Will Packer Serves as Jury President for 25th AMERICAN BLACK FILM FESTIVAL

ABFF Ventures LLC., announced TODAY that film producer Will Packer ('Girls Trip,' 'Ride Along') will serve as the Jury President for the 2021 American Black Film Festival (ABFF). This year, the ABFF will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a new festival format - a hybrid event, with live events in Miami Beach, November 3-7, followed by a week of virtual events on abffplay.com November 8-14.

In his role as president, Packer will help the festival expand its Jury and curate a diverse slate of film and television content.

Returning to ABFF will be a homecoming for Packer who got his start at the festival in 1999 with the premiere of his feature film "Trois" directed by Rob Hardy. Since then, Packer has been a staunch supporter of the ABFF serving on its Advisory Board, premiering his studio films during the festival and lending his expertise to mentor emerging artists.

"ABFF is one of the single most instrumental institutions in my career. This is more than just a festival for me. It's very existence guarantees there will be more Will Packers making movies from a unique perspective and telling the stories of underserved audiences, said Will Packer."

"We are thrilled to have our dear friend Will serve as this year's ABFF Jury President. His relationship with the ABFF family spans more than 20 years and his path to success embodies the festival's mission - empowering Black creatives to thrive in Hollywood" says Jeff Friday, ABFF Ventures Founder & CEO.