NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN
HISTORY AND CULTURE ACQUIRES OBJECTS, PHOTOGRAPHS AND DOCUMENTS FROM
THE AMERICAN BLACK FILM FESTIVAL
Los
Angeles, CA, October 10, 2019 – Today, ABFF Ventures,
LLC., announced that objects, photographs, documents and other
memorabilia from The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) archives have
been acquired by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American
History and Culture in Washington, D.C. The items will
join the museums’ permanent collection and commemorate the ABFF’s rich
24-year history.
The
American Black Film Festival (formerly Acapulco Black Film Festival),
was first held in June 1997 by its original founders, Jeff Friday, Byron
E. Lewis and Warrington Hudlin. In 2002, the Festival moved stateside to
continue its commitment to community, providing a platform for
up-and-coming filmmakers of color and bringing together creatives in
appreciation of one another’s work, to challenge, encourage and uplift
each other. ABFF is dedicated to recognizing black talent and
showcasing quality film and television content by and about people of
African descent, and continues to be a vehicle to strengthen the black
entertainment community by fostering resource sharing, education and
artistic collaboration.
Ryan Coogler (Black
Panther), Stephen Caple, Jr. (Creed II), Will Packer (Girls Trip), Issa
Rae (Insecure), Omari Hardwick (Power) and Kevin Hart (Night
School), are among the beneficiaries of ABFF’s unique and prestigious
talent pipeline programs designed to identify, introduce and showcase
artists — including directors, actors, writers and other content
creators — to the industry at large.
The museum has selected 10 American Black Film Festival artifacts to join its historical collection:
• Awards: ABFF Wood Trophy/Award designed by fine artist and sculptor
Cheryl R. Riley, presented to Bill Duke in 1997 for Distinguished Career
Achievement as a Filmmaker
• Documents: 1997 ABFF Program Guide, 1997 ABFF All Access Pass and VIP Pass, “Hav Plenty” VHS video tape (1997)
• Photographs: A collection of six (6) photographs of celebrity
attendees by photographer Karl Crutchfield. Celebrities include Bill
Duke, Halle Berry, Denzel Washington, and more.
• Objects: Watch, Sterling Silver Necklace, Sterling Silver Bracelet.
Items given to VIP attendees at the 1997 Festival. Recipients included:
Debbie Allen, Morgan Freemen, Halle Berry and more.
The above items were donated by Nicole and Jeff Friday.
“Recognizing
the cultural significance and historical import of the long-standing
American Black Film Festival, it is thrilling to have objects from ABFF
join the museum’s permanent collection. For nearly a quarter century,
ABFF has been at the forefront of celebrating the history and cultural
value of African American storytelling and image-making, so receiving
objects that highlight the vision and creative spirit of ABFF was deeply
important,” said Rhea Combs, Supervisory Museum Curator of Photography
& Film, Smithsonian, National Museum of African American History and
Culture.
“Being
a part of the NMAAHC’s prestigious collection of historical artifacts
is an amazing honor and significant milestone for the ABFF. It brings a
great sense of pride and excitement that ABFF’s legacy is recognized as
an important piece of African American history and culture,” said Jeff
Friday, ABFF Ventures CEO.
The
American Black Film Festival has been helmed a “top Festival” by
reputable media outlets, including One of the Coolest Festivals in the
World by MovieMake Magazine; 10 Best Film Festivals by USA Today; Top
100 Events in Miami by BizBash Magazine and One of the Best
Events Around the World by PROHBTD.
ABFF
Ventures continues to expand the Festival programming initiatives and
will grow its brand year-round to include the About Women Conference,
ABFF Global Series (ABFF London debuted September 2019), ABFF Fit
(Health and Wellness series) and ABFF Honors (annual awards show
honoring Hollywood creatives).
ABFF SOCIAL MEDIA:
Twitter @ABFF
FacebookAmerican Black Film Festival
Instagram @AmericanBlackFilmFestival
YouTube American Black Film Festival
Hashtags #ABFF20, #WeAreABFF
About the National Museum of African American History and Culture:
The National Museum of African American History and Culture opened Sept. 24 on the National Mall in
Washington, D.C. Occupying a prominent location next to the Washington
Monument, the nearly 400,000-square-foot museum is the nation’s largest
and most comprehensive cultural destination devoted exclusively to
exploring, documenting and showcasing the African American story and its
impact on American and world history. For more information about the
museum, visit nmaahc.si.edu or call Smithsonian information at (202) 633-1000.
About ABFF Ventures:
ABFF
Ventures LLC (ABFFV) is a multifaceted entertainment company
specializing in the production of live events and branded content. Its
mission is to entertain and inspire communities of color while promoting
diversity in Hollywood. Headquartered in Los Angeles, ABFFV was
formed to stimulate business growth through expansion into other events
and services. Its tent-pole properties are the American Black Film
Festival (ABFF), cited by MovieMaker magazine as “One of the Coolest
Festivals in the World;” and “ABFF Honors,” a televised annual awards
gala saluting the top stars of film and television. In creating ABFF
Ventures, CEO Jeff Friday channeled his passion for film and television,
as well as his discomfort with the underrepresentation of people of
color in Hollywood, into an organization with the ultimate goal of
advocating for diversity within the entertainment industry. Through his
vision and perseverance, ABFF Ventures has become a highly respected
enterprise, generating goodwill throughout the Hollywood and corporate
communities.
No comments:
Post a Comment