LOS ANGELES — The kudos just keeps on coming for the Pan African Film Festival. After a month-long business trip to Africa visiting an international film festival and several film events, Ayuko Babu, executive director of PAFF along with director of programming Asantewa Olatunji returned to Los Angeles with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). Considered the African Oscars, AMAA held its ninth award ceremony on April 20, 2013 in Yenagoa, Nigeria, the Bayelsa state capital, honoring top films and performances from Africa and its Diaspora.

“It’s very humbling to receive such a prestigious honor from the African Movie Academy,” said Babu. “It’s thrilling for the work of the Pan African Film Festival to be recognized on this level by the international film community. It’s also a testament to the contribution and global impact this film festival has made in bringing stories from around the world to American audiences.”

Earlier this year, PAFF also received the first ever Special Achievement Award in the Film Festival Category by African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA), recognizing its contribution to cinematic arts.

The Pan African Film & Arts Festival is an official event of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa’s Celebration of African American Heritage Month. PAFF is sponsored by Union Bank; Macy’s; Wells Fargo Bank; General Motors; Sony Pictures, CareMore; Water Replenishment District of Southern California; South African Airways; the National Film and Video Foundation; One Village; Addco Party Rentals; TestFlick; O.N.E. Coconut Water; Dama Tequila and Mascarade Liqueur; the Department of Cultural Affairs, the City of Los Angeles; the Los Angeles County Arts Commission; as well as Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas (Second District) and Los Angeles City Council members Bernard C. Parks (District 8), Jan Perry (District 9), and council president Herb J. Wesson Jr. (District 10).

ABOUT AMAA

The Africa Movie Academy Awards, AMAA is an offshoot of the Africa Film Academy. The Academy founded on the best film tradition, is geared towards research, training and propagating film making in Africa. Behind it are film producers, directors, designers, writers, critics and scholars who share in the belief of a renaissant African film.

AMAA is thus conceptualized as an annual celebration of the brightest and the best in African movie. It is about class and style, blitz, glitz and razzmatazz. It is the biggest gathering of movie makers across the African continent and the diaspora. It is to show to the world that the rating of Nollywood (Nigeria) as the third largest producers of movie is real.

ABOUT THE PAN AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL

Wrapping up its 21st anniversary, the Pan African Film and Arts Festival (PAFF), is America’s largest and most prestigious Black film festival. Each year, it screens more than 150 films made by and/or about people of African descent from the United States, Africa, the Caribbean, South America, the South Pacific, Latin America, Europe and Canada. PAFF holds the distinction of being the largest Black History Month event in the country.

PAFF was founded in 1992 by award-winning actor Danny Glover (“The Color Purple,” “Lethal Weapon” movie franchise), Emmy Award-winning actress Ja’Net DuBois (best known for her role as Willona in the tv series, “Good Times”) and executive director, Ayuko Babu, an international legal, cultural and political consultant who specializes in African Affairs. PAFF is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the promotion of ethnic and racial respect and tolerance through the exhibit of films, art and creative expression.

The goal of PAFF is to present and showcase the broad spectrum of Black creative works, particularly those that reinforce positive images, help to destroy negative stereotypes and depict an expanded vision of the Black experience. PAFF believes film and art can lead to better understanding and foster communication between peoples of diverse cultures, races, and lifestyles, while at the same time, serve as a vehicle to initiate dialogue on the important issues of our times.

For more information, please visit www.paff.org or call (310) 337-4737.

Visit  gallery.paff.org for photo highlights of this years festival!

• Against The Grain
• Between Friends
• Stones In The Sun
•  Fan Do Brasil
• My Thiero Boys
• Red, White, Black And Blue
• Adventure Of Zambezia
• The Last Fishing Boat
• Nairobi Half Life
• Imbabazi, The Pardon
• Swirl In Bamako

Visit the website below for the complete list of nominees http://www.ama-awards.com/news/nominees-2013-edition-african-movie-academy-awards

War Thriller Starring Chadwick Boseman Lands One-Week Engagement at Rave Theatres in Baldwin Hills

LOS ANGELES – Sometimes reality is stranger than fiction. When cab driver-turned-director Mischa Webley first wrote the script for the film, “The Kill Hole,” more than four years ago, policemen weren’t hunting for cop killer Chris Dorner in the California mountains or reading his manifesto on gun control . Instead, the Portland native was inspired to write about the plight of veterans returning home from war and settling into civilian life, after listening to tales from his grandfather, a WWII vet. Who knew that one of the characters in the film would parallel that of Dorner, which captured headline news for weeks.

Thankfully, the Obama administration hasn’t started any new wars in lands near or far, and the president is winding down wars from past administrations. As soldiers return home to loved ones, some will have physical scars, while others will suffer from mental ones. Instead of leaving a job at the office, can a veteran ever leave the job on the battlefield?

At a time where audiences are resonating with such war dramas like Oscar winner “Argo” and the award-winning film, “Zero Dark Thirty,” “The Kill Hole” stars Chadwick Boseman (set to portray Jackie Robinson in the upcoming biopic “42”), Billy Zane (“Titanic”), Tory Kittles (“Sons of Anarchy”) and Peter Greene (“Pulp Fiction”).

“Fresh from the Pan African Film Festival, “The Kill Hole” lands a one week engagement at the Rave Cinemas Baldwin Hills 15 at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza,

MARCH 21, 2013

Los Angeles

• Rave Cinemas Baldwin Hills 15 at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, located at 4020 Marlton Ave. in Los Angeles. The theatre is situated on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard between Marlton Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard. (Visit http://www.ravemotionpictures.com/theater.aspx?id=87 or contact (323) 296-1005 for show times.)

“The Kill Hole” follows Boseman as Lt. Samuel Drake, a troubled vet who is plagued by his actions while he was deployed in Iraq. Set against the backdrop of the beautiful Pacific Northwest wilderness, “The Kill Hole” tells the haunting story of one man forced to confront his violent past, and the uneasy bond he forms with the mysterious assassin he must confront in his quest for redemption. “It was an eye-opening experience to re-create the world of combat veterans and I’m excited to bring this timely project to a wider audience,” said Webley, who still resides in Portland. In fact, shot in Portland, real-life veterans were cast in the film to bring authenticity to the project.

RBC Film Group and Alternate Ending Studios brings writer/director, Webley’s gripping atmospheric thriller “The Kill Hole” to theaters in limited release beginning March 15, 2013 in New York and the following weekend in LA and Portland, and available on DVD and iTunes on April 9, 2013. The DVD will be available in Walmart and Target stores nationwide. “The Kill Hole” soundtrack, will also be available on iTunes this spring.

