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Two Black women sit outside on a porch; the older woman in a brown patterned shirt gazes ahead while the younger woman next to her in a collared gingham tank looks down smiling.

Liz Here Now

  Sterling Macer Jr.  |  U.S.

Anchored by a commanding, powerhouse performance from Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Liz Here Now is a devastatingly poignant and deeply moving exploration of the unsung labor of Black womanhood and caretaking. Taylor stars as Liz, a devoted live-in caregiver in segregated 1960s America who jeopardizes her own safety to protect the children of a prominent white family from severe domestic dysfunction and violence. As the mother’s escalating physical and verbal abuse pushes the home to a breaking point, Liz steps in to confront the father, only to watch his polite veneer dissolve into hostility and leave her facing fierce retaliation for intervening.

Written and directed by Sterling Macer Jr., the film champions the enduring dynamic of Black women who have continually put themselves on the line across generations—from historical domestic labor to modern caretaking within white households.

 English 

 127 minutes

Screenings & Events

Screening

Sat, Oct 17 @ 7:30pm

at Logan Center, Performance Hall
Venue information...

Festival passes can be used for this screening.
Scheduled to Attend:
Director Sterling Macer, Jr.; producers Todd Connor, Jeremy Mann & Zachary Weil; writer Grant Nieporte; and actor Rachelle Lefevre

Screening & Tribute

Sat, Oct 24 @ 8:15pm

at AMC NEWCITY 14, Screen 06
Venue information...

Festival passes can NOT be used for this screening.
Scheduled to Attend:
Director Sterling Macer, Jr., producer Todd Connor, and actor Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor

Tribute to Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor

Sat, Oct 24 @ 8:15pm

at AMC NEWCITY 14, Screen 06
Venue information...

headshot: Aunjanue Ellis-TaylorAunjanue Ellis-Taylor will receive the Festival’s Tour de Force Award at a World Premiere Special Presentation of Sterling Macer, Jr.’s Liz Here Now, where she mesmerizes with a commanding, powerhouse performance as a devoted caregiver shielding two white children from domestic dysfunction in the 1960s.

Media

Film Credits

  • Grant Nieporte P.G.A., Sterling Macer Jr. P.G.A., Zachery Weil P.G.A., Todd Connor, Jeremy A. Mann
  • Grant Nieporte, Caleb G. Brown, Sterling Macer Jr.
  • Kyle McConaghy
  • Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Rachelle Lefevre, Ryan Wesley Gilreath, Brady Wagner, Cedric Mays, Aniela Zeig, Patrick Walker, Patrick Newson, Caisey Cole
  • Sean Renner
  • Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Bob Smiley, Doug McBride
  • humble picture company, Journey Media Productions, Clandestine Entertainment

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