Pan African Film and Arts Festival Announces Kickoff of Yearlong 30th Celebration With Black History Month Retrospective Series

PAFF 30th Logo

Virtual retrospective series to celebrate 30 years of PAFF Feb. 15-28 with ‘Best of PAFF’ Hybrid in-person and virtual festival still set for April in Los Angeles

Jimmy Jean-Louis in Rattlesnakes, which was shown at the 2019 Pan African Film Festival, is among the films to be screened during PAFF's Black History Month Retrospective Series
Jimmy Jean-Louis in Rattlesnakes, which was shown at the 2019 Pan African Film Festival, is among the films to be screened during PAFF's Black History Month Retrospective Series

LOS ANGELES — The Pan African Film & Arts Festival (PAFF), one of the largest Black History Month events in America and the largest Black film festival, will kick off its yearlong 30th celebration in February with the first of several specially curated blocks of the festival’s most fascinating, complex and most liked films over the past three decades. Throughout the festival’s 30-year history, PAFF has celebrated Black filmmakers and actors whose work has pushed the envelope in cinema in the US and abroad in Africa and other parts of the world. The Best of PAFF Retrospective Series kicks off with a Black History Month exhibition featuring nearly two dozen cinematic groundbreaking foreign and domestic films. The inaugural Best of PAFF Retrospective Series will take place virtually Feb. 15-28, 2022. Film listings, tickets, and passes are available at paff.org.

To celebrate PAFF’s 30-year milestone, the festival will continue its retrospective series in March highlighting Black female filmmakers and their films.

In addition, the 30th annual Pan African Film and Arts Festival is slated to place April 19-May 1 after being postponed due to the rise of COVID cases in Los Angeles County. The hybrid festival of in-person and virtual screenings will take place in Los Angeles at its flagship venues the Directors Guild of America, Cinemark Baldwin Hills, and XD and Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza.

The Best of PAFF Retrospective Series is sponsored in part by the City of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, Los Angeles City Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson (8th District), Los Angeles City Councilmember Curren Price (9th District); the 10th Los Angeles City Council District; the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, LA Arts COVID-19 Relief Fund with the California Community Foundation, and the LA County COVID-19 Arts Relief Fund administered by the LA County Department of Arts and Culture.

About the Pan African Film Festival

Established in 1992 by Hollywood veterans Danny Glover (The Color Purple, Lethal Weapon), the late Ja’Net DuBois (“Good Times”), and Ayuko Babu (Executive Director), the Pan African Film Festival is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that has remained dedicated to the promotion of Black stories and images through the exhibition of film, visual art, and other creative expression.

PAFF is the largest and most prestigious Black film festival in the U.S. and attracts local, national, and international audiences. It is also one of America’s largest Black History Month events.

Find the Pan African Film Festival on:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/paffnow
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paffnow
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paffnow
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ThePanAfricanFilmFestival
The PAFF is generously supported by the City of Los Angeles, the Department of Cultural Affairs, Los Angeles County Arts and Culture, Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, Los Angeles Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Los Angeles Council District 10.

For more information, please contact press@paff.org.

Invitation to special Q and A event hosted by Rainn Wilson: SALT IN MY SOUL on February 8

Salt In My Soul_Poster

Join us on Tuesday Feb 8th at 4:00 PM PT/ 7:00 PM ET for a very special free virtual Q&A moderated by Rainn Wilson (The Office)
all about the new documentary SALT IN MY SOUL.

Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at the age of 3, Mallory Smith turned to a secret diary to record her inner thoughts . Using that treasure trove of writing, and hours of audio and video, the film is a classic coming-of-age story with a twist, and a rare look into the mind of a young woman trying to live fully while dying.

This will be an exciting conversation about how SALT IN MY SOUL got made, what friends and family went through witnessing this journey, and how Mallory's private journals led to a best-selling book and acclaimed documentary film. We'll also hear from experts and leaders about how their expertise intersected with Mallory's story in vital ways and the future of phages as well as the need for more research and resources into compassionate use.

Featuring:
Will Battersby (Director)
Diane Shader Smith (Mallory's mom)
Micah Smith (Mallory's brother)
Maya Humes (Mallory's friend)
Gunnar Esiason (Cystic Fibrosis and rare disease patient leader)
Dr. Ben Chan(Scientific Director of Yale Phage Center)
Steffanie Strathdee, PhD (Co-Director of IPATH & author, The Perfect Predator)

ABOUT THIS EVENT
Tuesday, February 8, 2022

-7:00 PM- 8:00 PM ET
-4:00 PM- 5:00 PM PT

REGISTER TO ATTEND AT:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/salt-in-my-soul-virtual-panel-hosted-by-rainn-wilson-tickets-259568896557?fbclid=IwAR2S23ZYtjcD0Itdjsy9bLz3vg1RRPU6U1jswvRdpdQ_R_stuiiKp4I9SUQ

SPONSORED BY: Cystic Fibrosis Research Institute
RENT THE FILM BEFOREHAND on digital platforms -

More info here: https://saltinmysouldoc.com/#watch

100% of the profits from the film are being donated to research into antimicrobial resistance (superbugs) and phage therapy.

