Festivals - PAFF 2018 : What a Great event about culture, knowledge and movies..

By Mulder, Los angeles, 18 february 2018

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The Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) is a non-profit organization based in Los Angeles, California. PAFF’s main focus is to promote "cultural understanding among peoples of African descent" through exhibiting art and film. PAFF holds a film and arts festival in Los Angeles every February. This year the festival hit it’s 26th year and was February 8th threw February 19th. The first festival was organized in 1992 by actors Danny Glover and Ja'net Dubois and executive director Ayuko Babu. Pan African Film Festival is still goes strong to this present day. Bringing 7,500 students, 35,000 film attendees and 90,000 Artfest attendees over the week to enjoy great films and products from all over. With great art, jewelry and sculptures, fashion and poetry. Even having a couple red carpets and panels bringing celebrities from all over.

PAFF showed 173 films over the coarse of a week. Many comedies, short stories, documentaries, action movies and cartoon features. The featured showcase films were Black Panther, Love Jacked, and The Forgiven. All of which they had a red carpet for. The Black Panther carpet was a show stopper. There was a African drummer playing traditional music and the African prints people showed up in were amazing. Evan a life sized replica of the Black Panther throne was available for people to sit on. Which of course people did. The showcase close out was a heavy thought provoking film called The Forgiven. Based on true events how after Nelson Mandela won the free election. A program was put in place to forgive war crimes that seek forgiveness. This caused some problems as not all liked the program or believed they should be allowed to seek forgiveness for war crimes. This film set the right tone about forgiveness and redemption.

This festival is known for the film, but it offers so much more. Over 75 vendors fine artists, designers, and unique crafts people. Came from all over to showcase they’re products here at Artfest. From natural products like shea butter and stone jewelry. From African prints, sculptures and paintings. It would be too hard to walk threw the mall and not buy something on display at the vendor area. Many of the painting were abstract. But others were full of color that showed African scenery or Egyptian goddesses. The sculptures were also amazing to see. Some life sized portraits with little girls in cornrows to giraffes and elephants. Lots of African and Egyptian jewelry. All kinds from wooden ankhs and natural stones.

On Sunday February 18 at 2pm, PAFF had it’s fashion show. The PAFF’s theme was Wearable Art on the Move. The show had a African drummer and models that walked in tribal wear. There was some amazing head pieces that stood out. From ruffles to feathers and bright fabric. While others had face paint and bold patterns. Many of the models had natural hair. Which is a turn from a traditional run way show. Some of the men wore plain black pants to show off the bright colored tops they were wearing. Some of the best designs came from the furry and African coats that had asymmetrical cuts and looked great. From all styles of design, the fashion showed the minds of how young talented designers can bring unexpected design that wow the audience.

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Photos: Adrian Jones (Adj85)