QC Film Blog

Launched in 2023 by the Azubuike African American Council for the Arts the fourth-annual Pulling Focus African American Film Festival of the Quad Cities will again bring together filmmakers, artists, educators, and audiences for independent film screenings, filmmaker conversations, cultural dialogue, and community celebration throughout the Quad Cities region June 4th-7th, 2026. The film festival continues to grow into a vibrant regional platform dedicated to amplifying the voices and stories of Black filmmakers worldwide while fostering meaningful conversations through cinema.  “This festival was created to provide space for Black filmmakers and storytellers to be seen, heard, and celebrated,” said Gaye Shannon Burnett, co-founder of Azubuike African American Council for the Arts and festival director. “Pulling Focus is about more than film. It’s about connection, representation, dialogue, and creating opportunities for our community to experience powerful stories together.” The ...

This spring,  Free Film at the Figge  presents a selection of distinguished, award-winning films, showcasing the best in provocative, suspenseful filmmaking set against the backdrop of authoritarian fascism. On Thursday, May 7th at 6 p.m.  The Zone of Interest   (U.K./Poland/France / 2023) will screen.  Based on a true story, Rudolf Höss, the commandant of Auschwitz, and his wife, Hedwig, build a life for their family in a house next to the concentration camp he helped create. Awards  (71 wins & 186 nominations): Academy Awards:  Best International Film  (won),  Motion Picture, Director, Screenplay Cannes Film Festival: Gr and Prix  (won),  Palm d’Or Chicago Film Critics:  Best Foreign Language Film  (won),  Director, Supporting Actress,        Cinematography, Adapted Screenplay, Original Score  Rotten Tomatoes scores : 93% Critics / 79% Audience The  Figge Art Museum ...

The Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities Holocaust Film Series 2026 will begin at 4 p.m. Sunday, April 26, with the documentary “Orchestra of Exiles” at the Figge Art Museum auditorium, 225 W. 2nd St., Davenport, Iowa. In conjunction with the the film, violist, Kim Busic from the QC Symphony Orchestra, will play several movements from Erwin Schulhoff's Sonata for Violin. The "Klezmer" violin she will be playing was donated to the Jewish Federation from Habitat for Humanity in Port Angeles in Washington State and refurbished by local luthier, David Pope. On Sunday, May 3, 4:00pm the film "The Song of Names" will presented. On Sunday, May 10, 4:00pm the documentary "Defiant Requiem" will screen. All of the three films in the series have won multiple awards, and may have some adult content.  Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and military, free for students. All films have won multiple awards and all have adult content. For more information conta...

This spring,  Free Film at the Figge  presents a selection of distinguished, award-winning films, showcasing the best in provocative, suspenseful filmmaking set against the backdrop of authoritarian fascism. On Thursday, April 2nd at 6 p.m. the  satirical black comedy-drama "Jojo Rabbit" written and directed by Taika Waititi, and adapted from Christine Leunens' 2008 book Caging Skies, will screen. JoJo Rabbit  (U.S./Czech Republic / 2019) Awards  (52 wins & 190 nominations):  Jojo, a lonely German boy discovers that his single mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic. He must confront his blind nationalism as World War II rages on. From New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi who also directed and starred in  Boy . ·        Academy Awards:  Best Motion Picture, Actress, Screenplay  (won) ·        Golden Globes:  Best Motion Picture, Actor ·    ...

The Last Picture House, 325 E. 2nd Street in Davenport, IA will showcase several crowd-pleasing classic films on the big screen to wrap up the month of March. Visit  https://www.lastpicturehouse.com/  for tickets and details! To Kill a Mockingbird   (1962) Directed by Robert Mulligan, the film tells the story of a widowed lawyer in Depression-era Alabama who defends a black man against a false rape charge while teaching his young children about the sad reality of prejudice. Based on the novel by Harper Lee and Horton Foote, the film stars Gregory Peck. Robert Duvall made his screen debut as Boo Radley. The Sting  (1973) Directed by George Roy Hill, the Oscar winning film stars Robert Redford and Paul Newman as two grifters who team up to pull off the ultimate con. Best in Show  (2000) Directed by Christopher Guest, the mocumentary shares a behind-the-scenes look into the highly competitive and cut-throat world of dog shows through the eyes of a group o...

  An Illinois-born pioneer independent filmmaker and former Iowa resident’s story will be revealed onscreen in the feature-length documentary “Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking” on Sunday, March 22 at 2 p.m. at The Last Picture House in Davenport. A post-screening discussion follows with special guest historian Jordan Bell, from Roanoke, Virginia. Micheaux’s 1920 silent film “Within our Gates” will screen at 4:15 p.m. Admittance to this special event is free. Seating for both shows is limited. The Last Picture House, 325 E. 2nd St., Davenport, IA Truth First Film Alliance, Inc. is pleased to join with sponsors Azubuike African American Council for the Arts , Friends of MLK, Inc. , the RockIsland County NAACP Chapter 3268B , the QC Area Film Office and the NorthwestIllinois Film Office to present these important Black history films. Directed by Francisco Zippel, the documentary “Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking” (2021) features on-camera interview...