A star-studded line-up headed to South Beach last week for the 17th Annual American Black Film Festival, (not to be overshadowed by the Miami Heat’s NBA Finals win!) for a display of emerging talent, dynamic workshops and spectacular films. The annual festival featured documentaries, short films, features and the first ever trailer festival and I was there to check out all the chaos!
Star talent included Nick Cannon who sat on the “Diversity…It’s just good Business” panel, Nia Long, Morris Chestnut, Sanaa Lathan and Malcolm D. Lee who joined together to discuss the upcoming “The Best Man Holiday” and their perspectives on reuniting over a decade later. Regina King and Spike Lee offered keynote addresses sharing their infinite experiences in the film world and perspectives on the future of hollywood. Check out my report card round-up of the weekend!
Best Panels/Workshops:
A Conversation with Regina King: Ms. King is one of the most beloved actresses of this era and has boasted a lifelong career traversing Hollywood and portraying a breadth of characters. The audience was delighted to hear from Regina at this intimate keynote address. A+ (We just love her!)
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“The Artists Vision: Cultural Criticism and the Filmmaker’s Voice” with Spike Lee: Legendary director Spike Lee challenges the portrayals of Blacks in films and the lack of growth of African-Americans behind the scenes of Hollywood. B+ (we’ve heard this all before, how do we fix it?)
Favorite Films:
I cannot speak more highly about the delicate and powerful documentary “Homegoings,” (written and directed by Christine Turner) which won the CNN Films and Best Documentary award. The story of the funeral director Isaiah Owens and his life long commitment to caring for the dead was a stirring and emotionally charged look at life and death, and the burial rituals that are so deeply rooted in the African-American community. A+
“Through A Black Lens” contest winner film “Good Morning: The Dream of Sean Jones,” directed by Coodie and Chike. The nine minute silent-short film provided a thought provoking perspective about wearing “the everyday mask.” The directors choice to use hands painted in to faces to represent the mask created a striking visual and the inspired theme resonated with anyone who desires to pursue their passions and make their dreams a reality. A- (only because I wanted more).
Best Film Premiere:
The festival closed with a starr-studded red carpet premier of Kevin Hart’s hilarious “Let Me Explain.” Newly cemented champions Dwayne Wade & Lebron James showed up to support the larger than life comedian in his latest endeavor. Check out the gallery from the premiere below. A
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Best Corporate Sponsors:
Cadillac: Those air conditioned rides to and from the theaters were beyond clutch! Totally loved their organic product integration and the drivers were lovely! A (I would have loved to ride in different types of caddies’).
Nickelodeon: Super impressed by Nickelodeon’s commitment diversity and the high-quality panels they presented. ”How to Pitch a Series” was really dynamic, I hear the diversity panel was top notch and I aboslutely adored meeting the voiceover artists of color at “The Art of Voiceover”. A+ (Never knew Nickelodeon was so diversity inclusive).
Things I missed: I must confess, I missed the HBO Shorts because the NBA Finals Game 7 was on. I blame Spurs for losing game 6 for forcing my hand on this one. But the buzz around the festival was that “A Different Tree” and “Sweet Honey Child” were absolutely stunning. I also heard the feature narrative film “Sable Fable” was amazing, but the Miami sun made that one impossible to catch as well. F (Personal Failures On My Behalf)
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