Submission Deadline for 2025 Pan African Film & Arts Festival Is Soon

  

LOS ANGELES, CA - The countdown has begun for the highly anticipated 2025 Pan African Film & Arts Festival (PAFF), and filmmakers from around the world are reminded that the submission deadline is rapidly approaching. This year’s submission schedule will close earlier than in years past. The final date for regular submissions is July 31, 2024. The final deadline for all late submissions is August 30, 2024. All films must be received by the late submissions deadline to be considered. Filmmakers accepted will be notified in December 2024. More details can be found online at paff.org.

The Pan African Film & Arts Festival, one of the largest and most prestigious celebrations of Black cinema and art, is set to take place from February 4 to February 17, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. This annual event showcases a wide array of films, from feature-length narratives and documentaries to short films, representing the richness and diversity of the Pan-African experience.

Celebrating Excellence in Film and Art

Since its inception, PAFF has been dedicated to promoting cultural understanding and artistic excellence. The festival serves as a platform for filmmakers and artists of African descent to share their stories, perspectives, and artistic visions with a global audience. Each year, PAFF attracts thousands of attendees, including industry professionals, critics, and film enthusiasts, making it a crucial event for networking and exposure.

Submission Categories

PAFF 2025 welcomes submissions in the following categories:

Feature Films

Short Films

Documentaries

Animated Films

Web Series

And more

How to Submit

Submissions can be made through the PAFF website at paff.org. Detailed guidelines and requirements for each category are available online. Filmmakers are urged to submit their entries early to avoid any last-minute technical difficulties.

Why Participate in PAFF?

Participating in the Pan African Film & Arts Festival offers numerous benefits, including:

Exposure: Gain international recognition and showcase your work to a diverse audience.

Networking: Connect with industry professionals, fellow artists, and potential collaborators.

Awards: Compete for prestigious awards in various categories, including short film Academy Award eligibility, enhancing your profile and career opportunities.

Cultural Impact: Contribute to the representation and celebration of Pan-African culture and heritage.

Join Us in Celebrating Pan-African Art and Culture

As the deadline approaches, PAFF encourages all talented filmmakers to seize this opportunity to be part of a globally recognized festival that celebrates the beauty, complexity, and diversity of Pan-African experiences.

PAFF 2024, which took place February 6-19, featured over 200 films from 54 countries, in 28 languages, including 68 World and 25 North American premieres. Of the films selected for the Festival, 49% were helmed by female, queer or non-binary filmmakers.

For more information on submissions, festival events, and sponsorship opportunities, please visit paff.org or contact the PAFF team at info@paff.org.

About the Pan African Film & Arts Festival

For over three decades, PAFF has presented and showcased a broad spectrum of Black creative works, particularly those that reinforce positive images and help to destroy negative stereotypes of Africans and African Americans. PAFF is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that has remained dedicated to the promotion of Black stories and images through the exhibition of film, visual art, and other creative expression. Today, PAFF is one of the largest and most prestigious Black film festivals in the U.S. and attracts local, national, and international audiences. In addition, it is an Oscar-qualifying festival for animation and live-action films, and one of the largest Black History Month events in America.

PAFF is sponsored in part by Los Angeles Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Los Angeles Councilmember Curren Price, Los Angeles Councilmember Heather Hutt, LA County Department of Arts and Culture, the LA County COVID-19 Arts Relief Fund administered by the LA County Department of Arts and Culture, Senator Steve Bradford, and Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas.

For more updates on the 2025 Pan African Film & Arts Festival, follow @PAFFNow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube, or visit paff.org and sign up for the PAFF newsletter.

Patrick Bradley Is Filled With "Gratitude"

VISTA, CA (22 JULY 2024): Although already a deeply devout man, a life-threatening illness became a literal “come to Jesus” moment for Billboard chart-topping contemporary jazz keyboardist Patrick Bradley. The immense sense of gratitude and awe that he feels since overcoming the gravely ill month that saw him hospitalized twice informs the ten songs that he wrote for his sixth album, “Gratitude,” which drops September 20 on the Patrick’s Song Factory label. Multi-time Grammy-nominated producer Darren Rahn produced the collection and co-wrote seven songs with Bradley.   

Before being stricken by the undiagnosed illness, Bradley had been on a high since his last album, “Exhale,” was released in 2021. The title track shot to No. 1 on the Billboard chart. A second single, “Completely Yours,” went top 10, and two other singles (“Song of May” and “Reinvention”) reached the top 20. That same year, the sickness that the doctors deemed Bradley at “substantial risk for morbidity” sparked a crisis of faith. His liver, pancreas, and kidneys were under attack, causing intense and debilitating headaches. Bradley did some soul-searching at the height of his illness. 

