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.
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 (Opening Night at the Palace Theatre Thu, June 22 7PM-9PM / Black Hollywood Afterparty Fri, June 23 / R&B Afterparty Sat, June 24)
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.
Screening schedule:
Friday, June 23: 10AM-5PM Renaissance Hotel (Shorts)
Friday, June 23: 11AM-8PM Palace Theatre (Features)
Saturday, June 24: 10AM-2PM Renaissance Hotel (Shorts)
Saturday, June 24: 11AM-8PM Palace Theatre (Features)
Sunday, June 25: 10AM-2PM Renaissance Hotel
Sunday, June 25: 11AM-5PM Palace Theatre
INDIVIDUAL MOVIE TICKETS WILL BE ANNOUNCED ONCE FILMS ARE SELECTED
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.