{"id":26743,"date":"2022-04-27T15:25:49","date_gmt":"2022-04-27T19:25:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.abff.com\/miami\/?p=26743"},"modified":"2022-04-27T15:35:47","modified_gmt":"2022-04-27T19:35:47","slug":"the-abff-announces-2022-feature-documentary-and-web-series-lineup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.abff.com\/miami\/the-abff-announces-2022-feature-documentary-and-web-series-lineup\/","title":{"rendered":"The American Black Film Festival Announces 2022 Feature, Documentary and Web Series Lineup"},"content":{"rendered":"

26th ANNUAL FESTIVAL TO OPEN ON JUNE 15 WITH “CIVIL”<\/em> A PROFILE OF CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY BEN CRUMP DIRECTED BY NADIA HALLGREN<\/h4>\n

LOS ANGELES, CA, (April 27, 2022)<\/strong> – The 2022 American Black Film Festival (ABFF) today announced its lineup of narrative and documentary features, and web series. This year’s festival format returns as a hybrid with live events June 15-19 in Miami, Fl., followed by virtual panels and screenings June 20-30 on the festival’s custom-built online platform ABFF PLAY (https:\/\/abffplay.com\/<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The Features program includes Narrative competitions (U.S. and international), World Premieres and first-time directors representing a diverse group of independent filmmakers from around the globe. The lineup offers a mixture of thought-provoking, entertaining and authentic stories that uplift and highlight Black culture.<\/p>\n

The festival opens with the documentary “CIVIL,”<\/em> an intimate v\u00e9rit\u00e9 look at the life of maverick civil rights attorney Ben Crump. Considered a trailblazer of his field, “CIVIL”<\/em> gives viewers an inside look at Crump’s mission to raise the value of Black life. As the civil lawyer for the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Black farmers and banking while Black victims, Crump challenges America to come to terms with what it owes his clients. The film is directed and produced by award-winning filmmaker Nadia Hallgren (Becoming, After Maria, The Show<\/em>). Produced by Kenya Barris, Roger Ross Williams and Lauren Cioffi. The Netflix release of “CIVIL”<\/em> will premiere on Juneteenth (June 19) this year.<\/p>\n

“We are thrilled to open the festival with “CIVIL,”<\/em> a timely documentary bringing light to issues of social justice and equity in America,” said Nicole Friday, festival producer and president of ABFF Ventures LLC. “We’ve curated an entertaining and thought-provoking lineup of features, documentaries and web series and I am so excited to share our content with a live audience again.”<\/p>\n

Universally considered the premiere festival for Black storytellers and storytelling, ABFF presents a wide range of independent films, studio and network previews, a series of talk events, master classes, live entertainment and more. The festival continues to spotlight talent both in front of and behind the camera and provide a platform for emerging artists to tell their stories.<\/p>\n

The full feature, documentary and web series lineup is listed below and here https:\/\/www.abff.com\/miami\/2022-screenings\/narrative-features\/<\/a>. Finalists for the HBO Short Film Award presented by Warner Bros. Discovery and HBO will be announced at a later date. For more updates on the complete list of programming of the 2022 American Black Film Festival, in the coming week, follow us. #ABFF2022 @ABFF on Twitter, @AmericanBlackFilmFestival on Instagram, Facebook and at https:\/\/www.abff.com\/miami\/<\/a><\/p>\n

NARRATIVE FEATURES (U.S. & International)<\/span><\/strong>
\nA competitive section for U.S. and international feature-length films directed by or written and produced by persons of African descent. Films in this category are eligible to be nominated to compete for the following Jury Awards \u2013 Best Director (presented by Cadillac, $5,000 cash prize), Best Narrative Feature (presented by Sony, $2,500 cash prize), and Best Screenplay (presented by TV One, $2,500 cash prize). In addition, if a person of African descent has directed a film in this section and<\/span> it is their first feature, they will be eligible to compete for the John Singleton Award for Best First Feature (presented by Netflix, $5,000 cash prize). The following films represent the 2022 official selections in the Narrative Features category:<\/p>\n

