The 30th American Black Film Festival wrapped in Miami Beach this weekend with four days of screenings, panels, celebrity appearances and its annual awards ceremony. Here’s a look at what went down.
American Black Film Festival Opening Night and Day 1
The festival opened with the world premiere of Strung, the Peacock and Blumhouse thriller directed by Malcolm D. Lee, with stars Chloe Bailey, Lynn Whitfield, Lucien Laviscount and Coco Jones in attendance alongside Lee and producer Dominique Telson. Festival co-founders Jeff and Nicole Friday and festival ambassador Regina King were also on hand. Florida Memorial University’s ROAR Marching Band delivered a 30-minute performance ahead of the premiere, with the celebration continuing at the Opening Night Party at The Bass.
Day 2
Day 2 opened with a filmmaker breakfast featuring a conversation with Regina King and Lina Polimeni, moderated by Dr. Stacy Smith of the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. The Strung cast reconvened for a panel on the making of the film, while King returned for a Legacy Talk tracing her career from breakout roles through her Academy Award-winning work and evolution as a director. Hall of Fame basketball coach Dawn Staley also took the stage for a conversation on legacy and leadership. The day closed with the 29th annual HBO Short Film Award Showcase, hosted by Bevy Smith, featuring five finalists competing for a $10,000 grand prize.
Day 3
Day 3 featured a Crunchyroll panel on Black anime fandom with voice actors Zeno Robinson and Kenneisha Thompson, a special screening of ESPN’s The Brittney Griner Story followed by a conversation with director Alexandria Stapleton, activist Cherelle Griner and Dawn Staley moderated by Jemele Hill. Netflix hosted a Celebration of Black Television panel featuring Debbie Allen, Felicia Pride, Courtney Kemp, Michelle Buteau, Mario Van Peebles and more. Taye Diggs sat for a fireside chat on career longevity and financial wellness moderated by Rocsi Diaz. The day closed with the Hey Ladies Comedy Experience featuring Zainab Johnson and Tisha Campbell.
Day 4 and the 2026 Best of American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Awards
The festival’s final day opened with The Final Game: Inside the Legacy of All American, a panel with writer and executive producer Nkechi Okoro Carroll and stars Daniel Ezra, Diggs, Michael Evans Behling, Greta Onieogou, Bre-Z and Kareem Grimes. Starz gave attendees an exclusive preview of Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 5 with a conversation featuring Mekai Curtis, London Brown and Patina Miller. The world premiere of Girl Dad followed, with stars Marsai Martin and Michael Rainey Jr. in attendance. T.I. and Terrence J also appeared for a screening of their new film Thought She Was the One, with T.I. later delivering a surprise performance at the closing White Party.
The festival closed with the Best of ABFF Awards, hosted by KevOnStage with a performance by Anthony Hamilton. The full list of winners:
U.S. Narrative Feature (Grand Jury Prize): Three Colors: Pan-African Directing Award (U.S. Narrative Feature): Armani Ortiz (Otra) Screenwriting Award (U.S. Narrative Feature): Solvan Slick Naim and Lane Williamson (Girl Dad) Performance Award (U.S. Narrative Feature) — TIE: Marsai Martin (Girl Dad) and Bashir Salahuddin (Three Colors: Pan-African) International Narrative Feature (Grand Jury Prize): Small Gods Episodic Series (Grand Jury Prize): The Comic Shop Documentary Feature (Grand Jury Prize): Black Is Beautiful: The Kwame Brathwaite StoryHBO Short Film Award: Spilled Milk ABFF Alumni Award: Steven Caple Jr.
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