Gooding to Appear in ABFF’s “A Conversation With…”

New York, New York, June, 27, 2006 – The Film Life & HBO American Black Film Festival (ABFF) today announced that Oscar® winning actor Cuba Gooding, Jr. will be the subject of the festival’s highly anticipated, “A Conversation With…,” sponsored by Time Warner and Entertainment Weekly. The interview will take place during the festival’s 10th-year anniversary, scheduled from Wednesday, July 19, through Sunday, July 23, 2006, in South Beach, Miami, Florida.

In the provocative “A Conversation With…,” which will be held Saturday, July 22 in the Lincoln Theatre in South Beach, Gooding will discuss his craft, his calling and his latest projects with Entertainment Weekly writer Neil Drumming.

“Cuba Gooding, Jr. is an actor who has garnered notable and critical acclaim for his roles,” commented Jeff Friday, co-founder, of the ABFF. “We are honored to present him in this year’s “A Conversation With…” and look forward to an intriguing and engrossing discussion.”

Gooding’s performance as high-maintenance professional football star Rod Tidwell in Jerry Maguire (1996) won him an Oscar as best supporting actor. Starring opposite Tom Cruise, Gooding solidified his position as one of Hollywood’s most talented actors. In addition to the Oscar, Gooding was honored with the Screen Actors Guild Award, the Broadcasters Film Critics Award and the Chicago Film Critics Award for his role.

Gooding was recently seen as a rogue police officer Salim Adel, in the gritty independent film Dirty. He is starring in the film Shadowboxer, ABFF’s opening film and can be seen later this year in What Love Is and End Game.

Gooding has gained recognition in supporting roles including the Oscar® nominated A Few Good Men (1992), starring opposite Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson and Demi Moore; What Dreams May Come, with Robin Williams; and the critically acclaimed Men of Honor, with Robert DeNiro. Gooding’s breakout role was in the classic Boyz n the Hood.

HBO is the festival’s founding and title sponsor. Wal-Mart Voices of Color is the ABFF’s presenting sponsor. Platinum level sponsors are AXE Bodyspray, Boost Mobile, Kodak, Lincoln and Time Warner.

Other corporate supporters include American Airlines, Black Enterprise, BLOCKBUSTER, Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) and VURV, Inc. (gold sponsors); CodeBlack Entertainment, The Daily Blossom Events, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Legacy Creative Group, Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council (TDC), Nickelodeon, Nielsen Media Research and Starbucks Coffee Company (silver sponsors). Media sponsors include AOL Black Voices, Black Noir, DVRepublic.com, EUR Web, 98.7 Kiss FM, KJLH, Landmine Design, Socialstep.com, S.W.A.T.S, Upscale magazine, Uptown magazine and V103, WPGC.

Entertainment Weekly, a winner of four National Magazine Awards (two for General Excellence, one for Design and one for Special Interest) is America’s leading consumer magazine of entertainment and popular culture. The magazine is a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Inc., and has a guaranteed circulation rate base of 1.725 million reaching an audience of 11.4 million readers.

Home Box Office, Inc., is the premium television programming subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., providing two 24-hour premium television services, HBO and Cinemax. Together, both networks reach approximately 40 million subscribers in the United States via cable and satellite delivery.

The ABFF is a property of Film Life, Inc., a New York-based film marketing and distribution company. Its mission is to spearhead the global distribution of quality Black films and be the leading American brand producing Black movies and related entertainment content.

Festival information, including eligibility requirements, registration and the 2006 schedule of events, is available online at www.abff.com, via phone 212.966.2411, ext. 400, or by e-mail at [email protected].

Contact:

Chelsye. J. Burrows, ABFF Publicity
CJB Public Relations
212.966.2411, ext. 417, or 917.653.9440
[email protected]

Five filmmakers will vie for $20,000 grand prize to be awarded at festival’s closing ceremony

New York, N.Y., June 5, 2006 – Home Box Office has selected five finalists whose films will compete for the 2006 HBO Short Film Award grand prize during the 10th anniversary celebration of the Film Life & HBO American Black Film Festival (ABFF), July 19-23, in South Beach. The award was created in 1998 to give up-and-coming Black filmmakers, whose writing and directing talents show promise, a chance to showcase their works in a professional and competitive-friendly environment.

