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When Malcolm Smiled

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A short film that reimagines Malcolm X's visit to Ghana in May 1964. Produced/Directed by Muhammida El Muhajir for @waxprintmedia

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WHEN MALCOLM SMILED: AN OAKLAND FAMILY REUNION 🎬✊🏾

Our Oakland screening of, When Malcolm Smiled @malcolmsmiled at Air Temple Art Space @airtempleartspace felt like a family reunion, bringing friends, family, artists, and community together through film, archival memory, and shared history.

The evening featured a special reading by Marvin X, a co-founder of the Black Arts Movement West, from his book In the Crazy House. He reflected on Malcolm X’s influence on him and his fellow Merritt College students, Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale, who went on to found the Black Panther Party.

The timing was especially significant as Oakland celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Black Panther Party that same weekend. A powerful reminder of Malcolm X’s enduring influence on generations of artists, activists, and revolutionaries.

Filmmaker Muhammida El Muhajir also shared reflections on living in Ghana and the inspiration behind the film, which revisits Malcolm X’s historic visit to Ghana in May 1964.

Special thanks to resident artist, Fresh Dot Daily @freshdotdaily for hosting us at Air Temple Art Space, an artist collective bringing creativity and community together.

Thank you, Oakland, for making this gathering so meaningful. ❤️

#WhenMalcolmSmiled #MalcolmX #BlackArtsMovement #BlackPantherParty #Oakland #BlackCinema #PanAfricanism by @malcolmsmiled

🎬 When Malcolm Smiled | Screening & Director Talk - Dionne Warwick Theater, Bowie State University

An incredible way to close out Aesthetic Inheritance: Art, Archive, and African American Life, a three-day symposium exploring African American art, archives, memory, and historical documentation.

On the final day, When Malcolm Smiled screened alongside The Labor/The Luxury, directed by Nia Hampton @glowingpainstudio. We then joined the conversation Moving Memories: A Dialogue on Cinema, moderated by Bowie State Professor Ogechi Chieke, to reflect on film, memory, and the stories we preserve.

Grateful to share this space with the artists, scholars, cultural workers, and community members who made this gathering so meaningful.

Thank you to the hosts and sponsors, @bannekerdouglasstubmanmuseum, Terra Foundation for American Art @terraamericanart and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. @dstinc1913, and co-organizers Build Serve Unite at Bowie State University and the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture.

Cinema is more than storytelling. It is a way of preserving memory, documenting history, and keeping our stories alive. ✊🏾

#WhenMalcolmSmiled #AestheticInheritance #BlackCinema #AfricanAmericanHistory #FilmAndMemory by @malcolmsmiled

Bay Area Fam! Join us for a screening of When Malcolm Smiled, the short film that reimagines Malcolm X's transformative 1964 trip to Ghana.

Followed by a post-screening discussion with Black Arts Movement West co-founder, Marvin X and director Muhammida El Muhajir exploring the legacy of artists as activists.

Friday, October 16, 6pm.
Air Temple Art Space @airtempleartspace -
236 2nd St, Oakland, CA, 94607

#oakland by @malcolmsmiled

Our @cannes_fifi Best Actor Award featured in the News!

@africadotcom @ameyaw112 @ameyawtv @joy997fm @netbuzzafrica

Thank you Ernest Dinku Jr. for a job well done portraying Malcolm X (not an easy task) and to our cinematographers @twinsdntbeg for capturing the story with such beauty.

#repost @that.spiffy.dynx by @malcolmsmiled

"The highest honor of my life was an audience with Kwame Nkrumah in Ghana." -- Malcolm X

Today Ghana celebrates Founder's Day, a day to commemorate the birthday and legacy of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah

May our heroes forever Rest in Power!

Brother Malcolm X with his children before a drawing of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah by @malcolmsmiled

Our short film, When Malcolm Smiled was honored at the 2026 Festival International du Film & Inclusion (Cannes FIFI), in Cannes, France, where lead actor Ernest Dinku Jr. received the Best Actor Award for his portrayal of Malcolm X.

From the very beginning, we wanted to honor a side of Malcolm X that is often overlooked: his iconic style, impeccable tailoring, quiet confidence, and unmistakable elegance. His presence was as powerful as his words.

