The American Black Film Festival is once again spreading its international wings, with a worldwide screening series returning to the UK later this year.
Presented by ABFF Ventures and Sony Pictures Entertainment, in association with UK-based SOUL Fest, the second installment of the ABFF Global series will take place September 16-18, and will feature screenings, panel discussions and networking events featuring London-based content creatives. The events will be held at the British Film Institute and other London venues during the fifth annual SOUL Fest.
“ABFF is rooted in building bridges and fostering alliances between black content creators around the world. SPE’s support for ABFF Global has enabled us to continue this mission,” said Jeff Friday, founder and CEO of ABFF Ventures. “We deeply respect the SOUL organization and appreciate them welcoming us to be a part of their annual event.”
Iyare Igiehon, director of SOUL Fest, added: “We are delighted to partner with the ABFF, an organization we have long admired and inspired by. We founded SOUL Fest with an ethos of community and found that Jeff Friday and the ABFF team share our values and our desire to forge bonds in the African diaspora. This partnership will lead to more experiences for the public, open up opportunities for the talent and support and further strengthen the UK as a hub in the global Black cinematic network.”
The series, an extension of ABFF, launched in 2019 in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment, aims to promote the universal appeal of black content and foster collaboration between artists in the African diaspora, with the aim of expanding the distribution opportunities for black content. expanding on an international scale. Future episodes of the series will be presented in other major cultural centers, including Madrid, Abu Dhabi, Paris and Gaborone.
“Sony Pictures is proud to once again partner with ABFF and its impressive work that showcases the great work of emerging black artists,” said Paul Martin, Chief Diversity Officer at Sony Pictures Entertainment. “We are delighted that September’s global event in London, programmed in conjunction with SOUL Fest, aims to reach an even wider global audience with its screenings, panel discussions and networking events.”
