The ABFF (American Black Film Festival) is a four-day event dedicated to showcasing quality films by and about people of African descent. Committed to the belief that Black content creators and artists deserve the same opportunities as their mainstream counterparts, ABFF founder Jeff Friday conceived the festival in 1997 as a vehicle to promote diversity in the film and television industry. Today it serves as the preeminent pipeline to new Black talent in front of and behind the camera, and is regarded as one of the leading film festivals in the world. The 18th annual ABFF will be held in New York City, June 19-22, 2014.Since its inception, the ABFF’s film program has provided a platform for more than 700 narrative feature, short and documentary films, offering a consistent means to reward and encourage artistic excellence. Alumni success stories range from veteran producers Will Packer (Think Like A Man) and Roger M. Bobb (Raising Izzie) to young auteur Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station) – testimony to the festival’s mission to introduce and connect talented newcomers to the industry at large.

In addition, the ABFF offers a wide variety of events and networking activities designed to foster career development and inspire festival attendees. These opportunities include panels, celebrity conversations, master classes, talent showcases and career forums co-programmed with leading media companies (HBO, Fox Searchlight Pictures, NBCUniversal, Nickelodeon and CNN). Entertainment and exclusive social events round out the ABFF experience.

The festival annually attracts a core audience of artists, entertainment executives, A-list celebrities and upscale film enthusiasts. Top-tier corporations engage in partnerships with the ABFF to promote their brands, services and multicultural initiatives to consumers, tastemakers and industry influencers in attendance. The ABFF also receives support from networks, film studios and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), all working to identify and cultivate relationships with multicultural talent. The festival supports artists in unprecedented ways, and has generated a tremendous amount of goodwill in the Hollywood community. The ABFF partners are essential to its long-term success, which in turn contributes to the growth of a more diverse America.

The American Black Film Festival is produced by Film Life, Inc., a multifaceted entertainment company founded in 2001 by its CEO, Jeff Friday. While best known for creating the ABFF, the company’s operations center on developing and licensing innovative content across all forms of media and providing strategic advisory services to a wide range of corporations in the entertainment, media and consumer product industries. Its scope of consulting services includes event management, film marketing and distribution, educational program development, talent procurement, and video production.