FESTIVAL: American Black Film Festival Call for Submissions

2007 AMERICAN BLACK FILM FESTIVAL
ANNOUNCES DATES AND CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS

Festival Relocates to Los Angeles

New York, NY, April 19, 2007 – Film Life's 11th annual American Black
Film Festival (ABFF) announced its 2007 dates: October 25-29. The
festival, which had been held for the past five years in South Beach,
Miami, has relocated to the West Coast with festival activities
centered in West Hollywood and Beverly Hills. HBO® is the festival's
founding and title sponsor. 2007 marks HBO's tenth year of support.

Film submissions for consideration for the 2007 ABFF are being
accepted from now through July. Submission forms, deadlines and
eligibility criteria are available online at www.abff.com.

Founded in 1997, the mission of the festival is to strengthen the
Black filmmaking community through resource sharing, education,
artistic collaboration and career development. Since its inception,
over 400 independent films have been screened, seventy per cent of
which have gone on to secure theatrical or DVD distribution. Festival
alumni include director Sylvain White (Stomp the Yard) and producers
Rob Hardy and Will Packer (Stomp the Yard), producer Roger M. Bobb
(Daddy's Little Girls) and writer/director Frank E. Flowers (Haven).
The ABFF was born out of the need to generate distribution
opportunities for independent Black films and promote cultural
diversity within the motion picture industry. It is widely considered
the premier Black film market. Festival attendance is expected to
exceed 5,000 people.

"The move to Los Angeles is an important part of the festival's
evolution. We intend to work more closely with the studios and create
a more potent marketplace for buyers and producers of independent
Black cinema. With the support of our corporate partners, led by HBO,
Lincoln and Allstate®, we will continue to facilitate distribution
opportunities for these films," said Jeff Friday, Founder/CEO of Film
Life, Inc.

In addition to its cinematic showcases, the ABFF nurtures artists in a
variety of disciplines offering workshops, a symposium and talk series
(Access ABFF), exclusive parties, high-level networking and signature
events including: ABFF Feature Panel Discussion, A Conversation With…,
and the HBO Short Film Competition.

"For the past ten years, HBO has proudly collaborated with the ABFF to
bring the best emerging Black filmmakers to the forefront," said
Olivia Smashum, executive vice president, Affiliate Marketing at HBO.
"In turn, with the financial support, industry recognition and respect
they receive at the festival, these talented filmmakers have emerged
further inspired to continue practicing their craft."

The ABFF's four film sections – Shorts, U. S. Features, International
Features and Documentaries – have been created to provide visibility
to new films. Filmmakers are recognized at the ABFF's Independent Film
Awards (Oct. 29) and rewarded with cash and other prizes. Through the
support of Film Life and a wide variety of corporate partners, the
American Black Film Festival continues with its mission to fortify the
Black filmmaking community, and make films by and about people of
color more accessible to mainstream audiences.

Sponsors aboard the 2007 ABFF include HBO (Founding & Title), Lincoln
and Allstate (Premier), Nokia, Blockbuster, Paper Denim & Cloth, VIBE,
Black Enterprise and Upscale (Official), Codeblack Entertainment,
Nickelodeon, UrbanWorks Entertainment, Uptown, Black Noir and the
Sofitel LA (Supporting).

Home Box Office, Inc. is the premium television programming subsidiary
of Time Warner Inc., providing two 24-hour pay television services -
HBO and Cinemax - to over 40 million U.S. subscribers. The services
offer the most popular subscription video on demand products, HBO On
Demand and Cinemax On Demand, as well as multiplex channels and HD
feeds. Internationally the subscription video on demand products HBO
On Demand and HBO Mobile, along with branded joint ventures, bring HBO
services to over 50 countries. HBO programming is sold into over 150
countries worldwide.

The ABFF, cofounded by Jeff Friday in 1997, is a property of Film
Life, Inc., a New York-based film marketing and distribution company.
Its mission is to spearhead the global distribution of quality Black
films and be the leading American brand producing Black movies,
television, events and digital content. Film Life's key properties
include the American Black Film Festival (abff.com); The Black Movie
Awards on TNT (blackmovieawards.com); and the ABFF DVD Series
(thefilmlife.com), a partnership with Warner Home Video.

Festival and registration information is available online
www.abff.com, via phone 212.966.2411,
ext. 400, or by e-mail: [email protected].