Between Sins<\/strong><\/em> *World Premiere
\nFaced with the responsibilities of an ill mother and estranged daughter, Coy searches for redemption for past sins while trying to avoid the pitfalls that could lead to repeating them.
\nUSA | 83 min
\nDirector: Carlos Miller
\nWriter: Carlos Miller
\nProducers: Tyler Cheatham, Carlos Gonzalez, Carlos Miller
\nCast: George Taylor, Rigoberto Duval, Carolyn Johnson, Skyla Rain Rowe, Angela Kohn<\/p>\n

Bite of a Mango<\/strong><\/em> *World Premiere
\n2020 comes with enough challenges of its own, but as four best friends each attempt to overcome their own trying situations, they are left unsure if the group can survive.
\nCANADA | 98 min
\nDirector: Ron Dias
\nWriters: Joanne Jansen, Ron Dias
\nProducers: Joanne Jansen, Ron Dias
\nCast: Jayne Kamara, Ryan Rosery, Orville Cummings, Nathan Taylor<\/p>\n

Escaping Paradise <\/strong><\/em> *World Premiere
\nA young couples’ anniversary trip turns deadly in a foreign land.
\nPHILIPPINES | 91 min
\nDirector: Paul Tanter
\nWriter: Deji LaRay
\nProducers: Thomas Q. Jones, Deji LaRay, DeNorvious Pickett
\nCast: Deji LaRay, Simon Phillips, Shayla Hale<\/p>\n

Feel Like Ghosts <\/strong><\/em> *World Premiere
\nTwo recent exes with an undeniable connection confront what could have been if their cultural differences hadn’t pushed them to new lives on opposite coasts.
\nUSA | 100 min
\nDirector: Kali Baker-Johnson
\nWriter: Kali Baker-Johnson
\nProducer: Lola Ridgell
\nCast: Nican Robinson, Misha Molani<\/p>\n

God of Dreams<\/strong><\/em> *U.S. Festival Premiere
\nWelcome to the future, where dreaming is Illegal.
\nUSA | 104 min
\nDirector: Jurian Isabelle
\nWriter: Jurian Isabelle
\nProducers: Jurian Isabelle, Joe Langford
\nCast: Ann Nesby, Julia Reilly, Jessie Reeder, Keshawn Pettigrew, Omar Cook<\/p>\n

Our Father, the Devil<\/strong><\/em>
\nAn African immigrant’s quiet life in a small French town is upended by the arrival of a charismatic Catholic priest, whom she recognizes as the warlord who slaughtered her family.
\nUSA | FRANCE | 108 min
\nDirector: Ellie Foumbi
\nWriter: Ellie Foumbi
\nProducers: Ellie Foumbi, Joseph Mastantuono
\nCast: Babetida Sadjo, Souleymane Sy Savan\u00e9, Jennifer Tchiakpe<\/p>\n

Scheme Queens<\/strong><\/em> *World Premiere
\nFour friends who are down on their luck decide to rob a ruthless Rastafarian jewel thief by conning his second in command.
\nUSA | 94 min
\nDirector: Cas Sigers Beedles
\nWriter: Cas Sigers Beedles
\nProducers: Cas Sigers Beedles, Ernestine Johnson
\nCast: B. Simone, Ernestine Johnson, Brii Rene\u00e9, Jacky Oh<\/p>\n

Survival<\/strong><\/em>
\nA car-jacked mother and entrepreneur is forced to bond with her violent assailant in order to escape.
\nUSA | 90 min
\nDirector: Damon Jamal
\nWriters: Damon Jamal, Dave Eisenstark
\nProducers: Leah Daniels Butler, Henry Black Butler, Damone Smith, Damon Jamal
\nCast: Elise Neal, Demetrius Grosse, Dylan McNamara, Miguel A. Nu\u00f1ez Jr.<\/p>\n

The Threesome<\/strong><\/em> *World Premiere
\nA sex comedy told in three ways.
\nUSA | 92 min
\nDirector: Jamal Dedeaux
\nWriter: Jamal Dedeaux
\nProducers: Jaleel Ghafur, Rebecca Haze, Jamal Dedeaux
\nCast: Andrea Lewis, Brittany S. Hall, Jerrel O’Neal<\/p>\n

