by Tom Nguyen
The 28th Annual Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) opened on Tuesday, February 11, and continues through Sunday, February 23, at the Cinemark Rave 15 Theatres at Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza in Los Angeles, California. The festival is a crown jewel of the African American community in Los Angeles, the largest and most prestigious Black History Month event in the country. This year’s theme is “20/20 Vision,” kicking off the decade with a fresh lens and solidifying its commitment to tell diverse stories with a global, luminous view.
It’s absolutely one of my favorite events of the year and must-see film festivals in Los Angeles. It’s the only opportunity to see so many independent films from the Black diaspora that might not otherwise make it to movie screens here. And it’s more than just a film festival…next door to the theater, inside Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, are 2 floors of fabulous art, crafts and vendors from all over the country.
The festival opened Tuesday, February 11, with HERO: Inspired by the Extraordinary Revolutionary Life and Times of Diplomat and Judge Ulric Cross at the Directors Guild of America, and will feature centerpiece film She Ball on Friday, February 21, and will close with film Zulu Wedding on Sunday, February 23.
Here is my list of other great films I’m excited to see (in alphabetical order). The list is by no means exhaustive, because there are too many worthy films to choose from! This year, PAFF has selected more than 150 films, representing 40 countries in 26 different languages, and you can find the full list of films here. #PAFFNOW is is where I will be movie-binging the next 10 days! Continue Reading →
GNL Zamba: Uganda’s music scene is very vibrant and has been for a while but that wasn’t the case for hip hop. It wasn’t mainstream, with little respect and coverage. It wasn’t considered a favorite until 2008. That is when the game totally changed. I released an album called Koyi Koyi (Riddles of Life), which became the most colossal hip hop album in Uganda’s industry. The album was under the theme of indigenous pride (Lugafow), the album used traditional chants and which made the rhymes fun and relatable. I told stories of growing poor in Kampala. The genre got its new life from the Koyi Koyi album. I became a household name with fans of all ages and the sponsorships from corporate partners helped me cement Lugaflow (indigenous language flow) into an urban movement. My first concert that year had over 12,000 people at Kyadondo rugby grounds. Something that was unprecedented for a hip hop MC before. I was overjoyed.