To view the trailer, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9v8x74ZI18&feature=youtu.be

Movie synopsis:

Kill Hole, The (US/Narrative Feature/92min)

Director: Mischa Webley

Lt. Samuel Drake is a troubled vet plagued by his actions while deployed in Iraq. Recently discharged, he is trying to piece his life back together while he works as a cab driver and lives in a rundown motel room. He also attends counseling sessions led by Marshall to help cope with the horrors of his past. While on this path to a fresh start, Drake’s fragile new life is shattered when two executives, who represent a private military contractor, present a new mission, one with no option to refuse; track down and kill Sgt. Devin Carter, an AWOL Marine Corps. sniper who knows the truth about Drake’s past and who himself is on a mission to target and kill members of the mercenary firm. A gripping, lyrical meditation on war and the scars it leaves on those who fight, The Kill Hole is a story of one man who is forced to face his violent past.

Fresh off the film-festival circuit, “The Kill Hole” was an official selection of various festivals, including Santa Barbara International Film Festival, the New Jersey International Film Festival, and the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles.

“The Kill Hole” was produced by Zach Hagen and Jason Krawczyk, on behalf of Alternate Ending Studios and executive produced by Brian Shafton, Ben Grossi and Mike Regen from RBC Film Group. Adrienne Stern cast “The Kill Hole.” The deal was negotiated by Robert Lieberman of Fischbach, Perlstein, Lieberman & Almond on behalf of RBC Film Group and by Evan Krauss of Gray Krauss Stratford Des Rochers LLP on behalf of Alternate Ending Studios. Sales rep for the film was Brandon Baker of Baker Productions & Representation. Osiris is handling foreign sales. For additional information on “The Kill Hole” go to http://www.thekillholemovie.com/

 About RBC FILM GROUP

RBC Film Group acquires and distributes a wide range of feature films and special interest content to all aspects of theatrical, physical, and digital outlets worldwide. RBC Film Group is a division of RBC Records.

About AES

Alternate Ending Studios, LLC (AES) is a group of writers, filmmakers, and creative producers. AES has developed product for the full gamut of media — from television commercials and music videos to full-length films. Film crews have shot on location all around the world from Europe to Cambodia, Oregon to Louisiana. After three successful feature films, AES gears up to start several new projects this year.

February 11, 2013

LOS ANGELES – The Pan African Film Festival honored the best and the brightest in Black Hollywood at its annual Night of Tribute on Friday, February 8, 2013 at the Taglyan Complex in Hollywood, Calif. The awards were handed out during the preshow festivities of the African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) awards ceremony. This year, the two organizations — that is, PAFF and (AAFCA) collaborated to honor Black Hollywood’s most deserving talent. PAFF’s Night of Tribute honors world-renowned actors, filmmakers, community leaders and fine artists for their contributions on stage, television, film, the arts and the community.

This year, PAFF festival organizers honored UN Ambassador Filippe Savadogo for its Pan African Cinema Visionary Award for his groundbreaking work on the development of the Pan African film industry worldwide. Savadogo is the new Permanent Observer of La Francophonie (OIF) to the United Nations. Prior to his appointment, Savadogo was the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Communications of Burkina Faso from June 2007 to April 2011, a period in which he also served as the government spokesman responsible for La Francophonie. Between September 1996 and August 2007, he was Ambassador to France, accredited also to Spain, Portugal, Vatican City and Tunisia, while serving simultaneously as Permanent Delegate to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). During the same period, he served as Personal Representative of the President to the Permanent Council of La Francophonie within the International Organization of La Francophonie. He also served as the former director of the Pan African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO), which is the largest African film festival, held biennially in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The festival is the biggest regular cultural event on the African continent and it mostly focuses on the African film and African filmmakers.

“Ambassador Savadogo has provided unparalleled professionalism and leadership within the international film community. His work with FESPACO provided an incubator for the African film industry to expand its reach and message to the global cinema market,” said Ayuko Babu, executive director of PAFF.

In a rare occurrence, the founders of the Pan African Film Festival shared the stage for the first time and served as presenters during the awards ceremony. PAFF was founded in 1992 by award-winning actor Danny Glover (“The Color Purple,” “Lethal Weapon” movie franchise), Emmy Award-winning actress Ja’Net DuBois (best known for her role as Willona in the tv series, “Good Times”) and executive director, Ayuko Babu, an international legal, cultural and political consultant who specializes in African Affairs.

This year, PAFF has selected a total of 154 films, representing 34 countries — that is, 23 documentaries, 13 short documentaries, 67 narrative features, and 51 narrative shorts. The festival will hand out prizes for Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary Short, Best Narrative Short, Best Narrative Feature, and Best First Feature Film, as well as audience favorite awards at the close of the festival. PAFF is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the promotion of ethnic and racial respect and tolerance through the exhibit of films, art and creative expression.

Other honorees include:

• Lynn Whitfield — Lifetime Achievement Award — an award-winning actress, Whitfield was feted with the festival’s highest honor, a Lifetime Achievement Award for her work in television and film With more than 30 years in the entertainment industry, Whitfield vaulted to international fame in the HBO biopic, “The Josephine Baker Story,” portraying the legendary international icon. Her performance – after all, who can forget the Banana Dance — nabbed her a Golden Globe nomination and an Emmy Award for “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Special or Miniseries. A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Whitfield has won five NAACP Image Awards and received four nominations for her work in television and film, including “Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story,” co-starring Jamie Foxx and “The Josephine Baker Story.”
• Christian Lara – Pioneering Filmmaker Award – is considered the “Father of West Indian Cinema,” shooting more than 20 feature films in the Caribbean, France, Canada and Africa. With a special eye for Antillean cinema, he’s raised the visibility and imagery of the Creole people on the big screen. Through Lara’s camera lens, he’s honored his Guadeloupean heritage; yet made daring political statements with such films like “Coco La Fleur,” “Mamito,” and “1802.” His body of work speaks to the social consciousness of the people and informs audiences about the political plight and historical relevance of a nation.
• Nicole Beharie — Beah Richards Rising Star Actress Award — a promising ingenue on the rise. In 2008, she made her critically-acclaimed acting debut in the indie, “American Violet,” opposite Alfre Woodard, Tim Blake and Will Patton. Next year, she will appear in the upcoming biographical film, “42,” about the life of baseball player Jackie Robinson, directed by Brian Helgeland. She will also join Olivia Wilde and Hailee Steifield in the Civil War drama, “The Keeping Room,” directed by Daniel Barber and written by Julia Hart. In 2011, she dazzled critics in director Steve McQueen’s compelling British sex drama “Shame,” as the woman who goes out on an actual date with sex addict, Brandon, portrayed by Michael Fassbender.
• Omari Hardwick — Canada Lee Rising Star Actor Award – an actor by day and poet by night, Hardwick has appeared in various independent films, screened at PAFF, including fan favorite “Everyday Black Man” and the critically-acclaimed “I Will Follow.” Currently, Hardwick is enjoying success in Ava DuVernay’s film, “Middle of Nowhere,” the winner of the Best Director Award at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. Other film credits include “Sparkle,” Tyler Perry’s “For Colored Girls,” “Miracle on St. Anna,” “The A-Team” and “Beauty Shop.” Aside from his film projects, interestingly, the Georgia native is a poet since the age of 14, and he hosts TV One’s “Verses and Flow,” a new show, showcasing talent in the world of spoken word and poetry.

