On Sunday, Feb. 22, the anthology Three Colors: Pan-African, which was co-directed and executive produced by Elijah Davis (Film/Video BFA 24) had world premiere at the 2026 Slamdance Festival in Los Angeles.
The film draws inspiration from the Pan-African flag to tell three interconnected stories about Black existence in Los Angeles. Davis directed the first section, RED, subtitled Black Men Don’t Cry, in which a star college athlete must fight to get back on the field after a possible career-ending injury.
Starlit, a 10-minute animated short by Shannon Lee (Film/Video MFA 17), also had its world premiere at this year’s fest. The short, which is about teenage girls who sneak out after dark to meet aliens, is paired with a feature by Kate Cobb (Film/Video 25), BRB.
Also screening during the fest is the animated short Busy Bodies by Kate Renshaw-Lewis (Film BFA 21). The hand-drawn 6-minute short, which screened at Sundance 2026, was inspired by the intricate absurdity of Rube Goldberg machines. It features tiny workers processing an endless supply of fish under the kitchen sink as a pair of giant hands supervises.
In addition to the festival selections, Erick Oh (Film/Video MFA 10) served as a member of the 2026 Slamdance jury in the Short Animation, Experimental and 99 Specials categories. An Academy Award–nominated filmmaker and former Pixar animator, Oh is currently based in San Francisco and Seoul, South Korea.
Although the in-person festival ends on Feb. 25, the films are available to watch virtually through March 6 on the Slamdance Channel.
