Run&Shoot Filmworks has announced the return of the live 19th Annual Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF), with a pre-festival exclusive advanced screening of the highly anticipated film “RESPECT” on Friday, July 30 at the Martha’s Vineyard Performing Arts Center (MVPAC). The event will feature Academy Award® -winning actress, singer and philanthropist Jennifer Hudson, who plays the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin in the movie. Drama Desk award winner Liesl Tommy is the film’s director. This exclusive event will be followed by the start of “the summer’s finest film festival” that will run from August 6-14, 2021. Check out the full schedule here.
“Coming out of the 2020 pandemic, we wanted to come back big,” explained Stephanie Taveras-Rance, co-founder, Martha’s Vineyard Africa America Film Festival. “The festival is a staple of the Vineyard, and we couldn’t be more excited to kick off this year’s festival with the film “RESPECT.”
Established in 2002, MVAAFF and its producers are committed to supporting filmmakers, content creators and artists of color, who are the fabric of the Festival and the industry at large. During the entire week, MVAAFF will present an exceptional program of over 70 original feature films, documentaries and short films produced and directed by a collective of talented filmmakers from all over the globe.
The Festival will include panel discussions and exclusive events throughout the island. For more information on the MVAAFF, a complete schedule of screenings and special events, please visit www.mvaaff.com.
This post was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on Twitter @Ntellectual.
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