American Black Film Festival 2018 Recap: 'Shoot Your Shot'

The 22nd annual American Black Film Festival is a wrap. Aside from putting together the annual showcase of Black film and TV talent, founder Jeff Friday’s festival can now boast of jump-starting the career of the most successful Black movie director in history.

Director Ryan Coogler – you may have heard of the little movie he directed – Black Panther – launched his career at the 2011 festival by winning the HBO short film competition. This year, he returned to ABFF to give other aspiring filmmakers a sense of hope by sharing the trajectory of his success in the time since.

Other highlights were the premiere of Superfly and of the second, family-approved Whitney Houston doc, Whitney, a partial screening of the upcoming Bobby Brown BET movie with Bobby in attendance and the world premiere of The First Purge, the prequel to the successful franchise that already boasts the original movie and a sequel.

Celebs spotted around the festival included Celebrity ambassador Jay Ellis, our own Sherri Shepherd and Kym Whitley, Roland Martin, Boris Kodjoe, actor/musician Tristan Wilds, Queen Sugar actors Kofi Siriboe and Dondre Whitfield, Issa Rae, model Tyson Beckford, Bobby Brown, Pat Houston and more.

Here’s our look at the festival highlights this year:

PRICE OF FAME

It’s hard to call the Whitney documentary a triumph. Directed by acclaimed Scottish filmmaker Kevin MacDonald, who also did the Marley documentary, it’s a searing portrait of Houston’s tragic downfall. It had the full cooperation of Houston’s family, many of whom damn themselves as enablers, co-dependents and other less charitable descriptions as they detail how they directly contributed to her eventual demise.

Some viewers were bawling by the end which is understandable as it’s an unflinching look at how fame and its attendant temptations can destroy both the famous and those around them. Actor Kofi Siriboe of Queen Sugar echoed the struggles that come with losing your anonymity is his panel “Hot In Hollywood’  which included Bresha Webb, Logan Browning and Ashley Featherstone. Siriboe said at the height of his star turn as Ralph Angel,  that he became depressed and wanted desperately to return to his pre-QS life.

BLACK LOVE

There was a lot of black love on display during the festival from the sweet blended family LeToya Luckett showcased on the red carpet with her new husband and stepdaughter, to the Fridays, to Ryan Coogler referencing how his wife’s faith in him helped him with self-doubt. The OWN show Black Love, created by married couple Tommy and Codie Oliver, has become extremely popular and the panelists dropped plenty of gems on the audience.

Black Love participants Michael Jai White and his wife and former NFL player turned family vlogger Devale Ellis and his wife were panelists along with the Olivers. Boris Kodjoe even chimed in to answer an audience question, although he wasn’t on the panel. The group talked honestly about their own triumphs and struggles and  White, in particular had a message for young men out there, encouraging them to prioritize being better men instead of following patterns of toxic masculinity.

SUPERFLY

Already a disappointment at the box office, the ABFF crowd took the remake of the 1972 film in stride as the dumb fun it was intended to be. Unfortunately, most of the viewing audience outside of ABFF, who actually had to pay to see the movie, found it less than appealing. Its star, Trevor Jackson, won’t lose his career over it, although his hair may be the ultimate victim as anyone can tell you, growing out a perm is rough. Actress Lex Scott-Davis, who played Toni Braxton in the Lifetime movie,  is likely the breakout newcomer of the festival, as she had memorable turns in Superfly and The First Purge.

MIAMI, FL – JUNE 13: Cast member of Superfly with Director X (Photo by: Aaron J. / ABFF)

BOBBY BROWN

A 17 minute clip of BET’s upcoming The Bobby Brown Story received rave reviews.  One of the scenes showed Brown insisting on working with Teddy Riley despite his label’s resistance, and another scene showed the fictional Bobby, played by Woody McClain (who also portrayed him in the New Edition movie), telling the fictional Whitney that he had gotten an ex-girlfriend pregnant right at the same time she was pregnant with Bobbi Kristina. Brown was a large presence during ABFF, as he’s also prominently featured in the Whitney doc, although mostly in footage and through the memories of others. He was interviewed for he documentary but doesn’t say much.

(Photo: Mable Ivory)

RYAN COOGLER

The Black Panther director has got to be the most humble person ever to direct a billion dollar film. Among the most touching things he shared in his talk with Entertainment Tonight’s Nischelle Turrner is that he became interested in filmmaking through his close-knit family. Both of his parents were film buffs and his father especially loved the Rocky movies.

MIAMI, FL – JUNE 16: ABFF Talks: A Conversation with Ryan Coogler as part of The 2018 American Black Film Festival at The New World Center Miami Beach on Saturday, June 16, 2018, in Miami, FL, USA. (Photo by: Aaron J. / ABFF)

Coogler said that while Sylvester Stallone rejected his first pitch for Creed (before Fruitvale Station came out) he was just happy that Stallone could sign a Rocky DVD for his dad. Coogler also said that his then girlfriend, now wife, Zinzi, believed in him enough to buy him the screenwriting program Final Draft. That has got to be, after Spielberg’s mother buying him a camera, the best investment in film history. Coogler also said his prize money from the ABFF competition helped him get the apartment that he still lives in today.

WHITE PARTY

You know Black folks love a White Party and the one at ABFF never disappoints, as long as DJ DNice is spinning. The venue, Nikki Beach Miami, has multiple levels and bars and seating areas which makes for a combination of ways to enjoy the fun. We spotted Roland Martin, Bobby Brown and his wife Alicia and Miami basketball wife and philanthropist, Tracy Wilson Mourning at the bash. Always a good time.

TV ONE

TV One is going big into original movies and two were show at ABFF including Down For Whatever with LeToya Luckett Walker Bre-Z, Hosea Chanchez and Imani Hakim, and Dinner For Two with Tristan ‘Mack” Wilds.  For that movie, they also had a lovely dinner party at the Mondrian, out on the pool deck. A little drizzle cleared up quickly so that guests could dine on salmon and deep dish peach cobbler. If all you remember of Mack Wilds is as Michael on The Wire, well, ladies, he’s all growed up now.

COMMUNITY DAY

ABFF ended with a Community Day at Overtown’s historic Lyric Theater to a capacity crowd for community members who didn’t have access to the ABFF Festival.  In other words, admission was free. Actor/choreographer and former Soul Food star Darrin Henson told his inspiring story and gave attendees a new manifesto to follow. He calls it NOW – Next Opportunity Window, and basically he means when an opportunity presents itself, you better go for it.

Local Miami filmmaker Nicholas Guerrier made a charming movie called Flea about the goings on in a Miami flea market. He used a local cast that included the talented lead actor Isaac Beverly, in the starring role as the manager of the flea market who has to solve all kinds of crises in the course of a day. Guerrier shot the movie in 10 days using a grant from Wells Fargo to complete it. It’s a reminder that Black filmmakers can come from anywhere as the strength is in the idea and execution. If you have a dream to create, the only thing stopping you is usually you.

Check out other highlights at www.abff.com as well as dates and details for the 2019 Festival. See you in Miami!

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