 returns in-person and online for its 8th edition from February 23-27.){kind=link}
The Halifax Black Film Festival (HBFF) returns in-person and online for its 8th edition from February 23-27.
Our aim is to connect members of all cultural communities through films, allowing us to better understand one another and to see the world through each other’s experiences. – Fabienne Colas
Featuring 45 films from 11 countries, the five-day festival coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Fabienne Colas Foundation, the organization responsible for the Halifax festival and Black Film Festivals in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, and Vancouver.
“HBFF is an important platform that celebrates Black talent and empowers filmmakers to create impactful work,” says Fabienne Colas, president and founder of the Black Film Festivals. “Our aim is to connect members of all cultural communities through films, allowing us to better understand one another and to see the world through each other’s experiences.”
This year’s opening night film is Brenton Gieser’s documentary film The 50, chronicling how, while serving life sentences in the overcrowded California State prison system, 50 men are given the opportunity to become some of the first substance abuse counsellors in the U.S.A.
In addition, the Being Black in Canada program returns with young filmmakers aged 18-30 from Halifax, Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver, creating short documentaries addressing the issues that impact Black communities across Canada. The program will include films from four Halifax filmmakers: Kimber Wesley, Hailey Ramsey, Essance MacKinnon and Nikita Morris.
Also returning this year is the free HBFF Black Market, where “local industry professionals share real-world experiences on today’s most critical industry and social issues in an exciting blend of thought-provoking and fun panel discussions.”
The 2024 Halifax Black Film Festival takes place virtually and in person at Park Lane Cineplex, along with special events at the Halifax Central Library from February 23 – 27. Visit halifaxblackfilm.com for more information.