Picture it: Miami and it’s HOT! Not only the weather, but the fabulous people who descend upon the city’s white sandy beaches each year for the American Black Film Festival. Below are some of the hottest looks from this annual gathering of TV, film and streaming stars.
Issa Rae served as creative director for the event, which kicked off with the world premiere screening of Unprisoned Season 2, followed by a Q&A with star Kerry Washington. During the post-screening Q&A, moderated by Bevy Smith, Washington spoke about the importance of therapy, even saying, “I think if Jesus was alive and walking today he would be in therapy.” She acknowledged the Scandal fans in the audience and even said, “I’m happy to answer all your questions, if you want to know what it was like to kiss Tony Goldwyn, I’ll tell you,” before explaining that it was just “my job.”
Later in the day, Nia Long participated in a conversation titled Money & Mindfulness, which was followed by Tyler Perry’s Divorce in the Black: Exclusive First Look with Meagan Good and Cory Hardrict. Hardrict remarked on the importance of ABFF saying, “You can come down here and be celebrated, be heard, get your films shown, you can network. It’s a beautiful thing seeing people hear every year. Jeff Friday (ABFF’s cofounder) has done this for us.”
Closing out the white-hot second day of ABFF was Miami-Icon and rap-princess Trina, who participated in Trina: Uncensored. Trina shared stories about the music industry, the role of women in Hip Hop, her cultural impact, personal loss and more.
Throughout the event, there were interactive panels and conversations tackling a wide range of topics from representation, content acquisitions, and storytelling through voice acting.
