For years, Maya Cade longed for a resource that catalogued Black cinema and its availability on streaming platforms. With the vastness of the internet and countless streaming services — both niche and popular — tracking down these films wasn’t often easy, and it became yet another barrier that kept audiences from discovering the rich history of Black filmmaking. Cade decided to stop waiting for such a resource and created her own, unveiling the Black Film Archive in 2021. A register of Black films from 1915 to 1979 that are online to stream, the archive is constantly evolving, with every inch of it thoughtfully researched, written, and crafted by Cade.
The Black Film Archive is a testament to the importance of having diverse voices in curation and archival work, as well as a piece of cinematic activism that shouldn’t go overlooked as it educates and reminds us of the vitality, creativity, resilience, and beauty of Black artistry that has been happening since the dawn of filmmaking.
From September 1 to October 1, IU Cinema is proud to host Maya Cade as a guest programmer-in-residence. Her series, Home Is Where the Heart Is: Black Cinema’s Exploration of Home, is comprised of five programs, each pairing a short and feature film accompanied by a special introduction from Cade herself. She will also be part of a Jorgensen Guest Filmmaker program on September 30 that will see her in conversation with past Jorgensen guest and acclaimed filmmaker Isabel Sandoval (Señorita, Lingua Franca, Under the Banner of Heaven).
To read more about the series, check out IU Cinema’s latest press release. You can also check out profiles on Cade from the Hollywood Reporter, the Huffington Post, NPR, and W Magazine.
Home Is Where the Heart Is starts on September 1 with a screening of Your Children Come Back to You and Claudine, followed by A Different Image and a new 4K restoration of Alma’s Rainbow on September 8, Dreaming Rivers and Black Mother on September 22, African Woman, U.S.A. and My Brother’s Wedding on September 30, and concludes with Behind Every Good Man and Pariah on October 1.