You Married Dat<\/strong><\/em>
\nTwo happy brides, one dead guy!
\nUSA | 114 min
\nDirector: Dame Pierre
\nWriters: Byron Manuel, Curtis L. Ellison Jr., Tarek Abdelkhalig
\nProducers: Timothy Christian, Sherah Rider, Elijah Kelley
\nCast: Juhahn Jones, Apryl Jones, LisaRaye, Audra Kinkead, Michael Colyar<\/p>\n

DOCUMENTARY FEATURES<\/span><\/strong>
\nA competitive section for nonfiction feature films directed by persons of African descent or centered on the culture and experiences of persons of African descent. Films in this category are eligible to be nominated to compete for the Jury Award for Best Documentary (presented by Amazon, $2,500 cash prize). The following films represent the 2022 official selections in the Documentary Features category:<\/p>\n

A Woman on the Outside<\/strong><\/em>
\nKristal is a young, ambitious Philadelphian driven to keep families connected to their incarcerated loved ones. But when her father and brother return from prison, she confronts the ultimate question: can she reunite her own family?
\nUSA | 85 min
\nDirectors: Zara Katz, Lisa Riordan Seville
\nWriter: Kiara C. Jones
\nProducers: Kiara C. Jones, Zara Katz, Lisa Riordan Seville
\nCast: Kristal Bush, Nyvae Scott, Kristal Speaks<\/p>\n

American Immigrants<\/strong><\/em> *World Premiere
\nBeing homeless is an experience not a person.
\nUSA | 60 min
\nDirector: Ken Miles
\nWriter: Ken Miles
\nProducer: Ken Miles
\nCast: Jorge Colina, Nathan White<\/p>\n

Black As U R: a micheal rice film<\/strong><\/em>
\nMicheal Rice’s kaleidoscopic journey through the fault lines of race, gender and sexuality in America.
\nUSA | 87 min
\nDirector: Micheal Rice
\nWriter: Micheal Rice
\nProducer: Edward Radford
\nExecutive Producers: Micheal Rice, Gerald Oxford
\nCast: Micheal Rice, Dr. Charlene Sinclair, Michael Roberson<\/p>\n

Blind Eye Artist <\/strong><\/em> *World Premiere
\nThe origin story of painter Justin Wadlington, blind in his left eye.
\nUSA | 76 min
\nDirector: Ashwin Chaudhary
\nProducers: Ashwin Chaudhary, Jonathan Korn, Justin Wadlington
\nCast: Justin Wadlington, Glenn Fuhrman<\/p>\n

Drowning in Silence<\/strong><\/em>
\nA mother goes on a healing journey to investigate the silent epidemic of childhood drowning after losing her son.
\nUSA | 81 min
\nDirector: Chezik Tsunoda
\nWriters: Chezik Tsunoda, Claire Ave’Lallemant
\nProducers: Hill Harper, Joe Beshenkovsky, Chezik Tsunod<\/p>\n

Let The Church Say <\/strong><\/em> *World Premiere
\nIn a time of racial upheaval and a multitude of woes affecting marginalized communities, a young African American filmmaker journeys to the heart of the Black experience to find the answer to a daunting question: Is the Black church dead?
\nUSA | 70 min
\nDirector: Rafiq J Nabali
\nWriter: Rafiq J Nabali
\nProducers: Joe Howell, Nancy Howard, Danielle Nebeliuk
\nCast: Jekalyn Carr, Dr. Teresa Fry Brown, Dr. Walter Fluker, Darlene McCoy<\/p>\n

Lovely Jackson<\/strong><\/em> *World Premiere
\nAmerica’s longest wrongfully held exonerated prisoner, Rickey Jackson, returns to the prison where his 39-year journey of survival began and guides his younger self from death row to freedom.
\nUSA | 104 min
\nDirector: Matt Waldeck
\nWriters: Rickey Jackson, Matt Waldeck
\nProducers: Rickey Jackson, Matt Waldeck, Jillian Wolstein, Ben Hecht, Travis Killian
\nCast: Rickey Jackson, Edward Vernon, Pr. Anthony Singleton, Mario Beverly, Devito Parker Jr.<\/p>\n