“At HBO we’ve had the honor of working with some of the best talent in entertainment,” said Olivia Smashum, executive vice president, Affiliate Marketing and Business Development at HBO. “This competition allows us to go the next step in nurturing young filmmakers through a celebrated and influential forum that gives them public and industry recognition.”

The competition will be hosted by noted television, film and stage actress Tamara Tunie, who currently stars in “Law and Order: SVU” and “As The World Turns.” Last summer, Tunie played opposite Denzel Washington in “Julius Caesar” on Broadway.

A panel of film industry professionals will judge the final entries during the festival. The $20,000 grand prize will be awarded by HBO to one filmmaker at the ABFF Independent Film Awards (July 23), with runners-up each receiving $5,000. This year’s finalists are:

Pop Foul, written, directed and executive produced by Moon Molson, is a coming-of-age story about a boy who begins to see his parents in a different light after witnessing an incident involving his father. Molson’s career in the film industry includes work in production, post production and set building. He’s written spec sitcom pilots and directed theater. He attended the Cinematography Program at The Los Angeles Film School and was an instructor of screenwriting and digital editing at The School of Cinema and Performing Arts in Los Angeles and the Berkshires.

Mandingo in a Box, written and directed by Dahéli Hall, is a satire that takes an unorthodox look at romance and the Black woman’s quest for the ever-elusive Black man. Hall holds a BFA in Theater from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and an MFA in Producing for Film and TV from USC. An actress, comic, writer and director, she is currently producing a documentary on gang violence, has been commissioned to write a screenplay about a female prison guard, and recently won a grant from the Miami Performing Center to develop a musical. Hall’s first short, “The Memo,” was selected as an HBO Short Film finalist in 2004.

Sin Salida, written, directed and produced by A. Sayeeda Clarke, is the story of an elderly woman who is haunted by the choices she made in her youth. Clarke is a Dean’s fellow and MFA candidate in Film at NYU. She has also studied directing at the Actor’s Studio Drama School. Her works include the short film “The Grey Woman,” winner of the Verizon Broadband Films Competition, and a stage production she directed at the Gene Frankel Theatre. An accomplished photographer, Clarke’s photos of Cuba and Italy, where she traveled to study international filmmaking, has been exhibited.

Trespass, written, executive produced by Nelsan Narie Ellis and directed by Xandy Smith, is the story of a young man who tries to deal with his disturbed brother and the shocking truth about their father. Ellis, a recent graduate of the Julliard School, was a series regular on Fox’s “The Inside” and featured in HBO Films’ “Warm Springs.” He is the co-founder of Alabaster Productions and has written and directed a stage play, “UGLy.” Smith has produced and directed several commercial spots for notable companies including Volkswagen, Nissan and Coca Cola. He directed the music video for “Dubliner” as well as his own film project, “Falling for Toby.”

Winnie and the Duppy Bat, written and directed by Annetta Laufer is the story of a young girl who tries to save her dying mother by confronting cultural superstitions. Laufer originally trained as a stage actress, then moved to directing theater before changing to film. She has also worked as a script editor and supervisor and has edited independent projects. Her first short, “Dinner for One,” was a finalist at the Aarrhus Film Festival in Denmark, which led to her first low-budget feature, “Engelene” (“Angels”), for Scandinavian TV. Laufer currently has a number of other film projects in development.

The 2005 HBO Short Film Award was won by co-writers/directors Jonathan David Boyce and Jonathan Levine for their film “Shards,” the story of a DJ and graffiti artist who struggles to kick a drug habit after a friend overdoses.

Home Box Office, Inc. is the premium television-programming subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., providing two 24-hour premium television services, HBO and Cinemax. Together, both networks reach approximately 40 million subscribers in the United States via cable and satellite delivery. Home Box Office’s international joint ventures bring HBO branded services to more than 50 countries around the globe.

The ABFF is a property of Film Life, Inc., a New York-based film marketing and distribution company. Its mission is to spearhead the global distribution of quality Black films and be the leading American brand producing Black movies and related entertainment content.

