DIRECTOR

After experiencing the racial divide at film festivals they had entered, they decided to create a space for cultural films from around the world. The Black August Film Festival will welcome films from all over the world that will be about the social and economic issues of the oppressed. Black August is an invitation to reflect on the history of the Black freedom struggle, to celebrate those who have come and gone before us, and to commit to continuing this fight for justice and liberation until we win. The month of August is also rich with the history of Black resistance outside, from the Haitian Revolution to the Watts rebellion and the Ferguson uprising. Black August is a reminder of the power in unity, and a mandate to continue the joint struggle. 

Dennis Haywood is the founder and Executive Director of the Pasadena African American Film Foundation and Editor-in-Chief of the Pasadena Black Pages. He is also the director and producer of Thorns on the Rose: Black Abuse, Corruption & the Pasadena Police, Zinzun: A Revolutionary Activist, & Watts Truce '92: The Henry Peco Movement