On June 14, 2023- The 27th American Black Film Festival kicked off in Miami Beach, with the 2023 festival ambassador, Lena Waithe, and Nice Crowd President & COO, Nicole Friday, marking the auspicious night with empowering speeches. This inaugural event signaled the beginning of a new chapter for the group, following the thrilling announcement of its expansion into new event offerings under the Nice Crowd banner.
The evening was further illuminated by the premiere and screening of Netflix’s satirical conspiracy caper film, ‘They Cloned Tyrone.’ A host of attendees, including Juel Taylor, Teyonah Parris, John Boyega, Charles King, Terrence J, Tabitha Brown, Chance Brown, Kym Whitley, Donkmaster, and Mayor Dan Gelber, came together to salute this cinematic occasion.
‘They Cloned Tyrone’ unravels a sequence of mysterious events that send an unlikely trio, played by Boyega, Parris, and Foxx, on a chase after a sinister government conspiracy. This thrilling mystery caper will have a limited theatrical release before it launches on Netflix on July 21, 2023.
The film marks the directorial debut of Juel Taylor, the talented writer behind ‘Creed II.‘ Co-written by Taylor and Tony Rettenmaier, the film boasts a strong production team, including Charles D. King, MACRO, Stephen “Dr.” Love, Tony Rettenmaier, Juel Taylor, Jamie Foxx, and Datari Turner. The executive producers include Mark R. Wright, Kim Roth, Jack Murray, Federal Films, Dana Sano, and Monte Lipman, with co-executive production by James Lopez and Poppy Hanks.
The American Black Film Festival continues to hold a valuable place in the entertainment industry. It has the robust support of the Miami Beach Black Affairs Advisory Committee and the city itself. Recognized as one of Miami Beach’s premiere cultural events, the ABFF, under the leadership of Jeff and Nicole Friday, fervently expresses the importance of Black storytelling and the need for consistent platforms for Black voices. Glendon Hall, Chair of the Miami Beach Black Affairs Advisory Committee, proudly declared the day as American Black Film Festival Day.
In her speech, Lena Waithe reflected on the turbulent times in our world and the significance of festivals like the ABFF. She said, “These festivals are like a family reunion; it’s not just any festival. To see these filmmakers live out their dreams is a blessing. This festival is all about dreams becoming a reality. Chasing dreams is fun, catching them is hard. It’s hard but it’s worth it, filmmakers and storytellers we do it for you all. Thank you for having me.”
For more information about the festival please visit: www.abff.com. Follow @ABFF on Twitter and @AmericanBlackFilmFestival on Instagram and Facebook