film

Thato Mwosa knows how rocky the teenage years can be. As a film instructor at Brookline High School and a mother of three children ages 16, 13 and 8, she sees the numerous challenges that many young people face each day — from cyberbullying and being jumped to snitching — as they try to navigate high school, friendships and their daily lives.

The Boston Latino International Film Festival will screen a curated selection of nine films Sept. 24-Oct. 3 on a virtual platform in collaboration with ArtsEmerson. This year’s festival will continue BLIFF’s 20-year legacy of breaking down Latinx stereotypes through film and bringing Boston’s diverse communities together.

In November of 1994, Mary J. Blige released her second album, “My Life” — a collection of deeply intimate and personal songs that revealed her battles with alcohol and drug addiction, depression and an abusive relationship. What resulted was not only awards and acclaim, but a profound and enduring connection forged with millions of fans around the world. That connection is captured in the documentary, “Mary J. Blige’s My Life,” directed by Vanessa Roth.

The 23rd annual Roxbury International Film Festival (RoxFilm) draws to a close on Saturday, June 26 with the in-person-only screening of the riveting documentary “AILEY” from award-winning director Jamila Wignot.

Directed, edited and produced by Mariem Pérez Riera, “Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It” is a celebration of Moreno’s life and career, which has spanned more than 70 years. Executive-produced by Norman Lear and Lin-Manuel Miranda, the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this past January and opens on Friday at Coolidge Corner Theatre, Landmark Kendall Square and AMC Boston Common.

The Roxbury International Film Festival (RoxFilm) has evolved in size and scope over the past two decades, but its core mission of amplifying underrepresented voices remains true.

Ghana is never far from director Anthony Nti’s mind and heart. His native land was used for a second time as the setting in the visually stunning and multiple-award-winning short film “Da Yie.”

Over Christmas break in 2018, Taylor Takahashi was given the screenplay “Boogie” to read by his boss and producer Eddie Huang, author of “Fresh Off the Boat: A Memoir,” which was the basis for the ABC television series of the same name. At the time, Takahashi was working as Huang’s personal assistant.

Regina King’s brilliant feature film directorial debut, “One Night In Miami…” is a celebration of Black men, brotherhood and friendship set against the backdrop of the political and cultural turbulence and music of a 1960s divided America.

In the psychological thriller “Fatale,” Derrick Tyler (Michael Ealy) is living the fabulous life. He is a  sports agent who co-owns his firm, has a roster of elite and talented athletes, is married to a gorgeous realtor wife, has a beautiful home in an exclusive Los Angeles neighborhood and a car to match his success and wealth. However, a night of passion with a sexy and mysterious woman (played by Hilary Swank) lands him in a cat-and-mouse game and threatens to destroy everything he has built.

Renowned as a dancer, choreographer and director of staged productions who incorporates Chinese and Western cultural traditions within contemporary works, Shen Wei also brings these influences to his painting and filmmaking. A concise, elegant exhibition entitled “Shen Wei: Painting in Motion,” on view at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum through June 20, 2021, is the first North American exhibition to present Shen Wei’s work across media.