This year, PAFF has selected a total of 154 films, representing 34 countries — that is, 23 documentaries, 13 short documentaries, 67 narrative features, and 51 narrative shorts. The festival will hand out prizes for Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary Short, Best Narrative Short, Best Narrative Feature, and Best First Feature Film, as well as audience favorite awards at the close of the festival. For more information, including how to purchase tickets, please visit www.paff.org or call (310) 337-4737.
The Pan African Film & Arts Festival is an official event of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa’s Celebration of African American Heritage Month. PAFF is sponsored by Macy’s; Wells Fargo Bank; CareMore; Union Bank; General Motors; Water Replenishment District of Southern California; Sony Pictures; South African Airways; the National Film and Video Foundation; One Village; Addco Party Rentals; TestFlick, the Department of Cultural Affairs, the City of Los Angeles; the Los Angeles County Arts Commission; as well as Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas (Second District) and Los Angeles City Council members Bernard C. Parks (District 8), Jan Perry (District 9), and council president Herb J. Wesson Jr. (District 10).

ABOUT THE PAN AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL
Gearing up for its 21st anniversary, the Pan African Film and Arts Festival (PAFF), is America’s largest and most prestigious Black film festival. Each year, it screens more than 150 films made by and/or about people of African descent from the United States, Africa, the Caribbean, South America, the South Pacific, Latin America, Europe and Canada. PAFF holds the distinction of being the largest Black History Month event in the country.

The goal of PAFF is to present and showcase the broad spectrum of Black creative works, particularly those that reinforce positive images, help to destroy negative stereotypes and depict an expanded vision of the Black experience. PAFF believes film and art can lead to better understanding and foster communication between peoples of diverse cultures, races, and lifestyles, while at the same time, serve as a vehicle to initiate dialogue on the important issues of our times.

For more information, please visit www.paff.org or call (310) 337-4737.

Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Venus Bernardo/PAFF

LOS ANGELES – The Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) is happy to announce the winners of its films in competition today. The festival handed out jury, audience and special prizes during an awards brunch on Presidents Day at the “pop up” PAFF Filmmakers Lounge, located in the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza.

PAFF, America’s largest and most prestigious international Black film festival is took place February 7-18, 2013 at the Rave Cinemas Baldwin Hills 15 at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza. The festival selected a total of 154 films, representing 34 countries — that is, 23 documentaries, 13 short documentaries, 67 narrative features, and 51 narrative shorts. PAFF handed out prizes for Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary Short, Best Narrative Short, Best Narrative Feature, and Best First Feature Film, as well as audience favorite awards at the close of the festival.

For a full list of nominees, visit the SOCIAL PRESS RELEASE:
http://new.pitchengine.com/pitches/8367786b-c4a5-4791-bc84-75c2713cffbe

For more information about the official selections of the Pan African Film Festival, visit the festival’s website at:
http://www.paff.org/filmfest/films/

Although no one film swept the awards, films from the United States and the Caribbean proved to be the favorites at the festival this year. In fact, Haiti’s “Stones in the Sun,” directed by Patricia Benoit walked away with the top prize of Best Feature Narrative. Canadian director Sudz Sutherland of “Home Again,” walked away with the Festival Choice Award, given by the Pan African Film Festival and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts/LA (BAFTA/LA). In Sutherland’s acceptance speech, he thanked PAFF and BAFTA for the one-year subscription prize of Vimeo Plus, because he was “just online, thinking about getting it, but it’s very expensive.”

And without futher ado, the winners are:

BEST FEATURE NARRATIVE
“Stones in the Sun” (Haiti/US), directed by Patricia Benoit
Special Jury Recognition | Feature Narrative
“Things Never Said” (US), directed by Charles Murray

BEST DIRECTOR | FIRST FEATURE
David ‘Tosh’ Gitonga, director of “Nairobi Half Life” (Germany/Kenya)
Special Jury Recognition | Director, First Feature
Ya’Ke, director of “Wolf” (US)

BEST DOCUMENTARY
“Free Angela & All Political Prisoners” (US/France), directed by Shola Lynch
Special Jury Recognition | Documentary
“Mugabe: Villain or Hero?” (UK), directed by Roy Agyemang

BEST NARRATIVE SHORT
“Our Rhineland” (US), directed by Faren Humes
Special Jury Recognition | Short Narrative:
“The Collegians” (US), directed by Bryan B.A. Lewis

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
“Foot Soldiers: Class of 1964” (US), directed by Alvelyn Sanders
Special Jury Recognition | Short Documentary:
“Africa: The Beat” (Tanzania/Spain), directed by the Samaki Wanne Collective

FESTIVAL PROGRAMMERS’ AWARD
“Babe’s and Ricky’s Inn” (US), directed by Ramin Niami

FESTIVAL FOUNDERS’ AWARD
“Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp” (US), directed by Jorge Hinojosa

CAPRI CAPITAL PARTNERS AWARD
“Songs of Redemption” (Jamaica), directed by Amanda Sans and Miquel Galofré

AUDIENCE AWARD | DOCUMENTARY
“Charles Lloyd: Arrows into Infinity” (US), directed by Dorothy Darr and Jeffery Morse

AUDIENCE AWARD | SHORT DOCUMENTARY
“Foot Soldiers: Class of 1964” (US), directed by Alvelyn Sanders

AUDIENCE AWARD | NARRATIVE FEATURE
“Against the Grain” (US), directed by Elias Mael

AUDIENCE AWARD | SHORT NARRATIVE
“Island Song” (US/Virgin Islands), directed by David Massey

PAN AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL-BRITISH ACADEMY OF FILM AND TELEVISION ARTS/LA (BAFTA/LA) FESTIVAL CHOICE PRIZE
“Home Again” (Canada), directed by Sudz Sutherland

The Pan African Film & Arts Festival is an official event of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa’s Celebration of African American Heritage Month. PAFF is sponsored by Union Bank; Macy’s; Wells Fargo Bank; General Motors; Sony Pictures, CareMore; Water Replenishment District of Southern California; South African Airways; the National Film and Video Foundation; One Village; Addco Party Rentals; TestFlick; O.N.E. Coconut Water; Dama Tequila and Mascarade Liqueur; the Department of Cultural Affairs, the City of Los Angeles; the Los Angeles County Arts Commission; as well as Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas (Second District) and Los Angeles City Council members Bernard C. Parks (District 8), Jan Perry (District 9), and council president Herb J. Wesson Jr. (District 10).

