Festivals, Fairs & Special Events
Black Harvest Film Festival: TRY A LITTLE TENDERNESS November 13, 2026
November 13 | TRY A LITTLE TENDERNESS considers love not as romance alone, but as a sustained practice of care. Across families, friendships, neighborhoods, and diasporic communities, these films illuminate the quiet acts of devotion that bind people to one another. Through caregiving, cultural preservation, sacrifice, humor, grief, and remembrance, they reveal tenderness as a quiet but enduring form of resilience. Spanning intimate narratives and richly observed portraits from across the Black diaspora, the program asks how love is carried, inherited, and continually renewed across generations. Together, these works affirm that care is not merely an emotion, but a practice of survival, stewardship, and collective flourishing.
Preceded by The Big Picture Party in the Siskel Film Center Cafe, hosted by the Black Harvest Community Council.
2025–2026, USA, Brazil, UK, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, 116 min. | In English and various languages with English subtitles | Format: Digital
General Admission – $15.50
Group Rate – $11.50 (Groups can save $4 off per ticket – minimum of 15 guests required)
Celebrating its 32nd year in 2026, the Black Harvest Film Festival is Chicago’s annual showcase for Black film across the diaspora. Born from an urgent need to celebrate the Black experience, the Black Harvest Film Festival unites filmmakers and audiences to showcase the power of Black cinema. This annual festival highlights emerging and established talents and historical narratives, enriching the landscape of Black culture. The festival curates both short and feature length films, proudly presenting influential auteurs and emerging filmmakers of color side by side.
The film festival will be held at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Gene Siskel Film Center November 6–15, 2026.
Festival passes and individual tickets are available for purchase. Audiences additionally can choose from two Festival pass options:
Opening Night plus five screenings: $80 general public / $55 members
Six regular screenings: $60 general public / $36 members
