![\"MIAMI](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2219714801-GI.JPG\" "\\"Jeff")
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Jeff Friday attends The HBO Short Film Award Showcase Opening Night Red Carpet during the 2025 American Black Film Festival at New World Center.<\/p>\n
Arturo Holmes<\/p>\n
Getty Images for ABA<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a story Jeff Friday has told at least a thousand times: He attended the Sundance Film Festival and was blown away by the amount of talent and stunned by the lack of diversity.<\/p>\n
That led to him and two friends to create the American Black Film Festival, where Black filmmakers and creatives could feel supported.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Black and brown filmmakers don\u2019t have festivals like this, they don\u2019t have any place to get better,\u201d Friday said. Now celebrating its 30th anniversary, the festival has cultivated Black filmmakers, screenwriters and creative talent during its screenings, networking events and parties in and around Miami Beach. And like other Black-centered events and organizations in Florida, the festival now faces the challenge of the state\u2019s latest anti-diversity, equity and inclusion policies that have recently prohibited local governments funding cultural-specific events.<\/p>\n
But for Friday, \u201cIt\u2019s just another storm,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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Jeff Friday at the ceremony honoring Bill Duke with a Star On The Hollywood Walk Of Fame on Feb. 26 in Hollywood, California. Tommaso Boddi Getty Images <\/p>\n
Part of that, Friday said, means leaning into optimism. While he said the festival has felt the ramifications of the onslaught of attacks on DEI nationally and statewide, he said the organization has strong partnerships with donors and continues to be amazed by the number of celebrities who continue to offer support.<\/p>\n
RELATED: DeSantis signs into law the anti-DEI bill decried by Miami officials<\/a><\/p>\n Friday said the festival has weathered plenty of storms before \u2014 during the 2008 recession and again in 2020, when the festival was forced to go virtual because of the pandemic. In the festival\u2019s early years, the biggest obstacle was ambivalence. He recalled a reporter once asking him why there was even a need for the festival in the first place.<\/p>\n Still, Friday said there is a need for this kind of space, where Black talent can grow and network in an environment that is unapologetically Black: \u201cI do believe that this is the right thing to do for our community,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n And this year promises that with the celebration of the festival\u2019s 30th anniversary that centers around a theme of homecoming. Attendees will be treated to a keynote from actress and festival ambassador Regina King, who will discuss her career and longevity in Hollywood.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s probably the single moment that I\u2019m most excited about,\u201d Friday said. \u201cWatching her career, what she\u2019s accomplished over the last 30 years, and just being a part of that journey with her, and then having her come back as our ambassador, that\u2019s a pretty powerful, full circle moment for me.\u201d<\/p>\n This year\u2019s festival will also include the screenings of \u201cStrung\u201d a psychological thriller that features Chloe Bailey and \u201cThe Britney Griner Story\u201d that chronicles the WNBA player\u2019s rise to fame, screenings of short films throughout the festival, and culminates in the ABFF Awards.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s festival also has a Celebration of Black Television Panel, which highlights the storytelling craft and will include actors, showrunners and directors from Netflix led shows such as Mario Van Peebles, director of the recent show \u201cNemesis,\u201d and Debbie Allen, executive director of forthcoming reboot of the \u201890s sitcom \u201cA Different World.\u201d<\/p>\n Friday said Black art is essential at a time when Black art is seeing resistance. Last year<\/a>, The Museum of African American History and Culture underwent an internal review by the Trump Administration, as part of the America 250 campaign, a purported nonpartisan effort to commemorate the country\u2019s 250th anniversary.<\/p>\n Within 120 days of the review, the museum along with eight others were expected to \u201cbegin implementing content corrections where necessary, replacing divisive or ideologically driven language with unifying, historically accurate, and constructive descriptions across placards, wall didactics, digital displays, and other public-facing materials.\u201d Friday said some of ABFF\u2019s archives<\/a> are a part of the museum\u2019s permanent collection.<\/p>\n And in April, Florida passed a law which prohibits municipalities from funding or passing a resolution in support of programs deemed diverse or inclusive and prohibits counties and cities from having a DEI office or an inclusion officer. Officials who violate the law can be removed from office by the governor.<\/p>\n But Friday said it\u2019s important Black intellectuals, creatives and media professionals to and \u201ckeep our foot on the gas even when there\u2019s no attack.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe feel pressure that our culture is being ripped away from us, but this same anxiety that I feel just talking about it, the tough part is, how do you maintain that same effort and energy for telling your stories when there\u2019s no resistance,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Friday said part of the reason ABFF has been so successful is they\u2019ve continued to leaned into Black communities and develop strong relationships with supporters.<\/p>\n \u201cI truly believe what I\u2019m doing is right,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat we\u2019re doing is not as much about film as it\u2019s about empowerment and promoting excellence.\u201d<\/p>\n IF YOU GO:<\/p>\n What: 30th Annual American Black Film Festival<\/p>\n When: Wednesday through Sunday<\/p>\n Where: Miami Beach Convention Center, 1901 Convention Center Dr., Miami Beach; O Cinema, 1130 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach<\/p>\n Cost: Tickets for screenings start at $15<\/p>\n Info: https:\/\/www.abff.com\/miami\/<\/a><\/p>\n![\"LOS](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2262044283-GI.JPG\" "\\"2262044283-GI.JPG\\"")
(L-R) Jeff Friday, Keke Palmer and Nicole Friday attend the 8th annual American Black Film Festival Honors at SLS Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Beverly Hills on Feb. 16 in Los Angeles, California. Frazer Harrison Getty Images <\/p>\n![\"MIAMI,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2219809993-GI.JPG\" "\\"2219809993-GI.JPG\\"")
Jeff Friday and Chris Paul arrive at After The Game: A Conversation With Chris Paul during the 2025 American Black Film Festival at New World Center. Alekandra London Getty Images <\/p>\n
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