The Ebony Canal earns Oscar-qualifying BronzeLens nomination

The Ebony Canal: A Story of Black Maternal & Infant Health has been nominated for Best Short Documentary at Atlanta’s BronzeLens Film Festival, with a screening set for Friday, Aug. 28 at the Tara Theatre. The film spotlights Black maternal and infant mortality, and the festival appearance gives it another push as audiences can vote for the Audience Award.

Why it matters: - The Ebony Canal turns Black maternal and infant mortality into a public-facing story at an Academy Award-qualifying festival. - The film aims to connect audiences to the health crisis affecting Black mothers and babies, while also pointing viewers toward community-based solutions. - A screening in Atlanta puts the film in front of festival audiences who can also help decide the Audience Award.

What happened: - The Ebony Canal: A Story of Black Maternal & Infant Health was nominated for Best Short Documentary at the 2026 BronzeLens Film Festival in Atlanta. - The film screens Friday, Aug. 28, at 1:30 p.m. at the Tara Theatre, 2345 Cheshire Bridge Road NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30324. - The screening will be followed by a moderated conversation on Black maternal and infant health. - LeToya Luckett-Coles will moderate the post-screening discussion.

The details: - BronzeLens is in its 17th year and is an Academy Award-qualifying festival in the short film category. - The festival features more than 150 official selections from 12 countries. - Audiences can vote for the film toward the festival’s Audience Award after the screening. - Tickets and festival passes are available at festival ticketing and BronzeLens. - The documentary features former Vice President Kamala Harris, Ms. Tina Knowles, birthFUND founder Elaine Welteroth, 4Kira4Moms founder Charles Johnson and actor Dr. Lamman Rucker. - Keke Palmer made creative contributions to the film. - The film follows four mothers — Mariah Peoples, Rachel Strader, Alana Yzola-Daly and Larissa Lane — from pregnancy through their babies’ first year. - Tina Knowles speaks in the film about her own birth experience and what she has seen other Black women face. - Knowles said storytelling helps spread the message and makes the issue more connected for audiences. - The film was produced by Ya Momz House, Inc. - Executive producers are Brenda Gilbert, Lekha Singh, Sanjay Rawal and Sam Reiman. - Original music was composed by Grammy-nominated Bud’da, Stephen Anderson.

Between the lines: - The film frames data as a lived experience, pairing maternal health statistics with personal stories from Black families. - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services data shows Black infants die before age 1 at twice the rate of infants nationwide. - Georgia recorded 874 infant deaths before first birthday in 2023. - CDC data shows Black mothers die from pregnancy-related causes at three times the rate of white mothers. - The film has already been positioned as an advocacy tool, with screenings at universities and community events alongside health organizations. - It won three honors at the 2026 Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase in May: Best Documentary, Best First-Time Director and Best Editing. - The Ebony Canal has also earned the 2026 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Short Form Documentary, two Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards, three Webby Awards and five Telly Awards.

What's next: - The Atlanta screening will continue the film’s festival run and audience engagement campaign. - The event is expected to feed local outreach by connecting viewers with birth workers and health advocates. - The film’s team said the goal is to keep building awareness around safer pregnancies and births for Black and Brown mothers and babies.

The bottom line: - The Ebony Canal is using award-season momentum to push a public health message that blends storytelling, data and advocacy.