Seattle Black Film Festival

Seattle, WA, United States, North America

Seattle Black Film Festival logo
Seattle Black Film Festival

Seattle, WA, United States, North America

Is this your festival?

Is this your festival?

General Information

edition

17th

organizers

Andrea Stuart-Lehalle

Director

Zola Mumford

Curator

Jazmyn Scott

LANGSTON Program Manager

Contact details

104 17th Ave S Seattle, WA 98144 United States

98144

sbff@langstonseattle.org

N/A

Web & social

About the festival

The annual Seattle Black Film Festival (formerly the Langston Hughes African American Film Festival - LHAAFF) is a major season program of LANGSTON, showing provocative films and works about the Black experience from independent filmmakers.

For seventeen years, the festival has been bringing stories and experiences by and about Black people to the big screen in the heart of Seattle's historically Black neighborhood. Housed at the historic Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, the festival features film screenings, hands-on workshops, panel discussions, and in-depth chats with filmmakers, industry professionals and local community leaders.

As Seattle grows as a seat of activism, progressive ideology, innovation and technology, the Seattle Black Film Festival is a hub for filmmakers and audiences to exchange ideas with Black film as a catalyst for discussion.

The event is the culmination of a year’s worth of community-building through a series of smaller events that provide audiences with unique cinematic and cultural opportunities, resulting in the community-wide film festival. The festival focuses on established names and emerging talent in Black media and connecting audiences with filmmakers and filmmaking through interactions in and outside the theater.

Films are selected from entries screened by panels and curated from current and vintage offerings. The festival takes pride in showcasing independent film celebrating Black brilliance, from emerging and established filmmakers from around the world and in our own backyard, connecting filmmakers and the community.

Prizes to be awarded at the 2020 festival include*:
- Best Feature Film
- Best Short Film
- Best Direction
- Student/Youth Filmmaker Award
- Local Hero Award

*Additional awards may be given at the discretion of the jury

About

The annual Seattle Black Film Festival (formerly the Langston Hughes African American Film Festival - LHAAFF) is a major season program of LANGSTON, showing provocative films and works about the Black experience from independent filmmakers.

For seventeen years, the festival has been bringing stories and experiences by and about Black people to the big screen in the heart of Seattle's historically Black neighborhood. Housed at the historic Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, the festival features film screenings, hands-on workshops, panel discussions, and in-depth chats with filmmakers, industry professionals and local community leaders.

As Seattle grows as a seat of activism, progressive ideology, innovation and technology, the Seattle Black Film Festival is a hub for filmmakers and audiences to exchange ideas with Black film as a catalyst for discussion.

The event is the culmination of a year’s worth of community-building through a series of smaller events that provide audiences with unique cinematic and cultural opportunities, resulting in the community-wide film festival. The festival focuses on established names and emerging talent in Black media and connecting audiences with filmmakers and filmmaking through interactions in and outside the theater.

Films are selected from entries screened by panels and curated from current and vintage offerings. The festival takes pride in showcasing independent film celebrating Black brilliance, from emerging and established filmmakers from around the world and in our own backyard, connecting filmmakers and the community.

Prizes to be awarded at the 2020 festival include*:
- Best Feature Film
- Best Short Film
- Best Direction
- Student/Youth Filmmaker Award
- Local Hero Award

*Additional awards may be given at the discretion of the jury

Awards & Winners

There are no winners yet for this festival

Terms and rules

- Eligible films must be by or about Black people (people of African descent). While our goal is to celebrate and lift the work of Black filmmakers, we will consider film that features Black people as a predominant focus of the work.
- While the SBFF emphasizes premieres and new works, we will consider all works including vintage and archival.
- Screened films must be submitted as a digital file (.mov, .avi or .mp4, Apple Pro Res or .h264 formats).
- Films must have a stereo sound.
- Films receiving a theatrical or festival screening in King County, WA or adjacent WA counties prior to, or within one month prior to the SBFF Festival dates will not be considered for the Festival. Exceptions will be made under special circumstances. Please contact our office if you agree to any other screenings directly before or after the LHAAFF, other than those listed on your application.
- Works in progress may be submitted as long as a digital file will be available for screening during the Festival.
- All accepted entries must be received by March 15, 2020.
- Previously submitted works are eligible for re-submission.

FILM SUBMISSION PROCEDURE:
- All works must be submitted via ONLINE SCREENER through the FilmFreeway platform only. No other formats will be accepted.
- There is no limit to the number of submissions per submitter, provided they are separate submissions and the required submission fee is paid for each.
- Filmmakers will be notified via email of submission status by March 1, 2020.

PRESS MATERIALS
Accepted works must have an electronic press kit materials uploaded to FilmFreeway, or submitted via link to sbff@langston.org no later than March 15, 2020. An Electronic Press Kit (EPK) will include high-resolution production stills, key art, bio and filmography of the director, production notes and full cast and crew credits.
If these items are not submitted by March 15, 2019, SBFF reserves the right to disqualify the entry.

SUBMISSION FEES:
- Your submission will not be considered until the submission fee is paid in full via credit/debit card or other methods accepted by FilmFreeway.com. No exceptions.
- Submission fees will not be returned and are non-refundable.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
By submitting the work, I state that I am authorized to submit this film/video to the Seattle Black Film Festival (SBFF or "the Festival") for consideration and have read, understand and agree to all entry requirements. I hereby release the Festival from all liability resulting from its exhibition of my film/video. The Seattle Black Film Festival reserves the right to remove a film from the festival program, and that the film not be screened, for any reason or for no reason and shall not be liable for any refund or claims of any kind arising out of such removal. I agree that if the LHAAFF accepts my film for exhibition at the Festival, I will comply with these terms and conditions.

REPRODUCTION AGREEMENT
Submission of an entry gives the SBFF permission to use the work or excerpts of the accepted work, including trailers, visuals and audio, photos, graphics/art or any information provided in promotional documents and activities related to the festival.

LIABILITY
Although every possible care will be taken with tapes, films, drives and files while in our possession, we cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage. Do not send original or master prints, tapes, files or drives. Please keep the SBFF notified of any address/phone number changes.

Ratings & Reviews

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