August 2025

American Black Film Festival Expands to NYC, Atlanta, Dallas & LA Ahead of 30th Anniversary

Sylvester August 13, 2025

NICE CROWD, the company behind the American Black Film Festival (ABFF), today announced the launch of the ABFF Pop-Up Tour, a new national initiative bringing the energy, creativity, and community spirit of the acclaimed festival to four major markets across the U.S. this fall. The ABFF Pop-Up Tour kicks off in October 2025 at AMC Theatres in New York City, followed by stops in Atlanta and Dallas in November, and culminating in Los Angeles this December. Now approaching its 30th year, ABFF is expanding beyond its flagship annual Miami Beach event to extend its mission of cultural equity, creativity, and access to communities nationwide. The Pop-Up Tour will feature award-winning independent films, celebrity conversations, and curated panels—including BOB Talks, an inspiring speaker series spotlighting Black-Owned Brands. Designed to meet audiences where they are, the tour activates cities where Black arts and entertainment communities live and thrive. The 2025 Pop-Up Tour is launched with national support from Founding Sponsor Ally Financial.

“For nearly three decades, ABFF has been a cornerstone for showcasing and elevating Black storytelling,” said Jeff Friday, ABFF Cofounder and CEO of Nice Crowd. “The ABFF Pop-Up Tour is a natural evolution of that mission—a mobile cultural movement designed to expand opportunity and deepen connection. By bringing the ABFF experience directly into local communities, we’re creating new spaces to discover talent, celebrate creativity, and unite through the power of film and shared culture. We’re excited to partner with Ally Financial to help bring this vision to life.”

ABFF POP-UP TOUR (October 2025 – December 2025)

A national tour bringing ABFF programming and spirit to four key U.S. markets. 

Founding sponsor: Ally Financial

• New York – October 25–26 | AMC Lincoln Square
• Atlanta – November 8–9 | AMC Madison Yards
• Dallas – November 15–16  | AMC NorthPark
• Los Angeles – December 13–14 | AMC The Grove

“Ally honors the remarkable talent and creativity showcased at the American Black Film Festival Pop-Up Tour as a part of our long-standing commitment as a true ally to Black and brown creators and artists,” said Erica Hughes, senior director, Ally Marketing. “Elevating their voices, sharing their experiences, and celebrating the unique gifts they bring to our communities is a key piece of Ally’s mission to serve everyone as a financial ally.”

The 14th Annual Georgia Latino International Film Festival 

Sylvester August 13, 2025

Ignites The Fox Theatre with an Opening Night Full Of Glam, Culture, And Rising Stars.

 The Georgia Latino Film Alliance (GALFA) proudly announces the return of the 14th annual Georgia Latino International Film Festival (GALIFF), running Oct. 2–5, 2025. This year’s opening night celebration will take place at the iconic Fox Theatre, marking a milestone moment for Southern culture during Hispanic Heritage Month.

As the only Afro-Latino curated film festival in the Southeast, GALIFF is more than a cinematic showcase—it’s a cultural movement. For over a decade, GALIFF has redefined what blockbuster storytelling looks like by elevating Latino voices across genres, languages, and borders. Hosted in the heart of Atlanta, GALIFF continues to serve as a launchpad for bold premieres, creative collisions, and the next generation of visionary filmmakers.

“Hosting our opening night at the Fox Theatre is a dream come true not just for the Georgia Latino Film Alliance, but for every Latino artist who’s ever dared to tell their story.” said Jose Marquez, CEO and Co-Founder of the Georgia Latino Film Alliance. “During Hispanic Heritage Month, we proudly stand at the intersection of culture and cinema, honoring our roots and elevating our future.”

“The Fox Theatre is thrilled to welcome the Georgia Latino International Film Festival for VIP Opening night,” said Jamie Vosmeier, Vice President, Sales & Marketing. “This collaboration during Hispanic Heritage Month reflects our deep commitment to inclusivity and celebrating Atlanta’s diversity through the power of film TV and Entertainment.

GALIFF will feature four days of groundbreaking premieres, filmmaker spotlights, master classes, workshops, summits, and red-carpet activations, alongside programs like Y-FI (Youth Film Initiative Summit), The Film Lab Georgia, and Film Business 101 that empower students and early-career creatives.

