*Los Angeles -The production for the 23rd Edition of the Pan African Film and Arts Festival, is a wrap! The festival concluded on Monday evening, February 16th.
A brigade of international art patrons and lovers of high quality, independent films attended all or part of the festival, which was held from February 5-16, 2015, at the RAVE Cinemas and Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza. PAFF-LA is the largest Black History Month event in the United States, during the month of February.
The festival showcased over one hundred fifty (150) quality new films and the mall was the host venue for over one hundred (100) fine artists and unique craft persons from the United States, Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, South America, Europe, the South Pacific and Canada, all showcasing the diversity and complexity of people of African descent.
The PAFF ArtFest showcased creativity most often excluded from major museums and affords an exchange place to encourage art collection. “PAFF ArtFest stimulates the Black Art Trade,” said Allohn Agbenya, Director/Producer of PAFF ArtFest. There is education on fine arts as an investment and exhibitor selling by the artists.”
On both levels of the BHCP, the artists presented their creative works using oil on canvas, watercolor, pastels, acrylic paper, glass, ceramics, metals, cloth, plastic, wax, wire, leather, stone and more.
On display were fine art, photography, one-of-a-kind craft art, designer and traditional fashions, jewelry, home décor and fashion accessories. There was something for every taste and every budget.
B You B Natural was a popular new booth at this year’s ArtFest. Amaechina is the owner and designer of products for B You B Natural.com, which specializes in handcrafted one-of-a-kind dolls and gifts. Her products were created to inspire young girls and women who choose to wear their naturally textured hair. 50% of her business during ArtFest was customized orders, with Grandparents, parents, guardians etc., making purchased for young children and teens.
Amaechina is a fourth generation artist following in the creative path of her great grandfather who was a painter, her grandmother who was a ceramist & mixed media artist, and her mother a seamstress and fashion designer.
PAFF Fashion Show-Wearable Art on the Move! A standing room, capacity crowd gathered at the BHCP Bridge, 2nd Floor for the PAFF Fashion Show, wearable art artists for a “tour de force” in high fashion show with an “Afro-touch, produced by Karimu, Ngoma and Deveaux. Fashions for the entire family were worn by a beautiful contingent of models. All of the fashions, hats jewelry, bags and accessories were supplied by and available from the many vendors set-up for ArtFest.
The program got under way with the pulsating drumming courtesy of Kwesi, Cosi and Amber, which signals a gathering in Africa. Mr. Kwali Umoja recited the Libation, which is an African tradition of honoring our ancestors.
A stream of models graced the Run way to showcase the wonderful one-of-a-kind creative apparel by both local and international designers.
PAFF collaborates with other festivals around the world, giving us an audience that is truly international. PAFF is the largest and most prestigious Black Film Festival in America. The Pan African Film and Arts Festival is the quintessential Black festival.
Established in 1992, The Pan African Film & Arts Festival (PAFF), is a non-profit 501(c)(b) corporation dedicated to the promotion of cultural understanding among peoples of African descent. PAFF is dedicated to racial tolerance through the exhibition of film, art and creative expression.
Ricky Richardson is a Southern California based writer, music reviewer and photographer. Contact him via: [email protected].
