,

ABFF Comedy Festival Announces Film Slate for 2021 Virtual Festival

Program Lineup Includes National Stand-Up Comedy Competition, Shorts, Web Series, Podcasts and Conversations About Comedy

LOS ANGELES, CA, (May 27, 2021) – ABFF Ventures LLC today revealed its slate of films in competition for the inaugural ABFF Comedy Festival scheduled to take place online June 2-13 at abffplay.com streaming platform.

The ABFF Comedy Festival extends the legacy of the American Black Film Festival (ABFF), now in its 25th year, by showcasing emerging Black and Brown talent and introducing them to the industry at large. Continuing the tradition of its tent-pole property, the comedy festival will feature the best of independent Black cinema, conversations, panels and stand-up comedy performances.

Consistent with ABFF’s mission to spearhead diversity and introduce newcomers to the industry, the program will feature writers of comedic shorts, web series and podcasts with submissions from all genres of comedy both international and domestic. Each section attracted hundreds of entries aiming to showcase their skills in scripted, unscripted, sketch and fictional comedy. More than 40 films and celebrity panels will be presented at this year’s virtual festival.

The festival will also feature “Conversations About Comedy” with the cast of Starz ‘Run the World: Bresha Webb, Amber Stevens West, Andrea Bordeaux and Corbin Reid, moderated by Gia Peppers. Showrunner Prentice Penny (Insecure, Pause) and comedian/writer Sam Jay (Pause, SNL) will discuss their new HBO series. There will also be an “Inside the Writer’s Room” panel with writers and producers, including: Ms. Pat (Ms. Pat Show), Carla Banks-Waddles (Good Girls), Keith Knight (Woke) and Owen Smith (The Last O.G.).

In addition, the festival will offer encore presentations of panels from the online edition of the American Black Film Festival featuring a conversation with ABFF Comedy Festival Ambassador Kenya Barris, a panel with Yvonne Orji (Insecure) and Lil Rel Howery (Get Out), as well as a discussion with the star and creators of Woke.

“This festival highlights talented individuals who have a passion for comedic storytelling and represents the diversity of voices in the comedy genre,” said Nicole Friday, President ABFF Ventures. “Creating an opportunity for these artist to reach a broader audinece is our core mission.”

Official selections include:

Shorts – each film in this section is written by a person of African, Latinx or Native American descent and will compete for the Audience Award for Best Short.

Web Series – each episodic series (scripted and unscripted) in this section written by persons of African, Latinx or Native American descent will compete for the Audience Award for best webisode.

Podcasts – each podcast in this section is written by persons of African, Latinx or Native American descent will compete for the Audience Award for best podcast.

Here is a full list of the 2021 ABFF Comedy Festival Official Selections Official Selections – ABFF Comedy Festival

Sponsors to date include WarnerMedia (Presenting), Nissan and SiriusXM (Official), BET+, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Starz, a Lionsgate company (Supporting). Marketing Partners include TheGrio.com and Rolling Out.

For more information on the ABFF Comedy Festival and pass sales, visit abff.com/comedyfest/ and follow @ABFF on Twitter and @AmericanBlackFilmFestival on Instagram and Facebook.

About ABFF Ventures
ABFF Ventures LLC (ABFFV) is a multifaceted entertainment company specializing in the production of live and digital events that celebrate Black and Brown 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 diverse 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 diverse American audiences through its ABFF Insider Marketing division. The company, led by husband-and-wife team Jeff and Nicole Friday, is headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif.

About The American Black Film Festival
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 color. 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 diverse artists – many of who have become today’s most successful actors, producers, writers, directors and stand-up comedians.

PRESS CONTACT:
ABFF Communications
[email protected]
323 513-6298

,

The American Black Film Festival’s Spin-Off Comedy Festival Announces Semifinalists Presented by WarnerMedia

EMERGING BLACK & BROWN COMEDIANS WILL COMPETE FOR THE TOP SPOTS AT THE VIRTUAL ABFF COMEDY FESTIVAL JUNE 2-13

LOS ANGELES, CA, (May 12, 2021) – ABFF Ventures LLC., announced the names of the sixteen semifinalists who will compete in the 1st annual ABFF Comedy Festival’s stand-up competition, presented by Warner Media. The competition is the centerpiece of ABFF Comedy Festival dedicated to showcasing emerging Black and Brown comedians and comedy writers while introducing them to the industry at-large. The inaugural festival will be held virtually June 2-13, 2021, on ABFFPlay.com, the ABFF’s streaming platform.

