
Votes: 69
25. One Week (2000)
R | 97 min | Drama, Romance
A soon-to-be groom learns that he may have contracted HIV. Waiting a full seven days for the test results turns out to be the most hectic week of his life.
Director: Carl Seaton | Stars: Kenny Young, Saadiqa Muhammad, Eric Lane, Milauna Jackson
Votes: 272 | Gross: $0.24M
26. Bugged (1996)
PG-13 | 82 min | Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi
Exterminators unwittingly create monsters by spraying crickets with a genetic mutating agent.
Director: Ronald K. Armstrong | Stars: Priscilla K. Basque, Ronald K. Armstrong, Jeff Lee, Derek C. Johnson
Votes: 298
27. Love Come Down (2000)
R | 99 min | Drama
Two brothers in their early 20s, one black, one white, each the other's keeper since their family was torn apart by a decade old tragedy.
Director: Clement Virgo | Stars: Larenz Tate, Deborah Cox, Martin Cummins, Rainbow Sun Francks
Votes: 334
28. How U Like Me Now (1992)
R | 110 min | Comedy, Romance
An ambitious yuppie, bored with her unmotivated boyfriend, moves out and starts an interracial relationship with a man she meets at a party. When things don't work out she goes home to find her ex has a surprise for her.
Director: Darryl Roberts | Stars: Darnell Williams, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Daniel Gardner, Debra Crable
Votes: 63 | Gross: $0.21M
29. Book of Love: The Definitive Reason Why Men Are Dogs (2002)
91 min | Romance, Comedy
A mockumentary following unrelated stories of three LA bachelors (Eric K. George, Anthony Treach Criss, and Richard T.
Director: Jeffrey W. Byrd | Stars: Robin Givens, Richard T. Jones, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Eric George
Votes: 123
30. Baadasssss Cinema (2002 TV Movie)
58 min | Documentary
Filmmaker Isaac Julien uses film clips and interviews to illustrate the history of the so-called "blaxploitation" genre.
Director: Isaac Julien | Stars: Pam Grier, Fred Williamson, Melvin Van Peebles, Elvis Mitchell
Votes: 760
31. Adwa (1999)
97 min | Documentary, Drama, War
In 1896, Ethiopia, an African nation, largely armed with spears and knives, defeats a well-equipped and organized Italian military bent on colonization.
Director: Haile Gerima
Votes: 77
32. Love Trap (2005)
Not Rated | 1 min | Drama
For most men, temptation in a red dress is just too much to handle. "Love Trap" is a beautiful original feature film that explores the true natures of love and friendship, and what can happen when both are betrayed.
Director: Frank B. Goodin II | Stars: Julius Golden, Arlicia Love, Jamica Sherman, Reginald Partlow Jr.
Votes: 94
33. Personals (1999)
R | 92 min | Romance
After a staff writer from a trendy New York magazine loses his job as a result of his dalliances with women, he decides to combine business and pleasure through a piece of free-lance ... See full summary »
Director: Mike Sargent | Stars: Malik Yoba, Stacey Dash, Monteria Ivey, Rhonda Ross Kendrick
Votes: 153
34. Up Against the Wall (1991)
PG-13 | 100 min | Drama
A black teen from a Chicago housing project struggles to find acceptance after he transfers into a suburban high school.
Director: Ron O'Neal | Stars: Marla Gibbs, Ron O'Neal, Stoney Jackson, L. Scott Caldwell
Votes: 44
35. 500 Years Later (2005)
Not Rated | 106 min | Documentary
Crime, drugs, HIV/AIDS, poor education, inferiority complex, low expectation, poverty, corruption, poor health, and underdevelopment plagues people of African descent globally - Why? 500 ... See full summary »
Director: Owen Alik Shahadah | Stars: Kolfi Adu, Sona Jobarteh, Hunter Adams III, Hakim Adi
Votes: 204
36. Runt (2005)
Not Rated | Drama, Thriller
When Christopher confronts his own violent temper which threatens his wife and children, he flies home to Jamaica and engages in an exorcism of the spirit, from his memories of his abusive,... See full summary »
Director: Michael Phillip Edwards | Stars: Michael Phillip Edwards, Carl Bradshaw, Nadège August, Patrice Pitman Quinn
Votes: 85
37. Cordially Invited (2007)
Not Rated | 98 min | Comedy, Family, Romance
A couple's dream wedding sets the stage for a cultural clash when their families, from different sides of the tracks, come together for the ceremony.
