EXCLUSIVE: BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions, the buzzy debut feature from artist and filmmaker Kahlil Joseph, is heading to cinemas across the U.S. as part of a wide theatrical release plan set by indie distributor Rich Spirit.
The film, which debuted at this year’s Sundance Film Festival before a series of much-talked-about screenings at the 2025 Berlinale, will play the New York and London Film Festivals in October before expanding into a U.S. theatrical rollout in select cities from November.
Adapted from Joseph’s seminal video art installation, which was shown at the Venice Biennale in 2019, the film interweaves fictional and historical characters in an immersive story that spans 247 years across land and sea. In its mix of fictional and documentary forms, the film is inspired by W.E.B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, Saidiya Hartman, and others thinkers, juxtaposing their ideas with archive material and images from YouTube, social media, film, television, and journalism. You can check out the first official teaser for the film above.
Joseph is the kinetic artist best known for his intellectually and emotionally dense installation works and music videos for artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Sampha, Flying Lotus, and Beyoncé, including the Emmy-nominated Lemonade. His gallery work has been shown everywhere from Tate Modern to Hammer Museum.
“This work was nurtured for years as an idea, an evolving installation. To bring it into theaters now feels necessary because the theater is where images breathe differently, where the exchange with an audience transforms them. Our partnership with Rich Spirit supports that independence and ensures the release of this film honors the brilliance of all who helped create it,” Joseph and producer Onye Anyanwu said of BLKNWS.
Rich Spirit is led by producer James Shani. The company produced and co-released Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice, which earned two Oscar nominations, three BAFTA nominations, three Independent Spirit Award nominations, two Golden Globe nominations, and was an Official Selection at both the 2024 Cannes and Telluride Film Festivals.
“Kahlil Joseph and his featured artists have created a cinematic experience that defies categorization, a film that plays like an album, thinks like an essay, and moves like jazz,” Shani said in a statement. “We’ve taken the time to carefully craft a release plan that reflects the urgency of Kahlil’s vision, giving audiences the opportunity to experience BLKNWS in community as more than a film.”
The film currently holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. We spoke with Joseph and Shani about the film out of Berlin. You can read that expansive discussion here and check out the teaser above.
