Article Source:
|
|
Top 12 Black Film FestivalsBy Christopher C. Odom |
 Film festival directors create fair and balanced programs for
their festivals. Notwithstanding the quality of the films, a
festival with all Black films is not necessarily that
interesting as a mainstream festival, but opens up the doorway
of opportunity for niche market festivals. As a filmmaker, when
I set out to identify the top 10 festivals for Black Filmmakers,
I was unable to locate any source identifying that list. Through
my own experiences living and working in Los Angeles in the
Entertainment industry for over 12 years, I was able to create
my own list of the top 10 film festivals for Black Filmmakers.
Unable to narrow the list down to 10 of equal or greatest
importance, my list actually has 12 festivals on it.
2. Pan African Film & Arts, Los AngelesWith an attendance of over 200,000 people for the film and arts festival, PAFF is the largest and one of the most prestigious Black film festivals worldwide. Each year PAFF screens over 150 films from the U.S., Africa, the Caribbean, South America, the South Pacific, Europe and Canada. paff.org 3. Hollywood Black Run concurrently with the Infotainment Conference, the Hollywood Black Festival is a formidable stop for Black Filmmakers, whereas many agents, distributors and sales agents, specifically looking for Black content, attend it. hbff.org 4. Urbanworld Once home to its own distribution outlet, the Urbanworld Film Festival still is a choice of studios and independents to debut feature films, network and discover emerging talent. urbanworld.com 5. San Diego Black Formerly known as the Noir Film Festival, the San Diego Black Film Festival has grown into a classy event where filmmakers can be treated with class and respect. sandiegoblackfilmfestival.com 6. Black International Cinema, Berlin In existence for over 20 years and produced by the Fountainhead Tanz Theatre in Berlin, the Black International Cinema Film Festival offers Black Filmmakers at -large the opportunity to screen in Europe and build a bridge for distribution in the Pan-African marketplace. black-international-cinema.com 7. Pan African. Cannes Although not hosted by the French government like Festival de Cannes, the Cannes Pan African Film Festival offers Black Filmmakers the Cannes moniker as well as the opportunity to share their work with the European marketplace and make inroads for European distribution. festivaldufilmpanafricain.org 8. Urban Film Series The Urban Film Series is not actually a film festival, but rather a film screening and discussion series. Set in the nations capital, the organization and publicity engine for the Urban Film Series is stellar and will garner your film media attention throughout the nation's capitol. In addition, the Urban Film Series also host film screenings and discussions in other major markets for the Black community. urbanfilmseries.com 9. New York African Diaspora The ADFF screens films from the African Diaspora from all around the world. Like screening in Hollywood, screening in New York is never a bad idea. The New York media serves as a surrogate for the nation's media outlet and the ADFF is successful in getting its films respectable media coverage. nyadff.org 10. Roxbury One of the largest festivals of its kind in the New England area, the Roxbury Film Festival has been a consistent staple in providing filmmakers of color an opportunity to screen their work and allow their voices to be heard. roxburyfilmfestival.com 11. San Francisco Black SFBFF has become a driving force integrating the work of independent Black filmmakers into the mainstream. Several films, which had their premiere at SFBFF, have secured distribution. sfbff.org 12. BFM International BFM International Film Festival, sponsored by Black Filmmaker Magazine, is the premiere Black world and urban cinema festival in the United Kingdom. In addition to its premiere event in London, BFM also hosts several mini-festivals throughout the UK. bfmmedia.com |
|
Christopher C. Odom is an Award-Winning Writer, Director,
Producer and Author who earned his Master of Fine Arts in
Screenwriting from the University of California, Los Angeles. A
Member of the Writers Guild of America, west Independent
Writer's Caucus, Christopher has won numerous screenwriting and
filmmaking awards. His work has been nationally televised and
screened in cities worldwide, including Tel Aviv, Berlin and
Cannes.
|
|
|
|
Related links: |
|
|