ABOUT THE PAN AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL
Celebrating its 21st anniversary, the Pan African Film and Arts Festival (PAFF), is America’s largest and most prestigious Black film festival. Each year, it screens more than 150 films made by and/or about people of African descent from the United States, Africa, the Caribbean, South America, the South Pacific, Latin America, Europe and Canada. PAFF holds the distinction of being the largest Black History Month event in the country.

PAFF was founded in 1992 by award-winning actor Danny Glover (“The Color Purple,” “Lethal Weapon” movie franchise), Emmy Award-winning actress Ja’Net DuBois (best known for her role as Willona in the tv series, “Good Times”) and executive director, Ayuko Babu, an international legal, cultural and political consultant who specializes in African Affairs. PAFF is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the promotion of ethnic and racial respect and tolerance through the exhibit of films, art and creative expression.

The goal of PAFF is to present and showcase the broad spectrum of Black creative works, particularly those that reinforce positive images, help to destroy negative stereotypes and depict an expanded vision of the Black experience. PAFF believes film and art can lead to better understanding and foster communication between peoples of diverse cultures, races, and lifestyles, while at the same time, serve as a vehicle to initiate dialogue on the important issues of our times.

For more information, please visit www.paff.org or call (310) 337-4737.

See Social Media Release

LOS ANGELES – In this busy awards season, and it’s only fitting that the Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) announces its films in competition. Winding down the festival with the closer, “Free Angela and All Political Prisoners,” directed by Shola Lynch, the documentary is one of many in the running for Best Documentary Feature Length.

PAFF, America’s largest and most prestigious international Black film festival is taking place February 7-18, 2013 at the new Rave Cinemas Baldwin Hills 15 at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza. (The theatre is situated on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard between Marlton Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard)

This year, PAFF has selected a total of 154 films, representing 34 countries — that is, 23 documentaries, 13 short documentaries, 67 narrative features, and 51 narrative shorts. The festival will hand out prizes for Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary Short, Best Narrative Short, Best Narrative Feature, and Best First Feature Film, as well as audience favorite awards at the close of the festival. The awards will be given out on today during a filmmakers brunch, located at the “pop up” PAFF Lounge in the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall.

Again this year, PAFF will take its movie goers on a cinematic journey with screenings from around the world – that is, such countries as the United Kingdom, Canada, Guadeloupe, Honduras, Jamaica, Kenya, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and of course, the United States. PAFF hopes these films with global appeal will open the minds of its audiences, and transport them to lands far away and back home again … without ever packing a suitcase.

For more information about the official selections of the Pan African Film Festival, visit the festival’s website at: http://www.paff.org/filmfest/films/

Here’s a look at the other films in competition:

BEST FEATURE NARRATIVE
Home Again (Canada / Narrative Feature / 102min) — directed by Sudz Suthrland. On the most fundamental level, Home Again asks the question, “How would you survive?” A story based in fact, the script was inspired by the practice of various governments to deport incarcerated landed immigrants to rid itself of unwanted population. The issue is a particularly difficult problem in Jamaica where the deportee population outnumbers the prison population by seven times; where there are little to no resources to help deportees establish new lives, and where the deportees are largely blamed for the serious violence that rocks the country. Jamaica has the third highest per capita murder rate in the world.
How to Steal 2 Million (South Africa / Narrative Feature / 88min) — directed by Charlie Vundla. After five years in prison, Jack is released only to discover that his loyalty to his ex-partner-in-crime has been rewarded with betrayal, a jarring blow that leads him down criminal paths in pursuit of one last lucrative heist in this South African noir thriller. Twala, his best friend and co-conspirator on past heists managed to escape arrest on their last job, while Jack ended up imprisoned. When Jack gets out, he learns that Twala has married his former fiancée. Trying to go legit and start a construction business, Jack gets turned down for a loan, which causes him to be pulled back into the game in order to get funding. Twala suggests they do one more home invasion robbery with a take worth two million South African Rand. But this last heist proves to be rife with complicated double-crosses and personal landmines. Intricately plotted, yet focused primarily on Jack’s troubled mind, this is a slow-burn heist movie that resonates with strong performances and classic noir ambience.Winner of Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress and Best Editing-2012 African Movie Academy Awards.
La Playa D.C. (Colombia/Brazil/France / Narrative Feature / 90min) — directed by Juan Andrés Arango Garcia. When their father is killed in the seaside town of Buenaventura, three Afro-Columbian brothers flee the civil war and land in the capital Bogotá. But in this city of exclusion and racism the effects of the displacement are always present. Their mother’s new boyfriend kicks them out one-by-one and they each must fend for themselves. The focus is on the middle brother Tomas who refuses to become yet another victim of his rough social environment. The fraternal bond is strong, yet it is tested as Tomas sees his younger brother Jairo and older brother Chaco disappearing into drugs and petty crime, the route he is trying to avoid. He first tries his hand at cleaning hubcaps, then finds a place for his creative talent- and possibly his way out- working as an apprentice in a barbershop, creating “tropas,” the elaborate and fanciful hair designs popular with young Afro-Colombian men. Under the amusingly stern eye of his barbershop mentors, Tomas keeps tabs on his wayward siblings. But when his younger brother goes missing, Tomas hits the winding and worn streets of Bogotá exposing the uncertainty and fragility of life in the vibrant and unstable city which eventually forces him to face his past and set aside the influence of his brothers to find his own identity. Tomas ultimately finds himself standing on the threshold between what once was and what might be. Enhanced by a powerful hip hop soundtrack that authenticates its social realism, this story surprisingly turns out to be one of hope and affirmation. An official selection of Un Certain Regard, 2012 Cannes Film Festival
Otelo Burning (South Africa / Narrative Feature / 72min) – directed by Sara Blecher . Set in 1989, when the fight against apartheid is at its peak, three black South African boys escape their township lives through surfing. Otelo, his best friend New Year, and his brother Ntwe visit their new friend, Tau Modise, and discover something in the waves for which everyone is fighting: freedom. Becoming stars on the surfing circuit, the close friends initially bond through their mutual antagonism of the white establishment, but soon their competitiveness and especially Otelo’s romantic interest in New Year’s sister Dezi will breed unavoidable conflict. This rich and emotional narrative powerfully resonates teenage male rivalry, love, politics, hard choices and some incredible surfing. Includes music from South African Hip Hop artist Reason.
Stones in the Sun (Haiti/US / Narrative Feature / 95min) – directed by Patricia Benoit. In the midst of increasing political violence in their homeland, the lives of three pairs of Haitian refugees intersect in 1980s New York City. A haunted young woman struggling to forget the atrocities she’s experienced reunites with her husband in Brooklyn, where he barely scrapes by as a livery cab driver. A single mother striving for assimilation in a tony Long Island suburb takes in her sister, a teacher and political activist who is unable to reconcile their violent youth with her sister’s seemingly banal lifestyle. And a newly married man, the host of a popular anti-government radio show, finds his estranged father (a recently ousted military leader) on his doorstep, desperate for shelter. Now, they all must confront the disturbing truth of their pasts, as we slowly learn the history of their interlocked lives.
Things Never Said (US / Narrative Feature / 111min) – directed by Charles Murray. Kalindra Stepney is an emerging spoken-word poetess, someone who willingly speaks her thoughts, but she’s an artist who has yet to find her voice. A native of California, Kal has dreams of taking her poems to New York and the infamous Nuyorican Café stage. Haunted by a miscarriage and saddled with Ronnie, a husband who’s angry and without direction – he uses his fists as a form of speech – Kal tries desperately to find an outlet for her struggling voice. Adding to her distress is best friend and poet compatriot Daphne, also grappling with love liabilities. Her boyfriend Steve is a lout who willfully and regularly takes advantage. Kal doesn’t approve. These scenarios, coupled with the surprise and uncertainty of new love Curtis Jackson, hit Kal where she’s most vulnerable. Just as she helps Curtis with unchallenged perceptions about a past relationship and his estranged young daughter, Curtis’ influence leads Kal to dig deeper, to find her voice, confidence and sense of self-worth.

