L.A. Rebellion: A Cinematic Movement | Screening & Panel at Lore

Join us at LORE Leimert Park on Sunday, October 25, from 5–8 PM for a screening of L.A. Rebellion: A Cinematic Movement, followed by a panel discussion exploring Black independent cinema, artistic community, and the enduring influence of the L.A. Rebellion.

ABOUT THE FILM

Directed by Kitty Hu and Bryant Griffin, this PBS Artbound documentary explores the emergence of a generation of Black filmmakers at UCLA who challenged Hollywood conventions and created new possibilities for telling Black stories. Through their work, the L.A. Rebellion helped reshape American cinema and opened pathways for generations of independent filmmakers.

Following the screening, we’ll be joined by the film’s co-director Bryant Griffin, filmmakers Ben Caldwell and Alile Sharon Larkin, and artist and Brockman Gallery co-founder Dale Brockman Davis. Film curator and educator Jheanelle Brown will moderate the conversation.

Together, they’ll reflect on the connections between film, visual art, and community—and the people and spaces that have sustained Black creative life in Los Angeles.

MEET THE PANELISTS

Bryant Griffin
Bryant Griffin is an Emmy Award-winning Los Angeles-based writer and director with an MFA in directing from UCLA. He co-directed L.A. Rebellion: A Cinematic Movement with Kitty Hu. His storytelling centers characters and issues affecting marginalized communities, following an extensive career in visual effects at Industrial Light & Magic.

Ben Caldwell
Ben Caldwell is an independent filmmaker, arts educator, and member of the L.A. Rebellion. He founded KAOS Network in Leimert Park, creating a space for media experimentation, arts education, and community expression. His work connects filmmaking with the preservation and exchange of Black cultural histories.

Alile Sharon Larkin
Alile Sharon Larkin is an award-winning independent filmmaker, writer, and artist-educator associated with the L.A. Rebellion. Her films include Your Children Come Back to You and A Different Image, exploring Black identity, representation, and social inequality. Her practice also includes decades of teaching and creating multimedia experiences for children and families.

Stormé Bright Sweet is a documentary filmmaker, writer, and educator associated with the L.A. Rebellion film movement. Her work explores Black family life, lived history, and representation, including The Single Parent: Images in Black, which centers the experiences of Black parents raising children on their own. In 1982, she co-founded the Black Filmmakers Collective alongside Melvonna Ballenger, Julie Dash, and Alile Sharon Larkin, contributing to a movement dedicated to independent Black storytelling.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR

Jheanelle Brown
Jheanelle Brown is a Los Angeles-based film curator, programmer, educator, and arts administrator whose work explores the expansive possibilities of Black life through experimental and nonfiction film and video. She is a faculty member at CalArts and a board member and programmer for Los Angeles Filmforum.

EVENT DETAILS

Sunday, October 25, 2026
5:00–8:00 PM
LORE Leimert Park

An evening of film, conversation, and connection celebrating the legacy and future of Black independent cinema.