Mark you calendars! The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) will take place this June 19-23, 2013 in Miami Beach, Florida. With over fifteen world premieres, the ABFF is renowned for showcasing preeminent cinematic content and this year’s slate of films will prove no exception. The Festival will screen artful and diversified feature films, shorts and documentaries with broad thematic elements.
About the upcoming festival, Jeff Friday, ABFF Founder and CEO of Film Life, Inc. states:
We are excited to be at seventeen years and counting. We are steadfast in our commitment to support aspiring filmmakers, leading them to opportunities that will hopefully help them to build rewarding careers.
OPENING FILM: The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete
Directed by George Tillman, Jr.
Co-executive produced by Alicia Keys
Cast: Skylan Brooks, Ethan Dizon, Jordin Sparks, Jeffrey Wright , Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje with Anthony Mackie and Jennifer Hudson
The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete is a coming of age story about two boys trying to survive the summer in their Brooklyn housing projects without parental supervision.
CLOSING FILM: Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain
Starring actor and comedian Kevin Hart (Think Like A Man, BET’s “Real Husbands of Hollywood”), the film captures Hart’s Madison Square Garden comedy tour performance.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT SCREENING
Fruitvale Station
Directed by Ryan Coogler
Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Octavia Spencer
Coogler was the winner of the prestigious HBO Short Film Competition at ABFF for his film, Fig. Fruitvale Station is his directorial debut about the final day of 22-year-old Oscar Grant, who was infamously shot to death by a BART transit police officer in the early hours of New Year’s Day, 2008. It’s set for theatrical release in July 2013.
In the Meantime
World premiere of In the Meantime written by the 2012 UP’s (formerly known as gmc TV) screenplay competition winner Nzinga Kadalie Kemp tells the story of A bride-to-be who gives her fiancé “creative” freedom before their wedding day, but ends up finding faith and the meaning of true love in the meantime.
Directed by Roger Bobb
Cast: Kali Hawk, Darrin Dewitt Henson, Terri J. Vaughn, Musiq Soulchild
‘Inevitable’ Clip
‘Fruitvale’ Trailer
Kevin Hart Trailer
NARRATIVE COMPETITION
Feature-length films in this section compete for the ABFF’s Grand Jury prizes for Best Screenplay, Best Actor , Best Director and Best Film.
The Magic City, World Premiere
Written, produced and directed by R. Malcolm Jones
Cast: Jennifer Lewis, Keith David, Jamie Hector and introducing Latrice Jackson, LaShay Jackson and Amiya Thomas
Sable Fable, World Premiere
Written, produced and directed by Stephen Lloyd Jackson
Cast: James Williams, Nicole Hartley, Sheila Nortley, Jasmine Munting, Daniel Bailey,
Alex Marx, Stephen Lloyd Jackson and Lily Joseph
The Suspect, World Premiere
Written and directed by Stuart Connelly, Produced by Scott Aronson
Cast: Mekhi Phifer, William Sadler, Sterling K. Brown, James McCaffrey and Rebecca Creskoft
Things Never Said
Written, produced and directed by Charles Murray
Cast: Omari Hardwick, Shanola Hampton and Elimu Nelson
‘The Magic City’
‘Things Never Said’
‘The Suspect’
CNN FILMS DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Nonfiction films in this section compete for the Best Documentary Award,
Children of the Wind
Director: Daphne Schmon
Producer: Robert McCormick
Narrator: Gbenga Akinnagbe
Homegoings
Produced and directed by Christine Turner
The Sunflower County Freedom Project, World Premiere
Produced and directed by Carmen L. Scott
HBO SHORT FILM COMPETITION
Five emerging filmmakers compete for the HBO Short Film Award.
The Adventures of Edison Jean, World Premiere
Written and directed by Edson Jean
Black Girl in Paris, World Premiere
Written and directed by Kiandra Parks
A Different Tree, World Premiere
Written and directed by Steven Caple Jr.
Stone Cars, World Premiere
Written and directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green
Sweet Honey Child, World Premiere
Co-written and directed by Talibah Newman
WORLD SHOWCASE
A non-competitive showcase of feature-length films.
