Jonathan Majors’ Gritty, Acclaimed Drama Kicks Off a Celebration of Black Storytelling in Cinema’s Grandest Showcase
Majors to Attend Along with Actress Meagan Good
— The 33rd Pan African Film & Arts Festival is set to open Tuesday, February 4, 2025 at The Culver Theater with MAGAZINE DREAMS, the gripping and critically acclaimed drama from writer-director Elijah Bynum, starring Emmy-winning actor Jonathan Majors (“Lovecraft Country”) in a transformative performance.
MAGAZINE DREAMS, which stars Majors alongside Haley Bennett, Taylour Paige, Harrison Page, and Mike O’Hearn, will set the stage for another groundbreaking year of celebrating Black storytelling on the big screen. Majors, who is also a celebrity ambassador for the 2025 PAFF, will attend hitting the red-carpet alongside a star[1]studded list of celebrities. He will be introduced by actress Meagan Good (“Harlem”).
Killian Maddox is consumed by his dream of becoming a world-famous bodybuilder and one day gracing the cover of fitness magazines. He lives a lonely, regimented life, and his relentless drive for perfection only pushes him deeper towards self-destruction, but beneath his tenacious pursuit of superstardom lies a desperate, aching need for human connection. As he battles both the limits of his physical body and his own inner demons, MAGAZINE DREAMS explores the lengths one man will go in his haunting quest for recognition in a world that often overlooks him.
MAGAZINE DREAMS is directed and written by Malcolm Elijah Bynum. The film produced by Jennifer Fox, Dan Gilroy, Simon Horsman, Jeffrey Soros, Luke Rodgers with executive producers. Lemuel Plummer, LJ Plummer and Jason Tolbert. The distributor is Briarcliff Entertainment with Zeus Network as Briarcliff’s marketing partner for MAGAZINE DREAMS.
“We are thrilled to open the 2025 Pan African Film Festival with a film that challenges, moves, and sparks critical conversation,” said PAFF Executive Director Oduduwa Olatunji. “Magazine Dreams is a bold and necessary work that speaks to the complexities of Black identity and ambition, making it a perfect launch for this year’s festival.”
Now in its 33rd year, PAFF continues to be a leading platform for films that elevate global Black voices. As the largest and most prestigious Black film festival in the United States, PAFF has been instrumental in showcasing the work of established and emerging filmmakers from across the African diaspora.
The 2025 Pan African Film Festival will take place February 4-17, 2025, in Los Angeles, featuring a lineup of narrative features, documentaries, and short films from the U.S., Africa, the Caribbean, and beyond.
Tickets for Opening Night are on sale along with tickets to the rest of the Festival’s presentations now at www.paff.org.
The Pan African Film and Arts Festival is proud to be supported by an incredible lineup of sponsors who share our commitment to celebrating Black art, culture, and storytelling. This year’s sponsors include Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, District 2, the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, Culver City, the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, District 8, Los Angeles City Councilmembers Curren D. Price Jr., District 9 and Heather Hutt, District 10. Additional support for PAFF comes from Stocker Street Creative, Gilead Sciences, SAGindie, Sony Pictures, DGA, US Bank, BeiGene, and the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI).
About Pan African Film & Arts Festival:
The Pan African Film & Arts Festival (PAFF) is one of the longest-running and most respected cultural events dedicated to showcasing the artistic achievements of the Black and African diaspora. Since its inception, PAFF has provided a dynamic platform for filmmakers, artists, and performers to share their stories, celebrate their heritage, and inspire audiences through powerful and thought-provoking works. More at
