Leave it to Boston’s MFA, that bastion of conscious programming, to showcase not one, but two film series this month with multicultural bents. The largest New England film festival dedicated to celebrating films about, by, and for people of color, RIFF, enters its 16th year with a solid lineup of recent efforts plus a few gems from years past. THE LIFE AND CRIMES OF DORIS PAYNE (2013) opens the fest with a searing, suspenseful look at the 1950s housewife who became the unlikeliest of jewel thieves. Catch this documentary – which plays like a taut, character-driven thriller – before the inevitable fictionalized version appears; its directors will be on hand following the screening to hash out more about Doris’ secret life. Later in the week, films of note include THE FADE (2013) an observational documentary about Afro barbers and, closing out the festival, LIFT (2001), a sleeper crime drama starring a pre-fame Kerry Washington.

– Jon Meyer

THE ROXBURY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
6/25 – 6/29

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Avenue of the Arts
465 Huntington Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02115