Full Circle, World Premiere
Written, produced and directed by Solvan Naim
Cast: Rob Morgan, Solvan Naim, Eden Marryshow, Celestine Rae, Kelvin Hale and Devale Ellis
Home, World Premiere
Written and directed by Jono Oliver, Produced by Jono Oliver, Daniela Barbosa and Ged Dickersin
Cast: Gbenga Akinnagbe, Joe Morton, Fawny Cypress and Victor Williams
Home Again
Written by Jennifer Holness and David Sudz Sutherland, Directed by Sudz Sutherland, Produced by
Jennifer Holness, Don Carmody and Anita Lee
Cast: Tatyana Ali, Lyriq Bent, Stephan James, Fefe Dobson, Richard Chevolleau, Paul Campbell and CCH Pounder
Monica, World Premiere
Written and directed by Gregory Carter Produced by Datari Turner
Cast: Omari Hardwick, Ali Cobrin, Mariel Hemingway, James Remar, Lynn Whitfield, Robert Hoffman, Datari Turner, Briana Evigan and Obba Babatunde
Newlyweeds
Written and directed by Shaka King, Produced by Michael Matthews, Jim Wareck, Gbenga Akinnagbe and Shaka King
Cast: Amari Cheatom, Trae Harris, Tone Tank, Colman Domingo and Hassan Johnson
‘Homegoings’
‘Home Again’
‘Roomieloverfriends’
ABFF WEBISODE CHALLENGE
A showcase of short form content created for distribution on the Internet and other digital platforms. Three finalists compete for the ABFF Webisode Award.
The Couple: The Moo Moo
Written by Jeanine Daniels, Directed by Dennis Dortch
Roomieloverfriends
Written by Dennis Dortch and Numa Perrier, Directed by Dennis Dortch
Unwritten Rules
Written by Kim Williams, Directed by Natasha “Tash” Gray
FREE COMMUNITY SCREENINGS
Playin’ for Love, World Premiere
Written and directed by Robert Townsend
Shot in Miami and utilizing local talent, Playin’ For Love is a romantic comedy that centers on the head coach of a high school basketball team and a single mother who are ultimately responsible for a reversal of fortune for the team’s future.
“Films Over Miami” Community Showcase: Highlighting Miami’s Emerging Filmmakers (Films to be announced)
Movie Ticket prices are $12.00. Walk-up tickets will be on sale day of show only at the at the Colony Theatre & Miami Beach Cinematheque box offices. The box office wait line forms 45 minutes prior to show time. There are no advance sales. There are also free community screenings for select films.
For festival Event Tickets/Passes, Individual event tickets go on sale June 5-15 in limited quantity on ticketweb.com. Festival passes will be available on-site starting Wednesday, June 19, 2013, at the Ritz-Carlton, South Beach. For more information visit www.abff.com or call 646-375-2144.
The ABFF was cool from afar. I didn’t think the organizers of the festival were really thinking about black folks as far as this festival was concerned. Most of us who attended the festival from Philadelphia could barely get in to see any movies. Plus, the worse part is that, while people were being chauffeured around in Cardilacs rented from the Cardilac Cardilac ‘white’ company we were trying to get on Miami’s city buses to and fro. But we still couldn’t catch a movie. In all, it was disappointing! The lesson I and my folks from Philadelphia learned from this Black Festival was simple: if you ain’t got money to stay at Ritz Carlton, forget the trip, it ain’t no good.
Did you pay for the films. You know you had to pay for them right?
You know it ain’t none of your b’ness if you can’t hang with the folks for the $$$. One ticket for all films at this festival was a good $500. Now, how many black folks do you think they thought they were gonna get to pay that kinda of money – and live at the Ritz Carlton too? Wow, this was a black bougie meeting, not a Black Film Festival. Hell the ABFF is not even owned and operated by a black group – for real!
Who knows what? Maybe next time they might rent the Benz Benz ‘white’ company! LOL.
I went, I lived at the Ritz Carlton, I watched all the films, it was fantastic, I chilled at the beach, swam in the pools and partied at the night clubs. What more could I have asked for in a Black Film Festival?