The Young Vote<\/strong><\/em> *World Premiere
\nFilmmaker Diane Robinson follows a diverse group of students and activists during the 2020 election to understand young peoples’ perceptions of voting and civic engagement.
\nUSA | 67 min
\nDirector: Diane Robinson
\nWriter: Diane Robinson
\nProducer: Diane Robinson
\nCast: Ariana Tulay, Dariel Cruz Rodriguez, Elena Ashburn, Liz Magallanes, Sophia DeLoretto-Chudy, John King, Bradley Tusk, Jeremy Gruber<\/p>\n

WEB SERIES<\/span><\/strong>
\nA competitive section for short-form episodic television directed by or produced and written by persons of African descent. Each series in this section will compete for the Jury Award for Best Web Series (presented by Comcast NBCUniversal, $2,500 cash prize). The following are the 2022 official selections in the Web Series category:<\/p>\n

Bourn Kind: The Tiny Kindness Project<\/strong><\/em>
\nA Black\/Jewish artist creates a project of kindness to celebrate connection in his community.
\nUSA | 12 min
\nDirector: Rachel Myers
\nWriter: Rachel Myers
\nProducer: Tamika Lamison, Connie Jo Sechrist, Rachel Myers
\nCast: Bourn Rich<\/p>\n

Dreamers<\/strong><\/em>
\nThe zany misadventures of two sisters navigating the ups and downs of life, as artists, in the wild and unpredictable streets of La La Land.
\nUSA | 7:30 min
\nDirector: Kimberly Dooley
\nWriter: Kimberly Dooley
\nProducer: Kimberly Dooley
\nCast: Kimberly Dooley, Dayna Dooley<\/p>\n

I am Mara <\/strong><\/em> *World Premiere
\nStriving to break free from a life of espionage, murder and destructive family ties, Mara sets out to fabricate a new life for herself, but soon realizes the truth will always reveal itself and all sins must be atoned for.
\nUSA | 14:33 min
\nDirectors: Cody Duncum, Demetrius Feaster
\nWriters: Candace West, Clarinda D’Cruze
\nProducer: Candace West, Demetrius Feaster, Clarinda D’Cruze
\nCast: Candace Kirstin West, Keith Elgin Douglas, Alek President, Jose Navarro, Virginia Elliot, David Chin<\/p>\n

Jonathan’s World <\/strong><\/em> *U.S. Festival Premiere
\nBoy genius sips magical potion causing him to obtain enhanced capabilities.
\nUSA | 14 min
\nDirector: Tyler D. Lambert
\nWriter: Tyler D. Lambert
\nProducer: Tyler D. Lambert
\nCast: Tyler D. Lambert<\/p>\n

Last Name Unknown<\/strong><\/em> *World Premiere
\nBeyond Hope Youth Shelter’s homeless youth beat the odds, and find their place in society.
\nUSA | 15 min
\nDirector: Dui Jarrod
\nWriter: Dui Jarrod
\nProducers: Kevin “Coach K” Lee, Pierre “Pee” Thomas, Dui Jarrod, Chris Hicks, David Blackman
\nCast: Chakeefe Gordon, Erika Norrell, Braxton Jordan, Lindsey G. Smith<\/p>\n

Layered, “Stalker” <\/strong><\/em> *World Premiere
\nA series following three black women from Philadelphia, two of them Muslim, trying to break into the media industry while being met with challenges in mental health, faith, and loss due to gun violence.
\nUSA | 12:57 min
\nDirector: Zareefa Abdul-Adl
\nWriters: Arraiyan DuBose, Aiko Brown, Zareefa Abdul-Adl
\nProducers: Aiko Brown, Arraiyan DuBose, Zareefa Abdul-Adl
\nCast: Merceedes White, LaPorscha Rodgers, Aisha Saran<\/p>\n

