ABFF Comedy Festival Announces Film Slate for 2021 Virtual Festival
Program Lineup Includes National Stand-Up Comedy Competition, Shorts, Web Series, Podcasts and Conversations About Comedy
LOS ANGELES, CA, (May 27, 2021) – ABFF Ventures LLC today revealed its slate of films in competition for the inaugural ABFF Comedy Festival scheduled to take place online June 2-13 at abffplay.com streaming platform.
The ABFF Comedy Festival extends the legacy of the American Black Film Festival (ABFF), now in its 25th year, by showcasing emerging Black and Brown talent and introducing them to the industry at large. Continuing the tradition of its tent-pole property, the comedy festival will feature the best of independent Black cinema, conversations, panels and stand-up comedy performances.
Consistent with ABFF’s mission to spearhead diversity and introduce newcomers to the industry, the program will feature writers of comedic shorts, web series and podcasts with submissions from all genres of comedy both international and domestic. Each section attracted hundreds of entries aiming to showcase their skills in scripted, unscripted, sketch and fictional comedy. More than 40 films and celebrity panels will be presented at this year’s virtual festival.
The festival will also feature “Conversations About Comedy” with the cast of Starz ‘Run the World: Bresha Webb, Amber Stevens West, Andrea Bordeaux and Corbin Reid, moderated by Gia Peppers. Showrunner Prentice Penny (Insecure, Pause) and comedian/writer Sam Jay (Pause, SNL) will discuss their new HBO series. There will also be an “Inside the Writer’s Room” panel with writers and producers, including: Ms. Pat (Ms. Pat Show), Carla Banks-Waddles (Good Girls), Keith Knight (Woke) and Owen Smith (The Last O.G.).
In addition, the festival will offer encore presentations of panels from the online edition of the American Black Film Festival featuring a conversation with ABFF Comedy Festival Ambassador Kenya Barris, a panel with Yvonne Orji (Insecure) and Lil Rel Howery (Get Out), as well as a discussion with the star and creators of Woke.
“This festival highlights talented individuals who have a passion for comedic storytelling and represents the diversity of voices in the comedy genre,” said Nicole Friday, President ABFF Ventures. “Creating an opportunity for these artist to reach a broader audinece is our core mission.”
Official selections include:
Shorts – each film in this section is written by a person of African, Latinx or Native American descent and will compete for the Audience Award for Best Short.
Web Series – each episodic series (scripted and unscripted) in this section written by persons of African, Latinx or Native American descent will compete for the Audience Award for best webisode.
Podcasts – each podcast in this section is written by persons of African, Latinx or Native American descent will compete for the Audience Award for best podcast.
Here is a full list of the 2021 ABFF Comedy Festival Official Selections Official Selections – ABFF Comedy Festival
Sponsors to date include WarnerMedia (Presenting), Nissan and SiriusXM (Official), BET+, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Starz, a Lionsgate company (Supporting). Marketing Partners include TheGrio.com and Rolling Out.
For more information on the ABFF Comedy Festival and pass sales, visit abff.com/comedyfest/ and follow @ABFF on Twitter and @AmericanBlackFilmFestival on Instagram and Facebook.
About ABFF Ventures
ABFF Ventures LLC (ABFFV) is a multifaceted entertainment company specializing in the production of live and digital events that celebrate Black and Brown culture and achievement. The company’s mission is to curate content and experiences that entertain, educate and inspire communities of color while showcasing the work of diverse artists in Hollywood. Its tent-pole event properties are the American Black Film Festival (ABFF), cited by MovieMaker magazine as “One of the Coolest Festivals in the World,” and “ABFF Honors,” an annual awards gala saluting the top stars of film and television. ABFFV also provides consulting services to studios and networks to promote content specific to diverse American audiences through its ABFF Insider Marketing division. The company, led by husband-and-wife team Jeff and Nicole Friday, is headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif.
About The American Black Film Festival
The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) is an annual event dedicated to recognizing Black talent and showcasing quality film and television content by and about people of color. Dedicated to the belief that diverse artists deserve the same opportunities as their mainstream counterparts, ABFF founder Jeff Friday conceived the festival in 1997 as a vehicle to strengthen the Black entertainment community by fostering resource sharing, education and artistic collaboration. Now in its 25th year, the festival has become a cornerstone of diversity in Hollywood, providing a platform for emerging diverse artists – many of who have become today’s most successful actors, producers, writers, directors and stand-up comedians.
PRESS CONTACT:
ABFF Communications
press@abffventures.com
323 513-6298
