New venue
Pan African Film Festival moves
Los Angeles, CA - It’s a simple matter of economics and infrastructure. Those are the basic reasons behind the move of the film festival portion of the Pan African Film and Art Festival from the Magic Johnson theaters in the Crenshaw Mall to the Culver Plaza Theater on the Los Angeles/Culver City border.
“ . . . the cost to rent the theater has become prohibitive; it’s been going up, and we can no longer afford to go there based on the services we are given,” explained Ayuko Babu, festival co-founder.
The decision to move from its home of about 10 years has been months in the process, but it is not something Babu is happy about.
“I don’t really want to move from the center of the community; Crenshaw and King is in the center of the Black community, but it costs too much to use the theater,” added Babu.
The need to survive economically, combined with the lack of infrastructure of multiple restaurants, night spots and after-hours venues prompted organizers to relocate the film festival to the outer edge of Herb Wesson’s 10th Council District.
“That’s part of the general problem in the Black community—no infrastructure. There are no restaurants or bars where people can go and have lunch or dinner,” continued Babu. “If they’re going to see an 8 p.m., film they might want to go to dinner at 6 p.m.”
And while Babu acknowledged the presence of establishments such as Harold and Belle’s, he said that his audiences and the dignitaries the festival attracts may also want to go out after a film, and there are just no places to go in the areas after midnight.
Additionally, at the Culver Plaza, the festival coordinator said they will have full control of the theater which will enable PAFF to create the kind of ambiance that truly showcases the films. That might include serving Afro-Cuban food or playing jazz, R & B or African music in the facility as people mingle in the lobby waiting for a movie to start.
Babu said the other consideration for the festival was making sure that the films are shown on first-class (state of the art) sound and video equipment, and that was just not available anywhere else in the community.
Although the film festival is moving, Babu said the art show will continue at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza at the same time as the festival.
The 2009 festival runs Feb. 5-16 from 10 a.m. to midnight, and ticket prices will remain the same.
For additional information about the film festival and art show, go to the web site www.paff.org.
For the past 21 years the Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) has been entertaining us with films, not only from America but around the world. For many of us it was our first look at films made for and by Blacks from Africa and other parts of the world. And 21 years later it continues to be an eye-opening experience that has helped broaden our scope of the world and the roles people of African descent play.
Some of Hollywood’s best talent, bar none, gathered together for a night of celebration, recognition and promise. The red-carpet event was presented by the Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) and the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA).
PAFF honored the best and the brightest in its annual “Night of Tribute” on Friday, Feb. 8, 2013, at the Taglyan Complex in Hollywood.
When author Suzanne Collins created the “The Hunger Games” trilogy, which takes place in a post-apocalyptic world in the country of Panem, she simultaneously created social debates on race. The fictional country consists of a wealthy capital and twelve surrounding districts. District 11 is the home of Rue and Thresh, who are supporting characters in both the book and the movie, and it is depicted as an area near what had once been Atlanta, Ga.
The story begins in the town of Kinshasa, Congo, in the middle of an extreme gasoline shortage.
Living true to the old adage that “desperate times call for desperate measures,” the carefree protagonist, Riva, steals a fortune in gasoline and returns to his petroleum-starved hometown to sell the goods, make a pretty penny, and live life like a king.
Riva is distracted from the plan from the moment he lays his eyes on Nora, the girlfriend of a big-time gangster, and determines that he will do whatever it takes to get her.
There was a time when racism and segregation arguably brought out the best in Black people in America. From owning small businesses and farms to building hospitals and small towns, African Americans demonstrated a knack for survival and self-reliance despite the various obstacles they faced.
But some argue that was just the beginning of something that could have been greater. Others suggest there is still an opportunity to gain a strong Black economy, but only with the effort of a Pan African union.