Little Lawyer<\/strong><\/em> *U.S. Festival Premiere
\nA six-year-old girl with aspirations of being an attorney puts her little brother on trial after she discovers her toy is inoperative.
\nUSA | 12 min
\nDirector: Sam Buckner III
\nWriter: Sam Buckner III
\nProducers: Sam Buckner, Samantha O. Buckner
\nCast: Sophia Dejesus, London Sinead, Wyatt Hinz, Ayani Tamar, Brandon. L Ward, Alex Jackson<\/p>\n

Mine<\/strong><\/em>
\nWhen the sudden disappearance of water — their main life source — threatens to upend a vibrant utopia, an intrepid teen named Blaze must save their community before it’s too late.
\nUSA | 12:30 min
\nDirectors: Randall Dottin, Luisa Dantas
\nWriters: Randall Dottin, Angela Tucker, Paige Wood, Luisa Dantas, Rise-Home Stories Project
\nProducers: Randall Dottin, Angela Tucker, Paige Wood, Luisa Dantas, Rise-Home Stories Project, Anna Lee, Russell Hornsby
\nCast: Russell Hornsby, Denny Dillon, Imani Russell, Kaya Fraites, Sunni Patterson<\/p>\n

The Green Couch <\/strong>(Ep. 2)<\/em> *World Premiere
\nPsychologist Dr. Rhemington Lee engages patients in an unwitting experiment of truth as each convene on The Green Couch.
\nUSA | 14:08 min
\nDirector: Mirlande Amazan
\nWriter: Mirlande Amazan
\nProducer: Mirlande Amazan
\nCast: Mirlande Amazan, Antuone Torbert; narrated by Gordon Greene<\/p>\n

The Whippersnappers<\/strong><\/em> *World Premiere
\nOG, Big Mama and Foegy, aka “The Oldheads,” growing tired of the same routine, decide to use technology to become younger.
\nUSA | 4:56 min
\nDirector: Ryan Cole
\nWriter: Ryan Cole
\nProducer: Ryan Cole
\nCast: Ryan Cole<\/p>\n

ABFF 2022 sponsors and partners to date include Warner Bros. Discovery & HBO\u00ae<\/sup> (Founding); Cadillac, City of Miami Beach, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB), Sony Pictures Entertainment, Prime Video (Presenting); American Airlines, Comcast NBCUniversal, Meta, IMDb (Premier); ALLBLK, Prudential Financial, Variety, TV One, Netflix, Starz, Disney+ (Official); Accenture, Motion Pictures Association (MPA), A&E Indie Films, Springhill Company, The Boston Globe, Color of Change, Confluential Films (Supporting).<\/p>\n

For festival information and to obtain an ABFF pass, visit www.abff.com<\/a>. Pre-registration closes May 13. Press interested in media credentials to cover ABFF go to https:\/\/www.abff.com\/miami\/press-room\/media-credentials\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

ABOUT ABFF<\/strong>
\nThe American Black Film Festival (ABFF) is an annual event dedicated to recognizing Black talent and showcasing quality film and television content by and about people of African descent. Dedicated to the belief that diverse artists deserve the same opportunities as their mainstream counterparts, ABFF founder Jeff Friday conceived the festival in 1997 as a vehicle to strengthen the Black entertainment community by fostering resource sharing, education and artistic collaboration. Now in its 26th year, the festival has become a cornerstone of diversity in Hollywood, providing a platform for emerging Black artists \u2013 many of whom have become today’s most successful actors, producers, writers, directors and stand-up comedians. The ABFF is a property of ABFF Ventures LLC, an entertainment company specializing in the production of live events that promote Black culture and achievement.<\/p>\n

\n

Media Contact:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chelsye J. Burrows
\nJeff Friday Media (JFM) and ABFF Ventures LLC
\nchelsye@abffventures.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Image provided Courtesy of ABFF<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\n
April 27, 2022<\/div>\n
\n

The 2022 American Black Film Festival (ABFF) today announced its lineup of narrative and documentary features, and web series. This year’s festival format…<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":26745,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[330],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26743","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2022-press-releases"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.abff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26743","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.abff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.abff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.abff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.abff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26743"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.abff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26743\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26749,"href":"https:\/\/www.abff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26743\/revisions\/26749"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.abff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26745"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.abff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26743"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.abff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26743"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.abff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}