Black Barbie CT Premiere at NHdocs Gala Opening at New Haven Museum

New Haven, Conn. (September 25, 2023) –The Connecticut premiere of the new documentary, “Black Barbie: A Documentary,” will take place at the New Haven Museum during the gala opening of the 2023 New Haven Documentary Film Festival (NHdocs) on Thursday, October 12, 2023, at 6 p.m. Peabody-nominated “Black Barbie” Co-Producer Aaliyah Williams will attend. The event is co-sponsored by Best Video Film & Cultural Center. Tickets are available here.

NHdocs Executive Director/Programmer Gorman Bechard notes “Black Barbie” is a great film that is timely, important, and tied into the biggest movie of the year. The documentary offers insight into how the first Black Barbie doll came to be. During the film, Director Lagueria Davis takes audiences on a journey with her aunt, Beulah Mae Mitchell, who suggested the doll during her 45-year stint at Mattel. The film follows the development of the doll to today, when representation for Black women is still severely lacking.

Bechard says, “We started by screening only four films in our first year, and now we’re at over 100 for 2023.” He adds, “We’ve developed a world-class film festival to celebrate the love of filmmaking and film viewing.” Within its first decade the festival has developed a solid fan base. Organizers are expecting 3,000-4,000 attendees over 11 days.

New Haven Museum Director of Photo Archives Jason Bischoff-Wurstle notes “NHdocs is one of the best things going on in the city, and it’s an honor and privilege to welcome their opening-night audience to the New Haven Museum.”

In addition to the gala opening at New Haven Museum, NHdocs will offer a host of screenings and related events. The festival also includes a student competition, sponsored by the Connecticut Department of Film, Television & Digital media. The program has been expanded to included middle school, high school and college students.

For the complete schedule of both live and online screenings, workshops, musical performances, and ticket information visit: www.NHdocs.org.