2026 Finalist, Emerging Narrative Finalist

A Westside Love Story

Year: 2026

Runtime: 16 minutes 53 seconds

Synopsis:

Tatum, a Clark Atlanta student, and Zion, a non-binary Spelman filmmaker, cross paths at a local wing spot after their orders get mixed up. Stranded by a stolen bike and a missed shuttle, the two spend the night navigating surreal encounters, sharing dreams, and discovering an unexpected connection on their way back to campus.

Film Credits

Meet The Director:

Kerri Garrett is an award-winning filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist from Columbus, Ohio, based in Atlanta, Georgia. A proud Clark Atlanta University alum, her foundation in dance and acting informs her filmmaking, where she builds intimate, emotionally layered narratives rooted in Black life across the diaspora.
She is the director, lead, and co-choreographer of A Westside Love Story, a Gilead-supported film, and the co-writer and director of Bleached, winner of the 2025 NAACP Cinematic Shorts Competition. Her five-part dance film series Longshot: Atlanta was syndicated on REVOLT and TelfarTV. Her films have screened at festivals including the Pan African Film Festival and the Vancouver Queer Film Festival.
In 2025, she served as a GLAAD Ambassador at the American Black Film Festival and contributed to the development of the HIV Storytelling Playbook as a member of GLAAD’s Community Consulting Group. She is currently in post-production on Coolest Girls in the Country Club, executive produced by NAACP Studios.

Writer:

NOVA CYPRESS BLACK

Producer(s):

Tre Hazelwood and Morgan B Powell