Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) is a non-profit corporation in Los Angeles, California, United States, that states its goal is to promote "cultural understanding among peoples of African descent" through exhibiting art and film. It hosts an Oscar-qualifying film festival and an arts festival in Los Angeles in February of each year. The Los Angeles Times in 2013 called the film festival "the largest black film festival" in the United States.
Background
The festival was founded in 1992 by actors Danny Glover, Ja'net Dubois, and executive director Ayuko Babu. Babu had no ties to Hollywood and was working as a financial consultant before he contributed to finding the film festival. Glover and actress Whoopi Goldberg co-hosted the festival in 1992.
One of the main goals was to expose others to African films because many of the films were not being screened and going unnoticed. Babu states, "A showcase festival, maybe two of them. First, try one in Hollywood. That would get the attention of the movie crowd and would stimulate international interest. Then, try Washington that would draw in the political community." Another goal was to connect other African people to each other because there is so much diversity amongst African people.
It featured over by Black directors from four continents. The Los Angeles Times said the films had universal themes as well as African themes: "the overthrow of colonial governments, the clash between modern values and traditional values, and tales of gifted artists". Films at the first festival included Sarraounia, Heritage Africa, and Lord of the Street. In 2013, the film festival attracted approximately , and the arts festival attracted around 75,000. In 2014, the film festival featured from . The films included feature-length documentaries, short documentaries, narrative feature films, narrative short films, and web series.
Films
Tsotsi (2005) Directed by Gavin Hood, the film shows what life is like in South Africa as a youth. The themes revolved around violence, redemption, and humanity.
Dry (2014) Directed by Stephanie Okereke, which is about child marriage and is inspired by a true story. Okereke first learned about child marriage going on in Nigeria when she attended college. She wanted to bring this issue to the media to bring awareness. It got so much attention that Gambia's government banned child marriage.
Awards Source:
The Pan African Film & Arts Festival presents annual awards recognizing achievement in narrative, documentary, and short filmmaking. Categories include Jury Awards, Audience Awards, Programmers' Awards, and other special honors. +Past WinnersYearAward CategoryAwardCountryTitleDirector2024Jury AwardBest Feature NarrativeUnited StatesWe Grown NowMinhal Baig2024Jury AwardBest First Feature NarrativeBrazilPower AlleyLillah Halla2024Jury AwardBest Feature DocumentaryUnited StatesMax Roach: The Drum Also WaltzesBen Shapiro (director) and Sam Pollard (filmmaker)2024Jury AwardBest First Feature DocumentaryGhanaBrief Tender LightArthur Musah2024Jury AwardBest Short NarrativeSouth AfricaThe Last RangerCindy Lee2024Jury AwardBest Short DocumentaryUnited StatesOwn the 8 CountChild2024Audience FavoriteNarrative FeatureEthiopiaDokaKidist Yilma2024Audience FavoriteNarrative FeatureUnited StatesOutlaw Posse (film)Mario Van Peebles2024Audience FavoriteDocumentary FeatureUnited KingdomHumaniTree: A Story of Us HumansNuakai Aru2024Audience FavoriteDocumentary FeatureUnited StatesRespect My Crown: The Rise of African American Women in California PoliticsPamela Bright-Moon2024Audience FavoriteShort NarrativeUnited StatesSuperman Doesn’t StealTamika Lamison2024Audience FavoriteShort DocumentaryUnited StatesThe Orchestra Chuck BuiltChristopher Stoudt2024 Programmers' AwardBest Narrative FeatureUnited StatesOutlaw Posse (film)Mario Van Peebles2024Programmers' AwardBest Documentary FeatureUnited StatesOne Person, One Vote?Maximina Juson2024Programmers' AwardBest ShortUnited StatesInner DemonsJasmine J. Johnson2024Janet DuboisBest Narrative FeatureUnited StatesBob Marley: One LoveReinaldo Marcus Green2024Janet DuboisBest DocumentaryUnited StatesSing! Fight! Sing! Fight! From LeRoi to AmiriColin Still2024Janet DuboisBest ShortUnited StatesAs the Cookie CrumblesAimiende Negbenebor Sela2024Janet DuboisInternational Feature AwardUnited StatesFor the Love of the MotherlandTheodros “Teddy” Teshome2023Jury AwardBest Feature NarrativeUnited KingdomRye LaneRaine Allen-Miller2023Jury AwardBest First Feature NarrativeNigeria / United KingdomA Song From the DarkOgo Okpue2023Jury AwardBest Feature DocumentaryFrance / United StatesKing of Kings: Chasing Edward JonesHarriet Marin Jones2023Jury AwardBest First Feature DocumentaryUnited StatesWade in the Water: A Journey into Black Surfing and Aquatic CultureDavid Mesfinn2023Jury AwardBest Short NarrativeUnited StatesTrue Story: God Tells Bad JokesMatthew Law2023Jury AwardBest Short DocumentaryUnited StatesAmerican Justice on Trial: People vs. NewtonAndrew Abrahams & Herb Ferrette2023Audience FavoriteNarrative FeatureUnited StatesFirstJahmela Yarbrough & Brandon Yarbrough2023Audience FavoriteDocumentary FeatureFrance / Italy / United StatesHargroveEliane Henri2023Audience FavoriteShort NarrativeHaiti/United StatesPort of a PrinceJR Aristide2023Audience FavoriteShort DocumentaryUnited States/Sierra LeoneIfineAdisa Septuri & Ebony Gilbert2023Programmers' AwardNarrative FeatureSouth AfricaThe HoneymoonBianca Isaac2023Programmers' AwardDocumentaryCape Verde / Egypt / Ghana / Guinea / Bissau / Kenya / Morocco / Senegal / South Africa / TanzaniaThe Africologist: The Chronicles of AfricaValerio Lopes2023Programmers' AwardShort NarrativeJamaicaRaw MaterialsSosiessia Nixon-Kelly2023Programmers' AwardShort Documentary United StatesTeam DreamLuchina Fisher2023PAFF ExecutiveNarrative FeatureSenegal / Mali / Italy / France / CanadaDancing the Twist in BamakoRobert Guédiguian2023PAFF ExecutiveDocumentary FeatureUnited StatesFantastic Negrito: Have You Lost Your Mind YetYvan Iturriaga & Francisco Nuñez2023PAFF ExecutiveShort NarrativeUnited StatesWe Were Meant ToTari Wariebi2023PAFF ExecutiveShort DocumentaryUnited States / Sierra LeoneIfineAdisa Septuri & Ebony Gilbert2022Jury AwardBest Feature NarrativeChadLingui, the Sacred BondsMahamat-Saleh Haroun2022Jury AwardBest First Feature NarrativeUnited StatesQueen of GloryNana Mensah 2022Jury AwardBest Feature DocumentaryUnited StatesBuddy Guy: the Blues Chase the Blues AwayCharles Todd & Devin Amar2022Jury AwardBest First Feature DocumentarySouth AfricaAfrica and I Othmane Zolati & Chris Green2022Jury AwardBest Short NarrativeUnited StatesSlow PulseMarshall Tyler 2022Jury AwardBest Short DocumentaryCuba / United StatesCuba in AfricaNegash Abdurahman2022Programmers' AwardNarrative FeatureNigeriaAyinlaTunde Kelani2022Programmers' AwardDocumentaryUnited KingdomRace TodayWayne G Saunders2022Programmers' AwardShort NarrativeUnited States2 Eye Drops from NormalMora Carew2022Programmers' AwardShort Documentary United StatesFor Love & LegacyA.K. Sandhu2022AudienceFeature NarrativeUnited StatesRemember Me: The Mahalia Jackson StoryDenise Dowse2022AudienceFeature DocumentaryUnited StatesThe Dream WhispererEric Drath2022AudienceFeature DocumentaryUnited StatesFerguson RisesMobolaji Olambiwonnu2022AudienceShort NarrativeUnited StatesContrabanChelsea Hicks2022AudienceShort DocumentaryUnited StatesCrawford – The Man the South ForgotCarol Devoe2022Janet DuboisNarrativeUnited StatesA Brother’s WhisperJacinto Taras Riddick2022Janet DuboisDocumentaryUnited States / Canada / Ethiopia / France / Germany / Jamaica / UKGrandpa was an EmperorConstance Marks2021Jury AwardBest Feature NarrativeSouth AfricaBack of the MoonAngus Gibson2021Jury AwardBest First Feature NarrativeAustraliaCaged BirdsFredrick Leach2021Jury AwardBest Feature DocumentaryUnited StatesFirestarter - The Story of Bangarra Wayne Blair, Nel Minchin2021Jury AwardBest First Feature DocumentaryUnited StatesHollywood's Architect: The Paul R. Williams StoryRoyal Kennedy Rodgers, Kathy McCampbell Vance2021Jury AwardBest Short NarrativeEgyptTuk-TukMohamed Kheidr2021Festival AwardNarrative Feature Award NigeriaThe Milk MaidDesmond Ovbiagele2021Festival AwardContemporary Vision AwardUnited StatesWho Is Gatsby Randolph?Kobie Randolph2021Festival AwardDocumentary Feature Canada / France / United KingdomUprooted - The Journey of Jazz DanceKhadifa Wong2021Festival AwardShort Narrative or DocumentaryUnited StatesThe CypherLetia Solomon2021Festival AwardBest ActorUnited StatesChase Gutzmore, Standing Ovation Chase Gutzmore, Standing Ovation
Notable directors and actors
Joseph Gaï Ramaka Omari Hardwick Nicole Beharie Stephanie Okereke Gavin Hood
See also
Pan-Africanism List of film festivals
References
External links