The semifinalists selected will all perform in the first round before a virtual audience and panel of prominent industry judges. From this group, five finalists will be selected to compete in the final round of the competition. The winner and first runner up will receive a cash prizes of $7,500 and $2,500 respectively. All five finalists will receive an all-expense-paid trip to the 25th annual American Black Film Festival in Miami, November 3-7, and an opportunity to perform in front of the festival audience. Affion Crockett (Wild N’ Out) will host the competition.

As previously announced, television and film writer/producer Kenya Barris is this years’ ABFF Comedy Festival Ambassador.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase sixteen incredibly talented and funny comedians in the early stages of their careers. The ABFF brand expansion of the comedy festival was established to help propel new generations of diverse artists to the global stage. I am so excited to be able to provide a platform that fosters diversity, and a space for laughter,” says Nicole Friday, ABFF Ventures President.

2021 ABFF Comedy Festival Stand-Up Competition Semi-Finalists:

Travis Blunt
Travis Blunt hails from Syracuse, New York. His jokes center on personal issues — like being biracial, financial struggles, relationships and more.

Rallo Boykins
Born and raised in Hyattsville, Maryland, the artist, known as Rallo, has always had a knack for comedy. Rallo was dared by a good friend to perform stand-up comedy at a Fourth of July dinner party in 2008…and the rest is history.

Kae Bradford
Kae Bradford is a Chicago-based stand-up comedian hailing from St. Louis, Missouri. Kae’s quick wit and anecdotal tales of her upbringing bring joy and laughter to her audiences.

Marshall Brandon
Born and raised in Hartford, Connecticut, Marshall Brandon has been making people laugh since he uttered his first words. He recently landed the opportunity to spend the summer of 2020 at Chappelle Summer Camp.

Shanna Christmas
Shanna Christmas is a comedian/actor from Las Vegas, Nevada, who took home the 2018 Devil Cup Comedy Festival trophy for Best in Stand-Up.

Reid Clark
Reid Clark hails from Washington, D.C. In his 8 years as a stand-up comedian, his comedy has been described as dark, blue, and political, with elements of musicality and improvisation.

Cherie Danielle
Cherie Danielle is an Atlanta, Georgia-based actor/comedian, and core cast member of “The Going Live Show,” a sketch comedy show on YouTube.

Eva Evans
Eva Evans is a comedic Diva hailing from Englewood, N.J./Brooklyn, N.Y. She graduated from the Manhattan School of Comedy at Gotham Comedy Club in NYC and won the 2017 Manhattan Comedy Festival competition (NYC).

Rob Gordon
Rob Gordon, born and raised in Washington, D.C., found his love for comedy and laughter in grade school. He expresses himself not only on-stage doing stand-up, but also through skits and sketches on social media and YouTube.

Phil Hunt
Phil Hunt began his career in his hometown of Indianapolis and moved on to New York City. Poised, deliberate and polished, Phil’s mix of refined material combines unique observational commentary and imaginative storytelling steeped in a perspective all his own.

Hay J.
Haywood J. Thompson, “Hay J,” is a stand-up comedian and host from Cincinnati, Ohio, with the skill to entertain diverse crowds from Christian/Family events to music concerts. Hay J also teaches improv comedy techniques and is the winner of the national Funny Bone Competition.

Vanessa Jackson
Vannessa Jackson is a stand-up comedian and writer hailing from Rancho Cucamonga, California. Currently she resides in New York and performs stand-up comedy around the city.

Alan Massenburg
Alan Massenburg is a comedian and writer originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 2018, he won the New Comedian of the Year competition in Baltimore. He is also a writer/contributor for The Culture Collective, NYC, hosts “The Mass Hysterical Show” and co-hosts the “Proper Ebonics Podcast.”

Rashaun Reese
Rashaun Reese is a stand-up comedian from East Orange, New Jersey. A natural comedian, his routine focuses on current events, life experiences and differences between men and women.

