Parrish Art Museum | 5th Annual Black Film Festival, Part 1

Gaining Ground: The Fight for Black Land, 2023, 93 min. Directed by Eternal Polk

Join us for the 5th Annual Black Film Festival, Part I, as the Parrish continues its annual collaboration with the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center, Suffolk County Office of Minority Health, the Witness Project of Long Island, and Black Public Media. The Black Film Festival, Part I, will screen Gaining Ground: The Fight for Black Land, a new, stirring documentary from Executive Producer Al Roker, that examines the cause and effects of the issues and experiences of people impacted by land loss.

The Black Film Festival presents award-winning short and feature films and documentaries that highlight the work of black filmmakers as well as stories that describe and elevate black lives and experiences, touching on current sociopolitical topics, art, music, performance, mental and physical health, among others. Films are selected by a committee representing the Parrish Art Museum, Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center, the Witness Project of Long Island, and the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, Office of Minority Health, as well as a small group of dedicated individuals.

About the Film
By 1910, Black Americans had amassed 60 million acres of farmland. In 2023, that number has dropped to 3.9 million acres. Violence, eminent domain, and government discrimination—all had an impact. But it is a little-known issue, Heirs’ Property which has had a devastating effect on Black land ownership. Gaining Ground: The Fight for Black Land from Emmy Nominated Director Eternal Polk examines the causes, effects, and what is being done to fight the exploitation of this law and how landowners are reclaiming their agricultural legacy and creating paths to generational wealth.

Watch the trailer here.