San Francisco Black Film Festival Adds New Leaders & Announces Festival Dates, June 10-13, 2021 — Wright Enterprises

San Francisco Black Film Festival

SAN FRANCISCO – Jan. 27, 2021 – PRLog — Posted Courtesy of Wright Enterprises San Francisco~Dallas Community Spotlight

Passion for family fuels the San Francisco Black Film Festival legacy as a new generation join the worldwide African Diaspora affirming festival founded by late Arts Impresario, Ave Montague.  After the shocking and unexpected demise of Festival Director Kali O’Ray, Montague’s son, last August due to an undetected degenerative heart condition, Cree Ray and Kali Ray Jr., daughter and son of O’Ray will join the San Francisco Black Film Festival as Festival Directors.  The San Francisco Black Film Festival Festival is slated for June 10-13, 2021. Film submissions are now being accepted via https://filmfreeway.com/sfbff.

“In tribute to the love of both our grandmother and father, we are continuing their labor of love of  providing a positive narrative about the African Diaspora both here at home and internationally,” said San Francisco Black Festival Director, Cree Ray.  “We will build on this legacy of the San Francisco Black Film Festival, “Healing the World one Film at A Time.” It goes beyond family based on our strengths and convictions for truth and balance in media.” Ray explained that Festival Director and widow of O’Ray, Katera Crossley will continue in the role she loves, curating all the films that are submitted.  Kali Ray Jr. will orchestrate all of the technical aspects of the festival with Cree Ray managing the overall business aspects of the San Francisco Black Film Festival.

“We appreciate all of our past sponsors, volunteers, and devotees of the San Francisco Black Film Festival that helped us invite the world to San Francisco and to a platform that encouraged dialogue between races to better understand each other,” said Kali Ray Jr., San Francisco Black Film Festival Director.  “Building on that platform that heralded justice, equality and equity, we invite our old friends and new ones to help us build on this San Francisco cultural icon for the world that was born in the historic Fillmore District.

Film submissions are now being accepted via https://filmfreeway.com/sfbff.

With the worldwide Diaspora always a theme of the San Francisco Black Film Festival, Kali O’Ray’s leadership in the Coronavirus Pandemic challenging year of 2020, extended to Nigeria and South Africa in what was unknowingly to be O’Ray’s last festival directorship.

The San Francisco Black Film Festival virtually opened the door for New York based independent filmmaker Taheim Bryan’s “Equal Standard” (https://www.durbanfilmfest.com/film/equal-standard/) at the Durban International Film Festival with a panel discussion that included Tobias Truvillion, Syleena Johnson,  Ice T, Anthony ‘Treach’ Criss and more directed by Brendan Kyle Cochrane.  The film takes a hard look at both sides of officer involved shootings.

SFBFF staff and Filmmakers were guests of the Durban FilmMart and the San Francisco Black Film Festival hosted an international panel discussion with Durban FilmMart about trade: “Live Talk @SFBFF: Art & Trade in Africa (https://vimeo.com/442682325).”

“We are family, a worldwide family as Ave and Kali projected in their heartfelt work through the San Francisco Black Film Festival,” said Katera Crossley, San Francisco Black Film Festival Director. “We thank our family of friends such as  the Honorable London Breed (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j92eSxY2WKw&feature=emb_logo), the Mayor of San Francisco for paying tribute to Kali at a very difficult time. We thank our community friends with African American Arts and Cultural Center for paying tribute and new friends as Regan Baker Designs that shared their event with Chadwick Boseman’s “42” honoring Kali (https://www.prweb.com/releases/regan_baker_design_presents_a_drive_in_movie_night_in_support_of_black_creatives/prweb17487113.htm) at Fort Mason last October.  Together will continue the great foundational work that Ave began and Kali continued.”

Whether the festival will be virtual, live or both has not been determined. For updates and news about the San Francisco Black Film Festival sign up for the newsletter at www.sfbff.org.

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