Further information about the film also follows:

GIANT PICTURES PRESENTS
A 3 Arts Entertainment and Reno Productions film

Photo Dec 03_ 4 28 47 PM.jpg

SALT IN MY SOUL

A Feature Documentary Film by Will Battersby
Run time: 96 Minutes (USA- Feature Documentary)

SALT IN MY SOUL is currently available worldwide on all major VOD Platforms.

VOD Platforms in key territories:

US- Apple TV/iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Microsoft/Xbox, Vudu
Canada- Apple TV/ITunes, Microsoft/Xbox
UK- Apple TV/iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Microsoft/Xbox
Ireland- Apple TV/iTunes, Google Play

Cable Platforms:

US- InDemand TVOD (Comcast, Spectrum, Cox), DirectTV/AT&T and more

Based on the bestselling posthumously published memoir of the same name, SALT IN MY SOUL is a documentary and classic coming of age story about a young woman figuring out how to live while dying. Mallory Smith was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at the age of three. In her twenty five-year battle with the deadly disease, she carved out a life that most of us don’t come close to. Using Mallory’s posthumously published 2500-page secret diaries, hundreds of hours of newly discovered footage, and audio recordings, the film offers Mallory as the narrator of her own extraordinary chronicle.

Following her realization at age nine that she would die young, Mallory secretly began to record her inner thoughts in her diary while throwing herself at life: friendships in elementary school, lovers and sports teams in high school, the little travel her disease would allow. She attended college and explored the wider world, one that was just beyond her grasp. She became a devoted environmentalist, seeing a startling and vivid metaphor for her declining health in the destruction of our world. Her father feverishly researched treatment options, desperate that the death sentence be commuted. Her mother obsessively helped her to live, cooking to maintain her weight and create community, raising money for research, and teaching her to prioritize relationships over all else. Mallory fought. And she wrote; about her fears, her loves, her pain, her depression, her hopes, and gave a voice to the many millions who struggle with invisible or visible illness. In Mallory’s final days, her father uncovered a long-forgotten treatment that is now changing the world of medicine. Heartbreakingly, it came too late to save his daughter.

Mallory was a young woman who lived with illness her whole life, who suffered immeasurably but who always found the will to live happy. Her story is a testament to enduring parental love and determination and the healing power of memoir as medicine, inspiring all of us to live life as fully as possible in the face of the challenges we all face.

Will Battersby (Filmmaker) has been producing documentaries and features for 15 years. His first documentary as producer, Trumbo, won the National Board of Review Freedom of Speech award. The film, about blacklisted Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, was released by Samuel Goldwyn Films and had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

SALT IN MY SOUL is Will’s second documentary as director. The first, The Canal, will be released by Showtime which is currently adapting it into a limited series. Will is producing alongside Patricia Arquette, who will also direct. The Canal is the first feature documentary about the environmental tragedy in the Love Canal neighborhood of Niagara Falls and the extraordinary group of working-class women who fought to save their families.

Will’s narrative feature credits include: SXSW favorite The Spine of Night, a hand-drawn animated fantasy film that RLJE released in October 2021, which stars Richard E. Grant, Lucy Lawless and Patton Oswalt; Stephen King’s A Good Marriage starring Joan Allen; They Remain starring Will Jackson Harper, and The Bleeding House, the first feature from Emmy Award-winning writer/director Philip Gelatt (Love, Death & Robots). Will served as Head of Development on Alex Gibney’s Oscar-nominated documentary Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, and Stephen Soderbergh’s Bubble.

Follow us at @SaltInMySoulDoc on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

https://twitter.com/SaltInMySoulDoc
http://www.facebook.com/SaltInMySoulDoc
http://www.instagram.com/SaltInMySoulDoc

ABOUT THE BOOK

SALT IN MY SOUL: An Unfinished Life, by Mallory Smith, is a powerful, intimate, and inspiring portrait of a brave young woman living with chronic illness. Mallory understood that patient voices need to be amplified in order to improve healthcare, that the i ntersection of human behavior and nature is critical to environmental sustainability, and that love and friendship give life meaning. As Mallory’s body deteriorated, she sharpened her mind, crystalized her thinking, and honed her writing skills. In her 2500 pages of private journal entries, she created poetry out of prosaic experiences. Beautifully written, provocative, and peppered with insights, SALT IN MY SOUL reminds us to follow Mallory's mantra and "Live Happy."

