American Black Film Festival returns to Greater Miami and The Beaches with a three-year commitment starting with Festival’s 20th Anniversary June 15-19, 2016

MIAMI, FL – (August 11, 2015) – Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) President & CEO William D. Talbert, III, CDME and American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Founder Jeff Friday officially announced today the return to Miami of the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) June 15-19, 2016. The ABFF will celebrate its 20th anniversary with an exciting line-up of film screenings and an extensive schedule of events and networking opportunities to be announced in the months ahead. The highly anticipated ABFF is considered the nation’s largest gathering of Black film and TV enthusiasts. “We are thrilled with the return of the American Black Film Festival to Miami and look forward to welcoming the thousands of attendees expected for this highly anticipated event,” said Talbert. “The diverse multicultural fabric of our community will provide the ideal setting for the festival’s 2016 milestone celebration.” The 2016 ABFF will coincide with the GMCVB’s fourth annual Miami Film Month and includes a commitment by the ABFF to hold their annual event in Miami for the next three years. “I am so happy to celebrate the American Black Film Festival’s 20th anniversary in Miami next year,” said ABFF Founder Jeff Friday. “Aside from being one of the most desirable destinations in the world and a big attraction for festival-goers, the community has always embraced ABFF and its mission to showcase and provide a platform for African Americans in film and television. 2016 marks our eleventh festival in Miami and I’m proud to call the GMCVB a committed partner. We look forward to the celebratory four day weekend with tremendous enthusiasm – it’s great to be back!”

About the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau
The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) is an accredited, independent not-for-profit sales and marketing organization whose mission is to attract visitors to Greater Miami and the Beaches for leisure, business and conventions. To get further engaged with Miami and the Beaches, join the conversation by following us on our social media channels at Facebook.com/visitmiami, Twitter.com/miamiandbeaches, Instagram.com/miamiandbeaches and Pinterest.com/miamiandbeaches.

About the American Black Film Festival
The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) is an annual event dedicated to bringing awareness of quality entertainment content made by and about people of African descent to a worldwide audience. Committed to the belief that Black artists deserve the same opportunities as their mainstream counterparts, ABFF founder Jeff Friday conceived the festival in 1997 as a vehicle to promote diversity in the film and television industry. Today the festival is widely recognized for showcasing new talent, both in front of and behind the camera. Through its film screenings and prestigious talent competitions, including the HBO Short Film Award, it annually introduces the top echelon of emerging artists to the industry at large. The ABFF is regarded as one of the leading film festivals in the world and will celebrate its 20th anniversary June 15-19 in Miami Beach, Florida. The event is produced by Film Life Inc. and Black Enterprise through its partnership, ABFF Ventures LLC. For more information, visit www.ABFF.com.

CONTACT:
Media Relations – 305 539-3084
Jennifer Diaz – 305 539-3111
Ginny Gutierrez -305 213-1613

TARAJI P. HENSON, JOE MORTON, TRACEE ELLIS ROSS, LORRAINE TOUSSAINT, LARRY WILMORE, JOHN SINGLETON, GAYLE KING AND MORE PARTICIPATE IN INTIMATE CONVERSATIONS, PANEL DISCUSSIONS AND MORE AT THE 2015 AMERICAN BLACK FILM FESTIVAL

JENIFER LEWIS HONORED WITH CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD AT THE ABFF AWARDS

THE NIGHT BEFORE AND THE LAST NIGHT EACH WIN TWO ABFF AWARDS

THE 19TH ANNUAL ABFF WAS HELD IN NEW YORK CITY FROM JUNE 11 – 14, 2015

New York, New York (June 18, 2015) – This year’s American Black Film Festival (ABFF), with founding sponsor HBO^®, was filled with informative and insightful programming that included film screenings, panels, workshops and master classes, led by renowned experts in Hollywood.

Thursday, the Hollywood Creative Forum EAST, presented by the Walter Kaitz Foundation, brought together diverse talent with executives from cable’s creative and business community to meet, greet and exchange ideas.