Director: Michael Fouther | Stars: Freda Payne, Lauren Christie, David Ely, André Gordon
Votes: 49
38. Baby of the Family (2002)
Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
From the moment of her birth in a rural black hospital in Georgia, Lena McPherson is recognized by all the nurses as a special child, one with the power to see ghosts and predict the future... See full summary »
Director: Jonee Ansa | Stars: Afrika Ansa, Todd Bridges, Cylk Cozart, Ruby Dee
Votes: 31
39. Sisters in Cinema (2003)
57 min | Documentary
Director: Yvonne Welbon | Stars: Stephanie Allain, Madeline Anderson, Maya Angelou, Neema Barnette
Votes: 31
40. Doll (I) (2020)
6 min | Short, Drama
Kenneth, a cool and calm accountant, is probing Lina regarding her personal life. Lina, a young woman, is sitting next to her former hero who stole her "doll". They are alone for the first ... See full summary »
Director: Diêm Camille | Stars: Diêm Camille, Hervé Toure
41. Losing Ground (2008)
95 min | Drama
On the outside looking in Clay Howard (Carlus M. Houston) has the perfect life; loving wife and daughter, great job and good friends, he has it all. But on the inside Clay has yet to ... See full summary »
Director: Darnell Anderson | Stars: Carlus Houston, Monyque Thompson Scott, Cynthia Crawford, Donovan Yarbough
Votes: 11
43. Roman (II) (2020)
70 min | Drama, Romance | Post-production
One man. Two women. And a dark past that keeps chasing after him. Roman, 30s, is caught between the two women in his life and the father he resents. The movie takes us on a journey of a man... See full summary »
Director: Dwight Wilkins | Stars: Brian Anthony Wilson, Charles W Harris III, Karen Waller-Martin, Wendi Smith
44. HipHopBattle.com: Hip Hop 4 Life (2001)
PG-13 | 98 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
As Devon prepares for the hiphop battle that will make or break him as an MC his personal relationships feel the effect.
Director: David Velo Stewart | Stars: George Baynard Jr., Michael Bell Sr., Blacknile, Da Boogie Man
Votes: 49
45. Cold Feet (1999)
93 min | Drama, Romance
With only three weeks away from his impending marriage, a real estate agent begins to have doubts about his decision to marry his long-time girlfriend, a fashion designer.
Director: Brian Asa Evans | Stars: Chenoa Maxwell, Rahsan-Rahsan Lindsay, Brian Asa Evans, Alexandra Foucard
Votes: 97
46. Rahyne (2021)
10 min | Animation, Short, Adventure
This short film delves into Indigenous and African/Caribbean folktales surrounding water that conceives it as a spirit, a guardian, a life-force, and holder of memories and history, among ... See full summary »
Directors: Paulette Moore, Nicole T. Taylor, Queen Kukoyi | Stars: Nicole T. Taylor, Kemba Byam, Paulette Moore, Yemie Sonuga
47. Film Hustle (2009)
78 min | Documentary
The true story of the outrageous grassroots marketing campaign to bring an independent movie to the public. It also includes honest, personal moments and insight into the lives of artists. ... See full summary »
Director: Daron Fordham | Stars: Wong Cook, Bill Duke, Raymond Forchion, Daron Fordham
48. All the Smoke (2020)
8 min | Short, Horror
A black struggling roadside diner tries their best to serve their first customers of the day: an alt-right couple on their way to a rally.
Director: A Karim Massaquoi | Stars: Mary Billeaud, Orion Burnham, Saisha Lee, Alexander Materne
49. Mighty D-Block (2006 Video)
R | 120 min | Documentary
Director: Supa Mario | Stars: Bully, Sean 'Diddy' Combs, Jae Hood, Jadakiss