Image: The Newark Museum of Art
The 52nd Newark Black Film Festival will end on August 5 with a special Michael B. Jordan Day screening of 'Sinners' at The Newark Museum of Art, followed by a closing toast. The event is scheduled for 6 to 10 pm and is listed as free with RSVP required.
Festival materials say the closing night is designed to honor Jordan’s ties to Newark and his work in film. The actor was raised in Newark and graduated from Newark Arts High School, according to the festival page. The event description identifies him as one of the city’s most celebrated cultural ambassadors and says the screening celebrates his contributions to film and his enduring connection to Newark.
'Sinners' is written and directed by Ryan Coogler and stars Jordan in dual roles as twin brothers who return to their hometown hoping to leave troubled pasts behind, only to encounter a powerful evil waiting for them. The festival’s event listing presents the film as the centerpiece of the closing-night program, with the post-screening toast set as a community gathering to mark the end of the 2026 edition.
The Newark Black Film Festival’s own schedule places the event at The Newark Museum of Art, 49 Washington Street in Newark. The museum’s website also lists the screening as part of its upcoming events calendar under the title 'Newark Black Film Festival screening Sinners (R) & From Newark, With Love: A NBFF Community Celebration & Closing Event.'
The festival’s broader programming this year spans multiple venues and audience groups. Earlier listings include a July 29 screening of Spike Lee’s 'School Daze' at Newark Symphony Hall, presented in partnership with that venue, and a Youth Cinema Series screening of 'The Secret Life of Pets' at The Newark Museum of Art on July 29, with another showing at Newark Public Library on August 1.
For the closing night, the festival notes that auditorium seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis and that overflow space will be provided once capacity is reached. The event page also lists the program as complimentary admission with RSVP required, and the closing toast is set to bring together filmmakers, artists, partners, and audiences who supported the festival’s 52nd year.
