NEW YORK, NY, May 1, 2013 – Film Life, Inc. today announced actress Regina King as the featured guest for “A Conversation With” at the 17th Annual American Black Film Festival (ABFF). This event, presented by American Airlines, is an exciting opportunity for the festival audience to engage with King, celebrate her work and learn about her journey within the entertainment business first-hand. “A Conversation With Regina King” is scheduled to take place on Friday, June 21 from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm at the Ritz Carlton, South Beach. The festival runs from June 19-23.
Regina King, probably best known as the feisty and bright Brenda on the popular sitcom “227,” has carved out a very impressive Hollywood career. After five seasons of “227,” King made her film debut starring with Ice Cube in John Singleton’s commanding film and one that would become a cultural touchpoint, Boys N the Hood. She would go on to work with Singleton again in Poetic Justice and Higher Learning. King’s memorable role as Cuba Gooding Jr.’s savvy wife Marci in Jerry Maguire changed the arc of her career, as it led to starring roles in How Stella Got Her Groove Back with Angela Bassett and the hit action thriller Enemy of the State opposite Will Smith.
King’s turn as Lydia Adams on TNT’s cop drama “Southland” has been praised throughout Hollywood and Entertainment Weekly recently listed King as one of six actresses who deserve an Emmy nod for her role on the well-received show. In between filming “Southland,” King made her feature film directorial debut with the teleplay adaptation of the best-selling book, Let The Church Say Amen, for BET Networks, slated to air later this year.
Jeff Friday, ABFF Founder and CEO says, “Regina has supported our festival since the very beginning and I am thrilled to have her as the subject of “A Conversation With,” as she is an immensely talented and highly respected artist.” He adds, “We want to always provide memorable festival experiences and this year, Regina King will do just that.”
Past “A Conversation With” guests have included: Salim Akil and Mara Brock-Akil, Paula Patton, Idris Elba, Jeffrey Wright and Cuba Gooding Jr.
About The American Black Film Festival (ABFF):
The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) is a five-day retreat and international film market dedicated to strengthening the Black filmmaking community. Established in 1997, the core mission of the ABFF is to promote cultural diversity within the motion picture industry. Through its film showcases and special contests, it annually introduces the top echelon of emerging artists to the film and television industry.
About Film Life, Inc.:
The ABFF is a property of Film Life, Inc., a multi-faceted entertainment company headquartered in New York City. The company was founded in 2001 by Jeff Friday, a veteran of the consumer product marketing and advertising industries. While best known for creating the American Black Film Festival (ABFF), Film Life’s operations center on developing/licensing innovative content across all forms of media and providing strategic advisory services to a wide range of companies in the entertainment, media and consumer product industries.
2013 Sponsors: HBO© (Founding and Premier Sponsor); Cadillac (Premier Sponsor); American Airlines, gmc TV, CNN, Codeblack Films a Lionsgate company, Comcast/NBCUniversal and Nickelodeon (Official Sponsors); American Family Insurance, BET, Grab Media, Nielsen and Stella Artois (Supporting Sponsors); Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB), Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency, Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority (MBVCA), Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce and Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council (TDC) (Host Sponsors); Macy’s and Rosa Regale (Promotional Partners); Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), One Village Entertainment, SAGIndie and the Writers Guild of America West (Industry Partners).
2013 Media Partners: HuffPost/AOL Black Voices, Black Enterprise and Uptown Magazine (Official Media); Precious Times and Upscale Magazine (Supporting Media). Black Enterprise and Uptown (Official Media); GIANTlife.com, Precious Times and Upscale (Supporting Media).
For full details on this year’s festival, please visit www.ABFF.com
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CONTACT: HUFF Events and PR
Michelle Huff
michelle@huffent.com
Kelley Jackson
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