The 2021 Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) will kick off on Sunday, Feb. 28 with the U.S. Premiere of David Oyelowo’s (The Last King of Scotland, Lincoln) directorial debut The Water Man and run through March 14. This year’s festival is virtual and will be entirely online and on-demand at paff.org.
The Pan African Film Festival’s line-up will feature stories that showcase the broad spectrum of Black creative works, particularly those that reinforce positive images, help to destroy negative stereotypes, and depict an expanded vision of the Black experience.
This year, the festival features more than 200 films made by and about Black people from 83 countries, including 168 narrative films, 39 documentaries, 159 short and mini short films from 45 countries and in 43 languages.
Festival co-founder and award-winning actor and activist Danny Glover will serve as the celebrity ambassador. As an ambassador, Glover will help bring awareness of this year’s festival lineup and PAFF’s 29-year legacy.
Highlights of this year’s festival include an advanced screening of the highly anticipated Coming 2 America starring Eddie Murphy, Nate Parker’s American Skin (Centerpiece) and a special conversation with director Lee Daniels and the cast of The United States Vs. Billie Holiday.
This year’s PAFF will feature four Academy Award Best Foreign Film submissions including the U.S. premiere of The Milkmaid (Nigeria), The Fisherman’s Diary (Cameroon), The Letter (Kenya), and This Is Not A Burial, It’s a Resurrection (Lesotho).
CBS has partnered with PAFF to premiere episodes from The Neighborhood, Bob️Abishola, Clarice, The Equalizer along with exclusive Q&As with the cast of each show.
Closing Night will spotlight Lázaro Ramos’ directorial debut Executive Order. Executive Order is set in a dystopian near future in Brazil, where an authoritarian government orders all citizens of African descent to move to Africa – creating chaos, protests, and an underground resistance movement that inspires the nation. Executive Order will screen globally on Sunday, March 14 at 6:00 pm. Director Lázaro Ramos’ and members of the cast will participate in a Q&A following the screening.
Festival favorites will take place online including PAFF’s Children’s Fest, Student Fest, Senior Connection, Spokenword and Lol Comedy Show.
The Pan African Film Festival will take place virtually. People can attend by purchasing a festival pass or screening ticket.