The Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) has opened submissions for its thirtieth edition.
The festival is scheduled to place from February 8 to 21, 2022 in Los Angeles, but virtually for the rest of the world.
Returning from an explosive season after headlining with Black Panther founder Gregory Everett’s documentary, PAFF invites filmmakers whose work focuses on the narratives of Africans in Africa, and the diaspora, to submit their film entries.
The annual PAFF is Los Angeles’ most prestigious black film festival and features a wide catalogue of films from around the world.
PAFF will be accepting submissions for films and videos made on, or about, people of African descent — though the filmmakers need not necessarily be of African descent. The festival has a preference for progressive films that depict positive and realistic images of Africans from any genre — drama, comedy, horror, action/adventure, animation, romance, science fiction, experimental and historical. Black narratives captured through short films and documentaries are welcome too.
Over the years, PAFF has showcased films from all parts of the world, representing such countries as the United States, Angola, Nigeria, Jamaica, New Zealand, Rwanda, Canada, Mozambique, Venezuela, Egypt, the Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Ghana, Brazil, Kenya, Fiji, Mexico, the U.K., South Africa, England, Japan, Trinidad & Tobago, France, and Canada. With the pulse on the international film market, PAFF has opened the minds of its audiences, and transported them to far-away places and back home again.
A highly-anticipated event in Los Angeles circles, PAFF has previously hosted live festivals that attracted a crowd of more than 40,000 people. Marvel’s Black Panther blockbuster screened during the 26th PAFF in 2018 where South African films Catching Feelings and political drama Kalushi, both starring Pearl Thusi, were showing.
The festival’s competition categories include: Best Narrative Feature, Best Narrative Short, Best Documentary (Short or Feature), Best Director — First Feature, Best Web Series, plus a variety of Audience Favorite Awards.
Submissions opened on June 1 and will remain so, with special extensions, until December 1, 2021.
