San Francisco Black Film Festival
1755 O’Farrell St. Suite 309
San Francisco, CA 94115
Media Contact:
Jackie Wright, 415 525 0410
jackiewright@wrightnow.biz
FACT SHEET
San Francisco Black Film Festival XXV
“25 Years of Resilience & Empowerment”
San Francisco Black Film Festival XXV
June 15-June 18, 2023
Visit www.sfbff.org to invest in the community by becoming a sponsor. There’s still time. Sponsorships are a yearlong and span through the next festival year.
The San Francisco Black Film Festival (SFBFF) is the brainchild of the late arts impresario impresario Ave Montague. It is a rare Black legacy organization in San Francisco as Kali O’Ray and Katerra Crossley, Montague’s son and daughter-in-law, became the directors in 2010. Due to the untimely demise of Kali O’Ray just three weeks before the entertainment industry lost Chadwick Boseman, the festival is now led by Cree Ray, the first born child of Kali O’Ray who continues the legacy after the sudden loss of her brother Kali O. Winston, January 12, 2023.
Annually films are screened at various venues in San Francisco giving both the emerging independent filmmaker and Hollywood actors and established filmmakers an opportunity to interact and exchange ideas as the festival is a multicultural platform for thought provoking panels, parties and film showcases. The 2023 festival will have both virtual and live events.
The San Francisco Black Film Festival believes film can lead to a better understanding of and communication between peoples of diverse cultures, races, and lifestyles, while simultaneously serving as a vehicle to initiate dialogue on the important issues of our times.
The Coronavirus Pandemic impacted the festival as all entertainment and most businesses were impacted. Yet it did not stop the growth of the festival as Director Kali O’Ray gave blessings to publicist and community & business development director, Jackie Wright of Wright Enterprises to initiate international projects with the Durban International Film Festival and Durban Film Mart. The projects continue in the current year of the festival as it expands its vision to engage the worldwide African Diaspora.
The San Francisco Black Film Festival that delivered in the virtual space at the height of the pandemic will continue to do so with plans underway to include live events as the City of San Francisco allows for socially-distanced events. At the 2021 San Francisco Black Film Festival opening reception, Mayor London Breed celebrated the re-opening of businesses that had been closed since the pandemic shutdown of March 2020.
The San Francisco Black Film Festival is held in June, “Black Music Month.” In salute of “Black Music Month” “Live Talk @ SFBFF will include interviews with members of NOLA’s Royal Family of Music, Damon Batiste, cultural ambassador and founder of NOSACONN (New Orleans South Africa Connection) and his father David Batiste of the legendary David and the Gladiators, who inspired award-winning Jon Batiste of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert; Bay Area producer Grady Harris of Grey Hare Productions with his “Pray for the Children Project” and more. The SFBFF is traditionally held during “Juneteenth” and “Father’s Day” Weekend.
A characteristic of the San Francisco Black Film Festival has always been the family-friendly prices. Tickets are on sale now. They can be found at the festival website: www.sfbff.org. The San Francisco Black Film Festival is open to everyone. It’s an opportunity for all multicultural Bay Area residents and visitors to San Francisco to see the worldwide African Diaspora from an affirming perspective.
San Francisco Black Film Festival Salutes “I am Charlie Walker” directed by Patrick Giles with Mike Colter; Dylan Baker; Safiya Fredericks; Boots Riley; Carl Lumbly; former San Francisco Mayor Willie L. Brown Jr.; and others bringing the cast total to 61. The true story film based on the life of San Francisco Bay View businessman, Charlie Walker, gives homage to the late San Francisco Black Film Festival Director, Kali O’Ray.
Among the films slated to be screened is "Third Baptist Church"- It’s a storied history of over 170 years that Award-winning filmmaker Kevin Epps removes from the annals of overlooked treasure to present the World Premiere of “Third Baptist Church!” This new documentary is a tribute and historical deep dive into the second oldest Black Church west of the Rocky Mountains.
Founded in 1852, two years after St. Andrews AME Church in Sacramento, in the home of Eliza and William Davis, Third Baptist Church has cemented its place in San Francisco and the world as a place of worship, youth outreach and mentorship, economic empowerment and advocacy for justice and equality among a fellowship of Christian believers with the doors of the church always open to everyone. Third Baptist Church, as a vanguard of Faith and social justice historical faith-based institution, from Icons including Presidents, Governors and celebrities. Third Baptist Church’s noted attendees have included: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; Bill Clinton; Kamala Harris; Harry Belafonte; Willie L. Brown, Jr.; the Rev. Jesse Jackson; Arnold Schwarzenegger; Jerry Brown; Gavin Newsom; Danny Glover and others. This powerful film features extensive interviews from legendary Rev. Dr. Amos Brown, activist and long-time president of the San Francisco branch of the NAACP and national executive NAACP board member; San Francisco Mayor London Breed; and other notables.
