Hollywood Black Film Festival | Los Angeles, CA

Showcasing both feature and short films made by prominent as well as up-and-coming African-American filmmakers, the Hollywood Black Film Festival (HBFF) was founded in 1998 by its executive director, Tanya Kersey, in order to enhance the careers of emerging and established black filmmakers through a public exhibition and competition program. The festival’s goal is to play an integral role in discovering and launching independent films and filmmakers by bringing them to the attention of the industry, press and public.

One of the Los Angeles’s largest and most prominent film festivals, the annual week long celebration of black cinema draws together established filmmakers, popular film and TV stars, writers, directors, industry executives, emerging artists and diverse audiences from Hollywood and around the world. Attracting such stars and industry insiders as Academy Award winners Forest Whitaker and Sidney Poitier, John Singleton, Spike Lee, George Tillman, Tina Andrews, Reuben Cannon, Anthony Anderson, Blair Underwood, Sanaa Lathan, Bill Duke, Sheryl Underwood and Vanessa Williams, the festival has become a hotbed for the Black Hollywood creative community.

This year HBFF (October 27 through October 30, 2011 in Los Angeles, CA) will showcase film from and featuring Hollywood notables including (just to name some):

Documentaries

I Am a Dream Chaser features director Rob Hardy from Rainforest Films and photographer Derek Bailey

Phunny Business: A Black Comedy documents the rise and fall of All Jokes Aside, the famous Chicago comedy club and has appearance from every well-known black comedic past and present, including Steve Harvey, Cedric The Entertainer, Bernie Mac, D.L. Hughley, Robin Harris, S’more

Bob Marley: The Making of a Legend features home movies and never before seen footage of a young Bob Marley long before he became the music icon.

Reason to Hope shows the what was going on in Haiti after the coverage stopped and every major news outlet had moved on to other stories; features CBS News producer Bill Whitaker

They Are Not All Lost is hosted by Blair Underwood and includes appearances by Nick Cannon, Malcolm Jamal Warner and Sinbad

Features

Changing the Game stars Irma P. Hall & Sticky Fingaz

Shorts

Burned has a special appearance by Eric Roberts (Julia Roberts brother)

For the full festival schedule, a complete list of films, screening tickets, and more information about the Hollywood Black Film Festival, visit them online at HBFF.org.