Attendees then headed over to the SVA Theatre, located at 333 West 23rd Street for the opening night film and NY premiere of DOPE. Director Rick Famuyiwa and the Motion Picture Association of America, brought ‘Dope’ to the ABFF along with cast members Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Chanel Iman, Blake Anderson, A$AP Rocky and Quincy Brown.

A dope after party followed with performances by hip-hop legends Doug E. Fresh, Grand Poobah, Vinnie Brown of Naughty by Nature and sounds by DJ D-Nice at Stage 48. Roxanne Shante, on behalf of the Hip Hop Hall of Fame, presented and Outstanding Achievement in Entertainment Award to ABFF founder Jeff Friday for contributions and achievements in the entertainment and creative industries.

ABFF’s master classes, presented by the Time Warner Foundation, are always a highlight to those interested in film and television. Class schedule included: Writing for Television, instructed by NBCUniversal’s Karen Horne, an Actor’s Workshop instructed by actress Tasha Smith and Fundamentals of Independent Film Production instructed by Roger Bob.

The NY Hilton Midtown was abuzz when festival attendees found out ‘Empire’s’ Cookie was in the building. ABFF Celebrity Ambassador, Taraji P. Henson, shared an intimate conversation with ‘CBS This Morning’ Host Gayle King, during an empowering “A Conversation With” discussion about her career, trials and tribulations in Hollywood and staying grounded in Hollywood, presented by American Airlines.

Many studios and partners bought along their casts for our Spotlight Screenings at the AMC Empire 25. Critics Choice Award Winner Lorraine Toussaint joined her cast members Aisha Hinds, A. Russell Andrews, Thomas Q. Jones and Erica Tazel for the screening of TV One’s “Runaway Island.” Director Datari Turner shared the screening of his film, “Supermodel” with cast Tyson Beckford, Angela Simmons, and Jennifer Williams. Walmart and the Bentonville Film Festival showcased the New York Premiere of “In My Father’s House,” followed by a Q&A with star/rapper Rhymefest. Hennessy held the world premiere of “An Unexpected History: The Story of Hennessy and African Americans”, a documentary highlighting the companies hundred-year relationship with African Americans, while Turner Movie Classics’ presented the screening of Boyz in the Hood, and a Q&A with film director John Singleton. The premiere of ABFF Independent, a showcase of festival films on the ASPiRE network, gave the audience a sneak peek of the fourth season, with a Q&A with hip hop artist and host David Banner.

The four day festival continued with a lineup of panels including The Men Of TNT, with actors Joe Morton (“Proof”) and Charles Purnell and Jocko Sims (“The Last Ship”) and Ruben Santiago-Hudson (“Public Morals”), Inside BLACK-ISH panel, presented by Macy’s, with writer/creator Kenya Barris and star Tracee Ellis Ross, moderated by Larry Wilmore, TV One’s Celebrity Scene Stealers panel with Lorraine Toussaint, the Hot in Hollywood panel, presented by Cadillac, with Hollywood’s hottest actors including Lance Gross (“Temptation”), Naturi Naughton (“Power”) and YaYa DaCosta (“Whitney”), Comcast Xfinity’s How to Create and Monetize a Successful Web Series with creators of popular web shows Numa Perrier & Dennis Dortch (“BlackandSexy.tv”), Andrea Lewis (“Black Actress”), Life of a Showrunner panel, presented by Prudential, Inc., with Chris Spencer (“Real Husbands of Hollywood”), Janine Sherman Barrois (“Criminal Minds”), Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil (“Being Mary Jane”) and an Empire Talk Back: Inside the Writers Room, presented by FOX HBCU Media Alliance, a discussion with the hit show’s writing team.

Festival passholders relaxed and enjoyed the refreshments in the American Airlines Lounge in between sessions, while other attendees enjoyed coffee and tea service in the Cadillac main lobby area throughout the day. HBO, UPtv, ASPiRE, and VH1 each held
invitation-only events to give filmmakers the opportunity to connect with network executives and build relationships.

