San Francisco Black Film Festival Receives Support From Bay Area Technology Companies

SAN FRANCISCO - June 13, 2013 - PRLog -- The San Francisco Black Film Festival continues to make strides as the son of late Arts Impresario, Ave Montague, Kali O’Ray with wife Katera Crossley, continues Montague’s San Francisco Black Film Festival, June 13-16, 2013. A documentary on the life of Sly Stone will be amongst the films being screened during this year's festival.  Fifteen years ago, Montague began the festival as a way to get Hollywood film industry experts and emerging and local filmmakers together in a diverse environment.  That theme continues today, as films such as HBO “Soul Food” series star, Hollywood director, choreographer and actor Darrin Henson’s “Hotel” will be among the line up during the Umpteenth Celebration and Father’s Day Weekend. “Hotel” has a multicultural cast including: Henson, Indian celebrity Amrapali Ambegaokar, Carlos Korotana, and Mona Sishodia. “The story lines of this years films are incredible and it is interesting to see how the universal themes of humanity weave truths and experiences we can all relate to,” said Kali O’Ray, Executive Director, San Francisco Black Film Festival.

This years' festival will screen 74 films covering a diverse array of topics.  Of the 74 films being screened, 14 are by women, 14 are documentaries and over 50 of the films are shorts. Submissions were up 34% this year and will only continue to rise due to the location of the festival and San Francisco's diverse population.  The festival will screen films from the United States, United Kingdom, Holland, Australia, France, Africa and Canada.  

The San Francisco Black Film Festival has made a commitment to enhance programming for children and has formed a strategic alliance with Black Girls Code (founded by Kimberly Bryant) and the San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking to teach children how to make their own films via their mobile devices. Bay Area companies such as UBER, Lagunitas Brewing Company, and EXCITEM are sponsors of the "SFBFF Audience Award," and realized the value of supporting the festival and expanding their products and services to the members of the community who support the festival. Supporters of various filmmakers and audience members will be able to vote for their favorite film via their cell phones and the Director of the "SFBFF Audience Award" winning film will receive a timepiece from YES watch.  

"One of our goals is to grow the festival to attract and identify films that are Oscar qualifying by the year 2016, and are in the process of aligning with long term strategic partners in order to accomplish this goal effectively and efficiently,” states Wilhelmina Jewell Sparks, Development Director, San Francisco Black Film Festival. The San Francisco Black Film Festival has recently recruited top film, finance, business and social influencers to join the SFBFF advisory committee. The goal of the committee is to aid with future growth and development of the festival and to continue to identify quality films of the African Diaspora.

The San Francisco Black Film Festival opening night film screening and VIP party will take place at the Jazz Heritage Center (1320 Fillmore). Ticket holders can enjoy the VIP reception from 8 PM - 9 PM at the Lush Life Gallery following the screening of "Black Girls CODE" and "True Blues."  The opening night party will take place at Social Study (1795 Geary) from 9 PM - 11 from 8 PM - 11 PM.

On Friday, film festival attendees will enjoy drink specials at 1300 Fillmore and there will be a silent auction to support workshops for children being launched in collaboration by the San Francisco Black Film Festival and Black Girls Code later this year.

On Saturday, June 15, 2013, at 5 PM the German film "Brown Babies" screens at the San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking (925 Mission Street Suite 108). There will be a reception sponsored by Lagunitas Brewing Company following the screening along with the filmmaker.  Saturday evening, guests are encouraged to attend the screening of Esperanza Spalding’s "Radio Music Society" at Social Study as the DJ spins tunes from 9 PM - 11 PM.

On Sunday, June 16, 2013 the documentary film "American Beatboxer" screens at the Boom Boom Room (1601 Fillmore) followed by a Q&A and the closing night party.  The closing night party starts at 8:30 PM and is open to the general public and film festival attendees.

Returning attractions to the festival include the Urban Gaming Suite, that will give youth a look at developing video games and the “My Dad is My Hero” Video and Essay Contest. Last year’s winner was Tiffany Armstrong Gorman who won a weekend stay for two at the InterContinental Hotel San Francisco for her father Lionel Armstrong. The InterContinental has again agreed to provide the top prize for “San Francisco Black Film Festival XV.”

For more information about the San Francisco Black Film Festival XV visit http://www.sfbff.org.