An authoritative and accessible resource for histories yet to be written

Welcome to the Black Film Center & Archive.

We are an archive of the future—carefully preserving and providing the material for new film histories and creative projects.

We are also a one-of-a-kind reparative archive, championing and centering the creativity of Black filmmakers, scholars, and collectors from around the country, around the world, and here in Bloomington, Indiana.

We’re a gateway to new ideas and new questions about Black film, grounded in the physical artifacts, papers, and ephemera that trace the histories of Black people’s contributions to cinema.

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A person holds their hand over a hand print on an antique artifact.

Make a discovery

Studio and independent movie posters, recordings of historic Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame events, letters about the origins of filmmaking in Africa—learn about some of the things you might find in our archives.

Or come visit us and uncover a new history.

Start browsing

Connecting people with collections

(Photo by James Broscher | IU Communications)
A collection of historic items in a glass display.
Two people stand in front of a historic film camera while holding up a film poster.
People sit at a table with microphones in front of them.
(Photo by Cyrille Gabrielle Phipps)
(Photo by Ja Quita Joy Roberts)
(Photo by Ja Quita Joy Roberts)
DVD cases arranged on a table.
Posters arranged on a table.
(Photo by Ja Quita Joy Roberts)
(Photo by Ja Quita Joy Roberts)
A person poses beside a glass display case.
Behind a row of chairs, two people pose in front of two movie posters.
Two people pose together.
People in separate congregations around an art gallery.
A person stands in front of a movie poster.

What we do, who we are

About

We are the only archive in the world that is solely dedicated to collecting, preserving, and making available historically and culturally significant films by and about Black people.

The Center

We promote the exploration of the history, present, and future of Black cinema through screenings, presentations by visiting scholars, and more.

The Archive

Learn what is available to researchers in our archives, and what you need to know in order to use them.

Explore our collections

From the personal papers of significant filmmakers to historic moments in Black cinema, learn about our special and general collections.

Black cinema studies at IU

The BFCA‘s involvement in campus events, publications, and curriculum that center Black cinema and media studies at IU.

Ways to give

How to support the BFCA with a financial gift or significant material donation to our archive.