HBO® Is Founding & Title Sponsor, Wal-Mart Is Presenting Sponsor, Time Warner, AXE Body Spray, Lincoln, Kodak and Boost Mobile Also Key Supporters

New York, NY, (May 9, 2006) – Recognized as the premier international marketplace for Black and urban-inspired cinema, Film Life, Inc., today announced an impressive list of corporate sponsors for the 2006 Film Life & HBO American Black Film Festival (ABFF), including HBO, the festival’s founding and title sponsor, Wal-Mart Voices of Color, AXE Body Spray, Boost Mobile, Eastman Kodak, Lincoln and Time Warner. Celebrating its 10-year anniversary, the ABFF will be held from Wednesday, July 19, 2006, through Sunday, July 23, 2006, in South Beach, Miami, Florida.

HBO has supported the ABFF for the past nine years and hosts one of the festival’s staple events, the HBO Short Film Award Competition. Wal-Mart Voices of Color returns for the second year as the presenting sponsor. The platinum level sponsors have increased from two companies to five for the 2006 ABFF. AXE Body Spray, also in its second year of support, and Lincoln, a supporter for the past seven years, have both recommitted to the festival with new contests – AXE Black Filmmaker Series and Lincoln Luxury Contest, respectively. Joining the incumbent platinum level sponsors is Boost Mobile, Eastman Kodak and Time Warner.

“We are both grateful for and proud of the commitment of our corporate sponsors,” said Jeff Friday, Film Life’s CEO and ABFF founder. “These companies share our mission of showcasing contemporary Black cinema. As we enter our 10th year, we acknowledge the long-standing support of HBO as well as all our other corporate sponsors who lend their support and understand the significance and importance of the ABFF.”

During the past 10 years, the ABFF has made its mark on Hollywood and the entertainment industry, becoming an international marketplace unsurpassed in its facilitation of networking and business development opportunities for Black filmmakers. The festival boasts film industry events that attract an upscale group of African American consumers. This year, the ABFF’s program will showcase more than 40 films, many of them world premieres, as well as present a diverse array of film and technology panels, symposiums and workshops featuring industry executives. Annually, the festival attracts more than 2,500 attendees.

Much of the ABFF’s programming is supported by its sponsors. For eight years HBO has presented the HBO Short Film Award which gives away a $20,000 grand prize award to one winning filmmaker, and $5,000 each to four runners-up. Wal-Mart’s “Voices of Color Documentary Award” returns for its second year with a prize of $20,000. The Blockbuster Audience Award is awarded to the most popular film of the festival. The prize is $20,000.

The newly launched AXE Black Filmmaker Series is a screenwriting and film contest, granting three aspiring filmmakers the opportunity to turn their scripts about the black dating game into a film and receive a cash award of $5,000 and up to a $35,000 production budget. Lincoln presents its first “Define Lincoln Luxury” Commercial Contest, which requires the production of a digital 30-60-second commercial with a Grand Prize win of either a 2 year lease on a 2006 Lincoln Zephyr, Lincoln’s first entry-level luxury sedan, or a cash award. Kodak will present the Grand Jury Prize for the Best Picture and award $20,000 in film stock as the prize. Boost Mobile will present the Grand Jury Prize for Best Performance by an Actor.

Time Warner and Entertainment Weekly will host the festival’s highly anticipated event, “A Conversation With…,” an intimate and candid interview with a famed celebrity guest.

“Each year the ABFF is fortunate to have sponsors that bring fresh, creative elements to the festival program. For the 10-year anniversary, both continuing and new sponsors are offering new opportunities for the independent film community,” states Amelia Winfree, senior director, sponsorship & event sales, Film Life, Inc.

The additional list of ABFF corporate supporters who utilize cinema as a way of reaching their consumers continues with American Airlines, Black Enterprise, Blockbuster, Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) and VURV, Inc. (gold sponsors); CodeBlack Entertainment, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Nickelodeon, Nielsen Media Research and Starbucks Coffee Company (silver sponsors). Media sponsors include AOL Black Voices, DVRepublic.com, EUR Web, Landmine Design, Upscale magazine, Uptown magazine and Socialstep.com.

Home Box Office, Inc., is the premium television programming subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., providing two 24-hour premium television services, HBO and Cinemax. Together, both networks reach approximately 40 million subscribers in the United States via cable and satellite delivery. Home Box Office’s international joint ventures bring HBO branded services to more than 50 countries around the globe.

The ABFF is a property of Film Life, Inc., a New York-based film marketing and distribution company. Its mission is to spearhead the global distribution of quality Black films and be the leading American brand producing Black movies and related entertainment content.