The American Black Film Festival prides itself in partnering with companies to establish meaningful relationships and most importantly opportunities for creative individuals aspiring to exceed in film and television. With that in mind, ABFF has created the
following competitions and workshops:

For the past three years, HBO and ABFF have partnered to find the next comedy star with the Comedy Wings Competition. This year, our show was hosted by actor/comedian Godfrey. Out of four finalists, Chastity Washington from Milwaukee, WI, deservingly took home the coveted award.

The McDonald’s Lovin’ Video Competition encouraged filmmakers to produce a 90 second to 2 minute video which communicates McDonald’s philosophy “a little more lovin’ can change a lot.” The three finalists attended a mentor luncheon with filmmaker Malcolm D. Lee during the weekend. Writer and Director Richard T. Fields won the film equipment prize package valued at $2,500 for his film, “Puppy Love” that can be viewed on https://www.365Black.com.

NBC TV Hosting Workshop, presented by NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, produced a TV hosting workshop, for 20 selected candidates, to cultivate & discover exceptional on-camera host talent. Taught by premiere host instructor, Marki Costello, this two-day workshop was targeted for intermediate and advanced level hosts who want to sharpen their hosting skills and techniques.

The first multicultural “Film and Television Expo” was a free two-day event where networks and broadcasters showcased their programs and diversity initiatives to our festival attendees. Actresses Essence Atkins, Terry Vaughn, Gabrielle Beauvais and Malinda Williams, the cast of “Girlfriends Getaway 2,’ stopped by the TV One booth for a meet and greet with fans. There were also free giveaways, snacks and more. Prudential highlighted the connection of fashion and film by hosting discussions and a fashion presentation with designer Byron Lars and actress Tasha Smith, in partnership with Harlem Fashion Row.

The festival concluded with “The Best of The ABFF” Awards, a star-studded ceremony celebrating the achievements and successes of filmmakers, writers and actors. Actress Jennifer Lewis was presented with the Career Achievement Award by fellow “Black-ish” co-star Tracee Ellis Ross and honored with a tribute video with appearance by Laurence Fisbourne, Anthony Anderson and George C. Wolfe. Jenifer’s heartfelt and inspiring words captivated the audience: “When a door closes, take the steps,” says Ms. Lewis.

“This year’s festival has had an incredible show of support from studios, networks and artists – all collaborating with us to showcase their latest projects. Media companies value and respect the pipeline of diverse talent ABFF sources for them in terms of new writers, directors, producers, content creators and on-camera talent,” said ABFF Founder, Jeff Friday. “No one has understood the value of creating a consistent platform for this more than our founding sponsor HBO.”

The top winners at the ABFF Awards were Last Night, winning the “Audience Award” and “Best Screenplay” and The Night Before winning for “Best Narrative” and “Best Director.” A full list of winners is below.

Sponsors of the 2015 American Black Film Festival, to date, are HBO^® (Presenting & Founding); TV One, Cadillac and Walmart (Presenting); Comcast NBCUniversal and Prudential, Inc. (Premier); AMC Theatres, American Airlines, Coors Light, McDonald’s and TNT (Signature); Fox | HBCU Media Alliance, Macy’s, Moet Hennessy, Time Warner Foundation, and VH1 (Official); ASPiRE, BET, Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Rhythm One and UPtv (Supporting); 21st Century Fox, CreativeFuture, Nielsen, SAGIndie. Turner Classic Movies, The Swirl Group, The Walter Kaitz Foundation, UMC – Urban Movie Channel (Industry Partners); Uptown Magazine, EBONY and The YBF (Media Partners); and Afrostream, NYCgo.com, NY Urban League Young Professionals, Madiba Harlem, MoMA, Teaneck Film Festival, and The JDot. Agency (Promotional Partners).

About ABFF
The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) is a four-day event dedicated to showcasing quality film and television content by and about people of African descent. Annually held during the month of June, the ABFF is committed to the belief that Black artists and
content creators deserve the same opportunities as their mainstream counterparts.

ABFF Founder Jeff Friday conceived the idea for the festival in 1997 as a vehicle to promote diversity in the motion picture industry. Today, the festival is widely recognized for showcasing established and new Black talent, both in front of and behind the camera, and is regarded as one of the leading film festivals in the world. The ABFF is produced by Film Life Inc. and BLACK ENTERPRISE.

