The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) announced its 2023 Talks Series lineup, featuring conversations and panels with award-winning directors, producers, top-line talent, music composers and social media influencers, including the 2023 Festival Ambassador Lena Waithe. The annual Community Day rounds out the five-day festival, providing a place for festivalgoers and the local Miami Beach community to experience and engage in encore presentations. The 27th annual ABFF will take place in Miami Beach June 14-18 and will be available to a global audience June 19-25 on ABFF PLAY – abffplay.com
“We are excited to present a compelling slate of conversations from leading storytellers across film, television, music and social media platforms that are empowering and entertaining,” said Nicole Friday, festival producer, president and COO, ABFF Ventures. “The Talks provide the audience with first-hand access allowing them to engage and learn from creatives and industry leaders. That’s the magic of the festival.”
Highlights include opening night remarks from multi-hyphenate Emmy-winner and Hillman Grad founder Lena Waithe, who will share an exclusive onstage look into her journey in a one-on-one conversation, “The Lena Waithe Effect,” sponsored by American Airlines. Tabitha Brown and husband Chance Brown will take the stage with a candid conversation — “That’s Our Business,” delivered by UPS. Kirk and Tammy Franklin (The One) will join LisaRaye McCoy (Asking for a Friend) in a lively discussion presented by TV One Networks. Yvette Nicole Brown and comedian Kym Whitley share gems in “Act Your Age” presented by Bounce TV. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip hop is Xfinity Original Series “Hip House.” Morgan Rhodes (The Color Purple) and Carolyn Owens (Cherish the Day) come together to discuss the world of music supervision in “WBD Access Music Supervisor Panel”; and Warner Bros. Pictures will share the “ABFF First Look: The Color Purple – A Bold New Take on a Beloved Classic.” Culminating the festival will be a special screening of MAX’s all-new animated series “Young Love” from Matthew Cherry (Hair Love). Continuing ABFF’s talent discovery program, which finds emerging artists and introduces them to the entertainment industry, is the return of ALLBLK’s “Shoot Your Shot Casting Call,” featuring this year’s guest reader Lance Gross.
Other festival moments include candid conversations about Black culture: Cadillac’s “Creating Cultural Capital;” We The Culture (META) presents “The Creator Cameo: How We The Culture is Powering The Next Generation of Black Hollywood;” P&G’s “Widening the View Black Experience;” Andscape presents “Where Blackness is Infinite. Welcome Home;” “Warner Bros. Television presents “All American: Getting Authentic Black Stories to the End Zone;” and just in time for Father’s Day, Walmart presents “Dear Dad: A Conversation on Black Fatherhood.” Financial empowerment and money management for creators and individuals is discussed in “Creator Economy: From Bootstrapping to Business” presented by Ally. The Motion Picture Association (MPA) discusses “How Social Media Transformed Filmmaking;” ESPN Films shares how the best storytelling transcends sports in “We’re Not Just Sports;” “How to Secure (and Grow) the Bag: Making Your Money Work Harder Than You Do” from Prudential Financial; production in Georgia is the focus of “Production in the Heart of the Peach,” from Fulton Films GA; and “Writers (Un) Blocked: Black Women Writers Tackle Film & TV” presented by META.
On the virtual front, alumni from NBCU LAUNCH’s TV directors and writers programs join “Keeping it Real: Maintaining Mental Wellness as a Creator of Color,” presented by Comcast NBCUniversal; IMDb presents “Use IMDbPro to Navigate and Advance Your Entertainment Career;” and Universal Filmed Entertainment Group’s Global Talent Development & Inclusion (GTDI) team presents “Hitting the Right Note: Creating Access for Emerging Composer Talent in the Industry” featuring Universal Composers Initiative current talent and successful alumni sharing their journeys and highlights of their careers in the industry.
Annual festival pleaser events include: the 26th HBO Short Film Award Showcase, hosted by Bevy Smith, featuring five shorts from emerging filmmakers who compete for the prestigious award; and the Best of the ABFF Awards, hosted by Emmy-nominated actor/author Dondré Whitfield, where the 2023 independent film awards and talent contest winners will be presented.
The live festival culminates on Sunday, June 18 with its annual ABFF Community Day in partnership with the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau as part of its commitment to inform, educate and provide opportunities in the entertainment industry to the local community. The event is free and open to all South Florida residents.
All ABFF live events are held in and around Miami Beach including the New Word Center Performance Hall, the Miami Beach Convention Center, O Cinema South Beach, The Bass Museum and the Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater.
ABFF’s Talks Series complements previously announced programming which includes narrative and documentary official film selections, exclusive spotlight screenings and world premieres, sneak peaks and red-carpet premieres.
For the schedule of live and virtual 2023 ABFF Talks Series events to date click here. For times, locations and more details, visit www.ABFF.com
ABFF Live Talks Series Events June 14-18, 2023.
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