San Francisco – The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), which has paved the way for many Black newspaper and broadcast journalists such as the Bay Area’s late Chauncey Bailey, Dennis Richmond, Faith Fancher, and living media veterans like Belva Davis, Pam Moore, Bob Butler, Carolyn Tyler, Carla Thomas, and Lee Hubbard, is celebrating its 50th Anniversary by telling its own story. On Saturday, June 21 at 11 a.m., the West Coast Premiere of the documentary “Beyond the Headlines” will screen at the African American Art and Culture Complex (762 Fulton Street, San Francisco, CA 94115) as part of the San Francisco Black Film F estival, founded by the late Ave Montague and now led by her granddaughter, Cree Ray.
Coming on the heels of the announcement that broadcast veteran Pam Moore will be inducted into the 2025 NABJ Hall of Fame this August, the screening will be followed by a panel discussion introduced by veteran broadcaster Pam Moore, featuring:
- Barbara Rodgers, retired CBS 5 anchor and Co-founder of the Bay Area Black Journalists Association (BABJA)
- Kevin Epps, filmmaker and editor at the San Francisco BayView Newspaper
- Terry Collins, national correspondent at USA TODAY and NABJ 50th Anniversary Committee member
As the Commonwealth Club recently welcomed national journalists such as Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson (Original Sin: Biden’s Decline and Its Cover-Up), and Jonathan Capehart (Yet, Here I Am), the Bay Area remains a fertile ground for vital, media-led dialogue. Notably, NABJ founding member Allison Davis is cited in Capehart’s memoir for mentoring him early in his career.
NABJ, for five decades, has championed the inclusion of Black voices in the newsroom and beyond. “At a time when journalists from all walks are under intense scrutiny, organizations like NABJ have shown great resolve and resiliency,” said Terry Collins. “This documentary is a powerful reminder of why journalists—especially Black journalists—are essential and necessary.”
“Beyond the Headlines” is directed by James Franklin Blue III, whose 30-year career in television storytelling has garnered three Peabody Awards, three DuPont Awards, two Overseas Press Club Awards, and 10 national news Emmys. He currently co-owns Storyboard Studios, a New York-based production company, and produces for BBC, Frontline, PBS NewsHour, and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation.
🎬 Watch the trailer for "Beyond the Headlines: The NABJ Journey":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysGpKXvGX4k
🎟️ Get tickets for the screening at the San Francisco Black Film Festival:
https://tinyurl.com/NABJDOCSFBLACKFILMFEST
This year’s San Francisco Black Film Festival also includes two additional films with media related ties from SFBFF alum James Farr:
- From Nassau to Altadena: A Story Told From Altadena, directed by Larry Morris
- Jones Community: A Vision of Good Hope, with Kim Holmes Lamar and Keston De Coteau
A journalist, filmmaker, radio host, and producer of Conversation Live: Altadena Rising on KBLA Talk 1580, James Farr is the 2022 recipient of the SFBFF Jeff Adachi Social Justice Award (with Dennis Hayward) for Zinzun: A Revolutionary Activist. That film screened as part of the Durban International Film Festival in partnership with SFBFF. Farr was notably impacted by the January Southern California wildfires—while reporting on the crisis
Opening Night: Thursday, June 19 at 5:00 p.m.
Delancey Street Screening Room
Opening night features appearances by longtime friend of the festival Danny Glover—actor, producer, humanitarian, San Francisco native, and co-founder of the Pan African Film Festival—as well as filmmaker Kevin Epps.
For full San Francisco Black Film Festival details (June 19–22, 2025), visit: www.sfbff.org.
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