Festival information, including eligibility requirements, registration and the 2006 schedule of events, is available online at www.abff.com, via phone 212.966.2411, ext. 400, or by e-mail at [email protected].

Contact:

Chelsye J. Burrows, ABFF Publicity
CJB Public Relations
212.966.2411, ext. 417, or 917.653.9440
[email protected]

ABFF to Celebrate Its 10th Year in Miami, Fla., July 19-23, 2006
Deadline for Feature, Short & Documentary Film Entries is April 7

New York, NY, (February 7, 2006) – Film Life and HBO today announced the 2006 dates of the American Black Film Festival (ABFF). The ABFF will be held Wednesday, July 19, through Sunday, July 23, in the South Beach district of Miami, Florida, where the festival will celebrate its tenth anniversary with the support of HBO, the ABFF’s founding and title sponsor, and Wal-Mart Voices of Color,TM its presenting sponsor.

“Although our industry has changed dramatically in the last ten years, particularly in the areas of digital production and distribution, opportunities for persons of color remain limited,” said Jeff Friday, founder, ABFF. “I salute our lead sponsors, HBO and Wal-Mart, for their unwavering support of the ABFF. It is because of these two companies and our other prestigious corporate partners that we have been able to showcase cinema that reflects the talent and true vision of Black artists, while building the commercial market for independent Black films.”

The 2006 ABFF program includes independent film screenings, network and studio premieres, panels, workshops and seminars led by accomplished industry professionals. Other highlights include live entertainment, exclusive networking events and the ABFF Awards presentation.

“As founding and title sponsor, HBO’s partnership with the ABFF has helped create a celebrated and influential forum where new talent can showcase their works in a professional and competitive-friendly environment,” said Olivia Smashum, executive vice president, affiliate marketing, HBO. “We salute the ABFF on the eve of their 10th anniversary, a landmark achievement within the Black filmmaking community and one which we’re very proud to be a part of.”

The ABFF has four film sections: Narrative Feature Films (competitive), World Cinema (noncompetitive), the HBO Short Film Competition and Documentaries (competitive). A total of $80,000 worth of prizes will be awarded to films in the competitive sections. Awards include the HBO Short Film Award ($20,000 cash prize), Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature Film, sponsored by Blockbuster ($20,000 cash prize), Grand Jury Prize for Best Picture, sponsored by Kodak (prize: film stock valued at $20,000), and the Wal-Mart Voices of Color Best Documentary Award ($20,000 cash prize). Winners will be announced at the ABFF Awards Brunch held on the closing day of the festival.

Films submitted for consideration for the 2006 ABFF must be delivered to the New York City office postmarked by the entry deadline: Friday, April 7, 2006. Submission forms and eligibility requirements are available online at www.abff.com.

The American Black Film Festival, formerly known as the Acapulco Black Film Festival, was founded in 1997 by Jeff Friday, president & CEO, Film Life, Inc. ABFF is a five-day retreat and international film market dedicated to strengthening the independent film community. It was born out of a belief in the need to stimulate independent Black film development and promote cultural diversity within the film industry. With limited access to images and opportunities for Black filmmakers in Hollywood, the ABFF created a platform to showcase the cinematic work of independent artists of vision and emerging talent.

Since its inception, the ABFF has explored, rewarded and redefined artistic excellence in international Black cinema. It has grown to be recognized as the premier Black film festival in the United States. Its film slate is primarily composed of world premieres positioning it as the #1 film market for Black and urban content. In addition to its film showcases, the ABFF is committed to nurturing artists in a variety of disciplines and offers educational workshops and seminars for actors, filmmakers and writers throughout the week. The event annually attracts 2,500 attendees.

Members of the ABFF Advisory Board, chaired by Robert Townsend, include Debbie Allen, Bill Duke, Eriq La Salle, Suzanne de Passe, John Singleton and Melvin Van Peebles.

Other festival sponsors include: AXE, Lincoln, Time Warner (Platinum), Black Enterprise, Kodak and Vurv, Inc. (Gold), Nielsen Media Research (Silver). Media sponsors include: EURweb, Upscale, Uptown magazine and Socialstep.com.

Wal-Mart, in partnership with Time Warner’s Global Marketing group, has created the Voices of ColorTM Film Series designed to support African American filmmaking and highlight the range and depth of the African American experience. It is a unique program that aims to give “voice” to a more positive depiction of African American images via a wide range of quality programming for the whole family.