“At that time, I had been a Christian for some 38 years, and yet there was that pinging concern if my heart was fully with the Lord. Was I just living for myself or really living for the Lord? Was I taking the Lord seriously enough or was I just living an easy cheap grace sort of life? Easy believe-ism if you will,” shared Bradley.

Feelings of repentance filled Bradley, lighting his path to healing.

“I began to weep uncontrollably. An intense sense of repentance and humbling came over me. At that moment, my headaches stopped, and I began to recover. That moment changed me forever, and I continue to be blown away by my loving, gracious, and Holy God. My hope through this music I wrote and recorded for ‘Gratitude’ is to glorify the Lord and lift up and bless those who hear it,” said Bradley who will preview the album with a performance at Spaghettini South of Los Angeles on Sunday (July 28).

Not just transformed spiritually, Bradley exhibits some stylistic changes in “Gratitude.” His previous sets were more fusion-focused and displayed him primarily playing synth and organ along with some piano. The new project is distinctly more contemporary jazz-based and spotlights Bradley’s piano play, a switch underscored by the album’s cover art showing Bradley standing next to a piano. Instead of spacy and explorative jazz fusion forays, the ten songs on “Gratitude” feel more present, and focused and are brimful of joyous energy.

The album opens with the graceful and poetic “Narrow Path,” on which Bradley and Rahn (synths, tenor sax, synth bass, and drum programming) are joined by guitarist Allen Hinds. The rhythm section swells to include two-time Grammy-winning bassist Mel Brown, drummer Tarell Martin, and percussionist Christian Teele on the groovy, retro “Nothin’ Ain’t,” which features Rahn, a 29-time Billboard No. 1 hitmaker, ripping a fat sax solo mid-tune embellished by Bradley’s roof-raising organ blasts.

Earlier this year, Bradley offered a glimpse of “Gratitude” when he released “Road Trippin’” as a single.

“The inspiration of the song is really celebrating the freedom and the joys of a road trip. Ever since my wife, Lisa, and I purchased a fifth wheel a couple of years ago, we’ve been enjoying the outdoors. We’re grateful to have the opportunity at this time in our lives when we have both the freedom and the means available to get out there. For us, it’s about exploring new destinations and visiting cherished places while enjoying the beauty of God’s creation,” said Bradley who lives in San Diego County.

The tone and tempo become more reflective of the album’s title track and forthcoming second single. Rahn, who like Bradley is a man of faith, delivers an impassioned and compassionate sax sermon on “Gratitude,” which will begin collecting playlist adds on September 30.

Bradley revisits his fusion muse on “Transformation,” on which he plays his trademark piano, synth and organ combo. Guitarist Randy Jacobs adds slick funk riffs to the reassuring affirmation that is “Abide In Me.” “The Calling” has cosmic elements created by Bradley’s four-prong keyboard palette (piano, Rhodes, synth and organ) and Dave Beegle’s acoustic and electric guitars. Bradley pays homage on the empowering rock fusion anthem “Luminaries.”

“As the world grows darker and colder, the need for salt, light and truth grows exponentially. Jesus said His disciples are the salt and light of the world,” said Bradley who freely quotes scripture in conversation, especially when citing his creative inspiration.

Beegle features on “There Is No Other,” which Bradley recalls was seeded forty years ago when reading the book of Isaiah 43:10.

“From that point on, my life was changed, and I began to follow Christ. I understand now that was a sovereign act of God’s grace in my life. I am continually humbled and am still completely blown away by Him,” Bradley admitted.

The album closes with “Celebration,” a festive contemporary jazz romp spiced with saucy Latin jazz nuances.

Bradley debuted in 2007 with the “Come Rain or Shine” album, which featured six-time Grammy-nominated saxophonist Eric Marienthal. The title track became the keyboardist’s first Billboard top 30 single. Four years later, Bradley returned with “Under The Sun,” which was produced by Grammy-winning fusion pioneer Jeff Lorber and included Marienthal’s shining sax and a highlight performance from trumpet and flugelhorn star Rick Braun. Lorber returned to helm “Can You Hear Me” in 2014, an outing that saw Bradley’s impressive list of collaborators add Jimmy Haslip (Yellowjackets, Steely Dan), Gary Novak (Chick Corea, Lee Ritenour), David Mann (Sting, James Taylor, Billy Joel) and Michael Thompson (Bob James, Michael Jackson, Celine Dion). Multiple Grammy-nominated headliner, Dave Koz played an emotional soprano sax solo on the title cut, which is nearing ten million streams. Haslip, Novak, Mann, and Thompson linked up with Bradley and Lorber again on 2017’s “Intangible.” The album notched two Billboard top 10 singles: “Dear Friend” and “Tailwind” featuring guitar ace Paul Jackson Jr. (Michael Jackson, Daft Punk). 

