The North Carolina Black Film Festival returns this spring for its 23rd year
We’re living in a time where diversity, equity, and inclusion programs are being dramatically scaled back, and Black history is literally being erased from public exhibits and educational materials. That makes events such as the upcoming 23rd North Carolina Black Film Festival, to be held here in Wilmington, May 1-3, more vital than ever. It’s sponsored by the nonprofit Black Arts Alliance that, according to its website, is a multidisciplinary vehicle for the advancement of African-American arts and culture.
“The festival is a platform where a lot of times these stories may not be told,” said Charlon Turner, who recently moved into the role of president of the Black Arts Alliance and previously served for several years as the festival’s director. “They may not be in the mainstream.”
The organization is staffed entirely by volunteers for whom art is a passion. Turner, who is from Wilmington and can trace her family back at least five generations, works in human resources for a tech company, but her background is in theater and film…