������ Event: 14th Annual Georgia Latino International Film Festival VIP Opening Night

������️ Dates: October 2–5, 2025

������ VIP Opening Night Location: The Fox Theatre
        660 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30308

������ For More Information: www.galiff.org

Soul Symphony Weekend reimagines the former annual Atlanta Fashion & Polo Classic

Sylvester August 13, 2025

The Miguel Wilson Collection and the Ride to the Olympics Foundation are hosting the inaugural Soul Symphony Weekend from Friday, September 19, to Sunday, September 21. This reimagined version of the annual Atlanta Fashion & Polo Classic is sponsored by Bentley Atlanta and will feature a golf outing, a black-tie orchestra experience, musical performances, a fashion show, and polo matches.

The three-day weekend will also feature polo matches with two historic teams: the Morehouse Polo Club, the first HBCU polo team, and the Atlanta’s BEST Academy Polo Team, the first all-Black high school polo team. Both teams were co-founded by Miguel Wilson and his Ride to the Olympics Foundation.

“For seven years, we’ve built a tradition of blending luxury and culture,” Wilson said. “This year, we’re taking that tradition to the next level by presenting the inaugural Soul Symphony Weekend—an experience elevated by a live 8-piece symphony orchestra, an internationally recognized pianist, and additional live musical performances.”

The Soul Symphony Weekend kicks off on Friday, September 19, with two events: the Soul Symphony Golf Outing at Eagles Landing Country Club and the Welcome Party on the rooftop of the Kimpton Overland Hotel.

The weekend’s centerpiece is the Black Tie Soul Symphony event, held on Saturday, September 20, at Enon Ranch. Guests will be immersed in a night of elegance and entertainment, featuring a live fashion show and performances by the Soul Symphony Orchestra, composer and pianist Camden Stewart, and award-winning singers Kevin Ross and Syleena Johnson. The spectacular lineup also includes T.R.A.P. Opera singer Madelyn Brené and singer Brady Turner.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore, the first Black governor of Maryland, is confirmed to attend the Black Tie Soul Symphony as a special guest.

The weekend culminates with the Atlanta Polo Party, formerly the Atlanta Fashion & Polo Classic, on Sunday, September 21, at Bouckaert Farm. Guests will enjoy a day of luxury and sport, featuring gourmet food, signature cocktails, live music, and thrilling equestrian exhibitions. Attendees are encouraged to dress in their finest derby attire.

Past notable attendees include:  Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, nationally syndicated radio host Frank Ski, Pastor Jamal Bryant (New Birth Missionary Baptist Church), rapper Young Jeezy, Nene Leakes (Bravo’s Real Housewives of Atlanta), Cynthia Bailey (Bravo’s Real Housewives of Atlanta), Sheree Whitfield (Bravo’s Real Housewives of Atlanta), Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson (TV Personalities/ HGTV’s Married To Real Estate), singer Q Parker,  singer RL (of R&B group Next), and rapper Waka Flocka. 

Soul Symphony Weekend serves to benefit the Ride to the Olympics Foundation, a non-profit organization that aims to provide support to kids who desire to pursue equestrian activities, especially those who normally wouldn’t have the opportunity due to socio-economic obstacles. All proceeds from the will go towards the Ride to the Olympics Foundation, which also supports the Morehouse Polo Club and Atlanta’s BEST Academy Polo Team. 

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://fashionandpoloclassic.com/#SoulSymphony and visit https://www.ridetotheolympics.org/ to find out more about the Ride to the Olympics Foundation or to make a donation.

Amazon MGM Studios presents SARAH’S OIL

Sylvester August 6, 2025

Sarah’s Oil is the remarkable true story of Sarah Rector, an African American girl born in Oklahoma Indian Territory in the early 1900s, who believes there is oil beneath the barren land she’s allotted and whose faith is proven right. As greedy oil sharks close in, Sarah turns to her family, friends, and some Texas wildcatters to maintain control of her oil-rich land, eventually becoming among the nation’s first female African American millionaires—at eleven years old.

In theaters November 7, 2025, this inspiring true story follows Sarah Rector, a young Black girl from Oklahoma who became one of the richest children in America after oil was discovered on her family’s land.

More than a story of sudden fortune, it’s about faith, and resilience!

