film

What began for filmmaker Gerard Bush as a nightmare in 2017 of “a woman who was so desperate for help that she was screaming across dimensions” quickly morphed into a short story, which later evolved into a movie script, and now into the thriller “Antebellum.”

The Museum of Fine Arts has begun hosting a series of free outdoor and online programming during the month of September, including film screenings co-presented with Roxbury International Film Festival and Boston Latino International Film Festival and online concerts with local musicians.

The two-part documentary series “And She Could Be Next” is a powerful testament to the collaboration and strength of women of color who are transforming American politics from the ground up.

Since the release of her first feature film “Chutney Popcorn” in 1999, director Nisha Ganatra has been on a mission to place women, people of color, and the LGBTQIA+ community at the forefront of her film and television projects.

Championing underserved voices through film is at the heart of the types of stories that Letia Solomon wants to tell, but it would take fours years of soul-searching before she made the leap full-time into filmmaking.

What began as an assignment for NYU student Rachel Harrison Gordon ended up becoming a beautiful and tender film that explores race, culture and identity through the character of Birdie, a biracial young girl preparing for her Bat Mitzvah.

Set in South Florida, the contemporary family drama “Waves” stars Sterling K. Brown (NBC’s “This Is Us”), Renée Elise Goldsberry (“Hamilton”), and breakout actors Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Taylor Russell as a suburban, African American family on an emotional rollercoaster of love and loss, grief and forgiveness.

Boston-native actors Elimu Nelson of ABC’s “The Rookie” and Michael Beach of “If Beale Street Could Talk,” knew they would perform in Charles Murray’s film “#Truth” before they even read the script. The level of trust and respect between the three creators is so strong the actors were willing to do the film sight unseen.

Colombian filmmaker and Jamaica Plain resident Monica Cohen had lived in the neighborhood for several years before she decided to turn her camera lens onto the vibrant community. The resulting half-hour, bilingual documentary, “Boston’s Latin Quarter,” celebrates the Latinx enclave that many Jamaica Plain residents are fighting to keep intact.

With an all-star cast featuring Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Billy Eichner, John Oliver, Keegan-Michael Key, Alfre Woodard and James Earl Jones, it’s no wonder Disney’s remake of “The Lion King” has been one of this year’s highly anticipated films.

Directed by Alex Holmes, the documentary “Maiden” tells the remarkable true story of Tracy Edwards, a 27-year-old charter boat cook who in 1989 became the skipper of the first all-female crew to enter the world’s biggest sailing event, the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race.

The Roxbury International Film Festival is back for its 21st year, running June 19 through June 29.