For more information about the book SALT IN MY SOUL: An Unfinished Life please go to: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/607965/salt-in-my-soul-by-mallory-smith/

GIANT PICTURES

Giant Pictures is a leading digital distributor that is committed to empowering filmmakers to own their distribution. With offices in New York and Los Angeles, we work directly with rights owners to distribute movies and TV shows to VOD and streaming platforms in North America and worldwide. Our content partners range from first-time filmmakers to award-winning independent producers, as well as notable studios Alamo Drafthouse Films, Abramorama Selects, Participant, Tribeca Enterprises, Utopia Distribution, and XYZ Films. A division of Giant Interactive, the award-winning digital media and technology services company, we distribute across 45+ platforms, including AppleTV, Netflix, Prime Video, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, Tubi, and Peacock.

Learn more at: www.giant.pictures

500 Years Later

500 Years Later (PAFF 2005)
Documentary/US/UK/105min/2005
Director: Owen 'Alik Shahadah

An epic documentary, infused with the spirit and music of liberation, explores the collective atrocities that uprooted Africans from their culture and homeland 500 years ago and chronicles the struggle of Black people who continue to fight for freedom. Best Documentary, PAFF 2005; FIPRESCI Prize, Zanzibar International Film Festival 2007

Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise

Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise
Documentary/US/114min/2016
Director: Bob Hercules & Rita Coburn Whack

Distinctly referred to as “a redwood tree, with deep roots in American culture,” icon Maya Angelou gave people the freedom to think about their history in a way they never had before. Dr. Angelou’s was a prolific life-- as a singer, dancer, activist, poet, and writer she inspired generations with lyrical modern African-American thought that pushed boundaries. This unprecedented film celebrates Dr. Angelou by weaving her words with rare and intimate archival photographs and videos, which paint hidden moments of her exuberant life during some of America’s most defining moments. From her upbringing in the Depression-era South to her work with Malcolm X in Ghana to her inaugural speech for President Bill Clinton, the film takes us on an incredible journey through the life of a true American icon. The film also features a remarkable series of interviews with friends and family including President Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Common, Alfre Woodard, Cicely Tyson, Quincy Jones, Secretary Hillary Clinton, John Singleton, and Dr. Angelou’s son, Guy Johnson. Best Documentary, 2016 Boulder International Film Festival; Best Documentary, 2016 Ft. Myers Film Festival; Audience Award, 2016 AFI Docs Film Festival; Audience Award, 2016 Cinetopia Film Festival; Audience Award & Best International Film, 2016 Encounter

The Milkmaid

The Milkmaid (PAFF 2021)
Narrative/Nigeria/136min/2020
Director: Desmond Ovbiagele

A Fulani milkmaid confronts religious extremists in rural Sub-Saharan Africa in a quest to locate her missing sister, but efforts to recapture her disrupted past prove complicated. Nigeria’s submission for the Best International Feature Film Oscar. Best Film, AMAA 2020; Best Nigerian Film, AMAA 2020; Best Make-up, AMAA 2020; Programmers’ Narrative Feature Award, PAFF 2021

Nasser’s Republic: The Making of Modern Egypt

Nasser's Republic: The Making of Modern Egypt (PAFF 2017)
Documentary/Egypt/82min/2016
Director: Michal Goldman

The first film for an American audience about one of the Arab world’s most transformative leaders. Seemingly coming out of nowhere, Gamal Abdel Nasser overthrew the Egyptian monarchy and soon became a symbol of Egyptian/Arab progress and dignity. From 1952 to 1970, he challenged Western hegemony abroad, confronted Islamism at home, and faced deep divisions among the Arabs. He also established the region's first military authoritarian regime. A man of enormous charisma and ambition, Nasser had begun a revolution he could not complete. But his ideas, dilemmas, and decisions continue to shape and influence the current world issues. Special Jury Recognition-Documentary Feature, PAFF 2017

41st & Central: The Untold Story of the L.A. Black Panthers

41st & Central: The Untold Story of the L.A. Black Panthers (PAFF 2010)
Documentary/US/130min/2010
Director: Gregory Everett