Directed by: Cyrus Nowrasteh

Screenplay by: Betsy Giffen Nowrasteh & Cyrus Nowrasteh

Inspired by the book: “Searching for Sarah Rector” by Tonya Bolden

Produced by: John Shepherd, Cyrus Nowrasteh, Kevin Downes, Daryl Lefever, Andrew Erwin, Jon Erwin, Zachary Levi, Derrick Williams

Executive Producers: Tony Young, Katelyn Botsch, Robert Scott Fort, Sherry Kang, Russell Wilson, Ciara

Cast: Zachary Levi, Naya Desir-Johnson, Sonequa Martin-Green, Garret Dillahunt, Mel Rodriguez, Kenric Green, Bridget Regan

Genre: Drama

Rating: PG for thematic content, some violence, language including racial slurs, a suggestive reference and brief smoking

GRAMMY® WINNER DOECHII ANNOUNCES “LIVE FROM THE SWAMP TOUR,” LAUNCHING OCTOBER 14

Sylvester August 4, 2025

After much anticipation, Doechii has officially announced her upcoming “Live from the Swamp Tour.” Produced by Live Nation, the 12-city North American headline run will kick off on October 14 at Aragon Ballroom in Chicago. The outing will also take the GRAMMY^®-winning Top Dawg Entertainment / Capitol Records recording artist to Toronto, the Eastern Seaboard, Georgia, Texas and Arizona and wrap up with a trio of West Coast shows in San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle

The announcement comes on the heels of Doechii’s Lollapalooza debut. Praising her set as “a hip hop master class,” the Chicago Tribune declared, “Welcoming thousands to Doechii’s School of Hip Hop, complete with a giant, funhouse-style boombox center stage, she rapped, writhed, and twerked circles around a troupe of dancers (delivering choreography that would make the great, ballroom pioneer Willi Ninja proud) and delivered lessons in bars, flow, genre, scratching and word play.”

She closed her Lollapalooza set by driving off in an albino alligator wrapped car, teasing the upcoming dates. Leading up to the reveal, massive albino gators appeared at landmarks in cities she’ll hit this fall, including Piedmont Park in Atlanta, the Welcome to Texas sign, La Jolla Cove in San Diego, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, Seattle’s Space Needle, and even floated down the Chicago River this past weekend. 

Doechii is featured on the cover of the August issue of British Vogue, which hailed her as “a creative visionary” and observed, “She is 10-toes-down authentic, punk rock in the way that she’s motivated by her own spirit.” Read the cover story HERE. In a five-star review, The Guardian praised her Glastonbury headline set as “an education in rap from the greatest teacher in the game…unrelentingly brilliant.” In another five-star review, The Independent said, “With unbelievable lung capacity, Doechii’s rapping is relentless and thoroughly satisfying to listen to…thrilling to witness….a megastar on the rise.” The Washington Post praised her performance at WorldPride Festival as “evidence of rap music’s synchronizing power” and noted, “When she launched into her signature tale of a stressed-out crash out, ‘Denial Is a River,’ fans two blocks deep in the crowd were rattling off Doechii’s zigzag lyrics as if reciting a shouted prayer…”

In February, Doechii won a GRAMMY Award for Best Rap Album for Alligator Bites Never Heal. The album came in at No. 1 on Rolling Stone’s list of “The 20 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2024” and placed in the top 10 of their overall “Best Albums of 2024” tally. Critics at NPR, Paste, Consequence of Sound, Stereogum and UPROXX also hailed AlligatorBites Never Heal as one of the year’s best albums. Listen HERE. Doechii was recently named Woman of the Year at the  2025 Billboard Women in Music event, Best Female Hip Hop Artist at the BET Awards and Outstanding Music Artist at the GLAAD Media Awards.

Disney’s Freakier Friday at Nana’s Chicken & Waffles

Sylvester August 2, 2025

Disney took over Nana’s Chicken & Waffles to promote their new movie, “Freakier Friday” starring Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis. 

Hosted by Real Housewives of Atlanta’s Kelli Ferrell

Guest were treated with gifts from Disney to celebrate the new release. Nana’s Chicken & Waffles provided a special menu for the guest to enjoy for the evening. My son and I really enjoyed the food! We are looking forward to bringing the whole family back for a visit.

 “Freakier Friday” is a sequel to the 2003 movie “Freaky Friday”. The sequel reunites Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis, reprising their roles as Anna and Tess, respectively. The film features a multigenerational twist with a four-way body swap involving Anna’s daughter and soon-to-be stepdaughter.