Chris Vognar

Elvis Mitchell always hated the term "blacklist." Why does it have to be black, like so many other negative phrases?

So consider The Black List his rebuttal.

The idea is simple. Photographer-director Timothy Greenfield-Sanders filmed an assortment of African-American luminaries, including Colin Powell, Toni Morrison and Chris Rock. Mr. Mitchell, his voice and face off-camera, interviewed them about their lives and experiences.

For Mr. Mitchell, a former critic at The New York Times and host of the movie radio show The Treatment, the process was full of revelations. He was humbled when Ms. Morrison began their first meeting by saying she was an Elvis Mitchell fan.

And he got to purge the childhood trauma inflicted by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

"When I was a kid, the first game Kareem played was against the Pistons, my home team," Mr. Mitchell said in an interview. "It was thrilling and heartbreaking simultaneously, watching him mop up the court with them. So I got to ask him about that."

Another heart broken by the sky hook. The Black List will air on HBO later this year.

DETAILS: The Black List screens tonight at 8:15 at the Magnolia.

Today at AFI

•Booker T. Washington Showcase –Short-film selection from the Dallas performing arts school. 12:15 p.m., Angelika

•Assassination of a High School President –SAT scandal and other shenanigans at a lofty school. Mischa Barton and Bruce Willis star in

this nuevo spin on noir. 7:30 p.m., Magnolia

•Stuck –Pulpy horror take on the infamous Fort Worth windshield killing. 10:15 p.m., Angelika

The festival runs through April 6. For a complete schedule and ticket information, go to afidallas.com or call 214-720-0555.