
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images; Amanda Edwards/WireImage; Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Happy October, folks!
A few hours into the month, and things are shaping up nicely for black filmgoers.
One of the most buzzed-about releases is Nate Parker’s The Birth of a Nation, the harrowing film about Nat Turner's rebellion, focusing on themes of freedom and resistance. But if you’re not into Parker, the rumors surrounding him or another slave film, you’ve got options. Can you say “Ava DuVernay”?
Yes, you've heard correctly. The 13th, a documentary directed by Ava DuVernay, focuses on the criminalization of blacks in America and is set to premiere Oct. 7. For the dramatist, there’s Moonlight, a film by Barry Jenkins that explores themes of love, identity and masculinity.
For those who need a bit of levity in their lives, there’s Kevin Hart: What Now?—which is essentially 90 minutes of Hart and his stand-up shenanigans. Where's the popcorn? Guaranteed to be a classic in a black-comedic-stand-up kind of way. For the Madea fan, assuming that they still exist, there’s Boo! A Madea Halloween! Yes, really. No judgment.
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Did you know that a documentary about the incomparable Maya Angelou, which was co-directed by Rita Coburn Whack, a black woman, will be released this month? Indeed, the film is set to hit theaters Oct. 14.
Here are some of the black film folks you can enjoy in front of and behind the camera this October.
Felice León is multimedia editor at The Root.
Ava DuVernay, Director

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Upcoming film: The 13th
Release date: Oct. 7 (Netflix)
Omar Sy, Actor

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Upcoming film: Inferno
Release date: Oct. 28
Andre Holland, Actor

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Upcoming film: Moonlight
Release date: Oct. 21
Trevante Rhodes, Actor

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Upcoming film: Moonlight
Release date: Oct. 21
Mahershala Ali, Actor

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Upcoming film: Moonlight
Release date: Oct. 21
Gregory Alan Williams, Actor

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Upcoming film: The Accountant
Release date: Oct. 14
Retta, Actress-Comedian

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Upcoming film: Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life
Release date: Oct. 7
Gabrielle Union, Actress

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Upcoming film: The Birth of a Nation
Release date: Oct. 7
Dwight Henry, Actor

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Upcoming film: The Birth of a Nation
Release date: Oct. 7
Colman Domingo, Actor

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Upcoming film: The Birth of a Nation
Release date: Oct. 7
Rita Coburn Whack, Director

Ernesto Di Stefano Photography/Getty Images for Bentonville Film Festival
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Upcoming film: Maya Angelou and Still I Rise
Release date: Oct. 14
Kevin Hart, Actor-Comedian

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Upcoming film: Kevin Hart: What Now?
Release date: Oct. 14
Tyler Perry, Actor-Producer-Director

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Upcoming film: Boo! A Madea Halloween!
Release date: Oct. 21
Cassi Davis, Actress

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Upcoming film: Boo! A Madea Halloween!
Release date: Oct. 21
Patrice Lovely, Actress

Josh Brasted/Getty Images for OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network
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Upcoming film: Boo! A Madea Halloween!
Release date: Oct. 21
Barry Jenkins, Director

Anita Zvonar Photography/WireImage
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Upcoming film: Moonlight
Release date: Oct. 21
Naomie Harris, Actress

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Upcoming film: Moonlight
Release date: Oct. 21
Janelle Monáe, Actress-Singer

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Upcoming film: Moonlight
Release date: Oct. 21