Earlier this month, FilmL.A. representatives attended various screenings and events associated with the Pan African Film & Arts Festival (PAFF). The festival is America’s largest and most prestigious black film festival. This year marked the 22nd anniversary of the festival, which ran from February 6-17.
During the festival a total of 172 films were screened featuring filmmakers from 46 countries — 37 documentaries, 23 short documentaries, 55 narrative features, and 57 narrative shorts as well as 11 web series. The festival bestowed awards for Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary Short, Best Narrative Short, Best Narrative Feature, Best First Feature Film, and Best Web Series as well as audience choice awards.
Festivities will kicked off with a star-studded opening night gala on Thursday, February 6, at the new Rave Cinemas Baldwin Hills 15 at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza in Los Angeles. With the exception of some special showings, all festival screenings and panels were held the Rave, including the Spoken Word Fest, and PAFF Institute presentations including one where actor Charles S. Dutton received a lifetime achievement honor.
The 2014 festival marks FilmL.A.’s debut year as a co-sponsor of the Pan African Film Festival. As part of the program, FilmL.A. partnered with the Pan African Film & Arts Festival to organize a Filmmaker’s Producer’s Brunch on February 8. Attended by more than 50 producers, directors and film enthusiasts, the brunch offered the unique opportunity for FilmL.A. to make an introduction to filmmakers and celebrate the benefits of filming in California.
FilmL.A. congratulations the Pan African Film & Arts Festival staff, as well as the filmmakers and audience members who made the event such a success. It was a pleasure being there to support you, and we hope you’ll consider filming future projects right here in the Golden State.