About

Welcome to the Ann Arbor Black Film Festival (A2BFF). We are a community-centered cultural movement honoring the legacy of Lucille H. Porter, the founder of the Ann Arbor African American Festival. Merging independent cinema, Black cultural history, education, and community engagement through partnerships with historic and community-centered spaces including the Michigan Theater, State Theater, the Ann Arbor District Library, and Third Mind Books, the A2BFF creates a festival atmosphere that feels both artistic and accessible, blending cinema with media literacy, local activism, and public gathering spaces.

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Our Judges

Black and white promotional poster featuring a portrait of Carol Gibson, an African American woman with short curly hair and pearl jewelry, designated as a judge. The poster promotes the Ann Arbor Black Film Festival, highlighting Carol Gibson's credentials as a veteran TV producer and mentioning her work on shows like Oprah Winfrey Show, Feel Grand with Jane Seymour, and Family Pictures USA, as well as her organization work with Another Ann Arbor that chronicles black communities in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County.
Black and white portrait of Fred Culpeper with text about his experience as a documentary filmmaker. Includes a logo at the top, the words 'Judge,' the festival name 'Ann Arbor Black Film Festival,' and a description of Culpeper's work and passion for visual storytelling.
Black and white poster featuring a portrait of a young man in a suit, smiling and looking to the side. The poster is for the Ann Arbor Black Film Festival and includes a logo with a stylized tree and the name Alex Luna, describing his background as a film editor and graduate of the American Film Institute.
Black and white poster for the Ann Arbor Black Film Festival featuring a headshot photograph of Lauren LaStrada and her biography.

Ann Arbor Black Film Festival 2024

* A2BFF *

Ann Arbor Black Film Festival 2024 * A2BFF *

Logo for the Ann Arbor Black Film Festival featuring a stylized white film reel tree on a black background with text to the right reading 'Ann Arbor Black Film Festival' in white capital letters.

Our logo is derived from the salix nigra, Ann Arbor’s black willow tree. This tree was picked for its beauty and resilience.

The State Theater

A Historic Art Deco monument to Cinema in the heart of downtown Ann Arbor, the State Theater has been recently refurbished to handle modern film exhibitions with quality and comfort.

Visit

233 S State St, Ann Arbor, MI

Ann Arbor District Library: Downtown

First opned in 1957, Alden B. Dow, a member of the Dow Chemical family, was the designer of the modern building. An expansion doubling the size of the 1957 building was completed in 1974. A third addition was completed in 1991, again doubling the size of the library, in order to meet the needs of a growing collection size, rising circulation numbers, and increased programming offerings.

Visit

343 S 5th Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Third Mind Books

A brick-and-mortar bookstore & event venue located in Downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan, specializing in first editions and rare books of the Beat Generation and other notable movements.

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118 E Washington Street, Ann Arbor, MI

A woman with glasses working on a printing machine or typewriter, looking down and typing.

Lucille H. Porter

Dedicated to her memory…

The A2 African American Festival, originally named the African American Downtown  Festival, was founded by Lucille H. Porter in 1996, the first black Ann Arborite to create, develop, and host a downtown festival that continues to occur on an annual basis. This big Ann Arbor block party raised money for the local community while honoring the history of black-owned businesses and homes that previously dominate the area around Fourth Avenue and Ann Street. We recognize the contributions of this trailblazer for without the A2 African American Festival, the Ann Arbor Black Film festival would not exist.

Lucille H. Porter was a graduate of the University of Michigan, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, and the founder/director of the non-profit agency called the Community Leaning Post to help children with their school work. Her memory is held dear by her family and friends and the community uplifting legacies that she has left behind.