Milwaukee Film’s Black History Month series spotlights Afrofuturism titles at the Oriental Theatre in February

A month of screenings built around Afrofuturism and Black creators

Milwaukee Film is marking Black History Month with a curated slate of movies by Black creators and Black-led storytelling through a program built around Afrofuturism, a genre that blends speculative futures with elements of Black history and culture.

The series, titled Afrofuturism: Fates Beyond Fiction, is presented through Milwaukee Film’s Black Lens initiative and is scheduled at the historic Oriental Theatre. The lineup includes a mix of contemporary titles and earlier touchstones of the genre, creating a monthlong pathway through different eras and styles of Black speculative filmmaking.

What’s on the schedule

The program is organized as a set of one-night screenings across February, anchored by a double feature and followed by four individual titles. Milwaukee Film lists the following dates and times:

• Feb. 7, 2026: Afrofuturism Double Feature (7 p.m.)
• Feb. 12, 2026: Sorry to Bother You (7:30 p.m.)
• Feb. 14, 2026: Space Is the Place (7 p.m.)
• Feb. 19, 2026: Nope (7 p.m.)
• Feb. 21, 2026: Blade (7 p.m.)

How the series is framed by Milwaukee Film’s programming approach

Milwaukee Film’s Black Lens programming has emphasized that Black filmmaking spans many genres and geographies, and that Black History Month programming does not have to be limited to a single tone or a single type of historical narrative. In that context, Afrofuturism provides a framework that can accommodate satire, horror, music-driven experimentation, and superhero filmmaking while still connecting to themes of identity, power, and cultural memory.

Afrofuturism is commonly described as speculative storytelling that merges science fiction and fantasy with Black history and lived experience.

By placing films with different audiences and reputations on a single calendar—from a recent Jordan Peele feature to an earlier cult classic like Space Is the Place—the series positions Afrofuturism as both a continuing tradition and a flexible set of cinematic tools.

Broader February programming at the Oriental Theatre

Alongside the Black History Month series, Milwaukee Film’s February calendar at the Oriental includes additional programming blocks. The organization has also scheduled entries in its ongoing In Memoriam series throughout the month, adding titles such as Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair and BlacKkKlansman. Milwaukee Film has also listed encore screenings of the documentary Natchez on Feb. 14 and Feb. 15.

Ticketing and showtime details are published through Milwaukee Film’s official calendar. The Afrofuturism series is structured so viewers can attend a single title or follow the full run across multiple dates.