March 28, 2024

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SAN FRANCISCO BLACK FILM FESTIVAL XXIII FACTS AT A GLANCE
June 4, 2021

POSTED COURTESY OF WRIGHT ENTERPRISES COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT~~~

San Francisco Black Film Festival
1755 O'Farrell St. Suite 309
San Francisco, CA  94115

FACTS AT A GLANCE

San Francisco Black Film Festival XXIII,
The Legacy Continues, Healing the World One Film at A Time
June 17-June 20, 2021


The San Francisco Black Film Festival is the brainchild of the late arts 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 leadership now includes Cree Ray and Kali Ray, the children of Kali O'Ray who join Katera Crossley to continue the legacy.  Annually more than 50 films are screened at various venues in San Francisco giving both the independent filmmaker and Hollywood actors and filmmakers an opportunity to interact and exchange ideas as the festival is a multicultural platform for thought provoking panels, parties and film showcases.

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 for publicist and community 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.

The San Francisco Black Film Festival is held in June, "Black Music Month."  The event 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. The family-friendly priced tickets will be on sale in early June.  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 see the worldwide African Diaspora from an affirming perspective. The San Francisco Film Festival films and venues can be found at www.sfbff.org.  Family friendly priced tickets are $10-$50 (All Acess Festival Pass).

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.  Working with the National Coalition of 100 Black Women San Francisco Chapter's Doris Ward Workforce Employment and Training Program, 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 three 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."

The sustainability and growth of the San Francisco Black Film Festival is important to the sustainability and growth of the City of San Francisco, from the collaboration with the National Coalition of 100 Black Women SF to train people around marketing, event planning, customer service  and more to the outreach to Durban, South Africa and the San Diego based Roots and Vines Trading Company that is socially conscientious in its engagement of Black Female South African Vintners, to collaboration with the SF African American Chamber and its businesses to the outreach to hundreds of multicultural filmmakers every year, the San Francisco Black Film Festival gives people a reason to visit and a reason to leave their hearts in San Francisco.

SPONSORS & PARTNERSHIPS INCLUDE:

San Francisco Arts Commission; California Arts Commission; SFJAZZ; African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council; SFGIANTS; Hotel Nikko; The Big Black Brunch; The Westin St. Francis Hotel; San Francisco Housing Development Corporation; San Francisco African American Chamber of Commerce; AFROSOLO; Seventy-Third Annual San Francisco Juneteenth Celebration; SFBLOC; AMC Metreon16; Cinemark- Century San Francisco Centre-9: Bill Graham Productions; Mayor London Breed; Key to the City of San Francisco; African American Arts and Culture Complex; National Coalition of 100 Black Women (NCBW) San Francisco; Durban International Film Festival; Durban FilmMart; NOSACONN Inc.; LeBlanc and Associates, KPOO; KPFA; San Francisco BayView Newspaper; The Boom Boom Room; New Community Leadership Foundation, Inc.; LaHitz Media; Film Bread; Wright Enterprises and Roots & Vines, importers of South African Wines by Black female vintners (the official wine company of the San Francisco Black Film Festival XXIII).

Special Guests to Date: Former CBS Anchor Dana King featuring her art "Monumental Reckoning" (350 sculptures representing the first African slaves stolen from Africa, to  be displayed around the pedestal where the Frances Scott Key statue stood before it was removed amid protests in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park on Juneteenth 2020);

Judy Klein, Hollywood Producer & Talent Developer, CEO of Tru3Media, who has produced Kevin Hart specials and more.

Leslie Small, Hollywood director and producer, known for "Hair Show;" "Tara;" "Mo Funny;" and "Mo Laughs." Small has produced films with Steve Harvey, Mo'Nique, Cedric the Entertainer, Gary Owen, Shaquille O'Neal and others A-list entertainers.  Small has a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, a Master's Degree in Statistics, and a PhD in Economics.

Mario Abney, New Orleans based-Chicago Native, Trumpet Phenom!

Ricardo Scales, Grammy-nominated prolific piano virtuoso among others.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS~~~

PSAs To Date ( For your website and also copy and paste in Your Social Media Promotions & other media)


PSA 1-WRITTEN

"SAN FRANCISCO BLACK FILM FESTIVAL GIVES A SHOUT OUT TO PARTNER SFJAZZ  AND ITS PRESENTATION OF THE FILM "MUSIC IN MONK TIME," JUNE 10TH AT SFJAZZ.COM - THE PERFECT PRELUDE TO THE SFBFF, JUNE 17-20TH, WHICH HIGHLIGHTS NEW ORLEANS' TRUMPET PHENOM MARIO ABNEY, SAN FRANCISCO'S GRAMMY-NOMINATED AND PROLIFIC PIANIST RICARDO SCALES & SOUTH AFRICA'S ZIMOLOGY, THE LATE BRA ZIM NGQAWANA WITH SFBFF PARTNER DURBAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL. PLUS, DANA KING'S "MONUMENTAL RECKONING." SFBFF XXIII, JUNE 17TH-20TH,  "THE LEGACY CONTINUES, HEALING THE WORLD ONE FILM AT A TIME" \ JUNETEENTH AND FATHER'S DAY WEEKEND.  CHECK OUT WWW.SFJAZZ.ORG AND WWW.SFBFF.ORG." SF-BFF-BEST FRIENDS FOREVER!

