Winner - Audience Choice Award, Best Documentary Feature, Chicago International Film Festival 2023

Turning science fiction into science fact and forever redefining what "the right stuff" looks like, this exploration of the experiences of the first Black astronauts through decades is a reflective illumination on the burden of breaking barriers.

Hear stories of Black astronauts seeking to break the bonds of social injustice to reach for the stars, including Guion Bluford, Ed Dwight and Charles Bolden. In The Space Race, directors Diego Hurtado de Mendoza and Lisa Cortés profile the pioneering Black pilots, scientists and engineers who joined NASA to serve their country in space, even as their country failed to achieve equality for them back on Earth.

From 1963, when the assassination of JFK thwarted Captain Ed Dwight’s quest to reach the moon, to 2020, when the echoes of the civil unrest sparked by the killing of George Floyd reached the International Space Station, the story of African Americans at NASA is a tale of world events colliding with the aspirations of uncommon men.

The bright dreams of Afrofuturism become reality in The Space Race, giving us new heroes to celebrate and a fresh history to explore.

The Space Race also has a relaxed screening on Sunday, February 4. Relaxed screenings offer a sensory friendly environment for those in the neuro-diverse community or for anyone who may benefit from a more informal viewing atmosphere.

Tickets: $15 | FREE for members! Under 25? Get your FREE Bronze membership

Black History Month: Join us through February for a collection of documentaries and events sharing Black stories and elevating Black storytellers.