ADIFF CHICAGO 2026
Raise Your Head Up: Freedom Colonies in Texas + Blueprint for My People
Friday, June 5
Showtimes
Friday, June 5
4:30pm – Blueprint for My People
4:40pm – Raise Your Head Up: Freedom Colonies in Texas
Ticketing
$14 /General
$10 /Members
$30 /Friday Pass
$70 /All-Access Pass
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BLUEPRINT FOR MY PEOPLE
Dir. Carol Bash | USA | Documentary | 2023 | 10 mins | Watch Trailer
Chicago Premiere
This short film illuminates the African-American experience by lyrically interweaving spoken-word narration of Margaret Walker’s epic poem, “For My People” with contemporary images and rare 19th century cyanotypes (blue photographic prints known as “blueprints”) of African Americans.
RAISE YOUR HEAD UP: FREEDOM COLONIES IN TEXAS
Dir. Richard Orton | USA | Documentary | 2023 | 53 mins | Watch Trailer
Chicago Premiere
An exploration of Freedom Colonies—communities established by formerly enslaved African Americans in Texas after emancipation. Through historical records and present-day testimony, the film traces how land, autonomy, and community were built and sustained, while remaining vulnerable to erasure.
ADIFF CHICAGO 2026
The ADIFF Chicago 2026 film festival features a diverse lineup of 14 films, including several Chicago premieres, spanning documentaries, narratives, and short films. The festival is scheduled from Friday, June 5, to Sunday, June 7, 2026. View full festival.
