San Francisco-Passion for family fuels the San Francisco Black Film Festival legacy as a new generation joins the worldwide African Diaspora affirming festival founded by late Arts Impresario, Ave Montague. After the shocking and unexpected demise of Festival Director Kali O'Ray, Montague's son, last August due to an undetected degenerative heart condition, Cree Ray and Kali Ray Jr., daughter and son of O'Ray will join the San Francisco Black Film Festival as Festival Directors. An annual family and friends affair, the San Francisco Black Film Festival will also be assisted by O'Ray's sons: Ahmad Clayton and Jairri Earring.
The San Francisco Black Film Festival Festival is slated for June 17-20, 2021. Film submissions are now being accepted via
https://filmfreeway.com/sfbff.
"In tribute to the love of both our grandmother and father, we are continuing their labor of love of providing a positive narrative about the African Diaspora
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SFBFF Press Conference 6:15:2012 with then Co-Festival Director with wife Katera Crossley, Kali O'Ray listening to accolades from Actor, Write, Producer, Humanitarian Robert Townsend about carrying on his mother Ave Montague's legacy. Townsend said the legacy would be carried on to the next generation. From 2012 to 2021, so it shall be.
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both here at home and internationally," said San Francisco Black Festival Director, Cree Ray. "We will build on this legacy of the San Francisco Black Film Festival, "Healing the World one Film at A Time." It goes beyond family based on our strengths and convictions for truth and balance in media." Ray explained that Festival Director and widow of O'Ray, Katera Crossley will continue in the role she loves, curating all the films that are submitted. Kali Ray Jr. will orchestrate all of the technical aspects of the festival with Cree Ray managing the overall business aspects of the San Francisco Black Film Festival.
"We appreciate all of our past sponsors, volunteers, and devotees of the San Francisco Black Film Festival that helped us invite the world to San Francisco and to a platform that encouraged dialogue between races to better understand each other," said Kali Ray Jr., San Francisco Black Film Festival Director. "Building on that platform that heralded justice, equality and equity, we invite our old friends and new ones to help us build on this San Francisco cultural icon for the world that was born in the historic Fillmore District.
With the worldwide Diaspora always a theme of the San Francisco Black Film Festival, Kali O'Ray's leadership in the Coronavirus Pandemic challenging year of 2020, extended to Nigeria and South Africa in what was unknowingly to be O'Ray's last festival directorship.
The San Francisco Black Film Festival virtually opened the door for New York based independent filmmaker Taheim Bryan's "Equal Standard" (https://www.durbanfilmfest.com/film/equal-standard/) at the Durban International Film Festival with a panel discussion that included Tobias Truvillion, Syleena Johnson, Ice T, Anthony 'Treach' Criss and more directed by Brendan Kyle Cochrane. The film takes a hard look at both sides of officer involved shootings.
SFBFF staff and Filmmakers were guests of the Durban FilmMart and the San Francisco Black
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Live Talk @SFBFF "Art and Trade in Africa" |
Film Festival hosted an international panel discussion with Durban FilmMart about trade: "Live Talk @SFBFF: Art & Trade in Africa (
https://vimeo.com/442682325)."
"We are family, a worldwide family as Ave and Kali projected in their heartfelt work through the San Francisco Black Film Festival," said Katera Crossley, San Francisco Black Film Festival Director. "We thank our family of friends such as the Honorable London Breed,
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| San Francisco Mayor London Breed Gives Condolences & Greets @SFBFF Website Visitors |
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the Mayor of San Francisco for paying tribute to Kali at a very difficult time. We thank our community friends with African American Arts and Cultural Center for paying tribute and new friends as Regan Baker Designs that shared their event with
Chadwick Boseman's "42" honoring Kali at Fort Mason last October. Together will continue the great foundational work that Ave began and Kali continued."
Whether the festival will be virtual, live or both has not been determined. For updates and news about the San Francisco Black Film Festival sign up for the newsletter at
www.sfbff.org.###
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Tribute to Kali O'Ray & Chadwick Boseman-"The Power of the Heroic Figure"-Live Talk @SFBFF with SF Human Rights Commissioner Karen Clopton, Civil Rights Attorney Pamela Price, SF Arts Commissioner, Linda Parker Pennington, & Equal Standard Director/Writer Taheim Bryan.
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Tribute to Kali O'Ray and Chadwick Boseman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcPnWu45qj4
SFBFF Mourns
Archives
Ave Montague Legacy
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SFBFF Moves Forward - 6-15-12 update by Lance Burton of Planet Fillmore TV.
Burton captures the SFBFF passion of community and the African Diaspora.
Check out recent podcasts & more from Lance Burton at https://planetfillmore.tv/
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Comcast Public Service Announcement
An Intimate Evening with Danny Glover
