Welcome To

Idlewild International Film Festival

Welcome to the Idlewild International Film Festival.  Here all patrons will be able to watch the entire line up of films that were included in the IIFF Micro 2023 festival.This years micro festival will take place in Detroit, Michigan at 2160 MT.Elliot Street. 

The Idlewild International Film Festival features carefully curated films, documentaries and music videos. Idlewild, once called Black Eden is known for it's beautiful beaches, glistening lakes, and native wildlife. During the height of it's popularity, travelers from all over the country would go there to experience the exciting nightlife. Regularly featuring entertainers such as the legendary Lena Horne, Motown's The Four Tops and stage and screen star Della Reese.

After segregation ended, more entertainers of color were free to perform anywhere in the country and Idlewild became somewhat forgotten. Over the past two decades, there has been a renewed interest in Idlewild.

Our Mission:

The Cinematic Griot Collective is a network of filmmakers, artists, and creatives who create and showcase, inspiring and unique culturally relevant works. We aim to reach beyond the surface with non-linear perspectives and creations. Traveling throughout forgotten communities, we bring to the forefront people and places that are often overlooked, misrepresented and forgotten.


Start Date

August 26, 2023, 4:00 pm

End Date

August 29, 2023, 11:59 pm

Social Pages

Films At The Festival

Filter Results

MICRO SHORT FOREIGN FILMS

MICRO SHORT FOREIGN FILMS

access_time Viewing Times August 28, 2021, 4:00 pm EST

Genre(s): Drama

Online Live Screenings

Check out this selection of micro shorts where the filmmakers are able to tell an intriguing story in less than 10 minutes. With this variety of content this block will take you from happy to sad in 26 minutes. 

Dark Stories

Dark Stories

access_time Viewing Times August 28, 2021, 4:30 pm EST

Culture(s): African , African American

Genre(s): Action , Drama , Horror , Thriller , War

Online Live Screenings

Life is not always sunshine and lollipops. In this block of films, you will witness horror, terror and utter disgust. With a combination of subtitled and English speaking films, we invite you to experience horror from around the globe. 

Unrequited Love

Unrequited Love

access_time Viewing Times August 28, 2021, 6:00 pm EST

Culture(s): African , African American

Genre(s): Comedy , Drama , Fantasy , Romance

Online Live Screenings

A combo of love and and unrequited love stories from all over the world. 

Against the Odds

Against the Odds

access_time Viewing Times August 28, 2021, 7:15 pm EST

Culture(s): African , African American

Genre(s): Adventure , Documentaries , Drama , Fantasy , Historical , Romance , Social Justice

Online Live Screenings

This block will inspire you with real stories of people who have fought against societal norms to persevere and survive in a world that often overlooks them.

Memories

Memories

access_time Viewing Times August 28, 2021, 8:30 pm EST

Culture(s): African , African American

Genre(s): Animation , Drama

Online Live Screenings

A collection of short films where our characters remember various times and places that forever shifted their lives. Some of these tales are bitter sweet, while others are complete nightmares. 

The Cost Of Denial @ Virtual Theater

The Cost Of Denial @ Virtual Theater

access_time Viewing Times August 28, 2021, 9:30 pm EST

Genre(s): Documentaries

Online Live Screenings

From 1981 to 2021, the world has confronted a terrible scourge that has impacted countless individuals with fear, pain and death. Hundreds of billions of dollars have been spent on our war against AIDS. The medical industry has focused on antiretroviral drugs to combat the HIV virus. All efforts to develop a vaccine have failed.

This is the story of the earliest successful treatment for AIDS. If the mainstream scientific community had paid attention, tens of thousands of lives may have been saved. Ignored and forgotten during the AIDS crisis this is the heroic struggle by a small group of physicians, nurses and healthcare professionals who succeeded in treating 1,200 patients with advanced AIDS. Eighteen of these patients reversed all of their AIDS-related conditions, regained full health and converted to HIV negative. In other words, the HIV virus was no longer present in their bodies.

These are the voices revealing the pain, profit and politics of AIDS. 

Micro Fest Block 1

Micro Fest Block 1

access_time Viewing Times August 29, 2021, 12:00 am EST

Culture(s): African , African American

Genre(s): Comedy , Drama , Horror , Musical , Romance

Online Live Screenings

Here you will see the selected films from the in person live event that took place on 08/28/2021 in Detroit Michigan. Films included in this block who received awards include: Sorry for best Micro Short, French Club for best student film, Black for Most Trend Setting Unique and Out of The Box, The Couple Next Door for Best Performance, Best Film, and Best Cinematography, Rebyrth for Best Micro Short Documentary, Stray for Best Micro Short Doc. 

Micro Fest Block 2

Micro Fest Block 2

access_time Viewing Times August 29, 2021, 12:00 am EST

Culture(s): African American

Genre(s): Adventure , Documentaries , Drama , Fantasy , Historical

Online Live Screenings

Here you can view the short films that were included in the Micro Film Screening that made its debut in Detroit , Michigan 08/28. Amongst this block we include 4 of our award winning films which include. Shield winner of Best Short Narrative, RIMI winner of Best International Film, Salt River Water Walk, winner of The Spirit of The Idlewild International Film Fest award. 

The Diaspora

The Diaspora

access_time Viewing Times August 29, 2021, 12:00 pm EST

Culture(s): African , African American

Genre(s): Documentaries , Drama , Fantasy , Musical , Science Fiction

Online Live Screenings

Many people across the world are embracing their culture and traditions. Many times those traditions are passed down from generations, influenced by environment or simply rediscovered from ones own research. In this mixture of narratives and documentaries, the filmmakers invite us to challenge what culture really is.

The Variety Pack

The Variety Pack

access_time Viewing Times August 29, 2021, 1:30 pm EST

Culture(s): African American , Latinx

Genre(s): Animation , Documentaries , Historical , Musical

Online Live Screenings

Sometimes you have to get in where you can fit in. This variety pack of films starts off with our most culturally relevant selections and ends with one of our completely unique micro shorts. This group of shorts includes the winner of our most prestigious award " The Spirit of Idlewild Award". Can you guess which film it is? 

We Are Nomads @ Virtual Theater

We Are Nomads @ Virtual Theater

access_time Viewing Times August 29, 2021, 3:00 pm EST

Culture(s): Asian

Genre(s): Documentaries

Online Live Screenings

Set in the steppes of Western Mongolia and the vast lands of Altai mountains, a group of Kazakh women go on an adventure that takes them back to their true identity as nomads. A Filipina who is a modern day nomad and an explorer from the U.S. joins the women to understand her own journey towards nomadism and her place as a woman in a male-dominated adventure travel industry. Along the way, she meets Huanar and Aimoldir whose stories reflect those of her own as a woman and a nomad. Were women leaders of nomadic migrations then and now? This is a true story of the first ever all women migration in the Altai Mountains of Mongolia that has been captured on film.

FB: @bgtrekker@peakexplorations 

IG: @browngaltrekker

Twitter: bgtexplorations

Caroline @ Virtual Theater

Caroline @ Virtual Theater

access_time Viewing Times September 1, 2021, 12:00 am EST

Genre(s): Drama , Romance

Online Live Screenings

A professional artist is on the brink of failure as she struggles with self-doubt and the resignation of her new assistant just before her first solo show.