The term “Afrofuturism” was coined two decades ago by cultural critic Mark Dery, though its scope and definition have broadened since. A more recent definition by the writer and filmmaker Ytasha Womack is key: “Afrofuturism is a way of thinking about the future, with alternate realities based on perspectives of the African diaspora.” This weekend, the Durham County Library plays host to a visionary one-day festival that dives into the idea, exploring Afrofuturism as both a genre and a movement. Featured presenters and moderators include Jacques Nyemb, Milton Davis, Nicole Given Kurtz, Veronica Henry, Dedren Snead, Darrell Stover, Deborah Ulmer, and Robyn McGlotten, and the day’s packed schedule includes four talks and panels and a book fair. Registration is encouraged but not required. —Sarah Edwards
Carrboro is now in the eleventh year of its annual outdoor concert series, Freight Train Blues, a collaboration between the town and Music Maker Foundation, WUNC 91.5 FM, and The Forests at Duke. The series name pays tribute to roots musician Elizabeth “Libba” Cotten, who was born in Chapel Hill in 1893, where she worked as a domestic servant for $1 a month. (Her guitar, which she bought at age 12, cost nearly four months’ wages: $3.75). Her most famous song, the haunting, canonical “Freight Train,” was penned around 1904; this free series keeps the song’s name and the spirit of the blues close at hand.
This year, the free concerts take place every Saturday between May 16 and June 13 with a lineup that includes Charly Lowry, Conjuncto Breve, Gail Ceasar, and Lakota John Locklear. This Saturday features Jimbo Mathus of the swing revival band of yore, The Squirrel Nut Zippers. Bring a blanket or chair and a few dollars to spend on beer and fare from food trucks and vendors onsite. —Sarah Edwards
Raleigh’s annual arts festival takes over Fayetteville Street this weekend, bringing thousands (annual attendance runs at around 85,000, according to festival organizers) of art lovers to Raleigh. The festival’s primary draw is the sprawling art market, which features the work of 175+ juried fine artists exhibiting works for sale (get your holiday presents early!), but there are numerous components to the event’s two days: Art Putt for the putt-putt enthusiasts, Kidsplosure for the children, and, for just about everyone, musical performances all day-long from the likes of Zack Mexico, Africa Unplugged, Chatham Rabbits, and many more.
Finally, for those with something to get off their chests, Artsplosure delivers on that front, too: Stop by the installation Song Confessional, where you can “provide an anonymous confession on the spot to be recorded – and it just might inspire a new hit song!” Hours for Artsplosure run 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. —Sarah Edwards
With cuts to federal funding for the arts and other industry disruptions, it’s a tough time to be an independent filmmaker. But for women filmmakers, it’s always been tough to get movies made. On Sunday, you can support and celebrate women in film in your own backyard with the premiere of Growing Pains, a coming-of-age feature film from writer, director, and producer Catherine Argyrople and writer and associate producer Mariana Fabian, a Triangle resident, NC State alum, and former INDY intern.
The film, which draws inspiration from movies like Ladybird, Booksmart, and The Watermelon Woman, follows two friends as they navigate different life experiences, one as a childhood cancer survivor and the other as queer teenager from a Hispanic family. Following the premiere at Raleigh’s historic Rialto Theater, Fabian and Argyrople will join leaders from the local LGBTQ community for a panel discussion. —Jane Porter
It’s not often difficult to find a way to watch an Oscar-winning movie in the year of its award, but such is the case with No Other Land. Made by a collective of four Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers, the documentary follows the Israeli army’s destruction of the occupied West Bank’s Masafer Yatta between 2018 and 2023. It has yet to find a wide-scale U.S. distributor, a testament to the film industry’s capitulation to political interests. (Union, a 2024 Oscar documentary contender that follows a union battle at Amazon, has also faced distribution problems.)
Distribution is not the only obstacle the film has faced: Much of the footage was taken by filmmaker Basel Adra, who began filming events in his village, at great personal danger, at age 15. The film’s risks were underscored in real-time just two months ago, when a group of Israeli settlers assaulted and kidnapped another member of the collective, co-director Hamdan Ballal, before releasing him a day later. No Other Land comes to Durham for one night only this week, thanks to a group of locals who pooled together money to screen the documentary. As such, the higher-than-normal price point ($23.10) reflects the overhead costs of renting out a whole theater; partial proceeds of renting the film, however, go back to the filmmakers. In light of what it’s taken for the film to get here, it’s a cost that ends up feeling small. —Sarah Edwards
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