Kenté Scott
Kenté Scott, born and raised in Oakland, California, started doing stand-up at the world-famous Comedy Store in Hollywood. Kenté recently returned from co-headlining a tour of the U.S. military bases in Japan, is a regular guest on “Quake’s House” radio show (on Kevin Hart’s Laugh Out Loud Network on Sirius/XM), and hosts the Comedy Cafe.

Angela Star
Star is a stand-up comedian, actress and singer from Brooklyn, New York. Her start in stand-up comedy began at Carolines on Broadway NYC, where she frequently performed and became best known for her impersonations and interactive storytelling.

Sponsors to date include WarnerMedia (Presenting), Nissan and SiriusXM (Official), Sony Pictures Entertainment and Starz, a Lionsgate Company (Supporting). Marketing Partners include TheGrio.com and Rolling Out.

For more information on the ABFF Comedy Festival and pass sales, visit www.abff.com/comedyfest/ and follow @ABFF on Twitter and @AmericanBlackFilmFestival on Instagram and Facebook.

,

ABFF Launches New Comedy Festival to Showcase Up and Coming Multicultural Comedians and Comedy Writers

Kenya Barris Will Serve as Ambassador for the Five-Day Virtual Event

Submission Now Open for Stand-Up Comedy Performance, Shorts Films, Web Series and Podcasts

LOS ANGELES, CA, (January 28, 2021) – ABFF Ventures LLC., announced the launch of ABFF Comedy Festival, a new event dedicated to supporting emerging Black and Brown comedians and comedy writers. Kenya Barris (“Black-ish,” “Grown-ish,” “Black AF”) will serve as the ABFF Comedy Festival event Ambassador.

A spin off of the American Black Film Festival (ABFF), which will celebrate its 25th anniversary this year, ABFF Comedy Festival’s mission is to be a global stage for the multicultural comedy community and to help propel new generations of diverse artists to stardom by introducing them to the industry-at-large. It is a natural extension of the ABFF comedy sidebar which has given visibility to the biggest names in comedy including Kevin Hart, Cedric The Entertainer, Mike Epps, Rickey Smiley, Craig Robinson, JB Smoove and more, who performed at the film festival early in their careers.

Virtual for its first year, the five-day Comedy Festival will stream live and pre-recorded content on ABFF Play streaming service June 2-6, 2021. Highlights will include four national competitions; one for stand-up comics and the other three for writers of comedic short films, webisodes and podcasts as well as live stand-up comedy performances, panels, conversations and master classes, plus digital screenings of studio and network films and television content in the comedy genre. The festival will culminate with “Black Comedy Live,” a global pay-per-view special featuring top headline comics. Early bird passes on sale February 1, visit https://www.abff.com/miami/comedyfest/

“We are proud to expand our legacy of supporting Black talent in the early stages of their careers with the launch of the ABFF Comedy Festival. I’m very appreciative and excited to have Kenya Barris serve as our inaugural Ambassador. He is one of my favorite writers and sits amongst the most prolific content creators in the comedy arena,” says Jeff Friday, ABFF Ventures CEO.

“I’m thrilled to be partnering with American Black Film Festival on their very first ABFF Comedy Festival. Jeff and Nicole have built a long legacy of identifying new Black talent over the past 25 years, and as someone who shares their passion for championing and amplifying Black and Brown voices, I am excited to see them expand the ABFF imprint in this way. To be a part of something that will provide greater exposure, access, and opportunities to these comedians and comedy writers while also giving our community a reason to laugh together….this was a no-brainer and I’m honored to lend my support,” says Kenya Barris, writer, producer, actor.

The festival will feature four competitions – Stand-Up Performance, Comedy Web Series, Comedy Shorts, and Comedy Podcasts – designed to discover and reward emerging black and brown comedic talent, creators, and performing artists. Entrees for the four categories are due no later than March 8, 2021. Contestants must be age 21 or older, of African descent, or who identify as Latinx, or Native American, who reside, and are eligible to work, in the U.S. For additional information, please visit https://www.abff.com/miami/comedyfest/

Sponsors to date include WarnerMedia (Official).

ABOUT ABFF VENTURES:
ABFF Ventures LLC (ABFFV) is a multifaceted entertainment company specializing in the production of events (live and digital), as well as marketing services and talent procurement. The company’s mission is to entertain and inspire communities of color while promoting diversity 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 aimed at securing talent and promoting content targeted toward African American audiences.

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