BEST DIRECTOR FIRST FEATURE
alaskaLand (US / Narrative Feature / 76min) — directed by Chinonye Chukwu. Chukwuma, an Alaskan-raised Nigerian struggles to balance the expectations of his traditional Nigerian parents and the larger world around him. After his parents are killed in a tragic car crash, Chukwuma is separated from his younger sister, Chidinma, who moves to Nigeria with their Uncle until she becomes of legal age. After two years, the siblings reconnect to find their estrangement has created new personal and cultural frictions in ways that bring them closer to each other and their roots, as well as help them define what it means to be a Nigerian in Alaska.
Homecoming (US / Narrative Feature / 95min) – directed by Eugene Ashe. A funny, poignant story of a group of 30-somethings, successful in their own individual ways, who had attended the historically Black college Haywood University in Washington DC. Hill Hadley, now a professor at Haywood, has married his college sweetheart Leslie, and they went so far as to buy and renovate the old dorm house, known as “Eleanor” where they all lived in while students. Hill decided it would be fun to invite their old college friends back to Haywood for Homecoming Weekend. The friends, Deena Scott, now a successful Hollywood TV writer; Dr. Barrett Wallingford, a successful psychiatrist; and, Abby Long, a social worker in the hood, return for what is supposed to be a care-free weekend of fun and an opportunity to rekindle relationships. But there was a sixth member of the group, Robert who recently died penniless and in prison. When Abby asks everyone to chip in to give Robert a proper burial, it sparks memories with secrets that require the friends not just to bury a friend, but to also bury the past.
Let Clay Be Clay (US / Narrative Feature / 90min) — directed by Darryl McCane. Her daughter was a “good girl” who got involved with the wrong friends. She was graduating from high school and had been accepted to the State university where she was going to study journalism. But because she refused to go along with the reckless and self-destructive “partying” her friends wanted to engage in, she was shot and killed. The police never arrested anyone for her slaying. Although there were witnesses to the crime, no one came forward with information and the murdered girl’s case became one of thousands of unsolved murders. Twenty-years after her daughter’s death, a still grieving mother has not given up on bringing those she believes to be responsible for her murder to justice.
Nairobi Half Life (Germany/Kenya / Narrative Feature / 96min) – directed by David ‘Tosh’ Gitonga. A young aspiring actor from upcountry Kenya dreams of becoming a success in the big city. In pursuit of this and to the chagrin of his brother and parents, he makes his way to Nairobi: the city of opportunity. He quickly understands why Nairobi is nicknamed Nairobbery as he is robbed of all his money and belongings and left alone in a city where he doesn’t know a soul. Luck, or the lack of it, brings him face to face with two groups of downtown crooks and he forms a friendship with a young small-time gang leader who takes him in. He is quickly drawn into a new world of theft and violence, even as he still tries to pursue his dream of becoming an actor. Keeping the two worlds separate proves to be a contest for him as he struggles to survive in this unknown world called Nairobi. Winner Audience Favorite Award – AFIFest 2012
Wolf (US / Narrative Feature / 86min) – directed by Ya’Ke. A family is shaken to its core when they discover that a trusted pastor has molested their son. As they struggle to deal with the betrayal, their son heads towards a total mental collapse because of his love for his abuser. In the meantime, the pastor tries to exorcise his demons. An intimate and heart-wrenching look into the lives of the individuals behind the headlines.
Zamora (Tanzania / Narrative Feature / 96min) – directed by Shams Bhanji. ‘Zamora’ is much more than a Swahili love story…..it is an evolution of one man’s hidden desires, and his quest to find true love. Filmed against a backdrop of the mystical and mythological world of Zanzibar, the story revolves around Zamora. a vain artist/womanizer on a voyage of self discovery. Filled with romantic connotations about the spice island, he meets a beautiful Omani woman who mesmerizes and inspires him to buy a dhow to have a comfortable life in Paradise. Zamora’s passion for the unknown, a reckless adventurous lifestyle and a sordid past lands him in nightmarish situations. Through three separate emotionally charged relationships. (Zulfa, Saada and Zareena) he almost becomes a victim of the confrontation between the good and the evil. Zulfa stands for innocent love spiced with traditional restrictions. Saada stands for the mystical, magical and unconditioned side of the African psyche. Zareena stands for power and obsession and its immoral implications. The film explores the adaptive nature of the African spirit with all its consequent pros and cons.