For additional information about the festival, visit www.ABFF.com.

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2015 AMERICAN BLACK FILM FESTIVAL WINNERS LIST

“BEST OF THE ABFF” AUDIENCE AWARD (TIE)

(Presented by VH1)

KNUCKLEHEAD
Directed by: Ben Bowman
Written by: Bryan Abrams, Ben Bowman
Produced by: Gbenga Akinnagbe, Ben Bowman
Executive Producers: Jonathan Gray, Debra Azemar
Cast: Gbenga Akinnagbe, Alfre Woodard, Amari Cheatom, Justin Myrick, Nikiya Mathis, Carla Duren

AND

LAST NIGHT
Directed by: Harold Jackson III
Written by: Harold Jackson III
Produced by: Harold Jackson III, Hope Taylor, Prince Levy Jr., Latecia Durham
Cast: Judi Blair, Danny Gavigan, Benton Greene, Nedra McClyde, Nikkole Salter

GRAND JURY PRIZE FOR BEST SCREENPLAY

(Presented by Time Warner Foundation)

LAST NIGHT
Directed by: Harold Jackson III
Written by: Harold Jackson III
Produced by: Harold Jackson III, Hope Taylor, Prince Levy Jr., Latecia Durham
Cast: Judi Blair, Danny Gavigan, Benton Greene, Nedra McClyde, Nikkole Salter

GRAND JURY AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR

(Presented by Cadillac)

THE NIGHT BEFORE
Directed by: Kenny Young
Written by: Kenny Young
Produced by: Phil James, Lisa D. Washington, Kim Hardin
Executive Producers: Angela White, Felicia James
Cast: Colin Egglesfield, David Faustino, Fred Willard, Anna Hutchinson, Brian White, Gary Owen

GRAND JURY AWARD FOR BEST NARRATIVE

(Presented by Prudential)

THE NIGHT BEFORE
Directed by: Kenny Young
Written by: Kenny Young
Produced by: Phil James, Lisa D. Washington, Kim Hardin
Executive Producers: Angela White, Felicia James
Cast: Colin Egglesfield, David Faustino, Fred Willard, Anna Hutchinson, Brian White, Gary Owen

GRAND JURY AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR

(Presented by ASPiRE)

LISA ARRINDELL ANDERSON
IN
THE SIN SEER
Directed by: Paul D. Hannah
Written by: Paul D. Hannah
Produced by: Paul D. Hannah, Angela White, Isaiah Washington

HBO^® SHORT FILM COMPETITION

STANHOPE
Directed by: Solvan Naim
Written by: Solvan Naim
Produced by: Solvan Naim, Akshay Bhansali
Cast: Malik Lockett, Johnnie Mae, Rob Morgan, Nedra McClyde, Simeon Buresch

BEST WEB ORIGINAL

(Presented by Comcast NBCUniversal)

AMERICAN KOKO
Directed by: Diarra Kilpatrick & Miles Orion Feld
Written by: Diarra Kilpatrick
Produced by: Anna Micayla Feld
Cast: Diarra Kilpatrick, Terrence Colby Clemons, Miles Orion Feld, Elaine Kao, Cedric Sanders

BEST DOCUMENTARY

(Presented by BET Networks)

ALTHEA
Directed by: Rex Miller
Produced by: Nancy Buirski, Elisabeth Haviland James, Rex Miller
Executive Producers: John Amos, Billie Jean King, William Ackman
Principal Subject(s): Billie Jean King, Nick Bollettieri, David Dinkins, Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe

ABFF TALENT COMPETITIONS

COMEDY WINGS COMPETITION WINNER

(Presented by HBO)

Chastity Washington

MCDONALD’S LOVIN’ VIDEO COMPETITION WINNER PUPPY LOVE

Written and Directed by Richard T. Fields

STAR PROJECT

(Presented by NBCUniversal)

Female – Asha Kamali
Male – Rahmell Peebles

TV ONE SCREENPLAY COMPETITION

DEADBEAT DAD REHAB
Written by Keronoda “Kiki” McKnight

CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Jenifer Lewis

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#ABFF2015

CONTACT: HUFF Events & PR
Michelle Huff Elliott
michelle@huffent.com

Jenifer Lewis is one of Hollywood’s most familiar faces, with more than 300 appearances in film and television. Her latest movie, The Wedding Ringer (Sony Pictures), marks the fourth time she has starred alongside Kevin Hart. Known as the “Black Mother of Hollywood,” Jenifer currently guest stars on the hit show Black-ish (ABC), in the recurring role of “Ruby.”

