It’s time for the second San Antonio Black International Film Festival (SABIFF). This year’s event will be virtual and is scheduled for Thursday Oct. 1 thru Sunday Oct. 4.
Presenting the film festival online will give Black filmmakers the opportunity to attract and present their events to a larger audience base.
“We have lots in store,” said Ada M. Babino, the festival’s founder and director, in a press release. Babino launched the first San Antonio Black International Film Festival in 2019.
Here are 5 reasons to attend the Black San Antonio Virtual Film Festival this weekend.
Among the highlights will be the screening of “A Genius Leaves the Hood,” a documentary on businessman and music mogul Jay-Z, sponsored by Moguldom Studios. Followed the screening, a discussion will be held with the film producer, Jamarlin Martin, CEO and founder of Nubia Ventures, LLC and The Moguldom Nation.
Martin will hold a filmmaker empowerment workshop, “Game on: Merging Indie Films to e-Commerce – The Digital Master P Model.” The workshop aims to empower filmmakers to take their products to the next level.
San Antonio Black International Film Festival 2020 will include two days of independent film showcases submitted by 35 filmmakers. The films explore a variety of topics such as mental health and America’s pathology through carefully curated film blocks entitled “Blacklash Blues and American Illusions.”
Two other blocks of films, “Love: Under Construction” and “BlackLining” (presented in partnership with SA’s Black Lives, and Allies in Community (BLAC) will present topics on love and social justice.
The San Antonio Black International Film Festival plans to commemorate the 30-year anniversary of the classic film “To Sleep With Anger” starring Danny Glover. Its director, Charles Burnett, will be presented with the San Antonio Black International Film Festival first annual Ankh (life) Achievement Award. Following the film’s watch party, there will be a TSWA reunion with cast members discussion and reflections from this 1990 movie classic. Invited renowned cast members include: Glover, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Mary Alice, Carl Lumbly, and Richard Brooks.
Listen to GHOGH with Jamarlin Martin | Episode 73: Jamarlin Martin Jamarlin makes the case for why this is a multi-factor rebellion vs. just protests about George Floyd. He discusses the Democratic Party’s sneaky relationship with the police in cities and states under Dem control, and why Joe Biden is a cop and the Steve Jobs of mass incarceration.
Offerings include films in competition, screenings, panel discussions, and workshops, that range from donation to $15. Find schedules at SABIFF.com and SABIFF.tv. The screenings and events will be simulcast on multiple social media outlets during the festival run.
