Held annually since 1997, the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) returned to Miami Beach in 2024 for its 28th year. The exciting slate of films, panels, events, and parties showcased some of the best of Black Hollywood and the excellence that emerges when Black creatives and stories receive equitable investment and support.
Perhaps what was most exciting about this year’s festival was the way Black LGBTQ+ films, filmmakers, and creatives showed up to highlight and celebrate Black queer storytelling. In addition to a contingent of Black LGBTQ GLAAD x ABFF Ambassadors who joined GLAAD’s Communities of Color and Media Department on the ground in Miami, Black queer culture and stories populated screenings, panels, and events across the festival:
FEATURED FILMS AND SCREENINGS
Selected narrative feature The Lost Holliday, directed by Jussie Smollett and co-written by Smollett and Jerrell Chesney, was inclusive of a number of Black queer characters, actors, and identities. Jussie Smollett and Jabari Redd depicted the central couple Jason and Damien Holliday, two gay men who are shown navigating love, their marriage, and the adoption of their daughter. In addition to Jason and Damien, the film incorporated Black queer representation in the form of Jason’s sister and her fiance (a lesbian couple) and close friend who is a Black trans man (played by Marquise Vilson).
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Anaiis Cisco, a filmmaker and assistant professor of moving image production at Smith College, also premiered a film in the narrative features category at ABFF. The feature length version of a short, thesis film, Drip Like Coffee focuses on the blossoming romance between two women working as baristas in Brooklyn. The film explores Black womanhood, desire, space, love, intimacy, and relationships.
Inspired by Starz’s P-Valley, the first episode of the new docuseries Down in the Valley also premiered on Friday night at the 2024 American Black Film Festival. Down in the Valley will act as the non-fiction counterpart of P-Valley, capturing real stories of Black southerners’ lives, music, and culture in the same way that P-Valley has authentically portrayed Southern Black culture.
The new show is hosted by Nicco Annan, and the special screening of Down in the Valley at ABFF featured a talkback moderated by Scott Evans, the host of Access Hollywood and Peacock’s new Couple to Throuple.
One of the most highly anticipated segments of the festival each year is the HBO Short Film Award Showcase. This year’s winner of the showcase, Chocolate with Sprinkles, also scored a win for Black queer representation through the work and background of its filmmaker and producers. Chocolate with Sprinkles was written and directed by Huriyyah Muhammad, who previously wrote and directed Wonders, a short film that tenderly showcases the love between two Black queer women and their struggle for a better life for themselves and their child.
Okema T. Moore, a writer, actor, Emmy-nominated producer, and emerging director, also served as a producer for Chocolate With Sprinkles. Moore has been a champion for marginalized and diverse communities and causes in her work within the entertainment industry, uplifting the voices of womxn, LGBTQ people, and Black and POC creatives as she advances in her career.
PANELS, EVENTS, & WORKSHOPS
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ABFF’s 28th year also featured a multitude of workshops taught by Hollywood and entertainment professionals with a wealth of experience to impart. Mike Gauyo, an executive producer, showrunner, television writer, and the founder of Black Boy Writes Media (a broadcasting and media production company that houses the Black Boy Writes & Black Girl Writes Mentorship Initiative), was one such industry expert. Mike taught a Writing Master Class (presented by Hoorae) alongside Amy Aniobi.
In partnership with ABFF, GLAAD presented the Queer Lens Brunch at the Royal Palm in Miami to celebrate Black queer storytelling at ABFF and beyond, curating a space specifically for Black LGBTQ people to gather and celebrate at the festival.
In addition to food and networking opportunities, the Queer Lens Brunch also featured short film screenings by the winners of the inaugural Black Queer Creative Summit (BQCS) Pitch Competition, which took place in September 2023. The brainchild of Sidra Smith, brought to life in conjunction with GLAAD, the pitch competition provided three BQCS attendees with funding toward a short film or creative project.
Alexander King, Donnie Hue Frazier III, and Soy Giraud (Hella Good Podcast) each premiered their films earlier this year at the 2024 GLAAD Honors LA celebration and had an additional opportunity to share the projects again at ABFF last week. Following the screenings, the three creatives shared more about their creative process, ideas, and journey in a short Q&A moderated by Shar Jossell.
Following the screenings, the official Queer Lens Brunch panel began. Featuring Alexandra Grey, Jonica Booth, and Jussie Smollett, and moderated by Sidra Smith, the panel touched on each of the creatives journey in film and television, the landscape of Black queer representation, and how we can take care of ourselves and our mental health in an industry that has high demands for us.
Many Black and Black LGBTQ industry icons were in attendance, including Mona Scott Young (Producer), Jabari Redd (Actor), Talitha Watkins (ColorCreative), Nicco Annan (Actor), Corey Knott (Actor), Scott Evans, and Mike Gauyo, among others.
Also in attendance were Black queer creatives who work across various sectors of the entertainment industry and who served as GLAAD x ABFF Ambassadors for the festival: Shar Jossell, Ryan Mitchell, Eva Reign, Alexandra Grey, Kyle Price, Riley S. Wilson, Brandon Nicholas, Olivia Peace, Alexander King, Donnie Hue Frazier III, Soy Giraud, Major Nesby, Pierre Phipps, and Jonathan Parham.
Overall, the event was populated by Black queer creatives, our allies, and those who are passionate about pushing the needle forward on diverse, inclusive, and authentic storytelling not only at ABFF, but across entertainment as a whole. The outpouring of love and support from those in the room is a testament to the power and potential of our community and culture.
While this year’s festival and Queer Lens Brunch was a rousing success, we hope to continue working with ABFF in the coming years to curate even more intentional, intersectional places for Black queer creatives to connect and dream together.