LOS ANGELES, CA (April 16, 2026) – The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) today announced its 2026 programming lineup featuring conversations and panels with industry leading directors, producers, and talent, including Chloe Bailey, Coco Jones, Taye Diggs, and Iyanla Vanzant, among others. The lineup features a dynamic slate of conversations, panels and Spotlight screenings, including “The Brittney Griner Story” from ESPN and “Meeting the Moment,” featuring Olympian Noah Lyles, produced by T Brand Studios and L’Oréal Groupe. Festival ambassador and Oscar®, Golden Globe®, and Emmy® Award-winning actress, director, and producer Regina King will participate in a special Legacy Talk honoring her career and marking her return to the festival. The 30th anniversary of ABFF will take place in Miami Beach May 27-31 under the theme “Homecoming.”
“Reaching our 30th anniversary is a profound milestone, not just for the festival, but for the entire creative community we’ve championed over the last three decades,” said NICE CROWD President Nicole Friday. “Our ‘Homecoming’ theme this year is a celebration of that journey—welcoming back legends like our ambassador Regina King while introducing a new generation of powerhouses like Chloe Bailey and Noah Lyles. This lineup reflects ABFF’s unwavering commitment to being a premier stage for bold storytelling and the industry leaders shaping its future.”
Screening highlights also include “Basement People,” directed by Christine Swanson, followed by a Q&A, courtesy of The Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition (BLACC) powered by AHF, and the previously announced Opening Night premiere of Peacock’s Strung. The film, directed by Malcolm D. Lee, starring Chloe Bailey, Lynn Whitfield, Lucien Laviscount, Anna Diop and Coco Jones, will also hold the “Peacock’s Strung: From Script to Screen” panel the following day, presented by Comcast NBCU.
Panels and conversations include “Celebration of Black Television Panel” presented by Netflix, “Storytellers Unleashed: The Creative Powerhouses Behind Your Favorite Amazon MGM Originals,” presented by Amazon MGM Studios, “The Final Game: Inside the Legacy of All American” presented by WBD, “Kanan’s Evolution: An Inside Look at Season Five of ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan,’” presented by STARZ, “Vertical Money: A Distributor’s Truth About the Microdrama Game” presented by Hartbeat | Blktopia, and “Iyanla Vanzant: Behind The Inside Fix. Moderated by CNN’s Abby Phillip,” presented by OWN.
In addition, Zainab Johnson and Tisha Campbell will perform as part of the Hey Ladies Comedy Experience. The Opening Night Party will return, along with the festival’s signature Legendary White Party.
The programming lineup complements previously announced selections, including narrative and documentary feature films, exclusive screenings and world premieres, sneak peaks and red-carpet premieres.
All live events will take place across key venues in Miami Beach, including the New World Center, Miami Beach Convention Center, and O Cinema.
