The 25th Annual Pan African Film & Arts Festival (PAFF) returned to Los Angeles From February 9-20. On February 10, filmmakers with projects in this year’s festival were invited to a luncheon sponsored by the DGA. The gathering opened with an overview by DGA Field Rep Gabriel Kahsay, who welcomed the PAFF filmmakers. Then PAFF Executive Director Ayuko Babu spoke about the festival and gave the attendees valuable information about how to best take advantage of this opportunity. DGA Director Member Neema Barnette (Queen Sugar) spoke about the advantages of Guild membership and detailed some of the DGA’s diversity efforts aimed at levelling the playing field behind the camera. Then former DGA African American Steering Committee (AASC) Co-Chair Carl Seaton and Committee Members Sandra Middleton and Redelia Shaw spoke about the work of the Committee. Finally, the filmmakers had a chance to stand and introduce themselves and speak briefly about their various projects in the festival, which included DGA member Nnegest Likke (Everything But A Man). Also in attendance were DGA members Anya Adams, Diane Bartlow, Reginald Brown, Fay Hauser-Price, Anna Maria Horsford, Kevin Hunter, and Messiah Jacobs.
Dedicated to promoting racial tolerance through the exhibition of film, art and creative expression, this year’s PAFF presented more than 150 new films and the works of over 100 fine artists and craft persons to showcase the diversity and complexity of people of African descent from the United States, Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, South America, Europe, the South Pacific and Canada.
About the Festival
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.
About the AASC
The African American Steering Committee (AASC) was born of a desire to address the specific needs of the African-American members of the Directors Guild. One of the primary goals of the Committee is to establish a productive line of communication between African-American members and the creative community.