The first annual Renaissance Black Film Festival (RBFF) is coming to New York’s Capital region, running June 22–25 at the historic Palace Theatre and the opulent Renaissance Hotel, both within walking distance from one another in Albany’s charming Downtown business district.
If you're not able to attend all of the events, and wish to purchase tickets to a single event or screening, Individual Event Tickets prices & Screening Schedule can be found below.
Screening schedule:
Fri, June 23: Renaissance Hotel 10AM/1PM/4PM (Shorts) $25/ticket
Fri, June 23: Palace Theatre 11AM (Storming Caeser's Palace) / 1PM (Star Without a Star) / 3PM (Wade in the Water) $25/ticket
Fri, June 23: Palace Theatre 7PM "Why We Tell Stories" Panel with Morris Chestnut & Gail Bean followed by the local premiere of Back On The Strip starring Wesley Snipes, Kevin Hart & Tiffany Haddish $45/ticket
Sat, June 24: Renaissance Hotel 10AM/1PM/4PM (Shorts) $25/ticket
Sat, June 24: Palace Theatre 10AM (Birthing Justice) / 12PM Production Panel with Jamal Hill, Kevin Nelson & Attika Torrence / 1PM (Local Premiere of Phels High) / 4PM Black Representation Panel with Erica Hart & Mushaka Benson $45/ticket
Sat, June 24: Palace Theatre 8PM Local premiere of The Honeymoon $45/ticket
Sun, June 25: Renaissance Hotel 10AM Outta The Muck $15/ticket
Festival Pass ($250): Includes access to all screening events at both the Palace Theatre and Renaissance Ballroom, all celebrity and industry panel discussions, parties and networking events (Black Hollywood Afterparty Fri, June 23 / R&B Afterparty Sat, June 24) For more info on the Afterpartys & Mixers call Kevin Johnson at 518-376-2462
Individual Day Passes ($100 each): Includes access to all screening events and industry panel discussions at both locations for specified day. Afterparties and networking events not included.
The festival is helmed by serial entrepreneur and Palace Theatre’s Executive Director Kevin Johnson, filmmaker Micah Khan, and premier creative agency Collectiveffort, and supported by NAACP Image Award recipient Morris Chestnut as the Festival’s ambassador, and panelists and honorary board members Gail Bean of FX’s Snowfall and Starz’s P-Valley and acclaimed screenwriter and director Jamal Hill, among many others. RBFF was developed with two goals in mind: to spotlight Black artists and creatives within the film industry, and to recognize New York’s Capital Region as a budding filmmaking epicenter.
“Over the last decade, we’ve seen about 20 productions come to the area, each growing larger and larger. The secret of the flexibility, affordability and overall beauty of our area has gotten out and folks that are here should be ready to join the industry as it lays roots,” says Collectiveffort Co-founder Patrick Harris.
RBFF will show films from a plethora of Black filmmakers across the country, with awards and cash prizes going to Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature, Best Narrative Short, Best Documentary Short, and Best First Project. The festival’s curators are accepting submissions up until June 7.