Festival Photo Highlights

Check out photos from all four days of the festival.

Day 1

On Wednesday October 24, 2018 the National Museum of African American History and Culture officially debuted the inaugural Smithsonian African American Film Festival. The first day of the festival featured the D.C. premiere of Widows(2018) directed by Steve McQueen as the Opening Night Film. The film screened in NMAAHC’s state-of-the-art Oprah Winfrey Theater. Prior to the opening night film, festival goers flooded the museum to attend screenings of rarely seen films like Integration Report One(1960) and Malcolm X Struggle For Freedom(1964).

Day 2

Day two kicked off with the D.C. premiere of Cane River (1982), a film buried for 36 years and recently restored. Samuel Pollard, accomplished feature film and television editor, taught a Masterclass on technique and the art form of film editing. Night At The Museum, an evening that allowed attendees to tour the museum and celebrate pioneer African American filmmakers, Madeline Anderson and Charles Burnett proved to be a festival favorite.

Day 3

Day three featured a masterclass in screenwriting taught by film and television writer, Radha Blank in addition to an avant-garde performance by percussionist Milford Graves. The Friday night program featured a special Spotlight Screening of Quincy (2018) and brought the music mogul, Quincy Jones to the film festival.

Day 4

The final day of the Smithsonian African American Film Festival featured the Juried Competition Film Awards. Bradford Young, an Academy Award nominated cinematographer, taught a masterclass on vital techniques in lighting, general scene composition, and camera movement. The Closing Night Film & Party featured the powerful and poetic D.C. premiere If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) directed by Academy Award nominated filmmaker, Barry Jenkins.