Jenifer is a multi-talented entertainer who performed to an electrifying standing ovation at Carnegie Hall when she sang with the New York Pops orchestra in April 2014.

Recently, Jenifer appeared in Think Like A Man, Think Like A Man Too (Sony Pictures) and Baggage Claim (Fox Searchlight.) The Magic City, an independent film for which Jenifer won the Best Actress award at the BronzeLens Film Festival, will debut in 2015.

Jenifer delivered legendary performances as Tina Turner’s mother in What’s Love Got to Do With It and in The Preacher’s Wife as the mother of Whitney Houston’s character. She portrayed the distraught mother, “Candace,” opposite Matt Damon in Clint Eastwood’s Hereafter and for director Tyler Perry, Jenifer created unforgettable characters in Madea’s Family Reunion and Meet the Browns. In the movie Castaway, Jenifer portrayed Tom Hanks’ boss.

In animated films, Jenifer’s uniquely recognizable voice is adored by Disney fans worldwide in roles such as “Flo” in Cars and Cars 2 and as “Mama Odie” in The Princess and the Frog.

Jenifer’s TV roles have ranged from regular appearances as “Aunt Helen” on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to guest star roles on Friends, Boston Legal and Girlfriends. For six seasons, Jenifer portrayed “Lana Hawkins” on Lifetime’s hit series Strong Medicine.

In September 2012, Jenifer premiered in a self-produced webseries, Jenifer Lewis and Shangela, available on YouTube.

Music and Theater

Although best known for her Hollywood success, Jenifer has enjoyed a wide-ranging and varied career in music and theater for more than 30 years. In 2013, Jenifer won a Bistro Award for her show titled Black Don’t Crack, which drew standing-room only crowds to 54 Below cabaret in New York City.

Jenifer began performing on Broadway within one month of graduating with a degree in theater arts. Over the years, she has graced the Broadway stage in four shows, most recently in the hit show Hairspray as “Motormouth Maybelle.” Also in New York, Jenifer enjoyed critical acclaim co-starring opposite Meryl Streep in the Shakespeare in the Park production of Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children. In Seattle, Jenifer wowed audiences as Dolly Levi in the venerable 5th Avenue Theatre’s production of Hello Dolly! In 2012, Jenifer returned to her hometown as a guest performer with the 90-piece St. Louis Symphony, accompanied by a chorus of more than 100 voices.

As a solo performer early in her career, Ms. Lewis toured colleges with her tribute From Billie to Lena and delighted audiences worldwide with a string of cabaret shows, including the award-winning The Diva is Dismissed. Briefly, she toured as a “Harlette” with Bette Midler. All told, Ms. Lewis has presented more than 200 concerts, performing in 49 states and four continents.

Giving Back

In addition to her achievements as a performer, Jenifer is committed to community issues. Having lost many friends to the AIDS epidemic, Jenifer is a forceful proponent for AIDS education and treatment and has performed at more than 15 AIDS walks around the country. Jenifer has presented four one-woman shows to raise funds for youth housing at the Los Angeles LGBT Center and in November 2014, the Human Rights Campaign recognized Jenifer with its Ally for Equality Award.

Jenifer also advocates on behalf of mental health issues. In 2007, Jenifer chose The Oprah Winfrey Show as a platform to reveal that she has bipolar disorder. She continues to speak nationally for the eradication of stigma against people with mental illness.

Jenifer was born and raised in Kinloch, Missouri. She holds a bachelor’s degree in theater arts from Webster University in St. Louis, which will grant her an honorary doctorate in May 2015. Fans can follow Jenifer on Twitter (@JeniferLewis) and Facebook (Jenifer Lewis For Real.)