AUDIO

PSA 2

THE SAN FRANCISCO BLACK FILM FESTIVAL TWENTY-THREE, THE LEGACY CONTINUES HEALING THE WORLD ONE FILM AT A TIME…JUNE 17-20TH FEATURING FORMER CBS ANCHOR DANA KING'S "MONUMENTAL RECKONING"-350 AFRICAN SCULPTURES IN GOLDEN GATE PARK.  PLUS, NOLA'S TRUMPET PHENOM MARIO ABNEY & GRAMMY-NOMINATED PROLIFIC PIANIST RICARDO SCALES.  VISIT S-F-B-F-F.ORG! JUNE 17-20th THE SAN FRANCISCO BLACK FILM FESTIVAL STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF ANCESTORS, THE LEGACY CONTINUES HEALING THE WORLD ONE FILM AT A TIME…

PSA 3

"SAN FRANCISCO BLACK FILM FESTIVAL GIVES A SHOUT OUT TO PARTNER SFJAZZ  AND ITS GREAT LINE UP IN BLACK MUSIC MONTH. SFBFF, JUNE 17-20TH, HIGHLIGHTS NEW ORLEANS' TRUMPET PHENOM MARIO ABNEY, SAN FRANCISCO'S GRAMMY-NOMINATED AND PROLIFIC PIANIST RICARDO SCALES & SOUTH AFRICA'S ZIMOLOGY WITH SFBFF PARTNER DURBAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL. SFBFF TWENTY-THREE, JUNE 17TH-20TH,  "THE LEGACY CONTINUES, HEALING THE WORLD ONE FILM AT A TIME" DURING JUNETEENTH AND FATHER'S DAY WEEKEND.  CHECK OUR WWW.SFJAZZ.ORG AND WWW.SFBFF.ORG." SF-BFF-BEST FRIENDS. FOREVER!

PSA 4

JUNE 17-20TH SAN FRANCISCO BLACK FILM FESTIVAL, YEAR TWENTY-THREE! THE LEGACY CONTINUES HEALING THE WORLD ONE FILM AT A TIME… HAVE THE BEST OF TWO WORLDS… WORLDWIDE FILMS FROM THE AFRICAN DIASPORA AND YOUR OWN BOTTOMLESS POPCORN FROM YOUR MICROWAVE!  CHECK OUT THE SOCIALLY-DISTANCED LIVE EVENTS & VIRTUAL SCREENINGS. S-F-B-F-F POSSIBLE THANKS TO FRIENDS: SFJAZZ; THE AFRICAN AMERICAN TOBACCO CONTROL LEADERSHIP COUNCIL; THE SAN FRANCISCO AFRICAN AMERICAN CHAMBER; THE BIG BLACK BRUNCH & MORE. VISIT WWW.SFBFF.ORG! THE SAN FRANCISCO BLACK FILM FESTIVAL

RECENT NEWS

San Francisco Black Film Festival XXIII & South African Wines

https://conta.cc/3id1Xc1

San Francisco Black Film Festival XXIII Adds New Leaders
https://www.prlog.org/12855695-san-francisco-black-film-festival-adds-new-leaders

San Francisco Black Film Festival XXIII Moves Forward
https://conta.cc/2SEOCyq

THE LATE KALI O’RAY’S PASSION FOR THE SAN FRANCISCO BLACK FILM FESTIVAL

 

San Francisco Black Film Festival-Reimagine Radio-Kali O’Ray 2019 Interview by Jarrell Phillips

https://www.reimaginerpe.org/node/7698

“To most of the nation, even to the world, San Francisco still means something. The Black Film Festival allows the world to see us in a different light than what’s normally portrayed.”

 

O’Ray Interview Repost SF BayView Newspaper-August 2020

https://sfbayview.com/2020/08/kali-oray

We need to start investing in ourselves. We’re going to always create music. We’re going to always start the hottest trends. We have that part down. And now, it’s the time to start setting up structures and setting up businesses.

 

San Francisco Black Film Festival 2012 Report by Lance Burton, Planet Fillmore

https://youtu.be/P1v336meAHw

 

San Francisco Black Film Festival 2011 O’Ray Speaks to Leach Media

https://youtu.be/NtlHpFN_1yY

@  7:28 "Kali says SF Black Film Festival needs to be here because we  (Black People) are barely here."


HIGHLIGHTS OF PAST FESTIVALS

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

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

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 Cristin Ayers 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

"America's Still the Place" Directed by Patrick Giles

http://sfbayview.com/2015/06/the-san-francisco-black-film-festival-enriched-thousands-of-moviegoers-left-them-eager-for-more/

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
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 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 children Cree Ray and Kali Ray Jr. along with their stepmother, Katera Crossley.

The Mission of the San Francisco Black Film Festival is to celebrate African American cinema and the African Cultural Diaspora and to showcase 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.


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