BEST DOCUMENTARY | FEATURE LENGTH
Babe’s and Ricky’s Inn (US / Documentary / 90min) – directed byRamin Niami. For over fifty years, Laura Mae Gross (Mama Laura), an African American woman from Mississippi, brought musicians together, regardless of race, age, or gender, in a place where only the music mattered. Originally located on legendary Central Ave in South Central Los Angeles, Mama Laura created a place where masters such as Johnny Lee Hooker, BB King, Albert King, and others shared the stage with newcomers in an open, creative, and safe environment. Mama Laura acted as a teacher of the blues whose charm and forceful character was the underlying reason why Babe’s and Ricky’s Inn was one of the world’s most successful and oldest Blues clubs. Featuring original music and stunning guitar performances by some of today’s most important blues artists, musicians also share their life experiences, personal stories about what it means to devote your life to music and of course their memories of Mama Laura. Babe’s and Ricky’s Inn is a stunning celebration of the art, creativity, virtuosity and passion of what became a Temple to one of Black America’s musical gifts to the world—the Blues!
Charles Lloyd: Arrows into Infinity (US / Documentary / 118min) – directed by Dorothy Darr and Jeffery Morse. Charles Lloyd was one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 1960s. His music crossed traditional boundaries and explored new territories. By his early 30s he burned out and disappeared into a life of seclusion in Big Sur. Through contemporary and archival film and candid commentary from the jazz, rock, art and literary worlds we come to better understand this enigmatic man and his spiritual pursuit. Musicians Jack DeJohnette, Jason Moran, Geri Allen, John Densmore, Herbie Hancock, Robbie Robertson, writer Stanley Crouch, producers Don Was, Michael Cuscuna and Manfred Eicher relate their perosnal and professional experiences with Lloyd. But it is Lloyd’s personal voice that is the most poignant and illuminating. Filled with music and insight, this is a thoroughly enjoyable MUST SEE for jazz fans.
Free Angela and All Political Prisoners (US-France/Documentary/101min) — directed by Shola Lynch. In this historical vérité style documentary, marking the 40th anniversary of her acquittal on charges of murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy, Angela Davis recounts the politics and actions that branded her a terrorist and simultaneously spurred a worldwide movement for her freedom as a political prisoner. At its core, the story wrestles with the meaning of political freedom in a democracy negotiated between the people and its government. The sixties and seventies were all about citizens challenging authority, or as the slogan went – “Power to the People!” Strong, attractive, and engaging, Angela Davis is one such person who became a symbol at the center of this still relevant power struggle. “Free Angela and All Political Prisoners” is executive produced by Will and Jada Pinkett Smith along with Roc Nation’s Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, joining forces to bolster and assist with final funding of the documentary.
Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp (US / Documentary / 90min) – directed by Jorge Hinojosa. An examination of the tumultuous life of legendary Chicago pimp Iceberg Slim (1918-1992) and how he reinvented himself from pimp to author of 7 groundbreaking books. These books were the birth of Street Lit and explored the world of the ghetto in gritty and poetic detail and have made him a cultural icon for some. Interviews with Iceberg Slim, Chris Rock, Henry Rollins, Ice-T, Snoop Dogg, Bill Duke, Quincy Jones, Gary Philips, Todd Boyd and Odie Hawkins.
Mugabe: Villain or Hero? (UK / Documentary / 116min) directed by Roy Agyemang. Is there more to President Robert Mugabe and Zimbabwe than is being shown on our television screens? What’s the true extent of Mugabe’s support inside Zimbabwe? What has happened to the country that they all called the bread basket of Africa – and why? These questions and more led British filmmaker Roy Agyemang on a journey to Zimbabwe to make a documentary about President Robert Mugabe. What started out as a three-month mission turned into three life-changing years, culminating in a rare interview with one of the world’s longest-serving yet most reviled leaders. Mugabe: Villain or Hero? Is an epic personal journey, narrated by Agyemang who, together with his UK-based Zimbabwean fixer, found themselves in Mugabe’s entourage, on Colonel Gaddafi’s private jet and around a host of prominent African leaders.
Songs of Redemption (Jamaica / Documentary / 74min) — directed by Miquel Galofré and Amanda Sans.In the General Penitentiary in Kingston, Jamaica, the inmates have no toilets, beds or other basic necessities. What they do have is a very visionary Superintendent, an incredible social activist from the Italian consulate and some donated skill-building resources that include an internal radio station and music-recording studio where the wardens and the inmates create music together. This outlet has changed the prison atmosphere from being a very violent place to the restoration of self-worth and respect resulting in a dramatic desire to give back constructively to society. The young inmates who tell their story were raised under the worst of circumstances. Songs of Redemption is a stream of consciousness as told by young inmates who have been accused of various levels of crime. They tell their stories but what is most impressive is the raw emotion that comes forward as well as an obvious renewed sense of being human that puts these youngsters on a path to prevent other youth from ending up in the same situation−Sista Irie.
Uprising (Egypt/US / Documentary / 85min) – directed by Fredrik Stanton. Produced by an Academy Award-winning team including the Executive Producer of Taxi to the Dark Side and the Editor of Inside Job, UPRISING tells the inside story of the Egyptian revolution from the perspective of its principal leaders and organizers, including four Nobel Peace Prize nominees. Their success in forcing the downfall of a brutal dictatorship has changed the face of the Middle East and provided hope for millions of oppressed people across the world. Above all, it is a story of profound hope, of courage rewarded, of a people who beat back a police state and threw off the shackles of decades of degradation and oppression.

BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY
Africa: The Beat (Tanzania/Spain / Documentary / 60min) — directed by Samaki Wanne Collective. Based on research carried by Polo Vallejo, “Africa: The Beat” was filmed in Nzali, an enclave situated in the heart of Tanzania where the Wagogo live. Theirs is a unique musical universe. From the film’s first frame to the last sound heard, each image takes us further into their daily reality while their music gradually engulfs us in a world of surprising sensations. Day and night, the passage of time and the seasons, nature and the elements, water, the importance of the word and the stories, the stages of life… all of this emerges from a pulsation around which every instant of existence is articulated. Filmed with rudimentary technical means, “Africa: The Beat” conjoins the perspective of a painter, the vision of a filmmaker and the sensibilities of two musicians. It does away with the concept of the voice-over, which conditions and invades the spectator’s senses. Instead, the film permits the spectator to experience his or her own emotions, and bear witness to the essential place music occupies in life.
African Drum, Beyond the Beat (South Africa/United Kingdom/Benin/ Burkina Faso/Ghana/Togo / Documentary / 48min) – directed byTariq Richards. An impressionist portrait of the various social functions of the drum in West African society. The film uses a famous ode to the African drum to demonstrate its pervasive role in society over time. The drum’s social functions range from use in work songs, to communication, to religious rituals, to one of its more contemporary uses, by fans at football games. ‘African Drum, Beyond the Beat’ takes a special interest in the conception and nature of rhythm and, in dance, the inter-dependent relationship between the drummer and dancer by exploring the effects of drum rhythms on both. It also looks at the different elements required for manufacturing a drum, from the physical to the social. The film ends with a postulate that the democratic nature of African music, where instruments in an ensemble are equally important, makes it a paradigm for the modern age compared to Western classical music, where strict hierarchical structures reflect an outdated mechanistic view of the world.
Even Me (US / Short Documentary / 24min) – directed byMegan Ebor. Even Me confronts the overwhelming crisis of HIV/AIDS among older adults 50+. Defying the myth that HIV/AIDS is a gay or young person’s disease, this revealing documentary depicts the devastating impact of this epidemic on the heterosexual older adult population and communities of color. These brave men and women speak candidly about their experiences, sexual history and HIV status and help to uncover the misconceptions about aging, sexuality and HIV/AIDS.
Foot Soldiers: Class of 1964 (US / Short Documentary / 58min) – directed byAlvelyn Sanders. As college freshmen, women in the class of 1964 at Spelman College participated in the largest coordinated series of civil rights protests in Atlanta’s history. As young women, these willing souls were some of the foot soldiers who carried the Atlanta student movement through relentless picketing, sit-ins, kneel-ins, and other non-violent demonstrations. Their bold activism helped change Atlanta and the world.
Sifuna Okwethu: We Want What’s Ours (South Africa/US / Short Documentary / 19min) — directed by Bernadette Atuahene. When bulldozers rumbled through the compound of the Ndolila family in 1973, flattening houses and razing crops, the family elders were confronted with the scourge of South African apartheid. Almost 30 years later, with their descendants still trying to regain ownership of their ancestral land, the family is still battling apartheid and its lingering effects. In 1994, the government promised the Ndolila family and millions of others whose land was stolen that they would get it back or get something comparable in exchange. They are still waiting. For the Ndolilas and millions like them, the main obstacle is one that most people don’t think of. The people who now own their ancestral land are a group of middle-class black mortgage holders who paid for this stolen land fair and square. In this context, what is justice?

BEST SHORT NARRATIVE
A Good Catholic Girl (Uganda / Narrative Short / 26min) – directed by Matt Bish. Amina is attracted to a young Catholic man in her neighborhood and this does not go down well with her father. With mixed emotions, she goes out of her way to find her only true love despite her father’s pre-arranged marriage to another man.
Barbasol (US / Narrative Short / 22min) – directed by Ralph Scott. A man desires to bond with his elderly father when he realizes he is running out of time due to his father’s increasing dementia. What he comes to realize is he needs to now turn his attention to his own son before it is too late.
Busted on Brigham Lane (US / Narrative Short / 20min) – directed by Talibah Newman. A young teenage girl takes precariously creative measures to reconcile her relationship with her estranged father for her 18th birthday and discovers that he is not the same man she remembers.
Collegians, The (US / Narrative Short / 18min) – directed by Bryan B.A. Lewis. A swinging drama based on the story of trumpet legend Erskine Hawkins and his college bandmates, who must play their hearts out to save their school.
Crossover (US / Narrative Short / 19min) – directed byTina Mabry. In a future where schools are segregated by economic status, a struggling mother must decide whether to sell her own organs to give her children a better education.
Fish (Canada/Trinidad & Tobago/US / Narrative Short / 15min) – directed by Shaun Escayg. Two homeless cousins desperately try to survive the streets of Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. Thieves, by street credit, they routinely hunt the local market in search of unsuspecting shoppers but times are getting harder and the pickings slim.
Nostalgia (US / Narrative Short / 16min) – directed by Johnnie Hobbs III. A coming-of-old story about an aging entertainer whose inability to let go of the past affects his present life and relationship with his son.
Our Rhineland (US / Narrative Short / 16min) – directed by Faren Humes.In 1937, under the Third Reich, Germans of mixed race were located, identified and sent to clinics where they underwent forced sterilization. This is the story of two sisters who fought back.
Prophetess, The (Burkina Faso/US / Narrative Short / 11min) — directed by Rea Rangaka. A young boy is sent by his ailing mother to the village shrew on a ‘holy’ mission. A little diversion onto the soccer field, however, leaves him in the daunting position of having to return empty handed.
Salay (Sierra Leone / Narrative Short / 44min) – directed by Ali Kamanda.Desperate to escape her circumstances of cultural pressures and poverty, 18-year-old Salay is intent on getting an education and carving out her own path in life. She is willing to risk leaving behind everything she knows in her father’s Sierra Leonean village. A visit from her long-lost, wealthy uncle provides her with the opportunity she’s been waiting for when he offers her a place in his city home and access to a good education at his expense. With little knowledge of her “businessman” uncle, what seems a perfect opportunity may turn into a nightmare.
Sweet, Sweet Country (US / Narrative Short / 18min) – directed by Dehanza Rogers. Living in a small Southern town, 20 year-old refugee Ndizeye struggles to support not only herself, but the family she left behind in a Kenyan refugee camp. Her struggle becomes so much more when her family literally shows up at her doorstep.
Trial of Ben Barry, The (US / Narrative Short / 33min) – directed by Shea E. Butler. An estranged son, in and out of prison for twenty years but now a changed man, returns home to help his elderly father confront and face up to the mistakes of his past – including the killing of a voter’s rights organizer 35 years earlier – leading to both men’s reconciliation, redemption and salvation. Stars Richard Roundtree and Lawrence Gilliard Jr.

The Pan African Film & Arts Festival is an official event of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa’s Celebration of African American Heritage Month. PAFF is sponsored by Union Bank; Macy’s; Wells Fargo Bank; General Motors; Sony Pictures, CareMore; Water Replenishment District of Southern California; South African Airways; the National Film and Video Foundation; One Village; Addco Party Rentals; TestFlick; O.N.E. Coconut Water; Dama Tequila and Mascarade Liqueur; the Department of Cultural Affairs, the City of Los Angeles; the Los Angeles County Arts Commission; as well as Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas (Second District) and Los Angeles City Council members Bernard C. Parks (District 8), Jan Perry (District 9), and council president Herb J. Wesson Jr. (District 10).

