The 15th Annual Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF) will kick-off with a presentation by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture’s Earl W. and Amanda Stafford Center for African American Media Arts’ department of digitization and preservation. On Monday, August 7 at 4 p.m. at the MVPAC the museum will preview, from their historical collection, home movies from Cab Calloway, among others.
Exclusive Spotlight Screenings: 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. Annapurna Pictures will screen Detroit starring John Boyega and Anthony Mackie. Talk-back to follow with Kathryn Bigelow, moderated by Khalil Muhammad, professor of History, Race and Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School – Harvard University. From 8 p.m. – 10 p.m. Amazon Studio’s Crown Heights will screen starring Lakeith Stanfield and Nnamdi Asomugha.
Opening Night film will be a special screening of Reginald Hudlin’s Marshall, presented by Open Road Films, on Tuesday, August 8 at 7 p.m. at the MVPAC. “The Color of Conversation” will immediately follow with Reginald Hudlin.
Wednesday, August 9 at 7 p.m. at MVPAC, the Global Sport Institute at Arizona State University will present a screening of the NAACP Image Award-nominated “Little Ballers” – talk-back to immediately follow.
On Thursday, August 10 at 7 p.m. at MVPAC, the Global Sport Institute at Arizona State University and Spike Lee will present clips from, the Netflix acquired, Rodney King starring Roger GuenveurSmith.
The short film competition, sponsored by HBO and Saatchi & Saatchi Global Advertising, will be held Friday, August 11 from 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the MVPAC. Immediately following, at 5 p.m., HBO will showcase an episode of the network’s inventive series, Issa Rae’s “Insecure” with moderated talk-back. At 7 p.m. HBO’s “The Defiant Ones” will screen. Moderated talk-back to immediately follow with Allen Hughes and Dr. Henry Louis “Skip” Gates, Jr.
Spike Lee to present preview the Original Netflix series “She’s Gotta Have It” on Saturday, August 12 at 7 p.m. at MVPAC. “The Color of Conversation” to follow.
The 15th Annual Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF), presented by Run&Shoot Filmworks, takes place from August 7 – 12. Registration opens on Monday, August 7, at the Martha’s Vineyard Performing Arts Center (MVPAC), 100 Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road, Oak Bluffs, MA, from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m.