See the unique value of Third Baptist Church in its role helping to pave a righteous path of justice for all.
43:00 Minutes
Director: Kevin Epps
World Premiere!
Vist www.sfbff.org for date & Location
San Francisco Black Film Festival 2023, celebrating “25 Years of Resilience & Empowerment” continues "Healing the World One Film at a Time". Community involvement is a mainstay of the San Francisco Black Film Festival which has given job training opportunities in the areas of event planning, customer service, public relations, writing, photography, social media and other life skills training, through its SFBFF Brand Ambassadors, a workforce development program created by publicist and community and business development director, Jackie Wright. The San Francisco Black Film Festival has not only made a difference in the lives of hundreds of filmmakers, it has trained youth and transitioning adults for a better path to employment for the past four years. The San Francisco Black Film Festival “Walks the Talk” as it is the change it wants to see when it comes to social justice.
The establishment of the Jeff Adachi Social Justice Award for filmmakers who embark on equity and equality themes in their films is just another indication of the San Francisco Black Film Festival being true to its core value of “Healing the World One Film at A Time” during the festival’s “25 Years of Resilience & Empowerment.” The 2022 Durban International Film Festival, screened a clip of the winner of the San Francisco Black Film Festival Jeff Adachi Social Justice Award, “Zinzun: A Revolutionary Activist” by Dennis Haywood and James Farr within a virtual panel discussion “The Power of Cinema to Create Social Justice Change”: https://fb.watch/jKJfgpAN6R on July 29, 2022 at 7 a.m. PDT/4 pm SAT.
San Francisco Black Film Festival XXV
“25 Years of Resilience & Empowerment”
2022-2023 SPONSORS: San Francisco Arts Commission; California Arts Commission; SF GIANTS; Dolby Laboratories, Inc.; The Academy of Art University; Durban International Film Festival; Durban FilmMart; African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council; San Francisco Housing Development Corporation; NOSACONN Inc.; New Community Leadership Foundation, Inc.; Hotel Nikko; Hotel Zelos; Hotel Zeppelin; SFJAZZ; The Big Black Brunch, San Francisco African American Chamber of Commerce; Seventy-Fourth Annual San Francisco Juneteenth Celebration; Bill Graham Productions; Mayor London Breed; African American Arts and Culture Complex; Le Blanc and Associates, KPOO; KPFA; San Francisco BayView Newspaper; San Francisco Standard; The Boom Boom Room; LaHitz Media; Film Bread; Wright Enterprises; and Roots & Vines, importers of South African Wines by Black female vintners.
SFBFF Thanks Michel Burdette & Hylife-Ocity Productions for "Ladies Revolution II Black Music Month & SFBFF 25th Anniversary Salute at Yoshis
Kicking Off the Festival Fun
Visit www.sfbff.org to invest in the community by becoming a sponsor. There’s still time. Sponsorships are a yearlong and span through the next festival year.
HIGHLIGHTS OF PAST FESTIVALS
San Francisco Black Film Festival 2022
KMEL Radio- SF Black Film Festival Continues "Healing The World One Film At a Time: https://www.iheart.com/content/2022-06-18-sf-black-film-festival-continues-healing-the-world-one-film-at-a-time/
San Francisco Black Film Festival Presents Inaugural “Kali O’Ray” My Dad is My Hero Award: https://www.prlog.org/12921730-san-francisco-black-film-festival-xxiv-presents-first-kali-oray-my-dad-is-my-hero-award.html
San Francisco Black Film Festival 2021
San Francisco Black Film Festival 2021 Facts at a Glance:
http://www.wrightnow.biz/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=83816&columnid=2898
2021 The Legacy Continues
https://www.prlog.org/12872513-san-francisco-black-film-festival-the-legacy-continues-facts-at-glance.html
SF BayView Newspaper 2021
https://sfbayview.com/2021/06/in-the-san-francisco-black-film-festival-xxiii-the-legacy-continues-june-17-20-healing-the-world-one-film-at-a-time/
SF Chronicle 2021
https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/movies-tv/san-francisco-black-film-festival-returns-in-a-mood-of-celebration-after-a-year-of-grief
San Francisco Black Film Festival 2020
San Francisco Black Film Festival & Durban South Africa 2020
https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/521952379/sf-black-film-festival-xxii-virtually-possible-thru-august-30th-via-atlanta-ga-san-diego-ca-durban-south-africa
Black Lives Matter @Durban International Film Festival 2020/Via SFBFF
