The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) brought its celebration of Black storytelling to New York City for its second annual NYC Pop Up on October 10th and 11th. The two-day event featured award-winning films, filmmaker discussions and a star-studded conversation with LL Cool J, Mike Colter and Gayle King.
The second annual ABFF NYC Pop Up opened Saturday, October 10th, with a screening of The Rise: The New MoneyBall, presented by founding sponsor Ally Financial. The opening day also featured Three Colors: Pan-African, winner of the ABFF 2026 Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature, followed by a discussion with director Elijah Davis. Audiences concluded the evening with an encore presentation of the 2026 HBO Short Film Showcase and a conversation with filmmaker Modupe Thompson.
The festival continued Sunday, October 11th, with the New York Stories, Everywhere Short Film Showcase. Filmmakers Tiffani Holland, Allison Oddman, Sharona D’Ornellas and Imani Celeste participated in a discussion alongside actor and executive producer Elvis Nolasco. Filmmaker J.J. Abrams also attended the showcase to support the featured talent.
One of the weekend’s highlights was CBS’ TV’s Leading Men conversation featuring LL Cool J of NCIS: New York and Mike Colter of Cupertino. Moderated by Gayle King, the discussion explored their upcoming television projects and the evolving role of leading men in entertainment. The event concluded with a screening of Otra and a conversation with director Armani Ortiz about the film’s creative vision and production.