The first of a two-part documentary follows the Southern California Chapter of the Black Panther Party from its glorious Black Power beginnings through to its tragic demise. Despite the Party’s formation of free medical clinics and a successful children’s breakfast program, the L.A. chapter was known as the most violent Black political group in the United States. Through interviews and archival footage, this must-see film explores the Black Panther ethos, its conflict with the L.A.P.D. and the US Organization as well as the events that shaped its complicated and often contradictory legacy. Detailing the history of racism in Los Angeles and the communities response, it includes a historical analysis of the Watt’s uprising from the perspective of the participants, the formation of the Party as told by the original surviving members, and an eyewitness account of the Alprentice “Bunchy” Carter and John Huggins murders at UCLA in 1968. Featuring are interviews with Black Panther Party leaders Geronimo Ji Jagga, Elaine Brown, Ericka Huggins, Roland & Ronald Freeman, Wayne Pharr, Jeffrey Everett, Long John Washington, and Muhammad Mubarak, as well as, former L.A.P.D. Chief Bernard Parks, US Organization member Wesley Kabaila, UCLA Professor Scot Brown, and many others.
Audience Award Documentary Feature Film, PAFF 2010

Firestarter – The Story of Bangarra

Firestarter - The Story of Bangarra
Documentary/Australia/96min/2020
Director: Wayne Blair & Nel Minchin

Featuring authentic storytelling, mesmerizing technique, and deeply moving and spectacular performances, combined with inimitable soundscapes, candid interviews, and a treasure trove of archival footage, this beautifully executed film evidences why Bangarra Dance Theater developed from a little-known Indigenous dance group into one of the nation’s most powerful cultural institutions. Historically important, Firestarter explores the loss and reclaiming of culture, the burden of intergenerational trauma, and crucially, the extraordinary power of art as a messenger for social change and healing. Taking the viewer through Bangarra’s birth and spectacular growth to where it is now entering its 4th decade, this historically important film recognizes Bangarra’s early founders, telling the story of how three young Aboriginal brothers – Stephen, David and Russell Page – turned the newly born dance group into one of Australia’s leading performing arts companies. Feature Documentary Award and Inaugural Change Award, Adelaide Film Festival 2020; Best Documentary, Australian Academy of Cinema & Television Arts Awards

Viva Riva!

Viva Riva! (PAFF 2010)
Narrative/Democratic Republic of the Congo/96min/2010
Director: Djo Tunda Wa Munga

The film follows a fuel smuggler, Riva, after he brings a fuel shipment into Kinshasa. Riva is pursued by an Angolan gangster, Cesar, who wants the fuel. Cesar uses blackmail to gain the help of a local military officer, the Commandant, who then accesses a local informant and church resources to aid Cesar's search. Meanwhile, Riva falls for Nora, the partner of a local gangster, Azor. Riva gains the trust of a local boy and uses his help to find Nora again. The conflicts turn out to be deadly for almost all the main characters. 2011 Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography & Best Production Design AMMA, 2011 MTV Movie Awards for Best African Movie

The Forgotten Kingdom

The Forgotten Kingdom (PAFF 2014)
Narrative Feature/Lesotho/South Africa/98min/2013
Director: Andrew Mudge

Grown accustomed to the hustle and bustle of Johannesburg, a young Johannesburg hustler, Atang, reluctantly embarks on a journey to bury his estranged father. As he travels to his ancestral land in the rural mountain kingdom of Lesotho to fulfill his father’s last wish, he must quickly adjust to the more spiritual rhythms of the Basotho people. What begins as an inconvenience quickly becomes a magical rite of passage charged with humor and self-discovery. Stirred by memories of his youth, Atang’s journey takes an unexpected turn as he falls in love with Dineo, his childhood friend, now a radiant young schoolteacher. Atang asks Dineo’s father for her hand in marriage, but because he is unable to pay the bride price, her father removes Dineo to an even more remote village to keep them separated. Atang pawns his only article of value, the ring he took from his father’s finger, to finance his journey to follow his love. He also befriends a precocious eleven-year-old orphan, who becomes both his companion and spiritual guide of sorts during the arduous journey across the breathtaking mountains of Lesotho. Throughout his journey, Atang begins to encounter villagers who lead him further on this unexpected, often mystical, journey into his past. Beautifully shot, written, and acted, this epic-like film reveals a pilgrimage of hope, family, and maturity as Atang surrenders to the rhythm and traditions of his homeland. In the process, he, along with anyone watching, is transformed by the mystical beauty and hardships of the people and the land he had forgotten. Stars Zenzo Ngqobe, Nozipho Nkelemba, Jerry Mofokeng, Moshoeshoe Chabeli, Lillian Dube, Lobohang Ntsane and Sam Phillips. Best Director-First Feature Narrative, PAFF 2014; Audience Award, Best Narrative Feature, Woodstock Film Festival, 2013; Best Fiction Feature, Golden Punt Audience Award, Cambridge Film Festival 2013