THE ABFF RETURNS TO MIAMI FOR ITS 20th ANNIVERSARY JUNE 15 – 19, 2016
New York, New York – (November 12, 2015) – The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) announced today that award-winning actor and artist, Common, has been selected as the 2016 celebrity ambassador. The ABFF will celebrate its 20th year with an exciting lineup of film screenings and an expanded schedule of networking opportunities and events, including “A Conversation with Common.” The highly anticipated festival is the nation’s largest gathering of Black film and television enthusiasts.
Along with his award-winning music career, Common has garnered accolades in film, including his 2015 Academy Award, 2015 Critic’s Choice Award and the 2015 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for “Glory” from the film Selma, as well as the 2015 NAACP Image Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture. Common has also appeared in American Gangster, Wanted, Terminator Salvation, Date Night, Just Wright, Luv, Now You See Me and Run All Night. He is among Hollywood’s most sought after leading men, and can be seen in the upcoming films, Barbershop 3, John Wick 2 and Suicide Squad. Common initially gained wide public attention as one of hip-hop’s most poetic and respected lyricists. Over his illustrious music career, Common has recorded ten studio albums, which has earned him multiple Grammy Awards.
“I’m very grateful and honored to be the ambassador for the 20th anniversary of the ABFF. The ABFF celebrates and brings together the many different voices in Black film today and I’m proud to be a part of the conversation,”? says Common.
“There is no artist I respect and admire more than Common. He is immensely talented and has proven that an artist today can achieve the highest level of commercial success without compromising his conscience and responsibility to community. Our organization could not be more pleased to have him join us for the festival’s monumental year,” says ABFF Founder Jeff Friday.
Sponsors of the 2016 American Black Film Festival to date are: HBO (Founding/Presenting), the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau (GMCVB; Host) and American Airlines (Official). For festival registration, partner hotel and film submission information, visit www.ABFF.com.
ABOUT THE ABFF
The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) is an annual event dedicated to showcasing quality film and television content by and about people of African descent. The festival is committed to the belief that Black artists and content creators deserve the same opportunities as their mainstream counterparts. ABFF founder Jeff Friday, conceived the festival in 1997 as a vehicle to promote diversity in the motion picture industry. Today, the ABFF is recognized as the preeminent pipeline to new Black talent, both in front of and behind the camera, and is regarded as one of the leading film festivals in the world. The festival is produced by ABFF Ventures (a partnership between Film Life, Inc. and Black Enterprise). Celebrating its 20th year, the 2016 ABFF will take place June 15-19, 2016, in Miami, Florida. For more information, visit www.ABFF.com.
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YouTube: ABFFTV
CONTACT: Strategic Heights Media
Michelle Huff Elliott;
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Simone Smalls
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