- MIAMI BEACH, Florida: One of the most prestigious festivals honoring black cinema has returned to Miami Beach to promote cultural diversity and recognize the contributions of black directors, writers and actors to the American film industry.
Now in its 15th year, the American Black Film Festival promotes cultural diversity within the film industry by strengthening the black filmmaking community through four days of film screenings, networking, workshops for both actors and directors and panel discussions. Jeff Friday, the festival's cofounder, said he wanted to change America's tone of African-American characters on television and films.
“I had always been disturbed by images of people with color in films. There was always a level of struggle,” he said of black people on the television shows he grew up watching, such as “Good Times” or “The Jeffersons.” “I just didn't see enough diversity.” That was decades ago, and Friday acknowledged the industry was doing a much better job now. In all, 20 independent films will be premiering during the festival that runs through Saturday, allowing for emerging filmmakers to showcase their work through short-film and documentary competitions. The films were either made or directed by an African-American, or have a focus on black culture.