About

Established in 1992 by Hollywood veterans Danny Glover (The Color Purple, Lethal Weapon), the late Ja’Net DuBois (“Good Times”), and Ayuko Babu, the Pan African Film & Arts Festival (PAFF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that has remained dedicated to the promotion of Black stories and images through the exhibition of film, visual art, and other creative expression.

For over 30 years, PAFF has been the international beacon for the African diaspora film and arts communities.

As the critically acclaimed largest Black film and arts festival and Black History Month activation in the United States, PAFF brings together filmmakers, artists, and unique craftspeople from over 40 countries and six continents to Los Angeles annually, to showcase their pivotal work and talent. PAFF has become the quintessential global celebration of Pan-African cultures.

Every year PAFF’s film festival continues to showcase over 200 new high-quality Black films from the U.S., Africa, the Caribbean, South America, Europe, the South Pacific, Canada, and increasingly, Asia.

PAFF is an Oscars qualifying film festival for the Academy Awards in the categories of: Best Short Narrative Film Award, Best Short Documentary Award, and Best Animated Short.