On March 25, the African American Steering Committee (AASC) welcomed a panel of coordinators from African American/Black festivals. In a discussion moderated by AASC Co-Chairs Gina Prince-Bythewood and Princess Monique, Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center (BHERC) President Sandra Evers-Manly, American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Founder Jeff Friday and Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) Executive Director Ayuko Babu and Senior Programmer & Film Traffic Controller Melissa Randle spoke about their respective events.
Evers-Manly shared details about the BHERC’s 28th Annual African American Film Marketplace upcoming in August 2024 that will include films, premieres and other special events and tributes.
Friday articulated the mission of the ABFF which is dedicated to empowering Black talent and showcasing film and television content by and about people of African descent.
Babu spoke about the 32nd Annual PAFF which took place in February along with the accompanying annual Director’s brunch hosted by the DGA He also introduced Randle who will be assuming his duties in the future.
All the panelists shared the importance of community and support for Black filmmakers throughout the different stages of their career.
About the Committee:
The African American Steering Committee (AASC) was born of a desire to address the specific needs of the African-American members of the Directors Guild. One of the primary goals of the Committee is to establish a productive line of communication between African-American members and the creative community. The Committee meets monthly to plan events throughout the year celebrating the achievements of African-Americans, as well as forums with industry executives to proactively address what can be done to hire more African-Americans.