The American Black Film Festival officially returned to Miami Beach as part of a five-day celebration of Black filmmakers in both TV and movies.
Set to go on until June 15, the American Black Film Festival is expected to draw more than 7,000 attendees to the area. Panels will be held with celebrities such as Gabrielle Union, Ashanti, Blair Underwood, Tyson Beckford, KiKi Layne and Chris Paul, who are expected to make an appearance at the event.
The festival will also have networking parties for attendees alongside movie screenings. Movies that will be screened in the upcoming days include “Deadly Visitor,” “Old Gray Mare,” “Fight Like a Girl,” “Carnival: They Can’t Steal Our Joy” and “Come Together.”
The American Black Film Festival will officially conclude this year with an ABFF Community Day. As part of the community day, screenings of “Trouble Man,” “The Reject,” and “Wednesdays With Gramps” will be held.
Master classes will also be available for attendees. Black entertainment leaders such as Randall Dottin, the Chair of the New York Film Academy Screenwriting Department, and actor Patrice DeGraff Arenas are scheduled to teach about screenwriting and acting, respectively.
“We’re excited to return to Miami Beach with an inspiring lineup of cultural icons and changemakers for this year’s Talk Series, Spotlight Screenings, and the debut of BOB Talks,” said NICE CROWD President Nicole Friday per a statement. “Short for Black Owned Brands, BOB Talks celebrates Black entrepreneurship and the visionary founders behind standout consumer products. From film and TV to music, sports, and now business innovation, these conversations remain one of the most impactful parts of the ABFF experience.”
Created in 1997, the American Black Film Festival was conceptualized by founders Jeff Friday, Byron E. Lawis and Warrington Hudlin who wanted to create an event that represented Black filmmakers in the industry. The roots of the event stemmed from a lack of diversity Friday noticed when he attended a major industry film festival.
Since its inception, the American Black Film Festival has been recognized for its efforts in helping Black creatives launch their careers in the entertainment industry. Its significance has also been recognized by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
The festival’s work comes as a majority of Hollywood continues to be dominated by white individuals. According to a UCLA report, only 0.9% of all theatrical film directors are Black, compared to 80% of white directors. The disparities continued to exist among theatrical film writers, as no Black writers participated in writing a theatrical release in 2024.
In comparison, 91.5% of all writers working on theatrical films were white.
“Through a range of talent showcases and pipeline programs, the festival has supported countless actors, writers, and directors, often when they were still relatively unknown, and introduced them to the broader industry,” said leaders at the American Black Film Festival. “As a result, the festival has become a beacon of opportunity, empowering diverse voices and reshaping representation in film and television.”
