New York, NY – May 2, 2014 – The 18th annual American Black Film Festival (ABFF) today announced that Screen Gems’ Think Like A Man Too, the eagerly anticipated second installment of the riotous comedy, Think Like A Man, will open the 2014 ABFF, for its East Coast premiere, and Spike Lee’s Da Sweet Blood of Jesus will make its world premiere as the Festival’s closing night film. Both films will screen at the SVA Theatre, 333 West 23rd Street,New York, NY.
Think Like A Man Too, the sequel, inspired by Steve Harvey’s best-selling book Act Like a Lady, Think Like A Man, is set in Sin City where all of the couples are back for a long wedding weekend. But plans for romance and fun go awry when their various misadventures get them into some compromising situations that threaten to derail the big event. Think Like A Man Too, directed by Tim Story, produced by Will Packer and written by Keith Merryman and David A. Newman, features all-star casting: Kevin Hart, Taraji P. Henson, Michael Ealy, Regina Hall, Gabrielle Union, Jerry Ferrara, Meagan Good, Romany Malco, Terrence J, Jenifer Lewis and Dennis Haysbert. ABFF passholders will see Think Like A Man Too at the SVA Theatre on Thursday, June 19th at 7:30 p.m.
Producer Will Packer has roots with the Festival that reach back almost 15 years. “ABFF is the premiere film festival showcase for filmmakers of color. It has been instrumental in my career and many others. Tim Story and I are proud to be able to showcase Think Like a Man Too there,” said Packer, founder, Will Packer Productions.
Spike Lee’s Kickstarter-funded Da Sweet Blood of Jesus, will make its world premiere as ABFF’s closing night film on Sunday, June 22nd, with two special screenings at the SVA Theatre in Manhattan, 7:15 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Produced, written and directed by Spike Lee, Da Sweet Blood of Jesus stars Stephen Tyrone Williams, Zaraah Abrahams, Lauren Macklin and Elvis Nolasco.
“I’m proud to have the world premiere of Da Sweet Blood of Jesus at the American Black Film Festival,” said Lee. “It feels great to be the closing night film for the ABFF’s move from Miami to the greatest city in the world – NUEVA YORK.” About Da Sweet Blood of Jesus, he continued, “We human beings can have various addictions; addictions to drugs, alcohol, money, food, sex, power, Air Jordans and nicotine. In my new Spike Lee joint, we examine human beings who are addicted to BLOOD. They are not vampires either. This is not ‘Blacula’.”
“Spike and Will are two of the most talented and dynamic filmmakers working in Hollywood. I am honored that they have chosen to present their most recent work at the American Black Film Festival. Their mainstream success and ongoing support underscores the importance of diverse film festivals like the ABFF,” said Jeff Friday, ABFF founder and CEO of Film Life, Inc.
“We are also thrilled that Spike would choose us as a platform for the sale of the distribution rights for his newest film and look forward to building our festival into a destination for the acquisition of commercial films.” The ABFF is an annual event dedicated to showcasing quality films by and about people of African descent. Committed to the belief that Black content creators and artists deserve the same opportunities as their mainstream counterparts, Jeff Friday conceived the festival in 1997 as a vehicle to promote diversity in the film and television industry. Today, it is widely recognized as an important pipeline bringing new Black talent to prominence both in front of and behind the camera, and is regarded as one of the leading film festivals in the world.
The American Black Film Festival is presented by Film Life, Inc., a multifaceted entertainment company headquartered in New York City. Sponsors to date include: HBO® (Founding and Premier), Cadillac (Premier), Black Enterprise (Premier Media), American Airlines, Colgate Optic White, Time Warner Foundation (Signature), Comcast/NBCUniversal, UP, BET Networks (Official Sponsors), and Adult Swim, American Family Insurance, CNN, Gentle Treatment, Grab Media, Nielsen (Supporting). Other Media Partners include Ebony Magazine, Filmmaker Magazine, Upscale Magazine, WBLS and Uptown Magazine.
Industry and Promotional Partners include Entertainment Power Players, IFP, Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), National Association of Latino Independent Producers, New York Women in Film and Television, NYC & Company, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Producers Guild of America (PGA), SAGIndie, Woman In Film Los Angeles, and Writer’s Guild of America East (WGAE). Festival passes and tickets are on sale now. For more information on ABFF, including screening schedule and events, please visit www.abff.com
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