Queen City Black Film Festival

The concept behind the founding of the Queen City Black Film Festival dates back to when WNYMMP Co-Founders loved to watch the ABC After School Film Specials in the 1970's. Later in life they realized the power and influence that films could have on people, particularly youth. 

The group began producing urban independent television programs for WKBW-TV ABC Ch.7 in 2001. They featured trailers and movie reviews of black filmmakers and exposure was given to cinematographers, producers, writers, actors and stunt actors. Great relationships were built with many filmmakers who have gone on to contribute to modern filmmaking today. 

Our efforts brought diversity to the Western New York region and played a major role in the growth of the movie production business in the Buffalo Niagara region.

The official founding & launching of the Queen City Black Film Festival was in 2014 with the African-American Roswell Employee Network (AREN) located in the Gaylord room at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI). The purpose of the film festival is to promote independent storytelling in an effort to unite, inform and inspire a broad and diverse audience.

Kezia Pearson is a Buffalo area educator, filmmaker, author, poet, fashion designer and is still the chair of the film committee. She obtained her Bachelors of Arts in English and Master of Arts and Humanities in Film and Performance from the University of New York at Buffalo.

In 2015 Ilham Askia was the Distinguished Speaker and Executive Director of Gideon’s Promise to discuss the award winning documentary “Gideon’s Army” and the role that education plays in balancing the scales of justice. Gideon’s Army was nominated for an Emmy Award, winner at Cannes Film Festival and featured at Sundance Film Festival. Allita L. Steward was the Co-Chair and producer of the event.

“The audiences that join us for these screenings will share in the discovery of innovative and unique films, and will also have a chance to hear directly from local film experts before and after the screenings,” added Michael Quinniey, Chairman of WNYMMP.

After the 2016 Film festival was supposed to feature DeShuna Moore Spencer, CEO of kweliTV, the QCBFF committee decided to create more of an online presence for their film festival until the Historic Sattler "Broadway" Theater has its grand opening and will be home to our international Black Film Festival.