American Black Film Festival to Celebrate Milestone 25th Anniversary with In-Person and Virtual Programming to Reach a Global Audience
Festival Returns to Miami Beach November 3-14.
LOS ANGELES, CA, (March 10, 2021) – ABFF Ventures LLC., announced today that it will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) with a return to Miami Beach from November 3-7, and virtually for seven days thereafter, November 8-14 on ABFF PLAY (www.abffplay.com), its streaming platform. The festival will feature studio screenings, panel discussions, and networking events to elevate timely issues and celebrate Black entertainment, and provide Black and Brown filmmakers a platform to tell their stories and drive momentum toward creating a more equal and diverse media landscape.
The premier destination event for Black film and television enthusiasts, ABFF has historically attracted an audience of 7,000 to 10,000 people who travel to Miami Beach for the five day Fest. The 2020 ABFF Online Edition broadened that audience, drawing in viewers from more than 90 countries around the world. Festival registration and call for submissions will open March 23, 2021 at abff.com.
“We are so excited to return to Miami Beach to celebrate 25 years of storytelling and storytellers, and engage with a global audience around the world through our virtual programming on ABFF PLAY,” said Nicole Friday, President ABFF Ventures. “ABFF has served as a place of inspiration and a launching pad for so many great filmmakers and artists, and we remain committed to using our platform to catapulte a new generation of Black and Brown filmmakers forward.”
“We are honored that American Black Film Festival has once again chosen our great destination for this event, says Mayor Dan Gelber, and confident the Royal Palm Hotel and our city partners will safely host ABFF participants, audience members, talent, and workers to make sure this is another successful event, for Miami Beach.”
“We are eager to safely welcome film enthusiasts and our friends with the ABFF team to Miami Beach this upcoming November,” says William D. Talbert, III CDME, President & CEO, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB). “The GMCVB’s Multicultural Tourism & Development Department will help ABFF successfully showcase the diversity of our community, including our local stakeholders and businesses. Utilizing ABFF Play technology will be a game changer, enabling global audiences to participate in this hybrid event and showcasing our amazing destination to an even broader audience than would have been possible before”.
ABFF Sponsors to date include Warner Media, HBO® (Founding), Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (Presenting Sponsors); Jeff Friday Media, Sony Pictures Entertainment (Premier Sponsor); Netflix, Verizon Media (Official Sponsors); Accenture (Supporting Sponsor).
For additional information on the festival visit abff.com and follow @ABFF on Twitter and @AmericanBlackFilmFestival on Instagram and Facebook. Join in on the conversation by using #ABFF21 and #ABFF.
ABOUT ABFF VENTURES:
ABFF Ventures LLC (ABFFV) is a multifaceted entertainment company specializing in the production of live and digital events that celebrate Black culture and achievement. The company’s mission is to curate content and experiences that entertain, educate and inspire communities of color while showcasing the work of Black artists in Hollywood. Its tent-pole event properties are the American Black Film Festival (ABFF), cited by MovieMaker magazine as “One of the Coolest Festivals in the World;” and “ABFF Honors,” an annual awards gala saluting the top stars of film and television. ABFFV also provides consulting services to studios and networks to promote content specific to African American audiences through its ABFF Insider Marketing division. Led by husband-and-wife team Jeff and Nicole Friday, ABFF is headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif.
ABOUT ABFF:
The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) is an annual event dedicated to recognizing black talent and showcasing quality film and television content by and about people of African descent. Dedicated to the belief that diverse artists deserve the same opportunities as their mainstream counterparts, ABFF founder Jeff Friday conceived the festival in 1997 as a vehicle to strengthen the black entertainment community by fostering resource sharing, education and artistic collaboration. Now in its 25th year, the
festival has become a cornerstone of diversity in Hollywood, providing a platform for emerging black artists – many of who have become today’s most successful actors, producers, writers, directors and stand-up comedians.
PRESS CONTACT:
American Black Film Festival:
MPRM Communications
[email protected]
323-933-3399