https://www.prlog.org/12838487-black-lives-matter-takes-stage-at-durban-international-film-festival-with-equal-standard.html
Festival Director Kali O’Ray Mourned-2020
Mayor London Breed Shares Condolences for the Loss of Festival Director, Kali O’Ray
https://youtu.be/j92eSxY2WKw
SF BayView Newspaper-Longtime Partner with SFBFF Notes Loss-2020
https://sfbayview.com/2020/08/san-francisco-black-film-festival-mourns-the-loss-of-director-kali-oray/
SF Chronicle Chronicles Loss
https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/festivals/kali-o-ray-director-of-san-francisco-black-film-festival-dies-at-48
San Francisco Black Film Festival Promoted Equal Standard @DIFF Durban International Film Festival
https://www.prlog.org/12838487-black-lives-matter-takes-stage-at-durban-international-film-festival-with-equal-standard.html
The Power of the Heroic Figure: Tribute to San Francisco Black Film Festival’s Kali O’Ray and Chadwick Boseman
https://youtu.be/zcPnWu45qj4
San Francisco Black Film Festival Jeff Adachi Media Briefing @ Cinemark 2019
https://www.prlog.org/12777045-view-films-screened-at-tribute-to-late-sf-public-defender-jeff-adachi-san-francisco-black-film-festival-xxi.html
Don Cheadle's "Miles Ahead" 2018
https://www.prlog.org/12713223-san-francisco-black-film-festival-xx-june-14-17-just-the-facts-at-glance.html
Danny Glover Headlines San Francisco Black Film Festival 2017
https://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Danny-Glover-in-person-to-kick-off-SF-Black-Film-11217951.php#photo-13055093
“Lambadina” Opening Night San Francisco Black Film Festival @ SF State University 2016
https://lca.sfsu.edu/events/2016-06-17-010000-2016-06-17-040000/814791
“Restored Me” San Francisco Black Film Festival at AMC 1000 2016
https://youtu.be/sJGVk4AVUjU
KPIX Interview with Mayor Willie Brown & Kevin Epps 2015- “America’s Still the Place” based on San Franciscan Charlie Walker https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jDd9GUWhSU
SF Black Film Festival at Dolby Laboratories 2014
Life of a King with Cuba Gooding Jr. & Dennis Haysbert https://www.prlog.org/12333880
NFL's Desean Jackson's Film/Media Briefing at Dolby Laboratories 2013
https://www.prlog.org/12154613
Robert Townsend 2012 Project Headlines San Francisco Black Film Festival
http://sfbayview.com/2012/06/champion-karim-mayfield-and-director-robert-townsend-bring-knockout-power-and-star-power-to-san-francisco-black-film-festival/
Mario Van Peebles Showcases two Films at San Francisco Black Film Festival 2011
https://archives.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/strong-second-act/Content?oid=2181850
About San Francisco Black Film Festival
Ave Montague (1945-2009), arts impresario, fashion industry executive, publicist, founded the San Francisco Black Film Festival in 1998. Montague created the San Francisco Black Film Festival, a 501c3 nonprofit, with the artistic vision to provide a platform for Black filmmakers, screenwriters, and actors to present their art. As a competitive film festival, SFBFF identifies filmmakers, screenwriters, and actors that are emerging as talents and established artists who are contributing to the cinematic legacy of African Americans. SFBFF conscientiously expands the notions of “Black film-making” to a global perspective. The organization is multicultural and inclusive of all in the expression of the African Diaspora experience. The San Francisco Black Film Festival has screened more than 10,000 films from around the world. Kali O’Ray (son of Ave Montague) and his wife Katera Crossley, both formerly of Atlanta, Georgia, co-directed The San Francisco Black Film Festival until O’Ray’s untimely death August 7, 2020. Now the festival is directed with O’Ray’s daughter Cree Ray, a retail management professional, who assumed leadership at the age of 30.
The Mission of the San Francisco Black Film Festival is to celebrate African American cinema and the African Cultural Diaspora through the showcase of a diverse collection of films – from emerging and established filmmakers. This is accomplished by presenting Black films, which reinforce positive images and dispel negative stereotypes, and providing film artists from the Bay Area in particular and around the world in general, a forum for their work to be viewed and discussed. The San Francisco Black Film Festival believes film can lead to a better understanding of and communication between peoples of diverse cultures, races, and lifestyles, while simultaneously serving as a vehicle to initiate dialogue on the important issues of our times. For more information about the San Francisco Black Film Festival visit www.sfbff.org.