For more information, visit https://patrickbradley.com.

Venice Soulstice Celebrates The Black Experience

 

By Darlene Donloe 

A year ago, Brennan Lawson, a local business owner and community activist in Venice Beach, was visiting the home of his friend, Colin Hornett, when he got the bright idea to produce a community event complete with music, food, and art. 

The reason for the event would be to bring Black people and white people together in what he believed had become a splintered community in Venice, CA. 

“My thought was, ‘What if we found a way to connect the current white residents with the Black residents through storytelling, art, and music,’” said Lawson, an Army brat who has lived in Venice for 10 years because he loves the freedom, the Black people, the proximity to the beach, and the fact that people are free to express themselves without judgment. “I told my friends, ‘It would be cool if we did something for Black history, something like an art festival.’ The goal is to bridge the present and past. I want to connect and bridge those communities. I figured this was a great way to do it.” 

The result is Venice Soulstice, a celebration of Black expression in the heart of Venice Beach, including music, dance, art, food, and storytelling - where soulful sounds, vibrant visual art, history, and the spirit of community come together.

The inaugural event, set for 12 noon – 7 p.m., on July 20, will take place at the historic First Baptist Church of Venice, located in the community of Oakwood. 

There will be live performances from Mofaya & Friends, Olokun Cultural Group, and vinyl selections by Just Satyan alongside stunning art and live painting by Gakwaya. 

Attendees can explore the rich socio-cultural history of the Black experience in California with author and historian Alison Rose Jefferson. 

There will also be food vendors including Jamaican food from Ozi’s Kitchen. 

Brennan Lawson

Lawson said the event is designed to have something for everyone.

“We’re producing something that Oakwood hasn’t seen in a while,” he said. “This is a celebration of Black expression in a holistic sense.”

Venice Soulstice is set against the backdrop of the First Baptist Church of Venice in the community of Oakwood. Oakwood is the home of Venice Beach’s only historically Black community. 

“All of this came to light and came together quite quickly,” said Lawson. “We went to Community Corporation of Santa Monica, who are affordable housing developers. They now own the church. They were happy to meet us and we were happy to meet them.” 

While having Black and white people connect is his main objective, equally important to Lawson is the event’s ability to generate revenue that will directly fund affordable housing and community-focused projects vital to Oakwood, a community that has been ground zero for gentrification for decades.

“The power of expression is important,” said Lawson. “It’s important because it’s universal and it's something that needs to be carried forth and practiced as part of a culture. It’s the only way to accomplish the goal of righting the wrongs of gentrification, and changing what has happened to this community.” 

Lawson said all proceeds from the event go directly to the artists and contributors. 

At 35, Lawson, who has found his purpose, has become a risk-taker. 

Once his mind is set, he says he’s all in. 

It happened when he decided to join the Air Force when he got an MBA at W.P. Carey at Arizona State, when he took a gap year and lived in France when he became a policy leader, a housing advocate, and when the multi-hyphenate did a stretch in the tech industry at Spotify and Meta before launching ISM Fashion House, which has an eyewear collection called ILE De France. 

Now, he’s focusing his efforts on what he says, “you don’t see too often on the Westside.” He and his co-organizers Hornett and Michele Capra, have produced what they hope is a community-changing event. 

“For me, this kind of event is important because it’s about awareness and the sense of connection to the community,” said Lawson. “I want people to know about Oakwood being a historically Black community. My goal is to have a very Black event – as Black as possible. I want to educate folks on Oakwood and what it used to be.”

The First Baptist Church of Venice, founded as an African-American church in 1910, is among the last remaining significant resources associated with the history and development of the early African American community of Oakwood.

The current church building opened in 1967 and remained a spot for the church congregation until it was sold to a private owner in 2017, with the congregation relocating to Westchester.

Lawson believes having the event on the adjacent parking lots of the church is kismet.  The event was previously scheduled for a June date at a different location. However, when the city had to close that venue unexpectedly, Lawson, Hornett, and Capra had to pivot. 

That’s when they decided to hold the event at First Baptist Church of Venice, which was designated as a historic-cultural monument #1244 in 2021, by the Los Angeles Conservancy. 

“The historical significance is huge,” said Lawson. “It’s the perfect spot.”

Community Corp., Original Save Venice, and Hoopbus have created a collaboration to restore the First Baptist Church of Venice as a community hub for the Oakwood neighborhood.

On its website, Community Corp. says its mission is to restore the dilapidated, vacant First Baptist Church of Venice into a community beacon of light for the Oakwood community, to honor the church’s special history, be a connection point for the Oakwood neighborhood, and bring life to the vacant property for the good of the community.  Reportedly,

Community Corp. plans to convert the church’s adjacent parking lots into a 100% affordable housing development.

