Black Cinema Reigns Supreme at the ABFF in New York

This year, the American Black Film Festival rolled the dice, moving the successful platform for black content creators to New York from its regular Miami location. The move proved to be fruitful, with more than 20,000 people attending ABFF over four days this June.

While the location has changed, ABFF was still the premier event for showcasing quality films and documentaries about people within African Diaspora, including African-Americans, native Africans and those of the Caribbean.

The 18^th ABFF was launched with red carpet premiere of “Think Like A Man Too,” which was produced by ABFF alumnus Will Packer, alongside director Tim Story, who is African-American. The weekend following its star–star-studded premiere-which was attended by cast members Kevin Hart, Terrence J and Romany Malco, who were accompanied by a who’s who in the entertainment industry, including T.I., Ice T, Ashanti, and Fabolous- TLAMT went on to gross $30 million its opening weekend, earning the number one spot among all movies.

The number one opening for TLAMT, which was produced by ABFF alumnus Will Packer, is a testament to its founder, Jeff Friday, who started the festival in 1997 as a way to promote diversity in the film and television industry. Today, ABFF is widely recognized as an important platform for new African-American talent in front of and behind the camera, with corporate sponsors which this year included HBO, Cadillac, Verizon, American Airlines and Colgate.

a“The audience response to the festival continues to be undeniable, it’s positive and encouraging,” said Jeff Friday, founder and CEO of Film Life, Inc., a multifaceted entertainment company, which hosts ABFF.  “Each year, ABFF attendees embrace every aspect-from the screenings, events and panels. It’s truly incredible.”