ABOUT THE PAN AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL
Celebrating its 21st anniversary, the Pan African Film and Arts Festival (PAFF), is America’s largest and most prestigious Black film festival. Each year, it screens more than 150 films made by and/or about people of African descent from the United States, Africa, the Caribbean, South America, the South Pacific, Latin America, Europe and Canada. PAFF holds the distinction of being the largest Black History Month event in the country.

PAFF was founded in 1992 by award-winning actor Danny Glover (“The Color Purple,” “Lethal Weapon” movie franchise), Emmy Award-winning actress Ja’Net DuBois (best known for her role as Willona in the tv series, “Good Times”) and executive director, Ayuko Babu, an international legal, cultural and political consultant who specializes in African Affairs. PAFF is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the promotion of ethnic and racial respect and tolerance through the exhibit of films, art and creative expression.

The goal of PAFF is to present and showcase the broad spectrum of Black creative works, particularly those that reinforce positive images, help to destroy negative stereotypes and depict an expanded vision of the Black experience. PAFF believes film and art can lead to better understanding and foster communication between peoples of diverse cultures, races, and lifestyles, while at the same time, serve as a vehicle to initiate dialogue on the important issues of our times.

For more information, please visit www.paff.org or call (310) 337-4737.

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LOS ANGELES — Social activist icon Angela Davis will be the special guest of the Pan African Film Festival as it closes festivities with a historical documentary based on her life. “Free Angela and All Political Prisoners,” directed by Shola Lynch will screen on Sunday, February 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Pan African Film Festival. Davis will be joined by executive producer Jada Pinkett Smith of Overbrook Entertainment and director Shola Lynch for the Los Angeles premiere. Pinkett Smith along with Overbrook Entertainment, Shawn “JAY Z” Carter, and BET Networks joined forces on the production of the documentary. (The red carpet begins at 5 p.m.)

Movie synopsis:

“Free Angela and All Political Prisoners” (US-France/Documentary/101min) –directed by Shola Lynch. In this historical vérité style documentary, marking the 40th anniversary of her acquittal on charges of murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy, Angela Davis recounts the politics and actions that branded her a terrorist and simultaneously spurred a worldwide movement for her freedom as a political prisoner. At its core, the story wrestles with the meaning of political freedom in a democracy negotiated between the people and its government. The sixties and seventies were all about citizens challenging authority, or as the slogan went – “Power to the People!” Strong, attractive, and engaging, Angela Davis is one such person who became a symbol at the center of this still relevant power struggle. “Free Angela and All Political Prisoners” is executive produced by Will and Jada Pinkett Smith along with Roc Nation’s Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, joining forces to bolster and assist with final funding of the documentary.

“We at Overbrook Entertainment are very proud to support this intriguing documentary about the life of Angela Davis,” said Jada Pinkett Smith. “Filmmaker Shola Lynch has done an incredible job in revealing a piece of American history we thought we all knew.”

Codeblack Films, a Lionsgate company, has acquired the theatrical rights to the political-crime-drama documentary “Free Angelea & All Political Prisoners.” Through Codeblack Films’ partnership with AMC Theatres®, “Free Angela & All Political Prisoners” presented by BET Networks will release exclusively at AMC locations in select markets on April 5, 2013. They are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Oakland/San Francisco, Washington DC, Atlanta and Detroit. In Los Angeles, “Free Angela and All Political Prisoners,” it will open at the AMC Theatre Ontario Mills 30 and AMC Theatre Citywalk Stadium 19.

PAFF, America’s largest and most prestigious international Black film festival is taking place February 7-18, 2013 at the new Rave Cinemas Baldwin Hills 15 at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza. (The theatre is situated on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard between Marlton Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard)

This year, PAFF has selected a total of 154 films, representing 34 countries — that is, 23 documentaries, 13 short documentaries, 67 narrative features, and 51 narrative shorts. The festival will hand out prizes for Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary Short, Best Narrative Short, Best Narrative Feature, and Best First Feature Film, as well as audience favorite awards at the close of the festival. For more information, including how to purchase tickets, please visit www.paff.org or call (310) 337-4737.

Again this year, PAFF will take its movie goers on a cinematic journey with screenings from around the world – that is, such countries as the United Kingdom, Canada, Guadeloupe, Honduras, Jamaica, Kenya, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and of course, the United States. PAFF hopes these films with global appeal will open the minds of its audiences, and transport them to lands far away and back home again … without ever packing a suitcase.

For more information about the official selections of the Pan African Film Festival, visit the festival’s website at: http://www.paff.org/filmfest/films/

The Pan African Film & Arts Festival is an official event of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa’s Celebration of African American Heritage Month. PAFF is sponsored by Union Bank; Macy’s; Wells Fargo Bank; General Motors; Sony Pictures, CareMore; Water Replenishment District of Southern California; South African Airways; the National Film and Video Foundation; One Village; Addco Party Rentals; TestFlick; O.N.E. Coconut Water; Dama Tequila and Mascarade Liqueur; the Department of Cultural Affairs, the City of Los Angeles; the Los Angeles County Arts Commission; as well as Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas (Second District) and Los Angeles City Council members Bernard C. Parks (District 8), Jan Perry (District 9), and council president Herb J. Wesson Jr. (District 10).

ABOUT THE PAN AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL

Gearing up for its 21st anniversary, the Pan African Film and Arts Festival (PAFF), is America’s largest and most prestigious Black film festival. Each year, it screens more than 150 films made by and/or about people of African descent from the United States, Africa, the Caribbean, South America, the South Pacific, Latin America, Europe and Canada. PAFF holds the distinction of being the largest Black History Month event in the country.

PAFF was founded in 1992 by award-winning actor Danny Glover (“The Color Purple,” “Lethal Weapon” movie franchise), Emmy Award-winning actress Ja’Net DuBois (best known for her role as Willona in the tv series, “Good Times”) and executive director, Ayuko Babu, an international legal, cultural and political consultant who specializes in African Affairs. PAFF is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the promotion of ethnic and racial respect and tolerance through the exhibit of films, art and creative expression.

The goal of PAFF is to present and showcase the broad spectrum of Black creative works, particularly those that reinforce positive images, help to destroy negative stereotypes and depict an expanded vision of the Black experience. PAFF believes film and art can lead to better understanding and foster communication between peoples of diverse cultures, races, and lifestyles, while at the same time, serve as a vehicle to initiate dialogue on the important issues of our times.

For more information, please visit www.paff.org or call (310) 337-4737.

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