The San Antonio Black International Film Festival is Back and Better Than Ever For a Weekend Filled with Film Screenings, Panel Discussions, and Workshops Celebrating Black History and Film Culture in Texas
The San Antonio Black International Film Festival (SABIFF) is gearing up to host its sixth annual film fest, with a three-day celebration under the theme of health and wellness emphasizing the need to “reFocus, reCharge, reFresh,” and highlighting Texas Black film creatives.
Founded in 2018 by Ada Babineaux, SABIFF’s mission is “to showcase quality film genres indicative of vast Black experiences, advocate for, and support filmmakers of African descent. We [at SABIFF] expose audiences to a myriad of stories, subject matters, voices, and diverse images of Black people throughout the global diaspora who have been historically under-represented.”
The festival’s first day, titled “Black Friday,” begins Oct. 4 at 9 a.m. and kicks off with a presentation of student films from the Eastside Youth Content Creators Program, including short film exhibitions and some panels and workshops with the goal of introducing students to Black industry professionals and film-related career paths. The panels and workshops will continue into the evening, and virtual streaming of some of the panels will be offered for those unable to attend the festival in person.
Day two picks up on Oct. 5 and aims to depict the festival’s heart and soul with demonstrations of an array of different documentaries, short films, student films, and music videos, hosted on two different screens at the Carver Community Cultural Center and the Little Carver Theater. In addition to the variety of film screenings, SABIFF’s “Soul Saturday” will also feature several workshops from Texas Creatives ranging from tips on acting and turning production dreams into reality, to how to develop humor in scriptwriting. Saturday evening will also welcome “Cinema Under the Stars,” a family-friendly community event from 7 p.m. – 11 p.m. offering various wellness activities and live DJ music, plus a host of food trucks and vendors, which will be free and open to the public at Lockwood-Dignowity Park. The night will wrap with the premiere of “THE BEAUTIFUL STRUGGLE,” a romantic-comedy feature film by Texas filmmaker Rock White.
The festival concludes on Oct. 6 with a “Sunday Glory” brunch from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Tony G’s Soul Food restaurant, recognizing and celebrating the artists and everyone involved in this year’s edition of SABIFF. Brunch will also include an awards ceremony to honor the hard work and dedication of the filmmakers and creatives whose films will be exhibited in the festival, culminating in the presentation of the festival’s inaugural Ubuntu Community Award for the individual or organization who best demonstrates passion and dedication to the advancement of Black art, culture, and history through youth empowerment.
For more detailed information about the festival’s schedule and ticket options, visit the SABIFF website at www.sabiff.tv/.