That vision is what led us to Ernest. As a fashion designer, content creator, and influencer, he embodies the classic style, poise, and authenticity we knew were essential to bringing Malcolm to life on screen. His performance captured not only Malcolm's look, but also his humanity.

This recognition is well deserved. Congratulations, Ernest. Here's to many more milestones ahead.
Swipe to see some of Ernest's most stylish looks and the timeless fashion sensibility that made him the perfect choice to portray Malcolm X.

#WhenMalcolmSmiled #MalcolmX #CannesFIFI #BestActor #IndependentFilm #BlackCinema #fashioninfluencer by @malcolmsmiled

While in Cannes, we had the pleasure of hosting a post-screening dinner during the Cannes FIFI International Festival @cannes_fifi @africausaint_filmfestival, bringing the vibrant flavors of Africa to guests from around the world—including Italy, Morocco, South Africa, Martinique, France, UK, and the USA.

The evening brought together filmmakers, creatives, and members of the festival jury and team, including Luis Bouillon Baker, the son of the legendary Josephine Baker. Le Dîner Africain was a beautiful celebration of culture, storytelling, and creative connection across borders.

When Malcolm Smiled features a dinner scene that serves as a powerful moment where different worlds come together through food and shared experience. With Le Dîner Africain, we had the opportunity to bring that art to life—creating a space where conversations, cultures, and communities could connect around the table. From private dinners in Philadelphia and Accra to now Cannes, this vision continues to travel, bringing people together one meal at a time.

To make the evening even more special, the dinner was hosted at Le Cocotte Riviera @lecocotteriviera, an African woman-owned establishment serving incredible West African cuisine. Every dish was unforgettable.

#CannesFIFI #LeDinerAfricain #AfricanCuisine #WestAfricanFood #CannesFilmFestival #CreativeCommunity #CulturalExchange #WomenOwnedBusiness #WhenMalcolmSmiled by @malcolmsmiled

This week we'll be screening at the Cannes International Film & Inclusion Festival @cannes_fifi

Join us for the screening on Saturday, 20th June followed by a private dinner hosted by @waxprintmedia as well as a Power Walk for creatives on Sunday 21st.

Want to join us? Comment "Cannes" and we'll share the details.

#cannes #cannesfilmfestival #shortfilm #indiefilm #whenmalcolmsmiled by @malcolmsmiled

We're headed to France as an Official Selection for the Africa USA International Film Festival in Cannes! June 17-21 @africausaint_filmfestival @cannes_fifi

The Cannes Fifi 2026 Theme: UBUNTU: One Humanity, One Planet – Peace, Living Memory & Tribute to Veterans (USA, Africa, Europe)

#cannes #filmfestival #cannesfifi #whenmalcolmsmiled by @malcolmsmiled

From director Muhammida El Muhajir:

Today would have been Malcolm X's 101st birthday!

This is my favorite picture of our great hero and ancestor. It was taken during his trip to Lagos, Nigeria at a reception held in his honor.

I had never seen a photo of him were he looked so relaxed and comfortable (even blushing lol!). This is the image that inspired my short film, When Malcolm Smiled.

In this film, I reimagined Malcolm's trip to West Africa ( Ghana and Nigeria) as a time when he was able to shed the shroud and heaviness of battle and finally ...smile.

If you have not yet seen the short film, use the discount code MX101 at link in bio to stream.

Rest in Power King.

#malcolmx by @malcolmsmiled

Happy 69th Independence Day Ghana!

When Malcolm Smiled is not only homage to our great fallen leader, Malcolm X, but also a love letter to Ghana.

Kwame Nkrumah branded the country "the gateway to Africa," declaring that its independence was meaningless without the total liberation of the entire continent (and Diaspora).

#ghana #ghanaindependenceday #malcolmx #kwamenkrumah #shortfilm by @malcolmsmiled

It was truly a wonderful experience screening When Malcolm Smiled in DC at Sankofa Books, not only because it was a chance to remember Malcolm X on the anniversary of his passng but also because Sankofa is owned by legendary filmmaker, Haile Gerima.

I took my first ever screenwriting course with Prof Gerima back in my freshman year at Howard University and reflected on how much his course has impacted me as a writer and filmmaker.

@sankofadc
@hailegerima
@howard1867
@malcolmsmiled

#malcolmx #hailegerima. #sankofabookstore #africanfilm #filmmaker by @malcolmsmiled