For years Lawson has had a deep interest in affordable housing advocacy work. 

During long family road trips between Georgia and Ohio, Lawson said he became fascinated by the cityscapes they passed along I-75 when he was younger.  He believes everyone should have economic opportunities and that the housing crisis in California will be won only by lowering the cost of housing.

Community and giving back are at  Lawson’s core. When he’s not designing eyewear, advocating for affordable housing, or producing a community event, Lawson volunteers as a mentor with Arizona State University’s Center for Entrepreneurship. 

“I’ve always had an interest in entrepreneurship,” Lawson said. “I have many interests. Right now my focus is on Venice Soulstice.” 

Lawson said they are expecting 300 attendees.

To honor the sacred grounds of the church and to honor the wishes of the original Venice folks involved in preserving the church, organizers have requested that there be no alcohol, drinking, or smoking on the premises. 

Venice Soulstice: Celebrating Black Expression, July 20, 12 noon – 7 p.m., First Baptist Church of Venice, 686 Westminster Avenue, Los Angeles, $25-$35. For information:www.ticketleap.events/tickets/venicesoulstice/venice-soulstice.

BHERC Films on Tour To Stop In Oakland

 

The Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center is proud to share that the first stop of BHERC Films on Tour is in Oakland, California! The S. E. Manly African American Film Festival Benefitting Tech Exchange is taking place this weekend, Friday, July 12 - Saturday, July 13. 

Guitarist Joe Taylor Is Feeling A "Chill"

“Westside Chill” will be released on vinyl on National Vinyl Record Day; “Jaco’s Court” drops as a single on September 21, the anniversary of Jaco Pastorius’s passing.

Guitarist Joe Taylor successfully reentered the contemporary jazz space earlier this year after a seventeen-year absence with the release of his “Westside Chill” album, showcasing his rootsy blend of instrumental jazz, Americana twang, and earthy blues. Now the ten-song set that he wrote and was produced by four-time Grammy winner Steve Rosenthal will be released by Moonwatcher Music on vinyl on National Vinyl Record Day, August 12.    

“With the release of ‘Westside Chill’ on vinyl, I wanted to take part in the great Vinyl Revival. I’ve always loved the way it sounds and feels when I pull a vinyl record off the shelf, drop the needle, and enjoy the art behind both the music, the cover and the package, experiencing it the way the artist intended. I hope folks will appreciate ‘Westside Chill’ in the same fashion,” said Taylor who is flanked on the album by jazz pianist Jeff Franzel, bassists Woody Lingle and Brian Stanley (Bryan Adams), drummer Steve Holley (Paul McCartney & Wings), percussionist Blair Shotts, and flutist John Ragusa.

Taylor spent decades splitting his time between New York City and the South Carolina Lowcountry with both cultures informing his recordings, including “Westside Chill.” In the mid-80s, he used to walk past the basketball court that bass legend Jaco Pastorius played ball on. That memory inspired the tribute tune “Jaco’s Court,” which drops as a single on September 21, the anniversary of the prodigious Pastorious’s passing.

“Right down the street from the Blue Note, Jaco used to play pickup basketball on the West Fourth Street Courts. I’d walk by and see him out there balling. That court has now become one of the most important sights in the city for streetball. Perhaps Jaco's spirit lingers there as well," said Taylor who wrote the song with Lingle, who is featured playing lyrical basslines evocative of Pastorious’s style of play on the track. 

Taylor now spends all his time living in the placid Lowcountry along South Carolina’s rural coast. Active in the local community, the guitar player will perform a benefit concert at Sunny Side on Edisto on August 2 accompanied by Franzel, Paul Adamy (bass), and Ray Marchica (drums). The show supports the restoration of the historic Hutchinson House, one of the only Black-owned, Reconstruction-era plantations in the South. The following night, the quartet will play at Fox Music in N. Charleston, SC.

“Westside Chill” and its positive reception have Taylor reinspired and encouraged to build on the momentum. It’s his first album since 2015’s “Sugardust in the Devil Wind” and his first contemporary jazz project since 2007’s “Accidental Sugar.” The New York City-based Franzel, Adamy, and Marchica will trek to the Lowcountry ahead of the two South Carolina concert dates to begin recording Taylor’s next collection. Taylor is eager to further explore modern jazz while remaining true to his Southern roots. 

The “Westside Chill” album contains the following songs:

“Westside Chill”

“Jaco’s Court”

“Mr. Campbell”

“Menemsha Fog”

“Twenty-Two Rivers”

“She’s The Moon”

“Available Light”

“The Cooper and the Thief”

“The Cut"

“The Waterman”