Home Box Office, Inc. is the premium television programming subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., providing two 24-hour premium television services, HBO and Cinemax. Together, both networks reach approximately 39 million subscribers in the United States via cable and satellite delivery. Home Box Office’s international joint ventures bring HBO branded services to more than 50 countries around the globe.

The ABFF is a property of Film Life, Inc., a New York-based film marketing and distribution company. Its mission is to spearhead the global distribution of quality Black films and be the leading American brand producing Black movies and related entertainment content.

Festival information, including eligibility requirements, registration and the 2006 schedule of events, is available online at www.abff.com, via phone 212.966.2411 ext. 400, or by e-mail: [email protected]

Contact:

Chelsye J. Burrows
303.250.3668

Producer and Director Warrington Hudlin to Receive Honor

New York, NY, March 22, 2005 – Award-winning film producer and Black Filmmaker Foundation (BFF) founder Warrington Hudlin will receive the Melvin Van Peebles Trailblazer Award at the 9th Annual American Black Film Festival (ABFF), Jeff Friday, cofounder and producer of the ABFF, announced today . The ABFF is a five-day retreat and international film market held annually in Miami’s South Beach. This year’s festival will take place July 13-17.

“For the better part of 30 years, Warrington has built a distinguished career as a pioneering Black filmmaker, activist and curator. It is for that reason we are pleased to honor him with the ABFF’s Melvin Van Peebles Trailblazer Award,” Friday said.

Hudlin, who began his career making documentary films, cofounded the BFF in 1978 to foster audience development and provide financial assistance to independent Black filmmakers. More recently, Hudlin founded dvRepublic.com and is the executive producer of the BFF DV Lab, a multicultural, socially concerned digital film company.

Born and raised in East St. Louis, Illinois, Hudlin graduated from Yale University in 1974. His work as a film producer includes the teenage hit House Party, the animated feature, Bebe’s Kids, and his first major Hollywood picture, Boomerang. He also won a Cable ACE award for the HBO Special Cosmic Slop. In addition, Hudlin is a cofounder and was also the curator of the Acapulco Black Film Festival.

“Our continued success demonstrates the unparalleled status of ABFF as the premiere international film festival for filmmakers of color,” said Friday. “It is through the continued support of HBO and Time Warner that we are able to give Black artists across the world a platform to express their voices. My sincere thanks to Olivia Smashum of HBO for her vision and help in forging the expanding relationship between Time Warner and Film Life.”

Novelist, playwright, musician, composer, actor, editor, director, producer and cultural icon, Melvin Van Peebles has been credited with paving the way for modern African-American filmmakers. “Melvin Van Peebles is the godfather of modern Black cinema, and his groundbreaking film, Sweet Sweetback’s Baadassss Song, was one of the first truly Black independent film projects,” Friday said. “He is a legend in the history of African-American cinema and his remarkable career and achievements have influenced events in American film history,” Friday added.

Van Peebles made his feature film debut in 1967 as the director, writer and composer of The Story of a Three Day Pass. In 1971, he starred in, wrote, produced directed, financed and distributed the groundbreaking, Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song, one of the highest-grossing independent films at the time. The film ushered in a new era of Black independent filmmaking. His other directing credits include “The Watermelon Man (1970) and Don’t Play Us Cheap (1973). In addition, he wrote the Tony Award nominated Broadway musical Ain’t Supposed to Die a Natural Death, and Classified X. In 1995, his son, actor/director Mario Van Peebles, directed his screenplay Panther.

Dedicated to strengthening the independent film community, the ABFF attracts more than 2,500 attendees and is recognized as the premiere Black film festival. The ABFF is a property of Film Life, Inc., a New York-based film marketing and distribution company. Its mission is to spearhead the global distribution of quality Black films and become the leading American brand producing Black movies and related entertainment content.

Time Warner Inc. is the festival’s presenting sponsor and Home Box Office is the founding sponsor. Other festival sponsors include: Lincoln Mercury (Platinum), Blockbuster and UrbanWorks Entertainment (Gold), as well as American Airlines, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, Kodak, Nickelodeon, Nielsen Media Research, Starbucks, Turner Classic Movies, and VURV, Inc. (Silver).