The epic story of the actors, writers, directors, and producers who fought for their place on the page, behind the camera and on the screen. From blackface to Black Panther, this series is a definitive chronicle of more than a century of the black experience in Hollywood and a powerful reexamination of a quintessentially American story – in brilliant color.

A young black lesbian filmmaker probes into the life of The Watermelon Woman, a 1930s black actress who played 'mammy' archetypes.

“Hooters!” explores lesbian culture, with humor, insight, and artistry, through the collaborative film making process used in Cheryl Dunye’s new seminal film, “The Owls”.

About the last two years of movie goddess Jayne Mansfield’s life and the speculation swirling around her untimely death being caused by a curse after her alleged romantic dalliance with Anton LaVey, head of the Church of Satan.

With things growing a bit stale in the bedroom, lesbian couple Claudia and Dylan agree to seek sexual experiences outside their relationship. Dylan discovers new pleasures at a sex club, while Claudia, in drag as Claude, finds a surprising partner.

Two middle-aged lesbian couples accidentally kill a younger girl and decide to cover it up. But their crime comes back to haunt them when an unexpected stranger appears in their lives, bringing tension and discord.

A euphoric lesbian sex video features a group of women in a frenzy of erotic scenes with poetry, slowly dripping water, fancy goldfish, and an ecstatic score by Sheila Chandra. Experimenting with pro-sex feminist media practices and pornography, Sex Fish was made as a collaboration known as E.T. Baby Mania.

A quartet of crack addicts in Miami sit around, while outside, the biggest hurricane of the century is about to hit. The Pixelvision camera roams restlessly through the apartment, focusing nervously on the tiniest details, but never staying in any one spot for very long. Meanwhile, the addicts engage in desultory conversation, or make phone calls, or tell stories about their past experiences.

The film examines the ways that women directors have contributed to this genre and emphasizes the role that the media play in representation of sexuality and gender, underscoring the power that film has to shape our perceptions of one another. Visually, this documentary comes to life on screen through compelling and intimate original interviews, intercut with emotionally-charged archival footage, photographs, ephemera, inspired music, and film clips.

Explores the careers of twenty black women working as film directors.

She Don't Fade chronicles the sexual pursuits of Shae Clarke, an African American lesbian. Clarke, played by Dunye herself, defines and readily demonstrates her "new approach to women."

The story of a black lesbian's relationship with a white, upper middle class high school girl.

A short exploring what the term ‘Vanilla Sex’ means in black and queer communities through Polaroid photographs.

Filmmaker Cheryl Dunye's relationship with her brother is examined in this mixture of appropriated film footage, Super 8mm home movies, and Dunye's special brand of humor.

Cheryl, playing herself, humorously experiences the mysteries of lesbian dating in the '90s.

From Go Fish to Paris is Burning to The Watermelon Woman, this festival favorite goes behind the scenes to reveal seven successful lesbian directors. These talented movie-makers enlighten and entertain as they explore their sexual identity, growing up gay, inspirations and techniques, Hollywood vs. Indie, and of course, love and sex, onscreen and off. The conversations are intimate, the topics unlimited, and the clips from their work enthralling! Featuring Cheryl Dunye, Rose Troche, Jennie Livingston, Monika Treut, Maria Maggenti, Su Friedrich and Heather MacDonald.

Documentary that highlights 18 women and covers a period of time from the 50's to the 90's. The women chosen were selected because they represent the real diversity within both feminism and independent film and video. They range in age from 65 to 25. They are black, white, Puerto Rican, Yugoslavian, Asian American, biracial. They are straight, gay and bisexual. What they share is a need to express their own interpretations of what American culture is and could be and a belief that this work is made particularly powerful through the media.

GREETINGS FROM AFRICA (Narrative, 1994) Cheryl, playing herself, humorously experience the mysteries of lesbian dating in the 90s / THE POTLUCK AND THE PASSION (Experimental Narrative, 1993) Sparks fly as racial, sexual and social politics intermingle at a lesbian potluck / AN UNTITLED PORTRAIT (Video Montage, 1993) Dunye’s relationship with her brother is examined in this mixture of appropriated film footage, super 8mm home movies & Dunye’s special brand of humor. / VANILLA SEX (Experimental Documentary, 1992)Is it who you do, or what you do? / SHE DON’T FADE (Experimental Narrative, 1991) A self-reflexive look at the sexuality of a young black lesbian / JANINE (Experimental Documentary, 1990) The story of a black lesbian’s relationship with a white, upper middle class high school girl

Sparks fly as racial, sexual and social politics intermingle at a lesbian potluck.

GREETINGS FROM AFRICA (Narrative, 1994) Cheryl, playing herself, humorously experience the mysteries of lesbian dating in the 90s / THE POTLUCK AND THE PASSION (Experimental Narrative, 1993) Sparks fly as racial, sexual and social politics intermingle at a lesbian potluck / AN UNTITLED PORTRAIT (Video Montage, 1993) Dunye’s relationship with her brother is examined in this mixture of appropriated film footage, super 8mm home movies & Dunye’s special brand of humor. / VANILLA SEX (Experimental Documentary, 1992)Is it who you do, or what you do? / SHE DON’T FADE (Experimental Narrative, 1991) A self-reflexive look at the sexuality of a young black lesbian / JANINE (Experimental Documentary, 1990) The story of a black lesbian’s relationship with a white, upper middle class high school girl