Top 12 Black Film Festivals

Film festival directors create fair and balancedIn existence for over 20 years and produced by
programs for their festivals. Notwithstanding thethe Fountainhead Tanz Theatre in Berlin, the Black
quality of the films, a festival with all Black films isInternational Cinema Film Festival offers Black
not necessarily that interesting as a mainstreamFilmmakers at -large the opportunity to screen in
festival, but opens up the doorway of opportunityEurope and build a bridge for distribution in the
for niche market festivals. As a filmmaker, when IPan-African 7. Pan African Film Festival, Cannes
set out to identify the top 10 festivals for BlackAlthough not hosted by the French government
Filmmakers, I was unable to locate any sourcelike Festival de Cannes, the Cannes Pan African
identifying that list. Through my own experiencesFilm Festival offers Black Filmmakers the Cannes
living and working in Los Angeles in themoniker as well as the opportunity to share their
Entertainment industry for over 12 years, I waswork with the European marketplace and make
able to create my own list of the top 10 filminroads for European
festivals for Black Filmmakers. Unable to narrowdistribution.festivaldufilmpanafricain.org
the list down to 10 of equal or greatest8. Urban Film Series
importance, my list actually has 12 festivals on it.The Urban Film Series is not actually a film
1. American Black Film Festivalfestival, but rather a film screening and discussion
Originally dubbed the Acapulco Film Festival, theseries. Set in the nations capital, the organization
American Black Film Festival found its way to Losand publicity engine for the Urban Film Series is
Angeles by way of Miami. Produced by Film Life,stellar and will garner your film media attention
Inc., who also produces the Black Movie Awards,throughout the nation's capitol. In addition, the
the American Black Film Festival is the most sleekUrban Film Series also host film screenings and
Black Film Festival, replete with star studded Blackdiscussions in other major markets for the Black
films made independently from the studio9. New York African Diaspora Film Festival
system.abff.com/festivalThe ADFF screens films from the African
2. Pan African Film & Arts Festival, LosDiaspora from all around the world. Like screening
Angelesin Hollywood, screening in New York is never a
With an attendance of over 200,000 people forbad idea. The New York media serves as a
the film and arts festival, PAFF is the largest andsurrogate for the nation's media outlet and the
one of the most prestigious Black film festivalsADFF is successful in getting its films respectable
worldwide. Each year PAFF screens over 150 filmsmedia coverage.nyadff.org
from the U.S., Africa, the Caribbean, South10. Roxbury Film Festival
America, the South Pacific, Europe andOne of the largest festivals of its kind in the New
Canada.paff.orgEngland area, the Roxbury Film Festival has been
3. Hollywood Black Film Festivala consistent staple in providing filmmakers of color
Run concurrently with the Infotainmentan opportunity to screen their work and allow
Conference, the Hollywood Black Festival is atheir voices to be 11. San Francisco Black Film
formidable stop for Black Filmmakers, whereasFestival
many agents, distributors and sales agents,SFBFF has become a driving force integrating the
specifically looking for Black content, attendwork of independent Black filmmakers into the
it.hbff.orgmainstream. Several films, which had their
4. Urbanworld Film Festivalpremiere at SFBFF, have secured
Once home to its own distribution outlet, thedistribution.sfbff.org
Urbanworld Film Festival still is a choice of studios12. BFM International Film Festival
and independents to debut feature films, networkBFM International Film Festival, sponsored by Black
and discover emerging 5. San Diego Black FilmFilmmaker Magazine, is the premiere Black world
Festivaland urban cinema festival in the United Kingdom.
Formerly known as the Noir Film Festival, the SanIn addition to its premiere event in London, BFM
Diego Black Film Festival has grown into a classyalso hosts several mini-festivals throughout the
event where filmmakers can be treated withUK.bfmmedia.
class and 6. Black International Cinema, Berlin