From February 7-18, the 21st Annual Pan African Film & Arts Festival (PAFF) returned to Los Angeles. This year PAFF presented over 154 films, from 34 countries 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 8, 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, and DGA Associate Western Executive Director Jon Larson and Special Assignments Executive Daniel Tenkman were available to answer other questions about the Guild. PAFF Corporate Sponsor Rasheda Kilpatrick 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-member Charles Burnett (Relative Stranger) who lent the benefit of his long experience as a Director to the filmmakers.
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://www.paff.org/.