The People’s Film Festival (TPFF), presented by The People’s Media, Music & Arts Foundation, announced today that “Can We Kick It?”

A documentary directed by Akbar Majeed will open the 15th Annual People’s Film Festival, along with 3 additional independent short films, on Thursday, May 28, 2026, in Harlem, NY, at the AMC Magic Johnson Theater. 

Can We Kick It? Is a feature documentary exploring the disconnect between Black communities in the United States and the world’s most popular sport — soccer.  Through the voices of coaches, players, and community builders, the film examines how access, infrastructure, and perception have shaped who participates in the game and who is left out. Blending cultural context with lived experience, the story looks beyond the field to uncover the systemic and social factors influencing visibility and pathways into the sport.  As the United States moves toward World Cup 2026, the film asks a timely question: what would it take to build a soccer culture that truly reflects the communities around it?

“Can We Kick It? is personal for me, says director Akbar Majeed, who played soccer in his youth. “ However, like a lot of kids in urban communities, I eventually shifted toward more visible sports like basketball as I got older. Soccer just wasn’t as present around me culturally”. Majeed stated that years later, after traveling internationally, he saw how different the game looked around the world — how grassroots and accessible it really is, which pushed him toward doing deeper work in this space. His background is in social work and community development, so he approached this film by looking beyond the game itself and focusing on access, structure, perception, and opportunity — especially in Black communities in the U.S.  “This isn’t just a sports story — it’s a cultural one”.  

The People’s Film Festival kicks off May 28, 2026, and will run through May 30, 2026.