{"id":135558,"date":"2019-07-25T08:00:03","date_gmt":"2019-07-25T12:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.blackfilm.com\/read\/?p=135558"},"modified":"2019-07-25T08:00:03","modified_gmt":"2019-07-25T12:00:03","slug":"lineup-for-17th-annual-marthas-vineyard-african-american-film-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.blackfilm.com\/read\/lineup-for-17th-annual-marthas-vineyard-african-american-film-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"Lineup For 17th\u00a0Annual\u00a0Martha\u2019s Vineyard African American Film Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The 17<\/span>th<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0Annual\u00a0Martha\u2019s Vineyard African American Film Festival<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(MVAAFF), presented by Run&Shoot Filmworks, will be held on the beautiful beach island of Martha\u2019s Vineyard from\u00a0August 5 \u2013 10, 2019<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The summer\u2019s finest film festival, MVAAFF now an OSCAR\u00ae Qualifying Festival in The Short Film Category, which means, short films that receive the MVAAFF Best Short Film award may now be eligible to enter the Academy\u2019s Short Film competition for the concurrent season. This is a first for the Martha\u2019s Vineyard African-American Film Festival and takes the 17-year old film festival to new and exciting heights.<\/span><\/p>\n

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In keeping with its incomparable line-up to bring top notch programming,\u00a0 MVAAFF will present an exceptional program of over 70 original feature films, documentaries and short films produced and directed by a collective of talented filmmakers from all over the globe. The festival will be inclusive of poignant panel discussions and exclusive events throughout the island.\u00a0 Registration opens on\u00a0Monday, August 5<\/b>, at the Martha\u2019s Vineyard Performing Arts Center (MVPAC), 100 Edgartown Vineyard Haven Road, in Oak Bluffs, MA, from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m.\u00a0Check out full itinerary\u00a0<\/b>here<\/b><\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Beginning\u00a0Monday, August 5<\/b>, the festival debuts a series of\u00a0<\/span>shorts films and documentaries from\u00a0<\/span>11am to 5:00pm,\u00a0<\/span>including\u00a0Amazing Grace<\/span><\/a>, featuring Aretha Franklin recording the most successful gospel album of all time, Amazing Grace.\u00a0 Amazing Grace is crafted from never before seen footage captured in 1972. Directed by Sydney Pollack & Alan Elliott.<\/span><\/p>\n

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This year,\u00a0Denny\u2019s<\/b>\u00a0returns as a premiere sponsor, following last year’s partnership announcement on\u00a0Denny\u2019s Hungry Education scholarship program<\/b>, which awards three new scholarships totaling $15,000 to future filmmakers at Howard University, Morehouse College, and other historically black colleges and universities.\u00a0 \u201cDenny\u2019s long-standing commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion has earned us a number of national, regional, and local awards and recognition. However, no initiative or program can truly be successful without individual commitment from each of us, said\u00a0April Kelly-Drummond,<\/b>\u00a0Denny\u2019s Senior Director of Diversity, Equality, Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement.<\/span><\/p>\n

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To keep attendees fit, the\u00a0American Heart Association<\/b>\u00a0and\u00a0Run&Shoot Filmworks<\/b>\u00a0will present Morning Yoga on the beach & Polar Bears at the Inkwell Beach (check festival schedule for times). The\u00a0American Heart Association<\/b>\u00a0will also debut\u00a0EmPOWERED Voices: More Than Enough to Heal<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/a>, a short film rooted in celebrating HBCUs and encouraging the next generation of black physicians.<\/span><\/p>\n