The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) understands that storytelling isn’t limited to a horizontal format, as it announces the official selections for the ABFF 9:16 Microdrama Project Showcase, EBONY reveals exclusively. Premiering as ABFF celebrates its 30th year, the new digital-first initiative is designed to identify, showcase, and amplify outstanding vertical microdrama series.
These initial pieces will be showcased on the Codeblack app, powered by Hartbeat, during the 2026 American Black Film Festival, offering the festival audience exclusive access to a dynamic slate of short-form, mobile-first series.
The ABFF 9:16 Microdrama Project Showcase serves as ABFF’s official platform for discovering and elevating emerging voices in vertical storytelling, helping them rise to the forefront of this exciting and expanding vertical content ecosystem.
“We’re seeing a fundamental shift in how stories are being created and consumed, and vertical microdrama sits right at the center of that evolution,” shared Jeff Friday, Cofounder & CEO of Nice Crowd and founder of ABFF.
“These are filmmakers who understand pacing, audience behavior, and the intimacy of the mobile screen. This initiative is about meeting that moment, giving these creators a global stage, and ensuring that as this format scales, creators of color are not just participating, but leading.”
Here are the eight microdramas to appear in the showcase.
False Profit$: A young Black CEO framed and sentenced for a multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme he didn’t orchestrate, transforms his prison time into a masterclass of financial forensics and systemic corruption, and then wages a surgical war to dismantle the powerful faith-based empire that destroyed him. Written and directed by Jai Harris.
The King, The Affair and The Son Heir: This microdrama from South Africa explores a king’s heir who carries a secret that could destroy a kingdom — written in blood, hidden in plain sight, and closing in with every stolen glance between his wife and his most trusted advisor. Written by Anathi Rubela & Mamello Makhetha; directed by Star Kganki Maphahlele.
Faceplant: A mystical mask that allows body hijacking pulls a desperate couple facing foreclosure deeper into a dangerous game with consequences they can’t control. Written and directed by Jean-Pierre Chapoteau.
Blacked Out:After blacking out the night before, a woman wakes up in an interrogation to learn her boyfriend is missing, forcing her to piece together the truth before she becomes the prime suspect. Written by Roni Davis, directed by Caleb Davis.
Thick & Uninterrupted:A bold, curvy woman unapologetically embraces her confidence, desire, and power while navigating love and modern relationships in a world that constantly expects her to shrink. Written by Dominic Aikabeli and Tajé Prest; directed by Aikabeli.
Mechanical Pencil: A group of detention regulars turns their punishment into a creative playground, where desk beats, chaos, and imagination evolve into something bigger than themselves. Written by Writers: Amari K. Jones, Myracle Sims, Justen Ross, JonAvery Worrell, Hurrikane, Dasan Frazier, Michael Bahsil, Destiny Knox, and Kaylan Mary; directed by Palmer Williams III and Amari K. Jones.
A Different Kind of Forever: In LA’s interconnected dating scene, situationships, near misses, and messy sparks collide… proving there are a million ways this can go, and almost none of them are forever. Written and directed by Alexis Rivera.
Crimson Mirage: When a supernatural drug harvests human energy for an ancient operation, a detective searching for his missing sister and the scientist who unknowingly built the machine must join forces to dismantle the network before it swallows the city whole. Written and directed by Courtney Arlett.
The 2026 American Black Film Fesitval takes place in Miami beginning May 27. A second cohort of microdrama selections will be announced in the fall.
