Lineup Announced For Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival
Yolanda ross, courtney b. vance, and debbie allen - Joy Malone/Amy Sussman
The 23rd Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF) is to start with a special event with the cast of The Chi on Thursday, July 31, 2025, before fully opening on Friday, August 1, 2025.
The event is held annually at Martha’s Vineyard Performing Arts Center in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts, to support and celebrate African American filmmakers. It will be featuring a range of appearances from a variety of stars and filmmakers, such as Spike Lee, Yolonda Ross, and Issa Rae, and feature a number of screenings for upcoming films and television series, including The Gilded Age, Sinners, and upcoming docuseries Magic City: An American Fantasy. It will also include discussions around culture, named The Color of Conversation. Friday, August 1, 2025, will kick off with three such discussions, including one with Spike Lee following a preview of his new film, Highest 2 Lowest.
Actor Courtney B. Vance will be attending on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, where he will be joining the Black Storytellers Panel to provide a behind-the-scenes understanding of the creative process, as well as how to maintain relatability for audiences and produce films that make a profit. Actress Jennifer Hudson will be appearing later the same evening in a Color of Conversation discussion on her career.
Wednesday, August 6, 2025, will see former basketball player Dwyane Wade attending a special Men’s C-Suite luncheon event named The Bonds of Brotherhood, where executives will be discussing “leadership, legacy and cultural capital in today’s media landscape.” Joy Reid will likewise be attending a Women’s C-Suite luncheon for an exclusive fireside chat.
Another highlight will be a special screening of the upcoming Starz docuseries Magic City: An American Fantasy, which examines Atlanta’s most influential Black cultural hub and will serve as the centerpiece event for Wednesday, August 6, 2025. Tracee Ellis Ross will also be appearing in a Color of Conversation on Friday, August 8, 2025, following a preview for her new travel series, Solo Traveling.
Actor and director Debbie Allen will be attending her own Color of Conversation talk on Saturday, August 9, 2025, which follows a tribute to her sitcom A Different World. Issa Rae will close out the festival with a preview of Seen & Heard, a documentary charting the paths of Black creatives in television. This will be followed by another Color of Conversation, in which she joins the film’s director, Giselle Bailey.
A full schedule for the event can be found on the MVAAFF’s website.
