From February 9-20, the 20th Annual Pan African Film & Arts Festival (PAFF) returned to Los Angeles. This year PAFF presented over 150 films from various locations around the globe that showcase the diversity and complexity of people of African descent. The festival also presents one of America’s largest fine art shows featuring prominent and emerging artists and fine crafts people, including local, national and international poets, musicians and storytellers.
On February 10, the PAFF filmmakers were invited to a brunch in the atrium of DGA headquarters where DGA African American Steering Committee Co-Chair Oz Scott spoke to them about the advantages of DGA membership. Scott also called up African American Steering Committee Co-Chair Abdul Malik Abbott who told the attendees about the activities of the Committee. Then PAFF Executive Director Ayuko Babu spoke about the goals of the festival and invited the filmmakers to stand and introduce themselves and their projects. The brunch was also attended by DGA Director-members William Washington (House Arrest) and Salli Richardson-Whitfield (Grace), whose films were screened at this year’s PAFF.
The DGA has served as a sponsor of the festival for more than a decade. For more information about PAFF visit their website at http://2012.paff.org/