Our Star-Studded Recap Of The 2024 American Black Film Festival

Multi-hyphenate media mogul Issa Rae extended her winning streak as Creative Director of this year’s 28th Annual American Black Film Festival where talented filmmakers, industry up-and-comers, and cinema lovers continued her now-iconic tradition of rooting for everybody Black.

With a thriving creative empire and penchant for luxurious yacht sh*t, Rae was the perfect choice to elevate the famed festival known for attracting big names to Miami Beach.

Flowing with free Viarae Prosecco, the 3-day Hoorae House activation provided good vibes, tasty bites, an Insecure-style affirmations mirror, and Instagram-friendly decor for festival attendees who flocked to enjoy the Issa-curated experience.

(We’re also 100% sure the closing night Yacht party was 100% Issa’s idea, and yes, it was a time)

As guests of longtime ABFF-sponsor Cadillac, we enjoyed dynamic panels, world premiere screenings, and exclusive events like Netflix’s Strong Black Excellence Brunch honoring Andra Day for her powerful performance in Lee Daniels’ upcoming Netflix film Deliverance in theaters 8/16 and Netflix 8/30.

Notable guests included Cory Hardrict, Jessie Woo, Sharelle Rosado, Bevy Smith, and more who enjoyed a sophisticated Nikkei cuisine menu with impressive sushi options, shishito peppers, crispy squid, chicken & waffles, and specialty drinks.

The first of two exquisite brunches, our next stop was Red Rooster Overtown–a Black-owned gem with rich culture and delicious food–where Starz hosted an intimate celebration of Nicco Annan‘s upcoming docuseries Down In The Valley.

Completing the trifecta of lavish affairs was festival sponsor Ally–a bank holding company committed to providing financial education to the next generation of creators–which hosted a delectable dinner reception at Eden Roc Hotel’s Ocean Social restaurant.

Before catching up with Cory and Meagan to talk Divorce In The Black, we made our way to the bustling Cadillac Lounge for ABFF guests to relax, recharge, and vibe to Grammy-winner Lucky Daye and rising star Kirby along with Demetria L. Lucas’ live Ratchet & Respectable podcast with special guests Nicco Annan, Lamman Rucker, and more.

Festival goers also had the opportunity to have their aura read, meet Jessica Nabongo–the first Black woman to travel to every country in the world, and drive Cadillac’s growing fleet of all-electric vehicles including the LYRIQ, Escalade IQ, and OPTIQ at ride-and-drive experiences outside the venure.

Nabongo’s book The Catch Me If You Can details her historic journey around the globe with “fascinating stories of adventure, culture, travel musts, and human connections,” according to her site.

Other notable guests at the innovative activation included art-collectors-to-know Sol Apante and Jennia Freirique Aponte, and Greenwood Standard founder Dawn Limerick.

Committed to driving the culture forward while making space for talented creatives across the industry, Cadillac’s Head of Multicultural Marketing Juanita Slappy continues to spotlight the luxury automaker’s authentic connection to culture and innovative spirit of its electric vehicles.

In addition to the Hoorae House and Cadillac Lounge, ABFF attendees had several panel options including Creator Conversations with Issa Rae and Kenya Barris, Hulu’s world premiere screening of UnPrisoned Season 2 with Kerry Washington, Prime Video’s exclusive preview of Tyler Perry’s Divorce In The Black with Meagan Good and Cory Hardrict, Inside the Making of CROSS with Aldis Hodge, Starz’s exclusive Down In The Valley screening with Nicco Annan, Uncensored Live with Trina, and more.

In a fitting finale, ABFF hosted a Retrospective honoring the life and legendary career of Denzel Washington who cut all the way up in one of the funniest interviews we’ve seen in a while.

At one point, he Facetimed his wife Pauletta mid-interview in the most hilarious moment of the night. If you didn’t know, Uncle Denzel is from around the way.