9th Annual Film Festival Promises Premieres, Panels and Dozens of Provocative Films. April 14 – April 22, 2012

By Y. Marie Johnson

(L to R) AFFRM Managing Director Tilane Jones, AFFRM Founder & Filmmaker Ava DuVernay, Urbanworld Executive Director Gabrielle Glore, LHAAFF Artistic Director Jacqueline Moscou and LHAAFF Program Director Karen Toering

After two-years of making the most of temporary venues for festival screenings, the Langston Hughes African American Film Festival (LHAAFF) comes home!

AFFRM's Seattle partner returns to its beloved Performing Arts Center, a now 97-year-old building which had been closed for 27 months of seismic and electrical upgrades. Opening just in time for the 9th Annual Langston Hughes African-American Film Festival, all screenings, panels discussions and events will be held together under one roof!  LHAAFF is one of the only Black film festivals in the nation with its own structure, and we are thrilled that the doors to this landmark structure are open once again from April 14th – April 22nd 2012.

The updated 320 seat auditorium is now furnished with newly upholstered seats, 13 renovated bathrooms and a restored Grand Hall lobby area. There is new lighting, HVAC and plumbing throughout the building and the addition of an artist’s residence (with a full bath and kitchen) has been built inside the performing arts center. Digital and electrical upgrades inside the auditorium’s control booth allow for state of the art theatrical presentations, and the digital infrastructure now exists to allow for a music recording studio in the near future.

Langston Hughes Performing Arts CenterLed by Jacqueline Moscou with Karen Toering and Zola Mumford, this excellent nine day festival features a powerful lineup, including AFFRM's third theatrical release as the Closing Night Gala, RESTLESS CITY. Other notable presentations are Matthew Cherry's SXSW Official Selection "The Last Fall," as well as S. Empatha Merkeson's "The Contradictions of Fair Hope" and Andre Lee's "Prep School Negro."  A full list of films, visiting filmmakers and panels is posted at www.langstonblackfilmfest.org in the coming weeks.