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ABFF 2001 - One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
A Special Report
By Ramona Prioleau
In 1997, The Acapulco Black Film Festival stepped onto the festival circuit in
remarkable fashion. Kicking off its annual celebration with only a handful of films and
400 attendees, ABFF bestowed elegantly designed Black Film Awards in the shape of the
Chi-Wara to Hollywood’s talented tenth.
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Five Years of ABFF
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ABFF’s Chi-Wara, designed by San
Francisco’s Cheryl Riley of Right Angle Designs, was crafted of hand-carved mahogany
in numbered and signed limited editions. In ’97 and ’98, there was an undeniable
grandeur to the awards ceremony indicative of Riley’s handsomely hewn work of art.
In 1999, ABFF began doling out Lucite columns
to its award recipients. I still remember Larenz Tate’s face upon accepting his award
in ’99 for Best Actor - he seemed to have a look of “what happened to the
mahogany joint?”
No one could have foreseen that ABFF’s shift from bestowing a Chi-Wara, an image
symbolic of cultivating seeds that enrich and sustain, to presenting lifeless plastic
would later come to resonate in aspects of its festival. Yeah, yeah, yeah, ABFF still
plasters the Chi-Wara on all of its gear, but is doing so sufficient to impress upon those
that now rock the emblem of the covenant upon which ABFF was founded - to celebrate
Black cinema and its professionals as well as serve as a marketplace for Black films
- not to determine how fast to shake it at Acapulco hot spots.
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Love Come Down
I have been an ardent supporter of ABFF for a while. I’ve beseeched friends,
colleagues and strangers to venture south of the border for a week of sun, fun and film,
leaving some to question my motivation. But as an early adopter, who traveled to Acapulco
in ’97 with trepidation and left enlightened and empowered, I had reason to admire
the event. Moreover, I know that brand building takes time, lots of pesos and a major
misstep in the process of doing so can undermine years of laboring to distinguish an event
as first of its class. As such, I was confident that ABFF 2001 would live up to its
advanced billing.
Some would say that I set myself up for disappointment. A few may point to an earlier
edition of the MOSAEC Newsletter in which I boldly declared that ABFF’s 5th annual
would outshine past festivals and would be one to remember. Memorable? Yes. Spectacular?
Not even close. Far from meeting my expectations, the festival slipped several notches.
There was a dullness to the festivities that sapped ABFF of its usual vibrancy. Moreover,
it lacked the esprit d’corps of individuals overwhelmingly
pursuing their craft and exhibiting a sincere interest in diverse cinematic visions.
With a view toward regaining its allure, festival organizers must take a hard look at what
went wrong and seek to reinvigorate the event or risk long-term damage to its reputation.
Ways to do this include managing the festival’s aura by creating substantive programs
that further elevate the art and business of film without overemphasizing the social.
Lift
Creating a sustainable professional aura requires tapping into the energy of its
successful offerings that reflect the promise of ABFF. This year, these included: |
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The Microsoft Workshop -
Conducted by facilitators that incorporated feedback to improve the experience for
attendees, this workshop will only provide more value in the future for filmmakers wishing
to use the web as a marketing tool.
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The Writer’s Workshop -
Featuring Carol Munday Lawrence holding it down and breaking it down for those looking to
succeed in the Hollywood writing game.
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The Martell Bleu Light Lounge -
A timely and appropriate capper to a day of workshops, films and panels. It was especially
nice of Martell’s rep to keep the cognac flowing during the NBA Finals.
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The HBO Short
Film Competition - Opening the festival in brilliant fashion, this event
spotlighted newcomers cleverly capturing visions that reflect how small gems broaden the
craft of filmmaking
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In addition, paying long-overdue homage
to trailblazer Suzanne de Passe, allowing attendees a sneak peak at the unfinished
Parliament Funkadelic documentary and providing an outlet for features like Lift, Love
Come Down, Lumumba and Voice of the Voiceless
were positive occurrences, but insufficient to make the event an overall success.
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